Writer George Perez and illustrator Jesus Merino have crafted an issue with quite a lot in its favor.
This is a dense book. Unique among the New 52, Superman will take longer than thirty seconds to read through, which adds at least the perception of value, and the conflict here, between Supes and a fire-based villain of unknown origin, is at least temporarily resolved, which makes the contents feel, if not like a complete story, at least a complete experience. In addition, Perez has the Herculean task of establishing a new status quo for the Superman universe. The Daily Planet is now owned by a Rupert Murdoch-like mogul. Clark Kent is no longer married to Lois Lane, who no longer knows his secret identity and who now works as a television news producer instead of a reporter. Regardless of all the arguments for or against these changes, Perez at least calls your attention to them, and in so doing, shows that they may be interesting additions to Superman's mythology in issues to come.
Unfortunately, the story owes its density to at least two modest sins committed by Perez. The writer juxtaposes the action with a newspaper article, a supposed piece written after the fact by Clark Kent for the Daily Planet. However, wherever the article explains the same action as it happens on the page, it feels redundant, and almost as if Perez, a talented artist himself, didn't trust Merino to convey the necessary emotion on his own. Additionally, Kent's article doesn't read like the work of a newspaperman. Apparently, neither Perez nor his editors bothered to research the stylistic restrictions of writing for a newspaper. Not that anyone reads newspapers any more, but for both of us that do, Perez's technique threatens to pull us out of the story.
No comments:
Post a Comment