Lost in the Shuffle
Written by: Christopher Priest
Art by: Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz
Colors by: Jeremy Cox
Letters by: Willie Schubert
Cover art by: Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: April 11, 2023
Superman: Lost #2 begins Superman's journey across the cosmos when he's discovered unconscious in deep space by a group of semi-helpful aliens. What wonders or horrors will the Man of Steel encounter... out there?
Is It Good?
Uh oh. Superman: Lost #2 has me worried. I am concerned because the title shows early signs that the 10-issue maxi-series started with a basic premise but didn't have much meat on the bone beyond that. Admittedly, this issue is relatively free of Christopher Priest's eccentricities that make his arcs challenging to enjoy, but this issue is far from perfect for several reasons.
When last we left Superman, he returned home to Lois after only a few hours, but to everyone's surprise, we learn his recent mission to stop an exploding alien craft sent him far from home and absent from Earth for twenty-two years.
Now, we dig into what happened to Superman while lost in space. He's found by a passing alien ship, dumped on a world where he doesn't have money to pay for help, then lands on an alien planet called "Newark," that's a polluted dump.
Superman: Lost #2 Video Review
The setup is odd, and you get the impression Priest is trying to be satirical on a sub-audible level (meaning: you have to have a specific cultural viewpoint to "get it"), but that's fine IF the setting leads to a compelling story.
It doesn't. By any traditional measure, there is no story in this issue. The first half of the issue involves Superman recapping what happened in the first issue to the aliens who found him. The second half involves Superman exploring "Newark" before he flies away with a new suit and supplies just before he recaps the first issue (again) to a man named Victor who bears the title of Victor because Victor isn't his name. There is no conflict and resolution. Superman doesn't learn anything, and nothing changes except Superman's suit on the last page.
BTW, there's no explanation for how or why Superman got the new suit and supplies. It just happens.
Hopefully, you now see why I'm worried. Priest has a perfect opportunity to give Superman a set of interstellar adventures that span years. Yet, the first adventure turns out to be nothing more than a supply run with a vague suggestion of satire. When readers are paying a $4.99 cover price for a standard-sized issue (no backup), it's reasonable to expect more than this.
If this issue has a bright spot, it's Pagulayan and Paz's art. This comic looks fantastic. The art isn't good enough to justify the elevated cover price, but it comes close. The lines are clean, the weird space travel scenes are amazing, and the polish on this book is pristine.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Bits and Pieces:
Superman: Lost #2 shows early signs of trouble for the maxi-series. The art looks fantastic, and the settings are intriguing, but this issue has no story. It's a mildly odd tour of an alien world wrapped around a supply run and a costume change. If this is the story DC intends to tell, there's no way to justify the elevated cover price.
6.5/10
Thank you for sharing such valuable information in your blog post. I enjoyed reading it very much and learned a lot from it. Your explanation was brief but informative, and I'm grateful for the time and effort you put into creating it. Thank you for providing such an enjoyable read.
ReplyDeleteSeparation Agreement in Virginia