Superman Unlimited #1 will be a big draw for many reasons. It marks Dan Slott’s first ongoing series at DC Comics. It’s part of the “Summer of Superman”, which sees DC pushing a variety of Superman titles to coincide with the launch of James Gunn’s Superman this July. And it attempts to push a new obstacle into the Man of Steel’s path: a massive meteor made entirely of Kryptonite, which crashes into Earth.
On paper, that’s a lot for a first issue to accomplish. So the question is, does Superman Unlimited #1 succeed? Mostly. The issue’s at its strongest when it introduces another, yet no less significant plot point: the Daily Planet has been purchased by Imani Edge, ex-wife of recurring Superman adversary Morgan Edge (which most readers probably already picked up during DC’s Free Comic Book Day offerings.) Not only does this tap into a core concept of Superman’s character, and address the shifts that journalism’s gone through in recent years, but it also gives Slott the chance to script a sequence where Superman has various encounters throughout Metropolis.
This encounter is beautifully brought to life by Rafael Alberquerque, who has the chance to draw Superman in a variety of situations. Stopping lions, halting a bank robbery, bringing an out of control plane to terra firma…it’s all drawn with the splendor you’d expect from a Superman book. Perhaps my favorite scene comes with Superman encounters a young musician and gives her words of encouragement. It’s just a purely Superman thing to do, but the look of wonder Alberquerqe draws on her face stuck with me. It’s how I would react if I met Superman in real life!
DC
It’s the bits with the Kryptonite meteor where Slott veers off course. That’s mainly because he digs out the old cliche of “your life flashes before your eyes” when Superman encounters the Kryptonite meteor, which more or less feels like an excuse to display “Superman’s Greatest Hits.” To Superman Unlimited‘s credit, this lets Alberquerqe put his own spin on some of Superman’s biggest foes, and it does lead to a massive plot development that’ll keep readers hooked on future issues. But it also feels like it was explicitly written for anyone who isn’t a Superman fan, and I feel that there was a better way to get this across. Maybe having the citizens of Metropolis talk about their encounters with Superman? It would feel more natural.
What does feel natural is the color scheme that Marcelo Maiolo brings to the table. Throughout the opening sequence, Metropolis is depicted as a shining, sun-filled city of tomorrow. Things take a hard right when we shift to outer space; the cold, ink black depths of space are pierced by the eerie green glow of the Kryptonite asteroid. Maiolo does make sure that Superman’s red and blue suit is the one constant throughout the issue.
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Superman Unlimited #1 is a solid start to a new series, introducing new elements to the Man of Steel’s world and giving Dan Slott and Rafael Alberquerqe a new canvas to paint on. Time will tell if this becomes a Superman book worth picking up, but as an introduction to Supes it’s more than engaging enough.
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