REVIEW: All Star Superman by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant

All Star Superman Vol.1 by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant, published in hardcover April 2007 by DC Comics where volume 1 collects issues #1 to 6. Here is the very brief description:

Two of the comics industry’s top creative talents, writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, the acclaimed team behind JLA:EARTH 2, reunite to redefine Superman based on the timeless, essential iconic elements that everyone knows about the Man of Steel. In the first volume, the World’s Greatest Super-Hero rescues a doomed group of astronauts on the surface of the sun when he’s exposed to massive amounts of solar radiation no one could possibly anticipate how he’ll be affected - except Lex Luthor!

These collection of stories featuring the Man of Steel is deftly creative, re-imagined and centered in a world that is classic, timeless with a contemporary touch. The artwork in here is very detailed and the stories at times are emotionally poignant with a spot of humor. The Man of Steel faces many challenges where he is confronted with his morality, faces down his old nemesis in Lex Luthor and gets the girl in the end.

Superman is one of my favorite comic book superheroes. The action sequences were nicely drawn and one of my favorite story arcs was where Superman tells Lois Lane who he really is while Lois is ever the skeptical reporter. For her birthday, he gives her his super powers for a day and then has to battle Sampson and Atlas for her affections in Episode 3: Sweet Dreams, Super-Woman.

Another favorite was with his arch nemesis, Lex Luthor who has tried and failed to be a “model citizen” and has thereby devised a way to kill our hero with massive amounts of radioactive particles from the Sun that he is exposed to while on a rescue mission. What will the future hold for Superman? We’ll just have to wait and find out. All Star Superman was a quick read at 160 pages and a strong recommend for comic book fans. I really liked Quitely portrayal’s of Clarke Kent as the bumbling, clumsy reporter with a heart of gold. My grade, B+.

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