I'll start this off by saying that before launching into this you really should re-read the first two volumes. I originally just jumped right with this and while I wasn't lost plot wise I felt that characterization wise it read much better the second time around after I read the first two again. Despite coming out years apart they have a very episodic feel to them that lends them a more rounded emotional resonance when read back to back than as separate graphic novels. On top of that Superman Vol. 3 picks up shortly after the events of Vol. 2 feeding into that episodic nature even more; the ending of that volume with the coup of Borada provides the very catalyst for the plot here as although Superman acted as a force for good his participation in the coup has caused the world's leaders to fear him leading them to hire super science married couple Alexandra and Lex Luthor to come up with a way to stop the young man of steel. On top of all that Straczynski throws Zod into the mix further complicating Superman's mission to prove to the world that he is a force for good.

If that sounds like a lot you...then you're in the same boat I found myself in. I've been a pretty big fan of the Earth One books but one thing that has always seemed to be an issue, especially in the last two volumes of Superman, is pacing so when I read that not only were we getting the Luthors but also Zod I felt a little nervous that in the scramble fit in all those plot beats that the compressed format would lead to an insufficient focus on characterization. It happened in the past with the villains Tyrell and the Parasite feeling very hollow and the threat of it happening here loomed large in my mind, and it was a threat that bared fruit.

As he's the most offending element, we'll start with Zod. Although Straczynski makes an effort to shroud Zod's motivations and true nature in mystery and introduces him as the brother of Jor El which is rather interesting it's all for not as we already know who Zod is so there is no real sense of mystery as we know he's a bad guy. As readers we are never given a single reason to identify with the Zod or understand why he does what he does. He is the mastermind behind Krypton's destruction because his military coup failed...he wanted to rule but because his attempt was denied he blew up the planet, what sense does that make?? Instead of a compelling villain he merely comes across as being evil for evil's sake. On top of that we get a nearly panel for panel rehash of Zod's first experience on Earth that we saw in Action Comics only a few years ago which just felt lazy and his costume looked like he raided the closet of some early 90's Image reject. Blech.


Despite the total mishandling of Zod the Luthors fair a bit better. Straczynski's decision to re-imagine Luthor as a married couple rather than a single megalomaniac is certainly something new and inventive which is befitting the purpose of the Earth One line and yet it plays with the tried and true line that the only thing Luthor more than Luthor... is Luthor, which was one along with the whole business tycoon idea is one of the only contributions to the Superman line that Jogn Bryne introduced. The dynamic  between Luthor squared is interesting in that Alexandra is ruthless while Lex is burdened by an actual sense of morality and that idea of ying and yang seemed to hold so much promise. Ultimately, though, the two villains never receive the page space they need to develop that promise with the need to share page time with Zod. This failure is a serious shame as given how much time Straczynski spends in the beginning of the issue building up the tension between Superman and the military, this book could have functioned perfectly well without Zod, giving us time to see more of the Luthors which in turn would have made Lex's death saving Superman in the end have some real emotional impact. Instead, the lack of space means that the Luthors suffer and the end lacks any punch what so ever.

It's not all negative however, as much as Straxznski struggled with his caracterizations of Zod and the Luthors the one element of this book that does work is the more well-rounded portrayal of Superman which is important as this is after all a Superman book. In the previous outings Straczynski had already succeeded in exploring the Clark side of things shedding light on the various difficulties the character faces in trying to fit in and live a normal life in a way that has never really been done in the main DC books. He created a Clark that felt like a very real human being that we could truly empathize with rather than just a plastic facade that Superman wears in his down time. In this issue the focus shifts and  the Superman side comes more sharply into play. Through the course of the story it's impossible not to sympathize with Superman, we know he tried to do the right thing and we feel his frustration with the world and their fear of him all the while facing his strongest foe yet. While battling an admittedly two dimensional Zod, stopping cars from plunging into a river and finally addressing the leaders of the world, we see Superman grow into a much more mature character which is something he was not when all of this started two volumes ago. 

Overall this is a pretty flawed story, containing all the weaknesses of the previous outings and heightening them further with it's even more compressed storytelling. However, the growth we see her with Superman is truly great, providing a capstone to the development of Clark that really shined in the last two outings and really leaving things wide open for future installments. Basically, if you've already read the first two stories you might as well see the ending but if this is your first go with Earth One you might want to rethink your purchase and either get Teen Titans, Batman or the first volume of Superman.