Superman #204

[MudshovelForYou]

Superman #204
Written By Brian Azzarello
with art by Jim Lee

Metaphor time.... Have you ever been really hungry so you have some sort of cookie based snack? And then you look up at someone else is eating a steak? You know how unfilled you feel? Go with that.

First, the art is defintely Jim Lee nice. In fact I like his Superman here more than I did any of the Superman guest shots in Hush. But it sure would be nice if his next 12 issue event run was JLA :D....

Storywise... I'm intrigued. A year ago, Superman rushed off to space to help Green Lantern, only to come back and find that a million people have vanished, Lois among them. This is all related in a flashback to a Priest by Superman, who is feeling a tremendous amount of guilt over something mysterious that he's done.

But here's where I start having problems with it. Azz has written a nice intro story, but with the exception of his superpowers, I feel like I'm reading Daredevil. Superman snaps at a Priest, trying to console him and he's mired in so much self doubt, that it just doesn't feel like Superman talking sometimes. Especially taking into the account all the hardships he's faced (y'know DYING!) he's never been this solemn, and while I understand the loss of Lois - or the mystery event - could effect him, it just doesn't make sense to effect him in this way. Kingdom Come showed how Superman would react if he felt he had failed, this just feels like average night for the Man without Fear. Or even Bats...I could definitely see Batman in confession...

I like the juxtaposition between Supes and the Priest, who also feels guilty over something and is dealing with his faith, and I'm interested enough to keep going with the run, as the story wasn't bad, just characterization was somewhat off IMO.

One last thing. We can see the connection this book has with Adventures, but I can't help but feel that Action Comics is existing in it's own little world.

Final Grade: B

[MikeHuffman]

I'm still undecided on this — my feeling is that Azzarello, while great on projects like 100 Bullets, just doesn't have a feel for super-heroes (as evidenced by his recent run on Batman).

I'll be curious to see what other people think.

— Mike

[MatthewSmith]

Originally posted by MudshovelForYou
Storywise... I'm intrigued.

Nice choice of words there. I feel the same way.

I got a bit of a Daredevil vibe too, but would never have called it that until you brought it up. And I don't think that it's a bad thing at all. It's a nice change of pace from Austen's issue that had "really happy and on top of the world" Superman, which I also liked. I'm all about having variety from the different titles.

I can't wait to find out what's all going here. The only thing I got to say is that there better be a big pay off.

Also, I for one, really like Azzarello's run on Batman. I might be the only one who did, but I liked it. I'd go into that some more but this thread is about Superman.


Under normal circumstances, I'd give this book a B+, but it's drawn by Jim Lee so that knocks it up to an A-.

[MatthewSmith]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention...

Diamond misshipped two-thirds of my stores shipment today, so the only book on my pull list for today that actually made it to me was Superman. So while that sucked majorly, I still got to read this.

If you can only read one comic a week, make it the first issue of a major story-arc starring a company's flagship character written by Brian Azzarello and drawn by Jim Lee, I always say.

[Skyldt]

but i'll give this a try.

[YDLM]

Jim Lee was well Jim Lee, so that makes me happy. Azz, I really wasnt feeling, I couldnt follow Clark's emotional patterns at all. He act like he knew the Priest a lot better than he let on. Since I have the past impression that Supes is a pretty straightforward guy and wouldnt go out his way to be mysterious to anybody especially a Priest.

Question for regular readers of this title.Is it public knowledge that Supes and Lois are married?

[Godfather]

Originally posted by YDLM
Question for regular readers of this title.Is it public knowledge that Supes and Lois are married?

It shouldn't be...cuz Superman's identity is a secret. And if it was public knowledge how many idiots would try to kill Lois just to get to Superman. Hmmm, Joker?

[MatthewSmith]

Originally posted by YDLM
Question for regular readers of this title.Is it public knowledge that Supes and Lois are married?

Nope, just public knowledge that Lois is married to Clark.

[Prozac Man]

Originally posted by Godfather
It shouldn't be...cuz Superman's identity is a secret. And if it was public knowledge how many idiots would try to kill Lois just to get to Superman. Hmmm, Joker? This is funny because Superman just talked to the Flash about this in his book that came out today.

Spoilers Begin
3
2
1

Superman said that marring Lois was that best way to protect her. Before she married Clark Kent, every one thought she was Superman’s girlfriend. Every bad guy tried to use her to get to Superman. Once she got married to the mild mannered reporter the attacks stopped.

