There's no getting around the fact that Superman #39 is filler. It exists to kill time until Geoff Johns' run ends and Gene Luen Yang takes over in June (after two months of Convergence). But it's not without its merits.
Spoilers ahead.
In Superman #38, Clark Kent had just defeated his frenemy Ulysses and discovered a new "Super Flare" power that is much more powerful than anything Supes has demonstrated before. The downside: it leaves him powerless for about 24 hours afterwards, with his body needing to "recharge."
The issue ended with Clark doing something drastic and long-awaited following the New 52 reboot: he revealed his biggest secret to his pal, Jimmy Olsen.
Superman #39 picks up at the exact moment that #38 left off, showing us the immediate aftermath and explaining that (even though he changed into his super-suit impossibly fast) his powers are gone for the rest of the day. Needless to say, Jimmy's pretty shocked, but it doesn't take him long to see how cool it is. Unfortunately he finds out that his best friend has superpowers on the one day that those powers have been taken away. Complications inevitably ensue.
It's a simple issue, but one thing it does well is remind us that Superman is a story built on optimism. No matter how difficult or dark things may get for the Man of Steel, he will always be a character who believes in the goodness of people, and that Earth is worthy of saving. He will always come back to that optimistic point of view.
Superman stands as a stark contrast to fellow DC Comics title Batman, where the hero lives amid the corrupt and the wicked. We all have within us the capacity for kindness and for cruelty. Superman is a beacon of the former; Batman spends all his time protecting his city from the latter. Batman's enemies are vicious, criminally insane creatures who have little to no redemptive qualities. Superman's villains are often misguided, and more than once Superman has been able to guide them back into the light.
It almost feels like a crime to waste John Romita Jr.'s talents on a "tide you over" installment, but he makes the most of it with some nice character work and a few majestic panels near the end.
Not destined to be a classic in any way, Superman #39 is a good-not-great issue of this long-running series. But hang in there dear readers, because very big stuff is coming in just a few months' time.
Story:
★★☆☆☆
Art:
★★★★☆
Overall:
★★★☆☆
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