brian michael bendis superman review
We open in trademark Bendis media res. Art by John Romita, Jr, Klaus Janson, and Brad Anderson Would you be able to act, knowing that any action you take could send you hurtling towards a timeline that’s even worse than the one we’re in? Brian Michael Bendis is an American comic book writer and artist. Stoic, yet approachable; imposing, but friendly; heroic to those meaning well, but a … Brian Michael Bendis' Superman provides examples of following tropes: Alone with the Psycho: Superboy is understandably terrified at being left at the mercy of Ultraman, the evil Superman from Earth-3.His encounter with Superwoman, who so closely resembles his mother, is hardly any better. Had it been graced with one of Bendis’ trademark artwork jam sessions or had a more focused central story, the story might have been different. After the scene at the Planet offices, Action Comics #1028 rarely stops moving from there, bouncing from the Hall of Justice to Kent Farm to the whole of Metropolis in the mere span of panels. There’s a scene in the final issue of Man of Steel that might honestly be one of my favorite Superman scenes in recent memory. A year spent traveling the stars changed Jon Kent. I have my sincere doubts that there is any force in this world or the next that will make me care about him. The wonderful moment builds on the incredible metaphor of what anxiety looks like in a world full of talking telepathic gorillas, where you can actually travel to the future and see if everything works out okay. 163 ratings. GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Since Brian Michael Bendis left Marvel Comics to sign an exclusive contract with DC in November, 2017, his work on various Superman titles has been met with mixed reviews. Check out our list of the best Superman artists of all time. He defined his tenure at Marvel by exploring Spider-Man’s youth and all the mistakes that go along with being a teenager, and by exploring dark themes with Jessica Jones, who might end up being his most famous original co-creation. This week, the first issue of Bendis’ Superman focused on some genuinely great character work of Clark Kent alone and adrift without his supporting cast, but it also bore an ominous blurb touting Rogol Zaar’s imminent return: It looks like that precarious balance is going to continue for now. Brian Michael Bendis Announces He’s Leaving Superman June 9, 2020 Comic Book News 22 When DC Comics announced back in late 2017 that Brian Michael Bendis was defecting from Marvel to write both “Action Comics” and “Superman,” it was big news, with many fans excited to see how the prolific writer would handle the Man of Steel. It’s like having Batman run into Joe Chill as an adult; it allows for the possibility of a resolution to that tragedy. The only issue is it is coming 1/2 way through a poorly paced arc. Brian Michael Bendis’ tenure with Superman comes to a sweet, if a bit busy conclusion in Action Comics #1028. Era of Action Comics. Like it or not, for a long time, on the writer side of things at least, Bendis was Marvel. Or at least, Superman himself was. 'Rama Rating: 6 out of 10. Brian Michael Bendis and Yanick Paquette Things like Clark’s decision to allow Conner the use of Kent Farm has his new home in order to reacclimate himself to his new status quo (complete with shoutouts to previous Action Comics and Superboy runs in which Conner was also positioned at Kent Farm). Though handsomely colored by Brad Anderson and given a keen definition in the linework by inker Klaus Janson, it is with the models of Romita where the issue falters. This alien race watched Superman escape Krypton and grow up to be a hero, and therefore they wanted a “Superman” of their own. The only time the two are easily told apart is when they share panels with other heroes or Lois Lane, but only for the sake of their differences in height. The joys and frustrations of Brian Michael Bendis’ Superman, announced that Brian Michael Bendis was taking over, spent nearly two decades as the top writer at Marvel Comics. But not by much, unfortunately. Superman #1 Review Zoned Out. An epic run comes to a quiet (and lovely) conclusion Read Full Review. The other two still unresolved plots, Conner Kent’s tangibility on Earth-Prime and the post-House of Kent state of Metropolis, are given a bit more consideration and room to move on the page. Alternate Timeline Ancestry: Played With, regarding Kon-El. He feels awkward about discussing his personal life because he literally has all the responsibility for everyone in the world resting on his shoulders, and he uses that responsibility as an understandable reason to get out of uncomfortable conversations with Green Lantern. 