Jordan T. Maxwell
Aug 8, 2008, 05:24 pm
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/comixfanpresents.gif" align=left border=0 hspace=10 alt="Comixfan Presents logo">Summer of Superman: The Top Ten Stories
By: Nick Costanzo, Phil Filippopolous, Jordan T. Maxwell, Greg Reeves
Editor: Jordan T. Maxwell
70 years ago, in the summer of 1938, two kids from Cleveland, Ohio changed the world forever. From their collaborative imagination sprang a hero who has endured for seven decades, transcending his home in comic books to conquer almost every other medium of art and entertainment and catalyzing the creation of an entire genre. He is more than just a fictional superhero. He is an icon (not a bird). He is an ideal (not a plane). He is...SUPERMAN!
To celebrate the Man of Steel's 70th anniversary, Comixfan is proud to bring you a series of features over the course of this summer. For the next seven weeks, we'll be bringing you a unique Top Ten list focusing on different facets of Superman's mythology, history and influence, showcasing 70 reasons why we love the Man of Tomorrow so much.
For our final installment, we take a look at what has truly made Superman such a lasting icon, the place where it all begins and ends for the Man of Steel...the stories. A wealth of comic book mythology has sprung up around Superman over the last 70 years, from battling gangsters and mad scientists to juggling planets and saving the universe to dealing with love and his own mortality. He has been in the Old West, the far future, ancient Japan, Soviet Russia, the end of the world and the beginning of time. He's been a leader, a rebel, a monster, a savior, a Green Lantern and a Batman. Some people say he's boring and unrelatable. I say those people just haven't found the right Superman story. So here to help them out and celebrate seven decades of Superman lore, we are honored to present our list of the Top Ten Superman Stories!
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/finalstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/finalstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="Infinite Crisis"></a>#10 Infinite Crisis
As told in: Infinite Crisis #1-7
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Phil Jimenez, George Perez, Jerry Ordway and Ivan Reis
Infinite Crisis is a world-changing story. That's its purpose. However, it functions on an entirely different level as a Superman story. At the center of this series are four Supermen: our Earth-1 Superman, the original Earth-2 Superman, Superboy and Superboy Prime. Superman struggles with trusting his greatest allies, who have gone beyond heroics to do what they thought was necessary. Superman-2 looks down on a corrupted world and tries to do whatever he must to save his dying wife. Superboy looks at a world in peril and struggles to live up to his name. And Superboy Prime tries to get his world back, and finds himself in too deep to come back from his dark path. It is, in a way, every Superman story; we see him old and young, choosing to let his power corrupt him or be the thing that guides him. We see his ultimate dedication to Lois (the scene of a decimated Metropolis-2 after the two Supermen fight is haunting), the ease with which he can kill and the consequences (the world vs. Superboy Prime!), and the curse of responsibility that will never allow him to be normal (poor Connor...). In the end, two fall: the Superboy that wanted to be a little less super, and the first hero, the one who started everything, Superman-2. Death is common and seldom permanent in the DC Universe, but as of this writing both of these deaths still hold. More than that, though, Superman-2's death is a symbol. The vanguard of the Golden Age, his passing cements the new world order: the world of bright smiles and truth and justice that Superman-2 longed for are gone. What we have now is grittier, dirtier, a world where heroes kill and die. It's not his world anymore, and we can only hope our Superman takes his lessons to heart.
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/worldwithoutstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/worldwithoutstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="World Without Superman"></a>#9 World Without Superman
As told in: Action Comics #685-686, Adventures of Superman #498-500, Superman #76-77, Superman: The Man of Steel #20-21
Writer: Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern
Artist: Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Jackson Guice, Dan Jurgens
Much of the media hype surrounding Superman's death and resurrection overlooked some of the strongest storytelling of the event, which took place in between the two. A world without Superman. What would that actually mean? The legendary Superman team of writers examined the world and supporting cast as they had to cope, move on and live up to the legacy of their fallen hero. Particularly focusing on Lois Lane and the Kents, the tales told also expanded to look at the larger world of Metropolis, the Daily Planet, Supergirl and Lex Luthor II (ah, the days of the red hair and Australian accent...memories), the Justice League of America, Project Cadmus and, of course, Bibbo. The stories only lasted for a couple of months, but when read as a whole they take on a quiet epic quality. Superman took up a large portion of the world...so what would fill that vacuum in his absence? Heartache, deception, nobility, sacrifice, grief, friendship, opportunism...and above all hope. Through all of the narrative and thematic threads that weave through each chapter, you can feel the tentative prayer of a world without a Superman, holding its breath and whispering a silent prayer that their hero would return soon.
