All Star Superman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
All Star Superman

All-Star Superman #1 cover, by Frank Quitely
Publisher DC Comics
Schedule Bimonthly
Format Mini Series
Publication date November 2005
Number of issues 12
Main character(s) Superman
Lex Luthor
Lois Lane
Creative team
Creator(s) Grant Morrison
Frank Quitely
Jamie Grant
This box: view • talk • edit

All Star Superman is a critically-acclaimed, ongoing American comic book series featuring Superman that premiered in November 2005. The first issues were written by Grant Morrison, drawn by Frank Quitely, digitally inked by Jamie Grant and published by DC Comics. DC claims that this series will "strip down the Man of Steel to his timeless, essential elements."[1]

This series is the second to be launched in 2005 under DC's All Star imprint, the first being All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder. These series are attempts by DC to allow major comics creators a chance to tell stories showcasing these characters without being restricted by DC Universe continuity. Quitely finishes the complete story at Issue 12 but there are All-Star Superman Specials planned written by Morrison and illustrated by guest artists.

Contents

[edit] Publication history

Grant Morrison's approach to the writing this series was to make the reading as universal as possible. He states it not a "re-doing origin stories or unpacking classic narratives" but "a total update, rehaul and refit". However rather than similar a "fresh and relevant" update for new readers, the writer wanted to write "collection of ‘timeless’ Superman issues". [1] In an interview with Matt Brady from newsarama.com, Grant Morrison stated he was contacted by DC Vice President Dan Dido and asked "if I'd like to come back to DC to work on a Superman project with an artist of my choice.". He mentioned it worked out well as he was planning to return "to do the Seven Soldiers project and the Vertigo books". In his writing of the character Superman Morrison identifies different aspects of his personality stating "'Superman' is an act. 'Clark Kent' in Metropolis is also an act. There are actually two Kents, at least - one is a disguise, a bumbling, awkward mask for Superman. The other is the confident, strong, good-hearted Clark Kent who was raised by his surrogate Ma and Pa in Kansas and knows how to drive a tractor. I think he's the most 'real' of all." [2]

The first issue was released in November 2005 and was a sales success ranking second in the top 300 comics for that period with Infinite Crisis #2 the top seller. [3] The second issue also ranked second in the top 300 comics for the January 2006 period with pre-order sales of 124,328 with Infinite Crisis #4 the top seller. [4] The series was set for a bimonthly schedule.

[edit] Plot

[edit] Issues 1-3

A Superman/Lois arc: Dr. Leo Quintum and his team, of the agency called P.R.O.J.E.C.T., are saved by Superman at the sun. Lex Luthor has orchestrated this to overwhelm Superman's cells with a massive amount of solar radiation. While giving Superman a new power and tripling his strength, he now has one year to live. As Clark Kent, he reveals to Lois Lane his dual identity. [5] For her birthday, Superman takes her to the Fortress of Solitude. During this visit, Lois becomes paranoid after being exposed to alien chemicals, but afterwards Superman calms her down after she shoots him with kryptonite and learns he is now immune to it. Superman then gives Lois her birthday: a costume and a chemical that gives her superpowers for 24 hours. Stopping a monster in Metropolis, Superman and Lois (maybe called Superwoman) meet Samson and Atlas. Samson flirts with Lois as he shows Superman a Daily Planet newspaper from the future reading, Superman Dead. An Ultra-Sphinx appears and demands a return of his jewels Samson stole (and gave to Lois). Lois is threatened unless Superman answers the Sphinx's question: What happens when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object? Superman answers They surrender, and Lois is saved. After beating Samson and Atlas in a double arm-wrestling to win Lois, Lois and Superman kiss on the moon before returning home where her powers fade and falls asleep. Superman did not get a chance to ask a very important question of her. The issue ends on a humorous note, as Samson's newspaper article is revealed to have been written by Clark Kent, and the answer to the unanswerable question having been gleaned from a Car advert.

[edit] Issue 4-6

4-6 are self-contained stories. Jimmy Olsen runs P.R.O.J.E.C.T. for his For a Day column series where Superman gets exposed with black kryptonite and goes on a rampage. Jimmy must save him and uses a life-threatening chemical to become a monster called Doomsday. Jimmy stops and saves Superman just as P.R.O.J.E.C.T. comes to get the chemical out of Jimmy's body. Lex Luthor is found guilty for crimes against humanity and sentenced to die in the electric chair. Clark Kent is given an exclusive interview with Luthor on Stryker's Island where The Parasite is freed and causes havoc. Clark stops him while not revealing his secret identity. Luthor reveals a secret tunnel from his cell to escape, but decides not to use it as long as both he and Superman are going to die. In a flashback story, Clark goes out as Young Superman with his dog Krypto and sees a monster called Chronovore. Three strangers come out and reveal themselves to be: the Kal Kent Superman from 85,300 AD, the Unknown Superman of 4500 AD, and the Klyzyzk Klzntplkz Superman of the 5th Dimension. As the monster is defeated, the Unknown Superman meets with Pa Kent and tells him that his son will be fine. Then, Pa Kent suffers a heart attack, and when Young Superman realizes this, he is too late to save his father’s life. During the funeral, the Unknown Superman reveals to be Superman from the present time. Before he leaves to go back to his own time, Superman-Prime from DC One Million arrives and gives him an indestructible flower from New Krypton. In the present, Superman places the flower on his father's grave.