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But if Superman fails, it means the fall of the United Planets. Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Pencils: Ivan Reis Inks: Danny Miki Colors: Alex Sinclair Letters: Dave Sharpe Previously, in the oversized #25th issue, a new antagonist from Synmar was introduced. A few months later, he almost died. It’s called Kryptonite, and it’s kind of a big deal. He’s thoughtful, he’s concerned with the people around him, he’s smart and curious and kind of charmingly square. Superman #26. The joys and frustrations of Brian Michael Bendis’ Superman After years at Marvel, Bendis jumps to DC, and turns the Man of Steel into one of his own By Chris Sims Jul 13, 2018, 3:49pm EDT The tricky part is that it doesn’t always come through with everything else. Poised as the final bow on the hanging plot threads of the returned Conner Kent, the ownership of The Daily Planet, and the power vacuum left by the House of Kent’s takedown of Metropolis’ Invisible Mafia, Action Comics #1028 has a great deal of ground to cover. Regardless, this is one of the better Brian Michael Bendis Superman comics to date, and it looks beautiful with Ivan Reis on art duties. Ricky Church reviews The Man of Steel by Brian Michael Bendis… One of DC’s biggest coups of the last year was gaining superstar and fan-favourite writer Brian Michael Bendis … There’s a deliberate line drawn between them — the fact that Melody has M.M. They’ve done two video games about this exact premise, which are the only non-Lego video games Superman has starred in since 2006. In the best case, you run into the Legion of Super-Heroes and an art-deco 31st century. When his son, Jon Kent, freaks out about how there’s a possible future where he ”kills millions of people” because he can’t control his powers, Clark kneels down and tells him that you can’t spend your time worrying about possible futures and bad timelines, and that all you need to do is focus on what you’re doing in the world right now. Collects Superman #20-24. http://www.twitch.tv/eligiblemonster Tales of Earth https://bit.ly/2VlNLhS Gaming Channel! As for everything else in Man of Steel, most of it falls into the realm of unexpected, but not necessarily thrilling. NY 10036. Brian Michael Bendis is bringing his take on the Man Of Steel to an end sooner than later, which his final Superman and Action Comics issues coming in December. It felt like Superman. It's been two years since Brian Michael Bendis, best known for co-creating Jessica Jones and Miles Morales at Marvel, went to DC Comics and started his Superman run with the weekly, six-issue miniseries, Man of Steel. It's Man of Steel versus Mongul in this epic fight to save the United Planets and the peace it will ensure--and Superman is determined to win. While he’s certainly no stranger to the kind of cosmic superhero epics that readers expect from the Man of Steel, Bendis’ long history in crime comics and grittier superheroes made Batman the more obvious pick. “What if Krypton… was murrrrrdered?” is one of the first ideas you’d come up with if you wanted to tell an epic Superman story, and makes sense, too, if you view the destruction of Krypton as the great motivating tragedy of Superman’s past, as many writers do. In that time, Bendis has left his mark not only on the life of the Last Son of Krypton but across the DC Universe. Brian Michael Bendis recently took over two of DC Comics’ flagship comic series in Superman and Action Comics. Perry White has just been made aware of the Olsen Family Fortune and subsequent buying of The Daily Planet. Fans praised his decision to expand the Superman-family and reintroduce the Legion of Superheroes. Along the same lines, doing a story where the guy who destroyed Krypton shows up to murder anything even touched by that planet’s legacy is undercut quite a bit when Superman’s Kryptonian dad, Jor-El, inexplicably pops out of a spaceship to drag the supporting cast into an off-panel space adventure. Lettering by Dave Sharpe There was even the potential to pick up a character like the Question or Cameron Chase and take them from the B list to the bestseller list overnight. It was something on display in his Action Comics #1000 story, where the Gilmore Girlsian patter was focused on the subject of Superman’s red trunks making their triumphant return after seven years of increasingly bad redesigns that tried to one-up the most iconic superhero costume in history. The story then shifts back to Superman and tackles the very premise of this volume where he contemplates a question that has