Superman Vol. 1: Son Of Superman (Rebirth)

After five years of the love-it-or-hate-it New 52 where DC’s pantheon of superheroes where altering into younger, edgier, and less experienced versions of themselves, DC is has ushered in a new era known as Rebirth. DC’s Rebirth is not about another reboot, but more about honoring and accepting the companies entire 75+ years in comics. This means many of the most loved aspects about these characters has returned in their more approved status. For Superman, the original big-blue boyscout has returned to the forefront and it is one of the best Rebirth titles of the bunch. SUPERMAN VOL.1: SON OF SUPERMAN collects DC COMICS REBIRTH: SUPERMAN and issues #1-6. After the death of the New 52 Superman in Superman: The Final Days of Superman , the world is without the Man of Steel. The current Superman here hails from the pre-Flashpoint era who married to Lois Lane has entered into the new world after years of staying out of sight. The many years of hiding, Clark and Lois had a son Jonathan who they are trying to raise, also deal with Jon’s emerging superpowers. So trying to keep a strong family bond and teaching Jon life lessons is Superman’s current outlook on life. With things slowly working out for the Kent family in this Rebirth world, an ancient Kryptonian instrument known as the Eradicator is out to bring Krypton back to life with Superman’s son as the key. Because the new REBIRTH era is about installing the older feelings of classic characters, it is a mighty breath of fresh air for many heroes coming off of the 5 years of the edgy and darker NEW 52. Beyond the front cover of his angry glowing red eyes that is here, this is the quintessential Superman that is calm, loving, wise, and just likable again being the family man and farmer. This is helped greatly by the creative team of Peter Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason who did top notch work together on a similar father-son angle in BATMAN & ROBIN in the New 52. The family aspect for Clark, Lois, and Jon can be a bit overly cheerful considering, but for those many people looking for the fuzzy warm feeling of the ideal Superman, it feels pretty great. Tomasi makes a decent balance of the Kent family dealing with the current landscape and world building of the Kents morals and values, with the other parts plenty of action with the big villain of the piece being THE DEATH AND RETURN OF SUPERMAN fame The Eradicator (it’s not a spoiler since its in the description and his picture is on the back cover). So fans get a good balance of soft and happy moments of the Kent living on the farm and a good helping of action as the Super-family take on Eradicator to see his beef with Jon’s emerging powers. Additional winks and nods are filled throughout for long time fans to take in, especially a certain Kryptonian canine and Bat-cameo from the creative teams past work on BATMAN & ROBIN. Long time collaborator Patrick Gleason does majority of the issues collected here and his art is topnotch level. Gleason’s cartoony style is vivid and lush with bold 2-page spreads that show the awe and somber moments wonderfully, while diving into action sequences that goes over the top like fighting on the moon! (And maybe even a secret lunar Bat-Cave?). Veteran artist Doug Mahnke does the SUPERMAN: REBIRTH #1 and issue #5 with guest artist Jorge Jimenez doing issue #4. While I am giving Amazon a 5-star rating, it’s more around 4 ½ stars. The first thing is the common flaw among the whole REBIRTH line in that it caters heavily on older fans who know the DC lore and not so much for new readers. I will say SUPERMAN is one of the few that is not so bad for new readership to catch up on, yet it still suffers a bit for explaining things that lead here. So as you to the opening SUPERMAN: REBIRTH #1 getting readers up to speed of who and what has happened to get to this point, there is still a little hazy patch of clarification as to how this Superman came to be (there is a purposeful mystery in the whole REBIRTH universe about this in other series that look like they will be answered in the future. If you want a good prelude on this Superman, read Superman: Lois and Clark ). Even this version of The Eradicator is explained almost as if readers should already know who he/it is (Tomasi does give a new/extended origin so its not too bad). Beyond the introduction for new readers, the overall story near the middle does get a little stale and the Eradicator could have been a little better done. Beyond the gripes, for old school fans that want out of the dark and broody Man of Steel that the New 52 and current films have shown, SUPERMAN under the REBIRTH banner is a return to glory for the big blue boy scout. It has plenty heart, nostalgia, action, and great art to give fans that feeling they have longed for some time. It may not be breaking ground in terms of Superman stories, alas Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s work on The Man of Tomorrow is one of the strongest REBIRTH titles to show the return to DC’s roots and good sign of things to come. *Cue John Williams famous 1978 theme music*

