Superman, Vol. 1: The Unity Saga: Phantom Earth

Superman (2018)

by Brian Michael Bendis, Ivan Reis (Illustrator)

Iconic creator Brian Michael Bendis finally lands writing the first superhero ever, as Clark Kent battles the alien that blew up Krypton--Rogol Zaar--in this great entry-point graphic novel, Superman Vol. 1!

The fallout from the Man of Steel graphic novel has Clark looking at the world through new eyes...with new ideas about what Superman could and should do for the city of Metropolis and the planet Earth. His first job? Getting the planet back out of the Phantom Zone!

A bold new chapter for the greatest superhero of all time and one of the greatest creators of his generation begins here, as Bendis and artist Ivan Reis begin their run on the all-new SUPERMAN! This graphic novel also serves as a sister series to Bendis' new run beginning in Action Comics Vol. 1! Collects issues #1-6.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Superman, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

168 pages, Hardcover

First published March 5, 2019

About the author

A comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.

Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.

Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.

Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.

Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.

Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.

He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking up after the events of The Man of Steel, Superman has to deal with the same baddie, Rogol Zaar, when the bandaid (throwing him in the Phantom Zone) gets soggy & flops open...like they do.



Due to spoilery reasons, the Earth gets sucked into the Phantom Zone. Naturally, all hell breaks loose as the Justice League fights off the villains, while nerds do the science-y calculations needed to figure out how to get the planet back where it belongs.



All the while, Superman is doing Superman-y stuff and having poignant moments all over the place.
I gotta be honest, I wasn't all that sucked in by the Evil Aliens in the Phantom Zone story. But I was sucked in by Bendis' writing. This sort of character is perfect for his sappy style. <--I mean that in the best way possible and as a big fan of Bendis



Of course, Superman pulls a win out of his ass with nothing but love and the magic of friendship. And, of course, the superheroes save the day.
I was about to cry it was so sweet...



But the biggest thing about this story is that ending when Jon comes back.
As a mother fucking 17 year old!?



So, now we've got a new Superboy.
I guess we shall see how this all pans out.
Recommended.

[Sean Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bendis does Bendisy things to Superman (including having him make the occasional wisecrack), Reis draws strong, widescreen action scenes, and, as the book goes on, it really starts to work. A nice early foray into the DCU for the former Mr. Marvel.

(Unrelated: DC needs to do a series called, “Super, Man!” about a cheerfully optimistic stoner who greets even the Darkseids of the world with unabashed delight and an offer to smoke a bowl in an effort to broker peace.)

[Sam Quixote · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh Brian Bendyman, the rule is that you start titles well and then taper off into forgettable dross after a few good books - you’re not meant to begin crappy!

Superpants is sorta looking for Lois and Jon, whom his dead/hologram (I can’t keep up anymore) dad has taken on a great space coaster or something, before suddenly winding up in The Phantom Zone - along with Earth whaaa!

It’s not the best premise, not least as it’s STAR Labs putzing about that’s caused the mess and has nothing to do with Superman, but because it’s just a bad excuse for Superman vs Rogol Zaar: Round Two - this time with added Zod! I know Bendis is trying to make Rogol Zaar this ultimate nemesis of Superman’s but all I see is another big strong monster for Kal to punch - he’s not interesting at all.

There’s a couple of weird (and probably unintentional) references to small comics publisher Valiant thrown in superfluously: the subtitle is “The Unity Saga” (no idea what that is, by the by) and Valiant’s superteam is called Unity; and there’s a pointless cameo by Livewire, and Valiant have a character of the same name. Bendis also surprisingly references the awful movie Superman Returns in the opening chapter!

Bendis writes a really good Superman - he’s got the voice down cold - he just hasn’t come up with a good story for the character yet. I appreciate he’s a difficult character to write for but it doesn’t change how bored I was reading this for the most part.

