REVIEW: Superman #30

Superman #30 is finally here as we continue this excellent start to a brand new story arc within this particular title. I am really enjoying series so far and the themes that it has been covering, so I am eager to see where this issue takes both Superman and Superboy and their relationship.

But before we get into the issue itself, let’s take a look at the covers. The standard cover is by John Timms and to say it’s eye catching is a complete understatement! There is a lot going on, on this cover and the detail within it is incredible, not to mention the colours! The colours are incredibly vibrant and adds a magical element to the cover, which has gripped my attention.

The variant cover for Superman #30 is by Inhyuk Lee and I absolutely love it! The detail once again is incredible and I particularly love the stances and costumes of the pair. You can literally see the suit texture, which is fantastic. I really do love these two working so closely together, and this cover perfectly portrays the themes that this series and issue itself cover.

As previously mentioned Superman #30 kicks off a brand new story arc for the Superman title, as Superman and Superboy answer a distress call from a long lost friend of Superman’s. That call turns out to be a misunderstanding according to the locals of Planet Thakkram, but Superman and Superboy aren’t quite convinced and decide to take a closer look.

Once again writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson has provided us with an excellent narration, I really love how he does these. Not only does it allow for some words of wisdom from Superman himself, but it really allows us to get into his mindset and really understand his thoughts and feelings behind each action, which I love.

It’s great to see Superman have some downtime, the purpose of it in this story shows us that his job is never really over, he can never clock off and that’s one of the burdens that Superman willingly carries with him. But this time it isn’t just Superman who has to get to work, it’s Superboy too, and it’s great to see that family time extended in some way with the pair taking on the problems of Metropolis and the world together. I really love how Phillip Kennedy Johnson focuses on the father and son element, though the pair are now working together it’s great to see Superman reminisce on his time with his son, he really is a family man at heart and Johnson does a great job of showing that. As an expectant mother myself, it really struck a chord with me and I can’t wait to see more of their relationship.

The artwork is by Scott Godlewski, with colours by Gabe Eltaeb and I absolutely seeing these two working together, they compliment each others work so well. The pages are bold and vibrant and I particularly love when the pair take on intergalactic landscapes and atmospheres, they are visually stunning. I really love the use of the sound effects in this issue too, they seem to be embedded in the backgrounds and atmospheres of the panels and it just looks spectacular. The action sequences are phenomenal too and I particularly love seeing the pair using their heat vision as a torch, that in particular is something we don’t get to see all that often.

Superman #30 is a really great set up for a brand new story-arc which seems to bring some horror elements to the mix. Phillip Kennedy Johnson has done a great job of setting up the scene and explaining the relationship that Superman has with the people of Thakkram, as well as showcasing his love for his family with beautiful narration.

As well as the main title, we have a second story in this issue which is part 2 of ‘The Tales Of Metropolis’, which focuses around Ambush Bug. The story is written by Sean Lewis, with art by Sami Basri and colours by Ulises Arreola and acts as a huge contrast to the previous story in this issue. Metropolis’s Greatest Heroes meet to discuss the recent events and villains involved, but Ambush Bug get’s a little too much information as he embarks on a rather insane scrape up with the very person they are trying to track down.

This story is fun, wacky and it had elements that really reminded me of the Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen series that released last year, which is a huge compliment. Though we focus on a new character, it very much continues the story we were first introduced to with Bibbo Bibowski and I really hope we get to see the rest of Metropolis’s Greatest Heroes in more depth.

The artwork is excellent too, it’s incredibly vibrant and surprisingly realistic considering the tone and wackiness of the issue. The facial expressions of each and every character are clear even from a first glance, and though the story is short we see Ambush Bug take on Deadstream in a series of atmospheres and locations which are perfectly executed.

Haven’t picked up your copy of Superman #30 yet? You can get the standard cover by John Timms here (UK) and here (US). Or if you prefer the variant cover by Inhyuk Lee, you can get that here.

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