REVIEW: Superman ’78 #5

Superman ’78 #5 continues Venditti’s excellent run which explores the Donnerverse like never before. This series so far has been great and a perfect continuation of a much loved era of Superman.

But before we get into the issue itself, let’s take a look at the covers. The standard cover is by Francis Manapul and it is excellent! The likeness of Christopher Reeve is perfect and I love the vibrancy on the colours, it really adds to the era this series supposedly comes from.

The variant cover is by Jamal Campbell and I adore it. This is a delightful piece that captures so much of Superman perfectly. This is a frameworthy piece. The detail and cartoonistic approach works perfectly in tandem with one another. I really can’t wait to own it.

Superman ’78 #5 picks up right where we left off with Metropolis being shrunken by Brainiac. I love the focus on the random people of Metropolis rather than just the core characters that this story follows. It really gives us a sense of who the people of Metropolis are, which is a nice touch.

As Brainiac shrinks Metropolis, Jor-El and Kal-El have worked out a plan to save both cities, Krypton and Metropolis. This moment is full of emotion as this isn’t the first goodbye between Kal-El and his parents and this one feels all the more poignant. I particularly love how Jor-El is lost for words, when we are used to seeing him as the point of reason for Superman and Krypton. This clearly isn’t easy for either of them, but it’s clearly something that needs to be done.

Like I’ve said before, Robert Venditti’s Superman is perfect and is pulled and adapted directly from the films that we know and love. The same can be said for every single character featured in the series. There are so many excellent moments that show this, in particular the showdown between Superman and Brainiac. The fact that Superman is taking him on along with his robots, whilst the people of Krypton watch from afar makes the stakes even higher.

Though this is the penultimate issue of the series, we are STILL getting incredibly nostalgic cameos, I won’t spoil who it is, but this is one that I really wanted to see and though his character is somewhat misunderstood in the film, I adore him. This creative team have nailed everything we know and love about this era of Superman films, from the facial expressions, to the dialogue and postures, everything is on point.

Again the artwork by Wilfredo Torres and Jordie Bellaire is fantastic in this issue, I adore the contrast between the colourful Superman suit and the white robes worn by Jor-El and Lara, it perfectly shows Superman as that beacon of hope that we all know him as. I also love how the pair have shown Metropolis as it’s being shrunken, the contrasting red and white create a real sense of danger here and feels like a such a simple yet effective notion.

Superman ’78 #5 is another incredible addition to the Donnerverse that we know and love. It has action, heart and incredible character portrayals. This penultimate issue leads us closer to the end of the series and I’m not quite ready to give these characters or this series up just yet.

Haven’t picked up Superman ’78 #5 yet? You can get the standard cover by Francis Manapul here (UK) or here (US).

**The above links are affiliates, which mean I will earn commission from any products bought via these links**