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/mosstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/mosstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="Man of Steel"></a>#8 Man of Steel
As told in: Man of Steel #1-6
Writer: John Byrne
Artist: John Byrne
In the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths, the DC Universe was literally a whole new world. Time and space themselves had changed. It was the perfect time to clean up the continuity and history of the more iconic characters. And so, long before he became known more for his...colorful persona on the internet, the brilliant talent of John Byrne was called upon to reimagine Superman's past for a more contemporary audience. Krypton was rebuilt as a realm of cold logic, where the baby Kal-El was conceived but never born, further obscuring the line of whether he was a child of his native world or of Earth. Clark Kent was no longer a disguise for him to wear, but his own private identity that he hid behind the bright colors of Superman to protect. No more adventures as Superboy, no long lost cousins, dogs or bottled cities. His isolation was punched up, with the beautifully ironic effect of making him even more human. Luthor was no longer a mad scientist but a cunning businessman (the truest form of evil in the 1980s). Batman was no longer a grinning chum but a dark and dangerous adversary as well as cautious ally. Everything had changed. And it's to Byrne's credit that despite the many revisions that have restored some of Superman's Silver Age elements that so much of his vision for a new Superman mythology has survived to today and permeated into other media as well. Oh, and ideas aside, it's also just a damn good story.
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/redsonstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/redsonstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="Red Son"></a> #7 Red Son
As told in: Superman: Red Son #1-3
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Dave Johnson, Kilian Plunkett
There is a simplistic genius to the central concept of Red Son. One that has been the subject of many an Elseworlds story before. What would happen if Kal-El's ship had landed somewhere other than Kansas, if he had been found by someone other than the Kents? What sets Millar's story apart from those others is the level of wit and satire he manages to imbue the story with while never straying too far to distract from the narrative itself. There is an inherent irony of course in the most American of heroes suddenly fighting for the ideals of Stalinist Russia, as well as a hypocrisy in a man who is above all men championing a philosophy like communism. Yet the story itself is never sidetracked by these ideas, merely nodding at them as it goes along its path. In our world, Superman kicks off the age of heroes, and inspires his share of villains. The same is true here as we see this world's versions of Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Bizarro and others come into being. The never ending contest against Lex Luthor is maintained. But everything here is twisted just so. Batman is a Russian anarchist dissident whose parents were killed by Stalin's goon squads. Luthor is the embodiment of the American military-industrial complex, his battle with the Man of Steel transformed into an intellectual and tactical game of sociopolitical chess. The lines of good and bad are blurred here, just as they were in the Cold War they portray. And the ending (borrowed from an idea by Millar's friend and former mentor Grant Morrison) is just the kind of comic book fun that leaves a wide eyed grin on the face of any reader, no matter how jaded and cynical.
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/birthrightstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/birthrightstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="Birthright"></a>#6 Birthright
As told in: Superman: Birthright #1-12
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Leinil Francis Yu
In 2004, Mark Waid brought us one of the most unique and refreshing stories ever written. It was the tale of an alien child sent to earth as a baby, brought up by decent and loving parents, who grew up to be the world's greatest hero. Does it sound familiar? Of course it does, but you've never seen the origin of the Man of Steel written like this before. In Birthright, Waid stepped into the head of Clark Kent and brought him more into our world, a world of tribal strife in Africa, of media manipulation, of science and business run amok, of a nation ingrained with fear of the different, the foreign...the alien. This is before he's the icon we all know and love, this is a man who knows he's different and knows a little bit why, but has no real understanding of his history, no real idea about how to use his extraordinary powers. And so we see the true genesis of Superman. We see the costume develop based on an odd Kryptonian symbol and lots of bright colors. We gain an understanding about why a second "secret" identity might be needed. We even chuckle as the naturally gorgeous, naturally outgoing Clark Kent has to consciously slouch and restrain himself to avert suspicion (with help from his mother, no less). As he moves to Metropolis to begin his career (before anyone knew to call it a "superhero" career), we meet the familiar faces and see how they begin to affect the man who will be called Superman. Lex Luthor in particular is portrayed with almost the same amount of care and focus as Clark himself. He's a man who is brilliant in mind yet lacking in compassion, one who is absolutely sure of his greatness until the moment he entertains the mere thought of failure or inferiority. The two share a history, even if Lex seems hesitant to admit it. They clash in a showdown that shakes Metropolis to its core, and through it Clark Kent finds a way to embrace both his alien and human origins. "Superman" becomes a hero, and starts down his road to become the icon we all know him to be.
