Comic Book Review: Superman - Red & Blue #1

Rob Lake reviews Superman: Red & Blue #1...

Superman: Red & Blue brings 5-strips by various creative teams that all explore what it means to be 'The Man of Steel'. And as Superman comics go - this one works incredibly well.

Much like other serialised strips, Superman: Red & Blue had its stronger stories and its slightly weaker one's. But regardless, each explores what being Superman means to both himself and the wider world that Clark finds himself in. It's great to see both Clark and his super alter-ego being explored in this way. Each writer nails the Superman ethos perfectly with each story having that personal touch - and as someone who's not normally a Superman fan, I thoroughly enjoyed what was presented.

Each story delves into a different aspect of Superman's life. The opening strip by John Ridley, Clayton Henry and Jordi Bellaire is one that struck me the most. Not only does Ridley tie this into a story from Superman's past, but he also explores Clark's psyche. The twist is pretty good and we see an almost conflicted side to both Clark and the Superman persona, as each struggle with the past. It's a side to Superman that's not be explored before and it does a brilliant job in humanising the Kryptonian. 

As the series title suggests, each strip is presented within some brilliant use of just red & blue to colour each stip. Again, it all goes to highlight Superman and does a fine job in doing so. The only strip that lacks any colour is Dan Watters and Dani's story, Human Colours but it all ties into the overall theme of the strip.

The art is on point through the whole issue and each artist brings a different style to the proceedings. My hat goes off to Jill Thompson who teams with Marguerite Bennet for The School of Hard Knock-Knock Jokes. This one explores Clark's kindergarten years and Thompson's detailed art and incredible use of watercolours is just a thing of beauty. 

Overall, Superman: Red & Blue is an extremely well thought out and well put together comic. Each creative team explores a side to Superman that's a far cry from what we've seen before. As a non-DC fan, I read this on a whim and I'm glad I did. Here's hoping the series continues to deliver through its run. 

Rating 9/10

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev