As Superman struggles to re-enter his life on Earth, we begin the story of his epic 20-year journey home with an encounter with spacefaring scavengers who transport the Man of Steel to an unnamed earthlike planet whose properties redefine the limits of his powers, while the world’s ecological and political turmoil beckons for his help. Superman: Lost #2 is an interesting issue feeling a bit like a parable packed with lessons.

Written by Christopher Priest, Superman: Lost #2 continues what is an intriguing series. There’s so much to enjoy and so much to be frustrated by the series as a whole. The first issue felt littered with character depictions which never quite felt like the characters we know. The second issue has a little of that too with Superman shattered and broken by his trip home and in flashbacks, attempting to figure out what has happened.

When it comes to Superman, I’ve always felt like he’s a character who will step in to stop injustice no matter the situation. He wants to right the wrongs, which is partially what makes Superman: Lost #2 so frustrating. First salvaged by aliens, he’s dumped on a planet destroyed by war and ecological disasters but much like Earth. Yes, he’s limited by his powers but after finding some who aren’t so bad off, he just grabs some equipment to help him get home and takes off. The comic feels like there’s a lesson to the story but I’m not sure what it is and the lesson absolutely isn’t very Superman like. Even with issues concerning his powers, I’d expect the Man of Steel to spend time to try to save the planet and its people. Here, he just kind of bolts after learning the people don’t really seem to want help. “Fuck em” seems to be the lesson of the day.

The art by Carlo Pagulayan continues to be fantastic. There’s something beautiful and haunting at the same time with a sadness pervading over the sci-fi visuals. With Jason Paz on ink, Jeromy Cox on color, and lettering by Willie Schubert, the comic visually looks great with so much that feels familiar but alien at the same time. But, the tone of the comic is set up early as Clark personally deals with the reality of his time away, a tone that’s sad and morose.

Superman: Lost #2 is an interesting comic in that it feels like there’s a lesson there. It has a style that it’s a parable but I’m not quite sure what that underling thing is. It continues a series which feels grand in concept and execution but I’m not sure if that is really going to pay off.

Story: Christopher Priest Art: Carlo Pagulayan
Ink: Jason Paz Color: Jeromy Cox Letterer: Willie Schubert
Story: 7.75 Art: 8.4 Overall: 8.1 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle