MEANWHILE: in stereotyped Hannah Barabara comicbook world.
I bought this on a whim because I have been loving some of the New 52 (and pre52 GL stuff) Geoff Johns material. So I was amped for excitement, I was on board to an intricate story with a new take on the whole premise of superman, maybe some new ideas.
so far I don't see any of that.
The story starts with a quick splash page over view of the life and times of the man of steel, there isn't anything wrong with this page, its just old info for new readers. Lets call it a jumping on point. I have a feeling this is editorial mandate, and maybe Johns was disgruntled about doing it. so he completed the task quickly kind of fast forawarding through as haphazardly as possible. So I won't hold the poorly done momatge against him.
The artwork isn't stellar, just kind of basic run of the mill comic stuff. its not bad mind you, just not great either.The writing is nothing like I have seen from the acclaimed Green Lantern Writer. it reads like a telegraph, short blocky statements that string together to form a semi-cohesive cogniscence. This is actually reminding me waaaay too much of Adam West and hanna Barbara's Super Friends for my liking, its very forced dialogue emphasizing each half phrase as if it was direly important to the story...and it isn't
(Im forced to remind myself of the old simpsosns episode where the boys buy a rare issue one comic book together... radioactive man monologues " My Pants !!! caught on Barbbed WIRE!!!!>>AGOOD LORD <choke> A A-Abomb!!!!!! YAAAARGH!, Im. Becoming, Radioactive. From this day forward I shall call myself . Radioactive Man." the dialogue in this comic seems very similar)
In the end I enjoyed the comic more than I am letting on, there was some good plot development as we see Lex Luthor social Pariah released from sentencing (clearly by some diabolical means) The world trying to cope with the absence of Superman (with a movie Clark Kent seems to really really enjoy, particularly the part where he lands in Chicago and fight Dr. Cosmos etc.) Jimmy Olsen is more of a wreck about Superman's disappearance than Clark is willing to help him with, (wait superman is a dick?) and the reason Clark Kent is too busy to help his friends in need cope with loss, His career is doing great.....ummm...what,. well at least him and lois are cool. when a giant scary monster attacks nearby Kent he leaps....to his jimmy olsen style signal watch.....to call his niece to deal with the monster...WHAT!!!>.. but at the very end we actually get a reason for the deception, for the (no longer considered) selfishness, for his cowardice....with a scene where he is slugged hard by Lex Luthor, we realize that Clark Kent is no longer superman....all is forgiven. and I suddenly want to read more...
No Joke,. this issue may have started off rocky, the middle may have been to nauseating to bear (supermans inaction that is) but the end aptly showed us why, and gave us reason to keep reading. Why is Superman literally JUST mild Mannered Clark Kent? what happened to his powers? clearly the mystery is afoot, and the stakes are high, as Clark has become accustomed to being two-bit Harry, with a story on the front page, written-by that is.