GRAPHIC NOVEL and TRADE PAPERBACK (TPB) REVIEWS

Superman: The Last God of Krypton 1999 (SC GN) 48 pgs.

Written by Walter Simonson. Painted by Greg and Tim Hildebrandt.
Letters: Ken Lopez. Editor: Joey Cavalieri.

Rating: * * (out of 5)

Number of readings: 2

The problem with Superman: The Last God of Krypton can best be summed up in a synopsis: an ancient Krypton goddess, Cythonna, shows up on earth with a bad hate on for all life, and Kryptonians inparticular. Superman fights her. Superman wins. End of synopsis. That's about it. Sure, Superman and Lois do some hand wringing over how potentially unbeatable Cythonna is, Lex Luthor has a bit part, and Cythonna toys with the idea of making Supes the poppa of her children, but in essence that really brief, simplistic scenario describes the story pretty well. There are no significant twists or turns or surprises.

Not a lot to justify 48 pages and $7.95 (CDN.) is it?

The most interesting scene, a jokey "domestic" sequence involving Clark and Lois and a libidinous cub reporter near the beginning, is soured by the subsequent grisly demise of said cub reporter.

The selling point here is the fully painted art by the Brothers Hildebrandt, and that seems to have led Walt Simonson and his editors to conclude they didn't need anything else -- like a great story -- to boost our interest. The painted arrt is neat, but problematic. The Hildebrandts, frankly, are no Alex Ross (of Marvels, Kingdom Come fame). They're pretty good with Lois Lane (though her red hair kind of threw me) and other, normal, figures, but their Superman and Cythonna lean towards cartoony (as the cover shows) and their action scenes aren't the best. So though it's fun to read a Superman story given the painted treatment, they fail to bring the eerie reality to it that Alex Ross can.

The story opens well, but is pretty dull overall, with some flying about and an extended climactic fist fight, but a dearth of true imagination. At one point, reading up on Kryptonese legends about Cythonna, Superman and Lois wonder if the myths are real. In the old, pre-Crisis days, Superman might've just broken the time barrier and found out -- sure, outrageous, even a little silly, but at least it would be off-beat, opening up story elements like maybe Cythonna meeting him in past and present, suggesting all sorts of nifty plot twists. Cythonna herself is painfully one-dimensional, just a mean lady, killing people for no reason, without anything approaching a genuine, interesting character. Superman himself isn't the brightest Bic in the pack, either. Superman stories used to revolve around Supes thinking his way through problems. Here, the extent of Superman's cleverness is an idea that's so obvious, Lois assumes he had been planning it all along...but Superman only thought of it at the last minute. He even needs Luthor to supply him with a Kryptonite bomb.

Ultimately, Superman: The Last God of Krypton seems like a story that should have been presented as a single issue, regular comic, but was expanded to be a vehicle for the Brothers Hildebrandt. It's not awful, and trudges along reasonably, but it's unimaginative and easily forgettable.

Cover price: $7.95 CDN./$4.95 USA

Superman and The Legion of Super-Heroes 2008 (HC & SC TPB) 144 pgs.

Written by Geoff Johns. Pencils by Gary Frank. Inks by Jon Sibal.
Colours: Dave McCaig. Letters: Rob Leigh. Editors: Matt Idelson, Nachie Castro.

Reprinting: Action Comics #858-863 (2007-2008)

Rating: * * * * 1/2 (out of 5)

Number of readings: 1

One could argue the problem with modern comics is not their obsessive, fetishtic continuity, where every story ties into ever other...nor is it that they completely disregard continuity, changing things willy nilly as some new creative team (or editorial regime) comes along. No, the problem is: they kind of need to be one thing or the other.

I mean, in this story arc, why does Perry White chastise Clark Kent for having no friends other than Jimmy? Isn't Perry his friend? Isn't Clark married to Lois Lane?

Which brings us to Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes -- how or why or when or if this relates to DC Comics' continuity...I don't know. I mean, obviously it does. I guess. But it seems to be ignoring a lot of recent mythology and events as it deliberately harkens all the way back to pre-Crisis continuity. That was back when Superman started out as Superboy and he would frequently team up with teen heroes from the 30th Century for time/space spanning adventures. That was all erased by the Crisis on Infinite Earths and the Legion of Super-Heroes had undergone more than one reboot over the years, and even as this story arc was running in Action Comics...there was a monthly Legion comic featuring a somewhat different take on the team.

But if you've long since given up trying to understand DC's incoherent continuity, this can be a lot of fun. Particularly for older readers...like myself.

