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revisins's review against another edition
5.0
After 70 years of twisted continuity and an array of revamps, retcons, and retoolings--DC Comics' line of Earth One graphic novels are giving readers new and old clean experiences with some of their enduring characters. Both Batman and Superman had volumes released last year and both sold quite well.
There were more realistic takes on the franchises. The word realistic should not be confused with the grittier take on the characters in their respective movie series.
With Superman: Earth One, Volume 2--DC has put together something that is refreshing in the decompressed comic scripting age we are experiencing--stand alone stories. You need not have read the previous volume to enjoy Vol. 2--there are certainly references to the previous work and your reading experience is aided by having read the previous entry.
The world on display is a more pure DC experience with some concessions made for our real life concerns. Such as, if a super powered alien arrived to "help" humanity and did so with no allegiance to a country--there would be contingency plans put in place to "take care of" the situation. Superman is more like Superman here than in the New 52. It is not the quintessential Superman--that belongs to All Star Superman.
Yet, this book was a fun read, reminding older readers how comic stories used to be paced and structured. When taken on it's own merits--the Earth One series would be and is a great starting point for someone new to the comic genre.
There were more realistic takes on the franchises. The word realistic should not be confused with the grittier take on the characters in their respective movie series.
With Superman: Earth One, Volume 2--DC has put together something that is refreshing in the decompressed comic scripting age we are experiencing--stand alone stories. You need not have read the previous volume to enjoy Vol. 2--there are certainly references to the previous work and your reading experience is aided by having read the previous entry.
The world on display is a more pure DC experience with some concessions made for our real life concerns. Such as, if a super powered alien arrived to "help" humanity and did so with no allegiance to a country--there would be contingency plans put in place to "take care of" the situation. Superman is more like Superman here than in the New 52. It is not the quintessential Superman--that belongs to All Star Superman.
Yet, this book was a fun read, reminding older readers how comic stories used to be paced and structured. When taken on it's own merits--the Earth One series would be and is a great starting point for someone new to the comic genre.
elinesama's review
5.0
the first one was good but it was as usual the story about who superman is and how he got to earth, this one was way way better! the graphics are amazing and the story's really good! :)
unladylike's review against another edition
1.0
So many things to hate about this book, I almost can't even.
I'll just mention a couple details that bugged me aside from the horrible storyline.
1. At the end of Vol. 1 of Earth One, Superman explains that his suit and cape Martha made, with the help of some Metropolis graphic designer ad man for the signature S, is the only thing he can wear, because naturally any other clothes would tear apart when he's flying at speed. Then we see him flying to the moon and around the planet and back in this volume, in various street clothes AND while carrying an abusive random dude that he takes his chivalrous righteous rage out on. None of their clothes disintegrate.
On the other hand...
2. The woman he was rescuing, his neighbor Lisa, whose name is mentioned once, serves throughout the book only as a fantasy sex object/seductress and as a fantasy maternal/wife material nurse aid for Clark. Her whole role throughout the book is one of the more disgusting characterizations I've seen of a woman in a straight-male-gaze-catered superhero comic.
But the rest of the book is just really bad too. Despite my claim to being a completist, I will not be subjecting myself to Vol. 3 of JMS's garbage.
I'll just mention a couple details that bugged me aside from the horrible storyline.
1. At the end of Vol. 1 of Earth One, Superman explains that his suit and cape Martha made, with the help of some Metropolis graphic designer ad man for the signature S, is the only thing he can wear, because naturally any other clothes would tear apart when he's flying at speed. Then we see him flying to the moon and around the planet and back in this volume, in various street clothes AND while carrying an abusive random dude that he takes his chivalrous righteous rage out on. None of their clothes disintegrate.
On the other hand...
2. The woman he was rescuing, his neighbor Lisa, whose name is mentioned once, serves throughout the book only as a fantasy sex object/seductress and as a fantasy maternal/wife material nurse aid for Clark. Her whole role throughout the book is one of the more disgusting characterizations I've seen of a woman in a straight-male-gaze-catered superhero comic.
