Ive got some serious doubts about the future of The Truth storyline, but this was an issue that shows how good Bendis can be when hes more focused on writing Superman instead of dismantling everything thats been established since the start of Rebirth. Read Full Review

Save yourselves the heartbreak, DC - keep Clark's secret life a secret. We'll all rest easier. Read Full Review

I liked this issue a lot. Some of that might be because I am sort of dreading the upcoming arc so I am hanging on to this reality as much as possible. I like character moments and this issue was chock full. And the art is glittery. Plus, great Supergirl. Read Full Review

Very little happens in this issue, but it feels like no scene is wasted. It's a good start to a wildly risky storyline. Read Full Review

Bendis' work on this title has been hit and miss, but this issue would definitely count as a hit. If Bendis could just get every issue to be as enjoyable as Superman #17, then this could be one of the best titles in DC's current lineup. Read Full Review

Kevin Maguire's art is great. It is the perfect complement to the quieter tone of this issue and its themes. Read Full Review

Superman #17 (Bendis, Macguire, Mounts, Sharpe) begins a new story arc with the potential to have massive consequences for the Man of Steel if the execution can hold up. Read Full Review

So, the issue is decent until it craps out on you. The art is some of the best of Maguire's career. I am sure that the story picks up next issue right from where we left off. I hope so. This was just awkward. Read Full Review

"Superman" #17 builds on the foundation of past ideas in the series while exploring every aspect that makes Superman truly great. Read Full Review

Because of DC's marketing, this comic mostly feels like its spinning its wheels and stalling for next issue's big "reveal." Read Full Review

Superman #17 features a ridiculous concept with surprisingly sensible dialogue. Read Full Review

Superman is getting ready to let the world know he is Clark Kent. In this comic he goes around coming to the realization of this choice. "Truth" is a theme throughout the issue, and Bendis is trying to give a reason for him to out his identity to the world. Read Full Review

I hope you enjoy the art in this book like I did because beyond that there's nothing really going on here besides for some beating around the bush, some location changes and STAR Labs being called out as bad guys through a Daily Planet article.  I wish Superman would become exciting again because every time I seem to open up an issue, nothing ever really happens. Read Full Review

Superman #17 is okay. Bendis highlights the relationship between Lois and Clark and how well they gel as a couple, and its the strongest part of the issue. The other parts in the book feel inconsequential and dont seem to fit in with the story hes trying to tell. The art by Kevin Maguire, though, makes even those useless seeming scenes look great and lends itself to the best part of the book perfectly. It feels like things are about to change in this book, and this issue is supposed to be the prologue to that, but instead of focusing on whats important for that it jumps around a little too much. Read Full Review

Bendis's Superman has been more miss than hit, but this one was a delight. The intimate family scenes play directly to Bendis's strengths, the scene of Superman shutting down an illegal research facility by staring at it hard is classic, and Kevin Maguire's magnificently expressive art is a blessing to such an character-driven issue. The four panels of Zod's facial expressions changing are a masterclass in visual storytelling. I don't expect good things from the Truth storyline as it goes on, but the calm before the storm is pretty great.

"He can see into your soul!"

Finally some decent reading from Brian Bendis.

There still is some iffy dialogue and I'm not a fan of the art, but the first half of the issue, the part with Lois, was pretty good. The latter part, especially with Supergirl (her dialogue - awful), could have been better.

I still don't know how I feel about the whole identity reveal thing. It's a neat idea, BMB has a lot of those and might open a way for some entertaining stories but I am a little bit concerned about the execution.

Also, the continuity in this book, between Event Leviathan and the Year of the Villain, is all over the Multiverse.

I'm just not that into this direction. The next issue is a big one, please don't screw it up.

The Truth is this book is bad

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RBL - Nov 13, 2019

Worse than what you rated it, without a doubt.

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Where do I begin? The Art that comes off as a downright garish knockoff of Amanda Connor’s style; the bloated dialogue that uses 47 words where 12 will do or the nonsensical reasoning behind Clark’s decision to reveal his identity?

His son is gone, his father is dead (again) and his wife is living in a hotel away from what’s left of her family and supposedly writing a story about…we don’t know. Clark’s going to give up the last bit of normality in his life. Why?

This issue is a tangled mess of deliberately drawn out dialogue that culminates in a prologue that doesn’t succeed in setting anything in motion. In short, The Truth hurts.

Clark Kent is a shitty writer and a shitty journalist.

Maguire was welcome. The rest just no.

Prelude:
It's Bendis time! I've got nothing more to say knowing the quality of this series so far.

The Good:
Only liked the New Krypton part of the issue.

The Bad:
Bendis-Speak, right off the back. That has to be some sort of record.

Wow, in one admittedly great look panel, Bendis screws up and ignores continuity. Just for the sake of not getting into the exact timeline of all this, Cyborg is currently PING over in JLO (which I just reviewed), Alfred shouldn't be there and Martian Manhunter is part of Apex Lex. Tim is with Young Justice and at this point they are still stuck in the Multiverse (Using Bendis' timeline), Wonder Woman could be multiple places right now (Moon in JLD, Future in JL, or Depressed in WW), Hawkgirl is stuck in space, Hal is a Blackstar and Superman should be at the Hall of Justice saving the entire multiverse. Also Lex's gifts have been overtime, not just done in one night.

Superman revealing his identity to the world, not only isn't original, has been done in recent years and is downright disrespectful to the character of both Superman and Clark Kent.

Art is subpar.

Conclusion:
Wow, that was something. I only liked the New Krypton aspect of the issue which was very short. Otherwise this is a dumpster fire that is poorly managed in every possible manner. more

Uh wow, this was shit.

Wow this book used a lot of words to say absolutely nothing. Why is Superman going to tell the world who he is? That's just stupid. This book was a waste of my money. Also the art really sucked.

Bendis is a loser

I'm used to giving a 1-star review based entirely on Bendis' shitty writing taking an artist down with him, but this is the rare case where the art earned a 1-star too.

Good job, I guess.

DC, time to admit you got hosed.

For football fans, hiring Bendis was the equivalent of trading up to draft Mitchell Trubisky.

Once again bendis delivers... utterly subpar writing. Save yourself the hassle and don’t read it. As a build-up for the “big” Truth arc it doesn’t deliver, because it adds nothing to Clark’s decision and it seems to come out of nowhere too.

Clark is about to reveal his identity because “things are complicated”/he has unresolved emotionals due to recent events, great. Seems like he went the low-effort route with this and with his current track record I do not foresee this turning out well.

Zod being shown as a buddy of Superman also does not sit right, the art of his expression when Supergirl says this makes it all the more cringey. It beggars belief that Superman would not hold his reservations about Zod essentially taking over a planet and using it’s people to start over.

Not too long ago Superman actually fought Zod because of this. It happened the previous, and actually good, volume of Action Comics.

S.T.A.R. Labs being “evil” just seems haphazard in the way that they also frequently collaborate with other heroes and the way they spoke about the Hall of Justice as if it were a competing enterprise was nonsense. The arbitrary connection to Young Justice doesn’t even fit in with the plot of that book.

The scenes with Lois at the beginning where they brush over events also were hard to digest.

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