Spoilers for Superman #10
The latest issue of Superman takes the Man of Steel on a temporal detour, stranding him in the 19th-century American West. Artist Jamal Campbell’s cover for the issue provides a stellar rendering of “Cowboy Superman,” with his iconic costume recontextualized as period-accurate attire, down to blue denim chaps over red pants, giving the character his signature “red underwear” look.
Superman #10 – written by Joshua Williamson, with art by Bruno Redondo & Caio Filipe, color by Adriano Lucas, and lettering by Ariana Maher – proves that, as might be expected, the concept of “Cowboy Superman” is absolute gold. While the issue itself is an exciting, brisk read, and serves an important role in the greater trajectory of the book’s story, the Wild West version of the Man of Steel is most potently realized in Jamal Campbell’s fantastic cover art.
The interior art for the issue is strong as well, and does justice to the concept in its own way, but Campbell’s immediately defines this novel iteration of the character.
Clark Kent Totally Pulls Off Cowboy Chic During His Brief Stint In An Antiquated Metropolis
Jamal Campbell’s main cover for Superman #10 is an exquisite portrait of the hero in cowboy regalia. Cowboy hat tipped over one eye, cloak wrapped around his neck, easily pulled up over his face in order to protect from the elements. Most impressive about Campbell’s “Cowboy Superman” is how the artist precisely uses Old West fashion to incorporate the signature elements of Superman’s most recognizable costume into this novel look in a completely organic way. A blue vest frames the familiar Superman symbol on Clark’s chest, while red pants, underneath a pair of chaps, give the character his equally iconic red underwear.
Superman #10 serves effectively as a bridge story; while mostly a stand-alone vignette, the Man of Steel’s Old West adventure includes a crucial moment in the series arc, while the issue’s end leads into its next big crisis for Superman and his allies. Coming into the issue, Clark was depowered, the lingering effect of Kryptonite poisoning. At the climax of Superman #10 the hero’s time in the hot, Old West sun has restored him to full strength, allowing him to defeat Terra-Man, a classic Superman villain who is found terrorizing the inhabitants of the settlement that will one day grow into Metropolis.
This Shouldn’t Be The Last “Cowboy Superman” Readers Get
By the end of the issue, Superman and his ally Marilyn Moonlight use Terra-Man’s technology to return to the present, where the Man of Steel is immediately confronted with the Lex Luthor Revenge Squad, a group of villains seeking to destroy the reformed-Lex Luthor, who appear set to serve as the anatagonist for Superman’s next several issues, at least. The series’ detour into the Old West – which began at the end of Superman #9 and represented most of issue #10 – was refreshing, if too brief. While the interior art of Cowboy Superman proved Clark Kent looks good in any era, Jamal Campbell’s cover proves there is more to do with this concept.
In addition to Campbell’s cover, Lee Bermejo and Mirko Colak also produced visually-exciting variant covers for Superman #10, providing further examples of the artistic potential of Cowboy Superman. In addition to a unique setting for the character, putting Superman in the Old West is an excellent way to provide artists an invigorating new type of Superman aesthetic. If nothing else, Jamal Campbell should be given the opportunity to fully realize the version of Cowboy Superman that appears on his cover. This version in particular provides a new, organic explanation for Superman’s traditional costume, making it instantly recognizable and immediately memorable.
Superman #10 is available now from DC Comics.
SUPERMAN #10 (2023) | |
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