"He could never turn back. Not now that he knew the truth."
Superman: Dawnbreaker is the most disappointing read in the DC Icons series.
The characters are so bland. Clark is perfect, righteous and feels guilty about everything that he can't control and that's what Superman is all about. However, what makes Superman interesting is how he deals with the burden of his powers and his responsibility. I expected Superman: Dawnbreaker to deal with Clark figuring out who he is and dealing with his new found powers and added responsibilities, but he remains extremely underdeveloped. I was expecting Superman: Dawnbreaker to have a vibe similar to Smallville (one of my favourite TV series) where Clark has the potential to be Superman but he's still a relatable and imperfect teenager.
The secondary characters which consists of Lana, Gloria, Bryan, Lex and a bunch of random football players are also bland and underdeveloped. The secondary characters and the villains could have been replaced with cardboard cut-outs of themselves and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. The dialogue between the secondary characters is also cringy.
The plot revolves around current issues, mainly immigration and racism, but these issues are not fully unpacked and feel forced and out of place in Superman: Dawnbreaker.
Too much is going on at the same time in Superman: Dawnbreaker. There's Clark trying to deal with his new found powers, immigration and racism, people going missing, Mankins Corporation, weird science and military-like activity and a romance that has no chemistry. Superman: Dawnbreaker tries to achieve too much and fails.
Superman: Dawnbreaker is predictable and unsurprising. I knew exactly where the story was going and the plot twists are visible from miles away. I don't mind a predictable plot if I'm enjoying the book and I love the characters, but Superman: Dawnbreaker contains neither of those aspects.
Superman: Dawnbreaker isn't terrible, but it's extremely boring. I could have stopped reading at any point and I would be totally okay not knowing how Superman: Dawnbreaker ends. It's a good thing that I read this book during hell week because it's so putdownable.