REVIEW: SUPERMAN BEYOND

SUPERMAN BEYOND #0
Writer: Tom DeFalco
Pencils: Ron Frenz
Inks: Sal Buscema
Colors: Chris Beckett
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Cover: Dustin Nguyen

 

Released in August by DC Comics, Superman Beyond #0 features the Batman Beyond version of Superman first seen in the episode "The Call."

Superman/Batman Annual #4

Written by Tom DeFalco with his Spider-Girl cohorts Ron Frenz and Sal Buscema on art, the book presents the old-school, yet entertaining flair, they've brought readers for 10 years on Spider-Girl. Superman, gradually losing strength, decides to end his sabbatical in space since Superman/Batman Annual #4 and return to Earth. There, a new foe, Armorgeddon, arises from a series of unfortunate personal circumstances. Add a little Kryptonite solution into the mix that made him what he is, and the already diminished Superman has his hands full.

The magic in the story is that DeFalco makes you want to care about the villain.  Armorgeddon isn't a villain for evil's sake.  There's a real human motivation behind what makes him the way he is.  And, the strength in the story is, that Superman eventually recognizes the humanity behind his actions and tries to figure out a way to stop him without hurting him too much.  This creates an interesting conflict, and plays to the strengths of Superman's character.  The fact that he manages to accomplish all this in a mere 30 pages, where most writers take 6 issues to tell as much, and is able to interweave previous continuity without bogging down the reader is a testament to DeFalco's tried and true skills.  Frenz and Buscema continue to compliment each other as the pages dance out and pop; from the soft moments to the heavy action scenes. Chris Beckett's vibrant colors also contribute to the flair on the page, giving readers a nice taste of the glory days of comics.

The most interesting thing to note is that the comic itself seems more directly tied into the cartoon than DC's recent Batman Beyond series.  The character designs, specifically for old Bruce Wayne, seem directly pulled from the show whereas Beyond the comic made some tweaks to the models. Although, while art on Beyond has generally been good, if Frenz ever gets offered the regular penciling chores on the book I hope he takes it.  And, despite an uncertainty expressed in interviews of dedicating their time to another ongoing, if DC decides on a Superman Beyond ongoing I hope these guys are on board.

The verdict: if you love old school comics, they don't get much better today than DeFalco and company.  They present the stuff that made comics what they are without it seeming too tired and dull.  And, if you love Superman, you can't do much better than the characterization in this book.