All Star Superman

[Dr.Volt]

Hey, hass anyone out there read All Star Superman?  I have heard nothing but good stuff about the series.  It's supposed to have rich story lines, good comical elements, and be silver agey yet contemporary.  And everyone says that the writer (crud, can't remember his name) does a good job bringing depth to Supes (which can't be an easy thing to do).  If you have read the series, what do you think?

[UnfluffyBunny]

I read the first few issues and enjoyed them, also all star batman, at the time i had to cut down my pull list tho, so I dont know what state they're in now, given the oppertunity now I would probably pick up back issues if they were readily available to me

[tommyboy]

I like All Star Superman.
It's a bit weird in places, but mostly it's a 'silver age' weirdness.
The stories have humour, and some pathos too. The take on the man of steel and his world is both new and yet fits with what has gone before. The entire series is pretty self contained, and, if I understand correctly, not in mainstream DC continuity.
I think Grant Morrison did a good job of capturing the wonder and whimsy and imagination of a part of the Superman history now largely forgotten by writers (and readers) a bit too keen to have people with veiny arms shooting each other in the face to prove how 'real' and 'cinematic' they are.
I would go so far as to say that a couple of the issues of All star Superman are good enough to stand alongside of any 'best of superman' stories in some imaginary hardback volume, and that you could actually make a reasonable case for all 12 issues being in there.
The artwork I enjoyed a lot. If you don't like Quitely's style, this is not for you, but I think that like Morrison's writing, the art manages to be iconic, at times humorous, other times self-aware and knowing, and to tell good stories throughout.
I suppose a comparison with Alan Moore's classic 'Whatever happened to the man of tomorrow' and 'for the man who has everything' stories is inevitable, and all star superman  stands up well in comparison, which to me is as good as you can get. Both writers bring a modern, knowing sensibility to the table, and also a respect and affection for the storytellers and stories that they reference.

[AfghanAnt]

Right now All Star Supes is the only Superman title I read faithfully. It is a great silver-agey read.

[detourne_me]

i absolutely love all-star superman. issue #10 in particular is outstanding,  and i really enjoyed the bizrro world stories too.

Geoff Johns' run on Action Comics is getting really good with his Brainiac arc.  and the art is outstanding on that too.

[Dr.Volt]

Well, that cynches it...I'll have to add it to my pull list.  Thanks for the comments!

[Robsoie]

All Star Superman is a masterpiece of Superman characterisation.
I find the art awesome (i liked the Frank Quitely work already on JLA-Earth 2) serving extremely well some good stories, Grant Morrison really know his job.

The only bad point is the fact there is only 1 issue left and it is finished.

Definitively one of the best Superman run since a lot of time.

[UnkoMan]

I agree. All Star Superman is basically how Superman should be written all the time. That or Kingdom Come.

[Jakew]

I loved it, and I don't even particularly like Superman (well, the way he's been handled for the past ten years or so). It's in a similar vein to Alan Moore's "Whatever Happened To The Man of Tomorrow".

OT, anyone know if Superman For All Seasons any good?

[Dr.Volt]

So I picked up the TPB vol #1.  And it's really, really good!  I love the way that Morrisen rights this book!  Supes and his whole supporting cast have depth.  And y'know, it's just a lot of fun to read.  Which I know for some people is the new f word.  But frankly, I've enough angst and deconstruction in the genre' to last a while.  Which ironic in that I am also enjoying Old Man Logan which is chocked full of angst and dystopian futurist deconstruction.  But I digress....balance grasshopper!

Btw, someone mentioned Kingdom Come Supes:  Absolutely!  I love that portrayal!  And like Jakew said, I don't even like Supes that much.  Or at least I didn't...until now.  And that, dear friends, is the sign of a well written book!

[Jakew]

You should check out Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? by Alan Moore.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whatever_happened_to_the_man_of_tomorrow

If you liked All Star, you'll like Whatever Happened....

[Dr.Volt]

You should check out Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? by Alan Moore.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whatever_happened_to_the_man_of_tomorrow

If you liked All Star, you'll like Whatever Happened....

Looks interesting!  Thanks for the tip!

[thanoson]

So, nobody is reading Superman? Last issue had a great last page spread involving a canine with a cape.

[murs47]

I just picked up the first trade. It's brilliant!

Now I'm struggling with the decision to either wait for the 2nd trade or hunt down the single issues on eBay and my LCS. Decisions, decisions. :wacko:

[MJB]

You see that's the predicament that I'm in, Murs. What swayed me is that I looked at what the books go for cover price, then I looked at what the hard to find issues were going for on places like Ebay. Then I added in the shipping costs and the trouble I would have to go through and settled on waiting for the 2nd trade. :mjb:

-MJB

[murs47]

You see that's the predicament that I'm in, Murs. What swayed me is that I looked at what the books go for cover price, then I looked at what the hard to find issues were going for on places like Ebay. Then I added in the shipping costs and the trouble I would have to go through and settled on waiting for the 2nd trade. :mjb:

-MJB

Looks like I'll be doing the same. My LCS didn't have a single back issue, including the latest one. With eBay it's a lot of absurd prices. $1.50 for a single issue but the catch is $5.00 shipping. I'll just have to wait 'til February. <_<

[Spe-Dog]

Well, the 12 issues just wrapped last week.  I thought all together it was an amazing story.  I have ranted and railed against the return of silverage garbage being re-inserted into current Superman continuity.  I hate it; still do.  Although, Morrison's Superman is firmly a silverage throwback he makes it work.  He makes it fresh while it seems that all the creators had been doing around the Birthright timeframe was trying to shoehorn a bunch of contradictory crud into the story making the characters and issues seem dated.  There is a way to do it full of nostalgia and make the book actually read like an antique (Waid, Loeb) and there is a way to do it right and make even old concepts shine and this book is a great example of that.  I am geek enough, and proud of it, to say that when I get into a book I can hear the music and smell the city it is located in.  This is one of those few reads, much like Johns's work of late, that I can hear the Superman/John Williams theme and I can understand and hear the individual voices of the characters.  Morrison has said he may want to return to this continuity at some point and I just hope that it happens in the short term rather than a long range plan...however, if I could make one suggestion?  Next time, let Quietly draw Superman wearing a CAPE or a CLOAK and not my Grandma's shawl all the time.  Thanks.

[Dr.Volt]

Yep, me too.  Waiting the TPB #2.  Patience, patience, patience...:)

[MJB]

Morrison has said he may want to return to this continuity at some point and I just hope that it happens in the short term rather than a long range plan...however, if I could make one suggestion?  Next time, let Quietly draw Superman wearing a CAPE or a CLOAK and not my Grandma's shawl all the time.  Thanks.

While I read the first 6 issues I didn't find a problem with the short version of Superman's cape. In fact toward the end I embraced it as another symbol of the All-Star Superman (along with the suit, shield and the dumpy version of Clark Kent).

-MJB