Adventures of Superman #10 Review: A Day in the Life

by Daniel Gehen
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Another week, another installment of The Adventures of Superman. Check out our review after the jump!

AOS 10bAdventures of Superman returns to its done-in-one format this week with a story co-written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, of 2000AD fame, as well as smorgasbord of works for DC, Marvel and other publishers. Penciling this issue is Wes Craig, whose most notable works include Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and Wildstorm’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre comics, both series also written by Abnett and Lanning. This installment gives the readers insight into something most probably don’t think about: what is a typical day like for Lex Luthor? Unsurprisingly, Superman is at the heart of it.

Positives

AOS 10eWith the limited pages in a digital-first format, the most important thing for the writers is to capture the core essence of these iconic characters. We’ve seen a myriad of writers hit the nail on the head when it comes to Big Blue, but this is the first issue devoted to the psyche of Lex Luthor. With that in mind, Abnett and Lanning knock it out of the park. This version of Lex is a blend of both the shrewd, savvy, and ruthless businessman and the brilliant, mad scientist.   I like both versions of the character, but I absolutely love it when writers are able to successfully combine those versions into one.

Craig’s art is pretty good throughout the issue, particularly in quieter, character moments. I say that because, even though this issue is a character study, there are some instances of action interwoven. That said, there is a beautiful splash page with Superman in space that reminded me of Chris Samnee’s art from Adventures of Superman #1.

Negatives

AOS 10cWhile the writers were able to capture the essence of Lex Luthor throughout the script, I cannot say the same for the titular character. At the end of the issue, Superman acts out in a manner that is, in my opinion, very uncharacteristic.

Craig does a lot right in this issue. However, there are occasional panels where the art is rushed. I wish that it could have been more consistent from start to finish. Also, what a tease by giving us a Bruce Timm cover.

Verdict Rating4 (4/5)

After a multi-issue arc, Adventures of Superman returns to its standalone issue format with a rather quiet story. However, the creative team shows us that a quiet issue can be just as entertaining as a bombastic, action-packed ride. For 99 cents, you can do a lot worse than this. Pick it up.

AOS 10d

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