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34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Requiem for an age past, April 4, 2004
So, I gave this book five stars, but I have a very important stipulation to go with that rating: Be sure which Superman you are a fan of. Here's the deal - Alan Moore is my favorite author of all time, heck, my favorite artist of all time - in any medium. That's quite an accomplishment. Moreover, this is a story that Moore felt so impassioned about that when he first heard the concept, he (or so I'm told) lept up and demanded that he be the one to write it. Again quite impressive. And while this is not his greatest work (go read Watchmen or Promethea for that) it definately is Moore quality writing. However, if you are not a fan of that age of comics, you will not fully appreciate this story no matter how fantastic the writing is. An example: as I described this book to a friend of mine he grew very excited about reading it - until I got to the part about Krypto the Superdog (who does make an apperance). At the mention of Krypto, my friend adamantly refused to read this book, and honestly I can't blame him. Krypto is from a different age of comics which, if you can't appreciate, you can't appreciate. That being said, this book works as an incredible eulogy for an age of comics now forever gone. If you miss that age, this book is for you. If you're glad it is gone and wish it had never existed - you will not like this book. Personally, I loved it :)
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Final Pre-Crisis Superman Story, July 2, 2003
This is a collection of the final Pre-Crisis issues of "Action Comics" and "Superman". It's an "imaginary story" (meaning it wasn't canon) that takes place after the Crisis on Infinite Earths but without the revamp by John Byrne. It includes many of Superman's friends and enemies. I won't spoil the plot, but it's a very moving story, and a few good guys and bad guys get killed. Remember, though, it's not an official story. There's a very touching scene between Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes when the Legion arrives in the present with Kara (Supergirl), who had died in the Crisis. The covers are included, and there's a nice written introduction. Even though it never was canon, it's a very nice story and should be in every Superman fan's collection.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Final Hour of the Man of Steel!, May 8, 2001
One of the troubles I find in reading highly regarded works such as this one is that all the praise sets up incredibly high expectations that are often impossible to live up to and often leave the reader (or viewer) disappointed. However in the case of Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow had no such preconceived notions. For while I had heard of Alan Moore's sterling reputation, influential work (and his impressively long beard,) I had never read any of it or heard about this little gem until I started reading it in local comic shop. I was riveted from the first few pages. Though I thought (and still think) 6 bucks is a rather hefty sum for a reprint of just two comic books, this comic is one of the most brilliantly done superman stories ever. Upon my first reading I knew very little about pre-crisis Superman history, but more manages to make even an unfamiliar read learn it quite quickly and even come to appreciate it. Moreover the book manages to evoke all the huge "It's all coming to an end" feelings one gets during high school or college graduation. In this tale we learn the final fates of Bizzaro, Luthor, Jimmy Olson, and all the other key players of the Superman mythos and the identity of the Man of Steel's greatest foe. I won't give, but I will tell one thing: it ain't Luthor! This story is considered an "Imaginary Tale", yet because all Pre-Crisis Superman was wiped out anyway one could easily "count" it and thus accept the final story in the huge cannon of superman stories. Although many of the Pre-Crisis superman stories that I have read were rather childish and the whole Superboy bit seems rather silly to me, this story makes appreciate many aspects of the old mythos and makes one wonder if there wasn't some better alternative to just erasing decades worth of stories. A note on where in continuity this story fits even though it's not considered as such: After the Crisis the old continuities still remained intact. The John Byrne revamp did not occur until several months after "Crisis". This is why Superman is able to refer to Supergirl's death in the story, because it takes place after "Crisis" but before Byrne's revamp. This is a truly magnificent work and I recommend every one to go out and buy it as soon as possible!
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