About Heroes

This Review Was Submitted by Knightwingbk

Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artists: Carlos Pacheco & Jesus Merino

Although this is a different storyline, this title still feels like a continuation of the 8-part crossover that just ended, and the next Action Comics will really feel like a continuation because it will be Kurt Busiek and Pete Woods! This is not a bad thing at all.

Whereas "Up Up and Away" showed Clark Kent the super-reporter from the 52 year (issue 10 shows Clark getting his butt in gear with his reporting) this issue spotlights Clark changing again. Now that he's Superman again, frankly, he can't be that good of a reporter. He has to, "reestablish Clark as erratic, prone to irregular absences," so that no one can think that Clark is Superman. I liked Clark kicking ass as a reporter, but as this issue shows, he just can't do that and be Superman at the same time. Clark uses his super-hearing and super-vision to keep tabs on his assignments as he fights as Superman. However, not even a Kryptonian has two separate brains and can do two things at once, as Clark cannot finish all the assignments by his deadline. Its kind of crushing, but these emotions are good because they establish Clark as a real person and not an "identity," keeping Clark in step with being human post-Infinite Crisis, while also being inspiring.

Superman is inspiring, he battles the baddies and then stays to make sure that people are alive, the damage is repaired, and is there as a reminder that there are people in the world who just want to help and ask nothing in return. The art really helps too. Carlos Pacheco, in Superman/Batman and the JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice had similar styles. Here in Superman, he is totally different. Superman, previously had looked a large, bulky 40-ish man. Here, Superman and Clark are a lean, mean, upper 20's-early 30's. Pacheco has changed his style dramatically, not just with Superman, but with everyone else he draws too. The other thing that makes this book is the colors. It is not the typical comic computer coloring, it looks painted, and it adds a depth of reality, because it makes the book look like it was pictures from a newspaper on newsprint. Fitting for a Superman book, since Clark is a reporter.

A sort of self-contained tale, there is no huge cliffhanger here. It is a good start for a run. I give it a super-sized B.