Out of the many other DC characters appearing here, I liked Bendis’ Adam Strange the best though he bizarrely chooses to write Martian Manhunter as a fascist in that scene where J’onn tries to convince Superman to forcibly take control of the human race - WTF?! Ivan Reis’ art is fine too - it’s competent and skilful, it just doesn’t excite me. The story ends so anticlimactically and suddenly though and it wasn’t exactly gripping up to then either!

So Bendis is 0-2 in his DC books thus far. If all you’re looking for is a mindless slugfest between overpowered characters, you can fill your boots with Superman, Volume 1: The Unity Saga: Phantom Earth: Too Many Subtitles as that seems to be all Superman’s about these days - boo!

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I did it. After a 7 year hiatus I'm back reading a D.C. book... blame Brian Michael Bendis! Being 8+ years behind in DC continuity doesn't help, but it was a good starting point - bar it being a cosmic adventure. I loathe most mainstream cosmic adventures. Bendis short snappy dialogue is missing and we have to mostly listen/read Superman's inner voice which is quite interesting and keeps the reader involved. Not the smashing super-book I thought it would be.. but definitely a grower. So now I have to go and find Action Comics, Young Justice, Naomi and any other Bendis D.C. book. Goddamn! 5.5 out of 12.

2019 read

[Artemy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I'm somehow in the minority on this, but Bendis absolutely KILLS it on Superman. He did from that very first short story in Action Comics #1000, and he still does in both Superman and Action Comics. This has been an absolute highlight of my year as a Superman fan and as a comics fan. Bendis just does everything right — he has a cool story, he nails the characterisation perfectly, his Superman is spot on, his supporting cast is great and well-rounded, and even the villain — yes, THE Rogol Zaar, so very maligned amongst the "fans" — is interesting and not without depth. Among the two Supes series Bendis is helming I'd still give a slight edge to Action Comics just because that series is more of what I always loved about Bendis books — more down to earth, investigative journalism, Daredevil-y/Jessica Jones-y type of story that somehow still works wonders when it's set in Metropolis — but his Superman book is still rad as all hell. Not in the least thanks to Ivan Reis's career-best, jaw-dropping artwork which I can't wait to get in some oversized hardcover form. Bendis and Superman — the best pairing of writer and character in 2018. Who knew! More of that, DC, thankyouverymuch.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was alright. Earth gets transported to the Phantom Zone where Superman has to once again face Rogol Zaar along with a mob of nameless aliens. Most of the book is just a monologue in Superman's head. The scenes that work best are the ones where Superman is playing off another character. My favorite scene was the flashback scene with Jon. If any superhero was ever meant to be a father, it's Superman and Bendis writes it spot-on. The scene with Martian Manhunter was just weird with J'onn J'onzz contemplating becoming a despot, but in mankind's best interest, of course. Rogol Zaar still hasn't been given a personality or any backstory and thus isn't very interesting. At this point, he's just a chatty version of Doomsday.

Ivan Reis has a very classic DC look to it. It's reminiscent of George Perez, especially in his ability to draw huge fight scenes, with some Neal Adams thrown in.

Received an advance copy from DC and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know the “magic eye” photos? The photo illusion where you must focus or not focus or whatever, you’ve got to stare at it and then you see another image?

Yeah, I’ve NEVER been able to do that.

I see people saying “Oh Yeah!, There, I see it now!”.

Not me.

Brian Michael Bendis has won awards, heaps of accolades, people LOVE his writing.

I don’t get it. What are you all seeing??

I’ve read his work on Action Comics, Year of the Villain, Detective Comics, Event Leviathan, Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider Man. All good, good writing, good comics. But not spectacular, not earth shattering or mind bending, not the greatest thing I’ve ever read.

Sigh.

So we come to his 2019 Superman, Vol. 1: The Unity Saga: Phantom Earth.

It’s good.

We’ve got Superman, Zod, Justice League regulars and some veteran members. Lots of action as the Earth gets lost in the Phantom Zone. Kal-El fights a Kryptonian monster. Bendis has a lighter style, throws some fun in there, that was good.

