(I read this whole series before writing these reviews, so the reviews will reflect that.)

I really like Batman: Fortress overall, and issue #1 is a great start. But first, I need to address the overall feel of the series. The solicit calls it "a brutal and shocking adventure that will turn everything you think you know about Superman upside down!" Nothing about this is true other than it being an adventure and having a few shocking things here and there, few of which are in this first issue. I certainly wouldn't call it "brutal", since to me that brings to mind frequent intense violence and darkness.

Rather, while this story, including this issue, is pretty intense and serious, it has a sense of humor that remains almost constant throughout. It's not lighthearted, but I feel comfortable calling it a "fun adventure". It has gritty artwork and high stakes, but it's not really overly dramatic or tragic. Personally, I really enjoy this tone and style, especially since for me, the humor frequently lands.

Speaking of humor, I have to say, I love this version of Batman - his voice, demeanor, and dialogue - and him having a sense of humor is a big part of that. His speech is informal and he has an easy rapport with his allies that makes conversations flow well. He never comes across as stiff, to put it simply.

Obviously, since this is the first issue, it's focused on setting up the conflict. A worldwide blackout occurs and Batman comes to believe it's an alien invasion. But he has to deal with the immediate impact of the blackout on Gotham, so we get to see him fighting an intense night of crime. It's standard Batman stuff, which contrasts with the rest of the series, which doesn't take place in Gotham or involve Batman's rogues or lore. It's more of a DC universe story with Batman as the star. But this short stint in Gotham is well-written and enjoyable, in my opinion, though it's not overly relevant to the rest of the series.

The artwork is very good, with a highly detailed style, beautiful lighting and coloring, and a lot of shadows. Something interesting about this style is that I feel like the characters sometimes look a bit uglier than they usually do, but I don't really have a problem with this.

Overall, this is a great start to a great series. more

There was no point to this. This falls into one of the two terrible categories female superheroes get placed in these days. Either they have nothing to overcome because they are the baddest chicks around who can outdo everything and anyone (specifically men) so they have no real character to speak of or it's the complete opposite and they are written as self deprecating, over emotional handbags that have to realize their own self worth by the end of the story. The dialogue doesn't flow well at all and feels laborious to get through. I think Kara says Uh" about twenty times in the beginning of the issue. Issues that were thought to be resolved are put on display in order to have an emotional journey that doesn't feel emotional but instead feels like Tamaki working out her own feelings of insecurity in the pages of this book. Kinda like I am not Starfire, though this is waaaaay better than that. Why Powergirl would try to show up Kara during a life and death rescue and why Kara would try to stop Powergirl from saving a life are just a few of the questions I have about this book. If you want to see Supergirl being....I don't know, super? then read Action Comics Doomsday Special instead. more

Supergirl stands side-by-side with Wonder Woman and the Legion of Superheroes in the pantheon of characters I adore who are rarely done well, and it's increasingly rare these days that DC even bothers to let her have her own stories. So I was delighted to see her poke her head above ground for a one-shot and even more pleased to see it done by Mariko Tamaki, whose "Being Super" mini was one of the relatively few highlights for the character in the dozen years since the New52 reboot.

Tamaki and Partridge do fine work here and this was a pleasure to read. The footrace metaphor and Supergirl's trauma and sense that she's eternally second-place play well enough to give the issue's relatively slender plot enough emotional heft to make it meaningful, and it's always nice to see her memories of Krypton fleshed out because that's a thing that many writers skip. Partridge's art is stylish and communicates well. So on its merits I'll give this issue an 8; it was a well-made comic and I enjoyed it.

