Also, Superman should still be able to push around the bones and muscles in his face to disguise himself, like he did in the Golden Age.

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

The new Superman Red and Blue 2025 Special was certainly a welcome arrival this week, given the Red and Blue mini-series from a couple of years back was about 95% great (there’s that unpleasant story in the first issue where Superman is captured and tortured, which does not sit well).

This special has four stories presented in the limited palette gimmick, each tale colored with only shades of red and blue and somehow manages to look great anyway. The story I specifically want to note is “Out of the Ordinary” written by Dan Abnett, drawn by Caitlin Yarsky, and colored by Alex Guimaraes. And just so I’m clear, I liked this entire comic, and I enjoyed seeing Superman doing super things and being nice without having to worry about the continuity of the DC Universe at large.

And I liked “Out of the Ordinary.” But I did get stopped short at one point when Superman just up and admits to this small town reporter he befriends that, oh, yeah, I have a secret identity. Here’s a little piece of that:

Now here’s the problem. It’s me, I’m the guy who’s been reading Superman comics since the John Byrne relaunch in 1986 and have picked up every issue of Superman and Action and the other ongoings. That’s spitting distance within 40 years, which clearly no sane person should have done.

Stuck in my head from the promotion for the ’80s Superman relaunch was Byrne’s insistence that in this new version of the mythos, the fact that Superman even has a double identity wouldn’t be common knowledge. You can read more about that here. Prior to this, Superman having a secret identity was known by the general public, and often a major plot point as bad guys (or Lois) try to get Supes to spill the beans or trick him into revealing it.

That little bit of knowledge is always there, whenever I read a modern Superman comic, whether or not it’s still an active thing or if it’s gone the way of the fancy cuffs that were the last remnants of Jim Lee’s terrible redesign of Supes’ costume. Realistically, I know in the nearly four decades since the relaunch happened, some storytelling choice made way back when, by someone who doesn’t even work in comics anymore, is not going to be enforced.

But that didn’t keep your pal Mike from being tripped up by Superman telling this young lady “oh, yeah, I grew up in a place like this, and I have a regular job when I’m not Superman, etc.” Then again, he was just telling one person, not, like, announcing it on TV or anything. And she probably knows “oh, yeah, I should keep this to myself.”

I am reminded by that story where Jimmy Olsen gets a photo of Superman’s hand, showing a wedding ring (which he neglected to remove before going into action, as he usually would). After some shenanigans regarding that photo getting out to the public, and getting explained away as a Justice League thing, Superman does confide to Jimmy that he is married, but his private life is private. And Jimmy, being Superman’s Pal, of course keeps that under his hat.

Okay, that’s a lot of typing that’s basically “Mike can’t let things go,” but I do want to add this story is still a fun and pleasant one. As are all the stories in this comic.

• • •

Normally, in current comics, especially with the limited page counts and occasionally sparse storytelling, I can find myself resenting any full-page illustrations, or God help us, two-page spreads that aren’t the opening splash pages. That usually just feels like wasted space, eating up valuable real estate.

Daniel Warren Johnson’s story in Absolute Batman Annual #1 delivers multiple full-page splashes and two two-page spreads, and they are earned and fantastic.