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| Art by Ivan Reis |
"My friends are falling...my planet is in immediate danger...we are surrounded by unknown enemies...and it is right there that it hits me...I may never see my family again."
Hold it right there! Phantom Earth might be the first volume of The Unity Saga, but it is very much the second instalment of Brian Michael Bendis' ongoing Superman story. You're going to want to read The Man of Steel before you hear anything about Clark Kent's latest adventure, so only keep reading unless that book is already on your shelf! One thing I will spoil is that Bendis can indeed write Superman - but can he keep readers interested in the overall narrative?
In The Man of Steel, Superman came face-to-face with the cosmic warmonger Rogol Zaar, who claimed to have destroyed Krypton and wants to finish the job. During this fight, Zaar decimated the iconic Fortress of Solitude, including Clark's only means of contact with his space-faring wife and son. Initially, it seemed like this was Bendis' means of keeping Lois and Jon out of the picture for a while so he could focus on some simple Clark-centric stories, but Mr. Kent is determined to find his family from the very first page. Unfortunately, he will have to put his search on hold as the entire Earth becomes trapped inside the vicious Phantom Zone, where Rogol Zaar is held captive.
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| Clark's rematch with Zaar in the Phantom Zone |
Bendis continues to write a engaging and relatable Superman by laying down some rules as to how someone so powerful can still be very human. Through anecdotes, the pessimistic misconceptions that Clark is always struggling to hold back his strength or is driven mad by his worldwide super-hearing are refuted. This doesn't mean that Bendis is downplaying the Kryptonian's powers by any means - we still see him do incredible things like single-handedly defeat an alien fleet or save the world three times mid-conversation, but these feats are used to comment on his personality and relationships.
It's important to know that each of the 140+ pages feature art by the phenomenal Ivan Reis, one of DC's best blockbuster artists. Reis really doesn't pull any punches, filling the book with several meticulously detailed double-page spreads enhanced by the crisp inks of Joe Prado and Oclair Albert. These breathtaking illustrations are made even better by Alex Sinclair, one of the finest colourists in comics history, making Phantom Earth a goldmine for top-tier Superman scenes.
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| Ivan Reis provides both the cover and interior art |
While the depiction of Clark and his world is almost bulletproof, the story itself is a little problematic. It appears as if The Unity Saga is going to move at about the same pace as most Bendis series, with the numerous enjoyable character moments distracting from plot progression. We get very few answers to the questions raised in The Man of Steel, and some of the events in the book just seem to happen out of the blue.
Luckily, the cliffhanger ending seems to promise that Bendis will shed some light on the series' mysteries in the second part of The Unity Saga. The final page will undoubtedly be controversial among Superman fans, with some seeing it as a step forward and others as a big mistake, but regardless of what the future holds, Phantom Earth is a superbly executed book - Clark is in the right hands.
Rating: 7.5/10
Phantom Earth is available now in all good bookstores. Bendis' next Superman book, Action Comics: Invisible Mafia, drops next month, with The Unity Saga set to continue later this year.
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