The New 52 will always hold a special place in my comic book loving heart as it offered so many new opportunities to meet classic characters for the first time. However the tone was bitter and left a lot of fans disappointed with the direction.

Now, with 'Rebirth', DC is rebuilding a universe that was fractured by a poor mishandling of the brand. And, so far, they're doing a fantastic job through storytelling and character building.

As always, the DCU begins and ends with the world's greatest superhero:

SUPERMAN

While Action Comics is the series that started the superhero craze, with the introduction of the Man of Steel back in 1938, the title that really seems to be carrying the torch this time around is SUPERMAN.

Peter J. Tomasi (writer) and Patrick Gleason (writer/artist) combine forces to produce a book that offers plenty of action, fun and character development. While I'm not a fan of the "Clark Smith" persona living on a farm NOT located in Smallville, the result has been enjoyable.

I don't know when they'll put the genie back in the bottle, regarding Clark Kent being Superman, but the story they've been conjuring up is really offering some wonderful moments. All we know so far is that the current Superman is not what he thinks he is, per Mr. Oz. So who exactly is he? So far, we know that this Superman is a family-man, with his son Jonathan taking centerstage. 

Much of the series focuses on the family dynamic between Clark, Lois and Jon. And the interactions are reminiscant of a real family. There's love, discipline, joy and mentoring as they navigate their way through life. Jonathan's powers are developing and Clark is embracing the role of 'life-coach' as his father once did with him.

Different than dealing with one threat after another, a big part of the New 52's direction, 'Rebirth' has allowed stories to develop at a slower pace. The books are still jam-packed with action and adventure, but Tomasi and Gleason have found ways to balance it out with issues that provide real character development. Watching Jonathan learn and grow through interacting with his parents has been an enjoyable experience.  No matter what mistakes the young superboy may make along the way, he continues to have the love and support of his parents.

We are being given a Superman who understands there needs to be a balance between work, responsibility and family; even he needs a day off. The cynic will say that if he has the power to stop tragedy and he's choosing not to, he isn't a real hero. The reality is, Superman cannot be on call 24/7 and this version understands that. He would eventually burn out and be of no use to anyone when a major threat arises. That's not to say he won't try to have a positive impact on a bad situation, if given the opportunity.

If you weren't sure what to make of Superman, with all the controversy surrounding the movies and the bad taste left behind by the New 52, do yourself a favor and pick up SUPERMAN by Tomasi and Gleason. 

A new story starts with issue #8, which is out today, but I would highly suggest grabbing the previous 7 back issues, as they have been building something very special.