REVIEW: Superman #36
Superman #36, “Prime Time” Part One, begins Superboy Prime’s installment in the “Reign of the Superboys”. With intentions to fill in for Superman during his absence, Prime dons the Superman name and gets a fresh start in the DCU. This is definitely going to be a fascinating and unique storyline for a Superman title and it’s off to a great start.
The standard cover is by Dan Mora, who’s been busy supplying all the “Reign of the Superboys” cover art, at least for these first issues. Leaning into his comic book character awareness, Mora has Prime acknowledging us with a two finger salute. The all yellow background also feels like a nod to the original ‘Superman’ #1 which also adds to the Meta of it all.
Taurin Clarke’s variant is a cool wraparound showcasing all the Superboys involved in this reign. Cloaked in shadow, the bright colors of their outfits can’t help but break through the darkness. Not only is it a great group shot of the six characters but it’s also a great visual of how these young men are filling the void left by Superman.
The variants by Rod Reis are another fun nod to Prime’s awareness of the fourth wall. Eating popcorn and reading comics, Reis’s first offering has Prime engrossed in the first issue of ‘Absolute Superman’ with a slight alteration to Dan Mora’s cover for this issue in Reis’s second variant.
ACO finishes up their connecting covers with this issue as well, Skylar Patridge gets a foiled variant of their new corner art, and Juan Ferreyra places Prime in the Injustice video game against Parasite to round out the rest of the variants.
Dan Mora also does the interior art along with Colorist Alejandro Sánchez. You can tell they had a lot of fun with this issue as we get a peak into Prime’s imagination including temptations of how to handle his midtown fight and what covers his comic books will have. The story mainly sets up Prime to be a more consistent fixture for the arc which makes it a heavier exposition book, but the art remains dynamic and engaging. The one action sequence flows seamlessly between what Prime wants to do and what he actually does which keeps us on the fence about his ability to remain reformed. It’s exactly the high quality work we’ve come to expect and love from Mora & Sánchez.
Joshua Williamson, lettered by Ariana Maher, proves they have a deep understanding of how a character like Prime should be written in ‘Superman’ #36. From page one we’re shown just how different this story is going to unfold and yet it never strays too far into anything unrecognizable or ridiculous. Although she’s lost her powers again, Lois remains a source of moral support in Prime’s journey, encouraging him to get a civilian job in order to keep him grounded about his intentions. To that end he introduces himself as CK and lands in the good graces of a comic book shop he discovered while battling Ignition. Just as he really starts to settle into his new life in his own place, a shocking appearance of someone makes themselves known and also realizes we’re watching.
(10/10) As someone who hasn’t really liked the usage of Prime in the past, Superman #36 really hooked me. I find myself thoroughly enjoying this direction for the character and really hope it sticks. This is definitely going to be a fun experience and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.
