Superman 2023 Annual #1 review

It’s a day in the life of Metropolis as seen through the eyes of the Daily Planet’s crew of top investigative reporters. But it’s not the usual people looking at the usual things.

Acting editor Lois Lane wants new attitudes, fresh insights. A good reporter is a good reporter and even if they don’t have all the specialist knowledge of a colleague, in a city as mad as Metropolis the Daily Planet’s star journalists should be able to find something of interest.

Soon technology expert Lisa Lombard and photographer Jimmy Olsen are taking Supercorp chief Mercy Graves up on her offer of a guided tour. Mercy is after a puff piece – look at how they’re helping rehabilitate Parasite! – but Lisa’s not having it.

Queen of showbiz Cat Grant goes on a ridealong with the new police chief and comes across a legendary Metropolis figure.

Longtime readers will know what Cat is talking about – years ago her young son Adam was kidnapped and murdered by the terrible Toyman. His creations have been attacking Metropolis that very day, and Lois was sensitive to how that might feel for Cat.

And there’s more. Lots more in the best Superman Annual for years. Writer Joshua Williamson mines decades of history while bringing to the table threads from his current run on the monthly title. Things have been so entertainingly frenetic for Superman there that we’ve not spent much time with the Planet crew, and if we’re not spending time with the staff of the original Great Metropolitan Newspaper, we’re missing out. So I’m delighted to see a whole bunch of them, and learn, for example, that new girl Lisa Lombard is indeed related to boorish sportscaster Steve.

Now, if only someone would confirm that crime reporter Erica Edge is family to slimeball Morgan Edge. She does prove very useful so far as Lois’s quest to learn about Lex Luthor’s earliest years in Metropolis goes. Lois herself gets out and about after Steve Lombard flunks his assignment to interview Superman’s electric enemy, Livewire, at Stryker’s Island prison. And that’s when a bad guy unseen since Brian Bendis’s Action Comics berth turns up.

Red Cloud. I never saw that coming. Why she’s not got a working power dampener on, we’re not told, but the lack does allow a fun fight that results in a surprising new hire for Lois.

The title of this issue is ‘The City of Secrets’ and Williamson does a great job of developing and enriching the mysteries he’s been laying out in his Superman series. Lex Luthor isn’t seen but his presence is felt, while sinister science siblings Dr Pharm and Mr Graft show up, only to be outshone by the surprise last page arrival of a classic villain.

Superman isn’t a big presence this issue, he’s literally a background character at times, leaving room for Lois to remind us what she’s made of. Her prison drama is huge fun, but it’s seeing her handle the Planet hacks that really impresses. And there’s also a nifty narration from Mrs Superman.

Williamson’s artistic partner on the monthly, Jamal Campbell, isn’t around for this story, which isn’t a surprise, he’s a busy lad. What is a surprise is that we don’t get a single artist on the book – sure, at 40pp it’s double sized, but it’s been commissioned alongside the monthly… was no one available to handle the whole issue?

Which isn’t to say this isn’t a nice-looking issue. We get contributions from two of my favourites, Mahmud Asrar and Jack Herbert, along with Max Raynor, Caitlin Yarsky and Edwin Galmon, all of whom do a fine job of storytelling. The opening spread of Superman vs a giant doll by Asrar – who also produced the cover, with colourist Dave McCaig – is splendid, but the less splashy office scene that follows – I think it’s by Galmon – is also excellent. Little details like the mirroring of Steve’s tache with Lisa’s stray hair are great.

Herbert’s work has a Gary Frank vibe that screams classic Superman as the Man of Steel finds Toyman following the defeat of his kaiju-sized droid. Heck, there’s something to like in the work of every artist – wait until you see the super pet that debuts in the annual courtesy of Yarsky.

Colourists Dave McCaig, Alex Guimarães and, doing double duty, Galmon combine talents to give us a vibrant world of Metropolis, while letterer Ariana Maher impresses with italicisation to match the slant of Supercorp’s windows across a fun two-page cutaway by Yarsky and Guimarães.

Incidentally, I do apologise if I’ve misattributed any of the art here – even going back to DC Infinite to compare artists with their previous credits, I can’t be sure of who did what. I wish editors – here Paul Kaminski and Jillian Grant – would do their freelancers the courtesy of giving proper breakdowns.

Whoever did what, I commend everyone for one of the most enjoyable comics so far this year, full of action, heart, characterisation and great visuals. Don’t miss it.