SUPERMAN: AMERICAN ALIEN #3 ​

By Paul Fiander

Art by: Joelle Jones
Colours by Rico Renzi
Cover by: Ryan Sook
Variant Cover by; Joelle Jones and Rico Renzi
Written by: Max Landis
Published by DC Comics on the 13/01/16

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A Superman story without a cape or uniform could be a little dull but so far American Alien has been producing the goods. Now though we have Clark at his oldest and seemingly wisest but not yet quite Superman. The scenario of the issue though is such that even without the Red and Blue this feels like a truly great read. After winning a contest Clark is flying out to a tropical resort when his plane decides it wants to be a submarine. Luckily though we are spared a treading water story (yes I know he can fly) with the arrival of a yacht owned by the one and only Bruce Wayne. The man himself though is not aboard instead it is mostly filled with the trust fund brigade who have no idea what the eccentric billionaire looks like, giving Clark an opportunity to live the high life that very few experience.

The hi-jinx above though is just the set up for a issue focused on Clark finding out who he wants to be. This is done in the company of a rather gorgeous redhead that helps him with his moment of revelation. Their brief encounter has the hallmarks of a fleeting romance and feels honest to the characters involved. Thankfully though there is a great streak of comedy running through the issue that lifts the story when it needs to. This balance shows a great handle of storytelling by Max Landis as the read flies by.

Of course the other side of the issue is the artwork that brings together the amazing talents of Joelle Jones and Rico Renzi. Renzi is the colourist from the Spider-Gwen series that so delighted us in 2015. His colours work perfectly with the art from the Lady Killer artist Jones. Her depiction of Clark and the rest of the cast of characters shows her talented art at its very best. The angular jawlines mixed with a collection of wonderfully posed scenes give this understated tale of the Man of Steel the framing it deserves.

This is an issue that shows that the human side of Superman is perhaps the best way to sell the character. Clark’s humanity is the driving force behind Superman afterall.

Variant Cover