This collection is mostly single or back to back issues that have self contained stories from Detective Comics, Green Lantern Corps, Phantom Stranger, Vigilante and more. Each of these is unique and stand out from nearly any other comic plot you would have read in those particular titles at the time, which is what makes these SO good. The stand out story for me though? Superman #423 and Action Comics #583: Whatever Happened To The Man of Tomorrow?
This was a very candid look at the Superman Mythos. While some of it takes a more comical look at some of the more ridiculous aspects of the Superman story like his highly sophisticated disguise:
The story really digs into Superman's psyche when, along with all his enemies finally taking off the kid gloves, he gets an ominous visit from some friends from the future and he begins to realize that something more than the standard evil plot is afoot:
Can you imagine Superman crying?!? This is something that, to me, does something it's very hard to do with Superman, it humanizes him. Another thing that lends an amazing edge to this story is the fact that it's all coming from a newspaper interview between a Daily Planet writer and the one and only Lois Lane. This fact allows for the perfect pacing, hitting all the highlights and moving the story forward without the reader feeling like they've missed too much detail in between.
Part two moves us back into the more typical feeling of Superman plots, which isn't to say it's less than part one but it moves us into the fight for Superman's life and the battle ensues! Supe's is trapped under an impenetrable energy done (naturally) with only his friends. So we see Jimmy and Lana power up and give us a flash back to some team ups from the past:
Next the most surprising of all the fight scenes, sweet Lana damn near karate chops Luther's head off!
However the victory is short lived and after the defeat of Jimmy and Lana, next we see the most courageous and saddest two panels ever:
First Superman is crying, now I'm crying! How am I supposed to keep reading after this!?! I don't remember how but somehow I wiped away the tears and pulled myself together enough to keep turning the pages.
Now after all the above amazingness the story ends with a bit of a cliche in my opinion. We find out that the little funny midget from the 5th dimension is actually a super demon who's orchestrated this entire production...
...and to save his friends our hero is forced to murder the little bastard. Now while you and I would do this with no shame and sleep like a baby afterwards, Superman cannot bear that he's taken a life and makes his decision to end it all:
So it seems we've seen the last of Superman. Or have we?
So, after a spectacular story that examines the humanity of a super powered indestructible alien and his impact on his adopted homeland including the people he loved, the story falls a little flat in the end. But all good things must come to an end (don't you hate that saying?!). Don't take my word for it though, go find it in your local comic shop and see what you think. I for one will be checking out some more of Alan Moore's work thanks to this collection.
(I couldn't decide which sign off to use so I'm writing them both and you can choose)
Praying that if I have children they can make diamonds out of coal,
or
Hoping that I never have to decide to trade my super powers for a porn stash,
~Steve
