Back in 2011 DC Comics launched their New 52 out of the events of Flashpoint. This was basically a re-launch for the entire DC Universe. They erased decades of lore and alienated long-time readers. Superman, Flash, and Wonder Woman were some of the main heroes that got quite the overhaul while characters like Green Lantern and Batman weren't so altered, mainly because they were DC's best selling titles. As a Superman fan I tried giving the New 52 a shot, but couldn't get into it. Lois and Clark were no longer together, wiping clean a quarter of a century relationship, and taking away a great story point in the Superman mythology. After reading the first few story arcs I gave up on the Man of Steel. But it's like I've said for quite some time, when it comes to Superman, it's all about who's writing him.
Scott Snyder, a favorite writer of mine after his wonderful Batman storyline, The Court of Owls, teamed up with legendary artist Jim Lee to bring us Superman: Unchained. In this 9 part story we see the discovery of a government organization known as "The Machine." Lead by General Sam Lane, The Machine has been working in secret ever since 1938 (the year Superman was first published) when an alien crash landed on Earth. But it's not Kal-El of Kryton. With the New 52 Clark crashed into the corn fields of Kansas much later. This alien, known as Wraith, also absorbs his strength and abilities from the sun, but has absorbed decades of more UV rays than Superman, making him more powerful. Soon The Machine and Wraith turn against the Man of Steel and show up at the Fortress of Solitude with high tech weapons and a desire to destroy Superman's clubhouse. But of course, what great Superman story wouldn't include Lex Luthor, always pulling his own set of strings in the background.
To me, the right comic has to have both good writing and good art. I've always enjoyed Jim Lee's style, and with Snyder writing I quickly was enthralled in this book. Snyder's thought boxes are great as Clark thinks during a fight on how to avoid casualties and how to defeat an enemy that seems unbeatable. Guest starring in this book are the other 2/3's of the Trinity, Batman and Wonder Woman. They play small roles, but were used perfectly. Wraith invades the Batcave in hopes of killing Bruce. And just as he has his hands around his neck Mr. Wayne mutters, "penny for your thoughts" just before Wonder Woman hits Wraith with the giant coin in the Batcave. It was around this time that I had to stop reading every few pages to geek out.
What Snyder does so well that few writers fail to grasp is that a good Superman story can't be about his external struggle, but the internal one. Clark's thoughts about what he's thinking while he's fighting, and Luthor dissecting how Superman sees himself, are some of the dialogue highlights in this book. To me, the weakest part of Unchained is Wraith, while powerful, he isn't has interesting of villain as a Luthor or a Zod. But he's still a decent character who makes Clark challenge his mission and his strength.
While I still haven't bought into most of the New 52 titles the fact that you can enjoy Superman: Unchained without knowing about all the changes in the DCU helps make it a taster treat. I'll always be a Superman fan, which is why I'm excited to check out what Geoff Johns and artist John Romita Jr have been working on.
WORTH A READ?: Definitely
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