Brian Michael Bendis and Ivan Reis are firing on all cylinders as the ramifications of "The Truth" keep coming inSuperman #20. Read Full Review

Peaceful Earth seems about to get stormy! I am really enjoying this arc. And I must admit, I didn't think I would. Read Full Review

Superman #20 is the strongest issue of the arc yet. Things start to click together in a meaningful way. This series has now become a "must read" and it is nice to see a Superman title stand out. Hopefully this momentum carries forward in the coming issues. Read Full Review

Brian Bendis is challenging the Man of Steel" something that hero has needed for a long time now! Read Full Review

Superman #20 is a lot of fun. Bendis gets the right mix of action and drama in this one. He even gets in one of his best jokes ever- the Daily Star editor jokes that everyone at the Daily Planet worked there, a deep cut reference to how in the Golden Age, Clark, Lois, Perry, and Jimmy were all employees of the Star before the Daily Planet even existed. Reis's artwork makes the whole thing sing. While this still very much feels like two different stories, they're both entertaining. Read Full Review

The art looks fantastic and even though the action story is not as compelling as the rest of the issue, the artists do a great job of making those scenes look great. Read Full Review

Superman #20leaps back from the lackluster issue #19 and sets up a new story angle where humans are questioning Superman's role. The quick turn from praising Clark Kent's bravery for coming forward as Superman could quickly be replaced with suspicion and judgment from humanity. The storytelling twist gives readers another reason to stick around to see how Bendis handles his characters in the face of this new challenge. Read Full Review

Writer Brian Michael Bendis does a wonderful job of positing unexpected troubles in the life of Clark after revealing his identify. Read Full Review

I still have mixed feelings about Bendis' run on Superman. I can accept Superman going public with his secret identity, but I hate the changes to Jon. But putting aside my feelings about the changes to the mythos, I feel that Bendis is producing an entertaining and interesting story each month in Superman. This makes Superman a title well worth following. Read Full Review

The fusion of the high-stakes space storyline with the journalism story is intriguing, and it's a new wrinkle on how people will react to the identity reveal. But it doesn't quite match up to what Bendis and his co-writers do in Superman: Heroes this week. Read Full Review

While I thought that the mundane aspects of the beginning of this book were it's strongest and most emotional points, it quickly started to take a nosedive for me when Superman spent the entire issue getting his ass kicked for no reason and the reporters of the Daily Star decided that out of context intergalactic emails were reason enough to become ass hats.  Forcing the two stories that we've been dealing with together for this felt forced as hell and unneeded for everything that should be coming our hero's way now that he's revealed himself to the world.  Thankfully though, I liked a good portion of the art here, but this book needs to have more going for it each and every issue. Read Full Review

The Truth is in full Bendis mode with lengthy, going nowhere conversations and yet another Superman story where hes a casual observer. At this point youd think Bendis would realize his Superman run is at its best with its title character firmly in the spotlight. Read Full Review

Not a lot happens in this issue. It feels padded. The artwork by Ivan Reis is the only good thing happening here. I feel like all I do at this point is pray that the inevitable reboot for Superman happens sooner rather than later. Read Full Review

One of favorites of Bendis’s run, good balance of societal reaction, inter-galactic chaos, and developing immediate conflict. And I like when Mongol is dangerous like this.

A beautiful looking book - Ivan Reis is stupendous! This age's Adams (I know you're still around Neal) and the BEST comic artist to regularly grace the interior pages of modern comics...If only DC would let him draw an issue or two of Marvel's Avengers (Can you imagine it, with writing by Al Ewing?)
The story is fine, not Bendis' best but better than serviceable(!)and I love the fact it opens with an old fashioned 'splash-page'
Well done all!!!

A solid effort, balancing a battle with Mongul with the continuing news of Superman’s “Truth.”

Prelude:
While I don't normally like Bendis' Superman, The Truth does hold promise.

The Good:
Huh... no Bendis-speak... well, that's unique enough and I feel in a good mood so it gets a point for that.

I loved the Daily Star scene. Everyone has valid points to make.

As expected Reis' art is great.

The Bad:
The Mongul fight wasn't the greatest for me.

Conclusion:
Wait, a Bendis issue on Superman that I actually like? I know, it's crazy. Might be the lack of sleep. Anyway, I liked this issue especially the Daily Star scene. That's what I want to see from Superman, the human side of things.

