Scan barcode
ericmppaq's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
clarks_dad's review
4.0
Thank god for J. Michael Straczynski. After the New Krypton debacle, I'd just about given up on the main storyline, but Grounded restores my faith. After spending much time away from Earth trying to get his new planet up and running, Superman returns to a humanity that questions his loyalty, his motives and whether or not they need a super-powered man with a target on his back roaming their cities and coddling their children. To make amends and to ground himself again, Superman takes a walk. But saying Superman takes a walk is like saying Forest Gump went out for a run. Crossing the American heartland, Clark tries to reconnect with the everyday struggles of the average American. His odyssey is as much philosophical as practical and it's in these areas that JMS's writing shines. The reason we love Clark so much is because for the most powerful man in the universe, no task is too small. There is nothing beneath him. Cleaning store rooms, playing basketball with kids in the inner-city, talking a suicidal girl off the edge of a building for twelve hours - it's all as important as saving a galaxy to him.
It's at this point that more practical minds protest, "But you have a responsibility to see the bigger picture!" In fact, Clark's debate with the Grayson Batman is one of the highlights of the unanswerable debate: what makes someone heroic? And more importantly: with finite resources, like time, in Clark's case, what are his priorities. This is no easy question to answer. Saving a galaxy might in the short run save billions of lives. Saving an individual could have the same effect down the road. In the long-run, Superman does the greatest good for the greatest number of people by serving as an inspiration. By taking the time to save a child from an abusive father, he inspires others to do the same and thus affects millions of lives with the acts that are physically the easiest, but morally the most challenging. At every juncture, he must realize that the fate of millions of more lives are at stake, but he chooses anyway, and lives with the consequences. It's an incredibly lonely place to be and JMS captures it all rather perfectly. Too bad in the New 52, this sequence of events never happened.
It's at this point that more practical minds protest, "But you have a responsibility to see the bigger picture!" In fact, Clark's debate with the Grayson Batman is one of the highlights of the unanswerable debate: what makes someone heroic? And more importantly: with finite resources, like time, in Clark's case, what are his priorities. This is no easy question to answer. Saving a galaxy might in the short run save billions of lives. Saving an individual could have the same effect down the road. In the long-run, Superman does the greatest good for the greatest number of people by serving as an inspiration. By taking the time to save a child from an abusive father, he inspires others to do the same and thus affects millions of lives with the acts that are physically the easiest, but morally the most challenging. At every juncture, he must realize that the fate of millions of more lives are at stake, but he chooses anyway, and lives with the consequences. It's an incredibly lonely place to be and JMS captures it all rather perfectly. Too bad in the New 52, this sequence of events never happened.
otter272's review
4.0
I thought this book was great! I had totally forgotten about it and stumbled on it last night when I looking for another book. I had also forgotten that J. Michael had a run on Superman other than his Earth One series. It was fun to see Supes handle problems that more relatable to us earthlings. His encounter with the jumper and his conversation with her was wonderful. I can't wait to read Volume 2 and see where Superman's walkabout takes him.
quartersooner's review against another edition
3.0
Not a bad read, Clark had one or two out of character moments but over all an interesting exploration.
godzillaismycopilot's review against another edition
2.0
Honestly, some of these issues are terrible. The very last issue in this volume has no business being there whatsoever.
felinity's review
3.0
I don't really read graphic novels but my husband said I had to read this one, so remember that I'm more used to reading books with far more words than pictures as you read this review...
The story seemed very bitty. It jumped around a lot, and didn't seem to have much tying things together except for the same pictures of Superman looking at that photo as a sort of chapter break. Batman and The Flash make brief and random appearances but again aren't really tied in.
It's almost like reading a short story anthology but the stories are outlines and the editor hasn't gotten to them yet. And then discovering that half the last story is in the next book.
Discovering that this was Vol I was annoying. I didn't notice it until I looked at the spine (after I finished it, thinking what a weird way to keep the readers hanging) and saw the 1 there. Would've been nice to have that prominently on the displayed part of the cover too.
The story seemed very bitty. It jumped around a lot, and didn't seem to have much tying things together except for the same pictures of Superman looking at that photo as a sort of chapter break. Batman and The Flash make brief and random appearances but again aren't really tied in.
It's almost like reading a short story anthology but the stories are outlines and the editor hasn't gotten to them yet. And then discovering that half the last story is in the next book.
