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A review by michaelclorah
Superman: The City of Tomorrow Vol. 1 by Jeph Loeb
3.0
Years and years ago, I had a complete run of Superman comics from 1986 up through June 2000 (8 or 9 months into the Loeb/Kelly tenure). After 14 years of Superman comics, I was dissatisfied with the Loeb/Kelly creative direction and quit the books. When I saw this collection, I got to wondering - Were the books REALLY that bad? Was I just turned off by the change of creative voices, maybe a bit complacent in my acceptance of the previous creatives? So I borrowed this book from the library, and ... well, it's not as bad I remember, but it's not particularly good either. I think quitting the books was justified.
I'll say this: Loeb's issues are somewhat better than I recall. His "Lois Lane" voice doesn't work for me. At all. I mean, I hate his Lois Lane voice and his attempts to make her "flawed" and add some hackneyed tension to the Super-marriage. But his plots are solid (except that absurd confrontation with the Imperiex probe) and he's blessed with some very good artists. The high point of this run of Superman was clearly (I thought it then, I believe it now) Mark Schultz and Doug Manhke's Superman: The Man of Steel issues. Schultz's hard scifi angle and his use of John Henry and Natasha Irons gives the book a clear identity apart from the others, and he writes sharp plots and strong characters. And Manhke's born to draw Superman. The Immonen/Millar team delivers lifeless if tolerable chapters, with a mixed bag of artists attached (although it was a real treat to again see Stuart drawing Superman!). Those Joe Kelly issues though - poor artwork, and scripts that try so transparently to be hip and funny, but just don't work. I'll admit - humor is highly subjective and I'm sure many others feel differently, but this is my review.
In short, Schultz/Manhke are amazing. Loeb/etc. are okay. Immonen/Millar/etc. are bland, and Kelly/etc. are tiresome. And that's not a good enough hit-to-miss ratio to justify my dollars.
I'll say this: Loeb's issues are somewhat better than I recall. His "Lois Lane" voice doesn't work for me. At all. I mean, I hate his Lois Lane voice and his attempts to make her "flawed" and add some hackneyed tension to the Super-marriage. But his plots are solid (except that absurd confrontation with the Imperiex probe) and he's blessed with some very good artists. The high point of this run of Superman was clearly (I thought it then, I believe it now) Mark Schultz and Doug Manhke's Superman: The Man of Steel issues. Schultz's hard scifi angle and his use of John Henry and Natasha Irons gives the book a clear identity apart from the others, and he writes sharp plots and strong characters. And Manhke's born to draw Superman. The Immonen/Millar team delivers lifeless if tolerable chapters, with a mixed bag of artists attached (although it was a real treat to again see Stuart drawing Superman!). Those Joe Kelly issues though - poor artwork, and scripts that try so transparently to be hip and funny, but just don't work. I'll admit - humor is highly subjective and I'm sure many others feel differently, but this is my review.
In short, Schultz/Manhke are amazing. Loeb/etc. are okay. Immonen/Millar/etc. are bland, and Kelly/etc. are tiresome. And that's not a good enough hit-to-miss ratio to justify my dollars.