#Superman year one

[wwprice1]

Art from the third issue of Superman Year One.

[small-screen-superman]

I have a Superman blog and I just published my first comic review :) You can also read it below!

Note: I do not recommend that young kids read either this review or the comic being discussed due to a reference to mature content.

Frank Miller is a controversial comic creator, but he’s still a talented one. I’m not that familiar with his work, honestly, but I have read one of his more recent creations, 2019’s 3-issue series Superman: Year One. It’s a retelling of Superman’s origins, but a rather unusual one in some ways.

Issue #1 is the one I’ll be reviewing here and the one I recommend the most. Interestingly, I actually feel like the individual issues of this series can stand alone for the most part, which is both a good and bad thing in some ways (though the bad part is irrelevant as far as the first issue is concerned). I will likely review the other two issues at a later date (though, as a preview of my thoughts, I’ll just say that I also recommend #2 but don’t recommend #3, as sadly there was a steep drop in quality). This review won’t be spoiler-free, but I also won’t give too many details of the plot away.

The first issue was the most “normal”, but it was also amazing. It’s the standard things you’d expect from a Superman origin, but done in an especially compelling way. Krypton’s destruction is brief but powerful – I actually teared up, which I’m not sure has ever happened before when going over this part of Superman’s origin. It was presented in a way that was poetic yet also very immediate with beautiful art depicting the destruction. The death of Krypton is often taken for granted, but something about the way it’s portrayed here made me feel the depth of loss as well as the suddenness of the catastrophe.

When we get to the Kents, the toddler Clark is depicted as having subtle psychic powers to nudge his adoptive father into taking him home, which I think is an interesting idea. Clark’s childhood has a wholesomeness and cuteness to it without abandoning the weirdness of his powers (I always prefer it when Clark has at least some powers in his childhood, so that’s a plus for me). I love moments that drive home the fact that Clark has to learn to handle people and everything around him gently.

When we get to him as a teenager, we see Clark deal with issues that are normal, but with the twist of he himself not being normal – stuff like bullies and his first relationship in the form of Lana Lang. It works incredibly well because the emotions surrounding these things feel so intense and accurate to how they feel in the moment, and the interaction with these things and Clark’s powers and formations of his values and desires is very interesting.

I like how the Kents are depicted. They don’t feel perfect or over-idealized, but they feel very loving and real. We get to see stuff like Martha worrying about losing track of Clark because of his powers and her deep sadness when he leaves the farm. We also see an interesting scene where Martha tries to teach Clark strict nonviolence, and Jonathan reluctantly agrees with her in front of Clark, but in private teaches him that it’s not so simple. I like seeing that the two have different viewpoints in a major way, and not wanting to fight in front of Clark is understandable and admirable. Another moment I love is when Clark is succeeding in football due to his powers and his parents look disapproving as they watch, but they don’t show them harping on it or anything.

The issue ends in a very interesting way. Clark thinks that the way to learn more about the world so that he can protect it is by seeing the world, and he decides to do that by joining the Navy. It’s a pretty unique twist, and as we see in the next issue, it actually works quite well. There’s a final scene where as Clark leaves Smallville, he hones in on Lana using his recently more fully realized super scences. It’s quite touching.

In general, issue #1 did an amazing job showing the intensity of a young person’s experience while also showing how Clark’s powers interact with it all. It was emotional, endearing, and even thought-provoking. Honestly, it might just be my favorite Superman origin.

I will say the art isn’t perfect – though the backgrounds and coloring are beautiful, the bodies and faces of people look a bit odd at times. (Funnily enough, I think the biggest example of this can be found on the cover itself – what’s going on with Superman’s leg, and why are his arms so dang long?) But they usually look good and even when they’re odd-looking, it’s not so distracting that it takes away from the story significantly.

Also, something that made me a bit uncomfortable and prevents me from recommending this story to younger readers is the fact that at one point, some teenage boys attack the teenage Lana and subtly threaten to sexually assault her, though they’re not able to even prepare to do so before Superman intervenes. It’s not inherently bad to depict bad people wanting to do bad things in a comic, but it just felt unnecessary and like it doesn’t really add anything to the story either.