Actually, there is a very good scene, a flashback between Clark and Jon where he talks about restraint and patience and the good in humanity that was good.

Also some scenes with Martian Manhunter that was good.

Ivan Reis’ art was good.

But just good, nothing out of this world besides the man of steel himself.

But, I can promise you fellow comic book readers, I’m going to keep starring at the image, keep reading Bendis so maybe I can see it too.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm happy to report that after the Man of Steel mini-event, Bendis has put together a strong arc for Superman.

See, Superman isn't really a easy character to always write. You have to give him villains and stakes, and it's not always so easy for someone who is nearly unstoppable. However, the more important factor is giving Superman the humanity that some people don't seem to want to put in to their superman stories. You want to feel for the guy, since he's always trying to do the right thing, and I think Bendis does it better here then he did in the mini-event (Which I thought was good but not great).

So Superman is doing his Superman things. See, last we've seen Clark he had lost his wife and son. On the search to find both he spends his time around earth saving and helping people. His self doubts if he's doing enough, and his friends trying to push more responsibility on him is a interesting little twist. However, when the Phantom Zone begins to open and the world gets sucked in, we are in trouble since all of Superman's greatest foes live within. One of the biggest of all time? Rogol Zaar himself! The main villain from the Man of Steel event. If Superman can barely handle him one on one, how can he face off Rogol Zaar and a army.

Good: I really like the art here. I think it's a big reason I enjoyed this so much. Everything looks epic, especially some of these amazing fight scenes. I like what Bendis is doing here with Clark. Giving him the humanity in the internal thoughts and caring for us all, while also fighting his best to keep a strong front. The second half of this arc flies by, with massive fights, but they're highly entertaining. I'll also state the last issue is great because of a defeat, and a surprise return. Bendis is shaping up to make his Superman run pretty dang entertaining.

Bad: There's moments of over the top silliness with the dialogue. I think Barry (Who the artist got mixed up and drew Wally instead in one part) is way too silly and dumb. I mean, don't get me wrong, joking Barry is nice but it felt a little meh here. I also thought the first half is a little shaky and they throw a lot at you with the past and such.

Overall, this is great for fans of the more action packed superman while still keeping the heart of the character. I'm overall impressed with this title, more than I thought. It hasn't reached the heights of Peter's run yet, but I'm hoping it does. A 4 out of 5.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read!

Superman sees that the earth is in the Phantom zone and finds the reason why and we see the monsters of this zone attack the planet so Superman has to defend it against them and at the same time we see Clark face off against Rogol Zaar again and we see his inner thoughts and all and fighting the monster through all sides and reminiscing killing him and then he remembers what his Ma and Pa taught and well the dilemma there, meanwhile the heroes of earth try to fix everything and a lot of fights later and a cliched ending and a surprising reveal in the end, we close the volume out.

Umm, yeah its a pretty basic story which could have been done in like 4 issues, didn't require like 12 issues (is what it will end up being seems like) and yeah the writing is okayish but some of the dialogue feels so off like how Superman and J'oon talk sometimes and some jokes were so unfunny, Bendis makes Flash look like a bumbling idiot. The marvel humor is really bad in DCU, as the characters are different but putting that aside the story is a rematch and has many easter eggs and a weird surprise end. Some might like it, some might hate it, I am kinda in the middle of it but man the art by Reis is so GORGEOUS!

[Wing Kee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uneven, choppy with some hidden nuggets of awesome.

World: The art is okay, there is a bit of chop going issue 4 to 5 with a lettering change which caught me off guard, but for the most part this book looks nice, the sense of motion is great and the splash pages are powerful and kinetic. The world building here is good, it takes what Bendis built with Man-of-Steel and it builds upon it. Sure, it changes the history of Krypton (again, but it’s been done by so many authors who’s really counting anymore) and once again we get Zaar as a villain, he’s kinda cool but I am not a fan of him, he’s just another Doomsday in my book and so having him in three consecutive Superman stories counting MOS and Action Comics is a bit much.

