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Review: Superior #2

Posted by inferiorego (19306 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio
Simon Pooni was granted a wish by a space monkey and he became the super-hero Superior. He and his friend Chris discover what powers Simon has as Superior.
 

The Good

Over the past couple of years, Millar has let loose to mixed reactions in the comic book community. For me, a person who has a bit of a dirty mouth in real life, I felt his books had a bit too much cussing in them, and the stories lacked the heart they once had. This all changes with Superior, which is written by Mark Millar and drawn by one of my favorite artists Leinil Yu. Yes, this is an adult book, and there is some swearing in it, but it's not a ridiculous amount like we've seen in Kick-Ass or Nemesis. It's about a boy who had a serious disease getting his shot at being who he loves, a super-hero. Just like the first issue, there's a bit of emotional struggle dealing with Simon's multiple sclerosis in flashbacks, which emotionally has made him a stronger person. His body now matches his personality as he becomes the most powerful man on the planet with fantastic super-powers. The whole issue is truly about re-discovering yourself, with some amazing artwork by the fabulous Leinil Yu. The book will drag you in, and you'll want to read it a couple times, even though it's characters and a world comic fans are just being introduced to.
 

The Bad

I have a weird feeling this book is going to take a huge turn into something I'm not going to enjoy. I've become a bit skeptical while reading Millar's newer books. However, this issue had no problems for me. I loved it.
 

The Verdict 5/5 - Highly Recommended

Good Starting Point 
So far, this is a fantastic book about over-coming adversity, friendship, family, and new beginnings. It's an adult book for the kid at heart, but you may want to pick up the first issue because it is a great set-up for this issue. This book has a great heart so far and is a top book at Marvel in my opinion. This is one you should definitely have on your pull list.
Staff
#1 Posted by JairamGanpat (757 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio

Interesting 
 
Haha the most important comic book since 1938.

#2 Posted by inferiorego (19306 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio
@JairamGanpat said:
" Interesting  Haha the most important comic book since 1938. "
Before I read the book, I scoffed at that.
Staff
#3 Posted by Albo (3 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio

I found this issue to be soooo generic!  It's just a "testing out the powers" story, which we've read a million times in a million books.  I'm not sure what Millar thinks he's bringing to the table that's new.

#4 Posted by Agent Buttons (13477 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio
Drat. I totally missed issue one. I've been away waaaaaay too long.
#5 Posted by Mutant X (1542 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio
@Albo said:
" I found this issue to be soooo generic!  It's just a "testing out the powers" story, which we've read a million times in a million books.  I'm not sure what Millar thinks he's bringing to the table that's new. "
Every superhero book has to have those. I'm sure all of us would do the same if we had superpowers.
#6 Posted by jamesewelch (616 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio
@inferiorego: 

 "I have a weird feeling this book is going to take a huge turn into something I'm not going to enjoy. I've become a bit skeptical while reading Millar's newer books. 

I felt the same way after reading issue #1. With all of Millar's recent books having "twists" that were too far over out of bounds and seeming just plain strange. I read a lot of the MAX titles, but Nemesis's last issue just made my head spin. I really hope this title doesn't end up anything like that type of twist. I haven't read #2 yet (it's in my "to read" stack now).
#7 Posted by Calvin (3479 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio
@JairamGanpat said:
" Interesting  Haha the most important comic book since 1938. "
got me wondering...
#8 Posted by sora_thekey (7853 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio

Really? Wow... I'm going to look for issue one then!

Moderator
#9 Posted by Pizawle (1074 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio

The tagline is hilarious. When I saw it on my copy I instantly though "Oh Millar, you clever sonuvabitch."

#10 Posted by jamdown (294 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio

I love the quote at the bottum "the most important comic since 1938"

#11 Posted by Mainline (1127 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio

I really enjoyed this issue too (and it was, to my own surprise, my most anticipated issue in my big pull list for this week).  It is really easy to be cynical about Millar because he's such a self-promoter, flaunts the comic book formula, and does a lot of deconstruction of the genre which could almost be interpreted as disdain for it... but at the end of the day, he's a guy that loves comics (in the sense of the genre).  Which is why he can pull out all the tropes of discovering powers and it still feels genuine and straight faced despite having seen it a thousand times before. 
 
Of course, the flip side is that I'm bracing for impact.  This was the calm before the storm... the light to set up the dark.  The norm to establish the shock and horror.  We haven't really seen the conflict or quest yet (maybe perhaps glimpsed it in our last page and next cover preview)... and the reason I'm enjoying this book is probably because of the meta-Millar hype/aura he's built up around his own works.  I totally buy this sweet moment now... but feel genuine tension as to what could happen next.  With probably the most sympathetic hero Millar's made of late and the level of optimism thus far, you wonder if Millar will really screw with this character and you find yourself pulling for him. 
 
Pretty cool for a periodical and a writer that's easily written off as pure shock value many time. 
 
It certainly may read different in trade/retrospect... bracing for impact!

#12 Posted by longbowhunter (3603 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio

Really liked this issue. I've never seen someone discovering their powers written quite like this.
#13 Edited by FadeToBlackBolt (21886 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio

If it's anything like the first issue, I'll be avoiding this like the plague. There should be a law that permits murdering arrogant idiots. Millar would be near the top of my list.

#14 Posted by Mainline (1127 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio
@FadeToBlackBolt: Why so serious?  It's a clear parody pastiche of other comic hyperbole: Amazing, Spectacular, Invincible, Incredible, Astonishing, Fantastic, Probably The Best Superhero Comic In The Universe, etc. 
 
Stan Lee was the granddaddy of self-promotion, Millar's just a post-modern version of the same thing.
#15 Posted by jakob187 (996 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio

I haven't picked either of these issues up, as I thought Kick-Ass was merely okay and Nemesis is gory but not a great book in general.  If Superior is seriously as good as I've heard from my friends and this website, I think I'll have to make the plunge and add it to my pull list.  At least it seems to come out more consistently than most Millar books.

#16 Posted by FadeToBlackBolt (21886 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio
@Mainline said:
" @FadeToBlackBolt: Why so serious?  It's a clear parody pastiche of other comic hyperbole: Amazing, Spectacular, Invincible, Incredible, Astonishing, Fantastic, Probably The Best Superhero Comic In The Universe, etc.  Stan Lee was the granddaddy of self-promotion, Millar's just a post-modern version of the same thing. "
Millar is just a whore though. He writes independent comics so that they get made into films. And let's be honest, this is a bad series. It indulges in every kind of cliché. It saddens me that people fall over themselves calling this guy a genius when he has all the originality of a Wayan Brothers film. 
 
 
I like Nemesis because it's fun, a parody as you said. Superior seems to try and take itself seriously, and because it's so ludicrous, this self-reverence is insulting to me.
#17 Posted by Mainline (1127 posts) - 2 years, 6 months ago - Show Bio
@FadeToBlackBolt: I don't think he's a genius, I just think he knows how to play the game.
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