Overall, Superman Year One #1 is a masterpiece. I don’t know how else to sum it up. I highly recommend giving it a try.

[allovesthings]

I love that Dick is pocket sized for both powered superheroes and as Robin, when he is a teeny little guy for the non-powered. It's very fun.

So here is three of my favorite way someone carried Dick:

Kitten! Dick taken by the scruff in Batman/Scarecrow Year one:

2. On the shoulder of Superman, looking like he is having the time of his life:

3. look at his shit-eating smile, i love him

[shyjusticewarrior]

Clark: On krypton there was a vigilante called "Nightwing." His family didn't want him to be a superhero-

Dick, just fired by his dad: His family didn't support him, you say?

[magicpiano]

When Tim is 10 years old his parents force him to go to some boring party in Metropolis held by Lex Luther. This would have been relatively normal if he hadn't ended the night kidnapping rescuing a clone of superman he found when he was snooping in the basement.

The good news is Tim is literally the last person Lex would suspect of stealing his clone, so he doesn't come looking (at least for a while.) Also Tim's parents are barely home! So with Superboy's powers he can easily stay quiet and hide. The Drakes don't even notice someone else living in their home.

The bad news is Tim has no idea how to take care of a super powered clone with no life experience (or even a name) when he himself is still a child. But whatever, at ten he is old enough to raise himself, so surely he is old enough to raise his new friend too?

Something, something, hijinks ensue, Tim is adopted by the batfam early and Clark steps up to be a dad.

[emacrow]

Siren song of Space by emacrow/the og prompt creator

The assignment has gone all type of wrong for the justice league.

They were investigating a mass sudden disappears of a town called Amity Park after finding out a neglectful person(*cough cough* flash*cough*) thought they were prank calling about ghosts and some group called GIW until John Constantine heard one of the voicemails.

The area where Amity Park was now a Mass ocean that looked like galaxy was dipped into it even if it was daytime and fog covered the greenish tint sky inside the Barrier.

This was deep world ending shit, but unfortunately, none of the adults could even enter at all nor high tech ships not even John constantine could pass through, but old wooden ships with food supples can easily slipped through, along with the except J'onn.

Who tried float a foot deeper in without gripping his head from the pure mass empathetic overload and pushed back out by an unknown force, going through an internal shock until one curious Robin tried stepping a foot in and successfully went through, stepping on the ship easily.

Seeing that only kids and teenagers could go leads to mass arguments between the Justice league until John cut in that the abnormal sea space dome is expanding, sucking in more ground until the very earth itself is swallowed whole.

Grumbly, internally, Batman called in the young justice league, teen titans, and a few robins to find what had happened and come back in 1 hour.

Now, the entire young justice league, main teen titans, and robins were on a wooden ship sail into the space like sea.

Cyborg and blue beetle had to stay behind due to being mostly technology along with miss Martian who might also had the dame reaction as J'onn earlier as Red Robins pulled the sail with a compass, Starfire, Raven, Super girl, Super boy and Tranformed eagle Beastboy flies around as the scout.

Aqualad couldn't get in the water the moment he tried to stick his head only to immediately pull away gasping for air. This water was too dense yet suffocating like space itself submerged in it.

Kid flash helps around with arrangements, tying up knots and untying when the wind blown hard with the help of bat girl, robin, and Artemis

The only sound they could hear was the sea roaring, the ship creaking with each wave they sail over, and an odd electric sound buzzing around, as the ominous greenish fog seemed to roll in.

Starfire, Super Boy, Super girl, Raven, and Beastboy flies back onto the ship the moment their vision was blurring by the Fogs. Super boy and girl couldn't detect any other elses' heartbeats others than their group, and that alone sent chills of what could have happened to the Amity Park residents.

The sense of danger was shivering up everyone's backs as they could hear a voice, low and quiet, that began to grow louder.

Beautiful like yet haunting young male voice that nearly pulled their attention towards as Raven yelled at them to cover their ears with ears plugs from one of the wooden boxes now.

