| Title | : | Absolute All-Star Superman |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1401229174 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781401229177 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 328 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2006 |
Absolute All-Star Superman Reviews
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This is a stunning achievement that fans and non-fans of Superman will enjoy. It’s quiet, nostalgic, and gorgeously illustrated.
I don't know what is and isn't considered a spoiler for this book, so I'll err on the side of caution. Superman is delivered some fateful news involving a situation orchestrated by his arch nemesis (how's that?), and he proceeds to reflect on his life, his choices, and the people that are close to him. As he does this, events unfold beyond his control which lead to increasingly exciting adventures. While each chapter almost feels self-contained, one begets the other and you realize that in fact they're all leading to a purposefully unified ending.
As a standalone mini-series, All Star Superman is kind of its own world. Frank Quitely, at the top of his illustrating game, creates this vintage, Golden Age-inspired Superman. At one point, even the very first Superman logo makes an appearance. Which is why going back and reading these characters through comic history will help you spot Easter eggs placed by character history obsessed writers like Grant Morrison. Much like his epic run on Batman, Morrison draws from Superman's long history, incorporating various villains, characters, objects, designs and plot points for a truly unique reading experience.
Morrison writes these characters extremely well, with maybe the exception of Lois Lane. She is such a classic and vital presence in Superman stories, and I just didn't love her characterization here. She's often rude, sarcastic, cold, yet capable of warmth, kindness, and love. My Superman knowledge is limited but this doesn’t feel "true" to character, and I think she should have been written more moderately.
Lois Lane aside, Morrison's Superman is by far the most dynamic version I've ever seen. He's smart, strong, humorous, subtle, altruistic, sad, angry, weak, and full of regret. The most human I've ever seen him, which is so great because that's exactly who he tries to be. Then there's quirky, desperate, funny, cross-dressing (gay?) Jimmy Olsen. Bullheaded Arthur White. Manly jokester Steve Lombard. And kind, simple Jonathan and Martha Kent.
And of course we come to the also well-written Lex Luthor. Arrogant, sharp, witty, thirsty for revenge. While he has that "evil for evil's sake" facade, he's really fleshed out, a man who's been defeated one too many times and devotes his entire life to destroying his natural born enemy. You have to admire his dedication, and he's pretty ruthless despite his congenial appearance.
I also really enjoyed the cerebral moments, even if I didn't fully understand them. The whole Bizarro Cube World, Zibarro (not Sbarro in the food court), and the Bizarro Supermen and the crazy opposite way they talk. I no hated no that part! Then the Underverse. P.R.O.J.E.C.T. and their strange experiments. The strange pink world at the end. And all the crazy gadgets like the Doomsday Gun. Morrison has an appreciation for the wacky sci-fi stuff and I just love it.
Some quotes:
"...The measure of a man lies not in what he says but what he does."
"Fear is the sauce on the steak of life...!"
"Question: What happens when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object?"
"Call me nasty..."
"After bodily death, as neoconlab studies confirm, individual awareness persists for a time and builds for itself thought-palaces or complex hells to inhabit..."
It's focused yet epic, light yet deep, new yet old. Somehow Morrison takes everything you know about Superman, everything classic, gives it a slight twist, shoves it into the staggering artwork of Frank Quitely, and out comes this one of a kind, are you ready for it masterpiece. -
2 Stars
Was this the book with all the hype? With all the praises?... Did I really read the same book that everyone else loves? Well... Disappointing is one word I'd use. Boring is another one. Disconnected is pretty much the one that defines me reading this book.
Apparently All Star Superman is the book that will make you love Superman! Doesn't matter if you aren't familiarized with the character, doesn't matter if you're new to comics. This is the one title that is always recommended as one of the best Superman stories. Well, my friends, what can I say? It was only a pretentious, flat story to me. Did I see some of Morrison's attempts to reinvent little pockets of Superman's history? Yes, even though this was only my third Superman story, I did see what Morrison was trying and... I didn't find it brilliant like almost everyone else does. I didn't find this story to be remarkable, even though the premise is one that will grab your attention. I just didn't connect with this, I was pretty much annoyed with all of the characters, I found the changes of tones from every chapter to be choppy and jarring and it was just, overall, a boring mess.
But let's start with the beginning. The plot of All Star Superman revolves around the fact that Superman is dying. Lex found a way to poison him, so now, he's left with only one year of life. In this last year Superman must accomplish several tasks and through them we will see the Superman mythos being rebuilt, reinvented and expanded.
Interesting, right? But almost since the beginning, not the first two pages those were stunning to see, I lost my interest. See, Lois Lane here? The worst Lois Lane I've ever read or ever seen in any kind of media. Awful, awful character. She only helps the purpose of showing around the fortress and to draw her wearing super short dresses. Annoying, useless character, and because of Lois, there's a weird competition between Sups, Atlas and Samson trying to show who was the best contender, who was the best macho man for Lois.A dick competence between guys who were only dicks. I can't tell you how fucking cringy it was to read. Not the best beginning for what it's supposed to be one of the best Superman stories.