But also? It's a little exhausting that female superheroes have to come back again and again to stories about how they struggle with their insecurities and with not measuring up. It's easy to see why writers would want to go there with any character: self-doubt is a common human experience and it's relatable, we've all been there. But you can open a Miles Morales book with a better-than-even chance that it's not going to be a whole issue of him navelgazing about how he can't measure up to Peter, you can open a Damien Robin book without expecting it to be him crying about how he's not as good at Tim. For women in capes, however, a feeling of inferiority has been the go-to plot since Stan Lee gave the one-dimensional world of superheroes a second dimension back in the 60's, and it's been done to death. If we're only getting one Supergirl story this year, why does it have to be "Supergirl feels bad about herself"? Say what you will about King & Evely's brash, pottymouthed take on Kara, at least she didn't spend the whole time doubting how cool and powerful she was. more

(Note: This is a slightly edited version of the review on my blog. https://www.sssuperman.com/blog/superman-year-one-1-review/)

It's a shame this series had serious problems (particularly issue #3), but thankfully the first issue can stand on its own. And to me, it stands as a masterpiece.

It’s the standard things you’d expect from a Superman origin, but done in an especially compelling way. Krypton’s destruction is brief but powerful – I actually teared up, which I’m not sure has ever happened before when going over this part of Superman’s origin. It was presented in a way that was poetic yet also very immediate with beautiful art depicting the destruction. The death of Krypton is often taken for granted, but something about the way it’s portrayed here made me feel the depth of loss as well as the suddenness of the catastrophe.

When we get to the Kents, the toddler Clark is depicted as having subtle psychic powers to nudge his adoptive father into taking him home, which I think is an interesting idea. Clark’s childhood has a wholesomeness and cuteness to it without abandoning the weirdness of his powers (I always prefer it when Clark has at least some powers in his childhood, so that’s a plus for me). I love moments that drive home the fact that Clark has to learn to handle people and everything around him gently.

When we get to him as a teenager, we see Clark deal with issues that are normal, but with the twist of he himself not being normal – stuff like bullies and his first relationship in the form of Lana Lang. It works incredibly well because the emotions surrounding these things feel so intense and accurate to how they feel in the moment, and the interaction with these things and Clark’s powers and formations of his values and desires is very interesting.

I like how the Kents are depicted. They don’t feel perfect or over-idealized, but they feel very loving and real. We get to see stuff like Martha worrying about losing track of Clark because of his powers and her deep sadness when he leaves the farm. We also see an interesting scene where Martha tries to teach Clark strict nonviolence, and Jonathan reluctantly agrees with her in front of Clark, but in private teaches him that it’s not so simple. I like seeing that the two have different viewpoints in a major way, and not wanting to fight in front of Clark is understandable and admirable. Another moment I love is when Clark is succeeding in football due to his powers and his parents look disapproving as they watch, but they don’t show them harping on it or anything.

The issue ends in a very interesting way. Clark thinks that the way to learn more about the world so that he can protect it is by seeing the world, and he decides to do that by joining the Navy. It’s a pretty unique twist, and as we see in the next issue, it actually works quite well. There’s a final scene where as Clark leaves Smallville, he hones in on Lana using his recently more fully realized super scences. It’s quite touching.

In general, this comic did an amazing job showing the intensity of a young person’s experience while also showing how Clark’s powers interact with it all. It was emotional, endearing, and even thought-provoking. Honestly, it might just be my favorite Superman origin.

I will say the art isn’t perfect – though the backgrounds and coloring are beautiful, the bodies and faces of people look a bit odd at times. (Funnily enough, I think the biggest example of this can be found on the cover itself – what’s going on with Superman’s leg, and why are his arms so dang long?) But they usually look good and even when they’re odd-looking, it’s not so distracting that it takes away from the story significantly.

Also, something that made me a bit uncomfortable and prevents me from recommending this story to younger readers is the fact that at one point, some teenage boys attack the teenage Lana and subtly threaten to sexually assault her, though they’re not able to even prepare to do so before Superman intervenes. It’s not inherently bad to depict bad people wanting to do bad things in a comic, but it just felt unnecessary and like it doesn’t really add anything to the story either.

Overall, Superman Year One #1 is a masterpiece. I don’t know how else to sum it up. I highly recommend giving it a try. more