DC is launching into another brand new era: the Dawn of DC. While not as significant of an overhaul of the line as 2016’s Rebirth, it’s a chance for several characters and books to dust themselves off and get a fresh start. Now, I don’t think the Superman family of books needed such a fresh start, but if you’re going to revitalize the line, you should include your flagship characters. This is less a new start than a leap into the new status quo established by Action Comics #1050. Clark Kent is back on Earth, and while his son is exploring the multiverse with Adventures of Superman, the original Big Blue is back to headlining Superman #1.
Superman #1
Jamal Campbell (art and cover), Ariana Maher (letters), Joshua Williamson (writer)
DC Comics
February 21, 2023
This review contains spoilers for Superman #1.
The first thing that struck me about Superman #1 is how timeless the book feels. Yes, it’s tied to the current continuity but not in a way that makes it feel bogged down. The best comparison I can give is that it finally feels like we might have Superman’s version of Hush. A writer who has a great grasp of both the main character and his supporting cast, teaming up with a superstar artist, to deliver the book to place in a new reader’s hands. When we got Hush it was a tour de force through Batman’s rogue’s gallery with Jim Lee doing his first mainline DC project. While this isn’t nearly that noteworthy, it still feels important.
Superman #1 is an elevation of Jamal Campbell to a flagship title after stellar runs on Naomi and Far Sector. He takes this shot and sinks it from half-court, and we’re only on the first issue. Heck, he sank that shot on the second page: a double splash of Superman blocking Livewire’s lightning from hitting civilians is already an iconic piece of art, and that’s before the six-panel monochrome origin story depicted in his flowing cape.
Without words, Campbell and Williamson do what Quitely and Morrison did in All-Star Superman and show everything we need to know about Superman. Jor-El and Lara. His escape from Krypton. Ma and Pa Kent finding him. A school friendship with Lex Luthor. The first time he put on the costume. Arriving in Metropolis. And most importantly, saving people with a comforting smile on his face. Just an absolutely pitch-perfect page, right down to the sound effect lettering by my favorite letterer Ariana Maher.
Some things might seem weird to a brand new reader, like Lex Luthor tormenting Superman from jail by talking directly at him in a way that Superman can’t ignore with his super-hearing. And where is Perry White? These are a couple of plot points that tie it to current continuity, specifically Action Comics #1050, but I think they’re minor enough to not be too confusing. After all, Hush was heavily tied to the DC continuity of the time in a way that could have been confusing for a new reader too.
What’s important is how good Superman feels in this issue, from officiating a wedding because a priest no-showed, to taking the time out of his day to party with the happy couple (the same couple he saved in that first scene). This Superman shines with compassion and love, and it’s exactly the kind of Superman we need. And it’s not just Superman that Williamson nails perfectly. His Lex is conniving and brilliant, an egotist the likes of which few have ever seen. Jimmy is bubbly and talkative, just happy to be there.
Most importantly? His Lois? His Lois is fierce, strong, and even a little scary. Lois has stepped in as acting Editor-In-Chief of the Daily Planet and with her introduction, Williamson, Campbell, and Maher perfectly capture every emotion she has about taking this role. Shouting at the newsroom to get to work from her office door, grabbing her husband by the tie and growling at him that she feels caged by being an editor who can’t hunt for stories of her own, to the tender moment she shares with him alone on the roof. She’s everything Lois Lane needs to be, and I couldn’t be happier.
This feels like it’s going to be a fantastic first arc, and if the rest holds to the quality of Superman #1, I’ll buy multiple copies of the eventual trade so that I will always have one to loan out. Great job on a fantastic start, Superman team.