Listen, I could go on ranting about... well, many things. How annoying was this Jimmy(Really, I-want- to-punch-this-character-in-the-face level of annoying.)I don't care if this was a homage to the silver age Superman stories, or if Jimmy was this smart to make it a more worthy best friend of the man of steel. It didn't work for me.
I could rant on how over-the-top was Lex, how petty, how... disappointing. I was about to say this is my least favorite interpretation of this character, but then I remembered BvS...
I could tell you how boring I found the whole ''underworld trip'' in our hero's journey. I could complained about how every problem, every task was resolved too easily and quickly and I was left only with how badly executed was the idea of this bigger-than-life kind of story. How, at the end, this epic story didn't feel epic at all. I'm sorry I just didn't find it brilliant as, apparently, everyone and their mother did.
I could rant, yes, and I love to rant, but I'd rather focus on the two things I did like. The artwork was overall pretty nice, it was one of the reasons I kept reading this story. I wasn't really a fan of the character designs, but I really enjoyed the coloring and there are some great illustrations in this book. One star for the artwork.
Then, there's the one thing that I absolutely loved in this comic. And that is, (it is a minor thing in this book, it doesn't really play a big role in the big arc of the story so I don't see it as a big spoiler) the death of Jonathan Kent. It's such a little moment, but it played beautifully. How sad, how inevitable was this. Superman is the man who can save everyone in the world, that is, except for his father who dies of a heart attack. It was devastating, but a great contrast in everything else in the life of this mythical figure. It was all so utterly mortal. That heartbreaking moment is the only thing I truly enjoyed, that I truly cared about in this +300 pages comic book. So that's why I gave this two stars.
EDIT:
Do I lose my geek cred here? Giving two stars to one of the most popular and beloved titles out there? Yeah, I'm not going to lie, this was painful to read. I wish I could have loved it. I wish I could have understood the brilliance that everyone else sees in this title... maybe I'll revisit this story when I have a deeper grasp in Superman's history and I will find more value. But right now, I just don't see the greatness of this story. Still, so far I've read four Supeman stories. One I liked, two I loved and one, this one... I disliked. Not a bad number though. -
After being overloaded by solar radiation on a trip into the sun, Superman is dying and has some loose ends to tie up...
This book had some strikes against it from the start. It's one of those hyped books that everyone talks about and it stars Superman. Apart from the Dini/Timm animated series, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow, Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, and DC Comics Presents when I was a kid, I've never been a tremendous Superman fan. To top it off, Grant Morrison wrote it. Will it suffer from Morrisonian complications and weirdness?
Nope. It wound up being Superman, boiled down to his essentials, racing against time to safeguard the world before he dies. The All-Star label on the book is fitting. Grant Morrison cherry picked various aspects of Superman lore from the golden age through the present day and put his own spin on them, capturing the essence of Superman. We get Bizarro, Krypto, Superman robots, the Fortress of Solitude, Metropolis, Smallville, and the Daily Planet.
Superman dying from an incurable condition removed the one obstacle I normally have for enjoying Superman stories. Once the safety net is gone, the rulebook goes out the window. Superman puts his affairs in order while battling threats to earth, all the while heading toward a big showdown with Lex Luthor.
Frank Quitely wouldn't have been my choice for a big Superman story but his art really grew on me. The way his Clark Kent and Superman contrast goes a long way toward making me believe people couldn't tell they're the same person.
The conclusion was satisfying and brings me to my biggest complaint: I wanted the book to keep going. I'd read another 12 issues of All-Star Superman, no problem. All-Star Superman is right up there with Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow for me. 4.5 out of 5 stars. -
All-Star Superman is one of those titles I return to every few years to re-read. It's Superman at his finest. While he's more powerful than ever due to a trip to the sun, it's his humanity that is his greatest strength. Like Morrison's run on Batman, this is Morrison's ode to the Silver Age. It's packed with odes to classic goofy Superman stories from the 50's and 60's. Yet, when Morrison gets through with them, they aren't goofy at all. He's put a super science spin on them that I delighted in. This is Morrison at his finest. It's not so weird, you can't understand it. It's just strange enough to make the stories work, especially with Frank Quitely's sublime art. He's one of the best artists in comics today and this showcases his tremendous talents.
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I'm not really big fan of Grant Morrsion's writing and I up till now I haven't yet encountered particularly good story involving Superman in any medium so I'm kind of surprised with myself that I picked up this comic and even more surprised that I loved it.
