REVIEW: The Man of Steel #6

Last week we finally got the explosive finale of The Man of Steel #6! For me, and I’m sure many others it was eagerly awaited, as the previous issue still left a lot of story lines unraveled. Here’s what I thought of the final issue and mini-series overall.

First off, lets start with the cover. Finally… A cover that matches the story! I know it isn’t necessary, but it’s something that I personally like to match. What a great action shot! And magnificent colouring too! Reis & Prado have really given this run all they have, each and every cover has been amazing. All beautiful and all containing different emotions and scenes. The colouring by Alex Sinclair really bring the issues to life.

In this issue of The Man of Steel, we finally find out where Jon & Lois have gone and why Superman has been so torn up about it. It seems that Jor-El couldn’t have picked a worse time to take away Clark’s support. In this scene, I really feel for Clark, such a sudden decision and he can’t be with them. Although he has family responsibilities, he also has a responsibility to protect Earth. It has been clear that he needs his family throughout the series, especially with whats going on in Metropolis. From the start we have known how tortured he has been over it all, but now we know what has happened. And it’s completely understandable. In this scene we also learn why Superman’s trunks are back and it is so sweet and such a lovely gesture to Lois. So selfless. But could all of this be linked? Was the timing accidental or coincidental? Did Jor-El want Jon away from Rogol on his mission to destroy all Kryptonians?

In the explosive final fight between Superman, Rogol and Supergirl, it is great to see some classic Superman elements – The Phantom Zone. But it almost seems like a waste – I feel like there could have been more between the three of them. I wanted more from the final battle. With that said, there was still excitement and action within the issue. I feel Bendis has captured Superman very well, he isn’t angry even after all that Rogol has done. He is sad for him, for Rogol because that is the way he is programmed, that is the way his mind is set – full of hate. And that is what The Man of Steel is all about.

The below panel was a great touch to the issue, and it meant so much to me personally. Be your own self – what a great motto to live by, and one that I live by every day. I’m not like every other girl, and I know I’m different, but that’s what I love that and I embrace it. Another thing I like about this page is the likeness between Jon and Dylan Sprayberry, who played young Clark in Man of Steel. I would say that Jon is CLEARLY imaged from him, they are almost identical. I’m sure he would be honored.

This isn’t a dig at the issue itself, but more for the printers… there were a few areas (in my comic book anyway) where the words were cut off by the margin. Of course, I could gather what was said, but it was a bit of a shame. But the artwork – again – is just fantastic! In previous issues of The Man of Steel it has been a little inconsistent – and that’s because there have been several artists working on one issue. To me, that broke up the story a little for me, so it’s nice to see consistent artwork throughout.

I feel the art in this issue really brings out the emotion. There is a scene of Clark sunken in Jon’s bedroom after his family leave for the galaxy and although there are no words, we see how Clark is feeling and we feel it too. I also love the small details, they go a long way – Jon’s room is full of Justice League toys, and I love that. Fabok & Sinclair are a dream-team and I really hope we get to see them collaborate again in the future. They have produced one of my favourite scenes in this issue. It is absolutely beautiful and is such a heartfelt gesture to Kandor and to Superman. They really captured the emotion and serenity in this artwork, and I have spent a long time looking at it.

Overall, this issue is a perfect combination of emotion and excitement. The Man of Steel run has been very good, full of action and stunning artwork. I feel Bendis provided a great interpretation of Superman, but could perhaps work on Clark. Although many mysteries were solved, there are still a few of aspects within the mini-series that are still to be explained;

• What is Rogol’s motive? Who is he and why did he single out The Kryptonians?
• The real culprit of the Metropolis fires and their motive.
• Most importantly… What’s in Jon & Lois’ drawer!?

With that said, I’m sure more will be revealed in his next issues – starting with Superman #1. This was a great start and introduction to his take on the character and I’m excited to see what will come from him.