REVIEW: Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain #2
Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain #2 continues the extension of the Christopher Reeve Superman era. It is such a joy to get to go back to this and writer, Robert Venditti and artist, Gavin Guidry execute it perfectly.
But before we get into the issue itself, let’s take a look at the covers. The main cover is by Gavin Guidry and it perfectly captures the essence and goings on of this very issue. Guidry does a stellar job with his simplistic art design, though it is simplistic, it still features all of the necessary detail which really gives him his own unique style. This cover is no exception as we get a great cover with intriguing composition.
Michael Cho’s variant cover is sensational. His take on each and every one of this characters is just perfect, Cho has an instantly recognisable art style and it works perfectly in this movie poster-esque layout. Of course it pays homage to the original film, but also has great little details like Clark Kent jumping over the train track from that very film – Jeff East would be proud.
The final variant by Max Dunbar and Sebastian Cheng also showcases another iconic moment from Superman: The Movie. As soon as I saw this piece I heard the lines “You’ve got me? Who’s got you?!’ playing in my head, which goes to show that this stunning piece hits all the right nostalgic places.
In this issue we see Superman take Lois to his Fortress Of Solitude so that she can get to know him better, though this is Superman and not Clark Kent, there are some really awkward moments here which are just brilliant! One thing I love is that we are getting to explore more of this version of Superman and Lois’ relationship. It really is a joy to read and the scenes are exactly as you’d expect if this were a direct live action follow on. I will say though that there are parts of their relationship that we have already covered in that cinematic era and there are moments that feel like it’s re-doing that rather than adding to it.
The interior art is by Gavin Guidry, with colours by Jordie Bellaire and letters by Dave Lanphear of A Larger World. The artwork is sublime, this creative team really take you back to those times with their accurate character profiles. Once again there are some incredible moments where Venditti really allows the artwork to do the talking. There is a great sequence where Superman leaves Lois to attend to a mayday situation, very few words are shown on the pages and instead we get an incredible rendition of art showcasing the situation and it is here that Superman meets Metallo for the very first time.
Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain #2 is an action packed issue that really packs a punch – or two! One think that Venditti does expertly is showcase how much Superman means to the people and we get to see a great moment showcasing that towards the end of the issue. It’s safe to say that Superman has really met his match with Metallo and it will be VERY interesting to see where the series goes from here.
