Reviews (3)

Grab your art supplies, ready, set... go!
This beautifully illustrated, easy to follow, step-by-step, how-to guide is the first book you should buy to learn the basic drawing techniques you need to accurately depict each cartoon character from the Superman universe (in the Bruce Timm/Animated Series style).
The information and instructions contained in this book are wonderfully organized and presented in step-by-step format (from rough sketch to finished drawing), include a list of tools and materials you need to get started and cover topics that include: guidelines on basic figure drawing, head and figure proportions, movements and expressions, comparisons of male and female figure features, and perspective and foreshortening for backgrounds and figures. The book also contains a detailed treatment on how to draw each character, including Superman (and Clark Kent), Lois Lane, Martha and Jonathan Kent, Jor-El and Lara, Lex Luthor, Parasite, Bizarro, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Metallo and Brainiac. As a bonus, the book teaches us how to draw settings and accessories like Metropolis, The Daily Planet, guns, cars and Superman's X-Ray and Heat vision.
This book is a simple, yet excellent resource on how to create your own adventures for the Man of Steel, at the same time that you begin to understand the basic principles of cartooning and animation.
A must buy for kids and adults who want to draw the Superman universe like professional artists in a relatively short time. If you prefer a more general book on how to draw DC Comics super heroes, I recommend buying How to Draw Batman and the DC Comics Super Heroes by Ty Templeton instead, since it contains around 90% of the characters featured in this book, plus a lot of other characters from other DC Comics universes.

Style, Superman, and fun!
This book, as well as the how to draw the animated Batman book are incredible. Not too complex, colorful examples on an oversized book make it easy to learn the style of the animated Batman series, and it's similar style counterpart Superman. It has good tips on perspective, so beginners will be able to learn the basics, and more advanced fans of this kind of style will be able to work on the examples to hone their skill. Plus the writing is upbeat and fun, the characters often tell you how to do different parts of the book. 5 Stars for Fun and Style!

Decent book for fans and kids, not quite up to artist
The book is geared mostly to kids and fans of the show. It does offer good drawing tips and how to draw in the animated style. There isn't enough attention paid to the bad guys and other characters. But overall, it would help out those wanting to draw in the Bruce Timm style. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A bit disjointed
Despite what many say this is not a horrible story. In fact, the plot itself is quite good. The problem is that it was written by seven different writers, each doing thier own chunks of the storyline. They all do a fine job, but the end result is a disjointed narrative. If this had been a mini series written and drawn by one creative team(like Crisis on Infinite earths) it would be a classic. As it is, it was not and is just a fun, but mindless and ulitimately forgettable romp.

Up, Up, and ... Away?
One of the staples to Supes personal history is the fact that he's held to standards that other superheroes might not be able to match ... until now. Reading Superman say the words, "I'm going to kill him," is perhaps the most startling revelation in the two-parter trade paperback OUR WORLDS AT WAR. Despite some negative reaction from a large part of the Super-fan base, OWAW is a good read but far from great. It presents a Superman that readers largely haven't seen before, one driven by a passionate instinct for revenge. While the books do possess some continuity issues, there are parts of the story important to our time: acts of terrorism, good surrendering to evil, the loss of life in times of war, etc. However, these two books do suffer from one crucial shortcoming that appears to be a growing trend in crossover / trade paperbacks, and that's the fact that the reader might be told of pivotal events several times from differing perspectives ... once from the Superman installment, once from the Young Justice installment, and once from a Wonder Woman installment. Whereas the end result should be interesting, it's far more confusing here, as some events toward the climax are reviewed slightly out-of-sequence. That said, a Darkseid story is always welcome at my house, and I enjoyed the pure escapism of a reasonably entertaining Superman story for what it was worth.

Would I recommend purchase? Erg. These two books are rather pricey for a story that isn't as tightly woven as it could've been. I would have rather seen the publishers create one volume, with a reasonable price, than two with a slightly higher than necessary pricetag. Damn capitalism. Damn commercialism. If you can get your hands on copies to borrow, I'd take that route first.

A Big Mess
This is a big DC crossover involving too many different titles. The two volumes attempt to collect stories involving Superman, Wonder Woman, Young Justice, and Impulse. A lot of back story seems missing and the artwork often looks like bad manga. I am really hating these kinds of crossovers, and reading these stories in this GN format is extremely confusing.

Why does Superman whine so much?
I'm giving this 3 stars, but this is a VERY GENEROUS 3 stars. The only reason I'm doing that is because the action is pretty good and there's a lot of it.

What is going on here? I know Superman doesn't quite have the resolve of Batman, but Superman is supposed to be the standard of the DC Universe. The one they turn to when all else fails. So why is he whining so much? Why is he neglecting Lois? Why is he so annoying? Who knows. They don't explain it to us.

It should be noted that there is a lot missing. Most of the DC Universe books touched upon this crossover & they can't all be included. However, that doesn't explain why the plot is so confusing. There are parts that are just cryptic.

There are some genuinely suspenseful parts, the subplot between Lex and his Brainiac'd daughter being the highlight.