often been too complex to solve for any masked superhero, one that forces them to acknowledge the consequences that the revelation of their true identity could have on themselves and their loved ones. Summary. It’s a choice; and easy to see as a mission statement about moving the book forward, even if it’s only by a single letter further in the alphabet. It makes him a good dad, and for people who are coming to Superman for the first time in a while, putting that version of Superman forward instead of scowling strongman with glowing red eyes means something. One that balances action and character development in a meaningful way. Letters: Josh Reed, Carlos M. Mangual. So, though graced with a few shining moments and imbued with Bendis’ own clear love for the title, Action Comics #1028 feels somewhat hollow overall as a finale. In this review The Man of Steel #1 brings new humanity to Superman and also to Krypton, with the planet’s dangerous demand for resources to expand its trade system of commerce coming to light from the unlikeliest of sources.. Brian Michael Bendis adds a riveting storyline backed by a sharp edge to the Superman mythos that is very relevant today. The honor and heroism of the character of Superman seemed to fill me with awe as I was reading the book. Please refresh the page and try again. He … Not only did he get writing duties on arguably DC Comics’ most iconic figure, but he also brought along his own creator owned titles which include United States of Murder Inc., Pearl, Scarlet, and others. But what if you see something else? Learn more, Brian Michael Bendis says goodbye to the Superman titles - and gives The Daily Planet over to a new owner. Writer: Brian Michael Bendis. I’m behind on a lot of titles, but I am by no means the new-to-DC reader that might be pulled in by Bendis’ arrival, and I have no idea what that dude is doing alive and not exploded into bits by the literal premise of this story. Beyond that, though, Superman is the perfect character to give this speech. Read Full Review While the speed of the issue somewhat clashes with the finale vibe of the issue and the artwork slightly muddles it’s cast, Action Comics #1028 provides a fun, flighty final story for the "Bendis Is Coming!" Brian Michael Bendis To Leave ‘Superman’ And ‘Action Comics’ by Olly MacNamee DC Comics solicitations can often be a place where you read news that hasn’t yet been officially announced and if you bother to read the solicitations for both Superman #28 and Action Comics #1028 you’ll see that he’s leaving once he wraps up the current storylines. The biggest problem comes in the form of the book’s villain, Rogol Zaar, whose name I have to look up every single time I want to talk about him, because he’s less of a character and more of the superhero equivalent of radio static in a humanoid shape. Her appearance is far more notable than that of similar characters we’ve seen in the past — like Lupe Leocadio, another boots-on-the-ground public servant from Greg Rucka’s short run on Action Comics back in the 2000s — because of the absence of Lois and Jon. Superman #28 serves as a finale for Brian Bendis' multi-year run on the Man of Steel's core series, bringing home his, Ivan Reis, and others' additions to the Superman mythos while reminding readers of the character's many timeless qualities. Ivan Reis's line-art is superb and Joe Prado does a great job bringing out the details. It should’ve been. And Brian Micheal Bendis’ script rarely is allowed time to breathe, pinging Clark, Jon, Kara, and Conner from scene to scene, neatly, but sweetly wrapping up each plot in hyperverbal vignettes, given a blocky, stonily emotive look from John Romita Jr, Klaus Janson, and Brad Anderson. And honestly? Superman #28 serves as a finale for Brian Bendis' multi-year run on the Man of … Superman #1 is the beginning of the Bendis era on the main series. He’s the co-creator of Jessica Jones. How does he rank for you as a Superman artist? That’s probably why it’s exactly the plot of Superman: Earth One, by Shane Davis and J. Michael Straczynski — another Marvel-exclusive transplant who wound up on a high-profile Superman project. Superman fans were initially optimistic about Bendis’ tenure. Superman #31. The idea that Superman is aware of all this, because he lives in a world where alternate timelines are a tangible fact of reality, is great. There’s a longstanding tradition at DC Comics that when someone who defined their career at Marvel comes over, they wind up on a Superman title. Twitch!!! Written By: Brian Michael Bendis. May 11th, 2021 . Like most things in the Bendis era of Action Comics, the idea is solid, but the execution leaves something to be desired. Starting with crime and noir comics, Bendis eventually moved to mainstream superhero work. But while moments of the issue stands out, it all moves too fast to really coalesce as a single issue. Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Penciller: Ivan Reis Inker: Danny Miki Colorist: Alex Sinclair Letterer: Dave Sharpe Cover Artist: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, & Alex Sinclair Brian Michael Bendis ’s time writing Superman has not been without its share of controversy. He gets frustrated with himself. Reviewed By: Derek McNeil. But an old enemy is about to return to force Superman to fight with everything he has in order to protect it! It happened again in 1987, when John Byrne relaunched an all-new Superman #1 after spending the previous decade redefining the Fantastic Four and, with Chris Claremont, the X-Men. At the core of it, though, is a Superman that’s easy to like, whose humanity comes through not in spite of trappings of Krypton or the powers that are far beyond those of mortal humans, but because of how we see him dealing with them. In many ways this could have and should have been issue #1. initials rather than the Superman mythos’s traditional double-L isn’t a mistake. Brian Michael Bendis has brought back the Superman we all love. Colours: Alex Sinclair. “Superman” de Bendis é um recomeço para o Homem de Aço Ainda é muito cedo para afirmar se o Superman de Bendis vai se manter a altura do que esperamos. Superman #28. The final result is a sweet, but largely kinda wooden sequence in which Romita Jr delivers a basically static run of faces from Jimmy while Bendis delivers just a bunch of set-up for a fairly middling, but still vaguely sweet punchline (Jimmy only wants a cubicle, despite now being basically everyone’s jobs). Visit our corporate site. Brian Michael Bendis gives both Superman and Clark voices that have a clear identity. It becomes something to confront, and since you can’t really do that with geologic instability, there has to be a villain. We need tomorrow’s stories". Brian Michael Bendis’ tenure with Superman comes to a sweet, if a bit busy conclusion in Action Comics #1028. This is also the end of the John Romita Jr. era of Action Comics. His take on Clark Kent and his invulnerable alter-ego, on the other hand, didn’t feel like Bendis. It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for: the shocking return of the son of Superman! Superman #15 DC Comics Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Artists: Ivan Reis, Brandon Peterson, Alex Sinclair Superman #15 concludes Brian Michael Bendis and Ivan Reis’ long first arc on the book. There was a problem. His arrival was heralded with exactly the kind of fanfare that had been given to Kirby, in a very literal sense, with house ads proclaiming “BENDIS IS COMING” in deliberate recreation of the “KIRBY IS COMING” ads from ‘71. Foremost, Bendis' Superman isn't any kind of drastic reimagining or upheaval -- instead, his Man of Steel is exactly the kind of hero he has always been in the character's best incarnations. Unfortunately further still, the classic looking artwork of John Romita Jr. keeps it all from truly shining as a finale. Superman #28 Review: One Last Revel in Superman's Timeless Appeal. It makes him smart. With Bill Jemas and Mark Millar, Bendis was the primary architect of the Ultimate Marvel Universe, launching Ultimate Spider-Man in 2000. The great moment in Superman talking to Jon about alternate futures is balanced out by Jon talking like a tiny adult rather than a kid, and while Bendis’s signature patter actually does work well for Lois Lane, whisking her out of the book seems like the weirdest choice of the whole run. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, He reinvented Spider-Man twice. But the fact that he’s talking about this stuff while also dealing with the (relatively) smaller problem of a string of arsons in Metropolis reinforces the idea that he’s out there fighting his Neverending Battle at all possible scales. When Jack Kirby crossed the street in 1971, 10 years after he launched the Marvel Age of Comics alongside Stan Lee and changed superhero comics forever, he started in the pages of Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen. Effectively walking Perry (and the audience) through the larger beats of Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber’s Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen, Bendis and the art team render the page in a single six-panel grid page - essentially a monologue from Jimmy, Bendis, and the art team. You will receive a verification email