Adventures of Superman: Book of El #1 review

Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s Warworld Saga was one of the highlights of the last several years so far as Superman stories go. When it ended, I thought that was it so far as cosmic adventures from Johnson and some very talented artistic partners went. But here we are with a limited series from Johnson and Scott Godlewski which opens on a familiar figure.

Kryl-Ux betrayed Superman on Warworld as part of a plan to get revenge on Mongul. Superman defeated the warlord, and now Kryl-Ux wants to get back at the United Planets, who played a part in delivering New Phaelosia to Mongul.

Two young survivors of the Kryptonian colony, Osul and Otho, bonded with Superman during his time as a Warworld gladiator, and after the Man of Steel liberated the slaves, travelled to Earth with him. Now they’re being raised by Clark and Lois, have a big brother in Jon Kent, and grandparents in Martha and Jonathan Kent. And today they’re all together in Smallville.

It’s an idyllic day. The kind of day that tends to be rudely interrupted in the DC Universe.

Superman and Jon spring into action, while Osul and Otho – Red Son and Starchild – get Lois, Jonathan and Martha to safety. Superman is shocked when he learns who’s leading the space savages…

‘Meanwhile’, in the far future, a young man named Ronan fights to protect a friend in a shanty town ruled by the strange Summer Men.

Now this is interesting – Ronan was part of the Superman: House of El micro-series from 2021, part of the Future State event. The core creators? Johnson and Godlewski. House of El was full of descendants of Superman with potential, and now it seems they’re going to meet their famous forefather.

But in 2021, things look set to get very grim…

I’m trying not to give too much away, because this is a book I hope you’ll read. As with his Action Comics run and linked specials, Johnson gives us a classic Superman – strong, resolute, fearless – but also a modern man, free with his feelings. As well as a lovely moment with Otho and Osul, here’s Mr and Mrs Superman saying goodbye for what they hope will be a short time.

Lois and Clark have rarely seemed so real, and it’s great to see them with the Warworld kids again – we’ve seen them only rarely since Johnson left Action Comics, and I feared they’d be silently sent to limbo. But here they are, and I’d not be surprised were the whole point of this series be to give them a happy ending. But as of this issue, that’s not coming any time soon.

Godlewski brings the script to life with style and intelligence; the storytelling is first class, the emotions writ large in the faces and body language of his characters. There’s a terrific panel showing the space warps that bring the invaders to Earth, a couple of pages before the fight breaks out.

The clever angle, with an oblivious Clark, has the reader anticipating excitement, and we aren’t disappointed. And well done to Johnson and Godlewski for having Clark go glasses-free when he’s with people who know he doesn’t need them.

Johnson’s script makes it clear Jonathan Kent is feeling the frailties of old age, something Godlewski evokes in his art.

Alex Guimarães lays down the colour with huge skill – the naturalistic shades of Smallville are slowly overtaken by the intensity of the arriving aliens, with their energy blasts and weapons of war. And Dave Sharpe’s letters also play their part in telling the story, becoming especially important after the comic story ends. That’s when we get a pair of notebook pages full of fascinating, sometimes shocking, story points that had me wishing we were seeing all these things play out in comics form as part of a line-wide event.

Then again, Johnson is a born storyteller with a real gift for words; if he didn’t believe text pages were the best way to tell part of his story, they wouldn’t be here.

Drawn by Godlewski and coloured by Guimaraẽs, the cover illustration is simple in concept, and excellent in execution.

I don’t think a person would have had to have read either House of El or the Warworld Saga to enjoy this comic. Characters and situations are introduced and referenced as far as is necessary…but, if you have DC Infinite, dig in, it’s all there. Otherwise, dive in here and enjoy the ride.