Review of SUPERMAN #650

[JulianPerez]

Overall, it was an interesting read that showed the strengths of Busiek and Johns and none of their weaknesses.

THE GOOD:

The worldbuilding. The book really gave a definite feel for a world where Superman had vanished outside of a year. In science fiction novels, this part of the story is called the "exposition break/then action scene" structure. And what a fascinating place Metropolis is after Superman is gone for a while: Jimmy Olsen humorously says that "nobody looks up anymore. Have you noticed that?" Pretzel vendors wax to neighbors about their contact with Superman. We get a sense of the public response to the disappearance of Superman: they want him back.

As someone that reads comic books not just to read about interesting people and stories, but also to read about interesting PLACES, too, Busiek's skill for immersive worldbuilding that give you a definite feeling of what a place and time are like, here is shown to great effect. It was for this reason that his JLA story arc featuring the Weaponeers of Qward and the Antimatter "evil" earth was so fascinating. Same thing for the cosmos that Busiek created in ARROWSMITH.

The 1938 incident sounds intriguing; again, I am reminded of the way Walt Simonson had Surtur building that sword all through his run: we only got a brief page glimpse, but it was interesting just the same. As is the possibility that Earth-2 Superman may play a role.

And of course, we have what must certainly be Geoff Johns' contribution to the story: the great battle scene between the Kryptonite Man and Supergirl. Trucks are thrown around. Things explode. Not since the Power Girl/The Bomb battle in JSA penned by Johns has there been a sequence with such fun-spirited mayhem. Though this part was already spoiled for me by newsgroup knuckleheads (ever hear of the SPOILER tag, fellas?), the idea of Superman himself ducking behind a wall to activate a "signal watch" is very, very funny and ironic.

Geoff Johns and Busiek also may be the first to get me to like the "new" Supergirl. Here, she was young and inexperienced, with a clear bond with her cousin, and didn't say any smartass comment that makes me want to strangle her (amazingly, this is a step up). Combining Geoff Johns, the "character doctor," with Busiek, with his skill for naturalistic dialogue and behavior, is a combination that just from this sneak preview looks like it will save Supergirl.

And it sure does look like they're bringing back the Kryptonite Man and possibly Titano! What can be said but kudos to the creators for using these great old time characters.


THE BAD:

This is not a complaint with this comic in particular, but rather the direction taken in the wake of INFINITE CRISIS. Here was a possibility to really shake things up, to really alter the DC Universe from what it has been in the past 20 years: an unrecognizeable creative abortion. And while this has been done piecemeal (for instance, Geoff Johns' incredible JSA and Mark Waid's BIRTHRIGHT), it looks like in Levitz's JSA that we're back to the same old status quo of nobody remembering CRISIS and there never having been an Earth-2 Batman or Superman. NOTHING'S CHANGED! Lois and Superman are still married, and their editor says that they will remain so for as long as he is editor. Here was a priceless, once in a decade opportunity to change that (is it any coincidence that nearly every single new Superman project from SUPERMAN 2000 have had one of their conditions be the end of the Super-Marriage?) - and also to give Lex Luthor his far more interesting, complicated and humorous characterization in BIRTHRIGHT. INFINITE CRISIS, a potential to uplift the DC Universe, looks like nothing more than the preservation of the dull Iron Age status quo with Lex still as a snarling, inarticulate goon, a Kingpin-clone in a business suit.

SUPERMAN #650 could have been made in 1994, in the height of the Mike Carlin years, and they wouldn't have to change anything of the story at all.

Instead of a new era for Superman, it looks like polish and talent on the mediocre Iron Era. While I have great faith in Geoff Johns and Busiek, they are not the problem. The problem is Superman is trapped in an "Imaginary Story" marriage that nobody in decades has made any clever use of, meant to tie into a long-canceled television show.

It's a "kindler, gentler" Iron Age.

Oh yeah: where's Superman? It is for this reason that the first two issues of the revived Dan Slott's SHE-HULK were not as interesting: no She-Hulk in sight. No use of the She-Hulk concept - the goofy super-lawyers and so forth, were anywhere.

[ProfGriffin]

Hmmm.

Sounds interesting.

So is this new numbering a continuation (and new title) of The Adventures of Superman 649?

I'm new to the world of Superman comics (but not the mythology) and want to start reading a Superman Title.  

Any suggestions?

