Plot and Script: Priest
Plot and Art: Carlo Pagulayan
Inks: Jason Paz
Colors: Jeromy Cox
Letters: Willie Schubert
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: March 14th, 2023
Superman: Lost #1 kicks off a new 10 issue mini-series where Superman is thrown into deep space after a Justice League rescue mission goes awry, and he literally becomes lost in space. This issue is mostly set-up for what’s to come, but it offers some tantalizing teases for what lies ahead.
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Superman: Lost #1 Review.
The Story
Priest (AKA Christopher Priest), co-writer of Superman: Lost #1, utilizes many of the storytelling techniques he has used in the past few years on the Vampirella comics for this introductory issue. Most notably, he uses transitional panels (with a stark black background and white font) to indicate the current time and place within the story and it works very well here to keep the story flowing. The issue starts off as a “day in the life” style story of Superman and Lois going through a normal day, and these scenes between Superman and Lois (who adorably walks around their house with her hair in rollers like she’s out of a 1970’s romantic comedy) are sweet. I always love seeing the two during quiet times, when Lois isn’t running for her life and Superman isn’t punching meteors at Braniac.
But unfortunately, the quiet doesn’t last, and the rest of the book sets up for the story to come, as Superman and the Justice League deal with a spaceship that poses a severe danger to the Earth. I’m a bit confused by which Earth this takes place on and what time period. Is this Earth-Prime in the past or is it a different Earth entirely? What got me confused is that the Justice League shown here looks very much like the classic Silver Age team (including Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Barry Allen’s Flash, Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter), much different from the recent incarnation of the Earth-Prime team. It’s not a big deal really, because ultimately it doesn’t matter, but in DC’s chaotic multiverse, it would be nice if there was something at the beginning saying “Earth-Prime” or something to indicate which Earth this is on.
Aside from that, the scenes with the Justice League are tense and gripping, as they have to deal with the crashed spaceship while trying to prevent a war between the US and China. This is when the Justice League is the most enjoyable to read, when there’s a crisis that requires all of them acting in unison to fix it. Superman ultimately has to do what he always does, risk himself to save the planet. The remainder of the book takes place hours after this and there’s a surprisingly creepy scene with Superman here. I never thought any scene with Superman in it could be creepy, but the art for this section of the book gives it the feel of a horror book. It sets up the promise of what’s to come, that what happened to Superman has deeply affected him and it promises that we’re going to see some CRAZY stuff happening to Superman over the rest of the mini-series.
The Art
Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz and Jeromy Cox’s art on Superman: Lost #1 looked like the perfect merging of classic Curt Swan and modern Jim Lee styles. There’s a bit of George Perez in there too. So many of the scenes in the book reminded me of old issues of Action Comics I would read back in the late 70’s and early 80’s. When Superman’s in action especially, he strikes a heroic figure that’s pure classic. The artwork is filled with detail and the action scenes with the Justice League are wonderfully vivid and roaring with depth and color, from the light emerald beams of Green Lantern’s ring to the pulsating yellow of Wonder Woman’s lasso, the art makes the story come to life in a dazzling way.
Final Thoughts
Superman: Lost #1 sets up Superman’s crisis situation that will be the focus of this mini-series and even shows a bit of the after effects on him also. I’m looking forward to this mini-series and seeing Superman in an isolated situation that’s going to push him to his limits. If you’re a Superman fan, make sure to grab this up and get on the ground floor of this epic story.