DC Comics reviews for the week of 7/19/17

Superman #27

For their summer vacation, the Kent family takes a tour of America to remind them what’s so great about Truth, Justice and the American Way.

Writers Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason might get a bit preachy with the odes to America, complaining about who society considers heroes and the need to respect veterans, but it felt very much in line with this title. Clark Kent arguing that a disabled veteran should be allowed to eat at a restaurant that has movie stars’ pictures along the wall.

This was the rare issue where Tomasi and Gleason somewhat lost Jon’s younger voice. As he rattled off historical facts, there was little to distinguish his voice from his father’s, which hadn’t been the case previously. Veteran rights are always topical, but I’m curious if Tomasi and Gleason will tackle current hot button issues like Black Lives Matter, LGBT issues and female workforce pay equality. The latter seems like an ideal topic to discuss with Lois Lane being one of the preeminent reporters in the entire DC Universe.

Few books could get away with a glorified history lesson, but that’s part of the charm of this run of Superman. Still, it would have been nice to have more segments like Clark and Jon body surfing Niagara Falls.

Scott Godlewski’s art is serviceable and perfectly fine for such a dialogue heavy issue. Godlewski does a great job drawing Jon, but his adults tend to look rougher. If Super Sons needs a fill-in artist, Godlewski wouldn’t be a bad option.

After Black Dawn, the Superman family could use a break. This issue wasn’t the most exciting entry in this run, but the family dynamic kept it interesting. Hopefully, Gleason and Tomasi have a little more in store than an extended trip through history with this arc.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10