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A review by callidice
Superman: Last Son Of Krypton by Elliot S! Maggin
3.0
I'll be honest, on my superhero grading scale, Superman doesn't really fall anywhere near the top (my top 3 being: the X-Men, Spider-Man, & Batman). Sure, I absolutely love the show Smallville, and I even enjoy watching Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, but I have never cracked open a Superman comic book, and I don't really care for him in most of his other forms (be it cartoon, movie, etc.).
Nonetheless, I found an old copy of this book and decided to give it a shot, as I've been re-watching Smallville and was kinda feelin' it. One thing to note about this book is that it was first published in 1978, so of course it's rather dated (which I don't mind, as every decade has its own good books and bad books). In fact, it was actually pretty fun to read something from the late 70s, because I got to picture clothing and technology in a vastly different way than I normally do while reading.
Anywho, despite going into this book not knowing whether or not I would like Maggin's novel version of Superman, I soon found myself enjoying it. Maggin really captured the feel of the Silver Age of Comic Books through his writing, and though I have yet to read a Superman comic, this book made me feel as though I was reading one. Even the storyline felt very comic-y: it involved Jor-El sending off a baby Superman into the care of an earthling named Albert Einstein, who put him in the care of a really nice couple (John & Martha Kent); it also described an adult Superman having to work together with nemesis Lex Luthor in order to thwart an evil plan by an alien enemy.
What I really enjoyed reading in this book was the relationship between Superman and Lex Luthor. Maggin juxtaposed flashbacks of their boyhood friendship with scenes of their current rivalry, which really painted a picture of the complicated relationship that they have. If there is one thing about the Superman franchise that I love, it's the relationship between Lex and Clark (one of the reasons why I love Smallville so much). Maggin really made Lex so friggin' awesome - in this story he was less poised billionaire player, and more spastic-oddball science geek (love!).
Lex was the best part of this novel, and really made me laugh out loud. I may have found the storyline to be a bit on the dorky side (Albert Einstein and aliens? Really?), but his character made it all worth it. I don't think I'd read it again, though. 3.5 Stars
Nonetheless, I found an old copy of this book and decided to give it a shot, as I've been re-watching Smallville and was kinda feelin' it. One thing to note about this book is that it was first published in 1978, so of course it's rather dated (which I don't mind, as every decade has its own good books and bad books). In fact, it was actually pretty fun to read something from the late 70s, because I got to picture clothing and technology in a vastly different way than I normally do while reading.
Anywho, despite going into this book not knowing whether or not I would like Maggin's novel version of Superman, I soon found myself enjoying it. Maggin really captured the feel of the Silver Age of Comic Books through his writing, and though I have yet to read a Superman comic, this book made me feel as though I was reading one. Even the storyline felt very comic-y: it involved Jor-El sending off a baby Superman into the care of an earthling named Albert Einstein, who put him in the care of a really nice couple (John & Martha Kent); it also described an adult Superman having to work together with nemesis Lex Luthor in order to thwart an evil plan by an alien enemy.
What I really enjoyed reading in this book was the relationship between Superman and Lex Luthor. Maggin juxtaposed flashbacks of their boyhood friendship with scenes of their current rivalry, which really painted a picture of the complicated relationship that they have. If there is one thing about the Superman franchise that I love, it's the relationship between Lex and Clark (one of the reasons why I love Smallville so much). Maggin really made Lex so friggin' awesome - in this story he was less poised billionaire player, and more spastic-oddball science geek (love!).
Lex was the best part of this novel, and really made me laugh out loud. I may have found the storyline to be a bit on the dorky side (Albert Einstein and aliens? Really?), but his character made it all worth it. I don't think I'd read it again, though. 3.5 Stars