Book Review: The Superman Wars

Almost everyone knows about the man from Krypton who, disguised as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent working with the fearless Lois Lane, fights for the vulnerable and the oppressed. But few know the truth about this indelible character’s creation. From mobster tactics to decades-long courtroom drama, a beloved American myth was born, betrayed, and eventually reclaimed—seventy years later.

New witnesses, unpublished manuscripts, personal letters, and more reveal the complex and dramatic history of Superman and his creator, Jerry Siegel. This is a David and Goliath clash with twists, turns, and devastating upheavals. An underdog tale of a creator who fought for his rights and finally found redemption in his battle for truth, justice, and the American Way. A story that has never been fully told.

Book Review: Superman - The Harvests of Youth

Despite being a superpowered teenager, high school has been pretty normal for Clark Kent; but his idyllic life is wrenched away when the death of a classmate rocks all of Smallville. As he and his friends grieve, the challenges they face become darker, more complex, and deeply insidious. Clark feels completely out of his depth when Smallville’s latest threat proves that it takes more than fists and laser beams to save the day. For the first time in his life, he must grapple with life’s biggest questions, and confront his own mortality (or lack thereof) to become the hero his beloved town needs.

Acclaimed GLAAD media award-winning writer and artist Sina Grace tells the deeply moving and quintessential story of teen Clark Kent and the town that must overcome grief and hate to restore hope.

Superman: The Harvests of Youth will be published on October 3, 2023. DC Comics provided an early galley for review.

Grace's artwork along with the colors by Cris Peter capture that small town, midwestern vibe. They contribute to establishing the setting of Smallville which has always been a critical element to the young Superman mythos. Growing up in the Bronze Age of comics, Superboy's adventures were very much a mainstay of my reading. So, in some respects, this book radiates the feeling of "being home".

Grace has also tapped into the high school vibe quite well. Clark, Pete, Lana, Chloe, Gil and Amy all act and sound like teenagers of the most recent generation. The story is clearly set in recent times, with gaming consoles and cell phones and fancy coffees all part of these teens' lifestyle.

The main story line is a heavy one, showing that even the greatest of powers are of little use in certain situations. The themes are something that will especially resonate with younger readers- those who have grown up in the 21st Century with all the challenges their generations have had to endure. It is very much a story of innocence lost and having to wrestle with the complex issues that come with growing towards adulthood. At one point, Clark and Lana are talking about how Clark's parents advised him to cope with the situation. Clark tells her that his parents never had to deal with this stuff when they were young. This sentiment rang true to me. Yes, in the 80's I had classmates in high school who passed before graduation, but it was mostly due to automobile accidents and the like. We compartmentalized emotions and feelings, instead focusing on moving forward. Maybe that isn't always the right way to deal with situations.

Superman: The Harvests of Youth tells a solid story and will definitely resonate with the right audience.

Book Review: Voices From Krypton

Hailed as possibly the most comprehensive oral history of Superman to be committed to print, Voices From Krypton combines over 85 years of Superman's legacy into a sweeping tale of how the champion of the oppressed became one of the world's most recognizable pop culture icons.

Not only does this epic collection include interviews with Superman favorites like Henry Cavill, Tom Welling, and Zack Snyder, it also dives into the Tim Burton directed Nicholas Cage movie that never happened. You might think you know Superman, but you haven't yet read Voices From Krypton.

Superman Doomsday

Cartoon Network showed the 2007 direct to video animated Superman Doomsday this weekend. I taped it, watched it with my son on Sunday and have to day that I was not very impressed. I am glad I didn't buy this one on DVD sight unseen.

The story tries in about 70 minutes to cover what was done in a year's worth of comic stores back in the early part of the decade - ie. the death and rebirth of Superman. In both tales, the Man of Steel faces an incredible alien fighting machine (a creature called Doomsday) that only knows how to do one thing - kill. And the first part of the film covers this aspect of the tale well enough. Superman fights the creature to his death. The film even then covers, quickly, the aspects of the comic series covered over two months in an arc "Funeral For a Friend". Now, this animated film does not have space for other heroes to cameo, so we only see Metropolis' response to his death. Still works.

But then the film goes off on its own story path. In the comics, four heroes emerge to try to fill the void left by Superman. They are Steel, Superboy, the Cyborg-Superman and the Eradicator. The film has no time for all these extra characters, so it comes up with its own plot.

And that's kind of where the film loses me. I realize they had to do something quick to bring it all back around, but it all felt like two episodes from the old animated series, put together. Ah well.