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A review by lanternatomika
All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison
4.0
All-Star Superman is pretty dang good. I mean, you probably already knew that. This book has been around for a long time, and it's been hailed as one of the best Superman comics out there for ages. Considering how long Superman has been around, that's no mean feat!
We begin with Superman doing his thing and rescuing a manned mission to the Sun. In the process, he absorbs so much solar radiation that it causes his cells to start bursting. He's handed a death sentence, and given just a year to live.
That sounds like a recipe for a propulsive race against the clock to save Clark's life, but that's not how All-Star plays out. While there are researchers working on a possible cure for Kal El's problem, there's kind of an understanding that they're not gonna succeed. This isn't some maudlin story of how Superman just can't let life go or whatever, though. While there are a few tearjerker scenes here and there, you mostly see Superman spending the last year of his life doing stuff that matters to him.
It's honestly easy to forget the stakes of the story at times, because there are no stakes. There's no undoing the solar radiation poisoning, meaning there's no narrative tension in that plot point. You might as well go on a superpowered date with Lois, try to get an interview out of Lex Luthor, and complete '12 labors' that will leave the world in a better place. Knowing this book will probably end in Superman's death, the most striking thing about it is how fun it is! Try not to fall in love with Clark or his friends as you read this.
If there is a theme to the adventures of Superman in this book, it's that you should never give up on problems or goals in your life, because there's always a way to make them happen. Unless you're dying of solar radiation poisoning, of course, in which case, you'd better make the most of the time you have left. It's a weird contradiction that had me raising my eyebrow, but it's not a dealbreaker by any stretch.
Frank Quitely's artwork is a huge part of the reason why this story works so well. He does a great job of showing us Superman's world, a fundamentally optimistic place even when the situation is actually kinda dire. I found some of his panel's to be lacking in detail, but for the most part, he's the perfect match for the story Grant is telling.
I do wanna ask colorist Jamie Grant why he gave almost everyone the same skin tone, though. Looks a bit weird, tbh.
I will point out that this book might be a little overhyped. This might be the best Superman comic, but as far as the wider world of comics goes, it isn't even Grant Morrison's best work, IMO. I was kinda expecting this book to blow my mind on some level, and I didn't really get that. It's a cute story, but I think I was expecting it to be a little more ambitious, either narratively or emotionally.
Outside of its outsized reputation, though, I heartily recommend everyone read All-Star Superman. After Zack Snyder's bizarre take on the character, I think we can all use a reminder of what a good Superman story is supposed to look like.
We begin with Superman doing his thing and rescuing a manned mission to the Sun. In the process, he absorbs so much solar radiation that it causes his cells to start bursting. He's handed a death sentence, and given just a year to live.
That sounds like a recipe for a propulsive race against the clock to save Clark's life, but that's not how All-Star plays out. While there are researchers working on a possible cure for Kal El's problem, there's kind of an understanding that they're not gonna succeed. This isn't some maudlin story of how Superman just can't let life go or whatever, though. While there are a few tearjerker scenes here and there, you mostly see Superman spending the last year of his life doing stuff that matters to him.
It's honestly easy to forget the stakes of the story at times, because there are no stakes. There's no undoing the solar radiation poisoning, meaning there's no narrative tension in that plot point. You might as well go on a superpowered date with Lois, try to get an interview out of Lex Luthor, and complete '12 labors' that will leave the world in a better place. Knowing this book will probably end in Superman's death, the most striking thing about it is how fun it is! Try not to fall in love with Clark or his friends as you read this.
If there is a theme to the adventures of Superman in this book, it's that you should never give up on problems or goals in your life, because there's always a way to make them happen. Unless you're dying of solar radiation poisoning, of course, in which case, you'd better make the most of the time you have left. It's a weird contradiction that had me raising my eyebrow, but it's not a dealbreaker by any stretch.
Frank Quitely's artwork is a huge part of the reason why this story works so well. He does a great job of showing us Superman's world, a fundamentally optimistic place even when the situation is actually kinda dire. I found some of his panel's to be lacking in detail, but for the most part, he's the perfect match for the story Grant is telling.
I do wanna ask colorist Jamie Grant why he gave almost everyone the same skin tone, though. Looks a bit weird, tbh.
I will point out that this book might be a little overhyped. This might be the best Superman comic, but as far as the wider world of comics goes, it isn't even Grant Morrison's best work, IMO. I was kinda expecting this book to blow my mind on some level, and I didn't really get that. It's a cute story, but I think I was expecting it to be a little more ambitious, either narratively or emotionally.
Outside of its outsized reputation, though, I heartily recommend everyone read All-Star Superman. After Zack Snyder's bizarre take on the character, I think we can all use a reminder of what a good Superman story is supposed to look like.