Superman #41

by Kalem Lalonde on June 28, 2015

Writer: Gene Luen Yang
Artist: John Romita Jr.

Knowing that Gene Luen Yang was taking over Superman made me stick with the title after the horrendous issue #40. I wasn’t familiar with his work but a new writer always has potential in my eyes. Yang delivers on the promise of a good Superman title and makes his title distinct enough to feel fresh and new.

An element that hasn’t been played on much since I started reading Superman in the New 52 (Greg Pak’s Action Comics debut) has been his role as a journalist. Geoff Johns brought Clark back to the Daily Planet but didn’t truly incorporate journalism into his story.

Yang’s story revolves around Clark’s job as he follows anonymous tips and gets blackmailed as a result. Yang is able to balance superheroics with a grounded story perfectly in this issue. The true enjoyment is watching Clark lurk in the shadows observing a local politicians questionable business as he tries to avoid detection.

Despite not delving deep into the character, it is completely obvious, through all these great scenes, that Yang has a solid handle on Clark’s voice. Despite being a plot-driven issue, I can tell that Yang knows this character and will surely give us some great moments for the man of tomorrow in the future (like that killer first page).

Returning on art duties is John Romita Jr. who pulls off some great action as per usual but also gives us an issue with more detail than he usually offers. Having 2 months to draw this issue payed off for Romita Jr. as he gives us an artistic high with Superman #41.

This wasn’t one of my most anticipated titles of DC’s new line but Gene Luen Yang’s debut issue gives us reason to be excited about Superman going forward. We know where the story is going (Action Comics) but it’s still thrilling to see how it got there because there isn’t much focused placed on Clark’s identity. If you like journalist Superman stories, Superman #41 is a comic I highly recommend. 
 

Our Score:

8/10

A Look Inside