(Editor's warning: the last moment of this book may lead a grown man to cry. Back away from the page to avoid damaging it with your tears.)
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/forthemanstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/forthemanstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="For the Man Who Has Everything"></a>#5 For the Man Who Has Everything
As told in: Superman Annual #11
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Dave Gibbons
"He is content." These words frame the twin stories of Superman's birthday as Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman battle Mongul to save their Kryptonian friend from the hallucinogenic trance of the plant known as the Black Mercy which gives a person their heart's desire while we also get a glimpse of the world and life it has created for the Man of Steel. It is a story packed with complexity and nuance, not surprising coming from the creative team that would one year later bring Watchmen to the world. We see the life Superman would have had on Krypton if it had not exploded. An ordinary man with a wife and child, estranged from his father as political upheaval explodes all around him. Superman is eventually able to shrug off the plant and fight Mongul with a fury rarely seen in the Man of Steel. Mongul says it must have been like ripping his own arm off, but we're left to wonder...was it Superman's strong willpower that helped him fight the effects of the Black Mercy? Or a dissatisfaction with the life it showed him? And if so, is Superman's fury that he's had this life ripped away...or that his "heart's desire" is apparently so unremarkable? Either way, the story is packed to the brim with heartbreak (Kal's last moments with his son Van-El), action ("Happy birthday, Kryptonian. I give you oblivion." "Burn."), humor (Batman's smirking comment for Robin to "think clean thoughts, chum.") and just a splash of sexual tension (the exact nature of Superman and Wonder Woman's relationship is called into question on a couple of different occasions). It is also notable that this is the only story to be directly adapted for the Justice League Unlimited cartoon. For a show full to the brim of good ideas on its own, that says a lot.
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/deathofstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/deathofstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="Death of Superman"></a>#4 Death of Superman
As told in: Action Comics #684, Adventures of Superman #497, Justice League of America #69, Superman #74-75, Superman: The Man of Steel #18-19
Writer: Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern
Artist: Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Jackson Guice, Dan Jurgens
More than just a story, the Death of Superman was a cultural milestone in its own right, trumpeted by the media for months in advance. Lines formed in comic book shops, spilling out of the doors and on to the streets. Multiple printings were published. Black armbands were warn in a sense of pop mourning. And in all of the hype, the attention, the event...most people failed to notice that there was a pretty good story going on as well. It started out quietly, with Superman being interviewed about his own relevance in a world where he was seen as "uncool" and a "boy scout." Dramatic, meet your friend irony. What ensued from there was a the kind of knock down drag out fight with an unstoppable monster that comic book fans have come to know and love...except that this monster was truly unstoppable. As the panel structure of each subsequent issue began to count down to the final battle itself, a sense of doom permeated the books that had nothing to do with the fact that the ending had been advertised long in advance. The final chapter was punctuated by earth-shattering action, chilling narration, a last kiss good bye and the sacrifice of the world's greatest hero. The hype would fade, the speculation and investment would boom and bust, but at the end of the day we were left with a story of bravery and heroism that has earned its place as one of the most iconic tales of the Man of Steel.
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/whateverstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/whateverstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?"></a>#3 Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
As told in: Action Comics #583, [i]Superman #423
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: George Perez, Kurt Schaffenberger, Curt Swan
It was the end of one era and the beginning of another, a sliver of time between the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths and the John Byrne reboot. There was only one thing left to do...say good bye to the Silver Age Superman. The story of what happened next has passed into comic book industry legend, as editor Julie Schwartz bemoaned the project and its difficulties over breakfast to up and coming British writer Alan Moore. Moore then famously crossed the table, wrapped his hands around Schwartz's neck and declared "If you let anybody but me write that story, I'll kill you." Naturally, he got the job. And what an exquisite job it is! It was the end of an era and the title proved ironic since for this version of the Man of Steel, there would BE no tomorrow. All of Superman's greatest villains of that age made an appearance (and the reveal of who is REALLY behind it all will blow your mind), as well as his staunchest friends and allies. Superman's identity is revealed. The Daily Planet is destroyed. Casualties fall on both sides as the last stand of the Last Son of Krypton builds to its dynamic climax. Of course, the winking final panel is as good as any "happily ever after." Moore teamed up with the Silver Age's greatest Superman artist, Curt Swan (who had assists from George Perez and Kurt Schaffenberger)...the artist who had helped define the character in the past teamed with the writer who would come to redefine the medium for the future. It was the perfectly majestic and elegant send off for the Man of Steel. Of course, as Moore points out in his introduction, it's only an imaginary story. But he also sagely adds, "aren't they all?"
