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hisabelbide's review
5.0
Superman has yet to have a good live-action screen adaptation. That the majority of this collection does not contain a generic set of Vs. Stories, that Superman's greatest are often much more introspective than that, points to why.
He does 'Fight' Lex Luthor and Manchester Black here, but in both cases the setup is bait, both times the villians surprising us with introspection or a thematic twist on the rationalization of violence. "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?" alone earns this collection 5 stars.
But throughout there's plenty to play with, a story where Superman discovers he is going to die has him prioritize cosmic storms approaching man from across the universe, renovations to agriculture tech, sustainability - again throughout these collected issues we see these concerns more often than a Brainiac or Bizarro brawl, a reminder that Superman soars above all that.
He does 'Fight' Lex Luthor and Manchester Black here, but in both cases the setup is bait, both times the villians surprising us with introspection or a thematic twist on the rationalization of violence. "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?" alone earns this collection 5 stars.
But throughout there's plenty to play with, a story where Superman discovers he is going to die has him prioritize cosmic storms approaching man from across the universe, renovations to agriculture tech, sustainability - again throughout these collected issues we see these concerns more often than a Brainiac or Bizarro brawl, a reminder that Superman soars above all that.
the_graylien's review
3.0
This one is another step along my personal journey to discovering what everyone says are the best Superman stories ever done. I had pooled resources and a few of the stories on everyone's lists appeared in this book, so I picked it up.
While I'm not anywhere near the encyclopedic knowledge I wish to have of Superman and his adventures, I've read a good many Superman stories... and I'm sad to say that this book does not have many of what I myself consider the greatest.
I mean, this book is a great way to see how far The Man of Steel has come over the years, but I was only really wowed by one story in the book. That story was the last and most recent entry, "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?" The story focused on whether Superman and his moral compass were outdated in the harsh world we now live in. It was fantastic and should I ever get around to making MY short list of greatest Superman stories, it would more than likely be on it.
Bottom line: If you've got the yearning to become a guru of Superman stories or you want to see how Supes has evolved over the years, pick this up, but there are, for the most part, way better Superman volumes out there.
While I'm not anywhere near the encyclopedic knowledge I wish to have of Superman and his adventures, I've read a good many Superman stories... and I'm sad to say that this book does not have many of what I myself consider the greatest.
I mean, this book is a great way to see how far The Man of Steel has come over the years, but I was only really wowed by one story in the book. That story was the last and most recent entry, "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?" The story focused on whether Superman and his moral compass were outdated in the harsh world we now live in. It was fantastic and should I ever get around to making MY short list of greatest Superman stories, it would more than likely be on it.
Bottom line: If you've got the yearning to become a guru of Superman stories or you want to see how Supes has evolved over the years, pick this up, but there are, for the most part, way better Superman volumes out there.
bookmage's review
4.0
Since I've mostly bee inundated with Batman, Superman seemed kinda boring, but the early comics were hilarious, and the later ones were really interesting. It was a good overview since I had never read a Superman comic before. And I learned lots of stuff!
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