I have to admit that I'd been passing on purchasing DC's Superman/Wonder Woman monthly serial when I've seen it on the stands at the comic book store because I really wasn't interested in reading something that seemed like a soap opera in print. That was my loss as I learned when reading
SUPERMAN / WONDER WOMAN VOLUME 1: POWER COUPLE the graphic novel compilation of the first seven issues of this monthly comic book series. I found this series to actually be very impressive and enjoyable to read with a tidbit of romantic elements but also very action packed. It has a storyline that hooks you in complimented with decent artwork that provides nice visuals that have a classic comic book feel to them (not the artsy sketchy work that has a hand drawn feel but often leaves you squinting at drab images nor the CGI visuals that seem too glossy and cartoonish rather this artwork strikes a balance somewhere between those styles that really brings the characters to life off the pages of the book).
I still have a 20th Century mindset when it comes to thinking of Superman (His secret identity works at a newspaper, changes into his costume in a phone booth, Lois Lane is the love interest he longs for but can't have) but this comic book clearly is a 21st Century product for today's generation (Clark Kent is now working at a "blog", there are no more phone booths and people around the world can get obtain information almost instantaneously through smart phones, social media and cable tv...oh and he's not chasing Lois Lane anymore he's hooking up with Wonder Woman now). This comic book series is part of DC's NEW 52 effort which reset all of their characters stories back to a fresh start in 2011 when they were restarted at Issue #1. In this new 21st century timeline it's not Lois and Clark but rather Superman and Wonder Woman to provide some romantic angles and twists to the DC Comics universe.
The premise of the story is that Superman and Wonder Woman share a kiss which begins to transform into something more. Can two of the Earth's mightiest super heroes be boy friend and girl friend? Can they have a romance and relationship without it interfering with their super hero responsibilities or without those responsibilities tearing them apart from one another? They decide to give a relationship a try but want to keep it a secret, but in today's paparazzi world the secret doesn't last long. A photo of Superman and Wonder Woman kissing is leaked to a blog and suddenly a post that shows the picture is trending across social media and everyone on the planet knows the big news. Some people are thrilled, some are scared and others will do whatever it takes to kill this romance. Of course who breaks the news, it is Clark Kent's own blog when his business partner is mysteriously provided the photo she jumps on promoting it, and the blog, without happening to tell "Superman" in advance...oops! She of course doesn't know his secret identity and spills the beans on her partner without realizing the connection.
While the romantic elements are a big part of the story they are well balanced with the NEW 52 era of DC Comics introduction of two of Superman's most dreaded foes General Zod and Doomsday who provide a lot of action and suspense. These villains have escaped from the Phantom Zone and may be too much for Superman to handle.
In a nod to the classic Superman film
SUPERMAN II and forty-something fans like me, General Zod and his wife are portrayed in this comic book more like the characters from that 1980 movie compared to other incarnations of the characters such as the recent
Man of Steel movie directed by Zack Snyder. First General Zod escapes the Phantom Zone and Superman doesn't know if he is friend or foe only that the man is from Krypton. Superman places Zod in a cage within the Fortress of Solitude but doesn't realize in a funny twist that these aren't cages but storage containers that Zod knows the way to easily open. He than uses the technology in the Fortress of Solitude to help his wife escape to Earth. The Kryptonian couple than tackle Superman and Wonder Woman in a battle to determine whether Earth will be enslaved by the newest arrivals from Krypton.
Beyond just having to deal with Zod and his wife though Superman and Wonder Woman have to fight off the threat from Doomsday - the character who originally "killed" Superman in a DC Comics storyline back in the 1990s. Will this villain be the one thing that dooms their love? Doomsday isn't bundled together with Zod in his involvement in the story which is nice in it expands the script and gives each villain their own time to be in the spotlight.
The only thing I really didn't like is that in this NEW 52 reboot they've given Wonder Woman the ability to fly around in the sky just like Superman (what happened to the great invisible plane) and is painted more like a female superman than an amazonian warrior with her own unique abilities and talents. That aside,
SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN VOLUME 1: POWER COUPLE has this geek daddy's nod of approval.
You can pick up a copy of
SUPERMAN / WONDER WOMAN VOLUME 1: POWER COUPLE on
Amazon.com or at your local comic book retailer.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary time limited access reviewers pdf edition of this publication to utilize for this review.
