All-Star Superman (Film) – Review

By: Dwayne McDuffie (writer), Sam Liu (director), Bruce Timm (producer), James Denton, Christina Hendricks, & Anthony LaPaglia (voice actors)

The Story: How does Superman spend his last days?  Shuffleboard probably isn’t on the bucket list.

The Review: Anyone who has ever tried to adapt anything into film will come across a lot of challenges: how to fit all the story elements into the span of a watchable movie; how to bring alive the characters and details that make the work so appealing; and how to possibly inject some new ideas to make what you see on the screen respectful to the original while still giving you a sense of freshness.

The animated adaptation of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s All-Star Superman clears these hurdles very convincingly.  Written, produced, and directed by veterans of animated comics, the movie lifts its script (even, delightfully enough, much of the dialogue) straight from Morrison’s words, and the animation is clearly trying its hardest to mimic Quitely’s distinctive lines.  For fans of the original, rest assured there’s plenty of love involved in the making of this movie.

It’d be unfair to compare it to its comic predecessor; it doesn’t have the luxury of unlimited time to tell its story and include every clever detail the originators put in.  McDuffie (God rest his soul, as I sadly heard in the midst of writing this that he has passed) wisely chose those stories that linked together with the most thematic sense to create kind of a thesis on why Superman, as a character and symbol, is so important, beloved, and inspirational.

Rob G’s Top Ten Number #1’s

The following list is my picks for the best first issues, based on comics that have been released during by tenure as a hobbyist, i.e the past twenty years. They are from series that were or are ongoing series, not minis. The only factor in choosing these books was simple: Greatness.

1. Y The Last Man

Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra

Unmatched storytelling and utterly masterful writing. So many plot threads perfectly bundled up in perhaps the best example of non-linear storytelling.

2. Four Eyes

Joe Kelly and Max Fiumara

An incredibly unique story, told perfectly with outstanding art. Whips you up and takes you to a place that is both familiar and fantastic.

3. Preacher

Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon

Like Y The Last Man, an expertly crafted story, with brilliant pacing and perfect dialogue. Plus, insanely novel concepts and characters.

4. The Walking Dead

Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore

A regular paged issue that seems like a novella. Haunting, engaging, fun and most importantly, Rick is a character you want to travel with.

5. Batman and Robin

Grant Morrison and Frank Quietley

Morrison and Quietly. Usually that says it all, but this was something unexpected with its new take on the dynamic duo, creating a new mythos rather than perfecting an old one– like they do in All Star Superman.

6. Planetary

Warren Ellis and John Cassady

Mind-bending and genre-jarring. Ellis scoops you up while Cassaday blows you away. For Sci-Fi, there is Firefly for TV and Planetary for Comics.

7. All Star Superman

Grant Morrison and Frank Quietley

Everything Superman should be  in both character  and appearance. Also, perhaps the best colored comic in the past 15 years.

8. The Ultimates

Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch

The Avengers you want and a team of characters that make sense. Story hits you as the art wows.

9. Ultimate Spider-Man

Brian Bendis and Mark Bagely

The best Spider-Man ever. Period. Perhaps the most endearing comic character ever created. Instant love.

10. The Unwritten/Invincible

Mike Carey and Peter Gross/Robert Kirkman and Corey Walker

Both these issues set up addicting stories and characters. Like the other comics in this list, greatness was evident from the get-go.

Be sure to weigh-in in the comment section!

Detective Comics #853 – Review

Neil Gaiman (writer), Andy Kubert (artist), Alex Sinclair (colorist)

Before the Review: If you haven’t already picked up Batman #686 (the first part of “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?”) it is strongly urged that you do so. STRONGLY…

The Story: It is a rare privilege to be present at one’s own funeral.

Bruce Wayne, accompanied by a strange female voice, is a voyeur at a gathering of friends and enemies alike. They all speak in his memory, and they all say the same thing: I saw him die, and I know how he lived.

The Batman has one last mystery to solve – and when he does, what will he find out?

The Good: “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?” is one of the rare comics that brings a literary sensibility to the medium, in addition to outstanding, iconic art. As with their earlier team-up on Marvel’s 1602 (the very comic responsible for bringing me into the fold), the result of pairing Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert is nothing short of breathtaking. It makes you wish they could do more than just two issues.

It’s inevitable that comparisons should be drawn between this and Alan Moore’s “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” – a source of inspiration. Instead, I’d propose that closer kindred would be found in Grant Morrison’s “All-Star Superman” run. Granted, this is much, much grimmer, but the purpose and outcome are the same; death is inevitable, and while we mourn the eventual loss of our heroes, we realize that death is a chance for rebirth. “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?” is a fitting eulogy to Grant Morrison’s “Batman R.I.P” arc, and were it to serve as an end for the series, it’d be much the same.

