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A review by thekarpuk
Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes by Geoff Johns
5.0
In the last few years I've taken an interest in reading good Superman stories past and present, and Geoff Johns has solidified an idea I've had for a while now:
You can't be cool and write good Superman.
Which in the world of super hero comics is a surprisingly big ask. Comic writers love their clever dialogue, gritty cynicism, and their cheap irony. These things make bad Superman stories unless you're prepared to make him a joke or a fascist, both of which have been played out since the 80's. Seriously, go away with your bad Evil Superman story lines. It's played out.
This is a fitting book to bring this up with, because Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes is literally a story about a future where historical revisionism has erased Superman's true origins, painting him a nationalist figure appropriate for xenophobes. Superman is pulled forward into this world to try and assist in eliminating fascist super heroes.
Because that's what a Superman does. He fights fascists. It's kind of his thing. Most of us our limited in how much good we can do by our amount of energy and our social capital. Superman has endless energy and powers that exist entirely outside of societal influences. That's why it was such a potent fantasy in the era of its creation, and why I think it has just as much value now. Superman does good because it's very clear to him that he's capable of helping. When done right, it's genuinely endearing.
I hadn't really read much Geoff Johns prior to this, but I enjoy his very straightforward approach to storytelling. It's not flashy, it's not riddled with quips, it's just tight storytelling. His style captures the sort of excitement I felt for super hero stories when I was a child without embarrassing dialogue and the dumber tropes.
An excellent read, and its inspired me to hunt down more super hero books by Johns.
You can't be cool and write good Superman.
Which in the world of super hero comics is a surprisingly big ask. Comic writers love their clever dialogue, gritty cynicism, and their cheap irony. These things make bad Superman stories unless you're prepared to make him a joke or a fascist, both of which have been played out since the 80's. Seriously, go away with your bad Evil Superman story lines. It's played out.
This is a fitting book to bring this up with, because Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes is literally a story about a future where historical revisionism has erased Superman's true origins, painting him a nationalist figure appropriate for xenophobes. Superman is pulled forward into this world to try and assist in eliminating fascist super heroes.
Because that's what a Superman does. He fights fascists. It's kind of his thing. Most of us our limited in how much good we can do by our amount of energy and our social capital. Superman has endless energy and powers that exist entirely outside of societal influences. That's why it was such a potent fantasy in the era of its creation, and why I think it has just as much value now. Superman does good because it's very clear to him that he's capable of helping. When done right, it's genuinely endearing.
I hadn't really read much Geoff Johns prior to this, but I enjoy his very straightforward approach to storytelling. It's not flashy, it's not riddled with quips, it's just tight storytelling. His style captures the sort of excitement I felt for super hero stories when I was a child without embarrassing dialogue and the dumber tropes.
An excellent read, and its inspired me to hunt down more super hero books by Johns.