Superman Annual #1
DC Comics
Written By: Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
Art By: Jorge Jimenez
I have been loving the current Superman run; at 11 issues right now, there hasn’t been a down issue. Currently, we’re getting a taste of what the Super Sons comic is going to be like. However, we take a break from our Super-Sons to get a story that seems a little out of nowhere and forced. This is Superman Annual #1, “Tangled Up In Green.”
The story here, like I said, seems just a tad forced and drawn out. Most of the issue is a fight with Swamp Thing. The reason they fight doesn’t make sense right now and I hope Tomasi and Gleason explain this weird blue-touch thing Clark did to Swamp Thing. I do get that Swamp Thing sees this current Superman as a threat to the planet since he’s taking in more sunlight than the previous Supes did but he could have said that much sooner. He does say that Superman should consider leaving the planet and I hope this is also explored more in the future.
I feel like Swamp Thing could have just told Clark his concerns from the start instead of having to initiate a fight. This battle between heroes feels like an exploitation fight in the same vein as Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman. The story isn’t bad, don’t get me wrong there, but it could have been executed better and would benefit from a second issue. Instead of it being an annual, this would have been a fun 2-issue story where the two team up and fight a small villain while Swamp Thing discusses his concerns with Clark.
The art here, on the other hand, is great. Superman looks awesome and Jorge Jimenez really captures his grace. The flow of his cape is especially captivating and on the same level of awesome as Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. His take on Swamp Thing is also tremendous as he shows the true might of what he’s capable of as he gives the reader a true sense of scale and power. The panel placement is also really inspired as the boarders are like the branches and vines of Swamp Thing. The issue does rely a little too much on single or double splash pages but it’s a slight nitpick as the art is so good and helps show how massive Swamp Thing can get.
Superman Annual #1 is a bit messy. I didn’t like the forced fight between Superman and Swamp Thing but that didn’t stop me from still enjoying the issue. The art is great, as always with this current Superman title. If the weird story points don’t go anywhere in the future, and I really hope they do, I would recommend skipping this annual.