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/19.jpg "Superman #19")
I love how big moments in comics like funerals and weddings always seem to be attended by every character who happens to be currently starring in a title, which can look really weird years later. Some day, someone's going to wonder why Man-Bat and the Wonder Twins are in this scene. Harley, though, is going to Wolverine herself into ubiquity by then and won't seem out of place at all.
Superman #19
| Writer | Brian Michael Bendis |
| Artist | Joe Prado, Ivan Reis |
| Cover Price | $3.99 |
One day later! What happens the day after Superman reveals his secret identity to the world? And what repercussions will his decision have across the entire DC Universe? Plus, Superman: president of Earth?
CRITIC REVIEWS
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9.4
The Super Powered Fancast - Deron Generally
Jan 22, 2020Reis provides some dynamic visuals in this issue. With the story being more character focused, Ivan Reis delivers a lot of expressive character moments throughout and the action is focused and brilliantly done. Read Full Review
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9.0
Geek Dad - Ray Goldfield
Jan 22, 2020It feels like Bendis' Superman is genuinely different since he unmasked, and that's a sign that Bendis' take on the character is finding its footing. I don't know if this new status quo will stick permanently, but I can't wait to see where Bendis takes it. Read Full Review
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9.0
Monkeys Fighting Robots - Zac Owens
Jan 23, 2020This is a Superman issue that does it all. The creative team from DC Comics shows us all the reasons we like Clark, and all the reasons we like Superman. And they remind us what makes the two so different. Read Full Review
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9.0
Comic Watch - Cody White
Jan 24, 2020Superman #19 (Bendis, Reis, Sinclair) explores the aftermath of the revelation while moving towards a new status quo for comics' oldest superhero as "The Truth" continues. Read Full Review
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9.0
Sequential Planet - Ethan Maddux
Jan 24, 2020Superman #19 is a fantastic follow-up to my favorite issue of the run. It homes in on the consequences of Clark's decision and does so with a degree of thought and care that I didn't expect. The dialogue and character beats are stellar and are matched by the artists' incredible talent. Read Full Review
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9.0
Razorfine - Alan Rapp
Jan 27, 2020Brian Michael Bendis brings back Mongul for the first villain to face Superman since coming out to the world. While I wouldn't rate the villain as a favorite, he does have the physical might to stand toe-to-toe with the Man of Steel for several rounds making him a legitimate threat (which is underlined by Mongul knocking Superman unconscious by the end of the issue). Worth a look. Read Full Review
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8.5
GWW - Percy Waelchl
Jan 22, 2020The first half of the issue is another super use of characters and new ideas. A perfect 10. Unfortunately, the second half leans into the superpowers of the character but it is not a super use of character. A standard 7. Ultimately, the issue will be remembered for the excellent first half that reminds readers why Superman is a relatable character. Read Full Review
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8.4
Supergirl Comic Box Commentary - Anj
Jan 24, 2020I'll admit that I liked the front half of this issue much more than the back half. But Mongul is usually treated as a punching bag so seeing him actually be a threat was refreshing. I still think there will be way more fallout on Earth about this reveal but a little 'honeymoon period' seems to make sense as everyone muddles through the right response. Read Full Review
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8.4
Chuck's Comic Of The Day - Chuck
Jan 24, 2020So, a solid issue, but almost a filler along the route for the latest story. Read Full Review
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8.0
ComicBook.com - Christian Hoffer
Jan 22, 2020It's interesting to compare this issue to Superman's last "outing" as Clark Kent, an event that eventually led to Superman changing his name, shaving his head, and becoming a firefighter. I don't know whether this is the influence of Brian Bendis on the story or just editorial reacting to that (quickly discarded) last change, but this issue shows Superman and his allies handling things with a much softer touch, one that feels much more "Superman" than before. Read Full Review
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8.0
DC Comics News - Derek McNeil
Jan 26, 2020I am still unsure of whether Clark dropping his secret identity was a wise direction for the Superman books. However, I do feel that it is being handled a lot better than when his secret was revealed in the New 52 era. The widespread acceptance and support he is getting for his decision makes a lot more sense than the fear and suspicion that he faced in the New 52. I am finding the story interesting and I hope that Bendis will sell me on this bold direction for the character. With Superman #19, he has made a first step towards doing so. Read Full Review
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7.7
Word Of The Nerd - Jordan Claes
Jan 24, 2020Once more, I'm positively delighted to say how much I'm enjoying this arc. Superman #19 is a beautifully crafted statement about acceptance and presenting your true self to the world"especially when faced with the possibility of rejection. Bendis' words are nothing short of inspirational and I'd wager that there will be many misty-eyed readers before the covers are closed. Read Full Review
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7.7
Multiversity Comics - Quinn Tassin
Jan 27, 2020The Man of Steel takes a second to breathe then takes a hard turn into actionville in "Superman #19." Read Full Review
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7.0
Lyles Movie Files - Jeffrey Lyles
Jan 22, 2020The Truth has potential, but its worrisome that Bendis has already seemingly lost interest in the biggest change to the status quo in years. Read Full Review
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7.0
On Comics Ground - Timothy Quail
Jan 24, 2020Superman #19 is an issue many people have been waiting for. The reaction to Superman's reveal is well paced and explored. However the comic is muddied a bit with another plot line thrown in there like a monkey wrench. Read Full Review
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7.0
You Don't Read Comics - David Harth