[Tonguedevil]

I too am intrigued by the first part of "For Tomorrow," Mudshovel. In all actuality, I thought it was definitely the best of the Superman reboot issues, though I liked the others as well.

# 204 felt quite creepy to me...like there's something unseen there, just beyond the tip of your tongue that you can neither _ _ _ ( _ _ _ _ _ ). Is this "the vanishing?"

I really like this more brooding take on Superman, and I'm enjoying the fact that it doesn't seem like he'll be anchored down by Lois in this storyline. I'm looking very forward to the next eleven issues.

I've gotta give this one an A.

[paulski]

Originally posted by Prozac Man
Superman said that marrying Lois was that best way to protect her. Before she married Clark Kent, every one thought she was Superman’s girlfriend. Every bad guy tried to use her to get to Superman. Once she got married to the mild mannered reporter the attacks stopped.

See, this is why Geoff Johns is just about the best writer of superhero comics going around.

That's just smart stuff. Shame I'm not reading Flash...

[abraxis]

i don't know...
am i the only one that thought Jim's pencils looked a bit...lackluster, maybe? i can't put my finger on it, the only thing i know is when i looked at the batman arc, i was constantly picking my jaw up off the floor...that quality doesn't seem to be there with superman.
i can't figure it out, sometimes i find the inking distracting, maybe a bit too erratic? i didn't feel that way on batman either...
i don't know....

[CountD]

that's because when Supes wasn't in action, he looked static and one dimesional.

Like a colorform!

I noticed that too!

[Caramuru]

I thought the whole dialogue between Superman and the priest was bizarre. It didn't seem like guilt for leaving Earth when the vanishing occurred was the reason he went to that church. His reasons and behavior don't really support that. Also, he was at times smiling when talking to the priest. It seemed like Superman was even toying with him a bit, leaving thoughts unfinished, sounding deliberately confusing, almost like he's enjoying how the priest seems to be in awe of him. I actually thought that Superman sounded a bit too arrogant in this issue. Moreso than in Action Comics #814, scripted by Austin.

I think the scenario of using a semblance of confession as a way to handle exposition is a bit of a cliche and I don't know if I like the mystery that was the vanishing be mirrored in the story itself, leaving so many questions after so much exposition. I mean questions about how Superman and the rest of the world reacted to it and what has been done since, not questions about the vanishing itself - it's still supposed to be a misery after all.

This issue felt like a preview to me more than a first chapter. I thought Jim Lee's art was awesome, but I can agree with it being too static at times. It wasn't an action packed issue after all. And I think I like the mood and colors in Hush a bit better.

[JK Parkin]

This is the first issue of Superman I've bought in years. Did the events the priest and Superman talked about occur in previous issues, or was this the first issue where we found out about them? I wasn't sure if I was supposed to feel like I'd walked into the middle of the story, or if I actually did walk into the middle of the story.

Either way, I wasn't too impressed with this issue. It didn't feel like a good "jumping on" point for new readers. Mostly I just felt kind of lost.

[MudshovelForYou]

Originally posted by JK Phoenix
This is the first issue of Superman I've bought in years. Did the events the priest and Superman talked about occur in previous issues, or was this the first issue where we found out about them? I wasn't sure if I was supposed to feel like I'd walked into the middle of the story, or if I actually did walk into the middle of the story.

Either way, I wasn't too impressed with this issue. It didn't feel like a good "jumping on" point for new readers. Mostly I just felt kind of lost.

As far as I know, this story takes place 1 year after the events they are referencing (which haven't happened yet for us), leaving us with the mystery of what the events were...

It's sort of like that rumor a few months ago: Austen's Superman was to be the Golden Age version, Rucka's was to be more reporter based and such, and Azz's was to be set in a darker world w/out Lois Lane. Although the rumor said they were three seperate time lines, which is where they got it wrong.

[Caramuru]

Originally posted by MudshovelForYou
Although the rumor said they were three seperate time lines, which is where they got it wrong.

Aren't they separate timelines? Is the vanishing from "Superman" actually going to happen in "Action Comics" and "Adventures?"

[leez34]

I won't be able to read this till mid-May. I have mixed feelings about it, since I didn't really like Azzarello and Risso on Batman. I love him on 100 Bullets, though...

[JK Parkin]

Originally posted by MudshovelForYou
As far as I know, this story takes place 1 year after the events they are referencing (which haven't happened yet for us), leaving us with the mystery of what the events were...


