Superman #701 – Review

by J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Eddy Barrows (penciler), J.P. Mayer (inker), Rod Reis (colorist)

The Story: In his first Superman book, Straczynski brilliantly takes the beloved Man of Steel and brings him down to Earth, where he walks the streets of southern Philadelphia, emotionally lost and contemplating the balance of heroism against humanity.  Superman struggles to find the answer of being a hero to the world, when it means sacrificing  individuals with specific needs for help.

The Good: Straczynski starts things off running full speed with this extremely reflective side of Superman, which is a side that we don’t often see.  Off of the celebratory anthology that was issue number 700, where Superman is confronted at a press conference by someone who needed his help to save her husband, JMS has Superman deep in contemplation about having let one man die versus saving the many.  JMS literally brought Superman to Earth, having him walk the streets and helping solve problems as he came upon them on his stroll, as opposed to flying through the skies focused and seeking out reigns of terror and havoc.

With the question “what makes a hero” in mind, Superman starts to answer his own concerns through interactions with the people he comes across while walking.  He explains to a child that what matters is fixing the “right here” as opposed to the “over there.”  And instead of whisking a would be jumper off of the ledge of a building and bringing her to safety, he takes the time to just listen to her and uses his words to connect with her, and thusly, saving her emotionally, as opposed to just her physical being.  Superman starts to recognize that being a hero might be about more than just being at the right place at the right time, in the nick of time, only to move on to the next crisis.

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: X-Force #28 – This is drawing from a smaller than normal sample due to some vacation time, but I really enjoyed this penultimate chapter of what has been a really good X-Men event.  I especially liked that “they” let Wolverine kill Bastion and even though it’s old hat now, isn’t it nice that Wolverine can kill a bad dude without all this “heroes don’t kill” moralizing we get in some other places (see Shadowland #1).

Most Anticipated: X-Men: Second Coming #2 – This is a really big week of non-Marvel/DC books for me, but I am most looking forward to the finale of this comic event.  For me, the world is just a nicer place when the X-Men family of books are good.

Other Top Picks: Orc Stain #4, Bulletproof Coffin #2, Sweets #1, Daytripper #8, Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine #2

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Shadowland #1 -Shadowland gets my pick of the week if only because it was the first issue of an event that actually got me excited for said event, and it’s been a while since I could honestly say that.  Everything about this book was a pleasant surprise, including the artwork.

Most Anticipated: Daredevil #508 -It’s my most anticipated issue for most of the reasons that Shadowland was my pick of the week; I really want to see where this goes and, hopefully, this issue will give a heavier focus to Matt Murdock than Shadowland #1 did.  Either way, Shadowland has my fullest attention right now.

Other Picks: Birds of Prey #3, DMZ #55, Invincible Iron Man #28, Superman #701, The Unwritten #15

Joe’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Scarlet #1 – I would’ve thought X-Force #28 would’ve had a lock on this position, but the fact that I wanted to go out and buy this comic right after reading a friend’s copy sort of sealed the deal for me.  Bendis and Maleev delivered a surprisingly engaging comic considering the politics at the heart of the plot and the fact that it’s lots of pages filled with the lead character talking and talking.  Despite all of that, I closed this issue eager to read more, and that’s all I can ask of  my funnybooks.

Most Anticipated: X-Force: Sex and Violence #1 – Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!  X-Force returns (one week after it’s last issue) for this three issue miniseries with art from Gabrielle Del’Otto.  I’ve been waiting for this mini for a long time now, and I’m hoping it’ll be a worthy swan song to Kyle’s and Yost’s X-tales.

Other Top Picks: Birds of Prey #3, X-Files/30 Days of Night#1, Absolute Planetary 2 HC, Hack/Slash My First Maniac #2, Amazing Spider-Man #637, Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine #2, Avengers Academy #2, Daredevil #508, Invincible Iron Man #28, Thanos Imperative #2, Ultimate Spider-Man #12, X-MEN: SECOND COMING #2, X-MEN: REVELATIONS – HELLBOUND #3