Again, there's a lot of pretty good action (including a good slap 'em up between Supes & Darkseid). But what separates the guys who wrote this from the truly great writers is plot. And that is lacking here.

Terrible
This book is a collection of one of the worst "earth shattering" DC events in a long time.

I'm not sure if it's the story or the way it's presented (maybe parts are missing) but it absolutely makes no sense whatsoever. It's boring, convoluted and confusing. The art is passable, and even good in certain issues, but that's not enough to keep me interested.

What a mess. This is why I stopped collecting comics on a regular basis and started buying TPBs/Graphic Novels. This is a waste of paper. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Edmund Lau Kok Ming Missed the Point
While this isn't a great collection, Batman's speech was probably the high point: He's explaining that he HAS TO divorce himself emotionally from certain cases in order to investigate them properly: Right now he has to focus on the clues, without being distracted by his feelings for Lois. It's a bit creepy that he can do this so completely, but that's part of what makes the character interesting.

Lousy writing and artwork!
Superman is infected by a virus and Lois Lane is missing. This sets up the storyline for this book. Except there's one problem! Namely, we never did get to see any of the two events happening at all! WHEN and HOW did Superman get infected? WHEN and HOW did Lois Lane go missing? Everything was shown "off-panel" - meaning we get some explanation later in expositional-style-flashback-dialogues-and-captions.

Furthermore, we have a totally out-of-character Batman recording in a cold way his step-by-step detective work, referring to Lois constantly as "the subject" (something that Batman will NEVER do - he believes too much in the individual to ever call anyone that, especially a close friend like Lois). Out-of-character Batman is teamed up with a wimpy, sick and badly-drawn Superman. And the whole lot is written by Joe Kelly who's only gift in comic-writing seems to be witty one-liners and toilet-humor.

And did I mention the uneven artwork? Interestingly, it was Marvel that began the manga-esque influence in their artwork (most noticeably in the X-Men books by Joe Madureira). Here, we have the massive artwork of Ed McGuiness coupled with several bad mangaesque artist like the Wizard Award Winner whose name I cannot even recall. Personally, I think a traditional character like Superman should be drawn by someone with a more traditional style like Steve Epting or Tom Derenick. McGuiness' art is fun but usually lacking in emotion and characterization. The rest of the pack in this book is simply horrendous. In fact, I dropped the Superman books immediately after this storyline.

A Great Storyline But The Artwork is Really Lacking...
This is without a doubt the best storyarc that came out of the whole 1999 relaunch of the Superman line of comics. The premise is that Superman must find the missing Lois Lane while trying not to succumb to Kryptonite poisoning (which happened in the previous tradepaperback). Yeah, it does sound like an episode of "Smallville", but trust me, it's written in a mature way that doesn't insult the reader's intelligence. The storytelling is top notch with a good blend of drama and humor. There's even a great cameo by Batman that further demonstrates the unique bond that these two heroes share.

The only downside to this otherwise great trade paperback is the disjointed artwork. This is a compilation of four Superman titles, so a certain amount of this is to be expected. But the range of varying artistic styles is rather extreme here. Some artists draw Superman way too goofy & cartoony, while others seem heavily influenced by the "manga" style. If ever there was a character not fit for the manga art style, it would be Superman! Unfortunately, fan favorite Ed McGuinness' art isn't featured in this volume, thus the inclusion of the guest artists with the manga art style. Aside from this minor gripe, this is a solid good read and worth checking out! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Proof that comics can still be fun.
I loved this trade as much as the original Generation series. The Generation "Universe" has evolved into an interesting place full of new superheros and old favorites. This is one of those series where the concept was good was it was thought of...and then it was extremely well executed. Who is the new Wonder Girl? How can the ghost of Batman be haunting the Joker if Batman is still alive? What old foe of the JLA returns to battle the JLA's decendants in the future?

All of this and tons more in one book! Loved it!

Jeff

How the DC Universe should be...
Generations 2 is an ELSEWORLDS story that takes place mainly around Superman and Batman. The concept is that heroes actually first appear in the date their first comic appearence was and they age nromally from there (so by the 60's Bruce Wayne is in his 40s-50s with a kid of his own). The story jumps every 11 years and gives you small snipits of the DC Universe according to John Byrne's unique vision.

This is the book to read if you want to read about super-HEROES.

Worth Generations of PRAISE!
I thought G2 was an amazing read and the perfect example of John Byrne's excellent ability to tell complicated stories with faultless plots and an uncanny ability to understand his characters.
The comics of the "imaginary story" DC universe are my all time favorite comic books and give readers an unprecedented take on superheroes and how they would change and affect the world in "real time".
What stunned me the most about this series was the wonderful way it touched and connected with the first series and took the stories where no reader would guess until after the fact.
Also the ending where Superman helps Batman learn something he didn't know about his past was one of the most touching and heartfelt stories in a comic I have ever seen.
Buy this book; the artwork alone is worth the price.

Superman and Batman are Joined by Other Heroes
In this second volume of Generations, the stories jump ahead at eleven-year increments. While there is some additional information given about the Superman and Batman timelines from the first volume, most of the book actually concerns the lives of other DC heroes.

