Absolute All Star Superman [Hardcover]

Grant Morrison (Author), Frank Quitely (Illustrator), Neal Adams (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Superman | Publication Date: November 1, 2011

Witness the Man of Steel in exciting new adventures featuring Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, Bizarro, and more! The Man of Steel goes toe-to-toe with Bizarro, his oddball twin, and the new character Zibarro, also from the Bizarro planet. And Superman faces the final revenge of Lex Luthor - in the form of his own death! Writer Grant Morrison teams with artist Frank Quitely on this spectacular reimagining of the Superman mythos, from The Man of Steel's origin to his greatest foes and beyond.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Grant Morrison's credits include Arkham Asylum, JLA, Animal Man, Doom Patrol, The Invisibles and The Filth. Frank Quitely has won acclaim for his work on high-profile titles including We3, The Authority, and New X-Men. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (November 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401229174
• ISBN-13: 978-1401229177
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 1.5 x 15.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,831 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Grant Morrison is one of comics' greatest innovators. His long list of credits includes Batman: Arkham Asylum, JLA, Seven Soldiers, Animal Man, Doom Patrol, The Invisibles and The Filth. He is currently writing Batman and All-Star Superman.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely stellar!!, November 9, 2010

By 

MixedPixel (London UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Absolute All Star Superman (Hardcover)

I regard this series as probably the best comic series of the past decade, and perhaps the best Superman series ever. It must be said, I'm not normally that much of a Superman fan, not, because the character is a goody, goody, boy scout type character, something which most critics of the character seem to constantly bemoan, but rather because I think most everything that can be done with the oldest and most recognisable superhero in all of fiction, has been done. Grant Morrison proves however, that there is life in the old dog yet!

Morrison gives us a refreshing view on Superman for the new millenium, a character who has a universal philosophy and lives by it, spinning a story that draws from classic myth, modern philosophy as well as the superhero Gold and Silver Comic Ages. Just as Jesus was an inspiration for an entire religion, the Superman in this book is meant as a modern day, non-religious, messianic inspiration, the ideal human, perfect in philosophy and action, and something we should all aspire to.

This actual absolute edition, is beautifully packaged with a new cover by Quietly, in an oversized format, I've fallen in love with this work all over again. I'm not one to spend money repeatedly on the same piece of work, but the fact that I own all of the original comics as well as the two hardbound volumes and now this Absolute edition, perhaps indicates just how much I care for this work.

While an oversized representation of the original material would have been enough for me, the true treasure, perhaps as per all Absolute editions, is the additional sketches, anecdotes and write-ups that Morrison and Quitely offer us at the back of the book. Through these, the reader is given a more holistic understanding of what Morrison was trying to achieve here, and while not everything is spelled out for us, the additional background material only enhances the enjoyment of this tragic tale.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Plain and simply: a great book., November 23, 2010

By 

cousinpaco (Cincinnati, OH United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Absolute All Star Superman (Hardcover)

STORY: Rightly considered to be among the best Superman stories ever published, "All-Star Superman" manages to be self-contained, yet open-ended...making for a very satisfying experience. Grant Morrison's writing almost always overflows with creativity, yet sometimes falls into the trap of being incoherent; "All-Star Superman" deftly avoids that trap, all the while bursting with cool ideas. The only downside: such a bombardment of concepts may bewilder newcomers and casual fans, and the story assumes at least a basic foreknowledge of Superman and his traditions.

ART: Frank Quitely (enhanced by Jamie Grant) is a master of capturing moments of action while never feeling static. His work conveys a magnificent sense of motion, which makes this comic fun and exciting to read. Quitely also builds in tons of background detail, rewarding close attention and future reading. His faces are sometimes inconsistent, but never to the point of making it difficult to identify characters. And his sense of pacing perfectly complements Morrison's story, rocketing along while allowing the reader to linger as necessary. Top-notch art, to be sure.

PRESENTATION: The "Absolute" format is perfect for this material. The expansive trim-size and stout, coated paper-stock practically suck the reader into the artwork. Sewn-signature binding allows the hefty book to lay relatively flat, ensuring that nothing important is hidden in the spine-edge (the iconic double-page introductory shot of Superman flying near the Sun looks SPECTACULAR).

A snazzy dust-jacket features new art from Quitely, while the paper-over-board casebinding showcases the well-known Superman-resting-on-a-cloud over Metropolis cover from issue one (the Neil Adams variant is included inside). My only minor complaint is that the spine-design of the slipcase is somewhat boring.

The collection is rounded out by a bonus-features section, with sketchbook work from both Morrison and Quitely, and text-pieces which serve to flesh out the characters and concepts (some of which are merely fascinating background details). This shows just how much material Morrison bakes into his storytelling, though admittedly some of these ideas get lost in the story itself.

BOTTOM LINE: This format has breathed new life into "All-Star Superman," already a great comic. The Absolute edition of this story has already become one of my prized possessions. Even if you already have the individual issues (or even the smaller hardcovers), this collection is worth every penny.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite possibly the greatest Superman story ever told, November 12, 2010

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Absolute All Star Superman (Hardcover)

Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman quite simply may be the greatest Superman story ever told, period. Created under DC's continuity-free All-Star bannar (which also produced Frank Miller's craptastic All-Star Batman & Robin), All-Star Superman presents a tale of the Man of Steel as his greatest enemy Lex Luthor has finally found a way to do the previously unthinkable: kill him. Now, Superman's time is running out and he knows it, but that doesn't stop him from admitting his love and identity to Lois Lane, interacting with the Supermen of the distant future, and concluding with a final showdown with a super-powered Lex. What makes All-Star Superman so good is the fact that Morrison is free to tell a truly fantastical story featuring a truly fantastical character, and the story as a whole carries a sense of awe and wonder unlike any Superman story has in decades. This is made all the better thanks to the stunning artwork of the great Frank Quitely, whose cinematic renderings are an amazing sight to behold. Finally collected in a beautiful Absolute edition, All-Star Superman may very well be the best thing to come out of DC this decade, and saying that it's a Superman story for the ages is a massive understatement indeed.