Customer Reviews

Superman: President Lex (Book 5)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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. =)

"Superman:President Lex" collects various Superman comics published circa 2000-2001. It comes after "Superman:Endgame" (where Lex Luthor rebuilt Metropolis using the Brainiac-13 technology) and "Batman:No Man's Land" (where Lex Luthor rebuilt the earthquake-ravaged Gotham City). This time, Lex Luthor goes for the big prize - the U.S. Presidency. And no, this is NOT an Imaginary Story!

This book charts his campaigns, his ascendency, an assassination attempt on his life to boost ratings and finally Lex Luthor's swearing in as the 43rd President of the United States. Superman and JLA, with all their diverse powers, was unable to stop the "democratic process" and Luthor ends up as the Prez. In between, you have stories of an Atlantean attack led by Aquaman and Tempest, and also a visit by Bizarro #1.

The writing is mainly by Jeph Loeb, Mark Schultz and Greg Rucka. Pretty solid monthly work by the team. The book lists dozens of artists. Ed McGuiness stands out as the best of the bunch. Tony Harris, of Starman fame, turns in an issue featuring Luthor's rise to power - with eerily life-like art. The Christmas issue with many guest artists (Art Adams, Humberto Ramos, Joe Madureira, Ian Churchill, Rob Liefeld, Mike Wieringo, etc.) is also a highlight.

I am a long time Superman fan that gave up buying comic books in the mid 90s. I have been looking to get back into comic books and this book was recommended as having a good storyline. And the storyline is great. The characters had real depth, and this certainly something different than the usual "let's have two really powerful guys beat on each other" story. However the "art" is so horrible at times it is almost painful to look at. I can't believe someone got paid to produce the pages I saw. Good art can never replace a good story, but bad art can certainly ruin a good story. It did in "President Lex".