The Man of Steel #2

Supermans newest venture continues to move forward adding urgency and intrigue as it trucks along. This is likely to be an important addition to Superman and Kryptons back story and I am looking forward to seeing just how much of the current status quo changes as a result. Any fan of Superman should have this title on their weekly list already, as its shaping up to become the one book comic book fans everywhere will be talking about for a long time to come. Read Full Review

Bendis keeps all of these balls in the air and keeps things compelling. The reader is never lost, no matter how complicated it may seem. He's making some good comics right here. I'm glad it's weekly. I don't know if I could stand the wait otherwise. Read Full Review

So all in all, a very solid issue. While there wasn't a ton of plot progression, there was enough for me to feel we were moving forward. But the strength of this issue is the character building throughout. We are establishing the players while the action slowly enfolds. With the players on stage, it most likely is time things will ramp up. And the art throughout is simply dazzling. Even if you are turned off by the proceedings, you should buy it just to ogle the panels. Brilliant work. Read Full Review

I highly recommend this book to fans of Superman. Bendis is developing a layered an complex story that will most likely end with a huge payoff. Read Full Review

Man of Steel #2 is well-illustrated and action-packed, yet still finds time for down-to-Earth character moments that build the universe and instill confidence that the Man of Tomorrow is in good hands. Read Full Review

Man of Steel #2 is very much a 2nd issue of a short miniseries, in that it doesn't give us a lot of info as to whats happening, but it adds some layers and it's a fun ride. Read Full Review

    Man Of Steel #2 is the kind of comic where it very easily could have turned out very bad. Theres so many plotlines going on that, if any of them failed, it could easily sink the book, and if the art wasnt as top notch as it is, none of it would have worked. Fortunately, this isnt the case. Rogol Zaar not knowing about Superman is a stretch, but so far, Bendis has transcended a lot of the negative tropes in his work and is turning in a very engaging Superman story that is hitting all the right spots. Read Full Review

It feels like this Man of Steel mini-series is sending mixed signals. Read Full Review

This book hits a lot of the right notes that will feel comfortable to fans of Superman, and while the "big mystery" remains under wraps, there are nuggets of interest that should serve to keep you hooked in. Plus: random acts of heroism by Superman. That just feels right. Read Full Review

This series seems to be building to something interesting as it pulls on personal threads for Clark and Superman's personal and professional lives. Read Full Review

Despite any faults, The Man of Steel #2 is a step up from the previous issue. Bendis is able to depict Superman through his actions and words that feel more natural rather than forced. Along with this, the flashback scenes and current scenes that involve the villain Rogol Zaar have me anticipating his and Superman's confrontation as this buildup appears to be working for the series. Read Full Review

It will still be a few weeks before we know if this story is actually worth whatever weight in gold DC had to pay Bendis to woo him away from Marvel, but as it stands now, this is a good book and more importantly, a effective Superman story. Read Full Review

The next issue is likely to be the big showdown that was teased at the end ofAction Comics #1000.A large action set-piece will be a nice change of pace, but one can only hope thatThe Man of Steel manages to maintain this emotional depth during the violence. We are left here with more questions than answers, but far more of a reason to come back next week. Read Full Review

Bendis has yet to hit a home run at DC Comics, butMan of Steel#2 is a solid base hit that continues to look at how Superman/Clark Kent feel about the world around them and their relationships while digging a little bit more into the Lois Lane mystery on both an earthbound and intergalactic level. Also, the Daily Planet has never felt so vibrant, and Doc Shaner seriously needs to draw a Superman/Green Lantern team-up miniseries. Read Full Review

It's kind of all over the place with some really good stuff and some that I'm hoping clicks better when read in full. Read Full Review

All in all, I thought this issue was good fun, and the art was killer. Definitely decent fun and a good start for new fans, but also full of small details to keep longtime fans interested. Feels like a nice campy bronze age tale at times, although slightly modernized. Read Full Review

A small pacing discrepancy makes this one feel ever so slightly disjointed, but it nails every other aspect perfectly. Give it a read! Read Full Review

I don't know. The mini-series is ambitious, and there are a lot of things to enjoy, but there's also so much that is still indeterminate. Next week brings the next chapter, so maybe it'll become clearer then, but I'm still uncertain about the future. Read Full Review