This isn’t just Batman’s wake, though; this is a semiotic celebration of the Batman. Gaiman, Kubert, and Co. are the only ones that could’ve done this, and it shows – The issues are strong individually, but when put together, they create a magical moment in comics.

The Bad:

Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert have justified their $3.99 price point. I weep for our wallets.

Grade: A

Grade: E when read together

-Brian Lynch

Second Opinion

Thoughts before the Review: Although I’ve been loathing the fact that DC’s been trying to convince everyone that Bruce Wayne (who is– and who can only be Batman) has “died,” I can’t help but say the story of “Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader” so far is an interesting read that is both, good and bad. On one hand, you have the deep character study that takes you through a nostalgic ride; honoring the life and times of the Caped Crusader. On the other, you have the muddled collage of Bat-tales that offer no insight, just the obvious and repetitive sense of Batman’s tenacity.

The Good: Neil Gaiman proves to be the appropriate writer for this kind of story as he provides a plot-less narrative that reminds us of Batman’s tenacity and how he’ll always live on, regardless of any tragedy. Just like in the previous chapter, this story continues to show how Batman’s actions have afected all of his friends and ennemies so deeply, he can never die. Gaiman shows how each person in attendance of the funeral, carries on a part of Batman, thus making him live on in memory for the time being. Also, Andy Kubert’s beautiful artwork accompanies each Bat-tragedy effectivly. Starting from the cover that echoes back to #27, to the Bolland-esqe Joker telling his side of Batman’s death, Kubert effectively captures the various Caped Crusaders from each respective era.

The Not-so-Good: Although Neil Gaiman did give us an interesting tale where Batman’s friends and foes come together to tell multiple stories of how he died, the true heart in this tale was nothing new. Throughout this whole story, I couldn’t help up but get sick and tired of reading about Batman’s tenacity and how he never quits. Rereading over and over how Batman never gives up, not only got redundant, but it was as if that is some important aspect that readers forget. It’s ridiculous how obvious the subtext was for this tale. Batman never gives up. We already knew that. From the moment we learned that a man decided to wage an ongoing war on crime, we knew that it was a man that would never surrender.

Furthermore, the writing overall is half-assed. Some may consider this a prime example of Gaiman’s signature literary style, where his uniqiue way of showcasing character and through the use of a door (oh Neil, you and your doors…) offers some human story; but realistically it’s lazy, and perhaps even rushed (considering the late release date…). From the goodbye rambles (which will pass off as a literary nod to the famous children’s book) to the rehashing of how Batman never gives up, you can’t help but feel that maybe two issues aren’t enough to tell this tale.

Conclusion: Just as I mentioned in my review for part one in Batman #686, “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?” is a mere imaginary story.  A tale that you are going to forget and fast forward through, and never really consider as a legitimate part of the Batman folklore. Furthermore, it’s also just a reminder of how stupid DC is for trying to pass off that Batman is dead or can be killed. My suggestion, enjoy the Neil Gaiman tale, and I guess forgive DC when the dead rise on the Blackest Night.

Grade: C+

-Raymond Hilario

All Star Superman #10 – Review

By Grant Morrison (writer), Frank Quitely (pencils), Jamie Grant (colors)  

Jim Lee’s Superman run was incredible on the art front, but this is the first Superman story that has actually blown me away. Grant Morrison does what he does best: He creates a perfectly crafted tale that touches on all fronts of classic comic book storytelling. Superman is dying and the emotional note gravitates heavily to the reader. This is not a Doomsday story, this is about The Man of Steel dealing with radiation poisoning. As those around him try to find a cure, Superman wastes no time being self-indulgant. There is some time spent “preparing” for the inevitable, but he mostly carries on per usual, helping those in need.

Much like the rest of this series, this issue shows off the greatness and the scientist that is Superman. Often, he gets a lot of flack when compared to the ingenuity of Batman, but in this All Star book, we’re shown just how smart and human he really is. This is all pounded further home by Frank Quitely’s pencils which resonate the posture, emotions, and actions of each character housed within this book. And while he’s guilty of leaving a lot of his panels devoid of backgrounds, the tone he sets more than makes up for this deficiency.

Normally, a bi-monthly book like this would bother me, but because Morrison manages to keep stories somewhat self-contained (while keeping an underlying story arc), it’s very easy to jump back on aboard. This issue is the most personal and moving stories of the series thus far. It’s also the best. (Grade: A+)

– J. Montes