Flashpoint: Project Superman 1

DC Comics
Flashpoint: Project Superman 1
By Josh Dean
July 2, 2011 - 22:37

DC Comics
Writer(s): Scott Snyder, Lowell Francis
Penciller(s): Gene Ha
Inker(s): Gene Ha
Colourist(s): Art Lyon
Letterer(s): Rob Leigh
Cover Artist(s): Gene Ha
$2.99 US

One thing I am hoping for in all this Flashpoint mess is at least one issue where we get some kind of explanation as to what, exactly Reverse Flash did to change the timeline so drastically. I can figure out the Batman changes easily enough but things like the meeting between Aquaman and Wonder Woman (seen in the first issue of Wonder Woman and the Furies) or why Mr. Terrific would even exist as a hero if his wife were still alive (as seen in The Outsider #1) are harder to discern. Another mystery I am really curious about is how and why Kal-el appears the way the way he does in this issue. I won’t spoil it, but how could Reverse Flash have had any impact on why this was happening? Also, I have some issues with Nathanial Adam's age at the beginning of this issue based on other titles he has appeared in.

Those quibbles aside, this issue is actually a pretty fun ride. Neil Sinclair is a lifelong soldier who is subjected by General Lane to some…enhancements. If you are following Booster Gold, you know that the government of the Flashpoint timeline has been experimenting on Doomsday for quite awhile. Using what they have learned, they alter Sinclair and give him a ton of energy based powers and enhanced senses (almost more like Electric Blue Superman than the one we know and love). When things predictably go awry, the government tries to clean up its dirty little secret in a way that will be pretty familiar if you read things like Supreme Power.

Really, the story isn’t breaking any new ground but the execution is the fun part. Gene Ha just knocks this one out of the park. His x-ray vision scenes are very cool (and disturbing). His facial expressions and the heft of his figures really sell the drama. I have been a fan of Ha since seeing his work on Alan Moore’s Top 10 and he has only gotten better with time. His depiction of a certain piece of Superman iconography is actually quite beautiful.

Almost more than any of the other #1 issues I have read in relation to Flashpoint, this one is all set up. It is difficult to gauge the effectiveness of the story until it is complete. As a standalone issue, there is enough going on to keep a reader engaged but not enough to make it a must buy. I am on board for the rest of this mini so it did the job of hooking my interest. For fans of the Man of Steel, there really isn’t much classic Superman in it. For fans of the exploration of the exploitation of super powers by the military industrial complex, this should entertain you insofar as it sets the scene for this scenario in the DC Universe in a unique way. I remain cautiously optimistic.

Rating: 6/10