When the planet Krypton exploded, its last son was rocketed across the cosmos and came to settle in a small town in Kansas. But what else came with him, and what if a piece of his home landed somewhere we never knew about? As Superman has become a symbol of strength and pride for America, the Soviet Union looks to crush that image with a creation of their own, built by their own might and forged by their own power! Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain #1 continues the classic Superman and remixes some familiar elements.

Written by Robert Venditti, Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain #1 hits the nostalgic queues not through the story or events, but in the characters themselves. Venditti captures the mannerisms and dialogue of Superman/Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and so much more, taking us back to the fun and innocent times of the original film(s).

The story is an entertaining one, playing off of the Cold War and arms sales, it leads into the introduction of a familiar character with a new twist. And Venditti makes it all work. The story feels like a logical extension of a film that was the big screen introduction to superheroes for so many.

But again, it’s the tone and feel of it all that Venditti nails so well. There’s an innocence to it all, the firebrand nature of Lois, grumpiness of Perry White, and the existence of Jimmy Olsen. It has the feel and flow of that original Superman franchise. It hits the beats.

The art by Gavi Guidry is good. It doesn’t go for perfect takes on the actors but it’s enough that you can see inspiration by them. Guidry is joined by Jordie Bellaire on color and Dave Lanphear on lettering and overall it delivers a look that has an almost innocent throwback vibe, like the story itself. It doesn’t have the complete cheery nature of the classic original film but feels like line with the tone of its sequel and the third film visually. The design for the surprise villain looks interesting and solid and also fits the era quite well.

Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain #1 isn’t one to rush out and must read but there’s a charm and innocence about it that feels like a nice throwback in many ways. It’s the start of what feels like could be a fun next chapter in the classic film franchise taking what made that all work so well and building off into something more.

Story: Robert Venditti Art: Gavin Guidry
Color: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Dave Lanphear
Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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