”Rediscovery” starts this week in Superwoman as she attempts to reclaim her powers and Steel’s family attempts to reclaim some peace. K. Perkins writes this issue with art by Stephen Segovia in a jumping on point issue, more or less.
So what’s it about?
The official summary reads:
“Rediscovery” part one! Superwoman is on the hunt for the man responsible for landing Natasha Irons’ father, Crash, in jail—the deadly Skyhook! But Steel is urging caution, and the three heroes are at odds over how much they can trust Crash’s motives. The true history of Steel’s family tree will be revealed as the group is torn apart.
Why does this book matter?
Lana Lang’s turn as a superhero has certainly drawn readers into her personality a lot more. As a hero, we’re privy to a character who has always been like us, yet has a close connection to Superman which creates a unique perspective. She’s tried to understand Superman for years, but only now can she truly understand.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
So this isn’t good…
This issue bookends with Lana back as Superwoman, as the meat of the issue is about Steel’s family and Lana reclaiming her powers. By opening the issue with Lana about to blast somebody, Perkins creates a sense of interest so as to pull us into the family drama. As we learn more about Steel’s family we get a bit more interest in his perspective of things so that when they test Lana’s abilities we’re more emotionally invested. As he watches on and she’s put through dangerous tests you feel for the guy. That effectively adds more purpose to the tests on her and the threat she’s facing.
These tests are pretty cool, particularly how the costume she’s wearing shifts to compensate against the threats. Perkins makes even Lana doubt her abilities and lays that element on thick so that when the danger increases we’re not even sure she’ll make it. These threats are tied to her emotional state, which adds a layer of character work to the action too. It’s a good combo and it works to keep your interest.
The art by Segovia keeps the action interesting and the acting relatable. I dig how characters pop out of their panels and spill into others which help draw your eye down the page and create a 3D effect. There’s also a great use of light throughout the issue from Hi-Fi that help make the energy effects look honest.
A portion of this issue is flashback.
It can’t be perfect can it?
There’s an attempt to have Lana more deeply understand Superman’s conflict of being a hero and a human which I don’t think comes off strong enough. The threads are there, but the connection is loose and is more telling than showing.
Is It Good?
The hero’s journey of Lana Lang continues in surprising and interesting ways. Its ties to Steel’s family only strengthen the emotional resonance of the story.
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