Superman has been one of the most consistent DC Rebirth books. Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason have done an excellent job so far, and while Superman #12 had some good action scenes and a fun visit from Frankenstein, I didn’t feel that this was one of the stronger issues. Now that isn’t to say it wasn’t enjoyable because it was.

We start in rural Hamilton County where Clark now lives with Lois and his son Jon aka Superboy. They moved here to live a more quiet and private life until Frankenstein shows up looking for someone, and he doesn’t come in peace. That person is Candice, the seemingly kind lady who wants to hire Lois for the Hamilton Horn. After he trashes the office and tries to apprehend Candice, Lois saves her and the two flee on his vehicle. A fun chase ensues, and sure enough The Man of Steel shows up to even the odds. There’s a nice twist at the end, and it creates an interesting premise for the next issue.

Doug Mahnke does a solid job on art, and Frankenstein looks awesome. I loved the fight scenes more than the other panels, but the art throughout the book is still good. There’s a sequence in particular I really liked where Frankenstein is hanging off his flying vehicle that Lois stole, and Superman shows up and sends him flying. The action continues with a farmer blasting Frankenstein with a shotgun, which causes him no harm, but he is then thrown by Superman once again like he was a rag doll. It was fun, funny, and it was drawn really well. The inks by Jaime Mendoza and Christian Alamy as well as the colors by Wil Quantana are sharp, vibrant, and really bring Hamilton County to life. By the colors of the leaves, we can see it is autumn, and I really enjoy when artists can add to the story without needing any extra written words.

If you’re already reading Superman, then this issue shouldn’t make you want to stop. It’s a fun small arc that will run only two issues, so we will see it come to an end in two weeks. If you aren’t reading Superman, this is a good issue to jump onto, as you don’t need much backstory to understand what is happening. There are a few small things that were in past issues or Action Comics, but they’re not that important to the overall plot of the issue.

Story: Peter J. Tomasi/Patrick Gleason Art: Doug Mahnke
Ink: Jaime Mendoza/Christian Alamy Color: Wil Quintana
Story: 7.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

DC provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review