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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
Wow this sometimes was amazing, other times it was a headache to read.
Tomasi is easily one of my favorite DC writers of all time. However, Bizzaro here is freaking annoying. Everything you read has to be opposite, and it makes it annoying to read half of this story if not more. There's some nice moments, mostly with Bizzaroboy and Jon but I didn't love this volume. While I think the first half of Tomasi Superman run is FANTASTIC and Super sons is great, this second half kind of falls off and I can see why we moved on to a new writer/artist.
Saying that it does have some great moments and some amazing art. A 3 out of 5.
Tomasi is easily one of my favorite DC writers of all time. However, Bizzaro here is freaking annoying. Everything you read has to be opposite, and it makes it annoying to read half of this story if not more. There's some nice moments, mostly with Bizzaroboy and Jon but I didn't love this volume. While I think the first half of Tomasi Superman run is FANTASTIC and Super sons is great, this second half kind of falls off and I can see why we moved on to a new writer/artist.
Saying that it does have some great moments and some amazing art. A 3 out of 5.
I’ve never been a huge Bizarro person, he too often feels like an overly silly silver age relic that somehow hung around. I have read a few good stories I’ve liked, the Geoff Johns / Eric Powell one for instance, but I don’t know. It’s just not my thing.
The final wrap up issues were sweet and did tug at the heart strings a bit. I liked the callbacks and wrap ups. I am a big fan of the Kent’s being parents and will always stay that way.
I will say that for years I’ve heard that this Tomasi and Gleason run was an all-timer, but other than the first couple of volumes I think it was steadily good but rarely great, and occasionally dipped into a kind of Andy Griffith hokeyness that surprised me a little. I genuinely enjoy sentimentality most of the time, but there was often a kind of Red State wisdom and stiffness that stuck out a bit to me. I always thought of Lois and Clark as pretty progressive and modern people despite Clark’s upbringing, which I always assumed taught him respect and kindness while not necessarily imparting a kind of nationalistic steak that was peeking beneath the surface in this series. I don’t know. I don’t mean to get so political, but seeing as this book was coming out at the height of the Trump era, I would have expected stories about Clark being more intensely progressive and anti-hate, anti-extremism, whereas this run leaned a bit “we have more in common than you think” and trying to appeal to a more conservative, broad base. A little weird, is all. For what it’s worth, Jurgens’s Action Comics, which has its own issues with occasionally feeling dated, made more of an effort to examine what Superman meant to the world that we live in today. Which is surprising. I don’t expect the Morrison New 52 anticapitalist Superman or anything, just someone who, as a kind of embodiment of the good parts of American values, challenged how the bad parts were being weaponized in that time. Marvel hired Coates to do just that over in the contemporary Captain America.
Anyway. Just a musing thought I had throughout. On the whole, this was a pleasant and warm and fun series. I read it because I like Jon and wanted to get his background. I will always love the conceit that the Kents lived on a farm for a while to replicate a bit of Clark’s childhood. It’s very sweet. I am a little sad to see it go, but excited to finally get to the Bendis era I’ve wanted to read since I missed it back in ‘18. Also Doomsday Clock, for what it’s worth, which I have a feeling might touch on the ideas I mentioned above. We’ll see!
The final wrap up issues were sweet and did tug at the heart strings a bit. I liked the callbacks and wrap ups. I am a big fan of the Kent’s being parents and will always stay that way.
I will say that for years I’ve heard that this Tomasi and Gleason run was an all-timer, but other than the first couple of volumes I think it was steadily good but rarely great, and occasionally dipped into a kind of Andy Griffith hokeyness that surprised me a little. I genuinely enjoy sentimentality most of the time, but there was often a kind of Red State wisdom and stiffness that stuck out a bit to me. I always thought of Lois and Clark as pretty progressive and modern people despite Clark’s upbringing, which I always assumed taught him respect and kindness while not necessarily imparting a kind of nationalistic steak that was peeking beneath the surface in this series. I don’t know. I don’t mean to get so political, but seeing as this book was coming out at the height of the Trump era, I would have expected stories about Clark being more intensely progressive and anti-hate, anti-extremism, whereas this run leaned a bit “we have more in common than you think” and trying to appeal to a more conservative, broad base. A little weird, is all. For what it’s worth, Jurgens’s Action Comics, which has its own issues with occasionally feeling dated, made more of an effort to examine what Superman meant to the world that we live in today. Which is surprising. I don’t expect the Morrison New 52 anticapitalist Superman or anything, just someone who, as a kind of embodiment of the good parts of American values, challenged how the bad parts were being weaponized in that time. Marvel hired Coates to do just that over in the contemporary Captain America.
Anyway. Just a musing thought I had throughout. On the whole, this was a pleasant and warm and fun series. I read it because I like Jon and wanted to get his background. I will always love the conceit that the Kents lived on a farm for a while to replicate a bit of Clark’s childhood. It’s very sweet. I am a little sad to see it go, but excited to finally get to the Bendis era I’ve wanted to read since I missed it back in ‘18. Also Doomsday Clock, for what it’s worth, which I have a feeling might touch on the ideas I mentioned above. We’ll see!
The family scenes are lovely and so very sweet. The ideas behind each issue included in the book are interesting. Unfortunately, the collection is an incoherent mess if you are looking for a cohesive story. The purpose of trade paperback for comics should be to collect a continuous narrative, but this is just a collection of issues without a complete story.
The art is lovely and good reflection of the type of story being told. The Bizzaroverse issues drive me crazy. I hate it because I am already dyslexic. Mirror image concepts give me a headache. I did enjoy bits and pieces of the book, but I don't think I will ever go back for a reread.
