Superman 702 *Spoilers*

**babybro** · 08-11-2010, 10:43 AM

This issue was absolutely fantastic! His usage of dialog is impeccable. Each
individual seem to have their own voice, their own dialect. (The only issue I had was one guy from detroit saying dude, they don't say dude in detroit. I know, I'm from detroit. But they do say out here in cali.)

It starts off with this old grandpa falling asleep on the front porch, and what I presume to be his wife telling him that superman is coming around so they should get in the car, and he's like, oh no one's come around these parts. His head is tilt, with the cap covering his eyes so he doesn't even notice superman walking past. Funny scene that made me smile.

Next was the basketball scene, which many have seen within the preview. I still enjoy it because I didn't notice before the kid with glasses getting dogged and the group not allowing him to play. It was really cool what superman did, a small change like that makes a huge difference.

Than you have superman walking past, and notice a strange unearthly sound.
He talks to the guy from the front porch, and the guy brings him inside, when he's suddenly attacked by a war robot. For those action junkie's, hopefully the scene help quench your thirst a bit as it was a decent amount of pages. Afterwards, it was shown that the strange noise was a cloaking device and that the guy from outside and the family inside were actually aliens, being fleeing from a crazy home planet. The aliens tell their story, and supes can't decide what to do, to report them or not. So he decides to take a walk.

He is afterwards meet up with this other old guy, who explains his story about him working at the car plant. He takes him inside the plant, now a barren wasteland, and he tells the story of the good old days. How everything flourish and the place lighting up like magic. Of course, it's not anymore. (A play on the current situation with American car dealerships.) He asks superman for a favor. He's only seen people fly on television so he wanted to see superman fly. Touching scene when he does, but when superman attempts to fly away, the old guy appears to be having a heart attack. Superman takes the guy and flies to the alien folks, telling them that he knows they possess the technology to heal him. They try, and the next scene has the aliens on the news in human form, saying that they have created this technology to help the detroit car makers. So the plant where the old guy is reopen, and hundreds of people are standing in line, waiting for a job interview. Than clark kent shows up to actually interview the old guy.

Lois Lane calls, they have their conversation, and she says be careful because who knows who you might meet on this walk, and they have the ending scene with batman standing on top looking down at him.

Man, I am absolutely loving what JMS is bringing to the table. Superman has no competition for me as the number one book produce by dc, I'm loving every bit of it, and I cannot wait for future issues. The only thing is I wish he would bring some of this to Wonder Woman, because I'm liking what he's bringing to superman a WHOLE lot more than what he's doing with Wonder Woman.

10/10

**HopeLantern** · 08-11-2010, 11:09 AM

I KNEW it was a mistake to not pick this up at the LCBS. Maybe I can stop back by this afternoon.

**Kid Kamikaze10** · 08-11-2010, 11:14 AM

This issue was MUCH better than the last one.

Honestly, what Superman is doing is kinda what I wanted Power Girl to do with Starrwave: use her influence, both in superheroics and in the business world, to help others. (she did that a few times, but not enough, IMO. The series is a great start)

**zryson** · 08-11-2010, 11:37 AM

Considering America's recession, I think this issue in particular will resonate with many American readers. I wasnt a fan of the first issue, but this issue was pretty good - and had something I dont see alot of in comics - heart & soul.

If you liked the first issue you will probably love this issue imho. So I would grab a copy asap.

**coconutphone** · 08-11-2010, 12:01 PM

I really enjoyed it too. I especially loved the call with Lois. He's got a great way with writing couples.

The only part that I didn't care for was the basketball scene. Just a little too on the nose (making the nerdy social outcast a hero by letting him win) and movie of the weekish.

Did love his solution to the hidden aliens though. And of course the cameo at the end was great.

**BigTopTony** · 08-11-2010, 01:11 PM

I don't usually buy Superman, but with little interest in today's releases, I picked up 702 and laughed my butt off at the panel where Superman is blasting past everyone and going up to dunk. So absurd (and not in a bad way) it had me in stitches. Worth the price of admission.

**ArnoldoAAD** · 08-11-2010, 01:27 PM

much better than the last chp and MILES away from Robinson run
keep going =)

**Quinnhop** · 08-11-2010, 02:01 PM

To quote my Facebook post to Didio:

Superman #702.