Once again we see classic heroes in a universe where they age and breed at normal rates. This could have been very good, but there was just not enough space. Too many heroes are introduced with little or no explanation. Some are better fleshed out than others and some secrets of the universe are revealed.

Generations was a wonderful book, but Generations II makes the reader feel that Byrne will have to fill in all of the years to make it work for the DC pantheon. But then that would eliminate the Generations idea. The adventures are entertaining, but we want to know more. Perhaps it would have been better to do a Flash Generations, Green Lantern Generations, Wonder Woman Generations, etc.

Not As Good As Generations One
The second Generations series is a lot less successful than the first. It seems to try to do too much at once. It tries very hard to reference the first series, introduce new characters, and tie it into the DC Universe all at once. As a result, it becomes a jumble of characters who do not mean anything to anyone. We are introduced to a new Blackhawk, several new Flashes, and new Wonder Woman, etc but we never find out who they are or find out that their ties to the DC Universe are tenuous, at best. As such, while here are dozens of characters introduced, instead of getting a surprise, the reaction is more "who cares?"

There are a number of frustrating moments in this series. For example, when Superman's grandson Knightwing, out of nowhere, decides to marry the daughter of an old enemy, the story suddenly loses all credibility. Also, Batman's wife has one thing to tell him before she dies. We do not see her die, we do not see Batman mourn, we don't learn what that "last thing" was, and worst of all, we still do not know who she is.

In many ways, this is typical Byrne. Nice pictures, wordiness, and confused story. This concept would have worked if a little more effort was put into the backstory or if the original series had stricter editing. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Session Timed Out
The concept of time travel has been used as the spring board for many comic book stories over the years. The Man Of Steel is certainly no stranger to time hopping. Throughout his 6 and half decades, he has had many encounters in the past and future. One of the best time travel tales for the last son of Krypton is 94's Time And Time Again.

Superman is thrown through currents of time by the ruthless Linear Man. With a spotty memory, our hero finds himself going from the past to the far flung future, and back again. As he struggles to figure out what's going on...and a way home, he comes face to face with dinosaur attacks, Hitller's third Riech, King Arthur's Camelot and the Legion Of Superhereos from the future. The Tin Men and Waverider play pivitol roles in the story as well. Written by Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, and Roger Stern, the story has action, daring do, a bit of a mystery, and a laugh or two. The writers wisely focus on a fun factor and seem to like the freedom time travel gave them.

The art by Jurgens, Ordway, Bob Mcleod, and others is solid enough. As usual though, in a multipart story like this, some art stands out more, and the sub par stuff act as a distraction. In this case, Ordway's stuff is tops, and Jurgens work falls to second place.

The trade paperback collects the entire story and the covers of each chapter. Series Coordinator KC Carlson provides an introduction for the epic. The book is a fun 206 page read

Great Time-Travel Story
This was one of the first times that the post-crisis superman travelled through time, so it feels like a very fresh story. Among the periods he visits are the World War II and the far future where he walks through a museum of hte 20th Century. The JSA, The Demon, Booster Gold and some Legion of Superheroes characters are among those who make appearances.
Great art from everyone, especially Dan Jurgens and Jerry Ordway.

One of the best Superman/time travel stories ever written!
This trade paperback is great for fans of time travel stories and Superman. Superman is
accidently thrown through time by a temporal explosion with no control of where he goes.
Only powerful explosions can send him to other eras. On his journey he saves FDR, meets Merlin the magician, encounters a dinosaur, and witnesses the destruction of .... well,
buy this book to find out! It has it all! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A great addition to any Superman fan's collection.
Almost every story in this collection is a true gem in comic book reading. I had such a great time reading it, that I had it completed in less then a day. I keep coming back to the really good ones every once in a while.
I think the artists and writers of the 1950s were incredible. Reading stories like this makes me wish DC would release all of the 1950s Superman stories into collected editions, no matter how expensive that would be.
My personal favorites in this volume are the introduction of Superboy's dog Krypto and a story that has three of Superman's biggest rivals hatching a scheme to make Superman the joke of Metropolis.
I think the greatest thing about this period in Superman's life is how the writers would make Superman use his brains to get himself, his friends and Metropolis out of trouble more then his incredible strength. Very creative stuff and something you don't see very often in today's comics.

