REVIEW: ‘Superman: Red & Blue,’ Issue #3

Superman: Red & Blue #3  is an anthology series published by DC Comics. The issue contains five different stories by a roster of various creators, in the vein of the previous two issues. “Deadline” is written by Jesse J. Holland, illustrated by Laura Braga, colored by Hi-Fi and lettered by Dave Sharpe; “Kilgore City” is written, illustrated and colored by Michel Fiffe; “A Man Most Saved” is written by Brandon Thomas, illustrated and colored by Berat Pekmezci and lettered by Sharpe; “Something To Hold On To” is written by Nick Spencer, illustrated and colored by Christian Ward, and lettered by Sharpe; and “Little Star” is written, illustrated and colored by James Stokoe.

“A Man Most Saved” and “Something To Hold On To” are the two tales that stood out the most to me due to the emotional heft they packed and how they tied into the issue’s theme of Superman having a connection to mankind. “A Man Most Saved” focuses on Dr. Charley Miles, a man who Superman has saved multiple times in his career; the shoe slips onto the other foot when Charley has to save Superman from Kryptonite poisoning. In framing the story from the perspective of someone who’s gotten to know Superman on a personal level, Thomas’s script immerses readers into the story; it’s hard not to put yourself into Charley’s shoes. Pekmezci has the chance to illustrate various versions of Superman, from The Return of Superman‘s black-and-white solar suit to the T-shirt and jeans the Man of Steel wore during the New 52 era.

“Something To Hold On To” features Superman taking a group home of children without families on a tour of the Fortress of Solitude, which Toyman interrupts. Spencer brings the same mix of action and emotion that permeates his run on Amazing Spider-Man, with Superman genuinely enjoying showing the kids around the fortress-they especially take a shine to Krypto. Ward supplies the story with his trademark psychedelic artwork, including frightening killer dolls concocted by Toyman. Their limbs are spiderlike, and their faces stretched into rictus grins that eclipse the Joker’s sinister smile. Toyman himself lurks on the story’s fringes, with Ward choosing to model the villain off of his appearance in Superman: The Animated Series.

The other standout story is “Little Star,” which features a different art style from the usual Superman comics courtesy of Stokoe. “Little Star” has the Man of Steel encountering a massive meteor which turns out to be a monster-its massive hide covered with frost and rock. Stokoe is no stranger to monsters, having previously illustrated Godzilla: The Half-Century War for IDW Publishing. However, the difference between the Meteor Monster and Godzilla is that the former shares a surprising connection with Superman-which leads to a heartfelt ending.

Superman: Red & Blue #3 features a quintet of tales centered on the Man of Steel’s humanity, courtesy of a roster of all-star creators. The thing that makes Superman such an endearing character is his connection to humanity, and I love it when comics explore that; hopefully, the other issues in the series touch upon that.

Superman: Red & Blue #3 is available now wherever comics are sold.