Superman for All Seasons

Rating:
Summary: Mr. Kent Goes to Metropolis
Review: "Superman for All Seasons" is a comic book as directed by Frank Capra. Smallville is an easy swap for Bedford Falls, and the Kents could easily be the steadfast Bailys. (In a direct homage, Pete Ross says "I wish I had a million dollars!" at the soda fountain.)

It's a good fit. Jeph Loeb captures the 1940's idealistic dream of the 1930's perfectly, while still managing to set the series in modern times. Lex Luthor makes a nice glowering Mr. Potter, greedily lusting after the only thing his money can't buy. This optimistic writing style comes as quite a surprise from the pen of a writer most known for giving us the darkest side of Batman.

Keeping with the theme, Tim Sale borrows heavily from the Fleischer Superman cartoons of the early 1940's including a brilliant adaptation of the Fleischer's flying effect for Superman. The art is very stylized, and suits the story. Superman is huge, in the way that a big brother is huge to a small child. His size is comforting, rather than intimidating.

There are few comics that deserve the hardback format. "Superman for All Seasons" is one of them.

Rating:
Summary: Mr. Kent Goes to Metropolis
Review: "Superman for All Seasons" is a comic book as directed by Frank Capra. Smallville is an easy swap for Bedford Falls, and the Kents could easily be the steadfast Bailys. (In a direct homage, Pete Ross says "I wish I had a million dollars!" at the soda fountain.)

It's a good fit. Jeph Loeb captures the 1940's idealistic dream of the 1930's perfectly, while still managing to set the series in modern times. Lex Luthor makes a nice glowering Mr. Potter, greedily lusting after the only thing his money can't buy. This optimistic writing style comes as quite a surprise from the pen of a writer most known for giving us the darkest side of Batman.

Keeping with the theme, Tim Sale borrows heavily from the Fleischer Superman cartoons of the early 1940's including a brilliant adaptation of the Fleischer's flying effect for Superman. The art is very stylized, and suits the story. Superman is huge, in the way that a big brother is huge to a small child. His size is comforting, rather than intimidating.

There are few comics that deserve the hardback format. "Superman for All Seasons" is one of them.

Rating:
Summary: Retro Superman Tale by the King of Retro
Review: First reading: Jeph Loeb does what he does best with this story. Retro, introspective meditation on an iconic character. And teamed with Tim Sale, the duo delivers one of the most heartfelt reexamination of the Superman mythos ever. I do not dislike this work but I dislike everything that came as a result of this work:

1) Loeb is made the chief writer of the Superman books and there his weakness is glaring. The man is all retro and introspection all the time but very, very weak on plots. He's great for a work like this one as well as his Marvel "color" books. But not for regular monthly work where plot is chief. Superman is turned into a softie, country-bumpkin under his care.

2) "Smallville". 'Nuff said!

Upon rereading, I'll say that "Superman For All Seasons" serve as a nice momento from the early days of Superman's story but does little more than that. It doesn't really progress the Superman mythos nor challenge our views of Superman. It simply rephrases (in a rather melodramatic way) what we already know and commonly agree to be true. It's pretty but in a rather empty way in that it really offers so little.

Rating:
Summary: Good story, but not as good as I expected
Review: Having read so many good reviews for this book, I couldn't wait to read it. But while this is a nice, slightly-moody retelling of Superman's coming of age, and coming to terms with who he is, it really didn't leave me spellbound. Plus, the drawings of Clark Kent really seem like he's more fat than fit on the farm. Bottom line: an okay tale, but I really was expecting to be knocked off my feet.

Rating:
Summary: The "It's A Wonderful Life" of Comics
Review: Here's a rarity in the current comic book enviroment: a story old-fashioned, sentimental, and true to its characters, rather than propelled by rapping sidekicks or less-than-permanently death. I'd encourage anyone, even those readers who would never pick up a "funny book" to give this one a spin. The feeling it envokes has as much to do with wistful yearning for an America that maybe didn't exist but should have as it does tell a good Supes beats up Luthor story.