The story has Superman being contacted by Brainiac 5, one of the Legion of Super Heroes he used to hang out with as a teen but hasn't seen in years (and the flashbacks are deliberately vague as to whether he was supposed to be active as "Superboy" at that time or not). Seems there's trouble in the 30th Century and they need Superman's help. But when Superman arrives in the future, he finds it's worse than he could imagine. Earth has become a xenophobic police state and though Superman hooks up with a few fugitive Legionnaires, Brainiac 5 himself has vanished, and he was the only one with a plan, or knew why he had summoned Superman. Too make matters worse, a team of super powered beings, calling themselves the Justice League, have misappropriated Superman's own legend to their ends, fuelling the xenophobic philosophy by claiming earth's greatest champion (Supes) was an earthmen.

And the resulting six issue arc works a lot better than it really has any right too.

After a strong opening issue, and a great climactic revelation in that issue, the story falters a bit, as the twists and revelations become a bit fewer, with scenes where we, the reader, are told things, then the information gets repeated later as if writer Geoff Johns forgot. There are a few plot holes and logic lapses. And despite the potentially provocative themes of prejudice and persecution, the story never really seems to act as a profound examination of intollerance. The villains we learn early were all rejected applicants for Legion membership...which seems to be their sole motivation. Johns could be intending it as a comment on the trivial roots of prejudice, but it just seems kind of goofy. Further adding to the problem is the villains know they've lied about Superman's origins -- it might've been more effective if they believed in their own propaganda.

There's a certain irony in Johns tackling this theme, as I'd read some on-line reviewers who've criticized other works by Johns as Xenophobic (and I mentioned some qualms in a Hawkman story). In fact, the way the origin caption for Superman describes him as fighting for truth, justice and "the American way" is a curious contradiction in a story that criticizes such parochial jingoism. Another problem I've had with some of Johns' other work is that he seems to have an unhealthy obsession with violence and sadism. When there's a scene revealing one of the villains has a surgical fetish and doesn't use anesthesia -- well, I almost chuckled out loud, thinking, "Geoff, Geoff, Geoff."

In fact, violence is a problem with a lot of modern comics writers (like Johns, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, etc.) who clearly feel a nostalgia for the comics of their childhood...but can't resist upping the violence and brutality. Though not as bad as some stories, there are certainly aspects here that seem inappropriate for both Superman and the Legion both, and rather contradictory. At one point a character specifically states the Legion doesn't kill...even as some of the visuals would seem to suggest the opposite (in one scene freezing two guys into popsicles!)

And of course, the notion that Superman's legend is so much at the core of the turmoil is also awkward. In recent years, there has been a real attempt at DC to almost deify Superman in a way that just seems...creepy (and I suppose it dates back to Elliott S! Maggin). In the original Legion stories we knew Superman was famous in the future, and the Legion had been inspired by him...but after that, it was barely even alluded to. Here, the misuse of his legend can reshape an entire civilization, and the Legionnaires frame their actions by saying: "What would Superman do?" as if referencing a holy scripture -- it makes them seem more like a cult than a team.

Still, if the story arc fails to quite live up to the potential of the deeper themes inherent in the premise, then as a swashbuckling adventure, it works quite well. Johns throws in a lot of running about and cliff hangers with an almost corny glee that's enjoyable. Despite the grim and gritty...there's also a lot of fun and witty quips as if Johns is having a ball and wants us to, as well, dragging out all the old "toys", including the misfit Legion of Substitute Heroes. Super hero stories set in Dystopian futures can often be quite effective and this is no exception.

Above all...it is just fun to see the old Legion back at play. Or at least a reasonable facsimile (after all, these are supposed to be slightly older, slightly jaded versions of them). As much as I was really enjoying Jim Shooter's run on the recent Legion comic, there is a nostalgic rush to seeing the older characterizations (Brainiac 5, though a little arrogant, is more affable) and Johns' choice of characters to focus on -- the Legion having too many members to use them all equally -- maybe reflects a decision to further emphasize the pre-Crisis differences, using characters like Wildfire and Dawnstar who I'm not sure have been used much in recent years.

A big appeal here is the art by Gary Frank. Frank has a detailed, clean, realist style that is a nice contrast to a lot of modern comics artists who go for the more stylized, cartoony, or manga influence. It's ideally suited to this teaming of Superman and the Legion, since both are often identified with Curt Swan who also had a clean, realist style. I could well imagine a different art style negatively impacting on the effectiveness of the story. Frank has a nice eye for composition and story telling -- the second-to-last page of the first chapter is a perfect example. Although there is a harshness to his line work that means his women aren't that always that attractive -- despite his emphasis on cleavage (and maybe his men aren't, either, but that's for another to judge). I'd also quibble with his decision to redesign the Legion's costumes. If this is supposed to be a grand and glorious return of the "classic" Legion, the nostalgic angle would be better evoked by sticking truer to the classic visuals.

