Superman: They Saved Luthor's Brain [Paperback]

Various (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2000 | Series: Superman (DC Comics)

Archvillain Lex Luthor has finally found a way to keep Superman at bay, thanks to a simple gold ring set with a Kryptonite stone. But the Kryptonite proves dangerous to humans, too, causing Luthor to lose his hand to radiation poisoning. Faced with declining health, Luthor fakes his own death, returning to plague the Man of Steel once more in a young, vital body with a full head of hair.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156389601X
• ISBN-13: 978-1563896019
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,682,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Superhuman Fantasy!, April 26, 2004

By 

Edmund Lau Kok Ming (Malaysia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Superman: They Saved Luthor's Brain (Paperback)

"They Saved Luthor's Brain" collects several storyarcs featuring the early post-Crisis Lex Luthor and Superman (all happening before the famed "Death of Superman"). The high point of this collection is the characterization of Luthor as the archetypal self-made man of the '90s whose hatred for Superman stems from his feeling of being supplanted as "Metropolis Favourite Son" by this alien being.

The first story in this collection (Superman #2) is by John Byrne and it's also one of the best Superman stories ever (it's also included in "The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told" collection). In it Lex Luthor, with the aid of scientists and supercomputers, actually successfully deduced Superman's secret identity - Clark Kent! But in true Luthor form, he arrogantly dismiss the machines' deductions since he can never accept that the one who supplanted him is actually the pansy-boy, Clark Kent!

The second storyarc features the gradual deterioration of Luthor's body owing to Kryptonite poisoning. It's written by Roger Stern and pencilled by Bob McLeod (both creators at their peak during this story). This story ultimately ends with the "death" of Luthor and its aftermath - painting the archvillain as truly larger-than-life (and a lot madder). This reviewer recommends "Krisis of the Krimson Kryptonite" as background reading since this chapter is the climax of that storyarc.

The third storyarc gives us the appearance of a mysterious stranger from Australia claiming to be the heir of Luthor - Lex Luthor II. Roger Stern writes this arc also and manages to give us a brilliantly charismatic Luthor II albeit with hints that there's more to this guy than meets the eye. The readers as well as Lois, Clark and Perry is desperate to know the truth about this man.

The fourth and final storyarc actually comes after the famed "Panic in the Sky" story (read that TPB first). Luthor II is now embraced as a hero on par with Superman in that he saved Metropolis from both an economic downturn and an alien invasion (Brainiac). The Matrix-Supergirl appears in this storyarc as noted by a previous reviewer and she's very beautifully rendered by penciller Jackson Guice. The final chapter of this storyarc reveals the chilling details behind the mysterious Luthor II and sets up the events for the cataclysmic "Death of Superman" that follows soon after.

In my opinion, the Luthor in these earlier tales is far better than the recent ones by Jeph Loeb and company - showing Luthor as US President. For one thing, this Luthor is far more sinister and his hatred/envy for Superman is so overwhelming that it literally can be "felt" by the reader. Also recommended - "The Unauthorized Biography of Lex Luthor" as a companion piece to this collection.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A major turning point in Superman mythos, May 31, 2000

By 

Simon Beavis - See all my reviews

This review is from: Superman: They Saved Luthor's Brain (Paperback)

After the death of Lex Luthor and an exhaustive search for an heir to his empire, a charming young man claiming to be the long lost son of Luthor brings Metropolis out of dissaray and even wins the favor of his father's detractors. Can Superman discover the truth behind this mysterious "heir" before his twisted plans come into fruition?

Lex Luthor is to Superman's mythology what the Cigarette-Smoking Man is to the X-Files. This book not only presents a major turning point in Luthor, but also what makes him Superman's greatest foe, bar none.