REVIEW: Superman Chains Of Love #1
Superman: Chains of Love #1 is a fun aside that focuses primarily on the budding relationship between Creeper and Livewire. There’s also a cute second feature involving Bizarro World with a perspective from an average person. Strange love is in the air which is fitting for a Valentine’s Day offering of stories.
The standard cover is by Yasmine Putri and displays the electrifying chemistry between Creeper and Livewire. Superman is obviously in opposition to the coupling in the background which asks the question; is Metropolis prepared for the mayhem this power duo can and will dish out?
The variant by Ig Guara and Arif Prianto almost acts as a sequel to Putri’s work with Superman getting between Creeper and Livewire’s embrace. Apparently not appreciating the interruption, the new couple gangs up on Superman with some shocking consequences to his actions.
Mirka Andolfo’s variant hints at Creeper and Livewire having a confrontation of sorts. All relationships have their rough patches, but these two quarrelling could spell trouble for Metropolis. Considering the devious smiles on their faces, maybe they’re just up to no good to begin with.
The variant by Juan Ferreyra is a fun depiction of Creeper and Livewire fighting in an “Injustice” style video game. According to the life bars, Creeper has had the upper hand this round, but it looks like the Livewire player is trying their hardest to land some attacks.
Ig Guara is colored by Fabi Marques for the main story entitled, “Creepers”. The art here is simply fantastic. The story is told from Creeper’s point of view and the art changes according to how he’s relaying certain information. The switches really add to the nuanced chaos Creeper is known for and makes the story all the more fun because of it.
The second feature is called “Bill Zarro’s World” with art by Rosi Kämpe and colors by Trish Mulvihill. The emotional state of the characters involved is very present in their work and makes the story surprisingly relatable. Even with the context of the feature being comical, the artists take it seriously enough to keep the punchlines grounded adding a dose of sadness to the situation at hand.
Leah Williams and letterer Dave Sharpe handle the story for “Creepers”. There’s some decent social commentary hidden within this little meet cute between these strangely compatible characters. In our world of podcast saturation and social media hot takes, Jon Kent suggests Metropolis’s best worst journalists collaborate in hopes to give them personal purpose. To that end they create a new show called Hardwired, sponsored by The Daily Planet. Although there’s believable conflict to help drive the story, it also maintains it’s lighthearted nature to deliver an entertaining outing. By chapter’s end it’s safe to say Williams has created a new contender for DC’s power couple.
Dan Slott is also lettered by Dave Sharpe for “Bill Zarro’s World”. This is easily a visualized stand-up joke story that gets told with a bit of heart. Bill Zarro is an average, unappreciated, loser of a guy who gets caught up in one of Mr. Mxyzptlk’s schemes. This one involves swapping things between Earth and Bizarro World. With everything being the opposite, Bill ends up having the best day of his life until Superman shows up to return him home. The ending acts as the ultimate punchline but also reminds us that perspective plays a large part in how we approach our lives.
(8/10) I have a feeling I’m not alone in never giving much thought to Livewire and Creeper being oddly perfect for each other. That being said, now that they are an item, I definitely want more. “Bill Zarro’s World” acts as a great prologue to the upcoming Kevin Smith ‘Bizarro: Year None’ mini-series and the entertainment quality of both installments turns this from a typical aside issue to one you’ll want to read for yourself.
