Review: Superman Vol. 4- Black Dawn

Quick Summary

Pros: The volume opens with plenty of suspense that leads into a great reveal. The main narrative is intense and compelling. The characters are all written well and have plenty of moments that showcase their status as a family. The artwork looks gorgeous and improves the book as a whole.

Cons: Some aspects of the conclusion feel rushed.

Overall: This is another highly positive entry in this series that recaptures all of what makes this comic good. It tells a thrilling story that pits awesome displays of heroism against a creepy villain. Meanwhile, fun and wholesome moments from the comic’s main characters add emotion to the entire work. Plus, the entire adventure is backed up by some beautiful artwork. Fans who have enjoyed this series and anyone who enjoys seeing the Kent family should consider reading this book.

Story

Superman Vol. 4: Black Dawn, by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, is a great example of what this comic is capable of. At its core, it details a narrative that successfully combines suspense, action, and mystery in a way that is highly compelling. Meanwhile, the individual characters are constantly in the spotlight, with little moments that range from wholesome and inspiring to powerful and full of emotion. The main storyline is a bit rushed at the end but, for the most part, this is a very well-written book.

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The narrative in Black Dawn starts by building on the sense of unease that has been present in Hamilton County for a while. There is a sense that something is creepy and wrong going on here and that it will strike out at the Kents at any moment. This portion of the read has a lot of tension and even a few frightening moments, as the town’s villains begin to reveal themselves.

This then leads into the main narrative, where it is revealed that members of the town are part of an alien race who work for Manchester Black. Now, Black wants to recruit Superboy to his cause, which involves killing those he considers dangerous.

The erupts into a tense battle that pits Black and his forces against the Kents, with Black having the advantage of surprise. The scales are then tipped even further when Black is able to take over Superboy’s mind, unleashing his power on his father. This ups the stakes even further and ultimately concludes in an emotional appeal where Superboy’s love for his parents is able to free him from Black’s control.

However, the conclusion to the book is not all positive. Pieces of it feel too quickly paced and dilute the impact of certain moments. For example, Cobb and Kathy’s change of heart comes about pretty suddenly, which makes it less meaningful when Cobb sacrifices himself. By the end of the book, it feels like several plotlines simply wrapped up neatly and without much issue. The conclusion still has plenty going for it but not quite as much as other volumes in this series.

What makes Black Dawn really successful though, is the volume’s ability to write fantastic character moments. The collection opens with the Kents simply playing pool while hiding out from a storm, then there are a few great moments when they interact with the Waynes, later on they deal with loss and potential loss, then Jon has a chance to reconnect with his friend, and, finally, the collection closes with Superman and Superboy growing closer as individuals and as a superhero team. The writing in this book really gives you a sense that this is a family dealing with real family issues, which is one of this comic’s most significant positives.

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Art

The artwork in Black Dawn looks great all the way through and is a significant factor in the book’s success. The volume opens with several beautiful chapters from Patrick Gleason. These chapters are bright and cheery, capturing the tranquility of Hamilton County and the love within the Kent family. However, they are also able to successfully capture some of the town’s creepier elements, which directly lead into the main storyline and are particularly effective when contrasted against the rest of Gleason’s art. Then, Doug Mahnke takes over on visuals as the book moves into the main storyline. Mahnke’s artwork is less stylized and more realistic in a way that helps capture the serious nature of the main narrative. It also simply looks great and provides detailed depictions of the characters and locations. Together, these two artists make what would have already been a good book even better. 

Continuity

Superman Vol. 4: Black Dawn continues the story from Superman: Reborn (Review) (Reading Order).

The story here continues in Superman Vol. 5: Hopes and Fears (Review).

This volume also references other comic books, detailed below:

• Superman and Lois talk about needing to explore the aftereffects of Superman: Reborn (Review) (Reading Order). These aftereffects are more significantly looked at in Action Comics #977-978, collected in Action Comics Vol. 4: The New World (Review).
• Superboy’s mention of Batman finding out about “Amaz-” refers to Damian and Superboy’s adventure in Super Sons Vol. 1: When I Grow Up (Review).