World of New Krypton #2

Alright, since my esteemed colleague is an hour behind me and I just finished this issue, I'm getting right to it.  Despite my overwhelming anticipation to read Green Lantern #39 today, I can't ever read anything before a Superman-family title when one comes out.

Superman: World of New Krypton #2

Written by Greg Rucka and James Robinson

Art by Pete Woods

A brief plot synopsis: The issue starts off with the Guardians of the Universe talking about New Krypton and how it requires the attention of the Lanterns of Sector 2814.  They decide to dispatch Hal Jordan to New Krypton to decide if the Green Lanterns do indeed need to pay attention to New Krypton.  Then, you have Superman, now in Krypton's military guild first meeting his unit, the Red Shard Tactical Response Unit.  During some type of art gala, Superman's unit is quickly given an assignment to stop a rampaging species of animals called Though Beasts from destroying some of their equipment crucial to terra-forming the planet.  After dealing with the situation, Superman is speaking with General Zod when a soldier informs him members of the Labor Guild have taken a group of people hostage using a stolen cache of new weapons.  They demand their guild be equal to all the others.  Commander Gor in turn takes a group of Labor Guild members hostage himself and demands the release of the hostages or else...which is where we're left.

Undoubtedly, I must commend Mr. Woods' incredible pencils in this issue and in the previous one also.  But, since this is the first issue to take place entirely on New Krypton, he shines more brightly here.  He gives New Krypton a tangible life with ease, as well as Kryptonian culture.  You've got members of the various guilds in almost every panel, brilliant images of buildings, art, and architecture that reflect what Kryptonian culture and life is like.  While I felt the situation with the Guardians was a little out of place at the beginning, I know its necessity, given I've seen the cover for future issues.  I felt like their conversation about the Green Lanterns maybe needed to pay attention to New Krypton may be more essential after the hostage crisis is made known, or not in this issue at all.

Superman's adjustment to being a military commander is a focal point in character development with Rucka and Robinson.  Kal tries to maintain his light-hearted attitude, which doesn't go over well at all with his new Executive Officer Lieutenant Asha Del-Nar, a 9th generation military guild member.  Kal's inability to "fit in" with his fellow Kryptonians is a crucial point in this series, and there's a good deal of that problem within this single issue.  We see him almost become an unrecognizable person when he takes sharp command of his unit, whipping them into shape with stern discipline when he finds them clowning around with a new "aspirant" (a private-like rank I assumed in the Kryptonian army).

This sharp attitude of discipline and order is foiled by the way Kal leads his unit in dealing with the problem of the rampaging Thought Beasts.  While his men wanted to use their spiffy new weapons to just kill the animals, Kal would not allow it.  The Thought Beasts create illusions within the mind and hallucinations when someone gets close to them.  Kal promotes the teamwork of his men and promises that they will each keep one another in focus when the hallucinations begin.  He opts to use non-lethal means to herd the beasts into a safe and non-threatening pen created by using their collective heat vision.  They succeed in diffusing the situation in this manner and Kal is even praised by Zod for his ability to lead his men effectively.

Before Superman left to deal with that situation, at the art gala he had a brief few words with a member of the labor guild, Tyr.  This was a major flag for me in reading and I felt like Rucka and Robinson were utilizing a fresh and almost limitless well of ideas to develop Kryptonian society.  Despite its scientific brilliance and their powers, they still have a hierarchical society with the Labor Guild being glorified slaves to all the others.  Tyr expresses a feeling of discontent within the Labor Guild about this.  They feel since Krypton has gotten a fresh start, they should get equal rights with all the other guilds.  It is a brilliant and effective development to use by the writers to present a society that may have trouble maintaining its own structure with its new planet and rebirth.  It was this that led to the hostage taking, which Superman obviously opposes the methods of Commander Gor, which Zod praises for his "improvisational skills".

I loved the development of Kryptonian culture the most in this issue and I hope they continue with this line of thought throughout the series.  The conflict between the rigid society and its unprivileged is one that has been seen in societies on earth for all of history, especially in the United States in the early 20th century.  It makes Kryptonian society more relatable in a way and more graspable.  All in all, I felt this issue was strong on all its points and Rucka and Robinson have this going full-steam-ahead with great promise.

9/10 overall.

--Patrick.