Superman : Earth One

I love Superman : Earth One.

Now before you read it, forget everything you know about Superman and all the lore that goes with the character. If you can’t do that, don’t read the book. In fact, don’t read comics in general these days because there is a time and a place for memory and continuity.

Big Blue has never been one of my favorite characters to read. The problem for me is that if he’s unbeatable, there’s no real tension that can be sustained in a Superman series. This sentiment has been said before. I’m not the first one that’s seen the life and death of superman also be his Achilles heal.

If you take away about 99% of what you know about Superman and just start reading this book, I think you’ll find it refreshing. Straczynski tells a great beginning. This is obviously DC greatest statement to Marvel’s Ultimate line. I’ll say the same things to haters of what’s done in the Ultimate line… THIS IS DIFFERENT. I get that it’s hard to separate your brain from the years and years of comics that you’ve consumed but you have to give these stories a chance and give the writers the benefit of the doubt.

If you’d have titled this book Man with Super powers, sold the story in regular story form and gave it no hype; I’m sure it wouldn’t have sold as many books. Likewise I bet there would have been a ground swell about this story and a strong fan base would have been gathering each issue. I think to The Authority. We all knew who Batman and Superman where supposed to be but you take it for granted because it’s called something different and it helps that in Authority they’re gay lovers and it’s made very clear. As a sidebar, check out the first few trades of Authority; they’re great stories with great emerging writing and drawing heavyweights-to-be.

The point is that Earth One is exactly what I’ve been waiting for. A different take on the Superman story. As good as Geoff Johns’ recent run on Superman, his take on Superman Origins and then the combined efforts on New Krypton where recently; they didn’t or can’t give a complete reboot of the superman story. At the end of the day, they’re still beholden to the 70 year legacy of Action Comics and the various Superman books. With Earth one, we have the chance and are given, a new version of Superman is unleashed.

I’ve heard of the complaints. They all seem aesthetic and not about the actual story. The book isn’t some “emo” version of Supes’. It feels like what a kid that’s been tucked away for years might actually feel like when he’s force to leave home for the first time and find his place in the year 2010. Finally it seems that a writer is allowed to show that it’s totally ridiculous for Clark Kent to be at a thriving newspaper. Straczynski gets him in the suit, gets him at the Bugle and gets Lois Lane and all the other characters in and surrounding him. But the tone of this Man of Steel is vastly different. Unsure and in the dark about so much.

I’m not saying this is a masterpiece. There are tiny things that I’d gripe about. Being at the Daily Bugle in the first place is kinda stupid and if they made it a different media type or different job all together, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings. I will say that if he was going to be at a newspaper, the change in all the characters definitely makes it believable. Characters like Perry White are given the 21st century voice that they’ve been needing. Lois and Jimmy are updated. Metropolis has been redone. I don't want to say updated because it's not the beacon of civilization that it currently is in other books. (I've always believed that Metropolis was in fact Chicago, while Gotham is clearly New York.) Even Krypton seems to be given a slightly different back story.

There’s too much that is left unsaid to give a fair thumbs up or down on many of these changes. We’re left with many mysteries such as what our villain says as his end comes. Nothing is mentioned about Lex Luthor, which is also great. We don’t need to crowbar Lex into every story.

It's also not fully clear on why Superman has to go out and make it on his own and "find his way". I understand that's what the Kents wanted for him to do but he's Superman, he could have done anything. If he wanted to be a hermit, no one was going to stop him. The only thing I could think is that you have to keep along the lines somewhere that this is Superman. If you totally rip the S from his chest you're no longer writing a Superman book. There's just certain things you have to go with.

I am slightly worried that Straczynski has a trail of stories that start off great or even beyond great but as we know the end is nearing, they start to loose steam. The first book or so of Rising Stars is some of the best story telling around. But I felt that the end was not equal to the outstanding beginning. Maybe that’s the trouble with writing such a great opening piece, that everything after it has to be as great. There is something said about setting the bar too high. But I don’t feel he did this on book one of Earth One. Like I said, it’s good / bordering on great. But not the most amazing tale ever. There’s room to grow and fail. If the next few books came out and where crap, I’d still think this was a great shot and brave step for DC, who at times is too afraid to let their “big three” be seen in any other light than truth justice and what’s been going on for the past 70 years.

I’ll give this one 4 out of 5 stars. This is a good beginning and a must read for any other fans that want a new variation of the Superman story without loosing who superman is. I think it’s also a good stepping stone for the future and has the possibility of possibility. That’s to say, there’s room to change and directions to go with this Superman that where previously locked away.

Why was Krypton at war? Why was it so bad if Kal-El escaped? Who was the traitor who gave Krypton's enemy the means to destroy it? What didn't Superman learn before the villain's death?