Superman #713

So the end of Grounded is near. Some have enjoyed it due to comparisons between the legendary Green Lantern-Green Arrow storyline whereas others have criticised it due to poor story telling. As for me, I think there have been good and bad issues but whether this issue will be a good one remains to be seen.

Synopsis

Superman decides to give up being Superman and then meets a Superman fan who tells him Why The World Needs Superman.

SPOILERS!!!

The Good

· Truthfully, there are some good points made in the issue about the problems that are linked with Superman. The fact that Superman serves as a target for a villain’s attack, the fact that Superman’s powers make normal people resent his presence and that he draws danger to the people he is trying to protect. That’s kinda copying Batman but there’s still some truth in there that applies to all superheroes.

· However, equally good points are made as well. Superman uses his powers to protect people from violence and destruction, always does the right thing in any situation and doesn’t take the law into his own hands, he revealed the truth about his origins to the public early on in his career no matter how uncomfortable that may have been, he helps anyone who needs it in spite of who they are and he serves as an ideal symbol for others to aspire to by being the best person he can be. That quote is the highlight of the issue for me.

· The guy who meets Clark and tries to prove to him why Superman is still important can arguably represent us Superman fans and why we love him. I thought that using one person to explain to Superman why he is still needed attributed to how the citizens of the DCU in general feel about Superman and this was further supported through the meeting of various other people in the book and why they feel Superman is still an important hero.

· Also, the stories told by various citizens in the book encapsulate the main attractions of Superman to a target audience. These examples include his powers, his dedication to the ideal of truth, the fact he does not take the law into his own hands and how he helps anyone who needs to be assisted.

· Furthermore, for all its disjointedness, the artists who contributed to the issue were mostly good.

The Bad

· However, what cannot be overlooked is the fact the penultimate issue of Superman served as a reminder of why Superman is great. We readers don’t need that, we already know this, that’s why we pick up this and Action Comics so the whole motif of this issue is pointless. Here’s some advice DC; don’t waste time telling us why Superman is great. Instead, spend it telling great Superman stories that show why he is the greatest superhero instead of wasting an entire issue on the subject.

· Secondly, the one person who should not need reminding why he is still needed is Superman himself. The Man of Steel does not need an identity crisis to make him more relevant. Instead, DC need to focus on the best aspects of humanity that Superman symbolises in order for readers to relate to him. Honestly, reading the whole issue gave me a Spider-Man 2 vibe. For example, Superman leaving his costume and walking away is definitely copying that scene from the film where Peter leaves his costume in a trash can which in itself is copying The Amazing Spider-Man #50. Furthermore, the fact the whole issue was spent showing why Superman is still relevant is similar to the garage scene where Aunt May tells Peter the best qualities about Spider-Man. A lack of ideas is one thing but copying from another source is something else entirely.

· As well as this, the story lacks structure and pacing. First of all, the majority of the issue is spent with Clark and the random guy going up to a person, asking a Superman related question which follows with the person then telling a story which summarises why they like Superman and then it is repeated throughout the issue. Secondly, with the pacing, Miss Jennings (who I hate by the way) just happens to kidnap Lois as they were talking about her and how she is the person who understands Superman the most. I find this to be sloppy work on DC’s part.

· On top of this, the art looks incredibly strange and disjointed due to multiple artists in the issue. I hate multiple artists doing a comic, particularly when the artwork looks horribly disjointed. As with the previous issue, this ruined the issue even more.

· Oh and the cover is horrendous too. Gawky pencils, absurd facial expressions and a clichéd Superman in the background which again parodies The Amazing Spider-Man #50 to an extent. It’s a shame really because John Cassaday can do really brilliant covers when they’re not this terrible.

The good points made in this issue do not account for the concerns this issue was trying to cover. Hence, the point of this issue is non existent, thus making it a waste of your money. A dreadful Superman issue and it’s the penultimate one too. For shame, DC, for shame.

Final Scores

Story: 3/10

Art: 4/10

Overall: 3/10