Azzarello/Lee Superman

[d_dawg99]

I kinda new to this but here goes:

I like many people have been picking up the new Azzarello Superman. I went into this with high expectations. Jim Lee is one of my favorite artists, and from past experience, Azzarello is a hell of a writer. Unfortunately, we are now what 6 issues into this storyline, and I have NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON! Apparently, Lois is missing, presumably due to a phenomenon called the 'Vanishing', which was caused by a general in a war halfway around the world. Supes is understandably upset. He takes the machine from the general, much to the chagrin of a mysterious guy named Orr and the JLA. Orr just kinda pops up from nowhere from what i gather and begins to make veiled threats to Supes' new confidant a Catholic priest that is revealed to be dying from cancer. WHAT?!?!? None of this makes any sense, and to make it worse, Wonder WOman now decides that she needs to fight Supes for the machine. Her involvement is more tenuous that Orr's (if that's possible). None of this quote unquote story jives with current continuity, is this an elseworlds tale?
To make it worse, Jim Lee's art seems to suffer along with the story. his usual iconic characters see lost in the underthought, over dialogued world that Azzarello is creating for them. The art is very lackluster, and uninspired. Which saddens me immensley.
Bottom Line: The Azzarello/Lee run is mediocre at best, wholly confusing, and redundant at its worst. The writing lacks terribly and the art is again uninspired. Which given Superman's standing in the comic book world as the most iconic character ever, makes it all the more disapointing.

Writing: D
Art: C
Overall: D+

Comments?

[Carter]

Dragonball Z is the best Superman story of all time.

[Knigge]

quote unquote story

Wouldn't that just be called "story"? Y'know with the quotes and all.

Anywho, I tried to read the first issue of this and it made no sense whatsoever, and the art was just fine, but it was nothing spectacular (considering it was Jim Lee). All I'm saying is hopefully this Morrison/Quitely rumor is true, cause Superman needs his balls rocked.

[d_dawg99]

I'm real glad that i'm not the only one that sees the problems with this story...

[Popninja]

I'm real glad that i'm not the only one that sees the problems with this story...

Nope, you are not alone. It has been truly THE single most disappointing run for me this year, possibly ever. The potential that was involved with these two collaborating was beyond words for me; I was SO excited for this run. It has been so boring, and so tedious, and such an arduous task picking this title up month after month in the hopes that maybe...just maybe...Azzarello's going to surprise me, but it just isn't happening.

Poor Jim Lee. He gets to draw Superman standing and talking next to every imaginable city location. He gets to draw Superman eating fruits and just...pondering and shit. Even the action that was raised a hundred fold compared to previous issues in the last issue wasn't all that great. I actually spotted an instance where Lee's storytelling was quite bad. There was a scene where Supes(sorry Byrne) gets kicked out of the fortress of solitude by WW and flies past the general guy's 'copter. Supes grabs the copter and flies it back into the fortress. One panel shows him come flying in with the copter, the next panel shows Supes just standing there. What happened to the copter? Bad.

The biggest gripe I've had about this entire run is that in every single issue, about a dozen or more times, someone will start a sentence and whoever they're talking to will finish the sentence. It's annoying and it's being done in each damn issue.

Such a disappointment. Conversely, Loeb and Pacheco have a very intriguing run started on Superman/Batman. This book takes away the pain of the other, but only for brief moments.

[Cage]

I agree.

I don't think Azzarello's writing style is suited for mainstream superheroes. I'm sure he doesn't have the latitude to do what he would like, as Superman can only go so far.

He would be better off writing a stand-alone story that's out of continuity.

[Cuddly]

He would be better off writing a stand-alone story that's out of continuity.

And preferably just one issue long, so we don't have another story dragged out over a year.

[Crimson Spider]

What are you guys talking about? Superman hasn't been featured in a comic since JLA #41.

He'll soon return in his own All-Stars book, though.

[Popninja]

What are you guys talking about? Superman hasn't been featured in a comic since JLA #41.

He'll soon return in his own All-Stars book, though.

No, what are you talking about?

We're almost at the end of this epic run . Anyone want to try and sum up what exactly is going on in this story? Because I can't seem to figure it out myself.

[GAG2]

I read my friend's copies of these issues, and I was really enjoying the storyline and premise of Superman grasping at straws as to the disappearance of Lois right up until it turned from that interesting plot to some third world dictator fella with some crazy gun and super powered hooligans.

The premise of Superman under emotional stress was a good one, but it seemingly took a backseat to more fisticuffs midway through the story.

I never read the conclusion, I don't know if my friend ever bothered buying them; but I was pretty disappointed after a really promising start.

Oh well.

Na razie,

Gregski