The art is lovely and good reflection of the type of story being told. The Bizzaroverse issues drive me crazy. I hate it because I am already dyslexic. Mirror image concepts give me a headache. I did enjoy bits and pieces of the book, but I don't think I will ever go back for a reread.
So there was a comment Clark makes to Jon that is something Martha says in the film 'Man of Steel' almost verbatim.
"We always hope for the best, but never forget--the world doesn't owe you a thing."
My heart sank. I hated that moment in the film. To me it showed that rather than teaching Clark to be a good man it taught him to fear everyone. So I was relieved in this volume when Clark continued.
"It's a hard truth that far too many forget, but the point is that only you can choose who to be when things don't go your way. That's the difference between someone who helps others and someone who helps themselves."
Of course Tomasi and Gleason get it. They've written some of my favourite Superman stories. When people say Superman is boring, I tell them they're missing the point. The best stories are about his humanity, about being a loving husband and father. Or as Clark and Jon put it:
"It's not about our powers... it's about our character."
Initially I didn't like the first half of this book, so it brings my overall rating down. I don't care for the Bizarroverse and its painful way of talking, but it ended on a really heartfelt moment so it gets a pass.
The highlight was the Kents packing up their Hamilton home as it was finally sold. And it was a blatant excuse for Tomasi and Gleason to say goodbye to the readers.
It was touching and sweet, and I'm going to miss them. They've had a handle on these characters from the beginning, so all I can say to those who follow, you've got massive boots to fill.
"We always hope for the best, but never forget--the world doesn't owe you a thing."
My heart sank. I hated that moment in the film. To me it showed that rather than teaching Clark to be a good man it taught him to fear everyone. So I was relieved in this volume when Clark continued.
"It's a hard truth that far too many forget, but the point is that only you can choose who to be when things don't go your way. That's the difference between someone who helps others and someone who helps themselves."
Of course Tomasi and Gleason get it. They've written some of my favourite Superman stories. When people say Superman is boring, I tell them they're missing the point. The best stories are about his humanity, about being a loving husband and father. Or as Clark and Jon put it:
"It's not about our powers... it's about our character."
Initially I didn't like the first half of this book, so it brings my overall rating down. I don't care for the Bizarroverse and its painful way of talking, but it ended on a really heartfelt moment so it gets a pass.
The highlight was the Kents packing up their Hamilton home as it was finally sold. And it was a blatant excuse for Tomasi and Gleason to say goodbye to the readers.
It was touching and sweet, and I'm going to miss them. They've had a handle on these characters from the beginning, so all I can say to those who follow, you've got massive boots to fill.
This is a bit of a mild mannered conclusion to the Rebirth run of Superman. But it's actually typical of most of this run. Tomasi and Gleason have focused on Superman's family life and showing Superman being a good dad, rather than fighting the unstoppable alien of the week. Bizarro is a difficult character to write convincingly, and they basically just put the word "not" in front of every word to indicate Bizarro's mirrorness. The original Bizarro from the 1950s and 60s was mostly just comic relief without much thought about how he would actually work in Superman's world. This Bizarro and his Bizarroverse cast of characters imbue a fair amount of humor, but the attempts at making them sympathetic fall short. The final regular story is a nice meditation on the inevitability of change, as the Kents prepare their house for sale. We get one last look at their friends in Hamilton, with the appropriate sentimentality. The final material from Superman Special #1 puts closure on Superman and Superboy's adventure on Dinosaur Island from early in the Rebirth run, reinforcing Superman's commitment to keeping his promises.
Three issues of reading Bizzaro-speak is exhausting, honestly, which is why this got 3 stars instead of 4. I love all the Kent family stuff, as always - it’s my favorite part of this whole run, frankly, and I’m pretty sure I mention it in every review - and I was glad to see Clark and Jon head back to Dinosaur Island. A fun read, and a nice book to hit my GoodReads goal on.
While I love the Bizarro concepts, the speech pattern drives me crazy.
In the other hand, the last chapter was delightful. Everything this run was all about.
Jon is a beautiful character.
In the other hand, the last chapter was delightful. Everything this run was all about.
Jon is a beautiful character.
Tomasi and Gleason wrap up their run as they spent most of it, focusing on the Kents as a family. Their tack is the right balance of action and sweetness, the art's very good mostly, but the Bizarro arc is too messy and too long to quite work. And Bizarro-speak remains more aggravating than entertaining.
I quite enjoyed this one - mostly because I had to stop and figure out what the characters from Bizzaroverse were saying. It was sort of like having an interactive component to the collection. People will find it annoying but I liked the characters, especially Bizzaro-boy and whatever the counterpart to Robin was called.
Most of the through line to the book is about how the Kents are moving out of Hamilton and selling their place. It gave the book a bittersweet feel - like an ending of an era. And given my general interest in reading comics these days, it was apropos to where I am with DC. After getting through the new-52 and Rebirth over the last year and a half; it's time to bid farewell (for now at least).
A great comics overall which some genuinely touching moments. Just fell off the 5 star range for me as the last story was a little unnecessary. It felt like a filler which could have been left out. I get it in a weekly format but since I read this on a collection basis filler stuff like this bothers me. Plus, I felt like I already watched the exact story on screen with Winter Solider beginning.
Most of the through line to the book is about how the Kents are moving out of Hamilton and selling their place. It gave the book a bittersweet feel - like an ending of an era. And given my general interest in reading comics these days, it was apropos to where I am with DC. After getting through the new-52 and Rebirth over the last year and a half; it's time to bid farewell (for now at least).
A great comics overall which some genuinely touching moments. Just fell off the 5 star range for me as the last story was a little unnecessary. It felt like a filler which could have been left out. I get it in a weekly format but since I read this on a collection basis filler stuff like this bothers me. Plus, I felt like I already watched the exact story on screen with Winter Solider beginning.
