I wouldn’t blame anyone if they’d all but forgotten about Superman: Space Age.
Mostly.
That’s even as the series’ first issues (released in July and September 2022) were utterly compelling. A kind of history lesson meets Elseworlds, it was a tale of a Superman learning about heroism and debating morality as he and the world blazed through the 20th century toward a universe-smashing crisis. Creators Mark Russell and Michael Allred proved to be quite the dynamic duo, marrying a gorgeous visual retelling of DC legend and lore with a poignant if not sometimes overly-pontificating story.
But then nothing. For five months.
And if you know anything about the world of publishing, that’s practically an eternity. But the end is here at last, as Superman, the Justice League, and the world at-large stares down the apocalypse. So, the question is begged: was it all worth the wait, or was it the story that was truly doomed from the start?
Variant cover by Joe Quinones. Courtesy of DC Comics.
Like any big life event, it mostly depends on how you look at it.
In terms of delivering a cohesive story, things were a little weird even without the delay. Much as the stuff with Superman worked — it ended up being a hugely powerful mediation on fatherhood, which served as a compelling enough lens for some of the larger, more nebulous ethical and moral issues involved (i.e., the real role of heroes and personal responsibility). At the same time, though, there were parts of this book that just didn’t click. Whether that’s Wonder Woman and the League getting kicked to the back until they were nuked in a quantum holocaust (the whole team always felt like a side note, though), or Batman’s story sort of falling apart (his role felt a little uneven, like when he bombed Wayne Tower and it wasn’t a bigger deal), there was just as much dead weight or under-realized story elements.
Sure, some of that may have been timing — the League stuff had to be a case of not enough space across a three-issue run, right? — but the stuff with Batman and a haphazardly assembled arc with Joker (in issue #3) demonstrated some of the book’s fatal flaws. Namely, this really was a book just about Superman, and everyone else was merely support. And while some of that support stuff was compelling enough, 1) Superman without a much stronger cast felt a little aimless and 2) there’s so many ideas abounding here that it needed a more fleshed-out universe. As great of a Superman book as this was, it also clearly had other, grander intentions.
Courtesy of DC Comics.
On one hand, I can excuse a lot of those issues given just how, again, well the Superman stuff really works. If you’re like me and were never a devotee, this is the Man of Steel for you. He’s just the right amount of brooding without being hackneyed or depressive. He’s a great foible for some of the larger ideas of this book (the role of superheroes, how tiny gestures can save the world). And he’s a proper mix of powerful and vulnerable. Seriously, he’s nerfed in the best way here, and way more writers should take note.
Yet there’s no denying I wanted even more from certain characters — we get a new Green Lantern with little fanfare, and the running Flash joke about building replicas had zero payoff — and a more solid landing from Batman. (Not to harp further, but the Joker appearance could have worked if it hadn’t been shoehorned into one issue, or it was more connected with the story beyond added motivation for a halfhearted Lex Luthor gag that didn’t really pay out his core story as a proper counter to Wayne.) And it’s easy to do a great character in short bursts — Pariah’s appearances, especially in issue #3, were quick, but effective as heck.
Courtesy of DC Comics.
Having this half-formed stuff made me think it should’ve ultimately been left on the cutting room floor for more of what worked. (Read: more Superman vignettes.) Which is sad because some stuff could have had more value — Flash’s gimmick was circling a bigger point, and Wonder Woman was a almost a nice extension of Superman’s whole shtick — but it got pushed aside or left to be bulldozed by Big Blue.
But I think the thing that’s most depressive — given just how entertaining and compelling it proved to be — were the sheer depths of Russell and Allred’s depiction of Superman. I’d mentioned it earlier, but the dialogue here is top notch — it may all come in the from of wordy verbose monologues (we call that Sorkin-ing), but most characters got a chance to show off some big personalities and explore some greater ideas about truth, justice, and family.
It’s all enhanced and furthered with the art of Allred, whose surreal and bold style somehow feels perfect for this world. Whether it’s a really compelling twist on “classic” Superman, this deep dark rings of truth and emotionality around Pariah’s eyes, the inventive, more “realistic” take on Batman, or just the subtle ways the world evolved over time, the book’s visual of identity is both comforting and a thrust kick to the halls of DC. It felt like all the parts had been assembled, but they only fell together (temporarily) in some specific ways/configurations.
Courtesy of DC Comics.
If I dug deeper, perhaps all that love and excitement meant too much, was stuffed into a small space, and it left stuff mostly undercooked despite being generally tasty. Seriously, there’s the core structure here of a powerful new depiction of the DCU, and even as it misfired in some parts, issue #3 proved that there’s real magic emanating from the hearts and minds of its creators.
So, if you take absolutely nothing else away from this review, it’s that this book needs to be consumed. Is it going to fundamentally alter your take on heroes? Not really, even as it opens up all sorts of possibilities into Superman. Is it the most groundbreaking depiction of these beloved characters? No, especially given what we got and what they likely set out to do.
It’s just a damn good story, and one that will have you believing in the power of heroes and the singular weapons that are love and hope. If it could’ve been much more is a question best left for the denizens of other universes.
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