Welcome, dear readers, to another week of comics and commentary at Comics! The Blog! We kick things off, as always, by handing out awards for the Best of the Week – beginning with two Award postings, followed closely by the past week’s Best.
I’m not one of the hardliners about Superman and Lois Lane being together. I like them together, or at least in that classic Silver Age romantic give-and-take, but I’m not (PREPARE YOUR GROANS) married to the idea (GROOOOAAAAAN). I understand what DC intended with the New 52 starting with the two characters separate, but every once in a while, I get a taste of what I miss about the previous versions of the characters. Enter Adventures of Superman #50, a comic full of such warmth and heart that it’s practically infectious.
The concept, as presented by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Valentine De Landro and Matthew Wilson, is a modern take on an old Silver Age classic: Lois gives Superman a Valentine’s Day present, and he spends the better part of a week of adventures with Batman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman trying to help him figure out what it is. At a basic level, Superman having something to consult his friends over is a great frame device for an issue, especially one that’s only half the length of a standard single issue in print. It’s a smart way to see some great action set pieces by De Landro and Wilson, but in a way where nothing ever drags; it’s just these pops of character and a peek into these rich relationships. Superman teases Batman about being too serious (while saving a train and fighting a giant robot). Wonder Woman calls Superman a dork (while foiling a jewelry store robbery). Aquaman very seriously concludes that the gift isn’t fish, because he can’t commune with it (while fighting a giant octopus).
Pop. Pop. Pop. All these little glimpses at full and vivid relationships, done in what amounts to 10 full pages of comics, brought to life by DeConnick‘s ear for playful dialogue and making each character sound unique, De Landro‘s emphatically thick inks and Wilson‘s varied colours. There is just so much in this comic, and even though it’s in a shorter length, it never feels rushed. It has FOUR different action scenes, 5 illuminating character conversations and a happy ending. This is literally, exactly what I want from an Adventures of Superman issue.
Case in point: how it all works so well together. It took a second read to realize it, but Superman’s gift to Lois uses different materials from each of his adventures in the issue, and by its very nature fits Lois’ lifestyle so perfectly it struck me dumb for a second. The fact that Superman tries to sneak a peek at the present and then decides to consult all his friends instead instead of just trying to open it. It all comes together in a heartfelt, poetic ending that illuminates exactly what, at their best, these two characters mean to each other. It’s a big love story that also has a killer robot and a giant octopus, and these immediately recognizable, immortal iterations of the character from De Landro. I take it back; this isn’t what I want from this series; it’s what I want from these characters, in general, forever.
This issue exists because the digital anthology series exists that lets creators tell these idiosyncratic, personal stories, then makes it so easy for readers to jump on. No heavy continuity involved, just classic archetypes, talented creators and maybe a robot or two. Adventures of Superman has given me a few Superman stories I count among my all-time favourites. This is one of them.
Buy Adventures of Superman #50 on ComiXology right now!