Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Superman Unchained #2
DC Comics
Snyder, Lee, Williams & Nguyen
Superman Unchained provides another strong, but foreign read this month. Snyder introduces a number of interesting plot threads but none of the characters seem too intriguing or familiar which makes for a rather impersonal read. The comic doesn't seem to have Jim Lee on art throughout and the Lee that is present varies widely as to the details he provides. The book is average but is still a book to keep your eye on.
The plot is basically that Superman is trying to unravel the mysterious events of the first issue. He visits Batman, in what is one of the highlights of the book, to determine his understanding of things. He visits General Lane, Lois' father, as he seems to be hiding something. All this while other events continue to move around Superman that will surely spell doom later on.
I struggle to place why I can't quite get into this book and I think it's that Superman just seems like a hollow character. He just doesn't have any personality. When you couple that with General Lane filling the role that General Thunderbolt Ross plays over in the Incredible Hulk and you have a set of characters that are struggling for their own identities. Part of the charm that makes Superman so likeable is that of his supporting cast and how he interacts with them. That seems to be gone entirely from this book.
The comic does contain its fair share of action which is what a lot might expect to see in a Superman comic. The book also has a great intro where Superman weighs the options of saving people and how in a matter of seconds as a tower begins to fall. It's another one of the better parts of the book.
Dustin Nguyen has a cover credit but not inside the covers. I have no idea his involvement in the book but based on how some of the pages simply look different I suspect he had a hand in the pencils. Regardless, the book's look varies a lot and this is mainly a problem if you are purchasing this book based on Jim Lee's art. This is not the best effort that has Lee's name on the cover. There are some detailed and polished pages and some very rough sketch ones. The art is another problem with Superman's personality. He shows limited emotions page to page and that is not a good thing. The book is a decent visual story but far from great.
Superman Unchained is a dense read. It's packed with villains and potential villains, but the story just isn't connecting in the epic way that Snyder's Batman has. The book has some room to grow before it can live up to the creator's names, but I am hopeful that will occur. This is an average to good read.
3.5 out of 5 Geek Goggles
