All Star Superman, Vol. 1 [Hardcover]

Grant Morrison (Author), Frank Quitely (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: April 11, 2007

Two of the comics industry's top creative talents, writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, the acclaimed team behind JLA: EARTH 2, reunite to redefine Superman based on the timeless, essential iconic elements that everyone knows about the Man of Steel.

In the first volume, the World's Greatest Super-Hero rescues a doomed group of astronauts on the surface of the sun when he's exposed to massive amounts of solar radiation no one could possibly anticipate how he'll be affected - except Lex Luthor!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Morrison's superb Superman stories can be poignant, action-packed or downright silly, often in the same tale. An expedition to the heart of the sun is sabotaged by Lex Luthor, who would stand to profit from a global water shortage. Superman saves the day, but at a steep cost—his encounter with the sun alters him at a cellular level, and it looks like the Man of Steel actually faces death. The big story deals with Luthor's fervent quest to outlive his enemy, even as he himself sits on death row. The episodic tales along the way are the real delight, though: Superman reveals his true identity to Lois, but she doesn't believe him; for her birthday he gives her a potion which makes her a superwoman for 24 hours; Jimmy Olson becomes "eccentric zillionaire daredevil" for a day for a newspaper column; and in the best of the tales, Clark visits Luthor in prison for an exclusive interview, only to have an undesirable effect on a monstrous inmate. Quitely's art is wide-eyed and simple, yet still cosmically epic, drenched in an old-school color palette that makes this a vibrant feast for the eyes. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Superman: All Star is part of a new DC line that allows leading comics creators to present their own versions of the company's classic characters without acknowledging any of the baggage the icons have acquired over the decades. Morrison, currently comics' hottest scripter, gleefully seizes the opportunity to have his way with DC's flagship character. His affection for the Superman cast shines through on every page as he homes in on their iconic demeanors--quietly noble Superman, bumbling Clark Kent, suspicious Lois Lane, boyishly enthusiastic Jimmy Olsen, and brilliantly evil Lex Luthor. He even takes some of the loonier elements of the mythos, like Krypto the Superdog and Superman's robot duplicates, and gives them a goofy grandeur. Morrison substitutes a knowing intelligence for the naivete of the earlier comics and manages to toss in some of his own trademark megaconcepts, such as the Underverse, a layer of reality whose gravity is so heavy that in it time solidifies. Meanwhile, collaborator Quitely shows that he might be the perfect comic-book artist: subtle when necessary, cartoonish when appropriate, and adroit with the action sequences. Together, writer and artist devise a Man of Steel who is both respectfully classic and excitingly contemporary. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (April 11, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401209149
• ISBN-13: 978-1401209148
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 0.5 x 10.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #616,381 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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A nod to the Silver age with modern relevance April 25, 2007

By R. SHARIFF VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This hardcover collects the first six issues of the best-selling All Star Superman line of comics. It is written by Grant Morrison (Doom Patrol, JLA) and superbly illustrated by Frank Quietly (WE3, New X-Men, JLA: Earth 2).

The All-Star line of comics is sort of like the "ultimate" version of marvel comics, where decades old characters are free from continuity and the authors can write the character in a new direction. And this writer and artist team does that in spades. The first story deals with Superman being over-exposed to the Sun (courtesy of Lex Luthor) and is dying slowly. The second story deals with Superman taking Lois to the Fortress of Solitude. The third deals with two other super-powered being vying for Lois' affection. The fourth deals with Jimmy Olsen gaining superpowers. The fifth deal with Clark Kent interviewing Luthor is prison and a prison-break is on the way (my favorite). And the sixth story deals with Clark coming to term with his father, Jonathan Kent's death.

All these stories have a fun and nostalgic feel to them and is clearly a nod to the silver age of comics where every month, Jimmy got a new power, or Lois trying to marry Superman, etc. But at the same time, it is written in such a way that it is still relevant to the modern times. Yes, there is nostalgia and silver age goofiness but no, you will not be turned off by it and instead will enjoy it.

As far as the art goes, Quietly can do no wrong. His work is extremely detailed. I love his portrayal of Clark who seems like a pudgy, accident-prone and clumsy individual (which is spot on with Morrison's characterization).

All is all, one of the best Superman collections in recent years. The stories are pretty self-contained and are a joy to read. Highest possible recommendation.

57 of 62 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars WORST SUPER-MAN BOOK NEVER: A BIZARRO REVIEW July 21, 2007