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"You have given them an ideal to aspire to, embodied their highest aspirations. They will race and stumble, and fall and crawl, and curse . . . and finally . . . they will join you in the sun, Kal-El. In time you will no longer be alone." -- Jor-El (Kryptonian daddy-o of Kal-El, a.k.a. Superman, regarding earthlings)
Based on reviews - and quite a few of them are from GR friends - I was ready for the saga of All-Star Superman to rock my world . . . and then, frustratingly, it didn't quite get there. Still, it was a good book with some indelible scenes (such as a the one-page wonder with Superman stopping a suicidal teenager) and some intriguing supporting characters (such as Nasthalthia Luthor, or "Call me Nasty" as she purrs, the niece / assistant of super-villain Lex who deserved a larger role). The problem was that some of the chapters in the middle - such as the one involving Bizarro - slowed down the plot too much. However, when Lois Lane or Lex Luthor were directly involved it was up, up and away. -
Grant Morrison returns Superman to his Silver Age sci-fi roots as he pens this timeless superhero story.
After saving humanity’s first attempt to land a mission on the sun which was sabotaged by his long-time nemesis Lex Luthor, Superman has become more powerful than ever due to his overexposure to yellow light at the heart of the sun. His powers have been amplified and has also gained new ones but at the cost of imminent death. He sets out on his own Herculean labors to cement his legacy before he dies.
Superman is beyond human and he deserves challenges that can task his immense power set and creativity. Morrison writes to make the reader realize that though other beings may the same abilities and even the same DNA, there is only one Superman. Even without powers, he will always do the right thing even at the cost of his own life. A Christ like figure, even he is a creation of two Jewish boys from Cleveland, Ohio.
Frank Quitely aids Morrison in crafting greatest Superman story with his art and storytelling. Quitely has a great eye for design and quirky detail and gives the art a feel that is both retro and futuristic that would help it give a contemporary edge even if it is read decades from now.
The absolute format is perfect for this story. The oversized pages gives the reader ample opportunity to enjoy Quitely’s art and marvel at the detail and his impeccable design sense. It comes with a slipcase and you this is a classy and pricey book to have.
This book is highly recommended and should be essential reading for any comic book fan worth his salt. -
Quintessential Superman? Quintessential Superman! For anyone who says that Superman isn't a relatable superhero, please read this. Morrison does an incredible job when it comes to the characterisations of both Superman and Clark Kent. It's such a touching, heart wrenching and raw experience which really explores what it's like to try and accomplish / achieve everything in your life when on a ticking clock. I find the art to be extremely charming, but it did take me a while to get used to it as it's such a unique style which, admittedly, isn't for everyone. Perhaps the one real gripe I have is Lois Lane who, whilst not being a badly written character, isn't as likeable as she usually is, and can come off as rather rude, cocky and a little entitled at times. Everyone else is really well written, it's just Lois who can feel a little off at times. There are also sections which feel rather sluggish and dip into the realm of being boring filler arcs. Overall, it's a good read and one that's particularly appealing if exploring Superman's character is of interest to you.
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It seems the gushing reviews of All Star Superman are from people who are able to compare it against the older material. This Superman does away with this, it improves on this, it reinvents this, etc. The excellence of this work seems to stem from how it experiments with or tweaks that which precedes it. In other words, its success relies on past knowledge of the canon whether it stands in DC continuity or not. But without knowledge of the purportedly inferior work that All Star Superman is working with, what is the book? Since its advantages are primarily referential, what's the experience like to someone with a minimal frame of reference?
Well, since I grew up with X-Men and Batman and basically zero Superman (no idea why), reading All Star Superman is like reading a love letter to someone you don't find terribly interesting. There's passion and vibrancy, but then you think to yourself, "For this? For her? Really?" It's like Michael hearing George Michael gush about Anne. I loved everything I read of Morrison and Quitely until now. What a disappointment.
For a Superman n00b, a lot of the back-story for the many, many, many components of the story is jam-packed, condensed, written in short-hand, or outright disregarded. That's fine. This is meant to be outside of the DC continuity, I understand that, but lifts a lot for the sake of homage, of tribute. But how much are you going to get out of a tribute album to a band that never grabbed you in the first place?
I empathize with the notion that hating on Morrison and Quitely's a bit taboo. I get it; they are really quite something. Consider this their Biograph.
(1) Maybe Superman's just not for me. The high dramatic stake here for Superman is impending mortality, which is probably the highest stake you can give the dude. Unfortunately, it's pretty much the basis of all struggles captured in drama and books and everything human, so it doesn't make for a compelling foundation here.
(2) Lex Luthor's too infantile, petty, and his arc's insanely trite. There's a shot of him with a popped collar and a weird lip-curl thing going that was really bizarre. He deceives his captors, duh, but is still outwitted, duh, what else is new.
(3) There are two annoying sub-plots here: one is the Atlas/Samson dick-measuring contest, which flew by with zero consequence and offered nothing, and the other is the Bizarro descent into the underworld. It turns into a one-joke opposite-day running gag with little behind Zibarro beside a little 'side-thought' contrivance. Who's Zibarro, anyway, and why's he kinda named after a pizza place?
(4) these things are introduced and resolved so quickly (and episodically) that it's difficult to really empathize with the stakes or figure out why to connect to those stakes. Issue 9 comes to mind, when two fellow Kryptonians get into a brief squabble and then are waved all-too-conveniently into the Phantom Zone.
