Action Comics has been great, but this book has been nothing but a slog. Every issue seems confused, empty of any real plot development, and as if it’s just marking time until young Superman from Action catches up.

One problem I have had with this book is the pacing from issue to issue, and the stunned reaction Superman keeps having whenever a new baddie shows up. He has been protecting Metropolis for 5 years now–he should not be caught so off guard by a fire/ice monster. He has also underestimated every single villain he’s fought, so is this character supposed to be too vain to learn, or too slow to pick up on it?

And if the repetitive villain arc weren’t enough, the same stiff dialogue, the same basic plot drivers, and even the same art from panel to panel (see Lois and Clark hanging up cell phones in the restaurant for an example) keep this book feeling even slower than it is. Even the cover tease of the “Secret of the Suit” has been known since we saw Clark’s suit forming around him in an empty office several issues ago. If you can’t keep your cover teases fresh, then it’s time to let someone else have a shot.

I’ve made it this far–11 issues in its first year. I’m going to round out my baker’s dozen of Superman when #0 hits the shelves, but after that this version of the Man of Steel will have to carry on without me. Until I hear a number of good reviews equal to the number of times I counted the pages till an issue was finished, I will follow him via Action Comics, Justice League, or Supergirl.