Review: New Super-Man #19 - Mobile Edition

DC Comics
Review: New Super-Man #19
By Philip Schweier
June 8, 2018 - 13:12

DC Comics
Writer(s): Mariko Tamiki
Penciller(s): Brent Peeples
Inker(s): Richard Friend
Colourist(s): Hi-Fi
Letterer(s): Dave Sharpe
Cover Artist(s): Philip Tan, Rain Beredo; Bernard Chang

Laney Lan, reporter for Shanghai Today, has cultivated her career based on aptitude tests when she was younger, determining journalism was a good fit for her skill sets. So she bristles at the puff pieces she’s been assigned lately. After a man-on-the-street interview, and her latest assignment is smart phone apps. What she really wants is to continue her investigation into the Chinese Super-Man. After months of digging, she’s finally getting somewhere.

But then a hot tip leads to her ditching lunch with her mom, so she can cover Super-Man’s latest battle with a giant robot. And this leads to ramen with Bat-Man and Super-Man. I don’t know anything about contemporary Chinese culture, but I guess ramen is kind of like pizza in the U.S. Everybody loves it, everybody eats it. But this impromptu dinner leads to some potential leads regarding the Justice League of China. The story ends with some personal revelations for Laney Lan; seeds for later stories, no doubt.

This issue is a stand-alone story, a brief moment between last issue’s conclusion and next issue’s beginning. Entitled “A Day in the Life…” it’s ironically a puff piece that Laney Lan would hate. But it serves as a palette cleanser moving forward, and provides a little bit of insight for new readers.

The artwork from Brent Peeples and Richard Friend is serviceable, though a bit puzzling. Laney is portrayed constantly wearing gloves, though I’m completely confused as to why. Not sure if it’s a fashion statement or a clue to a greater role alongside the JLC.

Rating: 5/10