shortly. That’s partly because I have a particular, personal dislike of stories that center on Krypton, but partly because of the simple fact that it’s already been done. Superman Vol. And also the issue’s final beat, which finds Clark and Jon just "taking the afternoon" and rushing back and forth to various city-bound emergencies and crimes in the wake of the Invisible Mafia’s fall. – Brian Michael Bendis. Mainly because under the pens of Romita it is truly hard to tell apart the models of Clark and Jon. Artists: Ivan Reis, Brandon Peterson, Jason Fabok, Oclair Albert. Get the best comic news, insights, opinions, analysis and more! But if Bendis’ first six issues at DC Comics, the miniseries Man of Steel, have shown anything, it’s that Superman was the obvious choice. Bendis is working with artists like Steve Rude, Doc Shaner, Ryan Sook, and Kevin Maguire, any of whom could be a draw on a Superman title no matter who was writing it, but there’s something that’s really working here. In the fall of 2017, Brian Michael Bendis made the leap from Marvel to DC Comics to take on the all-important assignment of writing Superman. But as Perry White even says in the issue "these are today’s stories. He was the writer on Avengers when they became Marvel’s flagship franchise, picking up the reins put down by the X-Men at the end of the ‘90s. It is a frustrating turn, and one that saps away some of the goodwill JRJR garnered during some of the more kinetic moments of 'The House of Kent' arc. There is excitement for the issue but I’m not sure why yet. What sums it up best is the book’s new character, a firefighter named Melody Moore, who’s also investigating the arsons plaguing Metropolis. The simple fact is that there’s already a huge presence in the Superman mythos that ties Superman back to the destruction of his home planet. The most “Marvel Comics” writer of the 21st century has gone right for the character that the entire DC Universe is built around, and while it didn’t take the form we might’ve expected, it was pretty great. It’s always a tricky proposition to ascribe opinions to creators based solely on their work, but it seems pretty safe to say that Bendis likes Superman as a character, and it’s evident that he understands him. Kirby had been one of the driving forces at Marvel for ten years when he came to DC, and while there’s no disputing that he’s one of the most influential comics creators who ever lived, Bendis’ career at Marvel had gone almost twice as long with a massive influence of his own. More From Superman (2018 - Present) Previous. GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. — Brian Michael Bendis. This is it, the Brian Michael Bendis First Volume! A realidade é que, o principal, o autor conseguiu: manter o espírito de bondade e altruísmo do personagem que sorri, salva crianças e é cuidadoso com os mais fracos. The potential to do that is clearly here. Sometimes even with the same panel, despite their different costumes. Alex Sinclair's color art is gorgeous and adds a lot to the story. New York, After years at Marvel, Bendis jumps to DC, and turns the Man of Steel into one of his own. Bendis’ Superman is decisive but wise, strong but humble, just but merciful—the ultimate contradiction. In 2018, the same thing happened with Bendis. There was an element of shock when DC announced that Brian Michael Bendis was taking over Superman. Superman: Leviathan Rising Special #1 reminds me of Adventures of Superman #500 and the return of the Supermen. Bendis had spent nearly two decades as the top writer at Marvel Comics, and, in all honesty, Superman wasn’t the obvious choice for him. There are few things DC Comics as a company loves more than an alternate timeline where Superman is either a killer, a villain, or otherwise in need of being beaten up by someone, usually Batman. Written by Brian Michael Bendis Event Leviathan comes in two weeks, giving Bendis another chance to sway the reader’s excitement. That book featured a different genocidal alien with a name that’s not worth looking up, and it wasn’t good there, either. While the story might be floating around a bit too much in this latest arc, struggling to really get some kind of footing, and making the main plot move forward much more efficiently, writer Brian Michael Bendis continues to display his marvelous grasp on Superman’s lore and the characters of his universe. Published by DC He’s exactly the kind of relatable, responsible, solid dude that you want Superman to be. Action Comics #1028 sets up those stories at the cost of a single issue experience; a somewhat lacking, but decent enough final bow for the Bendis era of Action Comics.