Superman is back! The New 52 Superman was an interesting take on the character, but I have missed the "real" (if such a word can be applied here!) Superman, and now he is back. The addition of Jonathan White, the new Superboy, is a great choice for DC - it allows us to see an aspect of the character that has, up until now, only been hinted at: Superman as a father. Having a son developing his own powers, wanting to follow in his father's footsteps and be a hero, but, at the same time, being alternately super and also vulnerable, means that Superman will have to grow and develop alongside his son. I also enjoy the interplay between Superman and the New 52 heroes, especially Batman and Wonder Woman - the "trinity" of the DC Universe now has one member that the others distrust. DC has tried for years to make Superman "relevant" with mixed success, but transporting the Superman and Lois Lane we all knew and loved from the "original" timeline, complete with 10 year old son, to the darker, more paranoid New 52 timeline, has succeeded. With luck, we will be able to enjoy these adventures for some time to come!

Oh, boy. To understand Superman’s first volume under the Rebirth movement, you need to understand that the Superman in this book is the Superman we knew in the 80s, 90s, and early-2000s. This is the Superman who married Lois Lane, the Superman who fought against Doomsday and died, the Superman who returned from the dead. Why is this confusing, you ask? Well, this Superman is now living in an alternate reality, one that arrived around 2010. DC calls it The New 52 universe. In this softly rebooted universe, everything and everyone got a facelift, modernized, updated. The Superman in this new universe wore a suit more like armor than tights, had a romance with Wonder Woman, and wasn’t much of a talker. He died in battle, though, and so the pre-New 52 Superman, who had been hiding out on this alternate Earth with his wife Lois and their son Jon, decides to don the red and blue again because, yeah, Earth needs a Superman. Batman and Wonder Woman don’t know this new Superman. No one does. They don’t know if they can trust him. They honestly don’t know what to think of him. This is a really interesting dynamic because this classic version of Superman was the beacon of hope in his old universe—he was the gold standard. To suddenly be an alien twice over adds an interesting dimension to the character, one that the creators were sure to touch upon. I can only hope they continue to use it to drive stories. But the real heart and soul of this book is the arrival of Superman as a family man. Let’s face it—our classic Superman has always been a dad. He may not previously have actually had a child, but he basically epitomized the traits we hope for in every great father—brave, selfless, compassionate, assertive, reliable, strong, and even a little boring. Now Superman acts like a dad for good reason—he is one! Their son, Jon, is just beginning to develop powers, and watching Superman guide his son through these changes is charming in and of itself. Jon, who I believe is around ten or so, is an incredibly likable character. He’s not too naïve, not too sassy, not too polished, but not too rough, either. They’ve hit a nice tone with him, one that I hope they can continue. I do believe Lois is getting a bit lost in the mix in this first volume, though. In my opinion, her inclusion in the action feels a bit forced, and, honestly, there’s a moment at the end of this book where I really questioned Superman’s judgment in allowing a very human Lois to be anywhere near the cataclysmic battle taking place. As much as the creators have hit the right note with Jon, they are missing the mark just a bit with Lois. They’ve all been hiding out on this new Earth in order to protect Jon, and so Lois must be content as an anonymous novelist, doing house chores, and sort of playing the role of house wife. It never felt quite true to the character, but neither did the big action scene in which she participates. Granted, like Superman himself, getting Lois just right can be tricky. I trust Tomasi and Gleason will eventually find the right chord for her. So, yes, much of Son of Superman worked very well. Seeing Superman as a father is something I very much enjoy, especially because I am a father myself. It’s fun to be able to relate to him even now as a forty year old man. Seeing Superman through Jon’s eyes breathes fresh life into the hero, and watching Jon struggle to become a hero in his own right is going to prove fertile ground for future stories. But speaking of story, Son of Superman faltered with its main conflict. The Eradicator is back, but I think this is the New 52 version of the character—I was never clear on that, to be honest. Anyway, as an ancient piece of Kryptonian technology, he’s taken it upon himself to destroy Jonathan Kent, whom he views to be an impure blight against Kryptonian genes due to his human heritage. Plus, as it happens, he’s got a bunch of Kryptonian souls living inside of him. Frankly, I found the whole Eradicator plot a bit of a stretch, even by comic book standards. There are dozens of directions they could have taken in this first volume, why they chose yet another character with an “S” on his chest and very convoluted motive is something of a mystery. And the dozens of Kryptonian souls trapped inside of the Eradicator really took me out of the story. It seemed like such a significant event just to kind of throw in there as an aside … it felt forced and unnatural to the general cadence of the book. In fact, everything with the Eradicator felt a little clunky to me. Furthermore, along those same lines, the art in Son of Superman is flat-out superb. Patrick Gleason draws a heroic Superman, a charismatic Jonathan, and a self-reliant Lois. But his style tends to be a little cartoony—a bit exaggerated. There are a few installments in the book, however, where both Jorge Jimenez and Dough Mahnke fill in on the pencils. Both are superb—I’ve been a Mahnke fan for a long while now. But, their style tends to be a little darker, a little more realistic, a little more chiseled. Like the storyline itself, the shift in art could be abrupt and jarring. All of the art is wonderful, don’t get me wrong, but the flow is disruptive from installment to installment due to contrasting styles. Son of Superman is not perfect, but it’s a bold, uplifting direction for Superman and I commend the creators for embarking upon such risk. Taking one of your flagship characters and making him both a husband and a dad is unconventional to be sure, but I have no doubt this creative team in particular will provide captivating stories to come. I think we’re all ready for Superman Dad … I know I am.

