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The following contains spoilers for Summer of Superman Special #1, on sale now from DC
Teaser issues from DC and Marvel are difficult to get right. These standalone stories are designed to tease future storylines and excite readers for comics they can still pre-order. Yet providing a story that’s exciting in its own right without simply delivering narrative advertisements is a tricky balance, and one that writers rarely get right. Summer of Superman Special #1 is an exception to that rule – one that showcases the top-notch creators currently overseeing DC Comics’ Superman line. Its focus on a significant event in current continuity provides readers with a worthwhile issue that also manages to tease plenty of upcoming storylines bound to capture readers’ attention.
Summer of Superman Special #1 is published by DC Comics and written by Mark Waid, Dan Slott, and Joshua Williamson, with art by Jorge Jiménez, including finishes by Belén Ortega and an epilogue by Dan Mora, and letters by Dave Sharpe. The oversized one-shot issue covers the day of Lana Lang and John Henry Irons’ wedding in Smallville in three segments spread across time. The issue opens with Waid’s story set in the past when Clark first considered telling Lana his secret. It continues with Slott’s script in the present when Validus arrives in the lead-up to the wedding itself. It concludes with Williamson’s portion set shortly after those disastrous events in Smallville.
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Lana Lang’s Wedding Day Hints at Big Events Still to Come
Summer of Superman Special Sets the Stage for a Year Filled with New Adventures
Summer of Superman Special #1 benefits from its singular focus on a longstanding member of Superman’s supporting cast: Lana Lang. Current readers will be aware of her romance with John Henry Irons (a.k.a. Steel), and even casual fans will recognize everyone involved. It’s a substantial turning point for Superman’s first love and one that merits an issue unto itself.
Examining both those early days and the modern status quo offers the collection of writers involved plenty of opportunities for adventure, comedy, and drama.
Waid’s installment, set during Lana and Clark’s childhood in Smallville, is a highlight of an issue that’s consistently enjoyable to read. It serves as an ode to childhood sweethearts that defines why Lana has remained a consistent part of Superman’s story, even after Lois Lane’s arrival. It plays to Waid’s strengths as an aficionado of DC Comics’ history, even when Validus makes an unexpected arrival. Sequences toying with time travel hint at what’s to come but serve the story by adding a tragic twist to Clark’s youthful hopes and desires.
The wedding itself pulls in a vast assortment of current superheroes sporting Superman’s iconic S on their chests. Even set in the best-known small town of superhero comics, this event feels big because of who’s involved. Although the return of Validus and further time-travel shenanigans tease what the future holds, the wedding itself takes centerstage. Slott and Williamson emphasize the growth of Superman’s family and celebrate a line that looks very different from even five years ago. They deliver a pair of stories filled with plenty of heart that reflect the good natures and kindness found across the Superman family, especially in characters like Lang and Irons.
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Summer of Superman Special #1 serves, first and foremost, as a celebration of DC Comics’ current Superman line. Characters address struggle and tragedy as a wedding day is crashed and Clark’s childhood hopes are turned to heartbreak. The emphasis in each section of the story is placed upon how these characters respond to circumstances with resilience and care. Bad things happen even when Superman is around, as Validus’ repeated arrivals attest.
Yet Superman and the family he inspires reliably respond to such disasters with the hope and hard work that’s bound to inspire readers.
Linking all of these segments with a single artist, Jorge Jiménez, ensures that a consistent approach between three renowned superhero writers is apparent. Although each writer brings their own strengths to the page, Summer of Superman Special reads as a coherent, single story with no abrupt shifts in style. Jiménez (along with Ortega, who provides assists in the third chapter) is an outstanding stylistic fit for Superman and this sort of story, in particular. Vibrant expressions, exaggerated forms, and pop colors light up the pages in an issue that consistently reads as a celebration.
Jiménez is capable of making even the mundane sequences work well, utilizing close-up panels to bring out the joy of a wedding without capes. However, they are at their best when tasked with splash panels and fantastical characters. Validus’ repeated arrivals make for excellent subject matter as the massive and massively powerful foe draws out the best from the entire Superman family. Jiménez provides spotlights for every superhero who is present, including Krypto in flashbacks. When Smallville is under threat, Jiménez’s style showcases both the stakes and the relative safety provided by knowing that Superman and his friends are nearby.
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What makes Summer of Superman Special #1 work is that it tells its own story, first and foremost. Readers are bound to be intrigued by the Dan Mora-illustrated epilogue, but those hints at future events are secondary.
The issue is focused on Lana Lang and John Henry Irons’ wedding and uses it to celebrate the current status quo of Superman comics. Jiménez’s artwork represents the optimistic tone and colorful adventures found within those comics well. And when combined with this story and the story hooks it lays for the future, it promises readers that the best is still yet to come.
Superman
“}]] An oversized Superman one-shot issue highlights Lana Lang and John Henry Irons’ wedding while foreshadowing big events to come in 2025 and beyond. Read More