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Superman/Batman: Generations

Superman/Batman: Generations

List Price: $17.95
Your Price: $12.21
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: It's...silly.
Review: 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!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Commander Silly Pants
Review: Being a long time fan of DC comics, the Big, Red S, and the Batman (I'm into my sixth! decade, now), I found this piece to be a nostalgic tour-de-force! It was great to see Superman and The Bat-man in the days of the vigilantes and I reveled in the way that they aged "normally" through the ensuing decades. The story did have the feel of being a little cut-up as we dropped in for a single episode every ten years, but something had to be sacrificed to cover the panorama of the Heroes' lives as they stretched out over nearly a millenium. By reading other reviews, after my purchase by the way, I get the idea that there may be a follow-on (may already be a follow-on). This book recommends itself so well, that I will try to latch onto any sequels!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An Long-time Fan's Delight
Review: Being a long time fan of DC comics, the Big, Red S, and the Batman (I'm into my sixth! decade, now), I found this piece to be a nostalgic tour-de-force! It was great to see Superman and The Bat-man in the days of the vigilantes and I reveled in the way that they aged "normally" through the ensuing decades. The story did have the feel of being a little cut-up as we dropped in for a single episode every ten years, but something had to be sacrificed to cover the panorama of the Heroes' lives as they stretched out over nearly a millenium. By reading other reviews, after my purchase by the way, I get the idea that there may be a follow-on (may already be a follow-on). This book recommends itself so well, that I will try to latch onto any sequels!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Great Concept, Poor Execution
Review: Despite having an excellent premise, this series fell flat due to the poor exectution by John Byrne. Is it just me, or does his current lackluster style of art show how lazy he's become? His original Superman work is far superior in quality of both story and art. This series had many good concepts but Byrne's corny dialogue, poor character design, and hokey storylines within the series left it feeling a bit too "cutesy" and childish. However, there are some fun moments but they aren't enough to outweigh the glaring flaws in this book. however, the series was well-recieved so you be the judge.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best comic imho EVER
Review: Generations is my all time favorite comic series.
A must read tale of Superheroes (SUPERMAN and BATMAN and their "generations") in real time over the span of many years.
This story spawned a sequal called G2 and yet another 12 issue mini that starts this January.
give this book a try and you will find an emotional roller coaster ride that will lift you up or make you sad- it is an impressive story.
The best.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Byrne Exceeds Expectations
Review: I am not the biggest fan of John Byrne's writing. He tends to cram his word balloons full of words and subsequently, becomes lazy with his artwork. This story, however, he takes a good concept, Superman and Batman aging in real time, and actually presents a good story. This is a great nod to the original (Earth-2) Superman and Batman and I can see bits of Shuster, Kane, Sprang, and Swan in his work. Byrne gave a lot more attention to details (Superman's 'S' shield, for example) than he has in recent years. He proves that when he sets his mind on putting out a good story, he is still capable of doing so.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Taste of the Golden Age in these Modern Times
Review: 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.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Commander Silly Pants
Review: I thought that this book was one hootin' hollerin' good time!!! It made me jump, it made me cry, but most of all it made me pee. I can't tell you how many times I've looked at a story like this and said "Boy, I'd like a snowcone right about now." but when I read this fine piece of reading material I found myself squeeling in extacy. I like the pretty colors and the way my eyes cross when I try to read the small text....

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: This is the biggest stinker of all time
Review: In 20 years of comics reading, I have yet to encounter a more pathetic story. Byrne's previously respected talent was deep-sixed by this atrocity.

In many ways, this book reminds me of Titanic, Armageddon or Pearl Harbor. Draw in the crowds with an action-packed trailer and big names, and then gas them with sappy, drawn-out love stories and crossover explanations that a four year-old could have given more depth.

I truly feel that an important chunk of my life was soiled by reading this poo, and only hope this review helps redeem me by forewarning a possible hapless victim.

(I wish negative stars were possible, as 1 star doesn't begin to represent my feelings about this book.)

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: This is why Byrne is burned out.
Review: John Byrne set out with the idea of showing how comicbook characters (Superman, Batman, and their respective casts) might have developed if the characters were allowed to age real time. It starts with the two heroes meeting in 1939, and it presents additional chapters set at the 10 year intervals. Each chapter is written and drawn in the style of the comics of that decade - thus the styles vary from chapter to chapter. John does an excellent job capturing each era. In reading this book, one might feel that a lot of story happens "off panel" - since each chapter only shows one point in a year and happens 10 years after the previous chapter. This was part of John's intention as well. The whole idea was to tell a story while outlining events. The hope is for more of the stories and other years to be filled in with follow on projects. And it appears that DC has green-lighted for John to do Generations II which should hit stores in 2001.


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