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/allstarstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/allstarstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="All Star Superman"></a> #2 All Star Superman
As told in: All Star Superman #1-12
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Frank Quitely
It seems strange to list this bold and innovative interpretation of the Superman mythos when the last issue isn't even out yet, but it's a testament to the brilliance and heart of the story as well as mind blowing quality of the artwork that All Star Superman has already cemented itself as a classic in the minds of readers and critics. With modern (and post modern) sensibilities applied to the kind of mad science fiction aesthetic that dominated the Superman books in the Silver Age, the book feels like an artifact that has fallen from some alternate future or a past we've yet to uncover. Each issue is somewhat self contained, but they interlock together to tell of Superman's final days, reimagining classic Superman tropes (Bizarro is now akin to a zombie virus, Jimmy Olsen has never been this cool) and adding elements to the mythos that will hopefully endure (Dr. Leo Quintum, Zibarro). Amidst the brilliantly insane ideas dropped around your feet like autumn leaves, the story also takes you on an emotional roller coaster...from the sweet romance of Superman and a superpowered Lois to the slapstick hilarity of Clark Kent "bumbling" his way through a prison riot to protect Lex Luthor to the eye watering heartbreak of a young Clark/Superman dealing with his father's death. One issue will tell a simple linear tale while the next will warp structure and convention to leave you reeling and having to read more than once just to take everything in. Morrison and Quitely have worked together on a number of legendary projects, but All Star Superman will go down as one of the finest. Once the last issue comes out, anyway.
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/kcstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/kcstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="Kingdom Come"></a> #1 Kingdom Come
As told in: Kingdom Come #1-4
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Alex Ross
There have been many stories about the Man of Steel, but few are considered to be as groundbreaking and acknowledged as the Mark Waid and Alex Ross 1996 mini-series, Kingdom Come. This isn’t a story about the life of Superman or how great of a hero he is. No, this story is about how important he is, or rather was, to the impressionable youths and other “heroes” throughout the DC Universe. Kingdom Come posed an interesting question: what happens when the world’s favorite hero gives up? Following the deaths of his wife and friends at the Daily Planet due to the actions of the Joker, Superman struggled with the public’s support of the villain’s death at the hands of the next “hero of tomorrow,” Magog. Years later, following his self imposed exile, and the subsequent retirement of other heroes of yesterday, Superman returns to a world where the superhuman community runs wild, without a moral compass to guide them. While the story could have easily gone with Superman coming to save the day again, instead we’re shown that not even Superman can save the day. It’s a story of a man who must come to grips with not only how his actions and inactions affect others, but also the fact that at the end of the day, he is an outsider who’s not in the position to decide the fate of the human and superhuman citizens of the world. Designed and portrayed by the legendary painted work of Ross, Kingdom Come became a classic Superman story that should easily jump to the top of every fan's reading pile.
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And with that, ladies and gentlemen, we conclude our Summer of Superman celebration. For 70 years, Superman has delighted and inspired us, infected every other medium of storytelling on the planet and become a mainstay of the popular consciousness. Our world would be a very different place without Superman, a figure of pencil and ink, sprung from the imaginations of two Cleveland kids, honed, refined and reimagined down through the years by an army of creative spirits. We owe them a debt of gratitude for the 70 years that have past...a debt that can only be repaid by continuing to give the world a Superman for another 70 years and beyond. To tell his stories. To spread his message. To look up...in the sky...and see not a bird, not a plane, but all that we can be.
We hope you've enjoyed this event as much as we've enjoyed bringing it to you. And special thanks to all the staffers who pitched in and helped out over the last few months. We couldn't have done this without you!
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Birthright: Nick Costanzo
Infinite Crisis: Phil Filippopolous
All Star Superman, Death of Superman, For the Man Who Has Everything, Man of Steel, Red Son, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, World Without Superman: Jordan T. Maxwell
Kingdom Come: Greg Reeves
Contributors: Anthony Devlin, Chris Eight, James Groves, John H, Jon Hancock, Marty P, Michael Regan, Eric Travis
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The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writers involved, and are not reflective of Comixfan or its other staff in general.
