A little depth of character goes a long way

A little depth of character goes a long way with me when I'm reading a comic and this issue does not disappoint.   Bryan Singer, Dan Harris, Michael Dougherty and Marc Andreyko have out done themselves with the Superman Returns Prequel books so far and I must say I really did enjoy this one.  

Far too often supporting characters are not given much thought as the brighter shining main characters leave them in the background holding up loose ends of a plot or scene but in a subtle way that is lost on most.  That is why I was impressed with this comic as a whole as it was able to clearly convey the strong sense of dedication, love and loss that Martha Kent has for her son Clark and passed husband.  All on her own she holds this attention of the reader, without the need for an over exaggerated setup of a classic Superman style plot of chaos, suspense and near tragedy where Martha would play a small part  then later  tell Clark how proud she is after being saved from some extreme situation.

It was interesting to stop and think, as you find yourself sympathizing with Martha longing for her lost family, how to her Clark and Jonathan were the hero’s in her life that saved her as a person each day they had with her, and how in there absence she slowly becomes a more empty shell of herself only left with the memories of happier times to get her through the day.  At the same time she is strong and dutifully dedicated to her son, and his secret, in a way caring for him, even in his absence the way only a mother could. It’s this realization that what she needs and misses is her son Clark as a boy, a man, as only her son, but not as Superman, it makes you stop and think about what is really important to people in general, and for most its family and friends, not the flashy man or woman working to get everyone’s attention through grand acts.

This is why I think that this book is a remarkable accomplishment, to make a reader feel for and understand a character so deeply without the need for an arc over multiple issues or an elaborate plot setup and also taking in to account this comic has no super crazy hero comic plot, with little more going on, but a sample of Martha’s normal day to day routine, it’s a credit to the writers that the issue makes such a bold impact in story, script and imagery.

Another win for this creative team as a whole, and I can’t wait to read the next two out of the four issues that are to be released shortly.