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Effective storytelling is all about devising new ways to stick your lead character in difficult situations – between the proverbial rock and a hard place, if you will. Superman in particular is one of the most notoriously difficult characters to write in that regard, as his near invulnerability and unwavering morals make it almost impossible to figure out ways to make the Big Boy Scout sweat in a convincing manner.

The best thing you can say about Superman: World of New Krypton is that writers Greg Rucka and James Robinson have found a way to get under the Man of Steel's impenetrable skin, and that's no small feat by any stretch of the imagination. The series still has a number of significant flaws, but the fact that it's found a way to challenge DC's flagship hero in such an inspired way makes it a worthwhile and very entertaining addition to the character's long history.

The series' set-up has been brewing for a long time now – so long, in fact, that it feels like we should have gotten here several months ago. Nevertheless, World of New Krypton is the one book that actually features the Man of Steel, and more importantly, it's the one book that actually seems to be progressing the line's overarching story in an any real manner. We all know the plot by now – Superman has taken up residence on New Krypton, where he's torn between his joy of living among his people for the first time and his horror at having to serve under the conniving General Zod.

Again, most of us saw this conflict coming in the rearview mirror a long time ago, but thankfully, Rucka and Robinson are devising creative ways to showcase the rift while pushing it ever so slightly forward. Last issue, we saw it with the way Superman was forced to work around Zod in an effort to diffuse a hostage situation, and here we see more of the same, only this time the power struggle takes place with Earth's Green Lanterns as an appalled audience. The use of Hal Jordan, John Stewart and Sodom Yat as onlookers effectively highlights just how tough of a spot Superan currently finds himself in. Is Superman on New Krypton to protect his fellow Kryptonians from Zod, or Earth from Zod and his fellow Kryptonians? The fact that Superman himself doesn't seem to know the answer makes this drama all the more fascinating.

But like I said, the series isn't without its flaws. The art of Pete Woods remains the title's biggest drawback. The more I read, the more I'm convinced that Woods' actual visuals aren't nearly as problematic as his page layouts. Woods far too often employs short, horizontal panels that give the page a claustrophobic feel, often precisely during a sequence that should feel open and sweeping. Far too many pages of this series have that smooshed look to them, like a big, ugly panini of superhero images. When Woods opens up his panel layouts, the book becomes infinitely more pleasing to the eye and effective in its storytelling.

And then there's the lingering annoyance of the Superman line's snail-like pace. Yes, this is the one series that's currently pushing Superman's story forward, and yes, Rucka and Robinson are managing to highlight their central rift in entertaining ways. Still, considering how long it's taken for us to get to the development seen on this issue's last page, I feel like the franchise is still treading water to a certain extent. Hopefully the pace will pick up next installment, and Rucka and Robinson will avoid reverting the Superman/Zod dynamic to the standstill in issue's past and for the majority of this one.