by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
All-Star Superman is intended by and large as a re-imagining of the man who may be the world's best known and most popular superhero and is designed for readers who are at least familiar with the general ebb and flow of the Superman comics throughout the years, summing up his origin story in 1-3 pages and including a wealth of in-jokes for those well-versed in the comic's history. How do I know this? I was lucky enough to experience All-Star Superman as a book club suggestions, and the room was filled with a lively discussion about the way that this two-part book fits into the Superman canon (quite well, from what I gathered). As an absolute newcomer to the comic, however, who has never even seen any of the movies, I felt a bit lost throughout the book, which is not an ideal entry point for n00bs like myself. The art was sufficient and the overall story arc, which involves Superman facing the fact of morality, is an interesting direction in which to take a long-lived and beloved character. This story, however, takes a backseat to various cameo appearances of other Superman adventures, and while the uninitiated can appreciate the thematic effects of the appearance of a gaggle of Superman doppelgangers, issue-long diversions do not add any real depth to the overall story and serve only to distract. All-Star Superman may be a rare treat for long-time fans of the Man of Steel, but those new to the legend may be better served by boning up on Superman's history before approaching this patchwork book.
Grade: B
Grade: B
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