Article contributed by David Allen
House of El is a worthy, thematically rich addition to the Superman mythos.
The mainstream comic book audience is ageing. The biggest publishers of superhero fare, DC and Marvel, have long ago discovered this trend. In an effort to retain their readers, both publishers have shifted the bulk of their output to suit the tastes of more mature readers. Regrettably, this approach has made it difficult for children and young adults to find an “in” with the publishers. Despite movies based on Marvel and DC characters grossing hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office, the source material only has a small fraction of this audience.
Both publishers have, in recent years, made an effort to publish more all-ages and young adult products. At DC, this effort took the form of “DC Ink”, which has since been renamed “DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults”. The imprint attempts to present traditional DC characters in a new way for young adult readers.
A “Young Adult” approach to Superman’s home world
The House of El Book One: The Shadow Threat is the first in a new trilogy of graphic novels. It is clearly a part of the effort to draw in new, younger readers. Written by prolific young adult author Claudia Gray, with art by Eric Zawadzki, the book attempts to put a new twist on the story of the demise of the planet Krypton.
Gray is best known for her Evernight series and her work as a Star Wars novelist. With The House of El, she has to face a pretty substantial challenge. Is it possible to present the last days of the planet Krypton, Superman’s home world, in a new way after so many writers have put their own spin on its story? To her credit, the answer is a resounding “yes”.
New characters inhabit a familiar setting
The basic canvas of the story is familiar. Krypton is experiencing mysterious ground quakes, but the planet’s leadership seems unwilling or unable to face this challenge. Instead, they hide behind propaganda and false reassurances. Few seem to question their leaders, in part because the government carefully breeds Kryptonians into a caste system of sorts. Each class of citizens has been specifically bred for the traits needed to fulfil their roles in society.
Rather than focusing on the usual suspects, such as General Zod and Superman’s parents, Gray instead introduces two new characters. Zahn is one of Krypton’s elites, while Sera is a soldier in Krypton’s army. Although some of Krypton’s most famous denizens do eventually make an appearance, they play second fiddle to the trials and tribulations of these two teenagers. This, ultimately, breathes new life into the story of Krypton.
Zahn possesses an affinity for power, wealth, and leadership, while Sera, as a soldier, has innate bravery and fearlessness. Both, however, begin to question society and their own roles in it. Ultimately, they join forces to unravel the mystery behind Krypton’s ground quakes, the political machinations of their leaders, and the strange experiments conducted in the House of El.
Strengths and weaknesses of The House of El
What makes The House of El so successful, however, is that it is simply a really good science fiction story. Like all of the best science fiction stories, it raises serious questions about topics with clear modern-day parallels. House of El touches on morality, fate, natural disasters, socioeconomic classes, and genetic engineering. The story is thematically rich and never talks down to its audience, despite the youth of its target audience.
Gray has a history of including romance in her young adult fiction, and this holds true for The House of El, as well. It is, however, the weakest element of the story. The mutual attraction between Zahn and Sera, so far at least, adds little to the larger themes. Since two sequels are on the way, however, Gray may yet make this part of her story work in future instalments.
Art and colours enhance the storytelling
Eric Zawadzki’s art, on the other hand, does a great job bringing the thematic richness of the story to life. The art, unlike much of DC’s regular output, avoids the exaggerated physiques of superheroes for a more grounded, realistic approach to its characters. There’s a clean, almost Spartan quality to the art that allows for great expressiveness of the characters. Nevertheless, the art never comes across as cartoony or simplistic.
Dee Cunniffe also expertly executes the colours of The House of El. Cunnifee renders backgrounds in various shades of a singular colour, while individual characters receive more detailed colouring. The shift in background colour is often an effective means of communicating not just location, but tone. A break-in at an official government building features golden tones, while terraforming attempts on an inhospitable planet are bathed in reds.
The biggest drawback of this approach to colour may be uniformity. Blue tones communicate the coldness and sterility of Kryptonian culture. Various shades of blue serve as the default colour scheme throughout the book. This causes many scenes and locations to blend together a bit. At the same time, however, this approach helps those instances when background colours shift to really stand out.
The bottom line
In the end, The House of El is a fascinating take on the last days of the planet Krypton. Sera and Zahn are interesting characters who each go through their own crisis of faith. In doing so, they grapple with many questions that have clear parallels in our own society. It ultimately succeeds as a piece of young adult science fiction. As the beginning of a new trilogy exploring the end of Kryptonian civilisation, it is a worthy addition to the Superman mythos.
The House of El Book One: The Shadow Threat is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Zahn is one of Krypton’s elites: wealthy, privileged, a future leader. Sera is one of Krypton’s soldiers: strong, dedicated, fearless. Their rule – bound society has ordained that their paths should never cross.
But groundquakes are shaking the planet’s surface. Rebellious uprisings are shaking the populace. Krypton’s top scientists — Jor-El and Lara — conduct a secret experiment that is meant to reform their planet from the cellular level up. Zahn and Sera must join forces to investigate the hidden dangers truly threatening Krypton. In the process, they form a bond that will endure past the end of the world.
