By: Cary Bates (writer), Renato Arlem (artist), Allen Passalaqua (colorist), Rachel Gluckstern (assistant editor), Mike Carlin (editor)
The Story: What would have happened if Jor-El, Lara and Kal-El all escaped the destruction of Krypton?
What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Right off, I really enjoyed Arlem’s art. He puts rich texture and detail onto the page. Even with a computer, Arlem must have spent hours and hours and hours to stipple (put down little dots to denote texture and/or shadow) on the bedspread, wallpaper and chair on the last page (to say nothing of the people). Or, check out the panel where Lara tells Jor-El she wants to be alone. The Quitely-like level of detail is worth the price of admission. Arlem’s expressions evoke emotion and the action, and even the environments, are dynamic. Arlem is hereby invited to draw any book I buy.
On the writing, I want to split the technical, tactical telling of the story (the dialogue, the panel-by-panel unfolding, the character choices) from the strategic, editorial choice (the premise and the DC’s decision to tell this story over some other one).
On Bates’ telling of the story, I’m mostly pleased, with one significant exception. Bates delivers crisp dialogue and a well-paced story; although the jury is still out for me on whether to buy the motivations he’s selling for the characters, especially the all-important choice to foster Kal-El to the Kents. There’s obviously conflict there, between Lara and Jor-El, but also within Jor-El, but Bates takes the easy way out (for the writer) by dismissing the characters’ doubts without showing us why they would do that. To me, it seemed patently obvious that the decisions deserved more explanation. Still, if I forgive his tactical short-cut, I’m left to enjoy the execution of the story.
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Filed under: DC Comics | Tagged: Allen Passalaqua, Batman, Blackest Night, Captain America, Cary Bates, Comic Book Reviews, comic books, comic reviews, Comics, DC Comics, DS Arsenault, editorial, Jor El, Kal-El, Lara, Lex Luthor, Mike Carlin, Phoenix, Rachel Gluckstern, Renato Arlem, Reviews, Spider-Man, Superman, Superman: The Last Family of Krypton, Superman: The Last Family of Krypton review, Superman: The Last Family of New Krypton #1, Superman: The Last Family of New Krypton #1 review, Weekly Comic Book Review, What If | Leave a comment »
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