Review: 'Superman: Earth One'

By Don M. Ventura

A rocket ship. An explosion. An alien child lands on Earth. The child has powers that manifest with age. The boy becomes a man and goes to the big city. He uses his powers for good and becomes the city’s protector. And then the world’s.

All the beats are familiar and have been told time and again. But not here and not this way. I think this is what makes J. Michael Straczynski’s Superman: Earth One a success. While it is not perfect, this book is absolutely worth a read.

Straczynski has taken the Superman story and told it in a wholly different manner, while introducing some familiar concepts, the writer has brought just about the freshest take on the Man of Steel’s story that I have ever read. The book is not bogged down in continuity and Straczynski takes full advantage of this by presenting twists to his Superman tale.

We open with a younger Clark (early 20’s perhaps) traveling to Metropolis for the first time.  He’s still undecided about his future and whether his destiny is to wear the iconic costume Ma Kent has sewn for him. Clark ponders the opportunities presented to him; he is both smart and strong and there are men who are eager to take advantage of this.

Naturally Clark eventually finds himself at the Daily Planet, meets with Perry White, takes an application, then throws it in the trash. What? Yes. This is only one of many scenes that are unexpected but refreshing. I did not miss those familiar beats. What I loved about Straczynski’s approach to the material is that it felt as though he was not obligated in the least to reference the original material and, rather, was determined to write the story that he wanted to tell.

This is good. For my money, I wanted something new and that is exactly what I got. I questioned whether fans would embrace something like Superman: Earth One. I figured The Man of Steel, Superman: Birthright, and Superman: Secret Origins have famously retold the character’s early days and rise to prominence, there was no reason to revisit much of what has already been mined and re-mined.

Add to this, beautiful artwork by Shane Davis. There is nothing that feels rushed in any panel in this book. Clark’s initial steps into Metropolis, the first scene of Clark flying which culminates in him hovering over his adopted planet, the battle between Superman and Tyrell—Davis’s work is astonishing from cover to cover. The artwork is enhanced by Sandra Hope’s painstaking inks and gorgeous colors by Barbara Ciardo. This artby Davis, Hope and Ciardo feels like a labor of love.

There are a few missteps in the book, most significantly with the villain Tyrell. I thought the character’s design felt dated, especially for this book, like something that would be featured in a late 80’s or early 90’s X-Men book. I did not care for the casual tone of Tyrell’s dialogue either; while his intentions were as evil and sadistic as a Superman villain could be, the character did not speak in a way that felt particularly menacing.

Additionally, the story felt as though it was missing an act in the middle. I believe in the importance of at least two showdowns with the main villain. This could be a matter of taste, but I believe by introducing and thwarting the bad guy over two different acts, the characters are allowed to ruminate over their fate and the reader becomes more invested in how the heck the hero is going to fix what seems unfixable.

Make no mistake though, Superman: Earth One is a really strong read. Straczynski, who understands pacing from a film and television standpoint, brings a cinematic quality to the story and it is absolutely effective.