An Impossible Choice – Superman: Up In The Sky #1 Reviewed
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
Batman calls Superman to Gotham City to ask for his help. A family was massacred with only to little girls surviving. One was taken to the hospital, and the other disappeared “up in the sky.” Superman consults Green Lantern, and he tells Clark that it was some kind of knockoff Zeta Beam technology that is impossible to trace for the Green Lantern Corps. The Rannians say that they can’t help, and Superman is left to consider that this girl may be impossible to save. At the very least, it may take months or years. Superman must decide if he can leave Earth unprotected long enough to do this.
Superman: Up in the Sky #1 begins the first-time-in-comic-shops reprint of Tom King and Andy Kubert’s Superman story from Superman Giant. It puts a near-impossible challenge for the Man of Tomorrow; he must decide if he’s willing to leave Earth unprotected while he goes off to unknown parts of space to save one little girl.
The easy answer is yes until you go consider the logistics of the search. It could take an untold amount of time to find this girl, and that’s assuming she’s still alive.
Of course, the easy answer is still yes, because this is Superman we are talking about. He must at least try, because that’s who he is.
The impossible question is symbolized well by the climax of the story, where Clark’s mind is forced to process an unimaginable amount of information, and his mind perceives it as another impossible choice he once had–whether he would continue to be Superman after a child died imitating him.
A lot of the comic is surprisingly dark all things considered–a lot of children get hurt over the course of the story. Despite that, it’s still an uplifting Superman story in many ways.
Andy Kubert’s artwork gives Superman a classic touch in this comic, and many panels have the Man of Steel striking iconic poses, including the puffed chest deflecting bullets. Sandra Hopes inking gives the art extra punch, and Brad Anderson’s color art is lively and eye-catching.
Superman: Up in the Sky #1 is the opening to a fascinating Superman tale. The Man of Tomorrow is faced with impossible choices that shake the core of his beliefs, but he still comes out the other side undeniably Superman. This one gets a recommendation. Feel free to give it a read.
Superman: Up in the Sky comes to us from writer Tom King, artist Andy Kubert, inker Sandra Hope, color artist Brad Anderson, letterer Clayton Cowles, and cover artist Andy Kubert with Brad Anderson.
Final Score: 8.5/10