Damned beautiful. JMS has finally shown me the appeal of a Superman who stands for "Truth, justice, and the American Way." Until reading this issue, I really had problems with the idea of Superman as a patriotic character. But it's not that, is it? He's not patriotic, he's humanitarian. He doesn't belong to any particular country, but when it comes down to it he IS representative of everything America has the potential to be. What it's been before and what the best of us strive to make it again. That Superman himself is an immigrant faced with the newly arrived "illegals" is brilliant. That his first reaction is "I was an infant"? So poignant. And yet it's because of his immigrant status -- not in spite of it -- that Superman does so represent the American dream. And you can see where this whole storyline is kind of reminding him of that. Of who he really stands for. He's the ultimate everyman. He's the definitive immigrant. He’s the ideal American.

Platinum Age approved.

**burr787** · 08-11-2010, 02:37 PM

I found it better than the last issue but still had some faults with Supes dealing with the 'real' issues. I found it neat that JMS tried to see both POVs for the immigration debate. Overall alright issue, but the new one looks like it's going to be better.

**Uxas** · 08-11-2010, 03:35 PM

Barrows' art is awesome. His action scenes look intense. I'd really like to see him do Aquaman event or something.

**KnightErrantJR** · 08-11-2010, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by burr787

I found it better than the last issue but still had some faults with Supes dealing with the 'real' issues. I found it neat that JMS tried to see both POVs for the immigration debate. Overall alright issue, but the new one looks like it's going to be better.

I'll agree, its better than the last one, but the baseket ball scene was painful to me. Its just really cheesy feeling, from Superman's use of colloquialism to the obvious "I'm going to let the nerdy guy put one over on me to make him more popular" bit. Just . . . way too obvious.

I also wish that, if we aren't going to tackle an issue head on, we wouldn't skirt the edges of it. Superman doesn't know what to do, and has a conundrum, until he remembers that he can just talk to someone in the government to sidestep the whole problem by getting a special waiver! Only slightly better than the "lets move the drug dealers somewhere else for now then deal with them later solution."

It was nice to actually see Clark show up. On the other hand, it was a bit odd for Superman not to notice the old man's physical ailment, when he's picked up on odd physical quirks in the last issue (the heart problem) and this one (the alien breathing patterns/holographic projector).

Also, I have to ask, honestly, is it not a problem for so much alien technology to be introduced into Earth's economy? It just seems odd, and it creates a gap between picturing Earth 0 as similar to our own (not to mention its things like miraculous medical technology from aliens that make more "ground level" characters like Oracle more difficult to explain as time goes on).

Superman still feels a bit "off" in his character here. However, I'm really glad not to have a repeat of the suicide scene. That one really didn't work for me.

**Jer** · 08-11-2010, 06:38 PM

I can't believe no one has an issue about how Superman dealt with the aliens ... not how he dealt with them in the end ... but that speech he gave to the aliens.

That basketball scene and the speech about illegal aliens. Oh boy. Other then that. good issue.

**KnightErrantJR** · 08-11-2010, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by Jer

I can't believe no one has an issue about how Superman dealt with the aliens ... not how he dealt with them in the end ... but that speech he gave to the aliens.

What, just because he could have said, "hey, you can claim asylum because you would be killed if you went back home, let me talk to someone and I'll get back to you," instead of the bizarre contortions about how they weren't like him and how they needed to contribute to society?

Yeah, that's kind of what I meant when I said that part of the book seemed needlessly convoluted, as if it was trying to address an issue without actually addressing it.

**Jer** · 08-11-2010, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by KnightErrantJR

What, just because he could have said, "hey, you can claim asylum because you would be killed if you went back home, let me talk to someone and I'll get back to you," instead of the bizarre contortions about how they weren't like him and how they needed to contribute to society?

Yeah, that's kind of what I meant when I said that part of the book seemed needlessly convoluted, as if it was trying to address an issue without actually addressing it.

Actually what I thought was going to happen was that Superman would kick this dictators ass .. but nope. We got a speech.

He's suppose to fight for Truth, Justice ... and all that good stuff. But I guess, you know, only if you live on earth.

wait. Are we agreeing on this issue

**KnightErrantJR** · 08-11-2010, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by Jer

Actually what I thought was going to happen was that Superman would kick this dictators ass .. but nope. We got a speech.

He's suppose to fight for Truth, Justice ... and all that good stuff. But I guess, you know, only if you live on earth.

wait. Are we agreeing on this issue

I think we are. I was mainly speaking short term. He probably would have been able to get them asylum pretty easily in the short term, and could have arranged something with some other DC cosmic types to go on a field trip.

Heck, he could have at least given Hal, Kyle, Guy, or John a call. This sort of thing would be right up their alley.