Superman #15
DC Comics
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artists: Ivan Reis, Brandon Peterson, Alex Sinclair
Superman #15 concludes Brian Michael Bendis and Ivan Reis’ long first arc on the book. After reading the last issue, I made a comment about how it was the best issue of the series. That was true. At least, it was until today. While issue fourteen made clear the overall goal of this arc, this one cements those ideas and concludes in an intensely satisfying way.
With the reintroduction of the Legion (as seen in the last issue), Jon is faced with a legitimately life-changing decision. Does he hop to the far future and learn to be his own person independent from his father’s influence? Leave behind his friends (or, let’s face it, his one friend) and family? While we already know the outcome due to the new Legion book, it doesn’t change just how compelling the unfolding of the events that lead to it are.
At this point, joining the Legion is essentially a rite of passage for El’s, and throwing Jon on the team actually works perfectly for me. It allows for Superman stories to be told without having to worry about what the kid is doing without throwing the kid out entirely. It opens endless storytelling opportunities for Jon without limiting Clark’s own. As far as I’m concerned, there’s not a more perfect place for the character to be right now.
However, this story has not all just been setup for a new Legion title, it also leads us into an intriguing new status quo for Superman. The United Planets, though not some stroke of genius, is potentially the perfect avenue for compelling Superman stories. It has the potential to present conflicts that Superman can solve with his words and resolve rather than his fists. The best Superman stories stem from that idea, and this change opens up several opportunities for those kinds of stories. The manner in which we reach this conclusion may require some suspension of disbelief, but it’s still a great idea. The execution could be cleaner, but it’s still thrilling to see it unfold.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; whoever is responsible for keeping Ivan Reis on this book for 15 straight issues deserves an award. Every time I go to the store to pick up a new issue I’m expecting a new artist. Reis proves me wrong every time. It’s nearly unprecedented these days and I always like to call it out when it happens.
This consistency of art has gives the book a very real sense of identity. When I think of Bendis’ Superman, the look and feel of Ivan Reis’ art has such a close tie to the book that the two can’t be separate. A different artist taking over after each arc, no matter how good they may be, would destroy that feeling. In that case, it may feel as if Bendis were the sole visionary behind the book and the art may feel secondary. As it stands though, it feels like Superman is Bendis and Reis’ collective vision. It’s the treatment that all comics deserve, but is all too rare now. While there is one page drawn by Brandon Peterson, the implementation makes perfect sense and isn’t at all distracting.
I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but Superman #15 is the best issue of the series. It just keeps improving. Bendis and Reis manage to not just set-up multiple exciting future plot threads, but also satisfyingly wrap-up the others. Frankly, I haven’t been this excited to read Superman in years.
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Superman (2018-) #15
I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but Superman #15 is the best issue of the series. It just keeps improving. Bendis and Reis manage to not just set-up multiple exciting future plot threads, but also satisfyingly wrap-up the others. Frankly, I haven’t been this excited to read Superman in years.
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