[edit] Issue 7-9

Issues 7 and 8 comprise a two-part Bizarro World story. Dr. Quintum explores through the Underverse, a newly-discovered layer of reality with extreme gravity fluctuations. He notes that a giant lifeform is getting closer: Htrae, the Bizarro World. As Superman releases his pet Sun-Eater into space, he is attacked by a Bizarro group with one of them turning into him. As the Daily Planet is having a late night Christmas party, Bizarros land and imperfectly replicate the people they touch, with the ones they touched becoming Bizarro themselves. With this plague going on, Superman returns to fight the Bizarro-Superman and save the Daily Planet staff. Jimmy Olsen figures out that sunlight is the Bizarro's weakness and Superman uses his superspeed to knock Bizarro World out and have the sun reflect sunlight on Earth to halt the Bizarros who landed. As Htrae retreats, Superman's powers begin to fade as the sun becomes red. There he meets a flawed copy of Bizarro; Zibarro, a smart version of Bizarro. As Htrae prepare to sink into the Underverse, Superman, with help from Zibarro (who is troubled because he is the only intelligent person on the planet), get Le-Roj, the Bizarro Jor-El, and many other Bizarros to help built a rocket to send Superman back home. At the P.R.O.J.E.C.T. moonbase, Lois finds out that Superman is dying as Quintum notices a possible threat looming in the sun. As the rocket is completed, Superman gets ready but after a misfire, Superman taunts the Bizarro who use their fire breath to light up the rocket. Quintum and Lois view an image of the Bizarro World sinking into the Underverse, with no sign of Superman's escape. In issue 9, Superman manages to return to Earth and regain his powers. However, he discovers that he had been gone for two months... and Metropolis had been repaired with Kryptonian architecture. It turns out that two relatives of his had survived Krypton's explosion--Bar-El and Lilo, who were the first astronauts of Krypton. However, Bar-El and Lilo have less altruistic goals; they prefer Kryptonian dominance of Earth and show their disgust at Superman's acceptance of Earth culture. Superman attempts to stop them but is overpowered. As the Kryptonian astronauts track Superman down to the Daily Planet, Bar-El and Lilo begin showing signs of illness. Superman discovers that the two had passed through a radioactive cloud in space that turned the minerals in their bodies to Kryptonite. Despite Bar-El's initial refusal, Superman helps them by placing the two into the Phantom Zone until a cure could be found.

[edit] Issue 10-12

Issue 10 moves back and forth through Superman's day, as he accomplishes a variety of tasks such as taking a bus of terminally ill children on a world tour (and later helping to cure them), creating life (creating Earth-Q--a world without Superman--in the infant universe of Qwewq), having Quintum assist him to move Kandor out of the bottle, stopping the Mechano-Man's rampage, saving a suicidal girl's life (which in turn allows her descendent to send a message back into the past to warn Superman), and giving Quintum the method to combine human and Kryptonian DNA strands. The story is framed by Superman's last task for the day--transcribing his last will and testament--and he leaves Clark the headline of the century--"Superman Dead."

[edit] Awards

All Star Superman won the Eisner Award for Best New Series in 2006 [6] and Best Continuing Series in 2007. [7]

[edit] Critical reaction

Jeremy Estes, a reviewer from popmatters.com notes the difficulty in revamping the character Superman in his review of the first issue of the series. However in its own All Star continuity, it allows the writer Grant Morrison much more writing freedom. Frank Quitely's art is praised as "fresh and modern" whilst still "evoking the classic hero known around the world". At the time of writing only the first issue had been released the reviewer was unsure of the direction of the story noting the creative team "have set up a promising tale, but only time will tell if they take the last train to Memphis or head West, all the way to Vegas".[8]

Ed Mathews from popimage.com reviews Volume 1 which collects the first six issue and praises the creative team stating the art is "the most elegant work out of Frank Quitely I’ve seen to date" and Grant Morrisons wiritng by adding "to the mythos by tweaking bits and parts from the character’s rich history just enough to make old concepts fresh again". He highly recommends Volume 1 and states "All Star Superman sings a hit". [9] Another review of Volume 1 from firstpost.co.uk, Danny Graydon stating Grant Morrison's writing is "the most vigorously entertaining take on the 'Man of Steel' in decades" and "nuanced artwork is to be savoured". [10]

Time magazine's Lev Grossman ranked the Graphic Novel third in Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2007. He praised the storyline noting due to the character's strength and morality, he is a difficult character to write for.[11]

[edit] Bibliography

The first six issues are currently collected in hardcover format:

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Offenberger, Rik. Uniquely Original: Grant Morrison. comicsbulletin.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  2. ^ Brady, Matt. Grant Morrison: Talking All-Star Superman. newsarama.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  3. ^ Top 300 Comics Actual--November 2005. icv2.com (2005-12-19). Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  4. ^ Top 300 Comics Actual--January 2006. icv2.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.
  5. ^ Morrison, Grant; Frank Quitely (November 2005). All Star Superman #1. DC Comics. 
  6. ^ 2006 Eisner Alan Moore Back on Top for 2006 Eisner Awards. comic-con. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  7. ^ 2007 Eisner Awards Shine Spotlight on Comic Industry’s Best. comic-con. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  8. ^ Estes, Jeremy (2006-01-06). ALL STAR SUPERMAN #1. popmatters.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  9. ^ Mathews, Ed. REVIEW: All Star Superman Vol. 1. popimage.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  10. ^ Graydon, Danny (2006-01-06). Superman: the best in years. firstpost.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  11. ^ Grossman, Lev. Top 10 Graphic Novels. Time.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Superman
Creators
Characters
Villains and enemies
Locations
History and themes
Miscellany
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Star_Superman"
Personal tools
Languages