Superman: Lost #1: Interstellar

This issue is visually stunning to be sure, unfortunately, it seems to take more time to tell the reader how we got here than give a compelling reason for the reader to stay.  Christopher Priest as a writer can pace things somewhat glacially. Generally, the payoff is well worth it, but without more in this initial issue, I can’t say whether the premise lands as it should. Of course, within 10 issues Priest should be able to give us the development we need; there just isn’t much to latch onto for a first issue. If you’re looking for an exciting space odyssey, this issue isn’t it, sadly.

Bruce looking a bit sickly, like he might need some fresh fruit or sunlight; go touch grass, my dude

The lineart by Priest’s Deathstroke collaborators Carlo Paguiayan and Jason Paz is spectacular, heavy, and dark in a way not often seen in Superman stories, almost better suited to a noir setting. A good half of the issue features a full Justice League roster, and the team looks great, especially in the brief “action” moments, which aren’t so much action as active. Nonetheless, the intent of Priest’s tight paneling and scripting style is flawlessly conveyed; it’s no wonder this team is seen together so often; their chemistry is seamless.

The colors by Jeromy Cox do a lot to offset the heavy line work; while I wouldn’t call them overtly bright they really pop against the lines and keep the artwork lively, exciting and vibrant. I particularly like the way Green Lantern’s powers show up and this explosion on page 16.

The letter work by industry veteran and Deathstroke letterer Willie Schubert is typically excellent. Handling the dense dialogue and font work of the entire Justice League flawlessly, I appreciated the dedicated fonts for things like telepathy and some pretty fun sound effect work, I really liked the doorbell on page 14.

There’s Stan Lee X-men pages with less dialogue than this on them