Superman Unchained #2 Review

Scott Snyder and Jim Lee continue to deliver the best New 52 Superman story to date as the conflicts with Ascension, the U.S. Military, and good ol' Lex Luthor escalate to dangerous levels for the Man of Steel. Superman’s tightly written inner voice shows us a smart and determined man who never stops looking for the right solution. In the past, we’ve seen Superman achieve countless feats of wonder, but Snyder shows just what goes through his head as he weighs what power he ought to use, which makes you appreciate that it’s not always easy being Superman because selecting the wrong one could have catastrophic results.

Lee’s best moments come when Superman uses his powers. Whether he’s leaving a dust trail as he zooms through the air, igniting his heat vision, or fighting a giant robot, it’s all executed with a great sense of scale and impact. It’s when the story slows down that some things get away from him, like the scene in the Batcave. The cave itself is gorgeous to behold and will have you leaning in to pour over the many details, but the work on the actual characters isn’t as tight as it could be.

Snyder makes Superman relatable not by humanizing him to a fault like other writers have tried to do, but by showing that even he has to use critical thinking to solve his problems. There’s never just one perfect solution. This allows him to flesh out the Clark Kent aspect of his character to a greater degree as the investigation into Ascension and the “other” Superman ramps up.

The scenes with Luthor feel detached from the main narrative, and so ending the issue on a Luthor-centric moment feels off-kilter. Obviously we won’t know the reasons for his involvement until the story is complete, but currently it feels like he’s here just because he’s Superman’s most famous foe. With two other antagonists already present, adding in this familiar face might be too much.

Joshua writes for IGN. If Pokemon, Game of Thrones, or Green Lantern are frequently used words in your vocabulary, then you’ll want to follow him on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com