So really, the book's not for me. I thought its tangents went too far off the rails, and played with a lot of source material to various effect. Some parts are touching - Superman's visit home, his rescue of a suicidal girl is truly great - but all of the humanity's immediately quashed by Morrison's incessant yet dead-serious (did I mention kinda incomprehensible?) fucking around.
Also, I felt like the finale of All Star Superman was also too reminiscent of the resurrection at the end of New X-Men, which really bummed me out. How deep does Morrison's inventiveness go if both runs of two separate comics kinda end in a, you know, solar radio-consciousness-type-time-bend thing? I know Morrison's not a one-trick pony, but good goddamn, if he was, that'd one incomprehensibly tricked-out fucking pony.
Disclaimer: This review isn't really delving into Quitely's merits. Suffice it to say Quitely's still mighty good even if that doesn't seem to reflect so well in my overall evaluation. -
8'5/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tras una trampa de Luthor, Superman se ve obligado a rescatar a los componentes de la primera misión tripulada al sol. Como consecuencia de tal exposición a niveles críticos de radiación estelar, las células de Superman han comenzado su apoteosis o muerte celular. De este modo solo puede haber un resultado, incluso para él. Superman se está muriendo a causa de una sobrecarga masiva solar...
Grant Morrison al guión demostrando una imaginación fuera de lo común. He disfrutado de un amplio número de personajes secundarios que han atrapado mi atención por su originalidad. Dibujazo de Frank Quitely materializando la imaginación de Morrison de una manera soberbia. Eso si, la cara tan "cuadrada" de Superman al principio me chirriaba un poco.
Obra completa de 12 números en 288 páginas en esta edición DC pocket, perfecta para acceder a grandes obras a un precio reducido. -
It took me a long time to pick this up because 1) I am not all that interested in Superman as a superhero. . . the usual: too perfect, not complex enough, as usually depicted; 2) I am not that into Grant Morrison as a writer and 3) that stupid title (and I don't care that it is a geek homage to something in 1965 or whatever, it is a dumb title that would only attract superhero geeks). Not inviting or evocative of anything. But I was encouraged by several of you to read it via rave reviews I skimmed. One of the five best Superman comics ever, I was told, which for me wouldn't mean that it was still all that great. Still, I had read Superman: Secret Identity and liked it a lot, and had read a couple others high on that list already, though never this, so I took a chance. First glance, I am not encouraged: Superman looks like Hulk or Thor or any guy in Sin City, the super-pecs square-jawed male standard among superhero comics for the recent decade or more. Yawn.
But then I read into it and liked the look and feel of it, and it wasn't too Morrison-crazy, didn't call too much attention to him as a writer for once. For Morrison it was almost subtle. And respectful of the Silver Age traditions, and it appeared he and Frank Quitely took time and reflection to be true to the comic's roots, and also have some fun with it, inject it with some enthusiasm. I love the beautifully done art of Quitely the most here, I think. The feel of it is spacious and also carefully detailed in rendition. It has a good balance between action and thoughtful introspection. I like the Clark-Supe-Lois interactions, great dialogue. I like their Luthor. The premise in this volume is that Lex has gotten the means to kill Our Hero, and though this is typical fare, a lot of it is nevertheless entertaining and clever and smart. The plan to replace Superman in case he dies is sorta inventive. Overall, I liked it quite a bit, considering the mountain it had to climb to warm me up to it. -
Asta e cartea care m-a transformat într-un fan al lui Superman (și mi-a confirmat pentru a nu știu câta oară că Grant Morrison își merită statutul din industrie).
De ce nu eram fan Superman?
Pentru că, în general, prefer eroii umani, cu cât mai puține superputeri, cu cât mai multe defecte și probleme umane. Iar pentru mine, cineva ca Superman era la capătul opus al spectrului. După cum chiar el recunoaște la un moment dat unui alt personaj, el e toți ceilalți super-eroi DC combinați într-unul. Așa că ce pericole și drame ar putea înfrunta cineva ca el?
Well, cartea asta mi-a arătat destule și... now I'm a believer!
Recomand tare de tot!
4,4/5* -
Sooooo...weird. I always thought that I had read this. I mean - its Frank Quietly, an artist I absolutely adore. Not to mention that it's written by Morrison.
And then I figured out that I hadn't ever actually read it. For whatever reason, I always confused it with
Superman: Secret Identity
Yeah, I dunno how that happened.
So anyways, upon this realization, you can bet your milk & cookies that I ran out and got me a copy of this right fucking quick!!
And you know what? Meh. Kinda disappointed.
Don't get me wrong, All-Star Superman was good. The idea is really freaking cool - Quietly is an amazing artist so if anything the artwork is insane awesome! Still, overall, I just found the whole thing kinda weird and over the top (but not in a good weird and over the top way). Things felt stretched and at times a little too forced, I found it all a little disjointed and unrelatable.