Overall, lots of promise here, but a major downgrade from the first issue. Read Full Review

For fans that expected Bendis to swoop in and change Superman overnight you are in for a rude awakening. This is a marathon and Bendis is smart enough to play out the long game. Piece by piece Bendis is setting up the board the way he wants it. Slowly but surely he is stepping away from the rest of the DC universe to provide himself enough room to rebuild this aging icon. If DC is smart they will leave him to his task unfettered with crossovers and summer events. Leave the man alone and let him get about the work of making Superman super again. Read Full Review

Whether the Daily Planet will stick around as wellremains to be seen in a later issue. But given that Man of Steel is currently a weekly publication, how long can thatbe? Kudos to DC Comics for rolling out a weekly series, but I can only applaudthat as long as the quality holds. Id rather have it right than right now. Ifneed be, I dont mind going back to a monthly schedule. Read Full Review

Solid artwork anchors a decent story in Man of Steel #2. This isn't liable to knock anyone's socks off, but it's still a fun read. Read Full Review

Though this issue is graced with beautiful Superman action thanks to the pencils of Steve Rude and Doc Shaner, including a classic tussle with the Toyman and his giant mech, this second installment's script still feels like more setup and no real forward direction. Read Full Review

While readers will find fun, the mystery of the Kents is beginning to drag. Read Full Review

Is this a bad comic? Not entirely. But it's hardly the grand event it was promoted as. Read Full Review

Two issues in, it was hard not to be blown away by Doomsday Clock, baffled by Metal, and intrigued by No Justice. Two issues into The Man of Steel, it feels like time for Bendis to get on with it already. Read Full Review

This is a strange one because its like a meal with some of the best side dishes I've ever had, but a lackluster main entre. Read Full Review

Bendis' low key take on Superman already begins to wear out its welcome when nothing of note happens, and some art changes effect the story way too much. Read Full Review

The Man of Steel #2isn't a bad comic, but its lack of clarity lessens its impact. Bendis' choice to place ambiguity above story progression doesn't help the issue and makes it more difficult to tell what kind of story Bendis plans on telling. His handling of the characters is still well done for the most part, especially as he examines the relevance of Superman and his supporting characters in today's world. However, this miniseries is going to need a bit more than suspense building in order to payoff. Read Full Review

There's a lot to like about this book and Bendis is making DC execs look good for moving him over to one of their flagship titles. Read Full Review

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln

Jun 06, 2018

Bendis shows he actually took the time to understand Metropolis and Superman and that is greatly appreciated given his reputation of ignoring research before going in. I like that the story is taking it's time on situations and it makes it feel like a pretty meaty 20 pages.

Steve C

Jun 06, 2018

I love this book so far! So glad it’s a weekly!

