Review: Superman Vol. 1- Before Truth
Quick Summary
Pros: Seeing Superman struggle with his powers is interesting and creates a number of tense situations. One of the reveals in this collection is a real bombshell. The focus on Superman’s relationship and human side is really entertaining.
Cons: Superman’s sudden reliance on his new ability seems a bit unbelievable. The artwork isn’t for everyone.
Overall: This is another successful volume in a series that is experiencing a massive recovery. Readers get a chance to see Superman truly struggle in a way he rarely has before. This creates tense situations that can be both emotional and suspenseful. There is also a wonderful focus on the human side of Superman that is sure to be entertaining for everyone. This is a book for fans who want to see a good Superman story where the Man of Steel is forced to struggle even more than usual.
Story
Superman Vol. 1: Before Truth continues the story and the elevated level of quality seen in Superman: The Men of Tomorrow (Review). Here, Superman struggles with his own powers failing him while still contending with enemies. This situation causes a focus to be placed on the Man of Steel’s human side, providing both character development and comedy. It also makes the story a bit more thrilling and suspenseful, as a Superman with failing powers is more vulnerable than ever before. Overall, this is a solid volume that fans of the Superman character will enjoy.
(spoilers start here)
The volume starts out with writer John Romita Jr. dealing with the immediate aftermath of the previous volume, the development of Superman’s new “solar flair” ability. He tests the ability with the Justice League, allowing readers a chance to learn more about the ability and also to see Superman interact with his friends in the League. This interaction proves to be very entertaining as it is one of few moments in this Justice League’s history where readers get to see the members hang out as friends instead of coworkers. This creates an introduction that is interesting, lighthearted, and humorous, something I really appreciated.
From here, writer Gene Luen Yang takes over, and writes the rest of the volume around the concept that Superman’s powers are fading due to his new ability. This creates a vulnerable Superman, who has the potential to be killed by villains far below his typical pay grade. This vulnerability then creates a story with more tension and suspense; if Superman is truly depowered then he could be killed at any moment. Though Superman’s sudden, and abundant, reliance on his new ability stretches believability, the concept itself allows for some unique and interesting stories.
Then the collection’s big bombshell drops: Superman’s identity is revealed. This adds another layer of atypical Superman storytelling to a story that was already different to begin with. All of a sudden, Superman has to grapple with enemies attacking his home and work. For all intents and purposes, this kills the Man of Steel’s secret identity and forces him to take more drastic, and aggressive, actions than ever before.
But the big reveal does not only affect Superman’s home life, it also affects his personal relationships. Seeing him fight with Lois and be admonished by Perry is rough and really shows how much he relied on his secret identity. Earlier, I talked about how making Superman physically vulnerable was an interesting concept; it turns out that making him emotionally vulnerable is just as interesting.
(spoilers end here)
Art
John Romita Jr.’s artwork in this volume fluctuates depending on exactly what is being portrayed. When depicting scenery, backgrounds, and some of the more creative characters, the artwork looks great and brings a lot of detail into the picture. The costume design, in regards to characters’ casual clothing, also looks great and helps with the human-focused nature of the story.
However, Romita Jr.’s blocky take on human beings is not for everyone, myself included. Rigid facial features and lackluster emotional expression really take away from some of the more individualized moments here. If you are the type of person who enjoys this particular style, then you’ll love this book. However, those who don’t care for it will be troubled by about half of the artwork in this collection.
Continuity
Superman Vol. 1: Before Truth takes place immediately following Superman: The Men of Tomorrow (Review).
The story here continues in Superman Vol. 2: Return to Glory.
This volume also references a story from another comic book, detailed below:
- Superman’s friend, the Toymaster, appears in this volume. These two became friends back in Batman/Superman Vol. 2: Game Over (Review).
- In Action Comics Vol. 1: Superman and the Men of Steel, Superman was captured and tortured by Lex Luthor and General Lane. This event is referenced a few times in this volume.