Super!
This is one terrific book! You have Superman's big brother, The pre Phantom zone villains, comic adaptations of Panic in the sky and Around the word with Superman. The only bad thing is this, I don't have anything against Mark Waid but since Christopher Reeve did The Superman 70s book intro, and Adam West did the Batman 60s intro, and with George Reeves gone, the honor of the introduction should have gone to Jack Larson. But all in all, a Super book! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Four-color comics have come of age, and Superman--every boy's hero circa 1938--is now a middle-aged, American cultural icon. To celebrate Superman's halcyon days, the Superman Masterpiece Edition, with its balance of whimsy and class, is the perfect toy for grownup boys. The box is super-size (one and a half feet square) and seals shut with a velcro flap. Outside it's decorated with classic Superman pop art, and inside are three separate tributes to the The Man of Steel. First is a full-color reproduction of the Superman #1, complete with ads for crystal radios, 9-in-1 opera glasses, and the magic nose flute. Next comes Les Daniels's lavishly illustrated volume, Superman: The Golden Age, tracing our hero through the years 1938-1955. The book features rare and never-before-seen images of pre-Superman artwork and story drafts by Siegel and Shuster. It also includes stills from cartoons and early movies. But the real treasure here is the polyresin figure--exclusive to this set. The statue is, frankly, one of the best pieces of Superman art you'll ever find: a tribute to Shuster's original Superman artwork rendered by comics master Alex Ross (of Kingdom Come fame) and painted by Chris Ware (creator of the cult classic Acme Novelty Library). The statue is a tasteful piece of Americana that will likely find a home atop your local version of the Daily Planet (e.g., a CD tower or bookcase). --Patrick O'Kelley ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A bit better than the Batman release
Very similar to the Batman Masterpiece Edition, this is a beautiful, but oversized and pricey, package. It consists of a large reinforced cardboard box containing a softcover reprint of Superman #1 and an abbreviated hardcover version of Les Daniels' Superman: The Complete History. Where the Batman Masterpiece contains a 9" Mego-style Batman figure, the Superman Masterpiece contains a superb 7" sculpture of Superman, designed by Alex Ross, reflecting his first appearance in Action Comics. Actually, the statue could be a maquette for the Fleischer Superman cartoons. It's really impressive! The box lid opens like a book, and the arrangement of the items within is very nice, giving them maximum visibility. This display, however, causes the box to be about twice the size of what it needs to be. Because of its large size and abundance of empty space, I guess Chronicle thought they could get away with it being priced so high. The Superman statue is so well-done, however, that I'll give it an extra star over the Batman Masterpiece. I even bought a second one so that I could display the statue.

Good packaging, but box needs more truth up front.
I like the way it is packaged but it would be better if they mentioned that the book by Les Daniels is a condensed version of his Superman: The Complete History. From whay I can see in side by side comparisons, the Golden Age history is word for word from the first book (they did include a complete comic story that wasn't in the first one, however). Also, they state that the Superman #1 reprint is accurate size. I have my doubts. I own Superman #24 from a few years later, obviously, and it is about 1/2 inch larger in dimensions on the top and side. The statue is nice, though. I feel the package is worth it at Amazon's discount price but not full retail.

Superbox
This beautifully assembled Masterpiece Edition includes three classic pieces: 1)A handsome, well documented book written by comicbook historian Les Daniels. 2)A faithfully reproduced full-color edition of the FIRST EVER Superman comic which first appeared in 1939. (And last but certainly NOT least...)3)A finely crafted, richly colored 8 inch tall statue of Superman as he was originally drawn in the 1939 comicbook.

All three come encased in a sturdy fold away box perfect for both storage and display.

A MUST for any serious collector of "The Last Son of Krypton" or of classic comics.

Must Read for Superman fans!
If you already have "Superman:The Complete History", by Les Daniels, then you've already read "Superman:The Golden Age" since it's written by the same author & covers the same ground(CH covers 1933-today, while GA covers 1933-55)but, the statue by Ross, DeVito, & Ware makes this worth the purchase, whether you have the book or not. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Beyond Those Of Mortal Men
After you have already killed the man of steel, had his funeral, and then brought him back to life, what do you do for an encore? You "kill" his alter ego or secret identity of course.

When the villianous Conduit learns that Superman and Clark Kent are the same person, the life of our hero is turned upside down, and the lives of those closest to him are put in danger, as a form of blackmail. Therefore: Kent must die. At face value, the story is an interesting idea, but the way it unfolds left me disappointed. One of the things that bothered me about the story was its villian. Quite frankly, using Conduit, was a bad idea. The back cover of the trade paperback proclaims that he is one of "his greatest foes". While a certain amount of hyperbole is fine to describe charaters in comics, in the story, he hardly came across as "great The character seemed like one big cliche. In the end it was like so what let's move on. The story didn't have the impact that I think the Superman writers were hoping for. Due in large measure, to a poorly realized foe--the story would have worked had Luthor or Brainiac been the main catalyst. The story seemed to go on much longer than it needed to.

The Superman artists did a nice job on the muti part story As usual the work of Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding, the legendary Gil Kane, and Dennis Janke stand out here, among all the artists who worked on the saga

The trade paperback collects all 12 parts of the story and includes reprints of the covers as well The book has 319 pages. Who knows? With a better villian and a shorter length, things may have turned out much more enjoyable than they did. Buy this book only at a discount if you must-otherwise don't bother Read The Death Of Superman instead

The horror, the horror!
This book is absolutely horrible. I bought it on SALE in a local comic shop and thank God it was discounted! I went home and read it and haven't reread it since. I wouldn't re-open this graphic novel if I was super-bored! This is absolutely the worst Superman trade paperback (well, The Marriage of Superman is also Horrendous) so ONLY buy this if it is discounted. I am not a fan of Dan Jurgen's Superman. He killed Superman, remember? And brought him back. He married Superman. And he killed Clark Kent? Geez, if he's trying to make his mark on Superman, I'd suggest he come up with something creative. Now, he's not the prime writer in this trade paperback, but you can see the indecision around here. There is no unity or solid storytelling with this whole group of writers. Superman never looked so confusing and lost and the writers go off and kill his identity?? This is a major no buy. Buy it if you are a die-hard Superman fan. Buy it if you are missing these issues and cannot find them in the .50 cent bin. Buy this if you are a collector of graphic novels. Buy this if you are curious. But if you are looking for a great read, I'd suggest you look elsewhere (ie, anything NON-Dan Jurgens)

Not too good!
Now don't get me wrong. It was as enjoyable as any other mediocre comic book, but not worth the money. Read the 'Death of Superman' et al series if you really want to see Clark die! ...and die he does!

