Superman 45: "It's About Character"

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Truth, Justice, Family

Written by Patrick Gleason and Peter J. Tomasi, Words, Art and Cover by Patrick Gleason, Colors and Cover Colors by Stephen Downer, Letters by Tom Napolitano, Associate Editor - Jessica Chen, Editor - Paul Kaminski

Initial Reactions

With the exception of a "Special #1" issue coming in early May, this is the end of the Tomasi and Gleason run.  I have loved most of what they have given us, and they helped re-establish the core of the character that was missing in the New 52.  This is not an intense, action-packed issue, but it doesn't need to be.  Like I mentioned in my post on their story in Action #1000, they have continually focused on the heart of the whole Kent family.  We also get to see what the surviving bizarros are up to, and it is delightfully mundane.  Those boys have been through a lot, so to have lives like normal children is a gift!  This is a satisfying ending to the Kent's time in Hamilton, and to a 2 year era in the Superman mythos.

The Story

The very first thing we see is that the Kent's house in Hamilton has sold and the family needs to clean it out.  Lois is ready to go, Clark follows close behind, and Jon is dragging his feet because he doesn't like change.  As a family with two super-powered members would, the house is cleaned out in no time.  They wait for the truck outside, and Jon is still complaining about leaving Hamilton for good.  He perks up a bit when Clark finds the flower that Swamp Thing gave him awhile back.  Jon suggests planting in front of Kathy's house, so they do just that.  As they are planting, Clark shares a not-so-subtle anecdote about healthy plants spreading their roots.  Jon gets the hint, and appreciates the advice.  They decide to take the long way home to meet the moving truck.

As they walk through the field, Clark again has a teachable moment.  He tells him that the world doesn't owe him a thing.  He goes on to say,

"It's a hard truth that far too many forget., but the point is that only you can choose who to be when things don't go your way.  That's the difference between someone who helps others and someone who helps themselves."

As they continue their walk, Clark shares a number of lessons they have learned together as well as some he learned from Ma and Pa.  While Clark is reciting Robert Frost to Jon, Lois is doing one less mopping of the house.  She begins crying as she sees the house completely empty.

While Jon goes back up to his room to grab his mobile, he sees the Flash run past his window.  He was supposed to be covering for Superman during a Justice League drill, but his stomach and heart led him to Hamilton to see the Kents.  Once there, Lois puts him to work, and he runs the boxes to the apartment in Metropolis.  Once the boxes are all gone, they head to the Hamilton fair.

At the fair, they remember all the good times they have had in Hamilton.  They meet up with Kathy and find Boyzarro and Robzarro working with Maya at the concession stand.  Robzarro offers Lois a flower.  Jon orders some fries, prepared by Boyzarro.  At first he hands Jon a frozen handful of fries.  After being lovingly corrected, he dips the fries and his hands in the oil to cook.  Boyzarro is unharmed and the Kents gladly take the fries.

They join the crowd to listen to the Mayor's dedication speech for a new ferris wheel, though Clark immediately senses something else is going on.  He continues his speech, and then uncovers a statue of Superman and Superboy.  Soon after this emotional moment, Lois gets a call from the Flash.  Some creature is on the rampage in Metropolis, and the rest of the League needs help.  Even though this was supposed to be a family day, Lois allows Superman and Superboy to save the day.  They do so off-panel, and the last page shows Lois walking in on her boys in their apartment asleep on the couch.  She places their old mailbox from Hamilton on the bookshelf next to a family picture.

Final Thoughts

What a great issue to close out the Hamilton chapter for the Kents!  We didn't even see the S-shield come out until the very end, and the action all happened off-panel.  Did I care?  Not one bit!  This story gets to the heart of Superman.  Whether it is Ma and Pa, Jor-El and Lara, or Lois and Jon, Superman has always found his core in family!  The lessons he teaches Jon ensure that he will have that foundation as well as he continues to grow.

While they are in the field, Clark teaches Jon about character.  Each and every one of us has a choice of how we are to live our lives.  Will we live for others, or just for ourselves?  In Scripture, God calls us to live for others, and not just that, what he describes as, "the least of these".  We aren't just to love our friends, but also those who we often avoid.  God knows our heart, and that we shy away from such things.  However, as God's children, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit who works in our hearts and allows us to think beyond our own interests to benefit others.

What did you think of this issue?  I would love to talk about it with you.  You can comment below, or find me @behindthecapes on Twitter, or by liking the Behind the Capes Facebook page.  Also, something new, Behind the Capes has a group called Behind the Capes' Nerd Out Round Table, where we talk about a bunch of geeky stuff.  It is technically a closed group, but anyone can join if they agree to the simple rules laid out in the group.  I would love for this group to grow!