Customer Reviews

Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore (DC Comics Classics Library)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

DC's archive editions are usually good quality products. They're definitely overpriced for the 8 issues you usually get in each, but the colors are good and vibrant. In this new DC Comics Classic Library series, things are completely different.

"Kryptonite Nevermore" was a multi-part adventure in Superman's comic book where Kryptonite gets changed to normal iron through a freak accident. Now Superman apparently has no weaknesses (other than magic), and this leads to a few good adventures before a new Superman steps into the picture to cause problems for the old one.

The covers are done by Neal Adams, which makes them beautiful pieces of art, but the colors of this edition are horrible! They are washed out and aren't even up to par with the original Silver Age comics they are based on. While doing that in a paperback reprint might be excusable, charging a premium "Archive Edition" price for this hardcover reprint while giving us sub-par quality isn't.

I had pre-ordered a couple of the upcoming Classic Library editions, but after seeing the quality of this one I'm canceling the order. Maybe this was just a freak accident for the first time out, but if DC doesn't improve the coloring process this will be a short-lived Library.

It's a great story and art, but this reprint edition is just terrible. I've never ever seen a reprint with worse color. Everything is weirdly yellowish orange. Nearly unreadable. I had pre-ordered the others in this line but have canceled my orders. Save your money. Don't buy this book.

Denny O'Neil teams up with Curt Swan, to bring one of the most challenging Superman stories ever told! A Superman with no weakness! But, a strange figure emerges that could be the end for Supes! I will not spoil the ending, though.

The story was written by Batman Mastermind Denny o'Neil, bringing some real, down to earth, intelligent dialogue to the story. This also has some of Curt Swan's best art, with Murphy Anderson as inker.

This is a nice, sturdy, hardcover collection, with thick paper. It also preserves the original coloring making it truly a classic!

I too was a bit surprised at the print quality when I opened the book. I was expecting brighter, crisper-looking pages.

However, like another reviewer mentioned, it was indeed "much truer to the originals". Like him, I am also quite sentimental, having had issue #233 before. It was great to finally read the story in its entirety.

I was a little anxious, and got my copy from the local Books-a-Million --so I paid the full cover price. I will indeed be getting the other editions later, but I'll order them from Amazon at a better, reduced price.

To sum up, if you want to collect some "classic" stories (printed in the "classic, original style"), I would recommend this. If you're looking for reprints with "cleaner, richer colors", stick with the archive editions.

I wish to address in this review what some other critics seem to point out. It's been some time now since DC Comics reprints its vintage comics in collections as close as possible to the paper quality of the time it was originally published. For someone like me who never had the chance to experience these vintage comics as they were originally presented is a treat I wish other comic companies would follow suit. However considering the cover price it is a non-deal for most people as sure as hell it was for me. Thank goodness Amazon offers it for a good price.

Now, let's review the comics reprinted withing this collection. Features Superman #233-238,240-242 all written by Dennis O'Neil of Batman fame and features art by Curt Swan & Murphy Anderson who defined Superman's look for this era in which these comics were published. Let me start by addressing the art which is impressive and quite expressive, almost photo realistic for it's time. It has aged quite well in my opinion. Now has for the stories themselves I am actually surprised to learn that O'Neil doesn't look back too fondly on his assignment writing Superman and even surprise that his time on the book is considered to be a staple for the character. Now the stories told herein aren't necessarily impressive or attention-calling by modern standards of comic storytelling but they have a certain flair like most of Superhero comics of its time that most stories today lack which is this fun-filled aura around them. I having discovered comics in the past five years I am quite interested in this period of comics what collectors called the Bronze Age. I wish that there were more collections of Superman's adventures of this era out there.

Bottom line, if you like yesterday's comic stories or are merely intrigued by it as I was, then by all means give this collection as shot. Let me assure you it's well worth the purchase.

A great compilation of the "NEW" Superman stories that served as the start of the Julius Schwartz (editor) Superman era. The title is a misnomer, as Kryptonite soon found its way back into the Superman mythos, but you can still get a sense of important change in these old stories. I love the "less than archival" format of these books. The pages aren't slick, the stories haven't been re-inked or retouched, the printing is not crystal clear. Instead you get a slightly cleaner version of the original product. If you're looking for a book that is archival quality, I'd stick to the DC Archives. O'Neil's stories are still fresh and interesting and Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson are at the peak of their careers. I recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of the DC of the late 60's and early 70's and anyone who is interested in what it was like to be a Superman fan in 1970.

The washed out colors do not match the original comics in any way. This is just horrible treatment of fantastic Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson art. I will not blindly purchase anything DC puts out again. As for the story's contained within, they are great, 70's fun. I do not feel that Denny O'Neill's style of writing worked real with with Superman. The covers by Neal Adams and interior art by Swan and Murphy are top notch. Too bad DC botched this by giving us a deluxe hardcover of scanned, washed out art.

Talk about a major disappointment. I have wanted to read this storyline for years but never could find affordable copies in decent condition. I picked this up for considerably less than the cover price at a convention and once I removed the shrinkwrap was glad that I didn't even pay half MSRP. As noted in other reviews, the coloring is very substandard and the art really needed some restoration. There area some pages that honestly looked like a bad photocopy of the original comic. One thing to note: Unlike many folks out there, I prefer this matte paper and subdued coloring that would be closer to the original over the glossy paper and bright colors of a typical DC Archive. This effort really is not up to what I was expecting and had I paid anything close to $40 for it I would be really sore. I hope they correct these issues for the next volumes in the series.

This story arc was an eye-opener when it first appeared nearly forty years ago. DC's attempt to make Superman more relevant and contemporary didn't completely work, but it was a lot fun, and the story was in many ways pretty good. However, the art -- interior and cover -- was exceptional, and Superman changed forever because of it. I can understand why other reviewers disliked the color separations. What appears to be the old four color process employed in this volume preserves the way in which this material was originally presented. It's how Julie Schwartz, Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson would have conceptualized these stories. In many ways, what this book gives us is much truer to the originals than the admittedly cleaner and richer colors of the Archive Editions. I'm probably being a bit sentimental, but I really liked this approach and found it refreshing. I am looking forward to the other volumes in this new series.

Denny O'neil has always been one of my favorite writers in comics. This superman tale (known as The Sandman Saga) is absolutely amazing! Sure it's not definitive Superman, but it could be. This gives the reader everything that is iconic about the man of steel without a lot of the convolution that happens in today's comics. This was written in the early 70's, before Christopher Reeve defined Superman for a new generation.

The story itself is fine, but it's the way that Superman moves and behaves in the story that makes you think about this being an iconic Superman tale. He has plenty of man made and natural disasters to stop, all while trying to expose the villain. The art by Curt Swan and others doesn't hurt either. This story takes Superman much more seriously than he had been treated n the past and de-powers him temporarily to show that even without his powers he is still one of the greatest heroes.

If you love Superman, get this!