[Great Rao]

So is this new numbering a continuation (and new title) of The Adventures of Superman 649?

Back in 1987, Superman split into two titles:  Superman and The Adventures of Superman.  The latter took over the old Superman numbering.

The two titles have just re-merged, and the resulting title, again called Superman, is continuing the original numbering.

Superman 650 is a good starting point.  The story continues in Action 837.

[Gangbuster]

 NOTHING'S CHANGED! Lois and Superman are still married, and their editor says that they will remain so for as long as he is editor.

Or, you could be wrong. Perry White may have said that to foreshadow his untimely move to the Daily Star during Lois and Clark's divorce proceedings...

[nightwing]

I saw an interview with some dimwit editor or other (maybe Dildo himself) where he said, basically, the marriage wasn't undone by an off-panel "reboot"-type fix because Lois and Clark getting married was a big media event, so getting unmarried should be, too.

That's not exactly the way he said it, but that was the gist.  They're still together, but they may not stay that way, and when they split it'll be a major deal.

Which actually is worse, in my book.  I don't want them married, but if they get divorced, they'll still have been married, only unsuccessfully.  The romance angle that was central to the mythos for decades will still be as ruined as it is now.

[JulianPerez]

I saw an interview with some dimwit editor or other (maybe Dildo himself) where he said, basically, the marriage wasn't undone by an off-panel "reboot"-type fix because Lois and Clark getting married was a big media event, so getting unmarried should be, too.

That's not exactly the way he said it, but that was the gist.  They're still together, but they may not stay that way, and when they split it'll be a major deal.

Which actually is worse, in my book.  I don't want them married, but if they get divorced, they'll still have been married, only unsuccessfully.  The romance angle that was central to the mythos for decades will still be as ruined as it is now.

Well, to be 100% fair, that doesn't necessarily mean that he intends a divorce.

Though that would be one hilarious divorce court proceeding: "You Super-Heel! You said you were 'under hypnotic compulsion!' I WANT A DIVORCE!" Hey, Lois can get Matt Murdock, and Superman can get himself the She-Hulk! Bitterness is absolutely hilarious.

The editor could have other intentions that are far less ugly. Remember the Morrison/Peyer SUPERMAN 2000 proposal, whose "way out" of the Super-Marriage was to have Lois die, only to have Mr. Mxy offer to bring her back to life...only on the condition that nobody, including Lois herself, would ever remember that they were married...except for Superman?

[NotSuper]

Which actually is worse, in my book.  I don't want them married, but if they get divorced, they'll still have been married, only unsuccessfully.  The romance angle that was central to the mythos for decades will still be as ruined as it is now.

They could always fix that with the Mxyzptlk idea presented a while back (not sure who came up with that one). Anyway, the basic idea was that Lois dies and Superman has Mxyzptlk bring her back--but not without a price. For while Superman remembers the two of them being married, no one--including Lois--does. Of course, this may put the idea into some writer's head that Superman would go emo over this, but it would be more in character for him just to be happy that Lois was ALIVE. He would be upset, no doubt about that, but not to the degree that some writers would have him be. I'm just glad that DC seems to be considering ending the marriage. It's probably one of the least bothersome things (at least to me) about current continuity (Birthright took care of the really big problems), yet it needs to be fixed.

It's a little Superman IIish with the wacky super-kiss, but it could work. Of course, this would send post-Crisis fans into an absolute rage over so much history being invalidated, but that couldn't be helped.

In addition, I'm confident that ending the marriage and putting great writers and artists on the Superman titles will give DC a much greater profit.

[Johnny Nevada]

Hmm... while I don't blame Busiek/the other writers for more-or-less pretending that "Infinite Crisis" didn't happen ( ;-) ), guess it reinforces how lame said "Crisis" is IMO---no multiverse actually returning, Kal-L, "Superboy-Prime", and the other "paradise dimension" guys treated like chumps, excessively gory scenes (Black Adam splatterng Psycho-Pirate's brains, Superboy-Prime splattering someone's head, etc.), etc.  If they wanted a new direction for their comics, they could've just gotten the new writers on the books/changed the numbering without the Infinite Crisis-junk...

Still, probably will buy this comic (assuming I have enough money/there aren't a lot of issues I've missed out on already for this storyline?)...

Re: the Marriage: doesn't bother me that they're married, though always liked the Earth-Two wedding story better than the "Superman: The Wedding Album" tale...