Written by Andrew Fontana
New Superman and The Justice League of China #24 is a truly a rare gem in superhero comics.
Gene Yang and Brent Peeples are tasked with closing their entire run in one issue without any promise of continuation, and they manage to do this with a dexterity and grace that crowns the entire series. New Super-man was under the threat of cancellation almost from the get-go, so there was always the chance that readers of the book would be denied a proper ending. What Yang delivers here doesn’t tie everything off neatly. He does, however, bring the narrative arc of New Superman to a heartfelt conclusion that ends this series on a high note.
Themes of balance defined this series from the start, and it is a kind of narrative balance that New Superman achieves in its last outing. The events of this issue hold a mirror up to main character Kong Kenan. This Chinese Superman struggled to achieve balance from the start, and over the course of two dozen issues we got to watch him grow from being a knockoff of that other Superman with a too big ego to a true hero in his own right.Yang created a character that was genuinely hard to root for, only to tell what may be the best superhero origin story in recent memory.
He closes Kenan’s arc not with the usual Epic Superhero Battle ( though we get some of that) but with a philosophical discussion about the nature of family and balance.Yang’s ability to reinterpret western superhero comics through the lens of Chinese mythology and culture made New Super-man one of the most interesting books on the shelf.
New Super-man #24’s only real weakness is in the visuals. Brent Peeples’ work here is adequate, but he can’t quite match the inventiveness of the writing. This issue deserves better imagery than what seen here. Peeples’ visuals are straightforward and simple, whereas the script beckons for something more ethereal. Even so, his artwork works more often than not, and is strongest with the action.
Rating: 8.5
