All Star Superman
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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. 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. View all 10 comments. Gots to read this soooon. 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. And you know what? 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 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. 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. And I call myself a comic book fan. View all 3 comments. Apr 21, Rory Wilding rated it it was amazing.
Growing up, my love of superheroes came from watching cartoons from the 90s. 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 Growing up, my love of superheroes came from watching cartoons from the 90s.
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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. While saving the crew of the first manned mission to the sun led by Dr. Leo Quintum and his team from P. 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.
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.
What can I say about the perfect comic book? This is my fourth time reading All-Star Superman, and I still manage to find something new every time I'm reading it. My eyes still start to well up whenever I get to the second half when Superman goes to the Bizarro planet, when he cures those kids, when he tells Reagan that it's never as bad as it seems, when he literally becomes all-star. This is one of the very few books so special that it's impossible to do it justice with words. I've heard so ma What can I say about the perfect comic book? I've heard so many stories about how it saved people's actual lives, and if that's not the highest achievement for a comic, I don't know what is.
All-Star Superman is a masterpiece, and the reason why I believe Superman is the greatest superhero. You can have hundreds and thousands of awesome comics about Batman, Spider-Man, Daredevil, whoever else, but none of them match Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely and their twelve humble issues of All-Star. Aug 14, Ozan rated it it was amazing. This book was so larger than life and epic as Superman should be I really loved it. Superman's best pal will be one of his worst enemies The conversation between Clark and Lex in prison was just briliant. And Superman wa This book was so larger than life and epic as Superman should be And Superman was all powerful Best Superman book ever, everything about it is just fantastic.
View all 11 comments. Mar 25, Max rated it it was amazing. I re-read this instead of watching Man of Steel, and I just re-read it again instead of watching Batman v. 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 , the films that do for the charac I re-read this instead of watching Man of Steel, and I just re-read it again instead of watching Batman v.
Somewhere out there in the multiverse, this decade saw the release of the Superman movies we need in , 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. Superman is my favorite superhero. 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. Plus he has the best girlfriend, hands down, no competition. Lois Lane is a badass. I have never read a Superman comic that I liked. 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. She was very adamant about it. It gave me very high expectations.
All-Star Superman Vol 1 5
Yes, I liked it. And I also think some of what it does is gross. Okay, so take a look at the panel up there. The colors are gorgeous. 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 also feels removed from the story and its characters. I could never tell what he was thinking, or what the emotional reasons for his actions were. Morrison and Quitely, as they detail in the notes at the end, chose to make the title literal. 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. He fights bad guys, invents things, saves people, travels in time, gives Lois superpowers, creates life. 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 lets her ambition blind her to danger. The first issue features Clark telling Lois that he is Superman. 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! 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. 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. His Clark hunches and puffs out; he is physically almost unrecognizable from his counterpart.
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. 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. 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 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.
In the end, I think what we have here is a philosophical difference about the nature of Superman.
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He belongs to the people. What you see is what you get. There is nothing under the surface. I guess I prefer my Superman a little more human. View all 4 comments. Jan 11, Tim rated it it was amazing Shelves: In facing this challenge, however, Morrison has Superman perform his greatest feats. Superman is presented as supremely powerful, but humble and selfless.
Morrison effectively grounds the character not with guilt or tragedy or personal baggage, but in personal relationships. Past efforts to make superheroes relatable most often involved angst and cynicism, but Morrison leaves all of that behind him. Even as a physical presence, this Superman is more human.
Superman has always spoken for the ideals of society, and when he did not, the character lost its way. Somewhere, in our darkest night, we made up the story of a man who will never let us down and that seemed worth investigating. Here, Morrison reaches back to that sense of wonder and escape to fuel his work.
All Star Superman shows the reader Superman as a myth, a being that can exist only in imagination, but grounded in what makes us all human: When faced with death, even Superman is powerless, but he lives his life despite his destiny on his own terms. It is a message of the potential of man, through the lens of the superhuman.
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Morrison understands the role of the superhero in society better than perhaps anyone else in the business and utilizes it perfectly in what may not be just the best Superman story ever told, but the best SUPERHERO story. The cultural power and strength of the superhero relies on emphasizing the moral potential of the human spirit through the lens of superhuman struggle between good and evil. All-Star Superman is full of memorable moments that made me laugh and some that made me tear-up. Superman is shown to be emphatically human throughout, and his selflessness and kind-heartedness are rooted in his relationships, as particularly illustrated in chapter 6 with his father.