What went wrong...
Don't get me wrong; I love the TPB. The only thing is that it left too many questions unanswered. Q1: What happened to Jimmy? His kidnapping was never resolved. Q2: Who was that guy that looked a lot like Conduit that we see in the comic after Braverman's death?

OK. Not that many questions. But I think I've cracked the shell. If there's one thing I don't like it's open endings. I know the Luthor bit at the end make it open, too, but that I can accept.

Other than these things, the comic was great.

EXCELLENT!
I loved this comic, not really being a fan of the Superman comics - but more of the Lois & Clark - I have to say I loved this book. A Must buy. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

What happened?
After the great "Death of Superman" series, this work was not up to my expectations. The artwork was sadly sub-standard and it was a very weak portrayal of Superman. I can't quite picture Superman so willingly being a doormat, even for Lois. If this were my only exposure I wouldn't come back, even with the interesting twist at the end.

Introducing: Superman the Softie!
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman to be the modern mythical hero ala' Hercules. Read the Golden Age tales collected in the Archive Editions. Superman fights for the everyman. Superman is a crusader. Superman is proactive and sometimes even works outside the law, all the while believing in the greater good. Then read this insipid volume and weep!

In the early days of the Silver Age (1950s), Superman is criticized for being more "Steel" than "Man". Therefore the warm and funny "Shazam" comics were outselling Superman nearly every month. When Mort Weisinger brought in Jerry Siegel and Otto Binder to rework the entire Superman mythos in the late 1950s, however, the book took on a change for the better. We are introduced to a Superman Family and to his Kryptonian past. Superman became a character with tragedy, family and fun all mixed together. With the 1986 revamp of the character by John Byrne, he became even more "human", having grown up in Smallville and all. The team of Dan Jurgens, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern and Jerry Ordway sought to always balance the "Steel" and the "Man" showing him as a very powerful hero who at the same time have very human sentiments.

Then came Jeph Loeb. "Superman For All Seasons", the Smallville TV series and now this. Superman is no longer the Man of Steel. He's now the man of soft-putty. Granted, Loeb wanted to bring Supes back to his Smallville roots but he tends to overdo it. Supes became a softie, a country-bumpkin. Worse is Superman's attitude towards his wife, Lois Lane. Granted, Supes is a good husband - but under the hands of Loeb and gang in this volume, Supes doesn't even dare to breathe unless Lois gives him permission! The melodrama is a little too much.

Now the story. Lois is acting like a total b*tch in this story. Superman is trying to suck up to her to make her stop acting so b*tchy! Turns out that Lois is actually replaced by Parasite (since when? oh, it happened off-panel?). Superman fights Parasite-Lois. That's all! Worse still, the story doesn't get resolved until the next insipid volume "Critical Condition" that is even worse than this one (if that is even possible)!!!

The only highlight here is the art by Ed McGuiness. Though not the traditional style associated with Superman, McGuiness is able to make everything look BIG and FUN almost effortlessly with his manga-esque art. As for the writing, most of it is done by Jeph Loeb and Joe Kelly. In my opinion, Joe Kelly can't write even if it is to save his life (read some of his JLA to see what I mean). As for Loeb, I actually like HOW he writes but not WHAT he writes. He has the ability to let the reader "see" into the thoughts of the characters but the plots are all so paper-thin that the whole thing amounts to nothing more than self-important introspection.

All in all, a TERRIBLE work by a creative team that should have delivered better. I dropped the Superman books not long after this story and the next, "Critical Condition". If this trend continues, the "condition" of the Superman books is "critical" indeed!

Very Enjoyable
Full spectrum of stories are presented here. Some fun, some touching, some exciting. I highly recommend it.

Too Convoluted and Boring.
One thing you can say about the Superman books over the last several years is that the stories are either too difficult to follow or they are medicore at best. Which desribes this collection of stories for his poor dialoge, lack of character development, and "a sense of rushing the story along", and in the end, it is a waste of both your time and the money you paied buying the book in the first place. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Trial And Error-A Drawn Out Epic
The Trial Of Superman is another muti-part comic book story, that spanned 3 months, when it first appeared in single issue format. Billed as another major event, in the man of steel's life-ala The Wedding, Death and Resurrection, and others published over the last decade, Trial ends up as a story of mixed results.

