ambarbaq 's review for:

All-Star Superman: DC Compact Comics Edition by Grant Morrison

3.5

adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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This comic had been sitting on my shelf for a while now, but with all the hype for the new Superman movie coming out next week, I decided to finally read through it, and I am glad I did. All-Star Superman is good. 

Superman has never been a character I have been much interested in before. I’ve always liked him, I didn’t really find him boring like some other people, always loved his portrayal in the Justice League cartoon when I was a kid. I’ve always been a Batman guy though. Something about Batman’s stories and gravitas as a character is special to me, and Superman always felt like the opposite. I was wrong though. Yes, Superman is not dark and brooding, but there is a darkness that lies within his character. An unwavering and invincible hero that carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, and feels that responsibility. All-Star Superman brings that pathos to the forefront. The premise of the entire run is that Superman is dying, and there’s no way to reverse it, his body is breaking down and he has to set his affairs in order to leave Earth as prepared for his absence as possible. So there’s this tension and sadness throughout the entire story, however it still manages to be incredibly uplifting and hopeful. Superman never shows himself to be scared or sad about his future demise, he doesn’t wallow in self pity, he can’t allow himself to do so, he embraces his fate head on. Superman is the ultimate selfless hero, and he has always been since his introduction almost a century ago, he doesn’t care for himself or his wellbeing, he only cares about Earth, and he is such a loving figure in that regard in this book. It is hard to explain, or maybe words come harder to me, but this entire story feels like a parent saying a final goodbye to their kid. Superman has the powers of a god, but doesn’t act like a tyrannical despot, he’s a loving figure. That’s always what I’ve found so interesting about his character. Yes he punches really hard, but he’d rather not, he’d rather reform people and help them better themselves. This book also touches upon that, he goes through twelve Herculean labors in this story, but he rarely resorts to violence to fix them even when that could have worked. He’s thoughtful, patient, and frankly smarter than I expected. I loved this depiction of Superman and if the movie James Gunn movie comes even a little close I’ll be happy with it. 

My only gripe with this comic is the art style. I think I’m just not a fan of that mid 00s comic book art. Something about the way they light or render skin, looks too airbrushed or something I don’t know.