He takes the time to save the life of a single individual ready to give up n life in the midst of grappling with his own morality in one of the books single most memorable pages. All-Star Superman is a soaring and inspiring adventure. Feb 17, Issa rated it it was amazing.
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One of the best Superman stories ever. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely absolutely nail the god like sci fi quirky feel from the s and s. The art is strange if you don't like the neo-Kirby influences of Quitely. I personally love it and the years of taking psychedelic drugs have clearly influenced Morrisons take on Superman but fundamentally they distill what makes superman great that has been lost in some of the mode modern stories about the character.
Definitely a more European take One of the best Superman stories ever. Definitely a more European take on a classic American superhero partially created by a Canadian. The Absolute edition is gorgeous too to look at. Wide screen psychedelic visuals and far out story is superman at his best. I initially started out with very high hopes obviously, considering the ratings , and after reading the first few issues I felt kind of numb.
I assumed it was just setting up the story and the issues would increase in quality but, unfortunately, they did not, aside from issues 6 and 10 which were a little better and contained scenes that really stuck in my memory. And again, most of them never seem that relevant, with no standout moments, quotes, or characters besides Kal. This comic was just average. Besides reading the original comics and watching the movies, I don't think I have read any other Superman comic before. 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 stor Besides reading the original comics and watching the movies, I don't think I have read any other Superman comic before. 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. Aug 14, Saul the Heir of Isauldur rated it really liked it Shelves: This is my first Superman comic, and it's a very good one. It's well written, fairly self-contained and even touching. Though there are a few references to other characters in the DC Universe and the assumption that we have some background knowledge on Superman's story , it's fairly easy to understand what's happening.
It helps that there are brief character descriptions at the back of this edition. The art is very nice, clean and bright, and even considering the plot, it feels pretty hopeful. The panels, however, are a little boring, since the story is told in very basic square by square, there are few, if any, interesting plays with the panels or with background images. I've not yet read that many graphic novels, but so far, I've liked it when comics take chances, showing the panels in a non-linear manner, or having panels overlap with a larger, more complex image that takes up the entire page.
Unlike the films, All-Star Superman knows how to deal with his larger-than-life powers in a way that doesn't get boring. I enjoyed this one, and may even come back to it at some point. Feb 24, Roy rated it really liked it. Some issues were great some were average. Good overall story arc, but some issues did feel like filler. Superman is dying, ans has to save the world while dealing with his ultimate end.
All-Star Superman shows the Man of Steel at his greatest. This is not Supes punching his way through victory. This graphic novel is a celebration of him being Superman. Grant Morrison crafts a story which is timeless and boundless. What separates All-Star Superman from any other Superman story is that it reaches to your heart and will actually make you feel his emotions.
His strength and intelligence may be Kryptonian, but he is all-human. There he is doing all those amazing feats not just with b All-Star Superman shows the Man of Steel at his greatest. There he is doing all those amazing feats not just with brawns, but with intellect, wit, compassion, justice and honor. Grant Morrison defines Superman not just a super strong man who is capable of doing labours which require otherworldly strength, but as an embodiment of all super things beyond strength that a man can do.
Frank Quitely's version of Supes perfectly fits with Morrison's vision: The bright and optimistic colors by Jamie Grant are top-notch. All-Star Superman, without any reservation, is the greatest Superman story ever told. I've never found a really good entry point into Superman stories.
Beyond that, I've dipped in and out over the years, mostly around the Death of Superman storyline and his rebirth None of it was particularly memorable and Superman has become more about the golden boyscout myth than any one particular tale. This part series from I've never found a really good entry point into Superman stories. This part series from Grant Morrison makes a fine attempt at being definitive.
Leaning more on the Alan Moore side of things, it's a wrap up that cleverly introduces new elements. The writing is singular and the artwork is gorgeous. That makes it good enough to join the collection. The other day I started reading "Superman All Star" and was like, I didn't think I had read this before, why is it so familiar? Not long ago I watched the animated movie based on the series!
On a side note, it was really well done and followed the story pretty well. I should say that I have always enjoyed Superman, but have really only known him from the movies. Only recently, have I begun reading the graphic novels. It is not canon and is not his official saga. I enjoy the flexibility afforded the writers, allowing them tell these stories. Lex Luthor has found a way to kill our hero and Superman is coming to terms with what this means for himself, his loved ones and humanity.
He discovers that he will complete 12 heroic feats before his final day. This chronicles those events. I imagine that some of us tend to regard Superman as such a perfect being, someone without flaws. This story gives us a chance to look at the man behind the cape so to speak. We get to witness his struggles with leaving the world without its protector. It is a very humanizing story. How does he deal with the emotions?