Discovering that this was Vol I was annoying. I didn't notice it until I looked at the spine (after I finished it, thinking what a weird way to keep the readers hanging) and saw the 1 there. Would've been nice to have that prominently on the displayed part of the cover too.
kasscanread's review against another edition
3.0
In the wake of the "War of the Supermen" and the destruction of New Krypton (a story I haven't read) Superman is overcome with depression after losing his home planet for a second time. After a confrontation with a woman who blames his absence from earth for her husband's death (a la the woman who yelled at Tony Stark in that Avengers movie), Superman decides to walk across the United States to reconnect with his adoptive planet.
I enjoyed the ways this story attempted to reconnect Superman with his roots, helping people with everyday problems (saving the cat, Blake Snyder would say). As Superman Forrest Gumps 'cross America, he saves children from abuse, warns the elderly of their irregular heart beats, and solves poverty in Detroit. Just the small stuff. Of course, there are bigger issues and supervillains, but they stick to the sidelines. It was refreshing to see Superman placed in situations that haven't been his character's focus for many decades.
Superman's cross-country stroll of course causes all sorts of issues, and some interesting introspection on his role on earth and such. What was less well-handled was Lois Lane's introspection about how she got her rise to fame by interviewing Supes. Outright calling herself a "bad feminist" for gaining fame from holding a microphone to a man's face, it came across as on-the-nose and sloppily written. These scenes had that bad "men writing women" feel to them and could have been handled with more grace perhaps by a female writer who has had personal experience with this, or at least by a man who had enough understanding of feminism to give Lois's thoughts more gravity.
What also lowered my enjoyment of this comic was how dated it felt. This story was only written about 10 years ago but it has that painful 2000's/2010's "damn millenials" energy, especially from Perry White. Calling blogs "blobs", confusion about online newspapers, etc. etc. It was hard to read, "eurgh I'm an old man and I hate technology" humor. But it's a nitpick.
Overall, a refreshing, cute story about Superman rediscovering his love for Earth. It covered a lot of what I love about this character and I look forward to checking out Volume 2.
I enjoyed the ways this story attempted to reconnect Superman with his roots, helping people with everyday problems (saving the cat, Blake Snyder would say). As Superman Forrest Gumps 'cross America, he saves children from abuse, warns the elderly of their irregular heart beats, and solves poverty in Detroit. Just the small stuff. Of course, there are bigger issues and supervillains, but they stick to the sidelines. It was refreshing to see Superman placed in situations that haven't been his character's focus for many decades.
Superman's cross-country stroll of course causes all sorts of issues, and some interesting introspection on his role on earth and such. What was less well-handled was Lois Lane's introspection about how she got her rise to fame by interviewing Supes. Outright calling herself a "bad feminist" for gaining fame from holding a microphone to a man's face, it came across as on-the-nose and sloppily written. These scenes had that bad "men writing women" feel to them and could have been handled with more grace perhaps by a female writer who has had personal experience with this, or at least by a man who had enough understanding of feminism to give Lois's thoughts more gravity.
What also lowered my enjoyment of this comic was how dated it felt. This story was only written about 10 years ago but it has that painful 2000's/2010's "damn millenials" energy, especially from Perry White. Calling blogs "blobs", confusion about online newspapers, etc. etc. It was hard to read, "eurgh I'm an old man and I hate technology" humor. But it's a nitpick.
Overall, a refreshing, cute story about Superman rediscovering his love for Earth. It covered a lot of what I love about this character and I look forward to checking out Volume 2.
a_pilgrim's review against another edition
4.0
[Superman in contemplation, ©DC Comics]
The story about the weight and responsibility that comes with being a superhero.
[Jonathan Kent, ©DC Comics]
"Anything that stays in the same soil too long withers and eventually dies.
I think people are the same way. If we stay too long in the same soil, we start to dry up inside.
Soon, there's nothing left but the shell, and after a while, even that goes.
If we do the same things, in the same way over and over, in time, we fall asleep in our lives.
Until something happens to wake us up." ~ Jonathan Kent.
Baby Kal-el came in a rocket to Earth from the destroyed Planet Krypton. He is named Clark Kent, adopted and raised in Smallville, Kansas by Martha and Jonathan Kent. Now, an adult Clark Kent decides to walk across the United States as SUPERMAN, to find purpose and the real meaning of truth and justice!
Superman starts his walk in Philadelphia. On the way, he keeps randomly helping people, listening to their woes and making a difference – one individual at a time.
There's one impactful and brilliant incident in which a young woman is about to end her life, and Superman talks with her truly listening to everything she is saying and patiently waits for hours until she herself willing decides to be saved. Superman displays amazing levels of empathy, patience and understanding [imagine doing this, with all the powers you have!].
[The human in the Superman, ©DC Comics]
Here is a Superman graphic novel that displays the super-humanness and compassion that's within the Man of Steel.
"It showed me that perhaps there are some dreams best left unrealized."