Dispatchdcu

Jun 08, 2018

Welcome to the Oblivion Bar where the first round is on me and the pretzels are free! Be warned: like the pickled eggs at the bar, this issue is going to get SPOILED rotten. Bendis followed up with another interesting issue. So far, I can really get behind his style of writing. It seems like he’s jumping around a bit. So, at times I am a bit confused as to where and when some of the items are happening but I just get this feeling that it will get cleared up. I get this feeling like he has a plan laid out and everything will get weaved together. I know he has done little at DC to give me faith in this, but from what I’ve read at Marvel, I get the impression that the story is going to be creatively placed together well. I also get th e feeling that he knows the direction he wants this to go, has a plan, and won’t back himself into a corner with a convoluted answer or explanation to solve his story. That’s just my feeling and my opinion but that’s the vibe I’m getting. So, let’s leap into issue 2! Krypton blows up leaving two members of the circle arguing in it’s waste. They argue back-and-forth about who was the destructor of the planet. Was it actually Rogol? So the guardian goes to what was left of Krypton and finds a dead carcass on the ground and thinks it’s Rogol. The guardian feels partially responsible for the destruction of Krypton. You could tell he feels like he could have stopped it but didn’t. Meanwhile back in present day, we see Superman fighting Toy Man. The fight was taking place in Coast city so Green Lantern appears to help out. Hal talks with Clark and is hoping everything is OK with him and Lois but Superman flies off making up a fake emergency to get to in order to avoid the situation. We jump to another point in time that appears to also be in the past, just sometime after the explosion of Krypton. Some bright alien looking thing appears in front of Lois, John and Clark. Then, the reader sees Superman being teleported away to a different solar system. We don’t know if these events happen at the same time but we do think they are connected in someway. In the new solar system, there appears to be a bar and an individual that has a Superman symbol necklace. When reading this, I got a “Lobo feel” to the story. Maybe I’m right? We shall see if he makes an appearance. We then time jump to a fire in an apartment building and Superman saving the day again. We are led to believe this is currently happening right now and not in the past. Afterwords, Clark goes to talk to Perry White about the arsons that are happening throughout the city but Perry proceeds to tell him that the paper has been bought by someone else because they’re going under. The gossip columnist overhears and says that there might be a way to keep the lights on for another week or so at the Planet if Clark would tell the paper his story about where Lois Lane is. The issue ends with what looks like Rogol riding a motorcycle through space and the front of the motorcycle looks like what appeared in Clark’s apartment earlier in the story. But it looks like we’ll have to wait until next week for more answers. Also, I got that “Lobo feel” again! I think we are getting a before, middle, and after story. The before is Krypton blowing up and the guardian dealing with Rogol. The middle is the part where the alien takes Clark to the Vegas System, and the after if the Daily Planet/ arson section. I also think Bendis is using this type of storytelling because it hasn’t been done by anyone at DC for a while now.... at least not in anything I’m reading. It’s definitely an interesting way to tell the story and gives us bits and pieces of each part to keep you involved in all levels of the story. I still can’t make any speculations as to what happened to Lois other than maybe she was kidnapped... maybe?? But it really is pretty great and I’ve been looking forward to it each week so far. It’s a definite read at DC right now. No doubt! If you like what you heard, love talking all types of comics, and are interested in joining a comic chat group, hit me up at dispatchdcu@gmail.com or @dispatchdcu on twitter. Catch you all later! Peace more

egonnn244

Jun 06, 2018

Bendis and Man of Steele deliver again with issue 2. Something happened to Lois and Jon and nobody knows what. People at Daily Planet speculate and gossip about it with Clark avoiding the subject. He acts like everything is fine in front of his super-frends, but alone he keeps revisiting the moment when they were taken by something and it seems to really torment him. The story moves forward rather slowly and I understand if someone finds it troublesome. It doesn't bother me however, because the story isn't boring, it's interesting and engaging. I am really looking forward for next issues. Just what the heck happened to Super-family?

gsossi

Jun 06, 2018

Fun, hopeful and optimistic story.

Simon DelMonte

Jun 06, 2018

Definitely a notch lower as BMB starts to juggle several balls at once story-wise, including the hackneyed "The Daily Planet is doomed because no one reads newspapers" concept. But his Supes is still spot on, and there is a lot to like here. I just don't think we need this many plotlines. Or three artists, all of them good but not of them matching.

mglsts

Jun 06, 2018

First issue actually had me hyped for this series, but this one reminded me why I became weary of Bendis' releases the past few years.

mrDovydas

Jun 07, 2018

Not much has happened, though it's still good. Wish Shaner had more time to finish the whole book, as the art change, while still somewhat resembled Shaner's style, was quite sudden and wasn't for the best. However, the disappearance of Lois and Jon continues to be the most interesting part of the book.

KFuqua

Jun 07, 2018

It's okay. I've never been the huge fan of Bendis that so many others have been, so I am still not convinced that he won't really hurt the Superman line of books. Lois and Jon should be a part of the Superman titles and I'm afraid he's going to do something to change that.

SloboSOY

Jun 07, 2018

If you hoped to know what happen to lois, this his not where you will lean it. This is a five part story so Bendis keep some secret. And I find Lord Gandelo confronting the guardian interesting. I also keep Goode in sight because some point her resemblance to Telsa. But I wasn't very fond of this story. Between Toyman or White breakdown that make me down ! Cover - Not related at all, but very nice. 2/2 Story - There is some good and other thing I didn't like. 2/3 Arts - Two different art, that wasn't what DC promising. And Rude fade away before Shaner 2/3 Feeling - Mixed 1/2

Spock's Brain

Jun 21, 2018

Hey, what's going on with Lois Lane?! I don't really care, which made this issue less than thrilling for me. It is still generally well-written, because it is Bendis, but nothing much of any consequence happens here (because it is Bendis). We see more of the staff of The Daily Planet (Holy shit! Newspapers are in trouble!), but I don't really care about Jimmy or Perry, or the Planet, or whatever. I realize that makes a pretty poor review, and that I'm a Marvel guy, but at many points since "Rebirth" I really enjoyed Superman stories with Jon and Lois; so this is okay, but nothing about it is captivating me and making me care like some of those comic did.

