Superman: Birthright [Paperback]

Mark Waid (Author), Leinil Francis Yu (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2005

Since his debut in 1938 Superman has become one of the most recognisable fictional characters in existence. Now, prepare for a fresh take on Superman, courtesy of at team up between two of comics' brightest talents...Imagine Superman comics were beginning again and you could read the first adventures of the Man of Steel - but reinvented from top to bottom to reflect today's world and today's sensibilities. That's Birthright; it's the Story of Superman--from Krypton to Metropolis (via Smallville!) and beyond. Master scribe Mark Waid demonstrates his love for, and knowledge of, the Superman mythos whilst the graceful illustrations of Leinil Francis Yu bring the story to life.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Superman's origins have been imagined and reimagined over the years. Here is a new take on the character's roots. Superman: Birthright retells the early chapters of Superman's story, from escape as an infant from the doomed planet Krypton to arrival as reporter Clark Kent at the Daily Planet and his first public exploits. Writer Waid puts his own spin on the legend, rethinking nearly every aspect of the venerable character while remaining respectful of his established history. Waid wisely integrates ideas from the popular TV series smallville but doesn't slavishly follow its innovations; for instance, a young Lex Luthor befriends Clark in high school, but unlike in the series, his sinister nature is clear even then. Waid similarly tweaks the rest of the well-known cast, from Lois Lane and Clark's other Planet colleagues to Ma and Pa Kent. Ironically, though he updates the character, Waid evokes Superman's pre-World War II incarnation, whom his Depression-reared creators kept engaged in righting society's ills. Leinil Francis Yu's stylized artwork is expressively dynamic to the point of caricature, but this larger-than-life visual approach befits the retelling of a myth. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

SFX Magazine Feb 2005: " a slick, intelligent shot at rebuilding Siegel and Schuster's crusader for the 21st century."; www thealienonline.net 19th January 2005: " ...Birthright is a fantastic piece of work, managing to combine old and new seamlessly..."; www comicbooksgalaxy.com 02 February 2005 : " The man of steel deserves no less. 5/5." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 314 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401202527
• ISBN-13: 978-1401202521
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 0.5 x 10.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #156,103 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Waid, a New York Times bestselling author, has written a wider variety of well-known comics characters than any other American comics author, from Superman to the Justice League to Spider-Man to Archie and hundreds of others. His award-winning graphic novel with artist Alex Ross, KINGDOM COME, is one of the best-selling comics collections of all time. (Secretly, however, he prefers SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT and his IRREDEEMABLE collections as his favorite works he's produced.)

With over twenty years of experience in his field, Waid maintains a blog at www.markwaid.com that is full of advice for beginning writers and experienced authors both.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars breathtaking, December 20, 2004

By 

jancola (Encino, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Superman: Birthright (Hardcover)

I am surprised by the other, less positive reviews, because I thought this book was superb. I am not a huge Superman fan, I don't get excited by "Smallville," and in general my comic book shopping cart is mostly filled with Marvel titles, but I think this has got to be the best Superman book I have ever read. It does a little of what Jeph Loeb did in "Superman For All Seasons" and picks up the clumsily discarded torch of "Smallville" to create a beautiful, modern Superman.

The art is definitely among the most striking Superman art ever drawn, taking the best elements of manga and American comics to make a brightly colored and appealing book. For those of you familiar with "Invincible," it has a similar look except with more sheen, and more primary colors.

This Superman is certainly a different Superman, and some people will take issue with the fact that he is, among other things, a vegetarian. This discrepancy Mark Waid makes up for it by his awesome portrayal of Clark, a confident and popular guy who has to hide his talents under the false guise of a wallflower in order to maintain his secret identity. Best of all is the ending, which is poignant, ironic, and will quite possibly make you cry.

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars If It Ain't Broke..., November 21, 2004

By 

Bart Easton - See all my reviews

This review is from: Superman: Birthright (Hardcover)

When Mark Waid and the editors at DC Comics first announced their plans for Superman: Birthright, I was excited. From all accounts, it looked like it was going to be the continuation of the Smallville Superman, taken out of the TV show and moved forwards eight or ten years, and the story of how that Clark Kent first came to put on the costume. Which I was quite excited for; the tying in of this newest part of the legend back to its original format seemed like a very good idea. By the end of the first issue, it was somewhat obvious that it was more Ultimate Superman than Smallville; while taking elements from the TV show, it was clearly set in its own universe.

But then came the big news; the sources from on high had ruled that, after seventeen years, Superman's origin had grown stale and needed revision - and that Birthright would henceforth be the origin of the one, true Superman. For a while, it seemed like the entire Superman universe was in limbo; was the S-man about to be rebooted? Were nearly two decades of history about to be written over? Well, yes and no.