Thanks ... I thought maybe that's what they were going for, but again, I haven't read Superman in a long time so I wasn't sure.

[Weirdguy]

Did anyone else pick up a 9-11 vibe? From when the Priest said something about if Superman had been able to stop it, and he said of course not, to when he entered Earth's atmosphere again and all the news stations were reporting the same thing, I just kept thinking of 9-11. Any opinions on this or if anyone else thought of this?

[Weirdguy]

bump

[melperfect]

Originally posted by Weirdguy
Did anyone else pick up a 9-11 vibe? From when the Priest said something about if Superman had been able to stop it, and he said of course not, to when he entered Earth's atmosphere again and all the news stations were reporting the same thing, I just kept thinking of 9-11. Any opinions on this or if anyone else thought of this?
It sure sounds like what probably motivated and inspired Azz for this story.

I really liked this issue. It felt really fresh for Superman, which is what I was hoping for.

[Fazhoul]

So, did this "vanishing" happen "offscreen"? I hadn't been buying Superman for the past few years up until the Mr. Majestic storyline and Lois was in that. So what happened?

[hjcho]

The Lee/ Williams art is nice but nothing new. You know what you are going to get with them, and I don't think that is necessarily a plus. I would like to see Jim work with another inker or ink himself, something to shake up the status quo. It would be a chance to re-evaluate his style and try some new things.

The story was an interesting introduction, but obviously there is a lot more to come. I like 100 Bullets, so I'll give this one a few more issues before I decide.

Story: B
Art: B

[KSChris]

Originally posted by Fazhoul
So, did this "vanishing" happen "offscreen"? I hadn't been buying Superman for the past few years up until the Mr. Majestic storyline and Lois was in that. So what happened?

This is an 'alternate' timeline... or something.

There are three Superman books, and neither of them are connected - thus, each of them are in their own little world, with nothing really being explained thus far.

Only thing we know is that the three books' 12 issue stints will all culminate in a large crossover explaining everything and bringing back the real Superman.

[Moonbeam]

I'm a little late to this discussion, but a few points after reading your comments:

1) Nobody knows Superman and Lois are married. This is not only supported by the mention in Flash (and I agree that it's GREAT stuff by Johns cause I just read it too), but it's supported in this Superman comic as well. When Superman says to the priest, "My wife ... was gone," the priest says, "I never knew you were ... but, she was ...?" and Supes says, "Part of the vanishing." So it's not public knowledge in this timeline either, because we can assume the priest was going to say, "I never knew you were ... married" had he finished his thought. (I notice Azz doesn't finish sentences too much, does he?)

2) This issue is the first mention of any "vanishing." This is a new story. If you're jumping on board here, you're as clueless as the rest of us.

3) I think those people that said Jim Lee's stuff wasn't as impressive in this issue as he was in Hush may be simply noticing the difference between Azz and Loeb. The script for this issue wasn't exactly a great use of Jim Lee's talents. The best panels -- BY FAR -- were the ones that showed Superman going to save Kyle, flying through outer space and battling those things that were ganging up on Green Lantern. The more static panels in the church usually weren't as good, although there were a couple striking images there.

4) I agree wholeheartedly with the people who said there was something "off" in this conversation. Superman did say some pretty uncharacteristic things and did smile at some weird times -- and his motivation in this issue was really unclear.

5) I agree that the story is intriguing enough and the artwork is good enough that I'm sticking around. But not a lot longer if this is what I'll be getting.

[casusev]

you can see outlines of people that vanished on page one and on page 24, btw anyone notice that this comic was 27 pages long, compared to the average 22, it made me happy lol

[COREMARK]

I loved this issue, both the art and the dialogue were amazing. The scene where Superman arrives in the church and the priest starts to bow before him was perfect. This issue really has me hooked, and I can't wait to find out more about the "vanishing".

Book Grade: A

[Zeus]

Ummm, guys? Does this make any sense to anyone?

There's a priest...talk of a "vanishing"? I dont want to get too biblical over here...but think Azz is going with the whole "end of days/rapture" angle with this one? Because that's what popped into my head...

[Caramuru]

Originally posted by Zeus
Ummm, guys? Does this make any sense to anyone?

There's a priest...talk of a "vanishing"? I dont want to get too biblical over here...but think Azz is going with the whole "end of days/rapture" angle with this one? Because that's what popped into my head...