I don't know. I guess the real problem is that I just liked Superman: Secret Identity a whole lot more and so this one just kind of crumpled under its shadow for me.
Still...there was some really cool parts in here. I'm glad I own it and I am especially glad that I have finally read it. I have to admit I was kind of embarrassed when I discovered that I hadn't ever actually read such a big work of superhero history.
Pffft. And I call myself a comic book fan.
What a poser. :p -
Morrison and Quitelty's multi Eisner Award winning stand alone superman tale, which although most splendidly drawn, did not tick that many boxes for me, after a very promising start. 6 out of 12
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Growing up, my love of superheroes came from watching cartoons from the 90s. Whilst I love Batman and the Marvel heroes like Spider-Man and the X-Men, I never had a keen interest towards Superman. Part of it may have to do with his look (notably the outside red undies), and perhaps his abilities in which he is almost indestructible and isn't really the bad-ass that Batman is. In the mid-noughties, Superman was coming to my radar after watching the first two Christopher Reeve films and eventually seeing Superman Returns in the cinemas. However, as I got more into comics and based on other people's recommendations, I bought the Absolute edition of All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.
Launched in 2005 under DC's 'All-Star' imprint – the first being Frank Miller and Jim Lee’s All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder – this 12-issue series is seen as a tribute to the Man of Steel that would celebrate this timeless character, but also make the reading as universal as possible for newcomers. While saving the crew of the first manned mission to the sun led by Dr. Leo Quintum and his team from P.R.O.J.E.C.T., Superman is poisoned by solar radiation. Dying, he decides to fulfil his lifelong dreams, while still saving the Earth from various threats.
Instead of retelling the origin story which has been told in various versions over the decades, we get an abbreviated version of Superman's origin told in four wide panels on the first page. Afterwards, we jump right into the action with Superman flying near the sun. The main plot of the book is Superman dying of cancer which sounds a bit doom and gloom, but there is something uplifting about the presence of Superman, who is not seen as some action-centric superhero who is looking to pick a fight, but is a relaxed, non-conflicted individual as seen on the cover of the first issue where he is sitting on a cloud looking down at Metropolis. However, he may be warmhearted but can still pack a punch.
Each of the twelve issues have their own subplot, from the best birthday present that Lois Lane could ever have, to Superman struggling to escape from the Bizarro world. Influenced primarily by the Silver Age Superman, All-Star has one or two iconic moments in each of the issues, while Mr Morrison revamps the whole character through his imaginative writing. With each issue being jam-packed as Superman fights enemies that seem to come out of nowhere and taking place in bizarre environments – the beginning of the last issue is a highlight – the series could've been seen as episodic. However, Morrison's original writing towards his characters are such a pleasure, whether it's the love story between Superman and Lois Lane – who refuses to believe that Clark Kent is Superman, despite the Man of Steel's confession – the nuanced villainy of Lex Luthor or even the brief introduction of Jimmy Olsen in drag.
Being a fan of science-fiction, I love the sci-fi aspect of All-Star which through Frank Quitely's stunning yet nostalgic artwork has a 50s/60s feel, notably the Kryptonian suits. Speaking of Frank Quitely, the level of detail he brings to the characters and the environments is breathtaking. While Superman is not depicted as the constant "poser" as he can take a seat with his cape draped, the physicality of Clark Kent is a highlight as the idea here is that he is a farm boy who is used to a lot of space due to being raised on Smallville, and now living in Metropolis he is clumsy and insecure (as the artwork shows his shoulders slumped, his spine curved and his belly stuck out.
For those who aren't familiar with Superman and his world, Morrison's ideas can go over readers' heads, but having re-read this book numerous times, what Morrison and Quitely brings is a unique and epic celebration of a character who is over seventy-years old and is still a part of American culture. Growing up, the Man of Steel was never a favourite, but now having read this and several other Superman stories, I love the Man of Tomorrow.
PS Check out this
short documentary on Youtube, in which Grant Morrison and DC co-publisher Dan DiDio discuss the origins of All-Star Superman. -
To be edited at a later time. -
2.5 stars. I’m mad this took me 3 days to slog through. This was a chore to read. Taking away time I could have been reading something else. I hate to bad mouth any comic since I love reading them but I found most of this boring or kind of dumb. Although I tell myself I’ll never do it, twice this book made me want to close it and never open it again. The first time was when Samson and that other dude pulled up treating Lois like an object. Telling Superman let’s battle for her and Lois was going along with it. That part really got under my skin. But I told myself I’m not a quitter and I’ll finish this book. The second time was on that Bizzaro planet with all the broken English and backwards talk. 🤦🏾♂️ Man I was ready to frisbee this book out the window. Needless to say this book wasn’t for me.