As Superman battles the villian known as Parasite, an alien tribunal that has been keeping an eye on him for some time, decides to charge him for the crimes of his ancestors. They believe that it is those actions-that doomed the planet Krypton-Superman's homeworld In order to clear his name, the last son of a long dead world, must become a fugitive from justice, or face death. The problem I had with the story was its length. Unlike the epic Death Of Superman story, that begged for a larger canvas, I think that the Trial Of Supes story could have been told in far less time, than it actually took to play out. After reading the trade paperback, I would have to say, if the story were not as drawn out, it would have been a stronger story At times, especially during the sky pirates subplot, the story seemed to wander aimlessly and things get very unfocused. The writers should have taken just 6-8 "chapters" for this storyline. That would have trimmed the fat.

The art for the story was completed by a talented group of folks Some of it, as you might expect, turns out better, than others. The use of thicker paper stock and a gloss, punches everthing up a bit, over the standard paper used in single comics. This helps to lessen the different artist's styles of the book. But that's not enough to save the story

The book includes a cover gallery and a few guest stars as well. The 263 page trade paperback is recommended, only if you like things drawn out, almost to point of boredom

A Memorable Epic
This is everything a Superman epic should be...almost.

Superman's battle with a new and improved Parasite is rather rudely interrupted by agents of an intergalactic tribunal headed by a Kenneth Starr type who thinks Superman must own up to the destruction of Krypton. Supes goes on the lam while Eradicator and Team Superman search for him. The Cyborg seems eager to collect the bounty placed on Superman, but his real plans are far more ominous.

Although many don't share MHO, I like the Cyborg. Brainiac and Luthor are better, but he's got alot of angst, he striking back at a world that no longer considers him normal.

I also liked that Supes wasn't framed for a crime he didn't commit. Though unjustifiably targeted for a witch hunt, he does have a dark page in his family history that he has to own up to.

My only complaints are omissions in the TPB. The origin of the smarter Parasite, and Luthor's explanation of how he got the healthy body at the end of The Death of Clark Kent TPB are conspicously misson from the collection, though they clearly needed to be there. It's bound to slightly frustrate readers when they look at the cover gallery and see Luthor on the cover of part 8, but find that all his scenes were cut from the TPB. Also, I believe they made a mistake by having this story at the same time as another crossover was occuring through the DCU titles. They should've planned things a little bit better in that regard. All in all though, I think they should do another big "Space Epic" crossover, so this and Exile could be part of a trilogy.

Weak writing and poor artwork cripple this project.
A weak attempt to turn Superman into an intergalactic "Fugitive" is hampered by poor plotting, dialogue, and artwork. The initial premise might be workable for other characters, but Superman, by his very nature, does not fit into the mold of the hounded underdog.

Do not recommend.

Good Writing, Average Art
I thought that the book was well written but the art by some of the many illustrators was weak. I really liked Tom Grummet's, and Stuart Immonen's work though.

There was no evidence!
Setups are everything! This one was not good. How does a tribunal of vigilantes go about the galaxy and capture alleged (by them)criminals without regard to the rule of law including Superman? Fortunately, there is plenty of galaxy-spanning action with excellent artwork on slick pages. Still, the setup needed to be better. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Exceeded expectations
Wow. The wait was worth it. Originally published as a 4-issue series, DC did the right thing by collecting this in trade format. "Generations" is a very enjoyable story which deals with Batman and Superman in real-time: in other words, they were introduced in 1939 and age accordingly over the next century. So, instead of Bruce Wayne continuously being Batman, as he has for over 60 years (through retcons, Crisis, etc.), he ages, and the mantle is passed to others. Superman has to deal with a similar situation, for even if he doesn't age as a human does, Clark Kent has to. The best feature of the book is following these two heroes throughout the 20th century, and seeing their secret identities play a greater role in shaping their lives. They behave more like normal people.

It amazes me that John Byrne was able to cover a staggering amount of material in just 4-issues, but he pulls it off very smoothly. Also, the story is loaded with Golden/Silver-Age references, and each decade manages to capture the atmosphere of what comics were like at that time, so if you enjoyed the pre-Crisis versions of these heroes, this is the book for you.

A Taste of the Golden Age in these Modern Times
I am not the biggest fan of John Byrne, because of his casual lack of modern continuity and numerous other reasons, but when he is at the top of his form I really love his work. In Generations, Byrne asks the question, "What if the first meeting Superman and Batman really did take place in 1939 and they both character aged in real time?" As the story infolds, Byrne separates the issues into two chapters with each chapter set in a specific decade and the story styled to that decades comic style (i.e. the campiness of the 50s, the dark 80s). What starts off being a story about two men slowly becomes a story about generations that circles back to the story of two men again. I recommend this to anyone looking for a nostaglic look at good storytelling and any John Byrne fan, because this is his best work in years.

A Creative Reworking of the World's Finest
This is an imaginary tale. One set in a different sort of comic universe. One where the characters age at a normal rate. Central to the story are two classic heroes, Superman and the Batman.

Skipping ahead through time in ten-year increments (with a final chapter taking place earlier than the rest), we follow the careers of Superman and Batman as well as their personal lives; spouses and children. There are some classic villains thrown into the mix but this is really the story of lives and not individual adventures.