By: Nick Costanzo, Phil Filippopolous, Jordan T. Maxwell, Greg Reeves
Editor: Jordan T. Maxwell
70 years ago, in the summer of 1938, two kids from Cleveland, Ohio changed the world forever. From their collaborative imagination sprang a hero who has endured for seven decades, transcending his home in comic books to conquer almost every other medium of art and entertainment and catalyzing the creation of an entire genre. He is more than just a fictional superhero. He is an icon (not a bird). He is an ideal (not a plane). He is...SUPERMAN!
To celebrate the Man of Steel's 70th anniversary, Comixfan is proud to bring you a series of features over the course of this summer. For the next seven weeks, we'll be bringing you a unique Top Ten list focusing on different facets of Superman's mythology, history and influence, showcasing 70 reasons why we love the Man of Tomorrow so much.
For our final installment, we take a look at what has truly made Superman such a lasting icon, the place where it all begins and ends for the Man of Steel...the stories. A wealth of comic book mythology has sprung up around Superman over the last 70 years, from battling gangsters and mad scientists to juggling planets and saving the universe to dealing with love and his own mortality. He has been in the Old West, the far future, ancient Japan, Soviet Russia, the end of the world and the beginning of time. He's been a leader, a rebel, a monster, a savior, a Green Lantern and a Batman. Some people say he's boring and unrelatable. I say those people just haven't found the right Superman story. So here to help them out and celebrate seven decades of Superman lore, we are honored to present our list of the Top Ten Superman Stories!
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/finalstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/finalstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="Infinite Crisis"></a>#10 Infinite Crisis
As told in: Infinite Crisis #1-7
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Phil Jimenez, George Perez, Jerry Ordway and Ivan Reis
Infinite Crisis is a world-changing story. That's its purpose. However, it functions on an entirely different level as a Superman story. At the center of this series are four Supermen: our Earth-1 Superman, the original Earth-2 Superman, Superboy and Superboy Prime. Superman struggles with trusting his greatest allies, who have gone beyond heroics to do what they thought was necessary. Superman-2 looks down on a corrupted world and tries to do whatever he must to save his dying wife. Superboy looks at a world in peril and struggles to live up to his name. And Superboy Prime tries to get his world back, and finds himself in too deep to come back from his dark path. It is, in a way, every Superman story; we see him old and young, choosing to let his power corrupt him or be the thing that guides him. We see his ultimate dedication to Lois (the scene of a decimated Metropolis-2 after the two Supermen fight is haunting), the ease with which he can kill and the consequences (the world vs. Superboy Prime!), and the curse of responsibility that will never allow him to be normal (poor Connor...). In the end, two fall: the Superboy that wanted to be a little less super, and the first hero, the one who started everything, Superman-2. Death is common and seldom permanent in the DC Universe, but as of this writing both of these deaths still hold. More than that, though, Superman-2's death is a symbol. The vanguard of the Golden Age, his passing cements the new world order: the world of bright smiles and truth and justice that Superman-2 longed for are gone. What we have now is grittier, dirtier, a world where heroes kill and die. It's not his world anymore, and we can only hope our Superman takes his lessons to heart.
