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Rating: 
Summary: Not the most coherent trade paperback out there...
Review: I am not a regular reader of Superman comics, nor have I been a regular reader of comics in general the last few years, so I was very curious in learning the story behind Lex Luthor becoming president as soon as I heard about it. This book is supposed to provide that story, but instead it offers something less than that; I slightly incoherent, inconsistent, and hard to follow story made up of bits and pieces of various issues of the Superman titles. When so many different artists and writers are involved, the differences in tone and style quickly become distracting and annoying, particularly when the artist and writer would often change after just 2 or 3 pages. Viewpoints and characters also would change abruptly. There is no consistent flow at all. Overall this book is average, but the strong points include a short section featuring a meeting between Batman and Luthor.
Rating:
Summary: DC Comics' U.S. President is...
Review: Lex Luthor. Superman's arch-nemesis is now his Commander-In-Chief! Unbelievable? Believe it. This TPB collects different Superman issues from 2000 to 2001, which chronicles how Lex Luthor, the Man of Steel's most implacable foe, decides to run for President of the United States. Intriguing? Very! But does it deliver? Well, yes and no. The strong part of this TPB is the artwork. I know some would definitely argue that some of the illustrations in this collection are mediocre at best (since it varies from one chapter to another), but some of the book's shining moments include Ed McGuinness' and Tony Harris' take on our intrepid hero. Yes, McGuinness' work is a bit cartoony and all, but when you look on the bright side, he does give Superman an entirely crisp and vibrant new look. Tony Harris' pencils are dark and moody; I think he's more suited for Batman and Daredevil, but his Lex Luthor sure looks diabolical enough for me, so kudos to him as well. For the resounding "no," well, the story lacks a certain build-up, since it definitely has no clear climax (with none of the characters showing any intent on achieving one). Story coherence and direction went zilch after the Aquaman chapter, leaving behind a few fisticuffs and some very boring action scenes. Although the "Batman-talking-to-Luthor" chapter was one of the clear-cut highpoints of this TPB, it still fell short of granting the book an overall bearing. Anyway, kudos to Jeph Loeb and Greg Rucka since they breathe into Superman/Luthor the human element readers can easily relate to (especially the Christmas episode and WHY Luthor decides to run for president). I guess for most parts, the story just wanders off here and there with so much references to Superman back issues [which you HAVE TO READ in order to comprehend the full impact of this particular storyline on the DC Universe]. Still, if you're a die-hard Superman fan, this book is worth taking a look at. But, if you're just a casual Man of Steel reader, I greatly recommend reading something else. =)
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