DC Comics
Written By: Max Landis
Art by: Jock
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Wes Abbott
Review by Jim Mello
I defend Superman. It seems, with increasing regularity, that I defend Superman all too often.It seems, to modern masses, Superman is vanilla. In fact, he seems super-powered vanilla. Now, that isn’t to say that he is completely devoid of flavor, as folks who often use vanilla as a derogatory term tend to forget. But, let’s say, in comparison to a character like the Joker, whose ice cream metaphor is less a flavor than a stick of dynamite in a bowl of ice cream, Superman probably seems bland. Well, Max Landis has something to say about that.
In the long lineage of Superman Defense Comics, with the likes of writers Grant Morrison and Joe Kelly in the ranks, Max Landis seeks to disprove once more why Superman is still the best superhero in comics and makes a fairly convincing argument that’s all from the heart.
Joker, apparently fairly new at the super-criminal thing, has rigged a set of explosives up around Metropolis to attract the attention of Supes. Superman confronts Joker atop of the Daily Planet and a verbal battle takes place with the weight and ferocity of any event level Jim Lee drawn double splash page fight scene. The two pop culture titans let the disses fly with a cutting edge and land with a closed fist. It’s a dissection of each character – what makes Joker the Joker? What makes Superman Superman?
Landis takes Grant Morrison’s theory of Joker’s need for constant reinvention and uses it hear with the help of Jock to great visual effect. We are treated to Jock drawn, utterly gorgeous, versions of Joker through the ages. The character answers in line with each familiar version of the Joker smile; all different answers to the same end. Unlike Morrison, however, Landis seems to find this less fascinating – Superman proceeds to dissect Joker with his need, and the creators need, to constantly reinvent the character as a fault. The solution to a bland character whose own attractive version of demented nihilism makes him utterly boring and predictable. (It is not lost that, minus the nihilistic comment, the same argument has been leveled at Superman.)
Landis’ argument is all heart and wonderful opinion. In contrast to Joker, Landis believes Superman’s constant nature, his inherent goodness, his everyman nature is what makes him great. There’s also some talk about his unpredictability since Superman has never announced a “code”, which may just be a shot at those who didn’t like Man of Steel. It’s a heartfelt argument, but not one without flaw, however that conversation could be book length. However opinionated and biased, much like this writer is towards Superman, it is still a fantastic little story fit for this anthology.
If you’re looking for an Superman story with a little days gone past vibe to it, pick it up. If you’re looking for some amazing Joker art, you should pick it up too. If you’re looking for a Spider-Man title, please don’t buy this, because you’ll be really disappointed and I don’t want to handle that phone call.