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/worldwithoutstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/worldwithoutstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="World Without Superman"></a>#9 World Without Superman
As told in: Action Comics #685-686, Adventures of Superman #498-500, Superman #76-77, Superman: The Man of Steel #20-21
Writer: Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern
Artist: Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Jackson Guice, Dan Jurgens
Much of the media hype surrounding Superman's death and resurrection overlooked some of the strongest storytelling of the event, which took place in between the two. A world without Superman. What would that actually mean? The legendary Superman team of writers examined the world and supporting cast as they had to cope, move on and live up to the legacy of their fallen hero. Particularly focusing on Lois Lane and the Kents, the tales told also expanded to look at the larger world of Metropolis, the Daily Planet, Supergirl and Lex Luthor II (ah, the days of the red hair and Australian accent...memories), the Justice League of America, Project Cadmus and, of course, Bibbo. The stories only lasted for a couple of months, but when read as a whole they take on a quiet epic quality. Superman took up a large portion of the world...so what would fill that vacuum in his absence? Heartache, deception, nobility, sacrifice, grief, friendship, opportunism...and above all hope. Through all of the narrative and thematic threads that weave through each chapter, you can feel the tentative prayer of a world without a Superman, holding its breath and whispering a silent prayer that their hero would return soon.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/mosstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/mosstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="Man of Steel"></a>#8 Man of Steel
As told in: Man of Steel #1-6
Writer: John Byrne
Artist: John Byrne
In the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths, the DC Universe was literally a whole new world. Time and space themselves had changed. It was the perfect time to clean up the continuity and history of the more iconic characters. And so, long before he became known more for his...colorful persona on the internet, the brilliant talent of John Byrne was called upon to reimagine Superman's past for a more contemporary audience. Krypton was rebuilt as a realm of cold logic, where the baby Kal-El was conceived but never born, further obscuring the line of whether he was a child of his native world or of Earth. Clark Kent was no longer a disguise for him to wear, but his own private identity that he hid behind the bright colors of Superman to protect. No more adventures as Superboy, no long lost cousins, dogs or bottled cities. His isolation was punched up, with the beautifully ironic effect of making him even more human. Luthor was no longer a mad scientist but a cunning businessman (the truest form of evil in the 1980s). Batman was no longer a grinning chum but a dark and dangerous adversary as well as cautious ally. Everything had changed. And it's to Byrne's credit that despite the many revisions that have restored some of Superman's Silver Age elements that so much of his vision for a new Superman mythology has survived to today and permeated into other media as well. Oh, and ideas aside, it's also just a damn good story.
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/redsonstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/redsonstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="Red Son"></a> #7 Red Son
As told in: Superman: Red Son #1-3
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Dave Johnson, Kilian Plunkett
There is a simplistic genius to the central concept of Red Son. One that has been the subject of many an Elseworlds story before. What would happen if Kal-El's ship had landed somewhere other than Kansas, if he had been found by someone other than the Kents? What sets Millar's story apart from those others is the level of wit and satire he manages to imbue the story with while never straying too far to distract from the narrative itself. There is an inherent irony of course in the most American of heroes suddenly fighting for the ideals of Stalinist Russia, as well as a hypocrisy in a man who is above all men championing a philosophy like communism. Yet the story itself is never sidetracked by these ideas, merely nodding at them as it goes along its path. In our world, Superman kicks off the age of heroes, and inspires his share of villains. The same is true here as we see this world's versions of Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Bizarro and others come into being. The never ending contest against Lex Luthor is maintained. But everything here is twisted just so. Batman is a Russian anarchist dissident whose parents were killed by Stalin's goon squads. Luthor is the embodiment of the American military-industrial complex, his battle with the Man of Steel transformed into an intellectual and tactical game of sociopolitical chess. The lines of good and bad are blurred here, just as they were in the Cold War they portray. And the ending (borrowed from an idea by Millar's friend and former mentor Grant Morrison) is just the kind of comic book fun that leaves a wide eyed grin on the face of any reader, no matter how jaded and cynical.
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/birthrightstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/birthrightstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="Birthright"></a>#6 Birthright
As told in: Superman: Birthright #1-12
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Leinil Francis Yu
In 2004, Mark Waid brought us one of the most unique and refreshing stories ever written. It was the tale of an alien child sent to earth as a baby, brought up by decent and loving parents, who grew up to be the world's greatest hero. Does it sound familiar? Of course it does, but you've never seen the origin of the Man of Steel written like this before. In Birthright, Waid stepped into the head of Clark Kent and brought him more into our world, a world of tribal strife in Africa, of media manipulation, of science and business run amok, of a nation ingrained with fear of the different, the foreign...the alien. This is before he's the icon we all know and love, this is a man who knows he's different and knows a little bit why, but has no real understanding of his history, no real idea about how to use his extraordinary powers. And so we see the true genesis of Superman. We see the costume develop based on an odd Kryptonian symbol and lots of bright colors. We gain an understanding about why a second "secret" identity might be needed. We even chuckle as the naturally gorgeous, naturally outgoing Clark Kent has to consciously slouch and restrain himself to avert suspicion (with help from his mother, no less). As he moves to Metropolis to begin his career (before anyone knew to call it a "superhero" career), we meet the familiar faces and see how they begin to affect the man who will be called Superman. Lex Luthor in particular is portrayed with almost the same amount of care and focus as Clark himself. He's a man who is brilliant in mind yet lacking in compassion, one who is absolutely sure of his greatness until the moment he entertains the mere thought of failure or inferiority. The two share a history, even if Lex seems hesitant to admit it. They clash in a showdown that shakes Metropolis to its core, and through it Clark Kent finds a way to embrace both his alien and human origins. "Superman" becomes a hero, and starts down his road to become the icon we all know him to be.