Story: The story is silly over the top fake science stuff. It’s a thin line that has to be tread for a solid superman science fiction story and in the case of this first arc Bendis plays hopscotch with the line. In one moment it’s really cool and the science and the action and the story all come together and in another instance it’s stupid campy and over the top (The Flash comes to mind). The story is choppy, it’s is so full of beautiful quiet moments about Clark and who he is and what Superman stands for that it’s so beautiful, but it is also intercut with a really choppy and over the top story that really jerks the readers around. I know that Clark is trying to have a moment here and the main finale with the idea that Superman needs to make a choice and whether his choices are on him is a thing but yeah, I think the writing could be a lot better and a lot tighter in terms of pacing. The book also just ends which annoyed me. I see some great things here, the idea of Zod showing up and also the idea of Krypton fighting back and the conflict of Clark is good but the writing, yeah I’m repeating myself now, but it’s true.

Characters: Bendis knows how to write Clark, he knows how to write how Superman thinks and the conflict that he has, but the book needs to slow down a bit for these emotions to sink it for readers. The intercutting with the action didn’t really help Bendis. The idea of choices is a good one and that is the main focus of this Unity arc but it is covered in so much noise and action and story pieces it doesn’t get the full focus this story needs, this is Clark’s internal character development book and it’s not that. I am not a big fan of Zaar, he’s just another meh villain that needs to be punched and so far after so many issues with him I still find him boring and pointless, I kinda wish another villain was used here.

This arc was choppy, there was potential but it was also not very good at the same time. It wants to do too many things at once and in the end it’s a master of none. I hope this series does get better.

Onward to the next book!

*read individual issues*

[Теодор Панов · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ето тук вече останах приятно изненадан от този комикс (за разлика от „The Death of Superman“). Историята в „The Unity Saga: Phantom Earth“ е представена страхотно и бързо ме завладя. А и откъм графичната си страна комиксът също е силно впечатляващ.



Наситен е също и с доста зрелищни битки и сражения. (Това е само малка част от случващото се 😜)



Имаше и няколко приятни момента (под формата на спомени) с Лоис, сина им и родителите на Кларк.



А пък краят беше зашеметяващ и за Супермен, и за генерал Зод, и за Рогол Зар 😱
С огромен интерес ще проследя и следващата част.



Оценка: 4.55

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

In his move from Marvel to DC, I think Bendis has confused the Phantom Zone with the Negative Zone. Anton Arcane lookalike Rogol Zaar -- a genocidal maniac intent on killing all Kryptonians -- sets himself up as Annihilus, gathering an army of aliens who fly around the Zone attacking Superman and his friends. File this under "sound and fury," as it is basically one long fight sequence with one little clever but basically unexplained save by the Atom. I have another Bendis Superman GN sitting on the to-read shelf right now, but unless it is amazing I think I'm done with this uninspiring take on the character.

[Sud666 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well Bendis' Superman started out well enough. The first issue, while nothing great, at least had some decent humor- as in when j'Onn and Superman are trying to talk, but Superman keeps saving things-it was amusing and had that trademark Bendis humor. Then the "main" story started and it went downhill.

Ummm Earth got sent into the Phantom Zone. Uh yeah. So Bendis uses this dumbass premise to give us a typical Superman vs "yet another dude that is more powerful than Superman" (Doomsday anyone?) villain. Yayy. This time is some dude named Rogol Zaar, who allegedly blew up Krytpon...ummm on a side note, how many people have been accused of that now? From Jor-El to General Zod to this Jax-Ur guy (or was that a moon?)..anyways...this Zaar guy is also Superman levels of power and destroyed Krypton. Awesome. VERY original.

Bendis feels bad enough about this trope of a story that he fills in the action scenes with filler of Superman moping about his son and wife being away and we see cute "Supes and son" or "Supes and Lois" stories, all to cover the fact the action and the villain are so typical that it is almost embarrassing. So was this terrible? No. Was it great? Nope. Good? No..not really. How about a 2-star meh worthy rating? Yep!