Nihilist

Jun 06, 2018

Bendis doesn't rush the story, which I truly appreciate. We have time to get to know Superman, as well as current situation at Daily Globe. There is some action, serving as a subtle nod to the silver age of comics with more lighthearted and maybe even silly approach, but for the most part, issue focuses on explaining "who", "what" and "why". I enjoyed it, but I can't ignore the problem of inconsisten art - the second half of the book looks was inferior to the first one, and that's always a problem. Here, however, it's pretty noticeable, since Brian Michael Bendis' restart is a huge, important event at DC Comics. Especially since we've already seen bad art messing up No Justice #3 - another huge story meant to be a bestseller.

+ Like • Comments (2)

Simon DelMonte - Jun 6, 2018

I guess you are not familiar with Steve Rude, who for a time was hot stuff, but seems to have been left in the past.

myconius - Jun 7, 2018

the Steve Rude art was actually the best part of this issue.

nec

Jun 06, 2018

The first four pages were entertaining and then we get to superman's story and I'm bored. This seriously felt like a filler issue to me and that shouldn't happens on issue 2.

Batman Jones

Jun 07, 2018

I've literally never read Bendis before his recent Superman stuff at DC. His DC Nation story left me colder than cold. I only thought, "This guy is a star? Why? This is nothing." His story in Action 1000 was utterly forgettable and I've utterly forgotten it. Man of Steel #1 though turned my head around. It was aided incredibly much by Reis's art as any Reis-drawn comic book is. And boy can he draw some classic Superman. And I enjoyed certain new touches from Bendis on the character. Probably my high point in #1 was the stuff with Killer Moth and Firefly and the warning not to yell or use key words Superman listens for. That was a nifty addition and made me feel like I got a little taste of what people have enjoyed about Bendis. #2 was a real letdown after the first issue. Always a treat to read a comic with art by Shaner, Fabok, or (especially) Steve Rude, but the writing felt very flat. I'm still undecided on Bendis and still forming my opinion of his writing but Man of Steel was two steps forward then one step back. Hoping it picks up and that I can become a convert since I mostly read DC and Bendis is obviously going to be a big part of the DCU going forward. I hope he can do a little better than he did here. I'd give the art 9/10 but the writing about 4/10. 6 feels right for the issue as a whole. more

Supes' soups

Jun 07, 2018

Wasn't a fan of the artist shuffle and they literally recycled Fabok's art for two issues straight with no real point (Why rehash something you are saving for later to go into detail with?). It was the last few panels of the last issue in a weekly series, I think we didn't forget it. It was odd. I like how Bendis is reviving the Daily Planet as something that matters because it's what grounds Clark in humanity. However, I don't like how Bendis jumps around plot points with such incoherence. Now I'm beginning to worry if Superman is in good hands with Bendis...

MKW69

Jun 06, 2018

Typical Bendis bullshit. Nothing really happened, and I got bored with it. And Supes still didn't catched a train.

READ RUMBLE

Jun 18, 2018

Wow - this was bad. The story felt disjointed and I am confused about the whole Lois/Jon missing. Why would Clark continue to go to work at the Planet and do Superman stuff with his wife/son missing?? And the reporter commenting about Clark being Lois’ ‘estranged’ husband?? That is totally out of character as the centerpiece of Tomasi and Jurgens’ runs were family and the strong bond of Superman, Lois and Jon. I really hope Bendis isn’t going in the direction of marital strife and breaking up that relationship. Plus the art was inconsistent. How in the heck do you line up this big event book and not have the artists all set up for each issue?? This book had 3 artists and Steve Rude’s pages were bad. Plus Rogol Zaar is a generic villain and his motivation to destroy Krypton over what...trade practices??? I still don’t quite understand that. Hopefully things get better with issue 2. more