Something massive white was swimming in the star filled sea near their ship.

There couldn't be anything alive in this sea, but their eyes couldn't betray what they have saw.

It was humanoid, with multiple arms with webbed fingers with white massive hair longer then foot ball station, a large slender body that had thousands upon thousands of green spots and hundreds scars too neat and professional align to be normal cut and a very long tail with shredded fins.

Super boy and Girl eyes widen seeing that the green spot weren't for show as they were bubbles with people sleeping, encased, young and old, most of them were green colored or off color humaniod while the rest were living human people asleep.

They all kept their ears shut with the ear plugs, But super boy and Girl could still hear the most beautiful yet haunting voice that sound like a Siren enchanting his neck victim.

Red Robin could see Super boy swaying in a dazed like state while Super girl looking enchanted nearly floating, motion the others to help tied the two to the pole with lightly laced Kyptonite rope to stop them from going over board toward the Entity.

Raven could see that this was likely the Entity that trapped the Residents of Amity parks, but the questions remains as how it got here and why this space dome was here.

Bat girl was signing that this creature seemed desperate, hurt, confused, traumatized, hopelessly scared, yet dazed in some typed of trance like over protective like state.

[frownyalfred]

“why do you hate the Injustice art style so much?”

well. these two panels happen within the same volume in back to back issues:

[syppys-den]

"that guy in the acrobat outfit!" I always appreciate when artists acknowledge Superman's real life inspirations (in this case being circus performers)

Elseworlds Superman by Michael Lark

[reunitedinterlude]

summer phantasy: the album

tracks 5-8 (x)

[danaclese]

Clark is so annoyed in this panel

In one offhand comment, Dick Grayson just committed him to several hours of study in order to convincingly play a hockey fan of such significance as to be in a fantasy league with a billionaire from another city.

Dangit Dick Now I have to learn an entire sport history.

[daydreamerwonderkid]

The more I think about it, the more hilarious it is to me for MAWS Clark Kent to potentially run into Bruce Wayne.

Clark's Superman career is literally just starting, and if we're going by the general wishy-washy timeline that DC comics give us, that means Bruce has at least one year as Batman under his belt.

You got adorable babygirl Clark Kent out here trying to discover who he is while also struggling to juggle his personal life with the weight of responsibility he feels towards his powers. He's dipping his pinky toe into the massive ocean of absolute craziness that comes with being a superhero.

Fuck, he hasn't even met Lex Luthor yet, y'all.

Meanwhile, a few states away, you got Bruce leaning full hard into his "I am Vengeance. I am the Night" schtick. This motherfucker just got back from his batshit insane training world tour and Alfred is probably just happy that his son ward is at least coming home every night. Nevermind that he spends all of his time pouring over grainy video footage and case files while blasting his underground bunker with Nirvana's greatest hits. It's the small things.

I'm just asking y'all to picture this with me: Year One Batman running into Barely A Week Old Superman.

Bruce would eat Clark fucking alive.

[jewelsli]

Not that I don’t love when Bruce’s kids outperform him and give him heart attacks, but I think it’s funnier when the kids think they are better fighters/spies/infiltrators/etc. then him but he’s just so proud so he lets them think that they are.

I think that Babs would be a really good hacker, the best in the family, but Tim, who thinks that he is the next best(and is still scarily good) has no idea that Bruce only let him think that he broke his record of hacking into secret organizations.

Dick is amazing at acrobatics, and centers his fighting style around it much more. He even won gold in the Olympics for gymnastics! Bruce doesn’t want to tell him that he trained under several gymnasts, contortionists, even ballerinas!!! and has the acrobatic fighting style mastered, so he (within reason) let’s his kid win on most occasions, he doesn’t need to fake loosing on trapeze though(I am still giving the kids SOME things they are better at…)

Cass knows that nobody can lie to her, she can spot everyone’s tells and knows most people better then they know themselves. Bruce is, however, extremely paranoid and also has a kryptonian he works with regularly. He lies so well that he can convince himself he’s telling the truth(which is literally the point in case of advanced lie detectors), and so what if he lets some of his tells be more obvious around his baby, he’s so proud of her for picking up such small things! And while Bruce is AMAZING at reading people, he can’t beat Cass, it is however much closer matched then the others think.