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.

Following writer Brian Michael Bendis’ transition from Marvel to DC Comics and his first story with one of DC’s greatest superhero (The Man of Steel), he now pursues his foray in the heroes’ lore in two distinct series, Superman and Superman: Action Comics. His latest story arc, Superman: The Unity Saga – Phantom Earth is now his second attempt at consolidating his reputation among readers and his latest opportunity to obtain the respect and trust of fans as he showcases his understanding of the Big Blue Boy Scout. With a character that has greatly evolved conceptually over the past 80 years, it is no secret that the task before him is inevitably monumental but the directions he can take are nevertheless infinite. From exploring the hero’s family dynamics, his love interests, the city of Metropolis, Krypton, his own place among humans or his grasp on intergalactic conflicts and temporal meddling, Brian Michael Bendis has his plate full with ideas to explore. And so the question subsists: Where will he go with his Superman run?

What is Superman: The Unity Saga – Phantom Earth about? Collectings issues #1-6, the story picks up right where The Man of Steel ended with Superman having to henceforth live alone without his loved ones who are off on a mission to teach his son Jon of his place in the world and the extent of his powers. Confronted with this new situation, Superman also finds himself reevaluating his role on Earth and what he can do more for mankind. Unfortunately for him, his latest mission is forced upon him when he realizes that Earth has somehow been sent into the Phantom Zone, the interdimensional prison where all villains are usually transported too. Who is behind this planetary catastrophe? What are their motives? How is Superman going to get them out of it? This challenge will push Superman to reflect on his priorities and the sacrifices he dares to contemplate for everyone on a daily basis.

Rest assured, Brian Michael Bendis writes a compelling Superman who, under psychological duress, is having a tough time being grounded in his routine life as Kal-El, Clark Kent and Superman. Although his portrayal of the hero draws upon some of Superman’s most virtuous beliefs and builds upon the premise of The Man of Steel, there seemed to be an underlying theme of invincibility discernable in all the pompous action sequences scattered through this story arc. To further accentuate the grandeur of Superman, Brian Michael Bendis also fully exploits the heroes’ prestigious status among heroes and places him in a particular situation that forces his hands immensely and thus leaves an enormous burden on his shoulders. With decisions piling up one on top of the other, the load he takes on is pretty impressive but the inconceivable beat down he embraces in this story arc took me out of the intensity of the moment far too often.

In fact, the beat down that Superman suffers in this story arc comes from a newly-introduced villain who brings into play the brute force of Doomsday with the strategic thinking of General Zod. The development of this key character who plays an immense role in Superman’s origin story by retconning fundamental story elements stays relatively shaky and a bit unconvincing, but it remains to be seen how much juice Brian Michael Bendis will be able to squeeze out of this new rivalry. Ivan Reis’ artwork however remains an exquisite strength to this volume with his ability to deliver grandiose and explosive events. His ability to convey the epic scale of the stories he works on continues to be impressive, complimented by the wonderful and flashy colours by Alex Sinclair. A drastic change in the panel configuration and lettering of the last issues was also unexpected but a very welcome change in style.

Superman: The Unity Saga – Phantom Earth is a straightforward exploration of the Man of Steel’s leadership and his physical endurance accompanied by Ivan Reis’ bombastic and striking artwork.

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. So Ragol Zaar was sent to the Pahntom Zone. Do to some experiments they were running at STAR Labs, the earth has now been sent there too. It’s changing the atmosphere and the Justice Leavue members are dropping like flies getting sick. The Atom and company devise a plan to get the earth back out do the Phantom Zone while Superman does battle with Zaar and the army he has assembled in there. This ended up being pretty solid with some nice art from Ivan Reis. Interesting ending with an even more interesting final page.

