SUPERMAN

Smallville is rocked by a teen’s death and the arrival of a mercenary businessman.

High school student Clark Kent is walking to school with best friend Pete when a couple of police cars zoom by. Overheard comments made by shocked classmates appear in a constellation of thought bubbles around Clark’s head: Fellow student Alvin Buenaventura has died by suicide. Clark finds Amy, Alvin’s stunned sister, sitting outside the school office and offers his support. His friends Lana and Pete are sympathetic, but Clark, who is reeling from the news, is shocked by the callous reactions of Chloe and Gil. A relationship blossoms between Clark and Amy as she works through her grief, and he probes the tragedy for answers. At home on the farm, Clark’s parents provide grounding and sound advice. The plot thickens with the arrival of industrialist Lionel Luthor and his son, Lex, who faces off against Lana in a debate. Gil, meanwhile, worries his friends with his increasingly erratic behavior: Could he be following in Alvin’s footsteps? At a fall community festival, LutherCorp implements a sinister and destructive plan that only Clark can disable. Grace sensitively addresses the issue of adolescent depression and disaffection within the parameters of the Superman universe, deftly combining this personal story with a high-octane adventure plot. The clean lines and crisp, realistic artwork are a good match for the economical storytelling. Most characters appear white; Pete reads Black.

Compelling and sensitive treatment of an important topic.