Let’s be honest, Bruce is banned from the kitchen and isn’t good at cooking… or so everyone thinks. While he’s not as good as Alfred or even Jason he could whip up something Gordon Ramsey would be proud of if he actually tried to.

Damian in the best fighter with swords, this is undisputed. Bruce just hopes none of his kids find his crate of custom katanas in the attic, if they do then he’ll say they are for Damian.

Tim is an amazing investigator, so good in fact, that Bruce has trusted him on his hardest cases. Everyone assumes this is because Tim is a better detective then Bruce, but he just loves seeing how proud his kid gets when he gets a breakthrough.

Batman doesn’t kill, Red hood does, everyone in their right minds knows that’s a lie. Before Robin came along, leaders of drug operations or terrorists would disappear into the night, never to be seen again. The only people who don’t seem to know this are the Bats children themselves. Sometimes you can still hear a cut off scream in the dark before the news announces a missing person that everyone just knew was doing something horrible, criminals are more wary on nights that the Bats brood are in. And people running trafficking rings pray that it’s the Hood when a knock sounds, the bat doesn’t give those people the mercy of death.

All of the bat kids know more languages then Bruce, and they keep learning more to throw him off, for a family of detectives they really should have thought about the fact that Bruce traveled the entire world, he knows ancient languages and the words that world in other galaxies use, if he could speak Martian then he would have learned it by now, he still does know that part that he’s able to learn.

Idk I just need more of Bruce being skilled at SO many things while his kids are like “oh yeah Bruce? He’s good but I could defeat him easily” and Bruce just so proud of his babies when they do ANYTHING.

Bonus:

Tim made a plan to neutralize Superman at some point, it wasn’t as good as Bruce’s but he replaced it so fast. When he later uses it to take down mind controlled or something Supes Red Robin is watching.

Nobody notices that Batman whispers something to Superman before he goes deathly pale and acts like the plan is working so well he immediately gets defeated. As for what Batman said to him? It was basically ‘Clark(they aren’t supposed to know identities here btw) my kid made this plan and I swear to every mortal and immortal force that if you don’t take the fall right now you will regret it for the rest of your life” and Batman was usually scary but this was like, God will cower before him terrifying and it scared evil Superman so much he went along with it.

Res Robin was smiling so brightly that later Clark honestly couldn’t be mad at the Bat.

Edit: I forgot to add this but unbeknownst to EVERYONE (including Alfred somehow) Bruce can and will stay awake longer then Tim and his drinks are somehow worse in terms of caffeination. The difference is that on the fourteenth day with no sleep everyone thinks it’s only been three even though he is Vividly hallucinating. The ability to hide his lack of sleep for the first week and a half leads them to believe he’s actually the worst at staying up since on what they think is his fourth day of no sleep (it’s his seventeenth) he’s talking to an apparently very vivid hallucination of Alfred the Cat in a suit and a Tiger named Tawny(he had met the tiger earlier that week) and having a civilized conversation with them

[t00thpasteface]

I love how you draw Superman, he's really just a Little Guy

he's a big guy who's also just a little guy yknow. like he's yuge but he's smol. yknow??? he's just a little guy and it's his birthday.

here's something from the archives i drew for my buddy:

[thebatfamdeservesbetter]

I wake up as a DC fan, for the first time the birds are singing,

I open up social media, everyone is hyping up the current comic slate.

I watch in glee as Superman saved a little girl in the trailer for his next big blockbuster.

Is this what it feels like to be…. winning?

[shyjusticewarrior]

Clark's reaction to Bruce firing Dick is "how can he possibly even do that??" Based af.

[stealingyourbones]

OUGH I’m slowly working on a “best place to start reading” comic list for dpxdc folks but I simply am unable to describe easily why I enjoy a comic so much and why it’s a good starting book