I began this review commenting on how comics are a weird battle between continuity and those who constantly want to reinvent things. I mentioned that the themes of prejudice and xenophobia aren't as well explored as they could be. But with a lot of comics, you're never sure if the "issues" are meant to be taken literally...or as a metaphor for the comics themselves. The very notion of a story where Superman finds his legend being misused by those who wish to imagine him as an earthmen could be seen as a jibe at the mid-1980s revamp of Superman where there was a deliberate attempt to shift the nature of Superman from being an alien on earth (as the previous generation of stories had seemed to be) to an American who just happened to have alien DNA.

Anyway, despite my qualms here and there, I really enjoyed this arc. Part of the appeal is that it is an epic arc that's relatively self-contained -- a grand adventure. I say relatively, because there are passing references to a brief appearance from some Legionnaires a few issues earlier and, more glaringly, because a couple of times the characters make references suspecting there's another force manipulating things. But for the most part, you can pick it up, read it cover to cover, and put it down again, satisfied. Yes, Frank's art definitely goes a long way to shoring up the weaknesses in the plot, and it probably helps to have a sneaking affection for the "classic" Legion of Super-Heroes -- but ultimately, pretty enjoyable.

This is a review of the story as it was serialized in the comics.

Cover price: ___

Superman: Red Son 2004 (SC TPB) 166 pages

Written by Mark Millar. Pencils by Dave Johnson, Kilian Plunkett. Inks by Andrew Robinson, Walden Wong.
Colours: Paul Mounts. Letters: Ken Lopez. Editor: Mike McAvennie, Tom Palmer, Jr.

Reprinting: the three issue, prestige format mini-series

Rating: * * * * 1/2 (out of 5)

Number of readings: 1

Additional notes: intro by Tom DeSanto; sketch gallery; covers

DC Comics Elseworlds line of alternate reality stories have seen both major and minor efforts presenting mini-series and one-shots re-interpreting their line of characters in different realities, postulating various divergences from established DCU history. But few seem to have engendered as much controversy as Superman: Red Son.

The premise has Superman coming of age in the 1950s -- having been raised, not in Kansas, USA, but in what was then the Soviet Union. And he's a good communist, to boot.

Those expecting a nitty-gritty examination of Superman raised in the paranoia drenched Soviet Union will be disappointed. This isn't the Superman story as imagined by, say, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Nor is it a serious dissertation on capitalism vs. communism. This is a fantasy, a bigger-than-life spectacle re-imagining the entire world re-shaped by the presence of super beings, with action and intrigue. At its heart, it is a character study. And a rumination on the nature of power.

You see, this Superman isn't much different from the one who appears in the monthly comics. He's still a good-hearted champion...except he's been raised in a state where the use, and abuse, of power is accepted as the norm. In a sense, it posits the question that if Superman is the same, but raised in a different environment, how then does that affect his out-look? This is still a Superman who believes he has an obligation to help people...the question is, how far will he go to provide that help?

It begins in the 1950s, at first focusing on the United States and the reaction as the world learns of this Soviet Super Man. Writer Mark Millar nicely captures some of the likely paranoia of the times as panic spreads and people report seeing flying men all over the place. Then the story shifts to Supes himself. Millar's Soviet Union is, perhaps, a bit too squeaky clean, with even Joseph Stalin seeming almost avuncular rather than a despotic tyrant (but them some have said Stalin could be personable as long as you weren't on his bad side). But, in a sense, that's the point. We are not seeing the Soviet Union from the point of view of the man in the street, but from Superman's more priviledged position as a favourite son of the revolution. In America Supes gains an arch nemesis in Lex Luthor, here a synergy of the pre-Crisis and post-Crisis versions of the character (a scientific genius and a big business man).

The saga spreads over the next few decades as we see a radical re-shaping of global politics. Under Superman's ostensibly benevolent guidance, the U.S.S.R. actually becomes a thriving enterprise, wooing more and more countries to its side, the United States increasingly an isolated, unstable third world nation. How a man with super powers can create a strong economy is never really addressed, which is why you can't take the story as a serious political thriller. The how isn't important, it's what happens from there that's important. Superman sees himself as a benevolent force, ruling through compassion and by heroic example...even as he authorizes behaviour modifying surgery on dissidents. While Lex Luthor is America's greatest hope...even as he is, well, Lex Luthor. At times, Millar can be nicely subtle, portraying a reality where we aren't always sure where right and wrong lie. At one point, a character observes that Luthor might be as much of a demagogue as Superman, to which another replies, "but at least he speaks English". A cutting comment on knee jerk nationalism. There's a particularly effective line when Superman remarks that his system must be working because no one complains...not even in private. It takes a moment or two for the chilling implications of that comment to take effect.

