Superman #33

By Geoff Johns, John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson & Laura Martin

The second installment of The Men of Tomorrow storyline opens with Perry White berating his young staff about Superman’s new “partner”, a scoop they lost. Clark also has questions of his own and enlists Perry to assist him in finding out more about Ulysses’ origin. Meanwhile, Ulysses tries to blend in with society…

It was really refreshing to see White come to the forefront in a Superman story and, at the same time, learn more about his past. Geoff Johns has a knack for zeroing in on second tier/supporting characters and making sure they don’t just become plot devices to forward the story.  He also continues the theme of how Ulysses and Clark are two sides of the same coin or just one in the same. This is the type of tale that defines or reaffirms why certain titular characters such as Superman have such longevity. The emotional touch that Geoff imbues his writing with is present heavily in the form of parents and the love for their child.

John Romita Jr. has a very distinct style; his forms seem to be done with rigid lines and shapes. What immediately caught my attention in several close-up panels were curved, smooth faces. One in particular has Kent explaining the concept of secret identities to Ulysses. It just has an elegant and stoic feel to it, which affirms my trust in Romita’s work.

Klaus Janson is an accomplished inker and proves it once again in this issue. An image of a silhouetted Superman, where the only parts of his clothing in color are the logo on his chest and what contains red, lifting debris – a beautifully rendered classic pose! Then there’s the color work from Laura Martin, who is able make sure the colors of Clark or Superman always stand out in every panel he is depicted in. The reader’s attention is always directed to the Man of Tomorrow…wonderful execution.

This is only issue two of this arc and already the writing and artwork packs a wallop. This creative team is in sync and the end product absolutely reflects that. I highly recommend picking this book up along with #32 to start from the beginning.