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jrug's review against another edition
4.0
I was intrigued to learn some of the ways in which Superman has changed over the years, and the piecemeal nature of our pop-culture conception of him. Unfortunately, Weldon's dazzling acerbity comes through only rarely, although the book is worth buying just for the line, "This was - one hesitates to use the word achieved", and its accompanying context. Seriously.
djotaku's review against another edition
4.0
I already knew almost all of this; well, the outline, anyway. I've been reading comics on and off for three decades and ever since discovering sites like Comic Vine and reading Grant Morrison's Supergods, it's been easy to learn about plots and trends that took place when I wasn't reading. (Or even before I was born) In fact, it's almost requesite when reading Grant Morrison's comic work if you want to understand all the references. And for the way that I and my infrequent collaborators on www.comicpow.com write, it's important to understand the history of the characters or writers. But what Waldon provides is a great sense of context for all the trends in Superman's history. He provides a through-line that shows how the trends that have buffeted Superman have swung pendulously. He also emphasizes the true essence of Superman and that any deviations from that essence are when changes go too far and end up rejected for they leave us with a hero that is Superman in name only.
My personal history with comics was definitely more in the Marvel pool. When I first started while in Elementary school, Marvel was just more appealing to me. I had seen reruns of the old Fleisher Superman cartoons and I was an avid fan of Paul Dini and Bruce Timm's Batman: The Animate Series. But I didn't get into DC comics until just before the New 52 via Gotham City Sirens and Scott Snyder's Detectic Comics run. (During this time I also discovered and became a HUGE fan of Image Comics via Saga, Chew, and others) Then it was New52 which eventually grew stale with me. (I will credit Dr Chrisy Blanch's MOOC with introducing me to the original Seigel and Schuster conception of Superman and contrasting it with Mark Waid's Birthright origin story) So Waldon's book definitely provided me with lots of details I wasn't familiar with and really made me appreciate the persistence of the hero often derided as the Blue Boyscout.
Whether, like me, you're a comic fan or you just know Superman via his presence in American (and, probably, world) culture - Waldon's decade-by-decade history of Superman will provide you with insights into why he has survived so long.
PS Thanks to my younger brother, Daniel, for gifting me this book for my birthday a couple year ago.
My personal history with comics was definitely more in the Marvel pool. When I first started while in Elementary school, Marvel was just more appealing to me. I had seen reruns of the old Fleisher Superman cartoons and I was an avid fan of Paul Dini and Bruce Timm's Batman: The Animate Series. But I didn't get into DC comics until just before the New 52 via Gotham City Sirens and Scott Snyder's Detectic Comics run. (During this time I also discovered and became a HUGE fan of Image Comics via Saga, Chew, and others) Then it was New52 which eventually grew stale with me. (I will credit Dr Chrisy Blanch's MOOC with introducing me to the original Seigel and Schuster conception of Superman and contrasting it with Mark Waid's Birthright origin story) So Waldon's book definitely provided me with lots of details I wasn't familiar with and really made me appreciate the persistence of the hero often derided as the Blue Boyscout.
Whether, like me, you're a comic fan or you just know Superman via his presence in American (and, probably, world) culture - Waldon's decade-by-decade history of Superman will provide you with insights into why he has survived so long.
PS Thanks to my younger brother, Daniel, for gifting me this book for my birthday a couple year ago.
dennisjacobrosenfeld's review against another edition
3.0
A perfectly fine introduction for the uninitiated. Merely scratches the surface though. Would have loved for more in-depth analysis to have been included.
thephantomfred's review against another edition
4.0
I come to Superman as mostly a casual fan. I love the Donner films and the Bruce Timm animated series from the 90s, but my direct knowledge stops there. That did not stop me from poring over every detail in this book.
Glen Weldon's book sets out to tell Superman's story from beginning to end, identifying what has changed and (more importantly) what has remained constant. I would say that he succeeds. More importantly he compiles a very compelling story, one which any level of fan can approach and adore. I recommend S:TUB to any fans of comics, superheroes, storytelling, serial fiction, icons, myths, whimsy, absurdism, American art, or popular culture.
