Waid and Hitch craft a powerful tale that may easily become a new Superman all-time classic. Mark is the guy that gave us two of the greatest Superman stories ever in Kingdom Come (also one of the greatest comics ever in general) and Birthright and seems like he might just repeat the feat here with what could be the definitive Superman-Lex story. This is a passion project for both parties involved and it shows as both are at the top of their game here. Waid writing a script that not only is fast-paced, compelling and emotional but that also allows to explore the breadth of the Super-mythos in all his sense of wonder. It's so great to see a veteran writer at this point of his career producing work that it's easily on par with anything he's ever done. He's an absolute legend. Hitch (aided by Kevin Nowlan's inks) hasn't looked this good since The Ultimates, proving once again he still is that artist who gave us the unparalleled sense of cinematic scope and immensity. The world of Superman as rendered by him looks nothing short of awe-inspiring. The script raises incredibly interesting questions and dilemmas about what Superman is trying to achieve in this story and his resolve to protect all life in a really mature way while exploring the fascinating dynamic between Superman and Lex. Waid's forte has always been strong characterization and there's an excellent flashback scene with teenage Clark that cristalizes just how good Waid is at writing Superman. As a writer of superheroes, one of the things he excels at is showing us how the world looks like through the eyes of these super beings. Just like he did with Matt Murdock on his Daredevil run and so many others. Waid writes about the superhuman condition. No one can understand how the world looks like when you're Superman (well, at least until Supergirl comes) so there's a certain loneliness that comes with Superman that's been a part of the classic incarnation of the character that makes him extremely compelling and interesting but that the bulk of the Post-Crisis writers have downplayed. And this is what I'm talking about when I say no one writes it like Waid. When you're a teenager you feel like you don't fit and nobody can really understand you, so this is extremely relatable. Superman lives thorugh the same stuff as us just on a super scale, as Grant Morrison likes to say. It's the pathos I think the character tends to lack in the main book. It feels great having a Superman story of this caliber of quality, it just has everything I could ask in a book about this character. This is top tier writing the likes of which I wish we had more often nowadays and the kind of stuff that reminds me of why I love comics in general and these characters in particular. Superman comics don't get much better than this.
I LOVED THIS BOOK so apologies for the hyperbole if I came off as a rabid Waid fanboy because I am. Mark, if by any chance you are reading this PLEASE KEEP WRITING SUPERMAN. The world needs more Waid Superman! |