Superman #13 Review

This is the new team of Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort. The third creative team change since the reboot last year and let me say, finally we have gotten a Superman issue worthy of reading!

Lobdell has approached this with a fearless attitude and has really given us a Superman that seems to meld with the one from Action and Justice League. He is idealistic and yet fiesty.  He takes whatever is thrown his way. He is young and sexy and full of passion and god damn smarter than we have seen him in ages. And stronger.

We open with Kal-El at an advanced research facility at the earth's core using machines that allow him to bench press the earth for five days. He is being supervised by a woman called Dr Veritas. She is an Ominologist and she seems to know a lot about our Kryptonian. Who she is , where she came from and how she met him is something I am guessing we might learn in Action Comics. She seems a little taken with Kal-El but he seems more enthused about the fact he actually sweated than having her flirt with him. After he finishes his training, he leaves to go home and get ready for work.

Jimmy, the mooch, is there with a woman. Imagine, everyone gets action, except Superman.Clark goes to work only to have Perry and Lois take a dig at him for not pursuing his Superman stories. I am so happy Clark is trying to avoid that. I never understood how he could call himself a good reporter if he reported on himself. Even worse when he dated/married Lois and gave her scoops. Reporters are supposed to be working for us as the watchmen of society and from a base of truth. Anyway, Lois and Perry are trying to show Clark that the way news is reported has changed and Clark is telling them that they're losing sight of what real news is. During this discussion, Clark picks up on a text of Lois' and findS out she is going to be moving in with her boyfriend. He storms out.

Clark is conflicted at what he's feeling. He still has feelings for Lois but he says he has moved on. Eh, not too sure Lobdell convinced me about the latter part because he makes it a glaring point for Clark to brood over, asking himself if he is being a hypocrite etc. Look, if DC want Clark to have a romance with Wonder Woman, do it right. Explore it without this Clois soap opera nonsense and allow the character to move on. He's young and to be pining over Lois for five years when he could have made a move earlier does no one any favors. If DC feels Lois is the end game now, leave Diana out of this. Lois and Clark have zero chemistry and most of what they have is because of old canon. If they want to flog a dead horse, please don't use Wonder Woman. I want my romance, yes, but not this way. Use another character from Superman's mythos or make up one. It's not fair to Diana to have Clark is stuck on Lois in the subtext while Clark tries to to convince himself or us he has moved on. He choose to kiss Diana and tell her he likes the kiss. It's not as if Diana is demanding anything off him. If anything she was ready to let it slide. As this is the first issue of Lobdell's, I am very willing to see if this is just an acknowledgement of what Perez and Morrison set up and see if Clark can grow up. Crushes in early adulthood is normal and feelings never requited always get over idealized because reality is  always more practical that what we imagine.

Morgan Edge comes in and pushes Clark's buttons. Clark has had enough. He goes off on a rant and gets himself fired.

It's ironic how no one, not even Edge, pays attention to him. He even took off the glasses during this passionate outburst. Superman was speaking and no one knew. Only one person walks with Clark and that's Cat Grant. Cat's naive enthusiasm is adorable and it would be nice to see her written with more substance. Afterwards Clark wonders why he did what he did but he gets little time to ponder on it as something calls for Superman's attention.

It's a gorgeous monster and Superman shows us he can think stragetically and use his unique combination of powers in a very effective way. He defeats the dragon but encounters his pissed cousin, Kara. While they argue, they are being observed. Makes me wonder if H'El might have some psychic abilities to shield himself or to affect the mind of others.

Apart from the reservation I had with Clark pining, I really loved this issue. It's a great start. It can be looked at as a #1. You can forget those mediocre first twelve issues and start fresh from here. This is how a modern Superman should feel and Rocafort's art is perfect for the sci-fi/.fantasy feel of Superman. Also this cast should really be expanded and not rely on Lois, Perry and Jimmy. Like many of the new 52 books, it feels so short too with all the extra adverts so that is why I will not give it full marks. I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

Best Panel: What a sexy guy.