At 75, Superman is a vast cultural icon, and his appeal extends far beyond the panels of Action Comics. However, Weldon's book never neglects to locate the character's essence in his comic book incarnation, no matter the decade. Weldon's greatest strength as a writer (biographer?) is his desire to celebrate the silliness of comics alongside the ponderous mythmaking. He delights in poking fun at the wackadoo sci-fi of the Silver Age and the roided-out nonsense of much of 90s comics. The occasional biting remark was a welcome reminder that comic books are never a tonally consistent medium, and that mix of the absurd and portentous is often what makes the superhero comic so wonderful.
The book is not without some difficult passages. Particularly in the 50s and 60s I felt awash in names, dates and apes. But overall, this is a fascinating and lively document that should inspire us all to seek out more Superman. I am even oddly compelled to watch Superman III & IV.
Glen Weldon's book sets out to tell Superman's story from beginning to end, identifying what has changed and (more importantly) what has remained constant. I would say that he succeeds. More importantly he compiles a very compelling story, one which any level of fan can approach and adore. I recommend S:TUB to any fans of comics, superheroes, storytelling, serial fiction, icons, myths, whimsy, absurdism, American art, or popular culture.
At 75, Superman is a vast cultural icon, and his appeal extends far beyond the panels of Action Comics. However, Weldon's book never neglects to locate the character's essence in his comic book incarnation, no matter the decade. Weldon's greatest strength as a writer (biographer?) is his desire to celebrate the silliness of comics alongside the ponderous mythmaking. He delights in poking fun at the wackadoo sci-fi of the Silver Age and the roided-out nonsense of much of 90s comics. The occasional biting remark was a welcome reminder that comic books are never a tonally consistent medium, and that mix of the absurd and portentous is often what makes the superhero comic so wonderful.
The book is not without some difficult passages. Particularly in the 50s and 60s I felt awash in names, dates and apes. But overall, this is a fascinating and lively document that should inspire us all to seek out more Superman. I am even oddly compelled to watch Superman III & IV.
ajthudson's review against another edition
3.0
Like many other reviewers, I came to [b:Superman: The Unauthorized Biography|16116967|Superman The Unauthorized Biography|Glen Weldon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356462153l/16116967._SX50_.jpg|21934818] as a fan of author Glen Weldon from NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. I also previously read and enjoyed his Batman history, [b:The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture|27276413|The Caped Crusade Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture|Glen Weldon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1458692562l/27276413._SY75_.jpg|47328268]. Though not a comics reader, and only possessing a marginal interest in Superman at all, I fully expected to coast along on Weldon's particular brand of charmingly self-aware pedantry and his unmistakable, indefatigable love for his subject.
To some extent, I did. But the cultural observation and thematic dissection that forms the spine of his Batman book is significantly dialed down here. Also underrepresented are Weldon's insightful and opinionated takes on specific hot-button comics issues, stories, and adaptations. The exhaustively detailed chronicle of Superman's continuing adventures that we're left with is impressive in its thoroughness (and, mercifully, still written in Weldon's signature voice), but there's much less here to engage an audience outside the Superman comics' readership. It's a bit of a slog.
I listened to the audiobook, read by George Newbern, which is a perfectly acceptable thing to put in your ears when you're all caught up on podcasts.
Two and a half stars, rounded up to three out of affection for the author, and out of respect for how many times the narrator manages to pronounce "Mxyzptlk."
To some extent, I did. But the cultural observation and thematic dissection that forms the spine of his Batman book is significantly dialed down here. Also underrepresented are Weldon's insightful and opinionated takes on specific hot-button comics issues, stories, and adaptations. The exhaustively detailed chronicle of Superman's continuing adventures that we're left with is impressive in its thoroughness (and, mercifully, still written in Weldon's signature voice), but there's much less here to engage an audience outside the Superman comics' readership. It's a bit of a slog.
I listened to the audiobook, read by George Newbern, which is a perfectly acceptable thing to put in your ears when you're all caught up on podcasts.
Two and a half stars, rounded up to three out of affection for the author, and out of respect for how many times the narrator manages to pronounce "Mxyzptlk."
kabridge's review against another edition
4.0
I won a copy of this book from the publisher recently. but it has been on my radar for a while. I have never been a comics reader but am always interested in the intersection between pop culture and society. In this book, Weldon does a great job of demonstrating how even an iconic character is changed by the world at large. While sometimes repetitive with information, he manages to write a compelling book about the Man of Steel and his many iterations. Even for someone who is only marginally familiar with the deeper Superman cannon this is an enjoyable and informative read.
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