Goated

Peter Tomasi knocks it out of the ball park with this new Superman run. He manages to write a incredible Superman that is both an inspiring hero and caring dad. Tomasi manages to create perfect chemistry between Clark and his family. Superman's son, Jonathan Kent, is an excellent addition to the Super Family. You enjoy seeing Jon grow and develop his powers. Lois as the Wife of Superman is also great and the two also belonged together. Overall, making Superman a dad and giving him a wife and kid is the perfect progression of the character. The villain of the arc is the Eradicator who manages to be a terrifying threat to the family. The whole book is full of intense action, inspirational moments, and cameos from beloved characters. It also has some great artwork by great artists like Gleason and Jimenez. My only downside is that this Superman's origin may be confusing for some. But if you can get past that, you will find a truly Super Superman and Super Dad.

Superman: Lois and Clark has been my favorite Superman comic in a long time. Establishing the pre-Flashpoint Superman and Lois was a good choice, and here, they've become the forefront versions for the series, following the spoiler that is the New 52 Superman's fate. So more of the two, and their child, Jonathan, was welcome. The book is somewhat a step back from that one; although not awful, by any means, following such a great title shines a bigger light on the flaws of this one. Lois gets a little less focus this time around, and her moment-of-awesome given to make up for it here leaves a little bit of fridge horror due to the item-in-question that she uses. The focus itself shifts to Superman and his new Superboy's relationship, but kind of errs too far on the side of Superboy. As a huge fan of the Connor Kent version, it can almost come across too much as shilling the new kid, to the level of Superman's own title feeling a little taken-over. And frankly, I've seen the "young person struggles with developing powers" enough times that it feels fairly redundant the way it was done here. Following that, my problem is the issue the book has establishing the tone and themes it wants. Be warned, some spoilers ahead. Early on, Jonathan attempts to save the family cat from a hawk with his heat vision, but accidentally kills the cat too. It's rather explicitly shown, and feels incredibly jarring with the rest of the book, especially when the whole family is shown smiling and burying the cat as a sort-of "learning moment." It's far too giddy after being a little too graphic for what it was going for. Another example; the Eradicator shows up and claims to be a friend, with a fight from Superman due to an understandable lack of trust. The Eradicator winds up proving himself as an ally, and Superman hesitantly allows it. He then almost immediately goes and does something to be a threat again, and it's right back to fighting. This takes up the main "conflict" of the book, but since he had nothing to do in the early chapters, it all feels rushed so that the comic can have a main villain. This is not to mention the way the book uses the Eradicator to instantly shove in more mystical-esque elements, like lingering Kryptonian souls, into a book that previously showed nothing of the sort about to happen. Mystical can work very well in comics, even Superman comics, when done well, but it never quite feels justified by the book. It is still a step in the right direction, though. Unlike much of the New 52 version, it does, at least, feel like "the real Superman" again. If you want something more in the vein of what we used to get, and the gripes I've detailed here don't seem to be a dealbreaker to you, give this one a try.