(Editor's warning: the last moment of this book may lead a grown man to cry. Back away from the page to avoid damaging it with your tears.)
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/forthemanstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/forthemanstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="For the Man Who Has Everything"></a>#5 For the Man Who Has Everything
As told in: Superman Annual #11
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Dave Gibbons
"He is content." These words frame the twin stories of Superman's birthday as Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman battle Mongul to save their Kryptonian friend from the hallucinogenic trance of the plant known as the Black Mercy which gives a person their heart's desire while we also get a glimpse of the world and life it has created for the Man of Steel. It is a story packed with complexity and nuance, not surprising coming from the creative team that would one year later bring Watchmen to the world. We see the life Superman would have had on Krypton if it had not exploded. An ordinary man with a wife and child, estranged from his father as political upheaval explodes all around him. Superman is eventually able to shrug off the plant and fight Mongul with a fury rarely seen in the Man of Steel. Mongul says it must have been like ripping his own arm off, but we're left to wonder...was it Superman's strong willpower that helped him fight the effects of the Black Mercy? Or a dissatisfaction with the life it showed him? And if so, is Superman's fury that he's had this life ripped away...or that his "heart's desire" is apparently so unremarkable? Either way, the story is packed to the brim with heartbreak (Kal's last moments with his son Van-El), action ("Happy birthday, Kryptonian. I give you oblivion." "Burn."), humor (Batman's smirking comment for Robin to "think clean thoughts, chum.") and just a splash of sexual tension (the exact nature of Superman and Wonder Woman's relationship is called into question on a couple of different occasions). It is also notable that this is the only story to be directly adapted for the Justice League Unlimited cartoon. For a show full to the brim of good ideas on its own, that says a lot.
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/deathofstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/deathofstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="Death of Superman"></a>#4 Death of Superman
As told in: Action Comics #684, Adventures of Superman #497, Justice League of America #69, Superman #74-75, Superman: The Man of Steel #18-19
Writer: Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern
Artist: Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Jackson Guice, Dan Jurgens
More than just a story, the Death of Superman was a cultural milestone in its own right, trumpeted by the media for months in advance. Lines formed in comic book shops, spilling out of the doors and on to the streets. Multiple printings were published. Black armbands were warn in a sense of pop mourning. And in all of the hype, the attention, the event...most people failed to notice that there was a pretty good story going on as well. It started out quietly, with Superman being interviewed about his own relevance in a world where he was seen as "uncool" and a "boy scout." Dramatic, meet your friend irony. What ensued from there was a the kind of knock down drag out fight with an unstoppable monster that comic book fans have come to know and love...except that this monster was truly unstoppable. As the panel structure of each subsequent issue began to count down to the final battle itself, a sense of doom permeated the books that had nothing to do with the fact that the ending had been advertised long in advance. The final chapter was punctuated by earth-shattering action, chilling narration, a last kiss good bye and the sacrifice of the world's greatest hero. The hype would fade, the speculation and investment would boom and bust, but at the end of the day we were left with a story of bravery and heroism that has earned its place as one of the most iconic tales of the Man of Steel.
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/whateverstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/whateverstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?"></a>#3 Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
As told in: Action Comics #583, [i]Superman #423
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: George Perez, Kurt Schaffenberger, Curt Swan
It was the end of one era and the beginning of another, a sliver of time between the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths and the John Byrne reboot. There was only one thing left to do...say good bye to the Silver Age Superman. The story of what happened next has passed into comic book industry legend, as editor Julie Schwartz bemoaned the project and its difficulties over breakfast to up and coming British writer Alan Moore. Moore then famously crossed the table, wrapped his hands around Schwartz's neck and declared "If you let anybody but me write that story, I'll kill you." Naturally, he got the job. And what an exquisite job it is! It was the end of an era and the title proved ironic since for this version of the Man of Steel, there would BE no tomorrow. All of Superman's greatest villains of that age made an appearance (and the reveal of who is REALLY behind it all will blow your mind), as well as his staunchest friends and allies. Superman's identity is revealed. The Daily Planet is destroyed. Casualties fall on both sides as the last stand of the Last Son of Krypton builds to its dynamic climax. Of course, the winking final panel is as good as any "happily ever after." Moore teamed up with the Silver Age's greatest Superman artist, Curt Swan (who had assists from George Perez and Kurt Schaffenberger)...the artist who had helped define the character in the past teamed with the writer who would come to redefine the medium for the future. It was the perfectly majestic and elegant send off for the Man of Steel. Of course, as Moore points out in his introduction, it's only an imaginary story. But he also sagely adds, "aren't they all?"
