Superman: Man of Tomorrow occupies a rather odd place in the Superman canon.
For the uninitiated, there are two main Superman series: Superman and Action Comics. First published in 2020, (and sadly no longer running) this particular series is a part of neither, being initially released digitally, combined with some single issues exclusively available from Walmart. It was worked on by a number of different artists and authors, most notably Robert Venditti, whose issues are collected and given a physical release in a single volume entitled Hero of Metropolis, which is the subject of this review. This status of Man of Tomorrow as something of a sideline has resulted in the series being overlooked by many readers, which is too bad, because there could scarcely be a better place for those unfamiliar with Superman to become a fan. (Speaking for myself, who hadn’t read a Superman comic in over two decades, it made me a convert almost immediately.)
The word that comes to mind is quintessential: when people think of Superman, what they see in Hero of Metropolis is what they’re imagining. Largely consisting of standalones, the stories mostly take place in Metropolis and revolve around Superman protecting his home city, as opposed to dealing with world-ending threats, facing down everything from murder mysteries and gambling rings, to more traditional supervillains, including his old foe Lex Luthor.
Of course, Superman’s real power is his innate decency, and the effect he has on others is on full display here, the book never losing sight of the people Big Blue is helping; I particularly enjoyed a scene in which he receives an important lead, simply because he goes to comfort someone he finds crying after a disaster. Another nice touch is the handling of Superman’s strength level: obviously, his powers are considerable, but his opponents present a genuine danger. He doesn’t always have the upper hand, and we see him banged up and wounded, despite being a man of steel. This, in my view, is the best way to present Superman’s powers, and it adds more suspense to the superpowered mayhem, as opposed to having him steamroll his enemies.
The book isn’t perfect; inevitably, in a collection of standalones, some stories are stronger than others; some may find certain moments to land on the wrong side of saccharine, and some of Superman’s quips should have stayed in the Silver Age, but these are minor quibbles. With Superman about to fly into theaters later this summer, this unadulterated blast of superheroic goodness, with artwork by Paul Pelletier, Drew Hennessy, and Adriano Lucas, offers the perfect opportunity to see why Superman has maintained such enduring popularity. I loved it.
