“Superman” #689 Review

“The Tourist”

Writer: James Robinson

Pencils: Renato Guedes

Inks: José Wilson Magalhães

Colors: David Curiel

Cover: Andrew Robinson

Mon-El has been front and center of Superman for a few months now.  And its pretty sad, but the book is actually far more interesting now.  With the recent revelation that the mystery serum that cured Mon-El of his lead poisoning is only temporary and is now slowly killing him, the book has taken a blazing turn to character drama as Mon-El rushes to see the world, experiencing life for the first time and desperately wanting to live. 

“The Tourist” picks up with Morgan Edge launching a tirade against Mon-El, as the rest of the world still believes Mon-El to be a member of the publicly despised Kryptonians, all now banned from Earth.  As The Guardian takes to the airwaves to defend his comrade, Mon-El is oblivious to this, traveling the world and seeing the sights, all the while helping other superheroes such as Doctor Light, Freedom Beast, the Rocket Reds, Congorilla and more, as well as carrying the burden of his secret: that he is dying.

Seriously, DC is coming out on top of the game this week.  Detective Comics and Superman both tell bold, well written tales that kick their respective stars aside, bringing popular but underused characters to the forefront.  The format of the story, where Mon-El relates an epic battle followed by a quiet moment in a landmark or with a fellow adventurer, all told with the same weight and reverence, gives a unique insight into the mind of a hero who has been revered by fans for years, but has been missing from the world ever since his inception (Mon-El is best known to fans for his stint with the Legion of Super-Heroes, a series of adventures that won’t occur in his timeline until centuries later).  This is all thanks to a genius story from James Robinson, accompanied with simply gorgeous artwork and panel layouts by Renato Guedes.  The two work together to craft a simple, character-driven piece, told entirely in narrative caption boxes that pulls in the reader and gets them involved, seeing the world from the characters point of view.

There’s more going on in the background, of course.  Guardian taking on Morgan Edge is somewhat reminiscent of what Marvel is trying to do with Dark Reign, as we learn that Edge is actually working for the storyline’s big bad.  The story ends on a cliffhanger, as we learn that Atlas, who nearly destroyed Superman just before the “New Krypton” arc, is looking for revenge and has set his sights on the book’s other co-star, John Henry Irons a.k.a. Steel.

If you’ve not been following the new Superman, you’re missing out.  Mon-El is a compelling character with a rich background, and his story is an exciting one.  Superman #689, which gets a firm A, is a perfect jumping on point for any of you who haven’t been keeping up, as it gives an insight and introduction to its characters without making it feel forced or heavy handed.  Pick this one up now.