Superman: True Brit (Graphic Novels) [Paperback]

Kim Howard Johnson (Author), John Cleese (Author), John Byrne (Illustrator), Mark Farmer (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2006

Get ready for Superman as you've never seen him before, in an uproarious new graphic novel by The First 28 Years of Monty Python scribe Kim Howard Johnson with some help by Monty Python and Fawlty Towers legend John Cleese! In this hilarious twist on a familar tale, the infant Superman's rocket ship crash lands in an English town even smaller than Smallville. Adopted by the kindly Clarks, young Colin is taught to hide his powers, as nobody likes to stand out in a crowd. But when a grown-up Colin - now a mild-mannered reporter for The Daily Smear - uses his powers publicly, the question on everyone's lips is: what will the neighbours think? Featuring art by superstar John Byrne, this is a publishing event not to be missed!

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

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Superman stands for truth, justice, and the American way, but what if the space capsule that brought him to Earth had landed in rural England? That's the premise of this graphic novel coauthored by Monty Python's John Cleese. Adopted by a stereotypically proper farm couple, the Clarks, young Colin is raised to suppress his powers to avoid drawing attention and causing embarrassment. After university, he heads to London to write for a trash tabloid run by a Murdock-like magnate and develop a crush on Page-Three-Girl-turned-reporter Louisa Layne. To honor his parents' desire for anonymity, he adopts the guise of, as a TV commentator puts it, "a man in a cape and rather garish tights." As one might expect from its Python pedigree, the story is seldom subtle in spoofing Britishisms, from National Health Service waiting lists to cricket. Onetime Superman illustrator John Byrne's art keeps the character recognizable. Less outlandish than Cleese's better-known work, this tongue-in-cheek take on superhero conventions should please comics and Python fans alike. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Western Daily Press December 2004: "A rollicking adventure with an eccentric English take on the Superman myth." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (January 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401200230
• ISBN-13: 978-1401200237
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,363,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Is this the best they could do?, April 30, 2006

By 

Babytoxie (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Superman: True Brit (Graphic Novels) (Paperback)

DC takes an interesting premise and throws all its potential out the window with SUPERMAN: TRUE BRIT, an original graphic novel that asks the question, what if Kal-El's rocket landed in England instead of the USA? This is not a serious Elseworlds tale by any means, but rather a bunch of gags drug out over 96 pages. Writer Kim Johnson presents the reader with a question: in a reserved, uptight British society, how would a godlike character like Superman fit in? To answer that question, all Britons are unfortunately portrayed as bumbling, conservative stereotypes who have no place in their lives for someone whose superior abilities make him stand out from the crowd. Monty Python's John Cleese provides a writing assist, but it's mainly to inject some Pythonesque humor, the result being inside jokes that non-Python fans will miss. And one of the more unfortunate parts is how this Superman story just HAS to give a nod to Batman, and there's an awful lot of effort required to build up to a relatively small appearance. It's almost like they came up with the Batman angle first and then built the Superman story around it. Well, the story is about Superman, so why not focus on him and let the stupid Batman jokes fall by the wayside?

But as bad as the story is, it is accompanied by the best John Byrne art I've seen in years - probably because it was inked by Mark Farmer, who provides a very polished finish to Byrne's normally "scratchy" pencils. Superman's costume is a nice change as well, incorporating the Union Jack and a collar into the standard togs that he's worn for almost 70 years. I would have preferred it if DC had let Byrne write this one, as he would probably have provided a more serious and interesting take on an English Superman than what we have here. So this book gets a big thumbs down, and this comes from both a Superman fan and a Monty Python fan.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Amusing, but..., December 27, 2004

By 

M. Romer (Memphis, TN, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Superman: True Brit (Superman, DC Comics) (Hardcover)

While this book certainly has its moments, I was expecting something funnier. The artwork is standard John Byrne, which means it's good. The story seems to try to strike some balance between being a straight Superman story and being a comedy. In my opinion, it would have been better to go strictly for laughs. A couple of scenes had me on the floor--young Colin milking the cows, for one--but there weren't enough of those. Too many of the silly ideas (Superman attempting to help the National Health Service shorten the waiting time for hip surgery) were followed by realisticly somber consequences (a rash of infections in the patients Superman helped with).

Python fans will appreciate the many references scattered throughout the book (e.g. a car containing two of the Rutles about to plunge out of an upper story of the Mr. and Mrs. Brian Norris Car Park).

All in all, it seems to be more a satire on British society than the rip-roaring laugh-fest I wanted it to be. I'm afraid it's neither serious enough or silly enough for me--a testament, perhaps, to my American distance from the British mindset.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is not your father's Superman..., December 22, 2004

By 

Cap'n Phealy (Vallejo, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Superman: True Brit (Superman, DC Comics) (Hardcover)

This is Mr. F.G. Superman.

If that name brings a smile of recognition to your face, then this book is for you! Rather than being a vessel to explore the character of Superman, "True Brit" is aimed squarely at Great Britain, its culture and foibles. The land of the stiff upper lip, cricket, and Page Three girls is shown to be a very silly place, indeed.

There are also plentiful references to characters and events from the Monty Python canon, some of them positively subtle, others....not so subtle. Highly reccommended for fans of Python in particular, and British humor in general.