Jan 29, 2020Superman #19 continues the story of Superman revealing his identity by focusing on the Daily Planet. Bendis uses his signature tropes in the best possible way in this issue. It's entertaining. A problem is the chapter doesn't seem to lend itself very well to a story arc. Sure, there's a cliffhanger ending, but other than that, where is this story going? Ivan Reis's artworks at the beginning of the issue, but suffer later, possibly because of the number of inkers on the book. As stated above, this is an entertaining issue, but it doesn't feel like it works for a long-form story. Read Full Review
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6.3
Weird Science - Eric Shea
Jan 22, 2020The Truth is here, but sadly besides for a nice first half of this book, it's barely dealt with and doesn't show any signs of ramifications for our hero's actions. That's still better than going off and dealing with Unity Day out of nowhere, which just made this issue feel off for what we were dealing with, but thankfully the art remained consistently strong throughout the issue. Read Full Review
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5.0
AIPT - Vishal Gullapalli
Jan 22, 2020An issue with a lot of good but just as much bad. Read Full Review
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5.0
Newsarama - Pierce Lydon
Jan 24, 2020Bendis can lampshade it all he wants, but he is having trouble balancing the feel-good nature of this Clark Kent/Superman reveal with anything resembling actual stakes. Read Full Review
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2.0
Forces Of Geek - Lenny Schwartz
Jan 24, 2020Superman then shows up. Mongul then proceed to beat the hell out of him. And that is honestly where we end up. The art is beautiful on this book. But the writing? Bendis doesn't even stick to the rules he creates for this story. This is a mess that hopefully we can all forget one day. Read Full Review
USER REVIEWS
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9.5
beautiful art great colors great story fantastic writing! there wasn't much i didn't like about this book
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7.5
I actually like this a lot more than I expected, which is surprising because I generally don't like Bendis Superman. I'll start with the art because I think this is some of the best stuff Ivan Reis has done, right up there with his Green Lantern art. I love the facial expressions on everyone, the cuts from panel to panel feel organic. Onto the writing, obviously there's a lot of Bendis speak with his quippy back and forth, and I think it works better in times like this when he's just talking to his friends at the Daily Planet. It doesn't work in the first 2 arcs of the series when he is talking to alien species and other larger than life characters like the Legion, that becomes a chore to read. But when it is grounded, I think it works more
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7.5
"I think it's gonna be a lot of hugging" Simply put, this was a good issue of Superman. Lighthearted, heartwarming, funny and with some good action at the end. The art is outstanding and the dialogue feels a bit like it's written by someone else. It's not being plagued by any of the more annoying Bendis-ism like cringy writing or supposedly "funny" jokes. To sum it up, the identity reveal and The Truth doesn't seem to be a bad idea so far.
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7.5
I didn't mind this one.
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7.0
GWW has it exactly right.
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5.0
Prelude: Starting off my reviews with Bendis. Last issue was consistent Bendis and he has to really prove himself with this issue for The Truth to work. The Good: I do like how the fallout is being dealt with here. Ivan Reis' art is great like always. The Bad: Got some good ole continuity issues here big time. Question. WHO LET HARLEY QUINN INTO THE HALL OF JUSTICE!!! Bendis-Speak appears throughout the issue with varying quality. I'll put it down as a minor problem this time. Conclusion: Look, I'll give it a 5. There are the usual problems that plague Bendis' books but The Truth has been a bit interesting so far though the United Planets part didn't affect me at all.
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5.0
This is bleh.
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4.0
The only worthwhile reading parts are the interaction showing the love between Lois and Clark plus the talk with Trish Q. All of them however are woefully short. Plus, Mongul looks badass but he's being wasted in fighting United Planets.
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3.5
It's kind of weird to me to consider that for a lot of his history there has been this sort of understanding that Superman is the mask he puts on and Clark Kent is who he really is, but now it's just kinda like "nope he's god king superman forever now and everybody is super happy about it. That Clark Kent disguise was so good haha but he'd never stoop to being a human now, that's gross." Also how intensely patronizing that Superman is like "oh sorry space races, this bad guy would never have attempted this if I were here. You're all too useless to scare him lol."
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3.0
Superman being smug that "Clark Kent" was such a good disguise, that's new. Not a fan of it. Suddenly Mongul is a threat? Really? The guy Superman took out with a single punch a couple issues back because he just "needed to punch something" is now somehow able to not only threaten the fledgling United Planets but also defeat Superman. I don't buy it, it's either one or the other, not both. I cringed at a few moments of the scene in the Planet discussing Superman's employment status and found the interaction with Trish Q to just feel inauthentic. Dialogue has improved a bit in that while not memorable in the least this time around it was a particular chore to read through. Can't say it's good. The art was the best thing about t more
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2.0
Bendis pats himself on the back for his own story, then tacks on a few pages of Mongol fight when that fizzles out. Poop.
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1.5
The art is good, but dialogue and story drag this issue through the sewer. Is Bendis trying to write the character of Lois Lane as unlikable? I don't know what else to say besides that this isn't Superman.
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1.0
To me people accepting this kind of garbage is beyond reason, alfred dies in batman, i really don't see the point, why not killing batman and superman then? Since clearly some event is about to show up that'll reboot DC once again... I don't know why i even bother!
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7.0
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6.5
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6.0
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