Comic Book Review: Superman #3
“I can’t believe I’m doing this. I’ve turned my back on the Eradicator.”
Once again the House of El’s family dynamic is at the forefront of the latest entry into “The Son of Superman”. While the moments between Clark, Lois, and Jon remain effective the rest of the issue suffers from clunky dialogue and a rather insignificant plot. Superman’s judgement is also inconsistent, matching the overall quality of the issue. The previous issue was comic perfection. It had heart, action, and beauty to such a degree that [easyazon_link identifier=”B01IPW0036″ locale=”US” tag=”bounintocomi-20″]Superman #3[/easyazon_link] just can’t live up to it’s predecessor. Though the pages of Superman #3 are vibrant and striking, thanks to guest artist Jorge Jimenez, the issue seems to suffer heavily from the temporary loss of artist Patrick Gleason.
Set solely in the Fortress of Solitude, the issue goes for the slow burn while exploring the origins of the Eradicator. While the story’s use of Krypton, and the Terminator-inspired visuals, make for a beautiful read it brings the momentum of the previous issues to a grinding halt. Superman’s own actions seem affected by the quality here, leading him to turn his back on an obvious threat. Almost forgivable were Superman not questioning his own judgment in the comic. The conspicuous nature to the Eradicator even causes what should be a pivotal and emotional moment in the final pages to instead feel forced and trivial. Considering the importance Superman has placed on his family’s safety in every issue thus far it’s more than jarring to see him letting his guard down so quickly and readily.
[easyazon_image align=”center” height=”499″ identifier=”B01IPW0036″ locale=”US” src=”http://boundingintocomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/61kFy0c1FgL.jpg” tag=”bounintocomi-20″ width=”325″]
Introduced at the end of Superman #2, The Eradicator pulls focus for the bulk of the issue. This modern interpretation of the character works well, serving as a good villain for an arc that is introducing Jon Kent to his Kryptonian heritage. Despite an overly long origin the fight between he and Superman is a captivating read. However, the attempt at momentarily humanizing him seems illogical at best. It’s especially difficult considering we’d have to ignore the character’s own name of “Eradicator”. But as a device meant to begin the legacy of Jonathan Kent it serves it’s purpose.
The decision to bring in Jorge Jimenez for the issue does well to set-up the future “Super Sons” series. His art is uniquely fluid and bright, also thanks to colorist Alejandro Sanchez. The Eradicator’s backstory is especially enthralling, using his own anatomy to reflect the very stars. Regardless, it’s disappointing to see Patrick Gleason miss out on an issue this early into the run. His visual perfection in the first two issues makes one wish the series was splitting arcs more deliberately like Wonder Woman or Batman. Still, Jimenez is more than capable of creating a beautiful issue that enthralls despite only one location. Somewhat notable is that his presence here might help to explain why his own “Super Sons” series has been delayed.
The Verdict
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01IPW0036″ locale=”US” tag=”bounintocomi-20″]Superman #3[/easyazon_link] had a lot to live up to. The previous issues were building a comic dynamic unlike any other in both breathtaking and captivating fashions. The family remains but the tension and heart seems to have lessened. With characters ignoring simple logic, and a plot that could have been no more than a few pages, this issue feels like a misstep. Relevant is the fact that it’s the first issue without Gleason’s art, though Jorge Jimenez’s work here is just as strong as his success with Earth 2: Society. Superman and Lois seem stagnant compared to the growth of their son in these pages. Jon Kent has come to a critical moment but unfortunately he does so in a mediocre way.
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