Superman #29
A new era starts for Superman, but it could be his last in Superman #29, by writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson, artist Phil Hester, inker Eric Gapstur, colorist HI-FI, and letterer Dave Sharpe, with a back-up story by writer Sean Lewis, artist Sami Basri, colorist Ulises Arreola, and letterer Dave Stewart. Superman and Superboy encounter a rent in space, one that Superboy knows all too well, and it changes everything for them.
Superman and Superboy fight to save a STAR Labs satellite in orbit from extra-dimensional monsters. The satellite closes the breach on its own. Communicating with Amanda Waller after the Supers leave, the scientists tell her the breach's energy frequency affects Superman but not Superboy. The breach opens again, and Superman and Superboy return to it, fighting off the incursion before it's closed again, except this time Superman is injured. Later, the two have a conversation, and Superboy warns his father not to go if the breach opens again because of stories he heard in the 31st century. At the Fortress of Solitude, Kelex picks up the breach opening again and even finds out when it started but, more importantly, where- on the satellite. Superman and Superboy go back where an even bigger monster is waiting for them. In the back-up story, Jimmy Olsen has given Bibbo a job at the Daily Planet, and he's targeted by aliens, using a woman who is his heart desires. The aliens are testing Metropolis's people, and one of them starts a fight with Bibbo, one he wins. He writes an article about it, and the aliens plot their next movie.
Philip Kennedy Johnson's first issue of Superman is a great success. For most of the first half of the issue, there's no dialogue, just narration about the relationship between parents and children, one that gets more and more effective as the story goes on and ties into everything. Superboy has reached the age where he's getting more powerful and doesn't need his father, and it's made all the worse by the fact that he has knowledge of the future- he knows the Golden Age of his father being the most powerful person in his life is almost over. The narration is very poignant, especially for parents because it's something that everyone will go through- the moment when their children have outgrown them, the end of the time when they are larger than life.
Bendis had built STAR Labs up in his run as something not to be trusted, and this first issue keeps that up. The breach was caused by them, and they are working with Amanda Waller, even giving her the information she'd need to take out Superman. Waller is never someone to be trusted, but she's often let Superman just do his thing- he's the most trustworthy of the heroes. This new development is quite interesting, and it will be intriguing to see where it goes. The back-up story is pretty good, too. Bibbo is a great character who hasn't been around in a while and getting a little story about him is fun. Whatever the aliens are planning and where the story will go is anyone's guess, but if these back-up vignettes serve to flesh out his new Daily Planet, it will be well worth it.
Phil Hester is an interesting artist choice, but his sharp, angular style fits Superman rather well. There are a couple of very nice-looking full-page spreads in this issue, as well. The aliens and the space station's design is kind of generic, but that's perfectly okay because Hester's style is better for action and character than design. The art in the back-up by Basri is much more traditional and looks great, with clean lines. The two art styles contrast and do great jobs in their respective stories.
Superman #29 is the beginning of a new Superman epic, and it definitely delivers. Kennedy Johnson tells an interesting story, one of fathers and sons, and adds some more intriguing elements like what exactly Waller is up to. Hester's artworks for the action and the character acting but isn't as good when it comes to the monster's designs. The back-up story by Lewis and Basri is interesting as well, and it will be fun to see where it goes. This is a great Superman issue, a wonderful way to open up a new era for the character.
