Superman: What Price Tomorrow? (Comics) | Review

The Man of Steel crashes into the New 52 reboot with Metropolis refusing to trust him. Writer George Pérez (Crisis on Infinite Earths, Infinity Gauntlet) throws Clark Kent into modern-day paranoia instead of another origin rehash. GPS tracking, smartphone surveillance, 24/7 media coverage. Public perception becomes his battlefield.

What Price Tomorrow sets the stage for a Superman who fights public perception as hard as super-villains. The setup feels uncomfortably prescient for a 2011 comic. Here's a hero who can't sneeze without someone filming, analyzing and questioning his motives on live television.

The Daily Planet has been bought out by Morgan Edge's Galaxy Communications, transforming the old-school newspaper into a multimedia empire. Print journalism is dying and Clark Kent is caught in that shift. Lois Lane isn't his love interest here. She's his boss, dating someone else and their dynamic has zero romantic history.

The story kicks off with Superman battling fire creatures connected to his Kryptonian heritage. These alien monsters scream one word before attacking: Krypton. The creature transforms entire buildings into living flame, forcing Superman to drag it into space where it explodes.

General Lane questions the alien origin story, suggesting nobody else heard the creature mention Krypton. The implication stings: is Superman's judgment compromised? Is he seeing threats that don't exist, or is someone manipulating him? The mystery deepens when another creature appears, this one invisible to all his powers.

Superman relies on video feeds from the Daily Planet to track the invisible monster. He watches himself on screens, throwing punches at empty air until cameras guide him to his target. It's a brilliant reversal, forcing the most powerful hero to depend on human technology.

Clark's personal life crumbles alongside the alien threat. Jonathan and Martha Kent are dead in this continuity, erasing his safety net completely. When he visits their graves to process the chaos around him, the weight of isolation hits hard. No foster parents to call, no Kansas farm to retreat to when Metropolis becomes too much.

Morgan Edge's Daily Planet takeover pushes digital content over traditional journalism. Lois Lane becomes Clark's boss instead of his love interest, now dating reporter Jonathan Carroll. Their entire romantic history has been completely wiped from continuity.

Clark impulsively quits the Planet after arguing with Edge about corporate direction. He storms out, then immediately shows up at Lois's apartment to continue the argument. She answers the door with Jonathan Carroll inside, creating an awkward confrontation. No romantic chemistry, no shared history, just professional frustration.

Pandora, the mysterious figure from Flashpoint who manipulated the DC Universe into New 52 reality, observes Superman's struggles from the shadows. She hints at larger forces behind the alien attacks, connecting this story to the broader continuity reshaping across all DC titles.

Mr. Glenmorgan from Grant Morrison's Action Comics run gets mentioned as Morgan Edge's predecessor at Galaxy Communications. Casey the Cop makes an appearance too, directly tying this series to the early Superman timeline. The connections show how the New 52 universe nicely fits together despite different creative teams.

The smartphone era creates constant problems for Clark's secret identity. GPS pings track his location, surveillance cameras catch his movements, making ducking into an alley to change painfully impossible. Pérez addresses this 75-year-old concept head-on, driving much tension.

The alien creatures never get fully explained in this volume. Their connection to Krypton remains murky and whether they're targeting Superman specifically or just attracted to Metropolis stays unclear. The story sets up threads that continue in Secrets and Lies, the next arc. You're left with more questions than answers.

Public perception becomes Superman's biggest enemy throughout these six issues. Every action gets analyzed and debated on live television. The paranoia feels earned, reflecting real-world anxiety about unchecked power. Superman must prove himself to a city unsure it wants saving.

The visuals shine when George Pérez and Jesus Merino (Justice Society of America: Bad Seed, Wonder Woman: Dark Gods) collaborate on pencils and inks. Their Metropolis feels modern and sleek, matching the technological scrutiny Superman faces. Nicola Scott contributes work in later issues, maintaining consistency across the arc.

Action sequences pop with energy, especially the space battle with the fire creature and the invisible monster fight where Superman watches himself on screens. Pérez's experience shows in how clearly the story flows visually, even during exposition-heavy moments.

The writing tries to juggle too much in six issues. Daily Planet corporate restructuring gets equal page time with the alien threat, slowing momentum when you want more punching and less boardroom discussions. Heavy exposition dumps hurt scenes where characters explain media landscapes instead of showing through action.

Dialogue works best during emotional beats like Clark's graveyard visit or confrontation with Lois. Attempts at classic Superman tone feel dated against the modern setting. Still, addressing Superman's secret identity in the smartphone era matters more than execution.

What Price Tomorrow delivers an uneven but ambitious start to New 52 Superman. The paranoia angle lands hard and updating Clark Kent's world for modern media saturation feels necessary rather than gimmicky. The alien mystery keeps you genuinely engaged even when corporate subplots drag the pacing down noticeably.

If you want Superman stories that treat public trust as seriously as punching monsters, this delivers. Just prepare for more boardroom discussions than expected. The emotional moments hit when Perez focuses on Clark's isolation and being Earth's most scrutinized hero.

The connections to Action Comics by Grant Morrison (All-Star Superman, Final Crisis) make this essential reading if you're diving into the New 52 continuity. Pandora's appearance ties into the Flashpoint aftermath that reshapes the entire DC Universe. Not Perez's best work but it sets up some interesting threads for future volumes.

Worth reading if you want Superman grappling with 21st-century problems instead of punching through them. The art shines, the surveillance angle feels prescient and the modernization attempts matter even when imperfectly executed. A solid foundation despite structural flaws.

Superman: What Price Tomorrow? kicks off George Pérez's New 52 era for the Man of Steel. The storyline is collected in Superman Vol. 1 (2013) and available in paperback and hardcover from DC Comics, Amazon and major bookstores. Digital readers can find it on DC Universe Infinite, ComiXology and Kindle for instant access.