By M. Cook

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Me am so mad at Grant Morrison for drawing such a bad book. And me no pleased that Frank Quitely not decide to write! This is surely not worst ever book that not star Me Bizarro's least hated hero, Lex Luthor, world's most hairiest man! The sight of seeing Superman walking in space with moon behind him is such a wretched piece of art that me not have it framed and wear around me's neck! It is really boring story that not serve to show that Spider-Man really am biggest DC Villain of No-Time! Lois Lane surely am ugly man and Jimmy Olsen is the real star of the whole story! Perry White not edit well world's least read newspaper, Daily Planet. This whole story is one big hoax. Everybody know that Superman is already dead, so him no in danger of living long life! Hooray!
TRANSLATED: this is, as Grant Morrison put it, "a love letter to Superman". Nothing else really need be said. I simply cannot wait until this entire run is collected into an ABSOLUTE EDITION.
Some criticism has been levelled at this book about it not being spectacular enough (read: action-heavy) and "too Silver Age" , but that is to miss the point. It's obvious that Grant has chosen to tell his story a particular way, focusing less on the "bigger" aspects of normal superhero comics and more on the quieter, introspective aspects of the Superman-verse.
I particularly love the sequence in issue 1 where Clark is late to a meeting and Grant/Frank depict his saving the boy and dog from the oncoming truck, to then "saving" Steve from scolding himself with coffee to Clark's classic line: "Working on my suntan, Chief?" Brilliant! No, actually, make that -- "SUPER!"
I am in awe!

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ultimate Superman! March 4, 2007

By Jimmy Hanzo

Format:Hardcover

If uyou're like me, you're tired of the Peter Parker treatment for Superman. You want the mythic, epic, ultimate superhero to receive the type of treatment he deserves. Well, look no further.

This combines the nostalgia of the 60's Weisinger era and Morrison's bold science fiction concepts and blends them into a seamless whole. What's great is that each chapter is a roughly self contained story, making this perfect for casual reading. Morrison not only manages to play with classic elements of the Superman mythos, but add a poignant emotional core to each story while providing us with the all out Superman action we've been dying for. In addition to the spot on characterization of Superman, we'vre got the best Lex Luthor of all time-- Hannibal Lector like in his chilling, cool demeanor, you'll believe a small bald man can be a worthy foe to the most powerful man in the world.

And, let's not forget the art. Frank Quitely has taken the charm of the greats such as Swan or Romita SR, with his clean, crisp linework and given it a quirky, surreal quality with his unusual figurework and faces. You're not walking into the regular world that happens to have Superman--you're walking into another dimension, an epic fantasy world not unlike Never Never Land or Tolkien's Middle Earth. The odd machines, the wild creatures--not since John Byrne has Superman had such a defintive artist.

Sorry to blather on like this, but Superman is my favorite character and the only ones of the modern era who have come close are John Byrne's run and Alan Moore's Supreme. For a Superman starved fan, this is a blessing.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Superman the way he was always meant to be! June 26, 2007

By HJ Louw

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Simply put, All-Star Superman Vol.1 collects the best Superman stories I have ever read, unless Grant Morrison shines even brighter in upcoming issues. Volume 1 collects the first six issues of the series and every story is a gem spanning one issue each. All-Star Superman is set in a world that is totally free from DC continuity, and this gives Morrison the freedom to do what he likes and to really unchain his fecund imagination to deliver ideas and plotlines that stagger even the most intellectual reader. Usually of a mystical disposition, Morrison succeeds in imbuing these stories with a mythology that brings to mind the Superman of the sixties, but with noticeable differences. Sure, the fortress of solitude is still there (I am still waiting for the bottle-city of Kandor to make an appearance), but the gigantic golden key (pre-Crises, before the DC universe was re-vamped) has been replaced with a normal-sized key that weights thousands of tons as it is composed of super-dense dwarf matter. The superman-robots also make appearances, yet they have been altered by Morrison and the stunning art of Frank Quitely to serve as Superman's servants and fellow lab assistants, and not just stand-ins for Superman whenever Clark has to make an appearance alongside his alter-ego. That's another part I fell in love with all over again: the fact that Superman possesses a super-intellect in addition to his physical abilities (a concept largely forgotten after the John Byrne re-imagining of the Man of Steel in the eighties) and this allows for all manner of insane events and mind-shattering inventions that cause unbelievable havoc every now and then.... Another fine addition to the all-star mythos is the League of Supermen which consists of Supermen from different eras (all decendents of the first Superman) and how they protect the timestream from menaces like 'the Chrono-vore,' a being that eats a few seconds of your life. Sure, Morrison portrays Superman as almost almighty, but the reader does get a sense of the crisis to the overall story when the very first issue reveals that Superman is perhaps a little bit more mortal than we think after he is exposed to an enormous amount of solar rays. This forms the entire basis for the series, even forcing Superman to reveal something to Lois which he never would have done otherwise. One of the stories stood out above all the others though, and it bears mention, simply because it stamps Morrison's signature on one of the greatest Supervillians of all time: Lex Luthor. Clark is sent on assignment to interview Luthor on Death Row, and what follows is a hillarious but also shocking tale of escape and insight as Luthor and Clark flee from a crazed Parasite. Luthor's brilliant dialogue ("Did you know Melville's Moby Dick can be recited at frequencies so high that they form a sonic drill capable of digging through concrete?") and insane ego shines brilliantly in this issue, appropriately titled "The Gospel according to Lex Luthor," making this my favorite story of the series so far. Grant Morrison has re-invigorated the Man of Tomorrow, and with the brilliant art of Frank Quitely rounding out every story All-Star Superman will continue to occupy a special place in my bookshelf. Recommended for anyone who loves fantasy, sci-fi, and superheroics done with an intellectual twist. Read more ›