The Deal: All-Star Superman is DC’s out-of-continuity take on the Superman mythos, as seen through the often-bizarre eyes of writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely. Part of the company’s line of “All-Star” comics, this quasi-monthly limited series tells the tale of a dying Superman’s last days.
The Good: I haven’t picked up All-Star Superman in a few months, but whenever I read it, I think, “What a great comic book.” Since the first issue of this series, Morrison and Quitely have dusted off the rather tired character of Superman and injected him with an incredible sense of awe and wonder. Morrison is known for throwing a legion of wild ideas into his projects, but this time around — while he stays true to his insane form — he also has found ways to add tons of heart and emotion to the series as well. Quitely, often criticized for drawing “ugly” people, captures the look and mood of a world experiencing the end of an era. Honestly, I don’t think a creative team has come close to launching such a groundbreaking version of Supes since John Byrne revitalized the character in the 1980s.
The Bad: I refer to this book as quasi-monthly because it doesn’t hit comic shop shelves when it’s scheduled to the shelves. With that in mind, All-Star Superman is probably going to make an incredible trade paperback.
The Verdict: As much as I complain about the overall quality of DC’s superhero comics these days, I have to tip my hat to All-Star Superman. It’s truly a groundbreaking take on a tired, yet venerable, character. And although it might be heretical to say, in the not-too-distant future I believe we’ll be looking at this book the same way we look at The Dark Knight and Watchmen.
Cable No. 2
Published by Marvel Comics. Plot and script by Duane Swierczynski. Art by Ariel Olivetti.
The Deal: The X-Man known as Cable is back with a new self-titled comic. But don’t look for Deadpool or Domino this time around; in this — his latest solo series — Cable is all alone, jumping through the time stream and on a mission to protect the last mutant baby on the planet.
The Good: Although I often detest when artists employ that washed-out, inkless approach to comic book art, I really dig what Ariel Olivetti is doing here. His illustrations and coloring style display a three-dimensional quality without looking like a crappy video game.
The Bad: The Bad? Man, where do I start? First off, who thought a series about Cable jumping through time with a baby strapped to his chest would be interesting? Aside from a decent mini-series that was penciled by John Romita Jr. back in the day, Cable has never been a character compelling enough to successfully carry a solo book. And now you strip away all his interesting supporting characters and throw in the tired element of time travel … and a baby? Oh that’s just a recipe for disaster. Secondly, using the former X-Man Bishop as a primary villain is just silly. Last time we saw the guy, he was being eaten alive by a creature called Predator X and now he’s back, sporting a cybernetic arm (ala Cable). Like I said: silly.
The Verdict: I’m not digging this book, and I won’t be sticking around.
Reviewed materials furnished by Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find: www.heroesonline.com.
This article appears in Apr 2-8, 2008.