Byrne does a very good job of capturing the look and feel of the comics' eras the stories are set in. He even includes the original inconsistencies in the universe (i.e. Superman originally could not fly (leaping in single bounds) but Superboy could). Unfortunately, information like this that was included in the original introductions were cut from this collected edition thus causing some confusion.

Some of the book is very dark as with aging comes dying. There are arguments, strife, separations and mysteries. Who did Bruce Wayne marry? We don't know as her face is never shown. But the effect of these generational glimpses is one of a complete story that is entertaining all the way.

Quite Boring
When I saw this Batman & Superman combination, from John Byrne no less, I was excited to pick it up. Boy was I disappointed. The concept is intruiging and the whole premise attempts to humanize superheroes but I found the whole story boring and quite uninteresting. It was almost half over before I began to more than bored but then the whole thing was unbelieveable (I know it's only a comic) and the end was really weak. The whole thing would have been better if it had been told in an epic format and been a little darker. I noticed a sequel is coming out but based on this story I recommend avoiding it altogether!

It's...silly.
After a long absence from the Superman mythos (god, he is sorely missed), John Byrne returns not with a continuation of his more reality-based take on the Man of Steel, but instead with this generation-spanning tribute to his past.

Beginning in 1939, early in the careers of both Superman and Batman (who appears less in this than you may think), it has a brief introduction to all the relevant characters (including the "Ultra-Humanite" and proceeds to check in on the characters once every ten years. The Superman and Batman families expand, collide, and divide again over the years, and theoretically, the tonality of the project shifts to deal not only with these changes, but the very tone of the decades in which the characters existed. Byrne seems to stall on the sixties, however. The convoluted stories, surprise revelations, and stalwart, flawless characters remain true to the Julius Schwartz years, and never accelerate into the years and tone which Byrne himself drove.

It is a herculean task, however, to achieve what he did: redefine and meld the two stories, introduce and reimagine many of the side characters, and, in the end, make a meaningful story. As a whole, though, this feels like a first draft. To go back and add some more explanation (why can't Superman fly in 1939 in this universe?), shift the tone as necessary, and make the work feel more...fluid.

Close, but no cigar. But still...come back to Superman, Byrne! We need you! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Book is too small to capture the true cover art
I was very disapointed after receiving this book.I have an extensive Superman book collection and looked forward to this item.I purchased it online and did not realize how small the book actually is (approximately 3" x 4").The size does not do justice to the cover art work.

A "Must Have" for any comic art fan!
This book gives you each of the Superman covers.The second twenty five years are a little more polished and better than the first twenty five.The artistic simplicty and style of the times are apparent in this volume.A more innocent time; where comics did not attempt to recreate Frank Miller's "Dark Knight" with each passing month. The "Death of Superman" story did little more than make the character into a darker version.I'm glad the "All American" Superman is back though.His current stories reflect the classic character we all know and love. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Superman: The Sunday Classics is a gem!
Superman: The Sunday Classics, 1939-1943 reprints the newspaper weekend Sunday colored strip stories of Superman. Superman, created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, was originally meant for the syndicated strips that ran in the newspapers. As the Man of Steel had made his first appearance in comic books first in 1938, it was after becoming a huge success there that his creators would bring the hero to the newspaper strips immediately.

I loved these stories, found them to be quite exciting. The evolution of Superman was happening in these strips. He would later on start chanting his infamous "Up, up and away!" phrase. From fighting crooked criminals, giant robots, Nazis, to even the elements of World War II, this book shows just how Superman was still there fighting against injustice. I was quite pleased with the quality reproduction that was taken to restore these strips. It really looks fabulous, and tips off to the publishers of this book, DC Comics and Kitchen Sink Press on a job well done in restoring these long time gems once again for old and new readers to read once more. A worthy addition to anyone's library.

The Evolution of Superman
Siegel and Shuster conceived Superman as a newspaper strip. This is where they wanted to be. And it shows. Comics may be for kids but the adults also read the weekend comic section. It's readable. It shows America concerns before their entry into WW2. It shows the propaganda of the day as America started to fight in WW2. This book shows us Superman at the beginning. He's jumping not flying. The art is crude. As you continue to read this volume Superman begins to fly, really does say 'up, up and away', and changes in telephone booths and slowly becomes the Superman of popular culture today. The art also improves as you read the book. The reproduction of the Sunday pages is superb with crisp, clean colors. This book is a gem. Superman as he was. Superman as we know him today. A worthy addition to your library. ... Read more

Book Description

Lives were at stake on the far side of the world; and no other person on Earth except Superman stood a chance of helping those people if that dam went. Four more dams were downriver. That whole region, rocked by earthquakes and deluged by spring rains, was in imminent danger.

In this exciting novel, author C.J. Cherryh takes us deep into the private lives and thrilling adventures of Superman and Lois Lane. As Superman struggles desperately half a world away to save a village threatened by a bursting dam, Lois Lane throws herself into the rescue effort at a collapsed hotel in Metropolis—and emerges a hero. Caught in the glare of national media attention, nothing in her life will ever be the same again . . . including her relationship with Clark Kent.