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/allstarstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/allstarstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="All Star Superman"></a> #2 All Star Superman
As told in: All Star Superman #1-12
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Frank Quitely
It seems strange to list this bold and innovative interpretation of the Superman mythos when the last issue isn't even out yet, but it's a testament to the brilliance and heart of the story as well as mind blowing quality of the artwork that All Star Superman has already cemented itself as a classic in the minds of readers and critics. With modern (and post modern) sensibilities applied to the kind of mad science fiction aesthetic that dominated the Superman books in the Silver Age, the book feels like an artifact that has fallen from some alternate future or a past we've yet to uncover. Each issue is somewhat self contained, but they interlock together to tell of Superman's final days, reimagining classic Superman tropes (Bizarro is now akin to a zombie virus, Jimmy Olsen has never been this cool) and adding elements to the mythos that will hopefully endure (Dr. Leo Quintum, Zibarro). Amidst the brilliantly insane ideas dropped around your feet like autumn leaves, the story also takes you on an emotional roller coaster...from the sweet romance of Superman and a superpowered Lois to the slapstick hilarity of Clark Kent "bumbling" his way through a prison riot to protect Lex Luthor to the eye watering heartbreak of a young Clark/Superman dealing with his father's death. One issue will tell a simple linear tale while the next will warp structure and convention to leave you reeling and having to read more than once just to take everything in. Morrison and Quitely have worked together on a number of legendary projects, but All Star Superman will go down as one of the finest. Once the last issue comes out, anyway.
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<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/kcstories.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/superman70/stories/kcstories.jpg" align=left border=0 hspace=10 height=200 alt="Kingdom Come"></a> #1 Kingdom Come
As told in: Kingdom Come #1-4
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Alex Ross
There have been many stories about the Man of Steel, but few are considered to be as groundbreaking and acknowledged as the Mark Waid and Alex Ross 1996 mini-series, Kingdom Come. This isn’t a story about the life of Superman or how great of a hero he is. No, this story is about how important he is, or rather was, to the impressionable youths and other “heroes” throughout the DC Universe. Kingdom Come posed an interesting question: what happens when the world’s favorite hero gives up? Following the deaths of his wife and friends at the Daily Planet due to the actions of the Joker, Superman struggled with the public’s support of the villain’s death at the hands of the next “hero of tomorrow,” Magog. Years later, following his self imposed exile, and the subsequent retirement of other heroes of yesterday, Superman returns to a world where the superhuman community runs wild, without a moral compass to guide them. While the story could have easily gone with Superman coming to save the day again, instead we’re shown that not even Superman can save the day. It’s a story of a man who must come to grips with not only how his actions and inactions affect others, but also the fact that at the end of the day, he is an outsider who’s not in the position to decide the fate of the human and superhuman citizens of the world. Designed and portrayed by the legendary painted work of Ross, Kingdom Come became a classic Superman story that should easily jump to the top of every fan's reading pile.
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And with that, ladies and gentlemen, we conclude our Summer of Superman celebration. For 70 years, Superman has delighted and inspired us, infected every other medium of storytelling on the planet and become a mainstay of the popular consciousness. Our world would be a very different place without Superman, a figure of pencil and ink, sprung from the imaginations of two Cleveland kids, honed, refined and reimagined down through the years by an army of creative spirits. We owe them a debt of gratitude for the 70 years that have past...a debt that can only be repaid by continuing to give the world a Superman for another 70 years and beyond. To tell his stories. To spread his message. To look up...in the sky...and see not a bird, not a plane, but all that we can be.
We hope you've enjoyed this event as much as we've enjoyed bringing it to you. And special thanks to all the staffers who pitched in and helped out over the last few months. We couldn't have done this without you!
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Birthright: Nick Costanzo
Infinite Crisis: Phil Filippopolous
All Star Superman, Death of Superman, For the Man Who Has Everything, Man of Steel, Red Son, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, World Without Superman: Jordan T. Maxwell
Kingdom Come: Greg Reeves
Contributors: Anthony Devlin, Chris Eight, James Groves, John H, Jon Hancock, Marty P, Michael Regan, Eric Travis
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The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writers involved, and are not reflective of Comixfan or its other staff in general.