Brought a smile to my face to see Big Blue as his old self. The story is nice. Others have brought up a few critiques on that. I will concentrate on why, if you loved Superman before the new 52 you will love this. This is the Superman ( more or less) we remember. Back when we waited forever for him to marry Lois. Back when he always did the right thing, no matter the cost. Someone who was "super" because he was an example to all the heroes, not just some guy with super powers. Yes. I am a little sappy, but honestly THIS is the Superman most of us loved. Perhaps a new generation will as well.

Superman's Rebirth series kicks off to a solid start with this first volume that focuses on the father son dynamics of Clark and his kid Jonathan. Keep in mind that to really get the most out of this book you'll have wanted to read at least the Superman: Lois and Clark book that reintroduces the titular pre-New 52 pairing. You'll probably also want to check out the Final Days of Superman book as it explains how the New 52 era's Supes passes away and symbolically gives the mantel back to his older predecessor. Suffice it so say, a version of Lois and Clark from before the New 52's reboot/retconn have been transported to our world and have lived in quiet solitude while keeping a low profile and avoiding their younger dopplegangers. They also have a son named Jonathan who is showing signs of inheriting his father's Kryptonian super powers. This volume begins with the single issue "Rebirth" story which sees the New 52 Lana Lang and the new (old?) Superman working together to transport the deceased Superman's remains to his home in Smallville, while also exploring the Fortress of Solitude. Clark realizes his New 52 counterpart won't cheat death like he did when he fought Doomsday and reaffirms his commitment to take the cape and shield back up. The main crux of the book concerns the return of the Eradicator, one of Clark's old enemies from the Death of Superman era. The Eradicator comes to attempt to help Superman reestablish his Kryptonian lineage, but sees his human family as a threat to that goal and attempts to wipe out Jonathan's human side, all while the new Superboy grapples with his new powers. The book's greatest strength is definitely the relationship between the Big Blue Boy Scout and his son; seeing this new side of the character is a blast and helps reestablish the do-gooder attitude of the old-school Clark. The only real downside is the fact that a lot of the history of the Eradicator seems to have been swept under the rug. The last we saw the character he had actually turned over a new leaf and even sacrificed himself to help Superman, yet upon first meeting here Supes is immediately ready to attack. It makes sense from the point of view of a new series attracting new readers, but for an event so concerned with reestablishing the old DC continuity it feels a bit odd that so much of the Eradicator's past with Supes was boiled down to them just be enemies only. Also, the fakeout death for Krypto, while amusing, does feel cheap. Having the oftentimes punch-line of a super-dog sacrifice himself to protect Clark is great, only for him to escape death literally an issue or two later. Overall a terrific start to one of Rebirth's best series and a great sign that the event is the best thing to happen to Superman in years.

Honestly, it's just a pleasure to see Superman embody all the things I like about the character once again. The morose, gritty mould that serves Batman so well does a disservice to the man of steel; Superman is bright and colourful - a symbol of hope as well as being emblematic of the best a man can be, and if this opening volume is anything to go by, Superman is headed in a positive direction full steam ahead. An engaging story of a family man (who can crack planets in half) defending those closest to him from an otherworldly menace with a twisted fixation with kryptonian eugenics is told with humour, beautiful art and a flair for dialogue from a writer that clearly understands the character and has - at long last - a solid direction to take him in. Highly recommended - I can't wait to see where the series goes next.

Great start to one of the best Rebirth series.

Just received the book, it has a damage in the corner.

O tão aguardado superman que "vale"e agora em família, nesse começo iremos descobrir ao lado fa família kent, onde o Superman se encaixa quando seu antecessor se fora.

Magnífico!!! El gran inicio de las nuevas y increíbles aventuras de Superman y su hijo al ver como se convierte un héroe que en un futuro heredará el manto de su padre. Con una calidad de papel y portada excelente. El envío llegó en excelentes condiciones