Superman #35

By Patrick Gleason, Peter J. Tomasi, Travis Moore, Stephen Segovia, Art Thibert, Dinei Ribeiro, and Rob Leigh

There is a lot to like about the Superman books recently. Both Action Comics and Superman have been a success for fans and critics alike. The different directions that each book has are fresh and also don’t make it seem repetitive since each book has a very different feel. Superman is more of the family book that explores Clark’s love for Lois and Jonathan, but it doesn’t take away from the action and adventures that await the family. As we continue on with the “Imperious Lex” storyline, we find that the family is split up and none of them are in an ideal situation.

Patrick Gleason and Peter J. Tomasi have really done a good job on Superman. They’ve revitalized the title and made  it interesting again. There are a lot of things that work well in this issue. One of the more important things is that Superman is the brawn, but Lex is definitely the brain. As the two make an attempt to escape, Superman gets a device stuck on his head. Lex steers a blind Superman in the right direction and gets the device off very quickly. The writers also show us how strong of a character Jon is. He’s faced with a tough decision about saving some dogs from being eaten. Although he’s outnumbered and possibly outmatched, he makes a moral decision to attempt to save the day. This issue has many strong character moments that make it worthwhile and a good read.



The pencils this issue are handled by Travis Moore, Stephen Segovia, and Art Thibert with colors by Dinei Ribeiro. There are three artists on this book, which can make things a little confusing due to different styles, but in all honesty, all the styles are similar. This issue has some very good panels, like the arrival of the Furies as they approach Kalibak and his crew. This panel is kind of eerie and looks great with excellent line work. This issue also features good battle scenes. If it’s Jon attacking dog eaters or the Furies fighting Kalibak and his men, the fight scenes are well orchestrated and look very good. The colors by Dinei Ribeiro are very crucial to the issue. One thing that stands out color-wise is the orange in the background. This can be due to firepower going off or the war raging, but it’s a nice touch. Clark and Lex look great in their blue suits and it really stands out against the orange sky. Even though there have been several artists on this series, and this issue in particular, everything looks nice and works out in the end.

Superman #35 is very good issue put out by a very good writing team. Gleason and Tomasi have really restored some faith in the Man of Steel throughout their run on the series. The pencils and colors, although split among a few artists, give the book a great feel. Superman continues to be a must read book.