DC Comics reviews 7/20-21 – Nightwing #82, The Flash #772

Superman Red and Blue #5

Superman Red and Blue’s fifth installment is the best issue of the series yet.

Judd Winick collaborates with Ibrahim Moustafa on a cute story about Krypto arriving on Earth. Moustafa incorporated the red and blue color scheme very creatively and Winick understands exactly how to frame this story.

G. Willow Wilson partners with Valentine De Landro for a tale about Clark Kent saving the day instead of Superman. I’m just a handful of pages, Wilson shows the storyline importance of Superman having a secret identity. De Landro’s Clark Kent has a strong Christopher Reeve likeness, which is never a bad thing. The character expressions really sell the various emotions of the story as well. Thanks to DC editorial decisions, this was by far the best Clark Kent story of the year,

Joshua Williamson and artist Chris Sprouse craft a memorable story about Jimmy Olsen’s favorite Superman shot. It’s a quick story, but sums up the Superman and Jimmy dynamic, which lately seems to be a non-factor in current DC stories. Colorist Hi-Fi plays with the color scheme by casting most of the background in a lighter red shading.

Mark Buckingham writes and draws a glimpse at Jor-El and Lara discussing the decision to send Kal-El to Earth. This story didn’t offer much new, but Buckingham impressively shows Kal-El’s path to Earth.

Daniel Warren Johnson challenges readers not get choked up with this highly emotional story that starts from Jonathan Kent’s perspective on raising a son and transitions to Superman. It’s one of those short stories that beautifully embodies Superman.

Red and Blue has had a mix of great stories and some issues where all the stories were solid. This is the new standard of the series and one worth showing to anyone who questions why Superman is still such a relevant character.

Rating: 10 out of 10