Superman: The Man of Steel #16 (October 1992)
Superman: The Man of Steel #16 (October 1992)
Superman vs. domestic abuse! Superman loses.
In this very special issue, Clark Kent finally realizes why his neighbor Andrea always looks like Stallone at the end of Rocky: her dope of a husband is beating her. When he finds out what's going on, Superman BURSTS into Andrea's apartment to interrupt the husband in the middle of a beating…
…but Andrea is like "Stop, you brute! I deserve it for burning the meatloaf!" She even calls the cops to get rid of the home intruder in red underpants. Feeling frustrated, Superman puts on his Clark hat (fedora, whatever) and tries to report the wife-beater to the cops, but they tell him they can't do anything unless Andrea herself presses charges. At this point, it's pretty clear she won't.
This whole thing makes Superman remember the time early in his career (very early, as in literally Action Comics #1) when he stopped another domestic violence case, and… FLASHBACK RETRO PASTICHE TIME!
Back then, Superman only got that guy to chill by threatening to drop him from a great distance, but he told Ma and Pa Kent that he felt conflicted about this approach. Will it work? And what about the other 9000 screwed up domestic scenes Superman hears every minute with his senses? Ma and Pa tell him there are some situations he just has to learn to let go… but that's not really possible this time around, since this particular situation is right next door and he'd be able to hear it even if he didn't have super-ears.
And then Superman says something inspiring and the husband turns good and they all hug and have pizza together? Nope, the issue ends with Superman feeling sad and impotent. To be continued! (Hopefully.)
Plotline-Watch:
Throughout the issue we see that Andrea's oldest kid is a bit of a little jerk himself. On the way to school, he runs into the unluckiest orphan in Metropolis, Keith, and teases him about not having a mom. At this point we find out more of Keith's backstory: he has a mom but she bailed years ago, leaving him one (1) white cat named Tiger and one (1) dubious promise that she'll be back one day. She will, eventually, but not in the way he's hoping.
Later, Tiger runs away from Keith (does he have bad BO or something?) and he sees a female figure picking him, so he assumes his mom came back for the cat but didn't even bother to say hi to him. Good news: it wasn't Keith's mom after all! Bad news: it was a sewer mutant who wants to eat Tiger! (Man of Steel is a freaky comic.)
Some nice Lois/Clark scenes in this issue. For starters, we see them eating in the fanciest restaurant in Metropolis… uh, "Pink Flamingo Pasta."
I stole that observation from Don Sparrow. Speaking of which, I'll let Don talk more about the Lois/Clark stuff (and other things) in his section after the jump, so don't miss out!
Art-Watch (by @donsparrow):
One of the heaviest and most meaningful stories in the entire run of Superman comics, SMOS #16 begins with a powerful cover. While there could be room for some confusion as to whether Superman is the one that harmed her, I think the intended story, that Superman is boiling with rage at the cowardly actions of another person, is as striking an image as we’ve seen on a Superman cover.
Throughout this issue, the team of Jon Bogdanove and Dennis Janke channel Bogdanove’s spiritual ancestor, the great Joe Shuster, and the first few images definitely put us in that mind, from the dusty browns of the city, to the deco, 30s style signage and architecture. (Even Mr. Johnson’s financial woes coming from a depressed stock market all put us in the mind of the era of Superman’s debut).
The domestic scenes have a tragic and crowded sense of reality to them. Clark’s apartment is enough room for him as a single man, but a family of 6 all cramped into a matching one gives a good sense of the straits the Johnsons are in. Our first glimpse of Andrea’s battered face set the stage for an almost-endlessly upsetting issue . It’s a jarring jump from the scene in the Johnson’s apartment to the quiet luxury of Lois and Clark’s date as they’re so lost in their romance, they don’t see a dejected and simmering Gary Johnson as they approach Clark’s apartment.
That contrast continues, to good effect on page 4 as Clark strides down the halls almost weightlessly, while Gary’s posture reveals the weight of his disappointment and anger.
The abuse next door continues, and it’s horrific to read. There’s an interesting juxtaposition as Gary’s inhumanity to his wife Andrea literally wakes a sleeping giant, in this case, Clark Kent next door. (Kudos to colourist Glenn Whitmore for the dull, cool tones on Clark’s skin, a subtle way of showing the darkness of his room).
