Superman Unchained by Scott Snyder

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


There are several elements to Superman: Unchained, but the two big ones are that it's an epic action adventure story and it's a story about the character of Superman.

Superman always has to be a bit restrained in how he fights evil. He could kill most of his opponents easily. As the title implies, Superman gets to cut loose in this book as he battles a genetically engineered opponent who is every bit his equal along with other world threatening menaces. If you want to see what Superman can do when he doesn't have to worry about hurting his opponent, this book shows you. At the same time, it's not a stupid action story. There's a solid plot filled with surprises and nuances.

The book is also a look at Superman, the character. In many ways, it's almost a counterpoint to the classic "All-Star Superman" book. While that book imagines Superman as a demigod or a replacement for gods with a mythic epic feel, this book paints Superman as a bit more human and humble. This book does focus on the New 52 and How much of his characterization still holds up in light of the recent changes to the DC Universe is a fair question. Still, this is a very fun and enjoyable Superman story that comes to a fairly satisfying conclusion.



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