Superman 40: Science v Religion

"The Last Days Part One"

Story - James Robinson, Pencils - Doug Mahnke, Inks - Jaime, Mendoza & Scott Hanna, Colors - Wil Quintana, Letters - Rob Leigh, Cover - Viktor Bogdanovic with Mike Spicer, Variant - Jonboy Meyers, Associate Editor - Jessica Chen, Editor - Paul Kaminski

Initial Reaction

I am a bit conflicted about this issue.  There are some very strong character beats for both Superman and his son Jon, especially in the beginning.  However, the book makes some choices near the end that seem uncharacteristic of the Big Blue Boy Scout.  Let's dig in.

The Story

We open our story in the Fortress of Solitude, with Superman searching for Jon.  He is wanting to show him a holographic simulation of the destruction of Krypton in remembrance of the anniversary of the day it exploded.  This is a great father and son moment, with Superman being touched by the fact Jon calls it his home planet.  Much like any moment of such loss in our history such as D-Day, Pearl Harbor, or 9/11, it is important to remember these days, honoring the fallen and seeking to make the world a better place.  I think this issue does a great job of showing a father instilling these strong values in his son.

All of a sudden, Superman gets an alert that a planet is about to be destroyed, much like Krypton.  Superman is getting ready to leave, but Jon begs to go, appealing to his dad's speech just a few moments ago.  To seal the deal, he says it must be a sign from Rao, the sun god of Krypton.  I am not sure if Jon knows much about Rao other than from his time at the Fortress, but this is most certainly an attempt to suck up to his dad so that he can go help.  How many times did you try a similar tactic to get your way as a child?  By the time I was Jon's age, I knew full well what appeals worked and which didn't.

As they are traveling through space, Jon is amazed with the beauty of the various planets and stars.  These are beautiful panels, and certainly reflect the beauty God created throughout the cosmos.  Hat's off to the art team for these wonderful couple of pages.

Now we near the climax of the issue, and this is where I question some of the choices made. As Superman is telling Jon what they could expect from this encounter, I get a sense of arrogance from him.  He says he expects them to be greeted warmly, and they will be fascinated by their powers.  They will then be introduced to the leaders of the planet and Superman will get a chance to share their intentions.  All seems to go according to the script, until the leaders tell Jon and Superman to leave before they are destroyed with the planet.  The inhabitants believe that it is the will of their god Dhermet, and do not wish to be saved by outsiders.

 What comes next is my biggest problem.  Superman responds saying, "I can't allow this. You can't possibly speak for everyone here."  The leader does not take well to these words, and neither do I.  It is hard to believe Superman would insult the leader, even if he does not think he is acting logically.  They proceed to link this encounter with a prophecy from their seers which says a monster will come and rule over them, denying the practice of their faith.  This enrages the inhabitants, and they surround Superman and Jon.  If it were not for one rogue scientist on the planet, they would have been in real trouble.  They are able to escape from the horde, and will now be working on a solution with this scientist.

Final Thoughts

What this climax and ending seems to set up is an ideological battle between science and religion.  Much like in our actual culture, it is often portrayed as an either/or choice.  I personally reject this notion and believe science helps us understand the awesomeness of God's creation.  I suspect this may be trying to paint those of faith as naive and illogical, which is a shame.  There are a number of great men and women of science that also believe in God.  It is a very vocal minority that insist on putting their heads in the sand and show off their ignorance.  I hope that Robinson uses the arc to close the perceived gap between the faithful and the scientific communities.  Overall, I liked the father and son moments between Jon and Superman, but I am concerned that this arc may attempt to drive a wedge between science and faith.

What did you think of this issue?  Let's continue the conversation in the comments section.