Writer: Robert Venditti
Art: Gavin Guidry and Jordie Bellaire (colorist)
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 7th, 2023
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any others that were mentioned then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon.
THE DISPATCH
In this super new adventure, we’ve returned to the world of the Christopher Reeve Superman movies. Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain #1 is a continuation of the Superman ’78 series which lasted from 2021 until early 2022. In this new story, Reeve’s Superman faces Metallo. This version of Metallo is reimagined as a Russian agent from the Soviet Union, bent on destroying Superman and America.
Venditti does a good job of combining elements of world history with the fictional elements of the Man of Steel. The characters are written very true to form with how they appeared in the films. The dialogue is fitting and it is easy to imagine the likes of Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder saying the lines their characters are given in this story. Clark’s faux clumsiness that Reeve portrayed so well definitely comes through as well. The reimagining of Metallo is interesting because even though this is a character that has existed for many decades, we don’t quite know yet entirely how this version will fit into Reeve’s universe beyond him being an adversary of Superman.
ART
If you followed the first installment, you’ll quickly notice the difference in art. Wilfredo Torres, the original artist, has been replaced by Gavin Guidry. Guidry still makes the characters recognizable and similar to the likenesses of the actors in Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain #1, but they don’t seem as detailed in some panels. It’s only the first issue though, so it may get better as time goes on.
Fans can still distinctly recognize the faces of Reeve, Kidder, Jackie Cooper (Perry White) and Marc McClure (Jimmy Olsen). One thing that was a nice touch was that, like Torres, Guidry also throws in clever Easter Eggs for hardcore Superman fans. Eagled-eyed readers will notice a cube-shaped planet on the second page that most fans will recognize as the planet come to be known as Bizarro’s world. There’s also a great panel when Superman first rescues Lois and flies through the air with her.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain #1 is a great new addition to the Superman mythos within the Christopher Reeve movie universe. It gives us a fresh reimagining of the character of Metallo at connects it to historical world events happening around the time the Reeve movies were produced. There is an element of excitement as old characters, like Metallo, are introduced in a new way so it is less predictable than it would be if they had just stuck with his mainstream comic origin. Will Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor return once again? Will we see more new characters not previously seen in Reeve’s Superman universe? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.