Superman: Godfall

Superman: Godfall is one of the best books I've read in a while, and definitely one of the more reader-friendly titles. I say that because the foreward fills you in on what's been going on in the Superman universe with a nice synopsis, so that you step right into the story without missing a beat. This nice addition, along with the cover gallery and pencil sketches, make this as complete a book as you'll find. Halfway through the story, you might feel a little confused, but like good comics always do, the last issue of two answers the questions from earlier on. Also, and this must be said, Lyla is an AWESOME character with a great backstory that I would love to see in future issues. In case you haven't gotten the message yet, pick up this book!

Superman: Godfall continues out of the AWFUL issue of Superman # 200, but it's not essential that you read that issue. It picks up the story with Superman supposedly on Krypton, in the midst of a civil war. The story is pretty good, with some great art (although the costume of Kal El's 'wife' is very questionable for a kid friendly icon like Superman, and almost prevents this from being a tale for all ages). One of the main flaws is that Superman has been missing from Metropolis for weeks, and when he finally returns, Lois doesn't seem all that excited to have her husband back. I guess she's used to it by now. By the end of the story though, we are left with at least one cool villain with the same powers as Superman, Preus, and a potential villain in Lyla, but how future writters will use her remains to be seen. There are a lot of splash pages in this book, and they look great in the hardcover format. While Godfall is not a great, inspiring new look at a classic icon, or a deep character study, it is a good old-fashioned, solid Superman action story that isn't overly complicated, and easy to enjoy for new and old fans alike.

I remember when I first spied a few issues in this series (scattered across different Superman iterations), and my first question was naturally "Does Michael Turner do the inside too?" Ever since I got a taste of Michael Turner's art style in the AWESOME new Superman/Batman, I've been in love. But so often he's merely the cover artist for other things, not penning the entire issue. Imagine my sadness, then joy when he said "No. But it's done by his inkist, so it looks almost identical."! Really, this might be the most beautiful comic I have ever seen. The use of color is simply amazing, the character designs are super-cool, and the action and dialog is mesmerizing from the get-go. the only problem is...it's too short. Like the Superman/Batman I've come to love, you always feel like you've just slurped down a small drink and you needed a super-size...thirsting for more. Of course, the story is also QUITE confusing (I still don't think I've quite got it figured out), but that just gives you another excuse to re-read it. And to give away any of the plot would be spoiling everything anyway... If you love Michael Turner's art style or all things Superman (and who doesn't?) you MUST get this NOW!