So maybe it'll end with a crossover with the Left Behind series intead of Wildstorm. :p

[Zeus]

Originally posted by Caramuru
So maybe it'll end with a crossover with the Left Behind series intead of Wildstorm. :p


Well, i was just thinking..."how do you challange Supes without using Kryptonite and make it believable?" Instead of "God-like" creatures...how about God? What if it were all true? The book of revelation, everything like that? What if it all came true?

it is a rather interesting concept...

[Spider Symbiote]

I really don't know what to make of this issue... I've not bought a Superman book in a long time, and this was not at all what I had been expecting.

The story was... interesting. Certainly the concept of 'The Vanishing' has intrigued me, and I'll certainly be picking up future issues to find out what exactly happened with that, and who (or what) is responsible.

The artwork was OK, but I have seen better from Jim Lee. There were a few pics that were nothing short of amazing (the Superman flying in space pics for example), but, overall, I agree that the church scenes appeared to be somewhat static.

One question: I'm confused about the whole continuity thing. Is each Superman title running in its own individual universe? If so, how do any of the titles relate to the other? What happened for each Superman title to spin off into its own continuity/universe (if that is indeed what has happened)?

[Godfather]

Ok people here's how it works.

Rucka and Austen's Superman comics take place 1 year BEFORE Azzarello's. Those events I believe lead up to what happens with Azzarello's and then they all meet at the end.

And uh Superman is susceptible to magic, thats why Captain Marvel kicks his ass.

[dollman]

Originally posted by MikeHuffman
I'm still undecided on this — my feeling is that Azzarello, while great on projects like 100 Bullets, just doesn't have a feel for super-heroes (as evidenced by his recent run on Batman).

I'll be curious to see what other people think.

— Mike

Yah, I agree with you Mike. I haven't read 100 Bullets, but I bailed quickly on Azz's Batman. I'll probably stick around for Lee's art though.

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by Godfather
Ok people here's how it works.

Rucka and Austen's Superman comics take place 1 year BEFORE Azzarello's. Those events I believe lead up to what happens with Azzarello's and then they all meet at the end.

Is this true? It's the first I've heard of it.

Thanks Godfather -- that explains a lot.

Er um ... at least I think it does. :confused:

LOL!

[Godfather]

Originally posted by Moonbeam
Is this true? It's the first I've heard of it.

Thanks Godfather -- that explains a lot.

Er um ... at least I think it does. :confused:

LOL!

That is how it was explained by someone in some thread in Talk@.

Vague enough? lol sorry I forgot what thread and who it was.

[Dood Lee]

Godfather is correct. From what I have read so far from interviews (see www.comicbookresources.com) both Action and Adventures take place in current time, and Superman takes place exactly one year after the events in Action and Adventures.

[Moonbeam]

Cool! Thanks for the info. Guess I missed this before. :)

[Fazhoul]

Originally posted by Dood Lee
Godfather is correct. From what I have read so far from interviews (see www.comicbookresources.com) both Action and Adventures take place in current time, and Superman takes place exactly one year after the events in Action and Adventures.
Wow. I completely mised that bit of info. I'm glad they made that so clear in the book.

[Dood Lee]

Originally posted by Fazhoul
Wow. I completely mised that bit of info. I'm glad they made that so clear in the book.

My guess is that a year from now there will be something in Action or Adventures that ties into Azzarello's run. I think it would be neat if in one of those books, the last panel has Superman receiving the signal from GL.

[Frankie Thirteen]

Wow. That's all I have to say about this book.

While this isn't nearly as snappy an opener as the first chapter of Hush, Brian Azzarello successfully conveys a creeping feeling of dread. His Superman is weighted down by his greatest fear come to life, not being there when it counts, especially for Lois. When Superman tells Father Daniel, "My sin? Was to save the world," it's hopeful that whatever forthcoming details about the previous year will be even more shocking.

So on the written end, I think we have a good setup. It's too soon to tell whether Azzarello really nails the character and the story, but he's off to a decent start.

As for Jim Lee, it's a given that he'll knock this one out of the park. Tihs issue is gorgeous, and I have to disagree with earlier posters who think the more static scenes are lesser in quality. Lee really supports the mood that Azz establishes, and his Superman, while indulging in some all-too-human self-pity, seems iconic, yet aloof and untouchable at the same time. I love how he mainly draws Supes from a upwards-looking perspective, or partially shrouded in shadow.

