Is it a bird?
Is it a plane?
What? No, it’s Brian Bendis’ third Superman collection!
Wait, did you say “turd”? Because, yes, this is another terrible Bendis Superman book!
Is it a plane?
What? No, it’s Brian Bendis’ third Superman collection!
Wait, did you say “turd”? Because, yes, this is another terrible Bendis Superman book!
Like the Court of Owls in Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s first New 52 Batman book, the Invisible Mafia have been operating in our hero’s city for decades unbeknownst to him. Except the Invisible Mafia are way less cooler or compelling than the Court. They meet in a segment of lead pipe (Superman can’t see through lead) which is a laughable visual and just reminded me why most Golden Age heroes are completely outdated. Taking a page from Akira “Dragon Ball” Toriyama, the Mafia members are named after food – Yoghurt, Candy, etc. – which doesn’t make them any more badass, and their enforcer is a fart cloud of red gas called The Red Cloud, one of the lamest new villains I’ve seen in years.
So I think I’m basically done with Bendis’ Superman run already!
Like I said in my reviews of his (to date) two other Superman books, he totally gets the character but he’s done the typical Bendis thing of getting so carried away writing reams of dialogue that he’s neglected the story. And what little there is here is so, so dull. Superman continues to investigate the case of the mysterious fires (snore) while the Mafia crime away and Superman skirmishes harmlessly with the Red Cloud. Lois is back somehow and sneaking around with Lex. A few superheroes cameo: The Guardian, Batman, and The Question, to no real effect beyond Fan Service! And we find out who Robinson Goode (Lois’ replacement at the Planet) really is – even though I wasn’t wondering!
I didn’t totally hate it - Bendis writes a brilliant Perry White:
Robinson Goode: "Well, Mister White, I do have a follow-up on the fires but you're not going to like it."
Perry: "This is your first week here, Miss Goode. You don't know me well enough to know what I like and don't like."
Robinson Goode: “A kid, young man, came into the fire station on Adams and said he saw SUPERMAN light the fires.”
Perry: “Oh… I don’t like THAT.”
And then later after Superman drops by:
Perry: (quietly, aside to Superman) "Uh... any cancer?"
Superman: (using his x-ray vision) "No. You're completely clear."
Perry: "Thanks, pal"
I love small tidbits like that and they’re so revealing of the characters and their relationships.
I liked that the predictable final fight that closes out this book between Superman and the Red Fart wasn’t simply mindless punching like in the other Superman book where Superman, Zod and Rogol Zaar thumped each other pointlessly. This time Superman used his words to defeat the bad guy – wow, some actual thought went into that scene!
Both Yanick Paquette and Ryan Sook’s art is great, and it’s amusing how each chapter opens on a snapshot of various characters’ desks – the details within each are very cute. I don’t know if it’s the colourist or he’s taking a lighter approach to his inking but Patrick Gleason’s art looked a lot flatter than usual.
The mystery fires thing makes sense but it’s an indication that Bendis is in no hurry to tell whatever story he’s got and there’s not enough here for me in the meantime to put up with the glacial pacing and continue reading this or his other Superman series. And that’s disappointing because I was looking forward to Bendis’ Superman.
I’ve no idea what fans see in this - Invisible Mafia is such a boring and bland read! And I am up, up and moving well away from this tedious title!
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