[Corey Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Far better than I was expecting...
This was due to the public reception of the title which...
Well it wasn't great.
For many he is now the worst superman writer ever.
Personally, I didn't think it was that bad. The main problem with me was not understanding what was going on. Superman isn't really a character I'm familiar with. I know the basics, but nothing beyond that. This goes into the phantom zone and all of that shenanigans. Oh apparently Kal-el's dad is alive? What? Wait, and he took Lois and Jon on a space trip? Why in the world would Kal allow that? This isn't just some trip to the next town. IT'S SPACE! That's just asking for trouble. Which what do you know trouble did end up happening. I already miss young cute little Jon. Teen Jon just doesn't do it for me (In the limited stuff I've read).

Ok, so like I said this wasn't bad per se. It's just very average when it comes to a superman story. My only other complaint on this was how the action was laid out. To me it kind of felt lazy, and like Bendis didn't really know what to do with the action presented. It's just splash pages with occasional dialogue over it. Which I guess is fine, but just a tad bit disappointing.

All in all, it's okay but not something I would recommend. Only if your really curious why people hate this run so much like I was.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 2 out of 5]

A roller coaster that never gets better than good, but dips down to dire at points. It's supposed to be an intergalactic extravaganza, yet Bendis lacks the ability to keep the reader engaged. Dialogue feels dry a lot of the time, and the rest of the writing is just decent. Overall, a disappointing entry that has potential it never delivers on.

actual rating: 2.5 stars

[RG · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok. More of a cosmic take on superman. Pretty much no Clarke Kent. Bendis does have potential here but we'll see. The art by Reis has on older style to it, kinda reminded of Lees art in some of the right scenes

[Rory Wilding · Rating 3 out of 5]

When it was announced that Brian Michael Bendis – writer for Marvel Comics for nearly twenty years – was going to write for that publisher’s biggest rival DC, this news cause such an uproar as due to jumping from one publisher to another, what does this mean for both companies? Honestly, despite showing his brilliance when he was first writing for Marvel with works like Daredevil and Alias, Bendis started losing his way during his later years and now in DC, he is embarking on another treasure chest where there are many icons to tackle.

Being a top writer in the industry, Bendis writing Superman seems like an obvious choice, but sadly his six-issue miniseries The Man of Steel, which sets up what he has in store when he writes Superman and Action Comics, felt like such a superficial read that takes a step-backwards after progressing the character during Rebirth. Now that the setup is over, what does Bendis bring to the Man of Steel in his eponymous title?

Following the events of Bendis’s initial miniseries, in which his wife Lois and their son Jonathan are travelling the universe with his Kryptonian father Jor-El, Superman is left broken at Earth, where he is still determined to save everyone. There are times when you fear that Superman is going down a mopey path similar to his recent cinematic outings where you never got inside his head and understand his views on the world. Fortunately for Bendis, he does not fall down that path as throughout the six issues, Superman narrates about his internal conflicts and despite the loss of his loved ones, he never loses hope about himself or indeed the people he is protecting.

In one sequence, he recalls a conversation with Green Arrow, who asks Superman if his life is hell in regards to the fact that with his super-hearing, he can hear the screams from all around the world. However, what Supes also hears is the helping of others, reminding the Man of Steel that there are heroes in this world that don’t have to be super. Based on this scene alone, Bendis nails what DC’s most iconic superhero is all about.

In another sequence where Supes talks to the Martian Manhunter, it balances drama, action and humour in between the words, Superman asks J’onn to hold that thought as Superman travels in light-speed around the world to stop a number of threats. During this conversation where they both share their alien individuality, J’onn suggests the idea that Superman should lead humanity to galactic prospects. It does suggest something big to potentially happen during this run as Superman could become more than the simple hero who stands for “Truth, Justice and the American Way”.