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This book was so larger than life and epic as Superman should be... it has been a while since i read it but the gods and superman's competition for Super Lois's hand was epic. I really loved it. i really liked how Jimmy Olsen was Doomsday... it's such a hommage to silver age Jimmy Olsen book and so dramatic. Superman's best pal would be one of his worst enemies. May be even they would kill each other... The conversation between Clark and Lex in prison was just briliant. And Superman was all powerful, like really really ridiculously powerful. Just as i like him to be, Superman is the epitome of power, he should be always depicted as powerful as in this book. Best Superman book ever, everything about it was just fantastic.
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A brilliant book. One of G.M.s absolute best.
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<3
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Exciting, bold, and brilliant!
All-Star Superman has everything we need from a comic book. It has cool and bizarre action, beautiful artwork from Frank Quitely, and a heartfelt over-arching story to hold it all together. #mustread -
Superman is the only superhero I've always truly hated (ok, and Squirrel Girl too) and this book certainly didn't change my opinion, all of these twelve issues reads as individual stories, and while some of them were very good on their own, some others were the perfect example of everything I hate about the character.
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3.5 stars.
Didn't quite impress me as much as it did many others, I think because I kept comparing it to the greatest "superhero eulogy" story ever (IMO), Silver Surfer Requiem. It never quite reached that level of beauty and somber finality for me, though.
Still, the parts that were great were REALLY GREAT, and this easily enters the canon of essential Superman stories. -
Svedoci smo da poslednjih nekoliko godina superheroji apsolutno dominiraju kako filmskim platnom, tako i malim ekranima, a sve su popularniji i stripovi koje više ne čitaju samo osobenjaci i gikovi, nego svi oni koji bi želeli da budu kul.
U celoj toj pomami za herojima u lateks kostimima, Darkwoodovo izdanje "Supermen među zvezdama" poslužilo mi je kao odličan podsetnik na moju prvu superherojsku ljubav, koju je personifikovao jedan jedini Kristofer Riv <3
Čuvena scena iz filma Supermen (1978) u kojoj Supermen leti brzo oko Zemlje u suprotnom smeru od zemljinog okretanja, premotavajući vreme, kako bi spasio svoju voljenu Lois Lejn, po meni je jedna od najspektakularnijih filmskih scena svih vremena.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tjgsn...
"Supermen među zvezdama" je odlična prilika da se nove generacije ljubitelja superheroja u Srbiji upoznaju sa Kal-Elom, kao i da se mi malo stariji podsetimo kako smo i zašto zavoleli Crveni Plašt.
Na kraju moram da se osvrnem i na (gle čuda! ;)) odličan prevod Draška Roganovića, koji je definitvno postao jedan od mojih omiljenih prevodilaca. Kako po inerciji kupujemo knjige ili stripove omiljenih pisaca, tako i ja mirne duše mogu da kupim bilo šta što je Draško prevodio, znajući da je pod a) reč o knjizi/stripu koji je my cup of tea, i pod b) reč o vrhunskom prevodu.
Kao primer navešću samo početne reči drevne Bizaro himne, iz poglavlja 7: "Biti Bizaro" - "Hej, Bizaroi, jošte mreti duh vaših sinova..." Genijalno!
Ocena: 5* -
This is considered to be one of the very best Superman stories ever told, if not the greatest. The idea of Superman discovering that he's dying due to solar radiation over-exposure and his subsequent attempt to wrap things up is a fine one, but I was pretty underwhelmed by the whole thing. It's a bit too episodic and "adventure-of-the-week" to really be as effective emotionally as a story about the imminent death of the greatest hero deserves to be, and leaves everything feeling a bit directionless and disconnected.
The whole thing feels underdeveloped and haphazard, like the author threw darts at a wall of Superman stories and tried to string them together around a cool concept. The silly Bizarro issues were a real chore, and the stupid, dick-swinging competition for Lois Lane's heart with Atlas and Sampson only served to cheapen the story further and was an unnecessary distraction from the things that should be important. I was looking forward to this because of its reputation but it turned out to be a big, labored disappointment. -
Besides reading the original comics and watching the movies, I don't think I have read any other Superman comic before. I don't even care for him or Batman (I'm a Wonder Woman kind of guy), but I really liked this comic. I watched the movie that was based on this comic and liked that as well. This is what the Man of Steel movies should of been and not the crap it turned out to be (sorry). I also read this because I like most Grant Morrison's stuff. He really added some heart and soul to the stories. He turned a Superman comic into a Greek-like epic. Chances are if you don't like Superman you'll like this book. I just wish other Superman books would excite me as much to read them. Props to this book for taking everyone's favorite superhero and turning it into an existential journey and focusing on the mythos of Superman while delivering a worthy story to tell.
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I re-read this instead of watching Man of Steel, and I just re-read it again instead of watching Batman v. Superman. It's a wonderful Superman story, highlighting different facets of the myth in turn, and always takes the narrative time to show Superman being kind, funny, gentle, sad, sweet—all the messy human stuff we tend to paper over in superhero stories.
