The Weekly Panel of Steel #3

It looks like we have two contenders for up for the honors of The Weekly Panel of Steel for this week. If you're new around here, here's how it works. Every Wednesday I take a gander at what new books were released featuring Superman, and I then highlight a particular panel that I think nailed it.

What is "it"? Well...it depends, so to speak. It could be a character moment, it could be a bombastic action scene, but it probably won't be of Superman just walking (that I can guarantee you).

Superman popped up in the pages of Power Girl #22 to help take care of Manhattan's-- dinosaur problem? It's actually a very fun issue, and there's definitely one or two panels I could've easily picked. I think we'll hold off though, and save one of those for the Sunday versus posts. After all, we're currently featuring dinosaurs!

The other book that featured Superman was his titular series, Superman #709. Without getting too far off on a tangent, I haven't been the biggest (or any sort of) fan of JMS' Grounded storyline and am most happily ticking off the months until they put it to rest. The last couple of issues, however, have been showing some promise and to that end, I can't thank Chris Roberson enough. Here's hoping the Superman editors take note of that and let him do some of his own thing when he gets done making lemonade from the lemon that he was handed.

I also haven't really been a fan of Eddy Barrows either. I generally like his stuff, but just not on Superman. I can't quite put my finger on it, but Superman's posture seems off, if that makes any sense. This issue's race between Superman and the Flash, however, brought some new life to his pencils that I rather enjoyed. Seeing the difference between his work in the action scenes, compared to the standing around and talking scenes, and I have to wonder why they decided to go with Barrows for this particular storyline in the first place? It's a little too square peg/round hole for my tastes.

Anyways...after that long preamble, I am quite happy that I was able to find a panel from Superman #709 that I rather liked.


That right there is a Superman that we haven't seen in the pages of this title for a long, long time. Strong, determined, and helping a friend.

Script by Chris Roberson
Pencils by Eddy Barrows
Inks by J.P. Mayer
Colors by Rod Reis
Letters by John J. HIll

Superman #709
Grounded Part Seven
May 2011
Copyright (c) DC Comics