The images of the children witnessing Gary’s cruelty is what really sticks to me, and fills me with the same righteous anger that drives Superman through the window on page 8. The details on the police are very specific and perfect, and a Superman with his arms raised in surrender is a striking image.
The shot of Superman overlooking his city in the moonlight is also a great drawing, with the horizontal hatching making it look like an etching more than a comic book. [Max: Just like no one does window drop-ins like Tom Grummett, Bogdanove is the master of "Superman overlooking his city in the moonlight" shots.]
The 30s homage continues throughout the book, like when Clark goes to the police precinct to unsuccessfully petition for the arrest of Gary, his suit is right out of a Shuster drawing (or Fleischer cartoon), so much so that even bystanders comment on Clark’s “threads”.
The body language on the Johnson children is also very well observed as they walk to school (the folds on the clothing and the gestures in the poses make it look like a 90s Norman Rockwell), and it’s heartbreaking to see them continue the cycle of cruelty created by their father, taunting Keith for tragedies in his life well beyond his control.
Around the middle of this issue, the Shuster pastiche takes over completely, as the events of Action Comics #1 are injected into the modern canon (page 16 and on). These scenes, like so much of this issue, are filled with conflicting emotions. It’s thrilling to see great artists update these familiar scenes. But it’s disturbing to see a shining champion like Superman in events as upsetting as domestic abuse(even if these images were literally in his origins). It’s satisfying to see Superman use Golden-age intimidation tactics on the perpetrator. But it’s also upsetting, because we know, from the way Clark tells the story, that it doesn’t end there.
As the story shifts back to young orphan Keith, these pages too are filled with emotion. It’s hard to think of something sadder than a little boy who so misses his mother that he clings to a magazine clipping of a woman that just resembles her. Woof. [Max: What's impressive is that she does look a lot like Keith's mom, as we'll find out in a few years…]
Throughout the issue, there is a darker visual tone, like on page 20 when Clark sits in the darkness, which fits the story very well. We feel Clark’s torment, both in the flashback on page 21, and in the present on page 22, as he tries to block out the violence next door.
On a personal note, I can’t say I remember a story that felt so heavy and emotional. I don’t think the issue veers into being manipulative, mainly because Superman doesn’t just solve everything instantly. As we see from his dealings with the police, it’s not that simple. Particularly affecting, as I mentioned, were the innocent kids in the Johnson family being witness to all this horror. Even when Superman himself is in their house, it only means more chaos, less peace and tranquility. I’ll admit, there were a few times reading this issue that my eyes welled with tears, and that’s a rare thing.
STRAY OBSERVATIONS:
Just like Jerry Ordway keeps packing Honeymooners and Three Stooges references into his pages, that looks a lot like Laurel and Hardy dining alongside Lois and Clark on page 3.
Another sign of the times: Clark Kent asking Lois up to his apartment for ice cream actually means ice cream. There’s something quaint and romantic about an engaged couple who kiss goodnight and retire to different homes. If you can’t find square, old-fashioned morality in a Superman comic, where can you find it?
Still another sign of the times: The Johnson boys appear to be wearing re-coloured Air Jordans. Great detail, from Bog.
God bless that Myra at the Coates Orphanage. What a great and caring character.
GODWATCH: More evidence of Superman’s traditional background on page 21, as Pa Kent advises Clark that only God knows the right thing to do all the time. Later on the same page, Ma echoes this statement, telling Clark “You aren’t God, to be aware of every bird and blade of grass,” a reference to Luke 12 (among other places) a passage about how God sees the fall of every sparrow (let’s hope, har har!) and clothes the grass of the field, made all the more poignant by the actual birds in the sky and fields of grass depicted on the page.
Wolverine Catch-Phrase watch: It’s almost impossible to see, but Ma Kent’s apron in the same scene reads “This ain’t no restaurant, bub!” which is a cute, if odd expression.
Does the Kansas license plate have any significance? JK 1437? [Max: I Googled it, and apparently it's an ad for Swiss pasta.]