But the rest of the book is just really bad too. Despite my claim to being a completist, I will not be subjecting myself to Vol. 3 of JMS's garbage.
captwinghead's review against another edition
2.0
This was okay. Just okay.
I've read bland Superman books before so it wasn't quite as bad as it could have been but nothing super appealed to me about it.
While it was interesting reading about Lois trying to discover his secret, it was such a minuscule side plot that I kind of didn't pay much attention to it. I liked the bit with Clark's grade school teacher, though.
The villain was okay. I liked that they gave him a backstory with his sister. It kind of went somewhere in the end so it paid off a bit. I didn't feel sorry for him but it was something.
The bit about Eddie was okay. Very obvious where it was going but having Clark see the room full of the Superman symbol was interesting. I felt for Clark in that scene but there wasn't enough of Eddie for me to care about him.
I actually liked Lisa. She is an interesting character in that I didn't feel like they slut shamed her. I like that Clark didn't look down on her for her side job but I didn't quite get why their romance just seemed to cut off. I could see that going somewhere and I felt like they put the brakes on it. I like their friendship and that it gives Clark someone outside of the usual cast to relate to.
The bit with Pa Kent giving him the sex talk was pretty funny. Not sure it was needed to say "Man of Steel, Woman of Tissue". Yikes.
Clark was okay. His characterization was fine, a little more juvenile than I'm used to but it was something. I liked the story about his cat and seeing pieces of his childhood.
Again with the US gov doesn't know if Clark will turn on then so of course they need a contingency plan to kill him if necessary. There is a very strict, ball busting female general on that task force and she gives off a powerful vibe for 90% of her time here. So of course they needed to take that away by showing her naked at the end of this book. That was incredibly unnecessary and took me out of the ending. Why? It's more offensive when you consider the man she just got out of bed with is draped in a sheet for his modesty.
Thanks. Gotta love male comic book artists.
I've read bland Superman books before so it wasn't quite as bad as it could have been but nothing super appealed to me about it.
While it was interesting reading about Lois trying to discover his secret, it was such a minuscule side plot that I kind of didn't pay much attention to it. I liked the bit with Clark's grade school teacher, though.
The villain was okay. I liked that they gave him a backstory with his sister. It kind of went somewhere in the end so it paid off a bit. I didn't feel sorry for him but it was something.
The bit about Eddie was okay. Very obvious where it was going but having Clark see the room full of the Superman symbol was interesting. I felt for Clark in that scene but there wasn't enough of Eddie for me to care about him.
I actually liked Lisa. She is an interesting character in that I didn't feel like they slut shamed her. I like that Clark didn't look down on her for her side job but I didn't quite get why their romance just seemed to cut off. I could see that going somewhere and I felt like they put the brakes on it. I like their friendship and that it gives Clark someone outside of the usual cast to relate to.
The bit with Pa Kent giving him the sex talk was pretty funny. Not sure it was needed to say "Man of Steel, Woman of Tissue". Yikes.
Clark was okay. His characterization was fine, a little more juvenile than I'm used to but it was something. I liked the story about his cat and seeing pieces of his childhood.
Again with the US gov doesn't know if Clark will turn on then so of course they need a contingency plan to kill him if necessary. There is a very strict, ball busting female general on that task force and she gives off a powerful vibe for 90% of her time here. So of course they needed to take that away by showing her naked at the end of this book. That was incredibly unnecessary and took me out of the ending. Why? It's more offensive when you consider the man she just got out of bed with is draped in a sheet for his modesty.
Thanks. Gotta love male comic book artists.
librarimans's review against another edition
2.0
Nowhere near as good or interesting as the first volume.
tmwebb3's review against another edition
2.0
Maybe Superman just isn't for me? I only care how others play off of Superman, and don't really care about Clark Kent the way that I do about Bruce Wayne or Diana or Wally or John Stewart or Hal Jordan. This wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination, but I only read it to finish it and be done with it.
jaymo007's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. I was intrigued by Volume 1 but this follow up really fell flat for me. The only part I really thought stood out was the story about Fuzzball.