Check out the spoiler-ific review after the break:
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Superman, DC Comics decided to come up with another Superman book (because who doesn't need another Superman book right?). To make sure that it sells a boatload of issues, the upper management tapped Batman writer Scott Snyder and Justice League artist Jim Lee to go and craft the first storyarc.
If you're looking to see Superman [as drawn by Lee] saving people, lifting heavy stuff and just being glorious and doing some heavy lifting, then you're in for a treat as the Man of Steel does so. However if you're picking up the book for some great fight scenes or for a compelling story, then you might be sorely disappointed.
That's the weakness I'm seeing in Superman Unchained. It doesn't have a 'real' purpose. If you take a step back and look at Action Comics, you'll see that its supposed to be the 'hidden years' story spanning Clark's early years as Superman. The main Superman book on the other hand plays as the conduit between the present day Superman and the rest of the DCU. Unchained doesn't do that.Unchained basically gives us one adventure of Superman that could have been folded neatly into the existing books.
Superman Unchained # 1 is not without strengths [no pun intended]. There's a great mystery here regarding the identity of this WWII era Superman that the Americans have kept from the general public.
That US Superman is what really hooked me up to this book. Who is he? Where did he come from? Is he somebody we're familiar with in the Pre-New 52 universe? More importantly, why was he dropped in Nagasaki as seen in the first page of this issue?
There's also an interesting character beat for Lex Luthor who seems to be hellbent in proving to the rest of the world that he has actually reformed and that he intends to do go after getting out of prison.
Jim Lee as usual, is a god.
All in all, I think Superman Unchained while off to a good start, is still lacking and loses sight of what it really wants to give readers. Maybe next month's issue will pick up more steam and deliver something that's perfect both in visual and words.
Verdict: 7/10
Superman Unchained # 1 is still available from Castle Geek and online thru Comicx Hub! Grab your copies HERE and bring home limited edition lithos by some of the most talented local artists.
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