Review: Superman/Wonder Woman Vol. 1- Power Couple

Quick Summary

Pros: The main plotline has a lot of action and excitement. The examination of Superman and Wonder Woman’s personalities is well done. The heroes’ relationship is appropriately justified, even for those who doubted it initially. The entire book looks beautiful from beginning to end.

Cons: The ending to the book’s main plotline is rather disappointing.

Overall: Though their relationship started with a good deal of controversy and doubt, this volume proves that Superman and Wonder Woman can work well in a relationship. Here readers are treated to an in depth analysis of who these heroes are and how they interact with each other. All of this is told against the backdrop of an exciting story featuring fan favorite villain, General Zod. This makes for a great collection and one that new or old readers of Superman and Wonder Woman can appreciate.

Story

I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t care much for Superman and Wonder Woman’s romance, when it was first announced. I thought it seems like a strange pairing, given the two characters’ personalities, and passed it off as something done to simply cause a media buzz. I didn’t even like how the two held up their romance in the Justice League series. So, going into this volume, I had little hope that I would enjoy it or leave with my mind changed. Charles Soule’s writing convinced me otherwise.

Superman/Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Power Couple is a clever examination of the two most powerful beings on the planet and how they interact when they become romantically entangled. At first, it seems like they simply connect over power level and responsibility alone. However, this blossoms into something deeper as the story progresses. Soule understands what makes these two tick and gets to the bottom of it here, all while simultaneously telling an intense story of action and suspense.

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The actual plot of this book follows General Zod’s escape from the Phantom Zone and the trouble that this poses. He frees his partner, Faora, and works to bring the devastatingly powerful Warworld to use as a weapon on Earth. It is an intense story that has moments where it seems like all is lost, followed by moments of triumph. The fluctuating ups and downs present an entertaining narrative that grabs one’s attention and refuses to let go.

However, the story falters at the very end. Superman and Wonder Woman manage to defeat Zod by causing a massive nuclear explosion near Zod’s base of operations. Though this sends Zod back to the Phantom Zone, his defeat is detailed in narration afterwards, rather than being shown upfront. In this way, the book’s main villain is dismissed as little more than an afterthought and not in a significantly satisfactory manner. This situation is mitigated somewhat, since the main story is focused primarily on Superman and Wonder Woman, but still feels like a hole in an otherwise great book.

Though all of this provides the book with a good level of action, the main focus is on the character examination of both Superman and Wonder Woman. Through the events of this story, the personalities of both heroes are explored thoroughly and their actions are characterized appropriately. Soule clearly understands his topic, and uses this understanding to the book’s advantage.

This really shines through in the relationship between the two, and how similarities and differences are shown. At first, base observations about power levels are made, but these observations become more intense as the story progresses. Diana’s warrior level independence and Clark’s boy scout chivalry clash and show that, despite their similarities, these are two radically different people. However, this friction ends up sparking understanding rather than division, in a way that even those reluctant to accept this relationship, like me, can appreciate. All of this makes a case for the existence of a Superman/Wonder Woman series and is a success in that regard.

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Art

If the story wasn’t good enough for you, the artwork will more than convince you that this is a book worth reading. Tony S. Daniel presents Superman and Wonder Woman at their absolute finest. From the lush and tropical beaches of Themyscira to the technological marvels in the Fortress of Solitude, everything in this book looks great. This book isn’t just full of beautiful people and scenery though, as Daniel’s action sequences all look incredible and do a great job in conveying the weight and power these heavy hitters bring to the battlefield. This is a comic with well executed and visually stunning artwork that any fan will appreciate.

Continuity

Superman/Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Power Couple starts the Superman/Wonder Woman New 52 series. The series has its roots in Justice League Vol. 2: The Villain’s Journey (Review), when Superman and Wonder Woman first started dating, but does not reference that series much besides this.

The story here continues in Superman/Wonder Woman Vol. 2: War and Peace (Review).

This volume also references and continues the stories from other comic books, detailed below:

• Clark Kent’s new job is the result of his actions in Superman Vol. 3: Fury At World’s End (Review).
• At the start of this book, Wonder Woman references the people of Themyscira’s current condition. This is explained by the events of Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Blood (Review).
• Apollo’s status as “Lord of Olympus” is due to events at the end of Wonder Woman Vol. 2: Guts (Review).
• The superhero team responding to the threat in the desert is the Justice League of America, established in Justice League of America Vol. 1: World’s Most Dangerous (Review).
• Hal Jordan says he had “dibs” on Wonder Woman. He claimed this back in Justice League Vol. 1: Origin (Review).
• Lex Luthor’s imprisonment is a result of Action Comics Vol. 4: Hybrid (Review).
• At the end of this collection, Superman mentions Wonder Woman’s newly acquired role as god of war. She acquired this role in Wonder Woman Vol. 4: War.