SUPERMAN #702
What did the
iFanboy
community think?
Pulls
Art by EDDY BARROWS and J.P. MAYER
Cover by JOHN CASSADAY
Variant cover by KEVIN NOWLAN
Size: 32 pages
Price: 2.99
Superman playing basketball might be the highlight of my reading year. Nothing can top that panel of him just going by everyone for a dunk.
I was a bit worried about this issue to be honest. I liked the first issue very much but even I have to admit that you never know what to expect from JMS. It didn’t help that so many people were calling this one of the worst comic book issues of the year. So other then the basketball moment I was pretty much worried about what to expect?
You know what? I was foolish to worry, because if this issue is any indication, then this is going to be a fantastic run on Superman.
All of the complaints I’m reading about JMS’s take on Superman is something I’m not seeing. Nothing about this was hokey (maybe a little insane but not hokey), his sorta ‘god like’ personality for Sups feels about right, and the plot was pretty good here. Maybe talking about illegal immigration like this is a bit too obvious, considering the ‘twist’ is anything but. I did like how JMS did make Superman grumble on how it was the worst time for the aliens to land on Earth, so that was a nice touch. Everything else was pretty on the money for me. Superman hanging out with a security guard and flying for him was a touching moment. The ending was a bit weird but I didn’t mind it too much. Someone on here, he runs the website so that’s a clue, stating that ‘saving’ Detroit is unrealistic in this day and age…..Well no shit. I’m sorry for the language but, this is fiction, not a real life look into the recession. So Superman saves a city….isn’t that what he should be doing?
For two straight issues I am very disappointed in Eddy Barrows art. This is just not the right type of story for him to work on. To be fair, I’ve never really read a whole lot of work with him as artist. But what I do know is that him doing a lot of talking and basically doing little in an issue is not his strong suit. Faces are distorted, anatomy is off, and the backgrounds don’t seem very inspired. I have no doubt that JMS is giving Barrows points of reference for every city/town Sups goes too. But when it looks all generic at the end by Barrows then what’s the point? Also, everyone says when fights break out in Barrows issues they look much better. I don’t really think so because the little fight we do get in this is pretty damn awful. Look at that page of Sups fighting the mech; please tell me you see him fighting his own feet and not the actual robot.
So the art aside, I really did love this issue. JMS risky take on Superman is working quite well in two issues. Is it insane sometimes? It sure is. But that doesn’t really bother me. As long as the stories are interesting (and they both have been) and as long as JMS continues his great take on the Man of Steel….I think this is going to be a great walk for Superman.
Art: 2 - Average
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