Superman: Doomed #1 takes the Doomsday monster to an entirely new level, one that even the mighty Superman has never seen before and that will test the very core values that he holds dear.
What we have is the New 52’s version of the classic Death of Superman arc that was all the rage in the early 90’s (I have the first trade paperback of the series), only this time much more violent and intense than that book ever was. Without giving anything away, if you are a fan of Superman you are going to want to dive right into this book. For those that know how that original story pans out, your knowledge of the event really adds an element of pathos to this updated story. Both old and new fans are going to be glued to the page wanting to know what comes next.
Superman: Doomed moves at an incredibly brisk pace. We aren’t offered a great deal of build up to the monster or the situations that lead to his appearance in story. I’m not sure if this is because today’s readers wouldn’t be able to follow a slower paced buildup (I remember Doomsday leading to his first appearance pre-New 52 over several weeks) or if the lead-up happened in another book. I am going into this as a wholly new reader and because of that the pacing was a little to aggressive for me at first.
Initially I rejected the notion of events transpiring so quickly, but before long the writing really managed to suck me into not just the world, but inside of the character of Superman. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt part of the story truly caring about a character instead of just being along for the ride.
The writing team of Scott Lobdell, Greg Pak and Charles Soule really understand the intricacies of Superman, especially with regards with his struggle with the Doomsday monster. There is a scene in the book that, one of the few times the action slows down, that has Clark taking with Perry White atop the Daily Planet. It’s a really simple scene, but one that shows Clark’s inner struggle and how even as Superman, an almost godlike being on Earth, he finds solace in those he respects and loves. Throughout the story, the overarching struggle isn’t if Superman can defeat the Doomsday monster, but if he is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to his core principles to do so.
The artwork by Ken Lashley is strong throughout the book. The emotions of characters is nicely conveyed through the art and the slower scenes are given just as much care as the action scenes are. It’s also really nice to see a cavalcade of heroes sprinkled within the short read. Seeing Steel and popping in with the Justice League (not that second-rate B-squad from the original story arc. Come on, seriously, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold vs Doomsday was a joke) is a welcome toouch. While only a few of these characters get some one-on-one time with Doomsday, it’s still fun to see them go at it.
This being a Doomsday story (it’s right there in the title) I was worried how the monster would be portrayed. Over the past several years Doomsday has felt pretty bland and has never really captured the monstrously scary nature that he imposed on readers during his first appearance. I can say that without a doubt, this new Doomsday monster is a threat on a scale the DC universe hasn’t seen in some time. It’s an all new monster with power and abilities that put even his first incarnation to shame (and that one killed Superman!). Not only that, but the last page of the book radically changes gears, going in a direction that is both unexpected and altogether exciting.
While the book is an overall success it isn’t without its faults. To be clear, none of these things take away from the experience, but they do highlight some story and pacing issues. While I am happy when an action-packed book of this nature takes the time to slow down allowing the reader to catch their breath, I don’t like the way this book handles it. Negating the Clark/Perry conversation that I spoke about earlier, the book throws in a Lana/Louis angle that takes place in Smallville. The subplot never really evolves into anything of substance, spending much of the time as filler, and is only there as a means to an end. It’s boring and runs unnecessarily long when those very same pages could have been used to focus on the Doomsday battle, making it feel a little less rushed.
And that’s really the biggest problem I have with Superman: Doomed #1. There is simply just to much going on to give us a truly satisfying story. You never really get the feeling that Superman is in any danger while fighting, you never get the full scope of this new Doomsday monsters power, and we don’t have enough time to see the monster lay waste to heroes like in his original début. Sure, he beats up Steel, but even back in the day the first Doomsday was able to take down a Lantern as well as the Justice League (sans big guns of course).
That being said, I am really excited to see where and how the story develops. For a first issue it’s a good start with a really great story that ties together both the pre-New 52 Superman/Doomsday and this modern New 52 take. It’s yet to be seen if we are going to be witness to something as epic as that original news making tale, but I’m happy to be along for the ride once again.
Superman: Doomed #1
Story By:Scott Lobdell, Greg Pak, Charles Soule
Art By: Ken Lashley
DC Comics
5/14/2014
$4.99
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