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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Solid Beginning to a Promising Story, June 22, 2009
This review is from: Superman: New Krypton, Vol. 1 (Hardcover)
People love to complain about Superman. He's too much of a boy scout, he's too powerful, he's boring--the list of criticisms against poor Supes is a long and tired one. Thank goodness, then, for Geoff Johns, the writer of the newly released Superman: New Krypton.
The story is a five-parter, with the first two chapters actually revolving around Jimmy Olsen (minor spoiler alerts ahead) as he uncovers a sinister plot to possibly eliminate Superman and every Kryptonian on the planet. The latter three chapters focus on Superman himself as he struggles to balance the sorrow of his father's death with the joy of restoring Kandor, the once miniaturized Kryptonian city, back to its full size and glory. The restoration of Kandor means Superman is no longer a stranger on Earth, as he is now joined by 100,000 members of his own species. But this also means there are now 100,000 individuals who share his powers and abilities, but who do not necessarily share his views of peaceful coexistence with the other denizens of Earth. Volume One only hints at the dire ramifications that may spring from these events, but the possibilities are enticing indeed.
But therein also lays the problem: The book stops just when the plot begins to get interesting, making it more of an introduction to Volume 2 than a work that can stand readily on its own. The world does seem to revolve around money, it seems, but this is one story that would have been best collected into a single volume. Furthermore, the erratic quality of the artwork, which fluctuates steadily throughout the book's second half, steals away some of the immersion that should be present during the book's most climactic moments.
Nevertheless, the tale is still a good read that will not only entice readers to seek out its second volume, but perhaps other Superman books also penned by Mr. Johns. Superman is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, and many of these tales should not be missed.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
New Krypton Volume #1, December 1, 2009
This review is from: Superman: New Krypton, Vol. 1 (Hardcover)
New Krypton volume #1 is a homecoming of sorts for the world's most famous superhero, Superman. After the events of the epic Braniac TPB the planet Earth has suddenly found itself home to roughly 100,000 new residents with one thing in common; they all possess to a degree the same super powers as a certain Man of Steel. The residents in question? The former citizens of the bottled city of Kandor of the planet Krypton. Thanks to the events in Superman:Braniac they now find themselves free of their bottled captivity and living on the planet Earth.
Surely Superman would be overjoyed with this development you say? Yes and no. Our favorite Kryptonian realizes that not every one on Earth will be ecstastic to learn that there are now in their minds 100,000 new beings all possessing the same destructive powers as Mr Kent. Certain shadowy figures in the US government echo these sentiments and this is really where our story begins.
Without spoiling the story for anyone the major overlying plot of New Krypton Volume #1 is these new arrivals and the affect it has on the world around them. It begins with a young Jimmy Olsen playing detective and uncovering a plot against not only Superman but the newly arrived residents of Kandor. It seems that although the vast majority of the Kryptonians are peace loving like Kal-El there are still a few that favor the military approach of one General Zod. These happenings and the way they unfold make New Krypton an interesting read but all in all more of a bridge between the truly epic Braniac story and the further developments to come.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Uneven start, but still some possibilities..., January 19, 2011
I am coming into the whole "New Krypton" story fairly cold with this trade paperback. I have heard bits and pieces of what happens, but haven't been reading it as individual issues at all. I like Superman, but haven't been reading his current stories lately so starting with this TPB was a bit of a "deep end of the pool" experience. I have read the recent "Braniac" arc, however, which is key in setting up the status quo at the beginning of this story.
The book opens with a sizable story focusing on Jimmy Olsen (and in which Superman scarcely appears) which takes up nearly half of the page count, and which I found to be pretty boring. It ties into events in a previous story and is basically about Jimmy investigating and uncovering a government plot against Superman and Kryptonians in general. However, as far as I can tell, the story's real point is to introduce a villain (that one assumes will be important later on) called "Codename: Assassin" (guess what he does). It also sets up a new status quo for the Guardian, an old character who has been a Superman supporting character since shortly after "Man of Steel". Along the way, we dismissively kill off a number of other supporting characters from that era, which irked me as an old fan. The story is all right on its own merits, I suppose, but not what I was looking for by buying a trade about "New Krypton".
After that, the remaining 90 pages or so get down to the New Krypton story itself, including the funeral of Jonathan Kent (who died in "Braniac") and the repercussions of that loss for Clark & Martha; Superman's attempts to integrate the cultures of Krypton and earth together, Supergirl being reunited with her family, and the continued implications of the government conspiracy. Superman strikes one as being a bit naive about the whole thing, especially in a scene where he dismisses the concerns of the JLA and JSA quite casually. The story has a wide scope, potentially epic, with lots of business going on. Lex Luthor is involved, Braniac is part of things, Lois Lane's family plays a key role, and even Doomsday (a greater victim of villain decay than any other I can think of) makes a token appearance. The tapestry is broad but the details are shaky. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out - whether the whole story is worth this process.
As another reviewer has pointed out, the story is just barely getting started by the end of this volume. There are another three "New Krypton" volumes to follow, as well as numerous other related TPB's featuring Supergirl and other members of the extended cast. Some of those elements are hinted at here, including appearances by the unidentified (so far) new Nightwing and Flamebird. I bought this book at the same time as Volume 2, so it didn't feel as abruptly cut off as it might have otherwise.
Overall, the New Krypton story is fine without being exemplary in any way. The characterization and pacing by James Robinson and Geoff Johns is a bit bumpy, sometimes engaging me strongly and sometimes striking me as silly and under-written. The art is all fine as well although there's a bit of a mixture of styles going on.
I'd prefer to give this book 2.5 stars if I could. If it weren't for long Jimmy Olsen tale at the beginning, I'd make it 3.5. If you like Superman or want to give him a try, you could give this book a shot but be prepared to be in it for the long haul.
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