Superman #18 came out this week, the first part of the highly anticipated Superman Reborn storyline. This arc supposedly will answer all the questions about the nature of the current Superman ... or maybe I should say Supermen. Between the now dead New 52 Superman, the pre-Final Crisis current Superman, and the Clark doppelganger, it is hard to keep track of who is who and what is what. Added to all this mystery is the idea that has been floated around that maybe they are all the same person somehow split. Remember, the New 52 Lois actually said she understood everything that was going on, albeit right before she died.
To be honest, the mystery of 'Who is Clark Kent?' has been one of the more enjoyable aspects of the Rebirth run, mostly because I haven't been able to decipher the clues. Just when it all seemed to come into focus, that he is a depowered Superboy Prime, DC threw a curveball. Prime wasn't even listed as a candidate on an official house ad. Putting all this together with the growing and now lengthy Mr. Oz enigma and you have a gripping and very entertaining Superman Family of books. While I have been enjoying all this, I am eager to get to the end and have the curtain pulled away. I want to learn who Oz is!
It all starts in this great opening chapter by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason. The creators have been focusing on the family life of Clark/Lois/Jon throughout their run and this issue is no different. We see just how their blissful their cozy life in Hamilton is, that is until disaster strikes. Those quiet opening moments make the rest of the issue feel that much more frightful. The Clark mystery remains just as baffling. All this blue energy crackling about - is it Dr. Manhatten? A Crisis riff? Magic? And the issue starts with another look at Oz's realm. There is some information given here, images that should be stirring the pot a bit. But I remain just as perplexed.
Gleason is on art here. His work has that Rankin/Bass gloss that works in some scenes but seems a bit too cute in others. Still, nothing is so offbeat to pull me out of the story.
On to the book.
