REVIEW: ‘Superman Unlimited’ Issue 1

Superman Unlimited Issue 1 is published by DC Comics. Written by Dan Slott, with art by Rafael Albuquerque, colors by Marcelo Maiolo and letters by Dave Sharpe.

In this latest issue, as Superman races to stop an asteroid, he finds that it is completely made out of Kryptonite. The first half of Superman Unlimited Issue 1 has a breakneck pace. Superman gives a brief summary of his activities and how busy his life is. He saves people, talks to locals, and is unstoppable as he does so.

Then he hurtles into Space, the only person on Earth available to try and stop an asteroid. From there comes a recap—a really in-depth recap. As he pushes himself to the brink of death, trying to push back against the largest chunk of Kryptonite he’s ever seen, we get the story of Superman from the very beginning to the present day.

Slott hits every beat with both detail and brevity. Every era is included: deaths, rebirths, and child births. This life story takes up the majority of the issue. It could be suggested that this huge wedge of exposition takes the place of action, but the pacing helps keep the comic flowing. And there is always the ever-growing intensity of the asteroid heading towards Earth. The last part of Superman Unlimited Issue 1 heralds an entirely new era for him and other Kryptonians. It’s a superb twist that’s disorientating and unexpected.

The script of Superman Unlimited Issue 1 shows that Slott can easily be trusted to understand the Man of Steel. Stepping from Spider-Man to Superman encapsulates Slott’s knowledge of how to write a do-gooder. Superman is noble, beloved and respected. This version of the character is serious yet friendly and trusted by everyone. The exposition is narrated by Superman himself. It contains emotion, not just a dull history lesson that’s beige in tone. There will be a supporting cast, that’s clear to see around the fringes of the comic. But for this first chapter, Clark is the centrepiece.

The art works for both sides of Superman Unlimited Issue 1. At first glance, it truly separates Superman from the humans around him; they all look smaller. The Man of Steel is big and muscular, with power radiating from him. This is seen from the start, but then comes the life story. We then see Clark Kent grow. From a small boy into a gawky teenager into a dorky adult. From the farm boy to the ultimate hero. Albuquerque shows the journey that turned Superman into the ideal specimen.

The colors save their most vibrant moments for special occasions. The red, blue and gold are almost exclusively used for Superman or other Super-based characters. When flying, Superman often just turns into streaks of those colors. Those are his shades, how you just know it’s him on his way to save lives. Then, in Space, you don’t even need a word to describe what Superman sees, as soon as that glowing green is visible. The lettering is superb, with consistency in the word balloons and a classic style to the sound effects.

Superman Unlimited Issue 1 tells the entire story of Superman—all of it. It’s surprising how much of his history can be told so quickly in one issue. It’s a superb jumping-on point because there is so much information on the protagonist. Slott trades the red and blue of Spider-Man for that of Superman, and you can tell how much he loves the character from this opening chapter. But this series won’t just follow the status quo with all the same features as before. Instead, it shatters it with something placed right in the ocean that changes everything.

Superman Unlimited Issue 1 is available where comics are sold.