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| Went to the shop and bought a copy, feeling like a small, excited child. About Superman. Which is the point, I'd assume. I managed to read the thing at least three times in a row, and the feeling didn't dissipate: the art is gorgeous; simultaneously hallucinogenic and lucid. The line work is more or less perfect (especially the parts where Quitely's razor-sharp lines fade into cross-hatching (like in the first page with Jor-El and Lara), or the wonderful subtle shading on Superman's face in the "not if I can help it" splash. The Silver Age vibe (or what I know of it from superman.ws's archive material) is very evident: the meganthropes and nanonauts are wonderful little (or not so little, ha-ha!) touches, and I really really love the way Superman's anatomy hearks back to the more beefy, less muscular version of the earlier artists. Apart from the fantastic portrayal of Luthor as a proper mad scientist (really, really loved "Kryptonite robots and elaborate super-death-traps"), it did feel a bit slight as a writing exercise, and really does seem to act as a launch point for the whole series: the impending Death of Superman being the motivation (and framing narrative) for the Twelve Labours of the aforementioned. The dialogue (apart from Luthor's) reminded me a little of that in the Max Fleischer cartoons, in that lines like "Clark Kent is fired in ten seconds!" and "Stop talking for a moment, I've got something to show you" seem to want to be delivered in a tone more suitable to an announcer than a naturalistic (hah!) character. Which is odd, because I remember the fairly innovative psychological insights into the character of Superman mentioned in the first GM interview being what prompted me to pick up the book. This does seem very much like a teaser trailer, however, being composed of three (or possibly four) plot strands all left without a resolution. However, despite these criticisms, ASS#1 really left me wanting more without feeling cheated. Not only do I not have much of an idea how the story will progress, I'm also very excited by this in a way I'm not used to with enormous licensed characters such as Superman. I really do wish they'd kept the new "S" logo, however, as it was much prettier, better fitted Quitely's style, and wouldn't have looked ridiculous with the huge chest shield that appears in the book. Actual criticism later, when I've had some sleep. Yes. |
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