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A review by ravenousbibliophile
Absolute All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison
4.0
Blurb: A powerful, pulsating pulsar, for DC's premier paragon of perfection.
I've never been fond of Superman. I often found his character pretentious, and he invoked in me the same sense of anger and annoyance that one feels towards the teacher's pet in school. Nevertheless, All-Star Superman is a story that I enjoyed reading. It was refreshing to see a side of Superman which although annoyingly perfect, was also surprisingly humane. The Labors of Hercules motif provided just the right setting to give the Son of Krypton a fitting send-off.
The entire story was centered around Superman's preferred phrase, "There's always a way." And Superman found a way every time. Be it answering the unanswerable question or deciding what to do with his pet Sun-Eater, he always found a way to put things right. What struck me most is that Grant Morrison took care to weave Superman through all the strands that have stayed with avid-readers over the years. The story is one that can be enjoyed by both newcomers and veterans of Superman Comics. The veteran readers however will have a bit more fun with all the foreshadowing regarding the Superman Squad and Solaris, but casual readers will have plenty to keep them entertained.
In the end, All-Star Superman deserves the title of All-Time Great in terms of a Superman story. It strips the character down to his bare essentials and reminds everyone why they fell in love with him in the first place. Superman was meant to be the ideal everyone aspired to, and this story is just that. It's ideal.
I've never been fond of Superman. I often found his character pretentious, and he invoked in me the same sense of anger and annoyance that one feels towards the teacher's pet in school. Nevertheless, All-Star Superman is a story that I enjoyed reading. It was refreshing to see a side of Superman which although annoyingly perfect, was also surprisingly humane. The Labors of Hercules motif provided just the right setting to give the Son of Krypton a fitting send-off.
The entire story was centered around Superman's preferred phrase, "There's always a way." And Superman found a way every time. Be it answering the unanswerable question or deciding what to do with his pet Sun-Eater, he always found a way to put things right. What struck me most is that Grant Morrison took care to weave Superman through all the strands that have stayed with avid-readers over the years. The story is one that can be enjoyed by both newcomers and veterans of Superman Comics. The veteran readers however will have a bit more fun with all the foreshadowing regarding the Superman Squad and Solaris, but casual readers will have plenty to keep them entertained.
In the end, All-Star Superman deserves the title of All-Time Great in terms of a Superman story. It strips the character down to his bare essentials and reminds everyone why they fell in love with him in the first place. Superman was meant to be the ideal everyone aspired to, and this story is just that. It's ideal.