Superman: World of New Krypton #1 (of 12) (DC – Robinson / Rucka / Woods)
“Following the events of the “New Krypton” crossover, the Man of Steel has had to embrace his past to ensure humanity’s future. And while a devastating armed conflict with Earth may have been averted, keeping the peace will be Superman’s greatest challenge yet.
Hot new writer Andrew Kreisberg (BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL) and fan-favorite artist Pete Woods (ACTION COMICS, SUPERMAN: UP, UP AND AWAY!) lead Superman through a world of interstellar treachery and deadly machinations where the lives of two races hang in the balance.”
When I first read that we had to go through another “Year With Out’ storyline, I was pretty ticked off. It was not that long ago that we had to deal with the big three being gone. Now, here we are again in almost the same situation. Batman is MIA and Superman is moving off world to get in touch with his inner Kryptonion. Which is where we pick up our story.
In last month’s Superman #686, Superman not only saves Mon-El from the Phantom Zone, but also decides that Zod is up to something on New Krypton. He describes his dilemma to his mother and Lois and eventually gets their blessing to move to New Krypton to investigate what’s happening. Mon-El takes the secret identity Johnathan Kent (LAME!) and becomes Metropolis’s protector while Clark is away.
Now on New Krypton, Clark must deny all this human heritage and embrace a world he’s never really known. Alura is accommodating in letting him pick which guild (career) he’ll belong to, but Clark settles on becoming a member of Zod’s military for two reasons. 1) To teach other Kryptonians to use their powers responsibly, and 2) to keep an eye on Zod.
The art and writing are very solid. James Robinson is now a Superman veteran and Greg Rucka is one of the best in the business. Together they craft a compelling story that makes me crave the next issue. Pete Woods seems to be taking his cues from Gary Frank, but that’s not bad thing. Sure there are some spots that look a bit under par, but overall he got the job done.
World of New Krypton looks to be the series that is going define Superman for years to come. And my prediction: New Krypton gets destroyed at the end of it all.
Grade: B+
Here’s DC’s trailer for World of New Krypton.
