Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrated by Patrick Gleason
Published by DC Comics
This is another home run by Brian Michael Bendis.
Honestly, I didn’t know if it could get any better. And it really has. The Man of Steel miniseries was just the beginning. This issue shows more of what Bendis has in mind for the long haul.
And it’s literally awesome and exciting.
The opening scene is a pair of villains shooting at Superman. He’s just ignoring them and they keep shooting.
He waits until they are out of bullets and says “oh, are you done?”
Then he asks them about the arson attacks that have been happening around Metropolis.
Superman does some investigation. So does Clark Kent. They find out that a young kid came into the fire station claiming that Superman is the one who has been setting the fires. Bendis creates an intriguing premise and one which asks a lot of questions right from the beginning. It’s smart writing.
Superman then confronts Deputy Chief Moore about the fires. She tells him it seems like a small crime for him. He tells her that Metropolis is his home is there is really no crime that is too small because people are getting hurt. This is a great character moment for Clark and Bendis makes it wonderful and memorable.
The two confront the kid who has accused Clark. That confrontation is hilarious as we see that someone paid him to accuse Superman. Someone who happens to be bald. We then see how many bald foes Superman has.
We eventually get the answer to who the arsonist is by the end of the issue. But again, that leads to more questions. And Bendis beautifully makes this all work. The writing is at the highest level you can imagine.
And Gleason makes it all seem fresh. He has just come off a great run on a Superman title. Yet, this seems like its brand new to him. It just is great. I can’t believe how excited I am for this book. I need more as soon as possible. This is a good time for sure.
RATING: A
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