Superman: Dawnbreaker by Matt de la Pena
Honestly, I have loved the DC Icons series so far. I loved Batman because of the way that Marie Lu fleshed out the main character, Wonder Woman because of the storyline, and Catwoman for both. The issue with Dawnbreaker is that neither of these points work out.
Clark Kent has always been faster, stronger--better--than everyone around him. But it's not like he's earned his powers . . . yet. Lately it's difficult to hold back and keep his heroics in the shadows. When Clark follows the sound of a girl crying, he comes across Gloria Alvarez and learns that people are disappearing from the Mexican-American and undocumented worker community in Smallville. Teaming up with his best friend, Lana Lang, Clark discovers that before he can save the world, he must save Smallville.
The characters in this book were muddled. Clark’s best friend is a reporter; but it’s not Lois Lane. Now, why exactly did they have to hook Clark with a reporter again? Was it that difficult to come up with another hobby? Also, Clark has a really boring life. Unlike Batman or Catwoman, he just goes to high school and does farmwork. That’s literally it. Clark is smart, super strong, very righteous, and lowkey boring. All the characters, in fact, come off as exaggerations rather than real people. The bad guys are really bad, and the good guys are all good, the eh people switch sides a couple of times. There’s no real character development for anyone in the story, and nothing is really revealed about Clark throughout the story. Also Lex Luthor is important, but he’s not the villain? Another confusing reference that was just thrown in there.
The whole subplot with Gloria Alvarez is also extremely suspicious. It seems like it was just shoved in there in order to build a connection between Clark and the Mexican-American community. It’s weak. They hardly meet three times throughout the book, and they really don’t have a very strong relationship. It would have been a lot better if the book simply focused on the relationships that were actually essential to the story; Clark’s best friends, his parents, and the friends that drag him into the case. Extra characters make the story feel cluttered and superficial. Why couldn't his best friend just have been a Mexican-American reporter???
The plot also drags on. The main issue in the story does not involve Clark, and therefore he feels removed from the conflict. Undocumented immigrants are disappearing. Legit, but how is that related to Clark? The resolution of the conflict is also pretty predictable, and something that’s been used over and over. Matt de la Pena tries to use Clark’s alien heritage to build a connection to immigrants … and it doesn’t work. It’s a great idea, but the pieces do not connect. All things considered, Clark is an all-American guy. Hell, the football team follows him around, begging him to join the team. He’s not rich, but he’s hardly an outcast. Both the human connection and plot are missing from this story, and I personally was hoping for more from this series.
Clark Kent has always been faster, stronger--better--than everyone around him. But it's not like he's earned his powers . . . yet. Lately it's difficult to hold back and keep his heroics in the shadows. When Clark follows the sound of a girl crying, he comes across Gloria Alvarez and learns that people are disappearing from the Mexican-American and undocumented worker community in Smallville. Teaming up with his best friend, Lana Lang, Clark discovers that before he can save the world, he must save Smallville.
The whole subplot with Gloria Alvarez is also extremely suspicious. It seems like it was just shoved in there in order to build a connection between Clark and the Mexican-American community. It’s weak. They hardly meet three times throughout the book, and they really don’t have a very strong relationship. It would have been a lot better if the book simply focused on the relationships that were actually essential to the story; Clark’s best friends, his parents, and the friends that drag him into the case. Extra characters make the story feel cluttered and superficial. Why couldn't his best friend just have been a Mexican-American reporter???
The plot also drags on. The main issue in the story does not involve Clark, and therefore he feels removed from the conflict. Undocumented immigrants are disappearing. Legit, but how is that related to Clark? The resolution of the conflict is also pretty predictable, and something that’s been used over and over. Matt de la Pena tries to use Clark’s alien heritage to build a connection to immigrants … and it doesn’t work. It’s a great idea, but the pieces do not connect. All things considered, Clark is an all-American guy. Hell, the football team follows him around, begging him to join the team. He’s not rich, but he’s hardly an outcast. Both the human connection and plot are missing from this story, and I personally was hoping for more from this series.
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