Superman #3 Review

Writers: Peter J Tomasi, Patrick Gleason / Artists: Jorge Jimenez / DC Comics Who knew you could honestly, wholeheartedly adore a Superman series again? In its third issue (fourth including the Rebirth intro), Superman continues to demonstrate one of my favorite aspects of the Rebirth series, which is how close they follow the Convergence formula of combining innovative narratives with key elements of characters’ histories. Here, we are presented with the Fortress of Solitude, Krypto, and the age old backstory of the destruction of Krypton but with new insight into how the pieces fit together. For instance: who was prepared to see, of all throwbacks, the Eradicator?

Created after The Death of Superman, the Eradicator was originally an extremely 90’s (really? “The Visored Superman?”) ploy to fill the void created by offing one of the most recognizable characters in comics. Instead of chucking him into the Villain of the Day role, however, Gleason and Tomasi give us a complex backstory tying the fearsome foe to a desperate attempt to resurrect the home he quite literary bonded with. While Superman has dozens of foils to compare to, I think the best authors know how to capitalize on highlighting differences and similarities rather than merely showcasing another _____ Superman. The Eradicator’s desire to recreate Krypton isn’t terrifying because of malicious intent, but because it’s clearly fueled by the same depth of adoration for the planet that Clark himself holds, and so one…