Somewhere out there in the multiverse, this decade saw the release of the Superman movies we need in 2016, the films that do for the character what the MCU films have done for Steve Rogers, that is, show a kind and clever and deeply moral being trying to navigate a world without much time for those traits. It's a shame we don't live in that universe. It probably has better pizza, too. -
“...The measure of a man lies not in what he says but what he does.”
One of the best Superman comics I’ve read. I loved it! -
“I love you, Lois Lane. Until the end of time.” Don't touch me I'm soft.
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Okay, so, context:
1. Superman is my favorite superhero. I have been smitten since watching
the old Fleischer Technicolor Superman cartoons my dad bought me on VHS when I was five years old, but the big oaf became a life-long love in 1994 when Lois & Clark premiered on TV. Each iteration I’ve seen since has only made me love the character more (excepting Man of Steel and its sequel, which do not represent anything that I love about the character, which in fact actively takes what I love and rolls it in the mud). I had his shield on my retainer after I got my braces off in the 7th grade. Superman Returns is genuinely one of my favorite movies, and I will not hear a word against it. For grad school, I wrote a twenty-five page paper examining the history of Superman and his identity in relation to American mythology and the Marxist theory of alienation. I’m into it, is what I’m saying.
He’s my favorite because of what he represents and how he acts. He’s an alien, but he’s kind and generous and does the right thing at cost to himself. He’s almost universally beloved, and yet he’s incredibly lonely. I don’t find that boring; I find it noble and inspirational and sad. Superman is like Captain America, but instead of being the perfect human, he’s more. That whole one of us/not one of us, being the example of everything we should be and yet not being actually human himself dichotomy he’s got going on fascinates me. Plus he has the best girlfriend, hands down, no competition. Lois Lane is a badass.
2. I have never read a Superman comic that I liked. I’ve tried a bunch, and none have captured the magic for me. The comics always seem to be more focused on the fighting and the aliens and weirdness, and shoving more bad guys in, more lost Kryptonians, more cities in jars, more colors of Kryptonite that do weird things to Superman . . . and it is all very much not what I’m interested in.
3. Every time I have mentioned this in a review, either here or on Goodreads, Malin has suggested/prodded/demanded that I read this book. She was very adamant about it. It gave me very high expectations.
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Sooooo . . . did I like it? I don’t know! Because it came to me so highly recommended, I’m fighting against my natural urge to say no, because the answer is complicated. Yes, I liked it. Also no, I didn’t like it. Yes, it’s beautiful and so well made and obviously made with love. No, it doesn’t feel like a Superman story to me. It doesn’t give me that good old buzz from loving the big blue boy scout. I admire it. And I also think some of what it does is gross. In short: I am conflicted. How’s that for a thesis statement, all my past English teachers! And I didn’t even use a question mark but an exclamation point and you know what IT FELT GOOD.
Okay, so take a look at the panel up there. That’s the entire first page of the book. It’s beautiful in its simplicity. It’s evocative. The colors are gorgeous. And it tells Superman’s origin story with such economy it almost takes your breath away. And yet . . . this is also a problem for me. I LIKE his origin story. I like seeing small moments on the page, those in between, how-did-we-get-here moments. I have this theory that you can tell everything you need to know about a particular iteration of Superman by how his origin story is told. This panel does not disprove that theory. This panel, like the rest of this book, is beautiful, artful, deliberate, and reveres the source material. It’s also very short and takes great pains to tell the story in the least amount of panels possible. It’s a series of images and moments, and you have to supply the connective tissue yourself.
It also feels removed from the story and its characters. Morrison and Quitely’s Superman is one that feels not just alienated from the people that surround him, but also from me as a reader. I could never tell what he was thinking, or what the emotional reasons for his actions were. I couldn’t empathize with him, only watch from a distance.
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So let’s talk specifics. All-Star Superman was created originally to be a part of a set of “All-Star” comics, but only two were ever published, this one and another one I do not plan to read. Morrison and Quitely, as they detail in the notes at the end, chose to make the title literal. The whole book is centered around the sun, and Superman’s relationship to it. On a plot level, thanks to Lex Luthor, Superman is poisoned by an excess of solar radiation while saving a crew of space explorers from a very hot death, and now he has only a year to live. Morrison and Quitely also do a bunch of clever things with the art throughout the twelve issues (a solar year), chronicling his rise and fall like the rise of the sun. And the sun, of course, is a potent metaphor. The twelve issues in the book follow Superman’s last year, as he performs his prophesied twelve labors and puts his affairs to rest. He fights bad guys, invents things, saves people, travels in time, gives Lois superpowers, creates life . . . etc. You can’t escape this book without knowing we’re meant to associate Superman with the gods, from his ability to draw power from the sun like a modern day Ra or Apollo, to performing twelve labors, just like Hercules did.
This structure and the artistic thoughtfulness and integrity behind it automatically raised my opinion of the book once I caught on to it, and especially once I’d read some analyses and behind the scenes details. It feels very purposeful and sure of itself, and that’s always a good thing in art.
But . . .