Probably the most I have ever been onboard for Bendis' direction of Superman, while also completely disagreeing with everything the direction entails character wise and longterm. Literally the worst idea, but good execution here.

The stuff with Mongul is sort of a mess.

Everything else is great. And of course Supes is going to catch flak for speaking for Earth. Really fun and thoughtful stuff here.

Mongul's become more brutish a foe than he used to be. I miss the despot he was in the '80s and '90s. But what really bothers me is how this United planets plot keeps Superman off Earth where the actions of the lame idea of his revealing his identity to the public is about to blow up in his face. Lois' career has orbited around Superman. The rest of the press naturally feels she had an unfair advantage. This could cost her everything. Good move Clark. And his powers did the same for him. I don't know if Zatanna's going to have to wipe the whole world's memory of this bad idea or however it'll be undone (Probably DC's umpteenth reality-altering crisis), but before it's done they may end up making Peter Parker look like the luckiest guy on Earth. more

"I'll talk to him"

An enjoyable issue.

There's Superman, there's cool action, there's Mongul.

I like Mongul.

Just cut down the damn word count and this could have been much better.

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• Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln

RKS - Mar 22, 2020

Bendis doesn't understand the "Show don't tell" aspect of story telling and when he does use dialogue people who shouldn't be talking are given WAY too much to say. Who gives a monkey's behind what some generic co-workers has to say or thinks?

Watchtower022 - Mar 22, 2020

Agreed! Excellent writers know how to let their art team tell parts of the story in my opinion.

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“I think we can all agree that we love Superman being our god king, basically single-handedly responsible for keeping all of us alive. But um... how dare he say yes to being part of a peacekeeping organization on our behalf? Who does he think he is, some sort of god king?!”

Super boring.

The art on this book is fantastic but the writing is very very bad. It gets bogged down with dialogue that is unnecessary and supporting characters are focused on too much. Lois Lane has one job and one job only. She falls off the building and Superman saves her...How hard of a dynamic is that to work with in the books? Bendis seems to think that she should have a staring role in this series, she shouldn't people who want to read about Lois Lane can do that in her own Maxi-series. So less on the supporting cast such as Lois or Lana Lang and focus more on Superman himself.

Still poop.

All of these people are so annoying. They'd have to set up those suicide safety nets at the Daily Star building. There's so much fucking wrong with this issue. It genuinely annoys the shit out of me. First, Mongul. This is the same fucking run where Superman beats Mongul in, like, a second. And now suddenly no one can stop him? Maybe choose a villain Superman didn't one punch earlier, Bendis. That's forced as fuck. Now... The annoying Daily Star shit. I like how it's okay if Superman is a reporter because he's Superman and also he doesn't report on everything he does. That's sound logic right there. He's the exception because he is. Fuck off with that. And then, that same excuse can't be used for the United Planets shit? Why not? If we're okay with using bullshit fallacies to argue why Superman being Superman absolves him, why is there a limit to that? And what the fuck does the Daily Star know about it anyway?? Oh, and does literally everyone know where Lois Lane is "hiding"? What the fuck is the point in her being in hiding if she's constantly spotted with Superman and anyone can find her? This issue, man. So motherfucking annoying. more

This issue was bad, to the surprise of no one.

What drags this issue down almost single-handedly is the conflict with Mongul. The reason for this is how in this same run he was a villain Superman was able to defeat in a single punch, without this foe even being able to finish his intro speech. Yet we are now expected to believe that Mongul is not just able to withstand Superman’s attacks, but in fact is able to toss him around; all of this with the United Planets’ forces attacking him at the same time.

So which is it? Is Mongul an actual threat or is he a chump Superman can just blow through? Because this inconsistency is just bewildering, more so when it’s IN THE SAME RUN. There’s not even a hint of an explanation to state why this villain can now take a punch.

The B-story on Earth, I get what they are going for but it’s piss-poor execution. I find it ridiculous that people would immediately jump into thinking Superman is an unfit representative for Earth when they’ve barely found out about the “united planets” and have no grasp of what they are, but I mean it’s a low effort way to shoe-horn a story.

Also, Lana Lang already knew who Superman so the “dramatic moment” of her saying she would confront him has no real gravitas to it. In fact it actually is surprising she was not mentioned before because if anyone would support him it’s her.


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PeteRick - Feb 17, 2020

I hate how these numbnuts sites are Always quoting the same things: this is brian's best superman issue so far. Come on like you lots acually read it, DC is dead!!

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