About the Author

C.J. Cherryh is the author of more than fifty novels, and her work has been translated into fourteen languages. She has won the coveted Hugo Award three times, in addition to numerous other awards and honors. Perhaps best known for Downbelow Station and Cyteen, her novels regularly appear on bestseller lists. Ms. Cherryh lives in Oklahoma. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Wonderful tv tie in novel that stands on it's own 2 feet
As a fan of "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman", I have to say that Cheeryh's portrayal of their relationship, and the characters themselves, was spot on for me. She did a marvellous job of conveying the depth of feeling the two characters have for one another, and portrayed a realistic relationship that was all the stronger for it's rocky patches. The plot is top notch, and rings true and while a lot less flamboyant than the series scripts in many ways, it remained true to the unique premise of this 1990s version of the Man of Steel and the Planet's ace reporter. I can't recommend this book enough, and hope that all the FoLCs enjoy re-reading it as much as I do.

Save your money
I have to say, that I was very disappointed in this book. I have read far better stories on the fanfiction archive, and believe me when I say they are also more loyal to the show. The book was one long drag, and thinking back I can't remember how I even ever got to the end.

There's Superman, there's Lois - where's Lois and Clark?
...I had thoroughly enjoyed Cherryh's fantasy novels and so had high expectations of this book - based, so the blurb claimed, on my favourite series and penned by one of my favourite authors. How could it fail?

Well, quite simply, it failed for me because calling it a novel based on the TV series was a fraud and a misnomer. Calling it a novel based on the comic books would have been more honest.

What a huge disappointment! If you are a fan of the comic books you will probably enjoy this tale of Superman battling disasters while Lois investigates an entirely separate plot strand back in Metropolis. I think they were together for about 2 paragraphs in total.

Okay, slight exaggeration. But what I wanted to read about was the characters in the TV show and I didn't find them anywhere in this.

Coupled with the Superman dominated storyline, I found myself increasingly irritated with references and characterisations lifted straight from the comic books - in direct contradiction to the characterisations set up in the TV show. In Cherryh's novel for instance Lois has a cat. She does in the comics, certainly. It must have been invisible on the screen because I never saw it there. Or ever heard it mentioned. There were other such anomolies throughout.

By the end of this book I was wondering if Cherryh had even watched an episode of the show before penning this one.

Nice cover though.

For fans of CJ Cherryh, not Lois & Clark
Everyone either loves this book or hates it. If you're a Cherryh fan, you'll definitely love it. If you're a Lois and Clark fan, you might hate it. It has nothing to do with the TV show, and I can't imagine why she named it that, except that it's an attempt at a realistic portrayal of their relationship. But I think the allegations that it's just another TV tie-in money-grubbing scheme are unfair. She's written 56 books in 23 years and won 3 Hugo awards. So like I said, if you're a Cherryh fan, buy it, you'll love it. If you're not, don't.

Better stuff is on the Net
I know and have heard C.J. Cherryh is a popular science fiction author -- but I have to agree with the other reviewers of this book; this book just had little if anything to do with "Lois & Clark" the TV series. I'm a big L&C fan (even the president of what was/is the largest "L&C" fan club on the Net), but I have read so much better. Find the fanfiction archive and look for Debby Stark's "Dawning" series for example, or the story "Full Circle: A New Day" by the TUFS staff, and I'm pretty sure you'd be a lot more fulfilled than this book would ever make you. ... Read more

Book Description

For 60 years the world famous Man of Steel has used his superpowers to fight for truth, justice, and fair play against the forces of evil and chaos. With unparalleled access to the archives of DC Comics-the creators of Superman-classic art is combined with some never-before-published work to create Superman: Ultimate Sticker Book.Superman stickers to decorate just about anything, or stick them on the full-color scenes included in the book to create your own Super stories. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Stan Lee creates a better Superman then DC currently has.
I rather liked this story. Stan gave the Superman story a more believable premise and it was a good page turner. Good artwork also.

Just Imagine NOT buying this book!
I love Superman, and I have a fondness for Stan Lee, so I bought this title hoping for at the very least a good read. John Buscema is also one of the masters of comicbook art, so I expected a visual treat. All I can say is, expectations were crushed by the terrifying waste of paper and time that is this book.

The writing is ham-handed and campy, and the characterizations are broad and silly. The plot is unimaginative, being parts Silver Surfer, parts I don't know what. It seemed like Lee sat down with a list of things he wanted to put in, and just lightly sewed those things together with as little thought as possible.

This book is painfully bad, and the artwork does not in the least save it. There is a fun little story in the back that is amusing, but not nearly amusing enough to save the whole package.

Save your money - save your sanity - avoid this title. Buy the Just Imagine Wonder Woman title... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Forget Tim Burton's Batman, just think about Fritz Lang's Superman. That's right, writers Jean-Marc Lofficier and Roy Thomas and edgy expressionist artist Ted McKeever present an "Elseworlds" story in which Clark Kent and Superman inhabit the world of Lang's Metropolis. Even if you're not familiar with the Lang film, this book is worth it for the stunning and creepy McKeever art, presented in full color on high-quality, glossy paper. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Superman Metropolis--Elseworlds
Great Concept: Combine the Superman Mythos with the 1927 film "Metropolis"... an entertaining and refreshing read! ... Read more