Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Superman: American Alien #2 of 7
DC Comics
Landis & Edwards
The second issue of "Superman: American Alien" may be better than the first, which had already set a high standard. This is a harsher look at Clark Kent's years growing up in Smallville than you might normally find. While still developing his powers he finds himself breaking out of his comfort zone when dealing with criminals. This issue also focuses on his relationships with his friends rather than honing in on his interaction with his parents. The artwork is good in this darker issue. I enjoyed the different look at Clark Kent's childhood and recommend checking it out.
Clark is working on his relationship with Lana while mixing in some drinking with Pete and another buddy. Clark is a typical teenager. Maybe a little shy, but on the verge of breaking out of his shell. The sheriff comes into the picture looking for some help.
This is the departure of Clark Kent as a character; people know he has powers. The sheriff is looking for Clark to help track down some murderers that killed a cop and some civilians. Clark opts to not share what his powers show him to the cop, but instead he heads out on his own looking for them.
The other difference here is that Clark is angry. He's not over-the-top angry, but he gets carried away when pushed and this scares him rather than turning him into a Batman-like attitude. His interaction with the criminals is a dramatic one that has some surprising results.
The comic is good because we see Clark growing into his own as a regular teenager. In the turn of a few pages we watch him plunge into some depths that are hard to believe he would ever venture. Only to have him turn around his attitude after a pep talk from his mom. The issue has a nice little character arc.
The artwork is very good. The final pages are brutal to look at and very shocking for a Superman comic book but the artwork presents it in a Superman-way. The art is very strong in this issue.
"Superman: American Alien" provides a powerful issue that gives a look at Clark's teenage years. With Clark's powers still developing he is both physically vulnerable and mentally underdeveloped. The comic balances Clark's social life with his struggles with his powers and responsibilities. The book gets very dark by the end when Clark tracks down the cold hearted killers. The comic has some detailed and dramatic art that goes very well with the story. This is a little bit of a different look at Clark Kent, but it still manages to capture the innocence and the core values that the character is generally known for possessing. This is definitely a great comic to pick up.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
