Now you can argue that his origins as an intergallactic orphan lend some grit to the Superman saga, and as I've grown older, I've come to appreciate that this is in fact the case, but only up to a point. And when it comes to Superman titles in the New 52, "Action Comics" directly plays on the emotions of how Kal-El came to Earth, whereas "Superman" really does not. And since this is one of the most interesting aspects of Superman, it is also the case that the "Superman" title has not - at least so far - kept my interest as well as the more nuanced "Action Comics" has.
For the first four issues, writer George Perez and artist Jesus Merino take Superman down a bizarre path, and in a manner that I found difficult to engage with. Wearing an updated costume that amounts to mostly minor tweaks when compared to "Action Comics"' more radical denim-and-work-boots makeover, a super-mysterious and slightly distant and unfriendly Superman presides over Metropolis, defending the city first from some sort of invisible enemy, then from a fire element being and finally from an ice element being that appears to have originally taken the form of (or has possessed) one of Clark Kent's co-workers. None of these beings speak an Earth language, but they appear to speak the same language, and it might be the language of Superman's home planet.
The Daily Planet building has been demolished but replaced with a new, Trump-ed up version, and a man named Morgan Edge now controls the company, putting Lois Lane in charge of its television division and thus adding a modern twist to the famous details of the Superman story we learned as kids.
Superman is blamed for the destruction caused to Metropolis while fighting these enemies, and with each passing issue, his behavior seems less and less like the behavior of Superman that we're used to. People really start to panic after Superman appears to absorb the elements of his enemies and then begins speaking in the same alien language (Krypton?) as them. Before the end of issue #5, Superman is holding a man upside down from atop the Daily Planet and threatening to drop him. And before readers can get angry about this new, abrasive Superman, the issue concludes with what appears to be the real Superman, floating somewhere in space, somehow trapped, finding himself covered in some sort of black, dotted substance.
Meanwhile, Supergirl shows up in Metropolis and rescues the man that "Superman" almost kills. All of issue #6 is essentially a battle between Superman and Supergirl, with Lois and her camera crew led by a Jimmy Olsen who's drawn too look much to young following the brawl to capture footage. Somehow, the real Superman arrives to dispose of his impostor and repair things with Supergirl.
Had I not read further, I think I would have been done with "Superman" by the midway point of its run so far, but as was the case with many of the New 52 titles, a new team picked up with issue #7 with this title as well, generating some noticeable improvements. In fact, issue #7 on feels terribly disjointed from the first half; its story and approach are both very different. Jesus Merino remains on the title, but the book is now being written by Dan Jurgens and Keith Giffen.
At the start of #7, an alien being arrives to level Superman, who still has not fully regained the trust of the people of Metropolis. This being turns out to be a soldier for Helspont, a scorned creature with a skull head lit in blue flames seeking Superman to serve him in seeking revenge on those who once imprisoned him. Helspont wants Superman - and any other "metahumans" he cares to enlist - to help him in his quest and, in return, offers Superman control over Earth. Superman, of course, refuses the deal.
Another startling change reveals itself in #7, when we find out that when Clark Kent changes into Superman, the "S" logo on his chest, worn on a t-shirt under his work clothes, now absorbs all of his street clothes and transforms Clark head-to-toe in his Superman gear. This is achieved, we learn in thought bubbles, through something called "Kryptonian biotech."
Helspont is actually a pretty cool villain, as is Anguish, a female character introduced in #9. Superman confronts her when she robs a bank simply to take an old locket and necklace from a safety deposit box. While attempting to engage Anguish in combat, Superman learns that she cannot feel anything, making her difficult to fight. Her back story, it turns out, is that she was severely abused and neglected as a child, leading to her powers of not being able to feel anything. I thought this was a cool origin story for a character. Issues #9 and #10 were probably the best of the first 11.
There are more things I don't like about this "Superman" than things that I do. The artwork looks great, and I really enjoyed it. But in terms of the writing, so much of the narrative is being told in Superman's thoughts as opposed to through actual dialogue or, even better, simple action and the illustration of it. This Superman is too chatty with the interior monologue, boxes and boxes of it. And since the opening half dozen issues present us with a Superman who might not have actually been the real Superman, it's been hard to connect with the character. Add in the fact that the title is nearing the dozen mark in issues and hasn't really dealt much with the historical elements of the Superman mythos, save for a few cryptic connections to Krypton that haven't panned out yet.
One final trait of "Superman" that I find irksome is that the writing team connects this title to so many others, from "Superboy" to "Action Comics" to "Supergirl." If I was reading all of those titles, that would probably be a good thing, and I guess it's cool that the writers work hard to make these connections and link up this family of characters in the DC Universe. (See my review of "Action Comics" for more on where that Superman fits in with this one in the grand scheme of things.) But I am not reading all of those titles and don't plan to, and thus find myself irritated with the frequent use of footnotes and reminders to issues and titles I haven't read. In this way, "Action Comics" feels more self-sustaining, and thus is easier to read.
I feel a bit guilty that I haven't really latched on to a Superman title, but if I had to pick one, "Action Comics" might edge out "Superman," though slightly. I think my verdict on both, however, is to discontinue monthly purchases of individual issues and wait to see if a story arc evolves in either title that is robust enough to spark my interest, in which case I could get caught up again through the purchase of trades. Until then, I suspect my monthly dose of Superman will come in the form of "Justice League."
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