It ended up that this story was designed to be a sort of prequel to the current Superman's history, that they were rewriting his history from the present but that it was actually to take place in the past. Unfortunately, either someone forgot to get Waid the memo or the story was too far along to change, as the entire run seems more like the first 12 issues of a new continuum than the rewriting of Superman's past in a way that would make sense in today's continuity. For example, in the first issue, Lex Luthor is clearly shown as he is in Smallville, as the rich, bald young hotshot; however, when we finally learn the truth, he ends up being an alienated, whiny red-haired arrogant youth who Clark befriends out of sheer pity (and who in the future becomes a wisecracking evildoer straight out of a James Bond flick). In issue 3, Clark refers to Lana as if they had been together (which the picture he has seems to validate), but again when we see the flashback, Clark has been reduced to geeky waterboy and Lana to airhead cheerleader. Superman has retreated from his kind, Boy Scout attitude into a silent, cursing vigilante who could probably clear up a lot of the trouble about him if he would just take the time to act pleasant and let the world know that he's just there to help. Lois Lane is written as an arrogant hothead who seems ready to fly off the handle at any moment, while Perry White seems to have left said handle a loooooooong time ago. The only characters who recieve any improvement of their character are the Kents and Jimmy Olsen, who has finally shrugged his Howdy Doody persona for something more mature. These characters deserve far more than this. Clark Kent, Superman, Lana Lang, Lois Lane, and the rest of the cast are heroes and idols for people the world over; they deserve to be known as more than stereotypes.

In addition, if the story is supposed to take place before the entire current continuity, then why does Waid seem intent on beating us over the head with references to modern times? Superman is only 25 here, just beginning his career, and yet we have camera cell phones, yellow alerts, internet news organizations, instant messenging, the Department of Homeland Security, e-mail - heck, the year 2004 is even specifically mentioned on a very prominent newspaper! It's clear that Waid originally intended this to be something more along the lines of Marvel's Ultimates series, a seperate continuity to exist alongside but never meet with the regular books.

This is not to suggest that I was completely unhappy with the story; far from it, it is actually quite enjoyable - so long as you make sure to take it on its own and not make anything more of it than it is. The relationship between Clark and his parents has been tightened, and many of the scenes between them are classic. Clark's efforts to divide his two identities are presented excellently, and the sense of isolationism that comes along with it is shown perfectly in the scene when...well, I don't want to give it away. Yu's artwork also delights at times, but his style is better suited to a smaller scale; while many of the scenes where two or three characters interact work well, many of the more complex action shots later in the book are slightly jumbled and confusing.

Overall, Superman: Birthright is an interesting take on the Superman mythos, one that is certainly worth reading. Get it, and form your own opinions about it - don't take what I have to say as gospel. It's a good story on its own, just not a necessary after-the-fact retelling of the "true" Superman's past. But certainly give it a try.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Superman reborn: good, but nothing special, April 2, 2006

By 

Tom Benton (North Springfield, VT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Superman: Birthright (Paperback)

In 2004, with the success of SMALLVILLE and the forthcoming release of SUPERMAN RETURNS, the good folks at DC Comics decided it was time for Superman's origins to be re-invented for the first time since John Byrne's popular THE MAN OF STEEL series in the 1980's. Mark Waid was given the task of writing the new series and re-thinking the Superman legend; and re-think it he did. While the essential elements of the Superman mythos are left intact, much of Supes' history is re-written. In a wise move, Waid borrows from the SMALLVILLE storyline by having Clark Kent meet Lex Luthor while in high school. The Lex of this series, however, is very different from SMALLVILLE's version of the character; Lex is a heartless fiend even as a youth.

BIRTHRIGHT begins with Clark on a freelance writing assignment in Africa. The violence Clark witnesses while there lead him to wonder if there's a way he can use his powers to benefit mankind. So he returns to Smallville, where - with the help of his parents - he creates the Superman costume. From there, it's off to Metropolis.

Flashbacks show us a young Clark befriending Lex, but we see nothing more than that. The rest of the graphic novel is set in the present, where Clark searches for his place in the world while battling the evil Lex Luthor. Much is left out that could have enhanced the series; for example, Clark discovering his powers. Instead, we get an over-the-top storyline which is neither new nor exciting.

This series' redemption comes from Leinil Francis Yu's excellent artwork. It's strong and colorful, but rarely is it bright. It fits the story perfectly. For this reason I would recommend this comic. I found it interesting to see a writer attempt a new take on Superman's origins, but in the end I was left thinking, "That was okay", rather than, "Wow, that was great!"