Superman #41 review

Clark gets a message from an unknown party on his phone telling him to put the TV news on. The report is about super-weapons falling into the hands of Metropolis criminals. The texter leads him and Jimmy to a warehouse where a smooth guy is telling a foreign leader he can 3D print terror technology. They're discovered, but Clark beats the horde of hi-tech hoods as Superman, with his new solar flare power sealing the deal. 

Back at the Daily Planet, Lois sees Jimmy's photo of the businessman, who fled during the fight. He looks familiar to Clark and Jimmy but they can't put a name to him. Sharp-as-a-tack Lois draws a moustache on Jimmy's photo, and voila! They recognise the guy at the warehouse as hirsute politician Leland Norvell - and he's swiftly arrested. 

Clark gets another tip from the stranger. A woman is on her way to the Daily Planet and she'll ask for him. She's delusional, says Anon, who then shows Clark a web page he or she has set up revealing Clark's identity. Presumably it isn't live, because the 'voice' says the secret is safe if Clark does what they say - hands her over to the 'proper authorities'. 

The woman shows up, and talks to Lois before Clark can reach her. FBI men follow and rather than run out another exit with Lois and the woman - who wants to be called Condesa - Clark gives her up. 

Soon, though, he's on the roof of the agents' car, in ginger ninja Jimmy's 'covert outfit', assaulting the G-Men in order to free Condesa. He takes her to an alley where Jimmy and Lois are waiting in a car. More Feds appear and things just get worse as the issue ends.

That's a lot of recap, but it's necessary so I can spell out a problem or two with this debut issue by new writer Gene Luen Yang. Firstly, take a look at the smooth weapons dealer as drawn by John Romita Jr and inker Klaus Janson...

... and Lois's moment of revelation. 

This all seems a bit ass-backwards. Surely the politician would be clean shaven normally, and wearing a fake 'tache for his dodgy dealings? Is Lois really asserting that all through his campaign Norvell wore pretend facial fur? Taking the dialogue alone, there's no way you'd read it as meaning anything other than that the guy was wearing a fake tache at the warehouse ... I wonder if a miscommunication meant Romita never drew it in the warehouse sequence, and editors Andrew Marino and Eddie Berganza decided to 'fix' it with the office sequence. Then again, it's all in one issue, it'd be as easy, and less confusing, to just draw the tache on earlier in the story. 

Am I just misreading things? I could accept that it's me being dumb, not the comic. Tell me!

My other problems are in-story. Firstly, Perry White prints the 'fact' that the senator is a bad guy with apparently no further research by Clark, Lois or Jimmy. This is a world filled with shapeshifters, mind control and, oh, I don't know, twins? 

Far worse, Clark gives into blackmail, putting a woman who's apparently come to him for help into the hands of (supposed) government agents without checking out the stories on either side. For all he knows, they could've shot her the second they hit the street. Or she could actually be the anonymous texter. Who knows? But he doesn't try to find out. 

Then - presumably in a lame bid to fool the mystery texter - he rescues her in disguise... by almost killing her captors. OK, having used that new solar flare power earlier, Clark's not at full strength, but with all his experience, that's the best he could come up with?

And why the heck use what should be a last-ditch power at the warehouse anyway? At that point he had all his dozen or so regular tricks, why employ a solar flare to take down a simple super-tank? Yes, he used the flare with more finesse than previously, but he still nearly fries Jimmy. 

Jimmy was one of the best things about this issue, showing drive, courage and - when Clark basically accuses him of giving up his secret identity - patience. Lois is great too, bringing the smarts and wit, observing Clark's pretty poor attempts to protect the secret ID she worked out last issue with a cool eye. I love how playful she is, even as she homes in on the truth. 

Clark, though, is pretty contemptible, first letting himself be manipulated, then acting extremely selfishly. There's only one moment of classic Superman in the entire book. 

There's skill in Yang's script, but it's hard to cheer for Superman when he's so unlikeable, so stupid. He's an investigative reporter with immense power. The minute he got the tip he should have been trying to find out who was communicating with him, not rushing off to some likely set-up, putting Jimmy in danger at the same time. And he's so sharp with Jimmy, and short with Lois - if this is indicative of the tone Yang will bring to the book, of how he sees Superman, then this isn't a run for me. I hope it's simply a trying-too-hard bid to add tension to the new Truth storyline, and that things will lighten up thereafter. 

Romita and Janson's visuals, coloured by Dean White, are spot on - the storytelling is clear and dynamic, the characters look good, and body language and action sequences great. I just love the updo Romita gifts Lois, and the intelligence in her gaze. Jimmy looks great too, but as an old timer, I was expecting his covert outfit to be drag... And it's ironic that just as the artists nail the look of Clark, he's getting a haircut and losing the specs. Ah well, these things don't last, once Truth is over he'll be back to mild-mannered reporter mode. 

And speaking of the current arc, this is the fourth Superman book of the month. Action Comics had the secret ID revealed, and referred us to this comic for 'more details'. Batman/Superman is also set after the world has learned Clark is Superman, as is Superman/Wonder Woman. And here's what is supposedly the main book of the line, and still we don't see how the secret gets out. I'd be more patient had this issue been the start of the storyline in terms of on-sale date, but with the events having gotten out of control elsewhere, the disparity is frustrating - it's not like DC Comics hasn't had months to get their super-ducks in a row. We're even teased with an opening page set some time after the events of this issue. 

I'm sounding grumpy. I'm feeling grumpy. It doesn't help that John Romita Jr's surprisingly unattractive cover - which has Superman not just with a new haircut, but an entire new head - is followed, digitally at least, by a beautiful illustration of classic Superman on Karl Kerschl's hilarious Joker variant. 

I'm simply tired of an inconsistent Superman. In Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder's Action Comics I can cheer for him, but he's unrecognisable as the same man in the rest of the line. When will DC realise that 'edgy' Superman doesn't work and do something really radical - build him up as the stand-up, friendly, smart hero the world loves. The Superman in most recent appearances is a person I'd cross the street to avoid. And that's the truth.