Aside from my complaints over the general feel of the story, which I would like to have connected to more, I do have some specific issues, the first and foremost of which is Lois. As previously mentioned, Lois Lane is my hero. She’s one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. She’s smart and feisty and intelligent, and yet she’s human. She’s stubborn and oftentimes reckless. She lets her ambition blind her to danger. (She’s also a bit of a workaholic.) This Lois . . . was boring. And stupid. The first issue features Clark telling Lois that he is Superman. AND SHE DOESN’T BELIEVE HIM. AFTER HE LITERALLY TAKES OFF HIS CLARK COSTUME IN FRONT OF HER AND FLIES HER TO THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE. And then the rest of the book is spent with her still thinking they’re two different people IT MAKES NO SENSE.
I was also really excited for the part where he gifted her his powers for twenty-four hours, but first of all, the costume he made her was disgusting, at least give her some fucking tights, you a-holes! Nope, it’s leotard up the crotch, boots, I AM WEARING NO CLOTHES. And then there’s this stupid thing where Atlas shows up, and Samson (who is a time-traveler??), and they fight over her like a piece of meat and please wait I must go vomit. She also did not dress like my Lois Lane. Leggy skirts and tight blouses all over the place. She was entirely drawn for the male gaze. It makes me want to light things on fire SHE HAS A BRAIN YOU KNOW.
One thing I feel like they got right in this book is Jimmy Olsen, who actually plays a pivotal role, and does not come off as that kind of annoying, innocent, fresh-faced, over-eager beaver we sometimes get with him. But it’s sad when your Jimmy is better than your Lois. This also does not contain my favorite version of Clark, but I know that’s a feature of the comics, which have always, always prioritized Superman as the main identity over Clark Kent, when I prefer it the other way around. This Clark is stodgy and boring and clumsy, and no one pays him much attention, which I guess is functional as a cover identity, but it sure isn’t my favorite. (Though Quitely does something in this book in his portrayal of Clark/Superman that I’ve never seen done before. His Clark hunches and puffs out; he is physically almost unrecognizable from his counterpart. It’s kind of remarkable.)
I’m also not a huge fan of all the DC shenanigans called back to here, but I will readily admit this is a me-issue, and not really a fault of the book. I’ve never cared for the way superhero comics wind in upon themselves, constantly creating new continuities, feeding off past stories, obliging you to have an inhuman recall ability. This book is supposed to play outside that main continuity, alleviating a lot of that frustration, but at the same time it relies on all this weird stuff in a condensed way that assumes you’re familiar with it, like the Kandorians (which I know about from Superman documentaries and history books), the Bizarros, and P.R.O.J.E.C.T. (Or, back to that first page of the comic, which is a perfect example, because you’re only really going to GET IT if you’ve read or seen Superman before.) It felt overstuffed to me, and every time one of those plot distractions showed up, I felt it was taking away from the emotional part of the story.
On the one hand, I realize this is a function of the structure that I admire so much (so in control of its story, and very aware of what each issue should contain), but on the other hand, it felt condensed and rushed and overstuffed.
And then we have Lex Luthor. It feels right that they chose Luthor as the villain here, since he’s Superman’s traditional nemesis, his Platonic opposite. They are similar people on opposite ends of the same spectrum. Superman uses his brains to create things and help the world. Luthor envies his abilities and power, and spends his time trying to eradicate him from existence in order to soothe his own sense of inadequacy, rather than using his talents for good. I felt that Luthor here was a little too cartoony until the end, at which point they have Superman deliver such a thorough condemnation of him, there is no need for any other ever, no matter how many more times this story is told. Like a disappointed parent, Superman isn’t angry with Lex Luthor. He feels sadness that a man with such promise would use it to such terrible ends. And then, of course, Luthor gets his wish, a world without Superman, but it turns out to be an empty victory.
I feel like I’m maybe not making much sense here, and that this review is bouncing all over the place. If that’s the case, it’s because that’s how it feels inside my head. From one moment to the next, I can’t decide how I feel about this comic. I think about the issue where Superman sets down his last will and testament, and I’m moved. Then I think about Superman arm wrestling with Atlas over Lois and GOODWILL GONE. I think about how annoying the Bizarro issue was, and how it felt unnecessary, but then I remember Zibarro and his loneliness, among his own kind, but never like them, and it feels right, an underworld reflection of Superman among the humans. And of course, there’s this. I’ve now written 2,000 words about a comic book I thought I didn’t like, but now I don’t know? From one moment to the next, I DON’T KNOW WHO I AM.
In the end, I think what we have here is a philosophical difference about the nature of Superman. Morrison and Quitely’s Superman has no inner life, because he doesn’t have a life of his own. He belongs to the people. What you see is what you get. There is nothing under the surface. Twenty-four hours a day, he saves people, and there is no room for interiority when the only thing in your life is other people’s needs.
I guess I prefer my Superman a little more human. That way, when he does something to remind you he’s a God, you feel it even more.
