Review: Superman Up in the Sky #1

Synopsis:

This issue opens with Batman describing a murder to the Man of Steel. An older couple was murdered, they had four kids, two are dead, one is missing and another is seriously injured. The Dark Knight tells the Last Son of Krypton to go visit her at Gotham Mercy. When he returns to his Clark Kent disguise and the Daily Planet, he asks Perry White if he can cover the story and White rightfully tells him that they aren’t in Gotham and we only cover stories related to Metropolis. It’s easy to see that this story has touched Superman and he’s hoping to solve the murder, even when he has to be Clark Kent. But things aren’t going his way. Great stuff includes Alice relating what happened to Superman and Perry White’s reaction to Clark asking if he can cover the story

The Creative Team:

Tom King gives us an emotional tale that tugs at the heartstrings. Superman gets personally involved with a shooting victim and wants to find whoever is responsible for this tragedy. Batman and other members of the JLA guest star in this issue. I really enjoyed what King is doing with this story. We’re seeing a Man of Steel that’s quite vulnerable here and it helps to bring out his humanity, even though, technically, he’s not human. It’s not a fast-paced action issue, but a slower, contemplative tale meant to show a caring hero who’s willing to sacrifice himself for others.

Kubert and Hope show us a Superman who cares about his adoptive homeworld. The renderings are careful to convey the proper emotions and help us care about the characters in this title. The panels unfold, not in a fury, but carefully, helping us to ponder what happened to the characters in this tale. Highlights include the opening splash of Superman in action and the splash of Superman kneeling before his parents.

In Conclusion:

This first issue sets up a different type of Superman story and it looks to be a winner so far. We develop feelings for the characters in this issue and hope that Superman succeeds, even though his sacrifice can lead to his insanity. There’s a nice twist at the end of this issue which makes us want to get the next issue as soon as we can. *** (7.8 rating)

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Writer – Tom King
Art – Andy Kubert, Sandra Hope
Colors – Brad Anderson
Letters – Clayton Cowles
Publisher – Marvel

Author Profile

Kevin Given

Kevin Given has studied with â€œ Longridge Writers Group â€ and â€œ Writerâ€™s Boot Camp â€ a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the â€œ Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter â€ franchise which includes novels and comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of â€œ Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter â€ # 1 and â€œ Files of Karl Vincent â€ # 1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series â€œ Dracula Rising â€ (working title) and developing â€œ Foul Blood â€ into comic book form. Don't forget to check out the YouTube show " Comics: Let's Talk " hosted by Kevin Given