While I enjoyed J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis'
Superman - Earth One, Vol. One, I couldn't help but feel that it was something
of a wasted opportunity. The Earth One line is free from the constraints of the
continuity and canon of the monthly Superman comics and therefore should be
able to take risks and show us different and unique takes on familiar
characters. I felt that Earth One, Vol. One was a good enough story but, aside
from a few changes to the history of his home planet Krypton, it offered us no
new insights into the character of Superman. Volume Two, I'm happy to say, is
quite different. This book offers us a take on Superman that I genuinely feel
couldn't have been offered in the main Superman title. As a result it has some
uncomfortable moments, but these moments ultimately serve to make the book all
the more rewarding.
Straczynski's Superman, as in Volume One of this series, is
very aware of his alien nature and as a result is quite a lonely, isolated
figure. But unlike Volume One the tragedy of his isolation is communicated
effectively by some very human moments. Clark Kent thinks back on the death of
a childhood pet, and grows ever closer to his attractive new neighbour, Lisa
Lasalle. These little identifiable insights into Clark's life and personality
are far more than we got in Volume One and they make Clark's self imposed
distance from the rest of the human race all the more poignant. His powers
enable him to give his pet a unique and wonderful final, resting place and yet
prevent him from getting too intimate with his new love interest.
The question of whether Clark is able to get intimate with a
human is not the only potentially awkward area covered in this book.
Straczynski also seeks to address that old question, “Why doesn't Superman end
all war?” Towards the end of the book we see Superman interfering in a big way
in the affairs of a foreign nation. In the more mainstream comics Superman has
traditionally drawn a clear line for himself between being a friend who's here
to support and help the human race and being an alien invader who's here to
impose his will. He's careful never to cross this line. But this isn't the
mainstream Superman. This version of Superman feels that he can't afford to
“work within the system” as he puts it. He sees himself as separate from the
human race, and even superior to it, and as a result he feels he has a
responsibility to blur that afore mentioned line somewhat. It's a take on the
character that's bound to feel uncomfortable for a lot of Superman fans, it
certainly did for me. But I also feel that it's an aspect of the character
that's worth exploring. Could a person with Superman's powers really completely
ignore a lot of the suffering that goes on in the world, even in the name of
the bigger picture of non-interference in human destiny? The alternate Universe
of Earth One provides a perfect opportunity to look into this darker, more
uncomfortable aspect of our hero and I applaud Straczynski for doing so.
The main villain of the story, The Parasite has a somewhat
clichéd back story. The whole "bad seed who's protective of a younger sibling" trope has been used more effectively elsewhere, notably with the
character of Captain Cold during Geoff Johns' run on The Flash, and in the
recent DC Animated movie, Superman Vs. The Elite. And I can't help but wonder
if the Parasite would have been a more compelling villain if he had been less
of an irredeemable psychopath before his transformation.
The Parasite does however look fantastic. The decision to
cover the Parasite in transparent green pustules was a brilliant one. He looks
truly disgusting, a proper monster. I was less impressed however with other
aspects of Shane Davis' art. His women all look the same. Lois Lane, Lisa
Lasalle, and Parasite's sister Theresa would be indistinguishable from each
other were it not for their hair colour. I was also disappointed with the
design of a protective armour worn by Superman. It's certainly in keeping with
the established look of Kryptonian technology but it's pretty boring to look
at.
While Shane Davis' art wasn't completely to my liking I
still feel there's a lot to admire about Superman – Earth One, Volume Two. If
you're a hardcore Superman fan with a very fixed view of what is acceptable
behaviour for a Man of Steel then you probably won't like it. But if you're
interested in seeing an exploration of Superman's role on Earth that goes down
some uncomfortable but intriguing avenues then you'll probably enjoy this book
as much as I did.
I give Superman – Earth One, Volume Two 3/5.
I give Superman – Earth One, Volume Two 3/5.
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