Like I said, it's too soon to tell whether or not the arc will succeed, but if Azz can build on the tension and fear he sets up in this ish, and if he can give Lee some seriously awesome stuff to draw, then I expect excellence all the way. For now, I'll just give the first chapter of "For Tomorrow" an A.

[TheMightyGeek]

Story: Interesting, but Supes is a man of action. Give him something to do, Azz. Hard boiled mystery and men in tights don't mix well. If he flirts with a girl in a nightie, I'm outta here.

Art: Color shading and shadows can be done quite well with something called a computer. The art looks like something that was done twelve years ago.

Overall: Not seeing the magic. More than one person here phoned in this effort.

[SuperginraiX]

I like the fact that even though Jim Lee isn't totally on his game this issue, he's still better than 95% of the other artists out there. I looked at the art and said, "Not Jim Lee's best effort." But at the same time it's better than anything else I've seen lately. Look at those backgrounds, they are awesome. Lee also draws a mean cape, but Superman's face doesn't look quite right to me. I remember Jim Lee once saying that it takes about 6 issues for an artist to become comfortable with the characters and get the right feel down. That's pretty much true, so I imagine everything will be great once Jim gets his feet wet.

Storywise, well, not too impressed especially with it being the first issue for the team. Can't say I'm too familiar with Azzarello, but he seems to be trying to do his best Brian Michael Bendis in my opinion. The story unfolds slowly. We know something happened, something big, and obvious images of 9-11 come to mind. Only close to the end do we realize that a million people have disappeared... and that one of them just happens to be Lois. Those Basics are easy to get from the story, but the whole beginning conversation between the priest and Lupe (a police lieutenant?) seemed... superflous? If Daniel and Lupe play a larger part in the story, then I guess I'll eat my words but when reading it I just felt like, "Get to Superman, Get to Superman."

I'm intrigued, but it's obvious why I'm picking up 205.

Who wants to miss the fabulous Jim Lee art?

Solid B

[arvydas]

I really don't see why Brian Azzarello is hailed as an awesome writer. His Batman arc was simply awful, saved only by Risso's art. And this issue of Supes is downright confusing. The plotline seems so hazy and his attempt at medias res is a weak one. And what's with the church scene? I agree with a previous post that this is trespassing into Matt Murdock territory.

Again, this is another series will be saved by the art. I really like the "angry and grim" Supes.

[Xgirl1251]

This was the first Superman book I ever bought, and I absolutely LOVED IT!:D The art was amazing and I loved Azzarellos characterization of Superman (even though I was disappointed by his Batman). This issue makes perfect sense to me. I love how Superman comes down into the church. There's beautiful symbolism there IMO.

I will definately be picking up the rest of this arc. :)

[Michael Eidson]

MudshovelForYou:

I think you have preconceived notions about what a Superman comic has to be. This is not the type of story where you wonder how the time frame fits in with other DCU series, nor is it one in which you compare Superman’s reactions with what happened back in some comic from ten years ago. That kind of quibbling ultimately sucks the enjoyment out of the whole experience and is not at all important to the point of the story Azzarello is telling. Obviously everything won’t be consistent (for lack of a better word) because Superman, over the course of 67(!) years, has had hundreds of different writers. It would be virtually impossible for everything to click perfectly (if anything, that kind of nitpicking would bog the stories down).

Furthermore, comparing what Superman may or may not do and if Daredevil or Batman or whoever should be doing it instead are more moot point. Just pretend that you don’t really know who Superman is, or that you’re finally learning about new facets of his personality. Whatever you got to tell yourself to get over other stories and try to enjoy THIS story.

Secondly, Superman never “snapped at a priest.” I don’t see where you’re getting that from. They were having an amicable conversation.

Mike Huffman:

I agree, but probably for different reasons. I don’t think he’s ever done a “superhero story,” nor will he. If that is all you are looking for, there are PLENTY of other comics out there that are straight-up superhero stories, and they are all boring as hell.

Matthew Smith:

I doubt there will be “a big pay-off.” Azzarello writes subtle stories, where character interactions are more about what’s unsaid than said. I’d be happy never knowing what caused the Vanishing and just seeing how the world changes to the point where Superman is worshipped.

And you’re not the only one who enjoyed Azz’s Batman. J I’d go into why I liked it, but I want to keep this thread about Superman #204.

YDLM:

I don’t think Supes was trying to be cryptic in his conversation with Daniel (the priest). Since we started at basically the end of the story, the reader would not realistically understand EVERYTHING that is going on. But there are enough hints to get somewhat of an indication of where things are going.

