What I Remember: I'm continuing with the Man of Steel series this week. Issue #2 shows Superman's first official meeting with Lois Lane, as she tries to land the first interview with Superman only to get scooped by a young reporter from Kansas.
Issue #3 deals with Batman meeting Superman for the first time. Unlike previous incarnations they aren't old chums, since Superman is not completely comfortable with Batman's methods.
Vital Stats:
Man of Steel #2
Writer: John Byrne
Penciler: John Byrne
Inker: Dick Giordano
Colorist: Tom Ziuko
Letterer: John Costanza
Editor: Andrew Helfer
Publisher:DC Comics
Publication Date:July 1986
Cover Price 75¢
Re-Collection Price: whole series for $20
Is It Any Good?
The perfect way to introduce a rebooted Superman to Metropolis.
Issue #2 picks up in spectacular fashion as Lois and Perry's lunch is interrupted by Superman zipping by.
Lois chases after the Man of Steel and runs directly into Lex Luthor's driver who tells her that Luthor wants to speak to her and that he's leaving for South America for a year. Luthor is not seen except for his eyes peaking out of the car. He will be revealed in a later issue in the series, totally revamped from previous incarnations.
Someone's mad that he's no longer the biggest story in Metropolis
The new Superman is making his presence known around the city. He saves a lady from getting mugged and politely tells her to turn down the radio,
One of the most Superman sequences ever.
"Bye, Now!" Byrne channeling Christopher Reeve.
He ends a hostage standoff with a flick to the forehead...
...and saves someone from an oncoming subway. Despite Superman being the talk of the town, Lois keeps missing him.
She resorts to staging an emergency taking her car for a long ride off of a short pier, literally.
For those keeping track at home, that's 2 rescues in 2 issues!
Superman saves her and grants her the interview. At the end he reveals he knew it was a plan all along.
Continuing the human-first narrative
He then undercuts her by submitting an "interview with Superman" written by Clark Kent. All in all, this issue is a rather shitty display of journalistic ethics by both Lois and Clark.
Super-Dickery at it's finest!
Continued After Ad:
I'm actually interested in picking this up
Worth Re-Collecting? Yep. I feel like Byrne gets how to draw Superman. He captures the majesty and grace of the character, lots of flying shots. Bullets bouncing off his chest, etc. He's calm and cool.
He also uses single panels showing an entire rescue aftermath, showing how Superman seems to be everywhere at once. He writes him as confident in his abilities and always in control of the situation.
He also borrows from the 1978 film, reenacting the meeting between Lois and Superman in her apartment. In the the movie she's in a nightgown and here she's just toweled off after taking a dip in the river.
Back Cover:
Issue #3
Superman knows how to make an entrance!
The third issue starts with Batman chasing a hood through an alley in Gotham. He's stopped unexpectedly when his grappling line is picked up by the Man of Steel, taking the vigilante to jail.
Superman? More like Super-condescending!
But Batman escapes and then threatens Superman saying there's a force field around him and if Superman touches it a bomb will go off and an innocent will die.
Superman's starting to realize who he's dealing with.
Batman attempts to explain the difference in fighting crime in Gotham vs. Metropolis, but no fists fly. Batman does not ask if Superman can bleed. This is surprisingly civil meeting of superheroes, who usually punch first during crossovers and then work together.
"Not the Happy Birthday!"
Meanwhile, the hood that escaped returned to his boss, the Magpie, whose costume was probably dated by the time the story was published. She is a museum curator addicted to stealing shiny objects. Since Bull has failed he must be punished and in as cartoonish of a way as possible, the Happy Birthday!
Batman and Superman work together to defeat Magpie rather easily and they go their separate ways after Batman reveals that the person that would blow up would be Batman himself! Superman shrugs it off, probably wanting to get away from Batman.
Continued After Ad:
I hear this miniseries turned out to be pretty good
Worth Re-collecting?
Yes, but issue #3 is the weakest of the series thus far. The villain did not require the team-up.
"Wait, there's a door, why didn't anyone tell me?"
Either of the heroes could have taken care of it easily. It is fun to see the post- crisis beginning of the strained relationship between Clark and Bruce, neither comfortable with the other, yet trusting of each other. Batman thinks Superman is naive and Superman thinks Batman is insane but they haven't hit Frank Miller or Zach Snyder levels of hatred yet and that's good to see.
Next week:
We continue working our way through The Man of Steel with issues 4 and 5! ! We finally get to meet the new Luthor! and How does Bizarro fit in the new post-crisis DC? See you next Wednesday!
Back Cover:
Apparently my cover is see-through.
