Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Superman: Space Age #2 Review

  

  

Written by: Mark Russell
Art by: Mike Allred
Colors by: Laura Allred
Letters by: Dave Sharpe
Cover art by: Mike Allred, Laura Allred
Cover price: $9.99
Release date: September 27, 2022

Superman: Space Age #2 regales readers with an 80-page tome about life in Metropolis and Gotham during the mid-1970s.


Is It Good?

Whether or not you consider Superman: Space Age #2 to be a good comic depends on what you're looking for in a comic.

If you're looking for a story with a proper beginning, middle, and end, look elsewhere. The first two acts slather you in Vietnam-era cynicism and disillusionment with everything from a lengthy, detailed explanation of the Watergate scandal to the increasing problems of urban blight and decay to the least romantic series of interviews between Superman and Lois Lane you'll ever witness.




If you're looking for a comic with aspirational heroes engaged in amazing feats that inspire you to live up to their ideals, look elsewhere. Superman is awkward, insecure, and struggles to understand the point or meaning of hope. Batman is cynical, lost, and impatient with anyone that isn't getting the job of justice done during every waking moment. Aquaman serves no purpose other than to be drawn badly. Wonder Woman simply reacts to everyone else's behavior. And the Flash may be an idiot.

If you're looking for a comic that's so well-paced and constructed that 80 pages fly by in the blink of an eye, look elsewhere. This is a slow, painfully tedious read. Brainiac shows up on page 64 to relay his plan to recruit Superman to help stop the Anti-Monitor, but you have to wade through 60+ pages of world-building, social commentary, and alternate takes on real-world historical events that have nothing to do with the coming crisis. Are those alternate takes on reality surprising, fresh, or clever? No, not in the least.




If you're looking for a comic with jaw-dropping art that demands your attention on every page, you're in for a tough time. This comic has possibly the most awkward-looking pimp fight with Superman ever committed to paper. While the character designs are interesting, every bit of action looks clumsy and poorly choreographed. Combine the awkward action with the wooden facial expressions in every panel, and you're in for a tough time.

If, on the other hand, you want to spend $10 to read a triple-sized comic that explores life on an alternate Earth a decade before it's destined to be destroyed, you're in for a treat.



About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.


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Bits and Pieces:

Superman: Space Age #2 is a very expensive, very long, and painfully tedious comic that doesn't appear to have a point other than to provide an alternate look at the 1970s if the Justice League were real. Filled with incredibly awkward action art, never-ending cynicism, and meaningless meandering that takes up 75% of the pages, this comic is a pointless waste.

5/10

 

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