REVIEW: Superman #3

Superman #3, “A Leap of Faith”, ties up the horror themed Parasite story and solidifies the foundation of this opening arc. Another exciting development takes shape in this new era of Superman that’s sure to keep delivering unexpected moments throughout the series.

The standard cover by Jamal Campell is a chilling visual of Superman being infected by the Parasite virus by a kiss from Lois. A rather romantic, moonlit scene encompasses the super couple with a disturbing twist. The extra hands grabbing onto him really sells the horror vibe along with the crackling purple energy moving along his face.

The variant by David Nakayama captures the eternal rivalry between Superman and Lex Luthor. We get a nicely detailed and realistic face-off between the iconic characters that sums up the ongoing theme of the series. Even imprisoned, Lex has a cunning smile that suggests he has Superman right where he wants him while Clark looks stern and ready for whatever Lex has planned.

Steve Rude’s variant is a great call back to the Max Fleischer cartoon series of the 1940’s. Battling giant mechanical menaces, the gritty pencil styled art creates a genuine retro tone and the starburst effect with his punches help tie the homage together.

Other stellar variants accompany this issue by the talented works of Francesco Mattina, Helene Lenoble, Travis Mercer, Danny Miki, Trish Mulvihill, Megan Huang, Scott Kolins, and Jamal Campbell.

The interior art by Jamal Campbell really supports the idea of this story being in the spirit of Superman: The Animated Series. The character designs of Parasite alone blend his silver age and animated series looks together for a take that instantly feels classic. Clark’s new containment suit also feels akin to the one he wore frequently in the show. It seems like very few comic artists take on all the responsibilities associated to the craft but Jamal Campbell is absolutely making this book look awesome.  All in all, Campbell’s art is vibrant and lively and is a perfect fit for any Superman story.

Joshua Williamson, lettered by Ariana Maher, jumps right back into where we left off last issue in Superman #3. The Parasite’s powers have evolved to an airborne virus and Clark has been infected. Managing to keep his wits about him long enough to acquire Lex’s help, these two rivals set a trap for all the Parasites using Livewire as a power source. Williamson captures these character’s voices well and is able to create some genuine touching moments and interject some lighthearted comedy into this horror themed adventure.

It’s rather refreshing to have these obvious vignette tales circling around a more ominous and mysterious story arc. It’s as though we’re getting reacquainted with Superman’s rogues gallery in order to whet our appetite for something bigger. What is Luthor’s end goals for Supercorps? Who are these new villains amplifying the powers of familiar staples? Knowing Williamson’s work, we’ll get satisfying answers to both those questions, but in the meantime we’re treated to a reinvention of Superman and Lex’s ancient rivalry with some already unexpected results. 

Star Rating: ★★★★★/★★★★★