Superman Rebirth #2: "Ode to Fatherhood"

It' an interesting thing, to see where a journey begins. For me, my journey as an internet blogger began 4 years ago almost. I was writing as an independent creator for the site Moviepilot. It was initially just a way for me to vent about my frustrations and my hype for things in the industry, both films and comics. I never expected to get to a point where I had an audience that actually cared, but then I wrote a piece that changed everything. It got the attention of Moviepilot's administrators, they made some formatting edits and posted it to their Facebook page. It's funny because I remember seeing the thumbnail that was my article, and I thought "gee, some jerk at moviepilot stole my idea," I had never stopped to consider that they had published my work to their site. Then I logged into my page and I had jumped from a few hundred views to several thousand. It made me happy because even to this day, while that piece may not be my best writing, it is probably my favorite piece I have ever written. However, when Moviepilot shut down its independent creator program, that article, and all my other 80 or so pieces, went up in smoke. The computer I had them backed up on's hard drive had crashed and so for a long time, so all that work I had done was lost... or so I thought. While going through my email, I found a note, and in it was my initial draft for the article that started everything. I have been saving it for a special occasion, and with the end of one decade, and the start of another being here, I figure now is as good a time as any. So Here'ns the thing about a comic called Superman Rebirth #2 it's fantastic, and I'll now share with you why.

Imagine a group of kids talking cafeteria time gossip, telling each other about the cool things their parents do. Even the most mundane jobs by our standards become the most exciting of adventures as the childhood imagination soar. Why is that? I'd like to think that for most of us our parents are our everyday superheroes. The things parents do to provide for their children make all jobs, no matter how small in appearance, seem like saving the world.

Superman issue two is an ode to fatherhood and takes the expression "My dad is Superman" to the literal level. This issue is the second part of the son of Superman arc and is told primarily from the viewpoint of Jonathan Kent. Superman brings his son on a mission with him, and we get to see what a Man of Steel level "bring your kid to work day" would look like. However, before I go on with this review, I would like to dedicate this article to my own dad. Paps, thanks for always being my superhero as a kid. With that being said let's take a look at the comic. 

The first thing I want to discuss is the art in this issue. The artwork here is exactly what it needed to be. The color tone of the issue is light and bright, with deep blue tones to convey the hope and safety you should feel when reading the title of "The Big Blue Boy scout." The way the artist, Patrick Gleason, draws Superman is perfect, he has the strong heroic jawline, with a kind, almost childlike face that shows compassion all over. This is the feeling DC has been missing from a Superman title for 5 years. (Keep in mind I wrote this when this book came out and we had suffered through New 52 and DC You Superman).

Now let's talk story (SPOILERS AHEAD). The first issue of this series kinda threw me off, the introduction established in the first 2 pages was a completely different feel from the rest of the comic, but this story picks up where the first issue left off and went sprinting. At the end of the last issue, Jon sees his dad being confronted by Batman & Wonder Woman, and the comic ends with Superman going into Jon's room and telling him to come with him. That's where the second issue picks up. Initially, Jon is worried that his dad is giving him to League, but Clark reassures his son that they were just checking in on the "New Superman." Clark then tells his son that he is taking Jon to help out on a distress call. Events unfold and superman helps his son gain a measure of control over his powers. More importantly, Superman gives his son an excellent speech about Jon's place in the world and his responsibilities to it. The issue ends with Jon getting hurt and with Clark and Lois confused about the physical injury being possible with Jon's emerging power.

Superman has been a character that I all in all I have a very mixed opinion on. Under the right creative team, Superman can shine bright like the light he was created to be, a guardian of the Underdog as he was intended. That being said, very frequently it is the case that a team will focus on how hard he can punch and make every struggle a physical one. However, this creative team shows Man of steel in an element that not even he can be perfect at: fatherhood. We get to see the best and even at times the worst of Clark Kent as he struggles to find a way to protect and guide his son the way his parents never could. Seeing a god struggle to be a man should always be a part of the Superman ethos, but this team is able to go a step further. In this title, we get to see Clark Kent at his most human, as a man trying to right by his son.

I hope you enjoyed this piece as much as I do, and I want to thank all of you for your continued viewership. With 2020 here, I am thankful so much for the support you guys have brought, and that within a few short months, you have made this rebrand a massive success. As of today, I can confirm that this blog has hit 1,000 reads in only 15 posts. We have hit the milestone for monetizing, and that's a massive step for this blog. Thank you all for helping make that happen and Happy New Year! The next post is already up and is our ranking of the hit streaming show The Mandalorian.