As for the main plot, in which Earth is mysteriously transported to the Phantom Zone, the prison dimension used to hold Krypton’s most dangerous criminals, talk about doing something eventful in your first storyline in the title. With most of the Justice League unable to help, due to feeling unwell in the Phantom Zone’s atmosphere, all hope relies on Superman (and some others) to save the day, which results on an over-extended slugfest involving multiple villainous aliens. Amongst the numerous baddies, Rogor Zaal remains a mystery that is barely worth solving as despite his claim of destroying Krypton, he still feels like a one-dimensional monster that Superman has to physically challenge.

With a great emphasis on cosmic spectacle than the street-based surroundings of Metropolis, it is credited to Ivan Reis to make this comic a compellingly visual read. With a classical art style that evokes Alan Davis and Neal Adams, Reis doesn’t do anything groundbreaking with the character as along with colourist Alex Sinclair, he delivers the grand action that could rival the likes of Jim Lee.

You may have noticed that I have not mentioned the alias of Clark Kent and that’s because Bendis’ run of the main Superman title is not about him. I await to see what he does in Action Comics, but as for this first volume, it is a decent start showcasing the cosmic side of the Man of Steel’s adventures that will hopefully get better.

[Jeff Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bendis’ take on Superman makes for an enjoyable read. He sets up the perfect excuse for Superman to break his biggest rule, in Rogol Zaar, and how Superman deals with it makes for an enthralling story. Very excited to get volume 2

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 2 out of 5]

God damn it, Bendis.

I wanted to like this, I really did. I'd heard that Bendis Superman got better, but this first arc is not impressive at all. Everything hinges on total coincidence, even the titular Phantom Earth itself, and it reads like the Justice League are frantically trying to chase their own tails while Bendis throws Batman under a bus every chance he gets - which is funny the first few times, but gets grating fast.

And then there's Rogol Zaar, who is the least interesting villain I have ever read. His motivation is non-existent, he's meant to be this big secret antagonist and he just comes across as super duper bland. Things start looking up when General Zod appears in the last few issues (thank you Bendis for not entirely forgetting about his status quo), but then the story just ends abruptly on a totally unrelated cliffhanger.

Thank god for the Ivan Reis art, is all I can say. This better get better next time around, or I'm gunna be mad.

[Ryan Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know Bendis isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I thoroughly enjoyed this and I think he’s doing really fun stuff with the Man of Steel.

[Jesse A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong art and a good start to this series.

[Mr. Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though BMB occasionally writes some cringe-worthy dialogue, he still is a master at plot, lore, and characterization. He gets Superman...and I was really worried he wouldn’t.

[Kyle Berk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m divided on this because the voice of Superman himself is so damn good, that alone makes me want to give it five stars. But the plot is a bit lackluster and a story this grand in scope using the structure Bendis uses here where each issue starts off somewhere else before getting back to the action is jarring when transitioning from one issue to the next.

This jumps directly off from where Man of Steel left off. Lois and Jon are gone and their absence if felt from the story in both a good and a bad way. Last time I checked Lois and Jon were central characters to the story, but I suppose that’s changed now and that’s a personal criticism because there absence is worked into the narrative really well.

As far as comics go this is really solid stuff. It’s told very well panel to panel and issue to issue. Drawn very well even if the lines can have a hard black edge to them utilizing hard blacks in the shadows. But the look is overall good, color is good, and as I stated the panels glow very well.

Characters other than Supes at times feel interchangeable. Like they are there to set up jokes. The stand out from this is Martian Manhunter and Adam Strange. But Manhunter feels like a different version then I’ve ever read.

That’s on a technical level the comic is well put together and a real blast to read. I don’t enjoy the departure of Lois and Jon and part of the narrative relies on long form story telling because this volume ends with a big cliffhanger and an anticlimax for another storyline. Which isn’t specific to this book so I cannot dock it too much.

The themes of home, war, and isolation are all handled well and illustrated with the setting and the goings on. There is also a repeated theme of seeing the best and worst in people that is actually really at home in a Superman book.

No matter how much I whine I think this is worth reading for how Superman’s inner voice is handled on its own. The plot is interesting enough but won’t totally unfold until more volumes have come out.