Rating:
Summary: THE best Superman story ever
Review: I am not what you would call a Superman fan. I think he is kinds dorky, and does not have the best tales under his belt...(that sounds kinda weird, but anyway) BUT this story changed my opinions on him. He is portrayed as his is in real like: AN ICON. He is huge in this book, the art and narration show his size and importence where ever he is. It has comedy, drama, and a lot of action. Pick this one up! NOW!

Rating:
Summary: Definitive Superman story
Review: I cannot express how much I enjoyed this book. I am a long-time fan of the Man of steel, dating back to the original Superman movies of the seventies. In recent years, Superman has been through some tough times with a massive revision followed by a death and resurrection. And those were the good parts. Story-telling in the last five years had strayed from the original vision of Superman. Long hair? I don't think so. This collection is a true back to basics of the character that showcases the best of the Superman mythos. Tim Sale's artwork is simply perfect, capturing the time lost warmth and familiarity of Smallville and the modern marvel of the bustling big-city Metropolis. The charcaters have character, something lacking in a great deal of graphic novels. Jeph Loeb spins an interesting tale, albeit a revisited re-telling, that focuses on how the Superman characters really are. The true stand-out for me anyway was the coloring which is utterly fantastic. Bjarne Hansen deserves his cover credit. Beautiful all the way around, and a true comics masterpiece

Rating:
Summary: The definitive version of a classic.
Review: I have a love/hate relationship with superhero comic books.

I can't get interested in stories that take place in a universe where there are countless superheroes, all clad in bright spandex, who frequently team up to fight alien invaders, supernatural creatures, each other, etc. That was too silly for me when I started reading comics at age 10, and it's too silly for me now.

What I can appreciate are stories that take place in something like the real world, where *one* fantastic element is introduced, something extraordinary happens to an ordinary person, and they use their powers to become something great.

_Superman for All Seasons_ is such a story, about an otherwise normal, mild-mannered boy from Kansas who grows up to be Superman.

Jeph Loeb, whose work on Batman comics has been problematic at times, is note-perfect here. Tim Sale's art evokes Norman Rockwell paintings, Frank Capra movies, and the 1940's Superman cartoons.

If you read just one superhero comic book in your lifetime, regardless of your age, you couldn't do much better than _Superman for All Seasons_.

Rating:
Summary: The definitive version of a classic.
Review: I have a love/hate relationship with superhero comic books.

I can't get interested in stories that take place in a universe where there are countless superheroes, all clad in bright spandex, who frequently team up to fight alien invaders, supernatural creatures, each other, etc. That was too silly for me when I started reading comics at age 10, and it's too silly for me now.

What I can appreciate are stories that take place in something like the real world, where *one* fantastic element is introduced, something extraordinary happens to an ordinary person, and they use their powers to become something great.

_Superman for All Seasons_ is such a story, about an otherwise normal, mild-mannered boy from Kansas who grows up to be Superman.

Jeph Loeb, whose work on Batman comics has been problematic at times, is note-perfect here. Tim Sale's art evokes Norman Rockwell paintings, Frank Capra movies, and the 1940's Superman cartoons.

If you read just one superhero comic book in your lifetime, regardless of your age, you couldn't do much better than _Superman for All Seasons_.

Rating:
Summary: Loeb and Sale, two of the best
Review: I received this book as a Christmas present, and let me say that it's one of the best I've ever gotten. It tells the story of Clark Kent, a young boy just starting to understand his powers. The first part takes place in Smallville, and the books ends in Metropolis. A classic Superman tale if there ever was one.

Loeb and Sale compliment each other completely. These two are responsible for many great titles, such as Daredevil: Yellow, and Spider-man: Blue. Another one of my favorite is Batman: The Long Halloween.

I love how the beginning of the book is told from the perspecitve of Clark's father. It really brings a down to earth side of the character out, and that's great because as a superhero, Superman can be hard to relate to. There's not much else I can say, besides this book should be in your collection.