Tonguedevil:

In a way, Superman is still “anchored down by Lois” because his mission is to find out what The Vanishing is so he can find his wife again. He hasn’t seen her for a whole year, probably the reason why he feels so out of character to the DCU diehards in the first place. Before this issue was even published, people have speculated that Azzarello didn’t want her in the story because he didn’t want to deal with that character, but her absence is the driving force behind him. I’d say she is a very important part of the story, even if she’s never seen.

Caramuru:

Wow. I disagreed with about 95% of things you said. You got to remember that Supes is in a very dark place at this time. He feels responsible for The Vanishing and for his wife disappearing. Other events have happened, too (I have a feeling the next few issues will be set right after The Vanishing). So maybe after learning more about what has happened we can better understand his unusual behavior.

Weirdguy and melperfect

I think 9/11 has nothing to do with story, and vice versa.

hjcho:

I think Jim Lee IS trying new stuff. Compare his art here with anything else he’s done. He’s keeping it real here, which is funny considering who the title character is. I definitely think he is still growing as an artist and he is now much stronger at illustrating normal people and backgrounds. Check out the civilians on the first page or the cathedral. I’ve never seen such realism in his work before.

Lots of people keep saying that Jim Lee needs to ink himself or find a new inker, but I have no idea where this attitude comes from. Maybe an artist like you can enlighten me. What’s wrong with Scott Williams?

DaReekstah:

Where are you getting your information? A large crossover at the end of each title’s run sounds like a horrible idea. Why can’t three separate Superman timelines peacefully co-exist, without any explanation? That’s how I’d like to see it.

Moonbeam:

I think a strong character-driven story that won’t focus much on super-theatrics is exactly what Jim Lee should be doing. He is a multi-talented artist who is now tackling a new genre.

casusev:

Yeah, I always love extra pages.

COREMARK and Zeus:

You guys were really the first to start talking about the religious aspects of this book, and it is one of the main things that is so appealing to me. I can’t wait to see how it got to the point that Daniel’s first reaction upon seeing Superman was to kneel. And Superman’s reaction: “I don’t think you want to do that.” There is so much going on here that it’s hard to speculate what is really happening, but it feels like “For Tomorrow” will be a story of biblical proportions.

Godfather & Dood Lee:

I think it’s a mistake by The DC Powers That Be to try to incorporate all three Superman series into one continuity, since they are so different in tone. But either way, it doesn’t really matter.

Frankie Thirteen:

I agree with 95% of what you said. You’re Bizarro Caramuru. The tension and fear involved were big parts of what made this story exciting. Very well-spoken.

Superginrai:

I think Daniel and Lupe will both have major roles in the story arc. No point introducing these characters and establishing a relationship between them for nothing.

And Bendis and Azzarello are like, the exact opposite. Azzarello’s characters say far more with fewer words. Instead of overwriting the conversations, he lets the reader fill in the blanks. I like both Brians (and with Brian Vaughan and Brian Wood, it’s a revolution) but Azzarello’s dialogue feels more like actual conversations to me.

arvydas:

Would you rather see everything be explained right away?

Xgirl1251:

All right, that’s it! Somebody explain to me what was so bad about Azz’s Batman story? Different strokes, I guess.

[MattMurdock]

I liked the story.

Jim Lee is really good at making everything into an...ACTION POSE!

So let's just say I'm not a Jim Lee fan.

[Caramuru]

Originally posted by Michael Eidson

Wow. I disagreed with about 95% of things you said. You got to remember that Supes is in a very dark place at this time. He feels responsible for The Vanishing and for his wife disappearing. Other events have happened, too (I have a feeling the next few issues will be set right after The Vanishing). So maybe after learning more about what has happened we can better understand his unusual behavior.


Let me put it in another way, then. I know Superman is supposed to feel guilty about not being there when Lois and a bunch of others disappeared. What I'm saying is that I don't think this issue was written as an exploration of his guilt, but more like exposition. And as I've never seen any indication that Superman might be Catholic, I don't know why it would ever cross his mind to go see a priest. I don't think anyone in real life who's going through a rough time who isn't Catholic would think about going to see a priest. As confession (it wasn't a proper confesion, but still) as an exposition device is a known cliche, I think Azzarello tried not to make it too boring by not giving away too much information from the beginning. I thought the result was a bit contrived.