On its own this is 3 stars for me but could potentially be a part of something bigger which may lead to me examining this more favorably.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brian Michael Bendis' The Man of Steel introduced a dull Doomsday-like foe named Rogaal Zaaaah (or something like that), yet another interstellar criminal whose main resume item is having destroyed Krypton. The first volume of Bendis' Superman comic doubles down by bringing him back. Yay? (Not yay.) There's a glimpse of how he could be interesting, if the narrative focused more on his history and why he does the things he does, but it really doesn't.

Otherwise, this is a long trek through the Phantom Zone that's mostly fighting and that ends with a shocker that undercuts the great work done by recent authors to create Jon Kent as someone more than just another teenage Superboy. About the only truly interesting thing in this volume is the appearance of Zod and his dreams for Unity, which suggests that perhaps the rest of this over-arc might be interesting. Mind you, I have no idea why Zod isn't either in the Phantom Zone or dead, nor how he's become a non-homicidal-maniac. Nu52 reboot?

Maybe I'd rank this volume as mediocre from any other author, but from Bendis, it's deeply disappointing.

[Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If tests were easy, they wouldn’t be tests.”

It is exciting to be reading Bendis’ words bring to life a Superman who is even more man than super. Even though this series, in comparison to his Action Comics series, has intergallactic nonsense and Phantom Zone hooahs and big-scale Justice League things, it’s not all action and glory. Bendis knows how to get to the heart of characters, and I’m very excited to be excited about Superman again.

Also that last issue changes so abruptly. Completely off formula. So refreshing to see a character’s moral arc bloom but lead up to a different point than expected. We expect Clark to find his own story, but we’re slammed with a cliffhanger from deep story points peppered throughout the series so far - and we now truly know what is at the core of this book.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic plot: An accident at STAR Labs sends Earth into the Phantom Zone, forcing Superman into a battle with Rogol Zar while the rest of the JLA saves the planet itself.

Good pacing, good art, very good Superman "feel" to the story. A good Superman story is always more about his human connections and moral compass than the bashing of skulls, and this definitely fits the bill. I enjoyed this one.

[Kamakana · Rating 4 out of 5]

171219: riley is educating me about superheroes, and this one i did like- very much- as ‘superhero’, though this is not my favorite genre of graphics. that is just the taste i have, i guess. the adventures of Superman are no more ridiculous in its genre than ancient mythic heroes, and he certainly makes good on being the ‘ideal, the ‘good’, though because i did not ‘grow up’ with comics i do not have an immediate emotional connection...

the art is very good, alternating between clean, realistic lines, graphic directed to ‘sequential’ purpose, and some single page and ‘splash’ that look more like ‘sword and sorcery’ art, which does have action images, and huge populations of monsters, but i think are more to ‘look at’ than ‘tell the story’. everyone has appropriate muscles/thinness. when i was a kid i may have wanted to be big... but never this big! and for girls? for boys looking at girls? had to decide it is just the style: nobody really expects wasp-waist and balloon-breasts! i hope...

story is... about what i have got before in superhero tales. ‘science’ is ‘fantasy’ . everyone obsessively talking to themselves or reader, no irony, no surprise, hate is hate, Superman is invulnerable even when it seems he might not be, the justice league is good backup deferring to his ideals... but it is the art i read this for and it is four...

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4

I was eager to check out Bendis's Superman and I wasn't disappointed. I wanted more Nuclear Man though, that was something worth exploring, but it only services for a blip of a moment. Bendis shifts into the DC world quite seamlessly and presents an arc that is both interesting and unexpected. I was hoping for something different, but unlike the current Batman run, they keep it safe.

Overall this is a solid start, but an uneventful one. Bendis is starting to leave his footprint on the DC future, but he doesn't kick a lot of fences over for this first volume. Too safe is an understatement, but how unexpected can you be with Superman? I honestly had zero expectations going in. Good volume and I look forward to the next.