Who can he turn to, because who else can understand the responsibilities he carries? I know this was not written as a single publication, and was originally released in its 12 parts episodes , but sometimes I felt like the story was a little choppy from one section to the next. This could be due to the fact that I am still learning so much about his comic universe or that I read as I am going to sleep.
This is still a great story and I would recommend it. I liked the artwork overall, but there were some character designs that were not how my mind wanted to see them. I just envision the characters a bit differently in my head. Vandal Savage steals confidential files Batman has compiled on the members of the Justice League, and learns all their weaknesses. A wealthy playboy and a Chicago cop both return to Gotham City where their lives will intersect in unexpected ways.
While saving the crew of the first manned mission to the sun, Superman is poisoned by solar radiation. Dying, he decides to fulfill his lifelong dreams, while still saving the Earth from various threats. But when Lex Luthor reveals his latest plot to control the world, Superman must use his remaining strength to stop him. Media seems obsessed with the Death of Superman. A seemingly successful rescue of a Dr Quintum's mission to the Sun has saturated Superman's cells with too much solar energy. This is causing rapid cellular deterioration which would eventually lead to his death.
With time running out for the man of steel, Superman sets about to put all his affairs in order before he goes while continuing to defend the earth against threats from within and without. From the get go, All Star Superman feels like a multi episode TV series compressed into a single movie. But really, that is more the fault of the original source material which in fact was meant to be 12 seemingly standalone stories with some of the plot points finally "coming together" in the final issues. While this worked for a bi-monthly comic book series, it does not have the similar effect as an animated movie.
Here the film just feels unfocused and rushed, cramming what is supposed to be a year's worth of events into 70 odd minutes. For example, a single fade out later and superman returns to earth after a couple of months to find it take over by a bunch of long lost Kryptonians.
An episodic miniseries would have been a better medium to convey the full feel of the original story. Thankfully The production team's faithfulness to the source material is not entirely a shortcoming. The animated movie not only sticks to the "self-contained stories" format but also the well developed personalities and timeless characterization. Everyone is perfectly cast, bringing the characters to live in a very natural way. The loyal script and top notch acting imbues Superman with just the right level of noble superhuman grandeur mixed with a down to earth homely touch.
He is the hero, and the farm boy at the same time. Similarly, Clark Kent's oafish demeanor is comedic yet sincere; his interview with Lex Luthor and subsequent escape from the prison riot caused by a supervillian's escape is possibly the most fun part of the entire movie. Here is another strength of All Star Superman. Under The Red Hood. The story plays out more like a character centered drama that is not afraid to tickle the audience with a few lighthearted moments. The main cast is given great depth and development as we get to know their reasons for doing what they do.
Even Luthor gets a heart wrenching moment once you find out that the reason behind his hatred of Superman goes much deeper than just "because he foiled my plans". Special mention goes to Christopher Drake's soundtrack which is by far his best work. His music covers a great range, bringing out the best in the scenes it complements; it is grand, emotional and magical.
One might go so far as to say that his score here is actually better than Shirley Walker's stuff from the 90s Superman Animated series, just slightly behind John Williams. In what is possibly a nod to "The Mummy", the music takes on a very Egyptian Gothic style with the appearance of antagonist Bar-El played by Arnold Vosloo, who also played the main antagonist of "The Mummy".
There is action, not to worry, a good deal of it. Moi Studios once again perform animation duties, maintaining the smooth character movements seen in their previous productions; smoother than Japanese anime at least and without animation short-cuts. While some backgrounds appear lackluster, The production team's faithfulness to the source material is seen in the character designs which is a slightly streamlined version of Frank Quintley's artwork. Too bad the painted colors by Jamie Grant have been replaced with a very "standard" color palate.
The colors here look exactly the same as It seems like a farce that the movie stuck so closely to the comic going to great lengths to even replicate whole scenes perfectly yet cut out and streamline a fair bit of material. Perhaps Warner Premiere and Bruce Timm might consider a "directors cut" in which they go back and animate the rest of those scenes like the Bizzaro world, or the visit by Superman from the future.
At least the plot threads established throughout the movie are woven together nicely in the end. There are two ways to see this movie. One is that this movie is a "All Star Superman lite": The other way is that it is meant to cheese off the long time fans so that the fans will go around saying "the comic is better" and in the end help to drive up publicity for the comic. Both ways, a perfect win-win situation for DC. Try to enjoy this movie as it is. Of the scenes that were not cut out in production, revel in its loyalty to the original comic. It covers the full range of comedy to tragedy, heroic to humble, life to death.
All-Star Superman
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