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Superman #654 Review
- by Brian Cronin
- in Comic Reviews
Is this cover an homage of sorts of Action Comics #1? Or am I just imagining that?
In any event, as a fan of both Busiek and Pacheco, I was looking forward to their run, until I read the five-page preview Wizard had awhile back.
It struck me as such a "paint-by-numbers" story. It would just be a "day-in-the-life" Superman story with captions from Clark throughout the issue. Essentially, the same exact type of story Jeph Loeb did on his Superman run.
But now that I've read the whole issue, I think I was unfair in my initial opinion. Don't get me wrong, this WAS a "day-in-the-life" Superman story with captions from Clark throughout the issue, but the difference is that I think that Busiek is just such a good writer that he is able to make even the most straightforward story seem interesting, partially by throwing in nice, clever ideas here and there.
Pacheco (and his long-time inker, Jesus Merino) was never a concern, as I don't think Pacheco has ever had a bad issue. Maybe some issues weren't as good as others, but he is not an artist who has "flops." Although I think Lois' new haircut is awful.
I cannot even hazard a guess as to what Pacheco was thinking with that hairstyle (thanks to my pal Cayman for the scan).
One of the criticisms of the early issues of Up, Up and Away (including from me, natch) was that while the characterizations were excellent, there wasn't enough action mixed in. Well, Busiek addresses this by making sure to have a lot of action in this comic, mixed in with the character pieces.
The cleverest conceit of the issue is the whole "Clark has to do a bunch of crummy jobs to prove himself worthy of getting two plum assignments, but keeps getting called away to fight crime while trying to get all the jobs done, which are mostly attending boring press conferences." It is a good setup by Busiek, and it makes for an interesting challenge for Superman.
The return of Lana Lang as CEO of Lexcorp makes little sense, but I assume Superboy punched a wall or something, and it makes more sense. And I like the clever (unless I'm overthinking it) way that Busiek introduces a new "double el" lady into Clark's life. The more I think about it, the more I think it must be on purpose by Busiek. If so, I approve.
There is a bit in the issue that is a bit too connected to the first Superman movie, in the sense that, for a second, you think that Bryan Singer was writing the comic book, but I'll forgive the dorky moment because the rest of the issue was good and the mystery over what the moment was led to a lot of funny lines from Jimmy Olsen.
So, for a book with great Carlos Pacheco art that addressed the Up, Up and Away complaints of not enough action with the characterizations, I would recommend, with the slight reservation that, as said before, this wasn't exactly a new take on Superman so much as a just a well-written, well-illustrated standard tale.
And that's all right by me.
- Posted on July 12, 2003 @ 10:19 AM
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10 Comments
moose n squirrel
July 16, 2006 at 2:43 pm
I like Lois's hair. There, I said it.
D
July 16, 2006 at 3:48 pm
I like it too. Sometimes.
Bill Reed
July 16, 2006 at 4:55 pm
I miss her brown 90's hair.
Jordan D. White
July 16, 2006 at 7:08 pm
No, Lois's new hair is terrible. You folks are mad.
I agree on the whole with the issue. I enjoyed it a lot. And to be honest, it was refreshing to have a Superman comic come out in this day and age that DID NOT try to reinvent the wheel or break down everything you know! It was a simple tale of Superman, and it was well done.
mattcomics
July 16, 2006 at 10:01 pm
I gotta agree about the hair. The new hair is awful. I also never like dit when they gave her brown hair either. I guess I prefer more her look in the Dini/Timm animated series or Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier.
Brian
July 17, 2006 at 3:48 pm
I like the new hair. Bangs is sexy.
The haircut on the animated show looks great, but I don't think it would play well in a less cartoony style.
Haven't picked up this issue yet, but positive reviews here and on Hibbs' Savage Critic site have sold me.
That and I gotta support the new 'do ...
yo
July 17, 2006 at 5:38 pm
Yes, bangs is sexy - but that is not. It'd be fine if it was just an ultra-short haircut that ended above her ears. But see all that stuff hanging down below her ears and the sleeve behind her? That's still hair. Including the two clavicle-length spikes. We first see this abomination when Lois is waking up in the morning, and it works as bed-head. But then it's the same all day long, and it looks awful.
DC Solicitations for November, 2006
52 Week 23: Lois gambles with her dignity when she makes a bet with Perry White. The terms? If she loses, she has to wear her hair in the dumbest style imaginable for the next year. Can she survive looking like she got bored and wandered out of the salon halfway through her haircut?
52 Week 24: Clark has to pretend he likes his wife's hair, or else spend the next 18 weeks sleeping on the couch.
52 Week 25: Superman is gone - but who's that buying a couch?
t bone
July 19, 2006 at 8:25 am
I liked her new bottom in this issue. Wish Cayman did a scan of that!
Chris Fama
July 25, 2006 at 10:14 am
This issue was a bore. And if Clark Kent is Superman, does he really need to wear a coat, a sports coat, an open buttob down and a t-shirt in the middle of summer? I found Lois and Clark's relationship to be something created by a guy who's talked to a handful of women in his life.
Lois was drawn wll, but if you were Superman, would you put up with that hairstyle? "There's a line outside the door, Lois and I hope Liza Minelli isn't in it."
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