Throughout, the pacing is good, and the dialogue effective (witty at times, heart felt at others) and with Superman not a black hat bad guy, he can retain our sympathy. Albeit, Millar so focuses on the broad canvas ideas that the human drama can sometimes be sidelined, such as Lana Lang, here a Russian peasant, who crops up...but doesn't really affect the story much, or a Soviet security chief whose relationship with Supes never quite rises above being a plot device.

To be honest, it's not like much of this hasn't been tackled before, most notably in Squadron Supreme. And conceptually (not so much socio-politically) there are echoes of JLA: Earth 2.

It's a testament to Millar and company that those comparisons, though noteworthy, don't really detract from Red Son. Because the work is quite strong in its own right, the presentation grandiose. It's a thoughtful examination of serious concepts, while also a fun, larger-than-life fantasy; the heart of the thing is character-based, even as there are plenty of action scenes. It's a strength (and a weakness) of the book that, despite the obvious high-minded intentions, it seems, first and foremost, entertainment.

That can be a mixed bag. Lex Luthor's super-genius borders on goofy which, I think, (I hope) is part of the point. Millar wants this to be a gee whiz super hero adventure, even as it surrounds a core of serious discourse. The "reality" of the story is more meant to be symbolic, to allow the themes to stand untainted by the demands of reality.

Some of the controversy the book has acquired is intentional, as is made clear in the introduction by filmmaker Tom DeSanto and by interviews Mark Millar has given. It's meant as a metaphor, with Superman's U.S.S.R. standing in for George W. Bush's U.S.A., asking: just because a nation has the power to re-shape the world, does it have the right? (Again, we're speaking in theoretical ideals -- the quagmire that is "post"-war Iraq seems to show that it ain't that easy, even for a superpower, to exert its will). Such politicizing may turn off some readers, but they can always pick up JLA: Liberty and Justice instead which seemed, at least metaphorically, as an endorsement of the war on Iraq.

Millar's story, though, encounters some unfortunate bumps. Millar suggests that Supes, being an alien, may be interfering in a world he has no right to be interfering with. Does that mean if Superman was an earthman, everything would be all right? And since Supes is, symbolically, an immigrant, when does he get to be treated as equal to everyone else? I don't think Millar intends his point to have a racist or anti-immigrant theme -- far from it. I think he's just imbibed one too many comics tackling similar themes using similar language. There are also moral qualms raised. If Superman is, essentially, a decent man who, nonetheless finds himself taking on the role of villain...does that mean Lex Luthor, who's actions are clearly villainous, is a hero? In fact, Luthor no more seems to represent democracy, nor the "average" man, than does Superman. The presentation of Luthor as this uber-genius led me to wonder if the twist ending would be that it was just a dream fantasy of Lex's (it isn't). But Millar seems to let the epilogue get away from him a bit, jettisoning his own themes to set up his (admittedly clever) final scene

The art is quite frankly, beautiful. I'd only seen Dave Johnson's art as a cover artist, where I wasn't always impressed with his craggy figures. But here, his work is very good -- dramatic, striking, and intimate when it needs to be. Even more surprising is that the art chores are assumed by another artist, Kilian Plunkett, part way through...and one can barely notice the change, the two styles are so similar and equally striking, with shades of Howard Chaykin, Michael Lark and Gil Kane at times. The colours by Paul Mounts are also most effective, capturing a brooding but vibrant look, without miring the thing in too dark shades that obscure the action. I don't mind admitting that the engrossing art goes a long way to helping gloss over any narrative pot holes.

Because this is an Elseworlds story, there are plenty of nodding references to established Superman mythos...and the DCU in general, with Wonder Woman, Batman, and even a certain green power ring playing a part in the story. That's fun for the regular fan reader, and can provide layers of resonance (like a certain poignancy to the Lois-Superman relationship...or rather, the lack of a Lois-Superman relationship). But it also means that Red Son isn't always going to be an easy fit for casual readers, an audience for which DC's marketers were presumably hoping.

Not quite as penetrating as I expected, nor fully exploiting its idea of Superman in the U.S.S.R., Red Son nonetheless emerges as an engrossing read that, despite covering familiar themes and ideas, might very well deserve taking its place among the better comic book epics of the last decade or so.

Cover price: $27.95 CDN./ $17.95 USA.

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