Superman: American Alien #4 continues to deliver a fresh, new perspective on Superman’s origins… as well as some interesting takes on other familiar characters. Writer Max Landis demonstrates a thorough understanding not only of Clark Kent, but Oliver Queen, Dick Grayson, Lex Luthor, and most positively and absolutely Bruce Wayne.
I think this portrayal of Bruce Wayne, though minimal, is one of the best- possibly my favorite, second to the animated series. He’s still young, so he doesn’t have the restraint or unassailable stoicism of Adult Batman, but he doesn’t have the quote-unquote “gritty realism” of Nolan’s young Wayne.
This Wayne, far from maintaining that careful moral code, is closer to what a real-life billionaire vigilante with anger issues would actually be. Although he clearly does SOME background work before getting onto Kent’s case, he takes it to a physical place much more quickly than the Batman with more experience and wisdom might… especially with the sense that even a teeny Dick Grayson can pick up on that Kent is more than what he seems. This version of Wayne is a more blatantly unlikeable than others by sheer virtue of his hastiness and seclusion.
Lex Luthor, on the other hand, has a more typical portrayal; he’s got that delightfully hateable Martin-Shrekli-esque attitude going on- childish temper boiling under the surface, arrogance so thick it’s practically tangible, and that cruel humor apparent when he drops Clark Kent off at the company day care. The scenes that allow the reader to compare the attitudes of Queen, Luthor, and Wayne- change-of-heart altruism, straight out elitism, and… general reclusivity, I suppose- really contribute to the way that the reader will feel when Kent first encounters Wayne. This encounter is brilliantly understated, by the way.
Artist Jae Lee has a very distinctive style- his facial expressions are beautiful but a bit too statuesque- not very expressive. However, Lee compensates with his masterful use of light and shadow, as well as maintaining a fairly neutral color palette, using brighter accents to emphasize emotional moments in the dialogue.
Superman: American Alien continues to be fantastic, and you need to be reading it.