DC Comics reviews 2/21/23 – Superman #1, Nightwing #101

Superman #1

After the miserable, series destroying run of Brian Michael Bendis any writer would be an improvement on Superman. Fortunately, DC didn’t settle for a new writer to lead this new era of Superman and tabbed one of its heavy hitters in Joshua Williamson to guide the Man of Steel forward in this Dawn of DC period.

Williamson understands the difference between tweaking the status quo and wrecking it so it doesn’t make sense and is basically unusable for any other creators. Three of the more significant changes involve a new editor-in-chief at The Daily Planet, a new police chief and a partnership with LexCorp? While there’s more than a few elements that are shaken up, Williamson provides some comforting constants in Superman’s life namely the relationship with Lois Lane, his friendship with Jimmy Olsen and the rivalry with Lex Luthor.

In a nice addition to this new era, Williamson brings out several of Superman’s rogue gallery to while sowing the seeds for the next original threat.

Jamal Campbell provides the art for the series. It’s a marquee assignment for Campbell, whose work has been excellent for years. He’s not overwhelmed by the challenge and shows why he’s an excellent choice to be the artist/colorist of one of DC’s flagship titles.

Superman #1 didn’t need to reinvent the character so much as assure readers that this is the character they’ve been invested in for decades with some fresh new wrinkles to make his modern adventures connect like the classic stories of the past. This was a good first step in rebuilding reader trust again.

Rating: 10 out of 10