Superman/Wonder Woman 1
Charles Soule, Tony Daniel
Spoiler alert! You have been warned!
Finally. The first comic (outside of the main Justice League book, of course) where Superman and Wonder Woman’s relationship is not only referenced, but central to the book. And, you know, actually believable. That’s always important for making readers not just buy the book, but actually enjoy it as well. And enjoyable is probably the easiest way to describe the premiere issue of writer Charles Soule and artist Tony Daniel’s Superman/Wonder Woman. It is a beautifully illustrated comic with plenty of action, witty dialogue, and even a little romance to keep even the most adamant Lois and Clark supporters silent. For a while, at least.
The plot is pretty standard first issue stuff. Soule does a great job of reminding us but not beating it over our heads that Clark and Diana’s relationship is a little different than the rest of those in the current DC Universe. I will venture to say that their rooftop “date,” where the couple give each other gifts is probably some of the strongest character work for both characters since the relaunch of the New 52. This was the first time that I actually believed them as a couple, without having to be told they were a couple. So the action and cliffhanger ending with the reappearance of Doomsday (who is, quite honestly, completely and utterly terrifying) is just an added bonus. We’ve got a great setup for a lot of events to come and it’s nice to see that the pretty pictures are accompanied by some very serious and realistic dialogue. This was originally a book I was dreading, only slightly on board with the relationship in general, not to mention it being enough to give the two starcrossed lovers their own title. But the announcement of the creative team and the preview of that cover (which is nothing short of incredible) alleviated that concern slightly.
The question on my mind, and probably on that of everyone else’s as well, is just how long can they keep it up? And by they, I mean both Clark and Diana as well as Daniel and Soule. Is there enough chemistry to truly explore this relationship further? Or is this destined to be doomed, due to fan outrage and comparisons to Twilight? (Seriously, I saw no Twilightesque shenanigans in this. At all.) I look forward to some great future stories looking into “masks,” so to speak. I’ve always thought Wonder Woman and Batman were actually the ideal pair, but that would be too easy. Superman and Batman’s friendship works because they are so different. So why can’t Clark and Diana’s work on the same token? Or at least, why can’t they try desperately to make it work and draw it out as long as possible? Either way, if the rest of the issues are as good as this one, consider me on board. Until Lois comes back and is actually written as someone other than a plot device. That’d be neat.
My Rating: 4.5/5
