While there have been many greatSupermanstories throughout the decades, one in particular stands head-and-shoulders above the rest as the best of them all.All-Star Supermanis officially twenty years old this year, and Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s masterpiece has stood the test of time as not just the greatest Superman story, but one of the all-time greats in the DC Comics canon.
Launching in November 2005,All-Star Superman#1 by Morrison, Quitely, Jamie Grant, and Phil Balsman was the second in a proposed line of out-of-continuity stories aiming to present superstar creative teams on all-time classic characters.Morrison and Quitelyteamed up again following their well-receivedWe3miniseries, and anticipation was high leading up toAll-Star Superman’s release.
It took a couple of years for all twelve issues to come out, but the eventual series was more than worth the wait. Telling the story of adying Man of Steel with only a year left to live,All-Star Supermansees the title character attempt to make the most of the time he has left.
All-Star SupermanIs an All-Time Great Story About the Man of Steel
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely Craft the Quintessential Superman Tale
The initial concept forAll-Star Supermanflies in the face of the Man of Steel’s most ardent critics, who claim that acharacter as powerful as Supermancan’t be an interesting character in a story.Morrison and Quitely tackle this criticism head-on by making the Man of Steel even more powerful, the result of Superman getting supercharged with solar energy following the rescue of the first manned mission to the Sun. While his power levels increase to newfound highs, they also come at a cost, as Superman is given only a year to live as his solar-charged cells begin erupting from within.
The twelve issues that follow show what Superman chooses to do with his last year, as he attempts to leave the world a better place before all is said and done. These attempts lead to the hero accomplishing what soon come to be known as the“Twelve Labors of Superman,”which include everything from defeating the Tyrant Sun Solaris to answering the Unanswerable Question.Superman also attempts to set his personal life in order, as Clark Kent finally reveals his true identity to Lois Lane and professes his love for her.
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To understand whyAll-Star Supermanhas become a quintessential DC story, all one really has to do is look at the now-famous opening page. Morrison and Quitely condenseSuperman’s origin story into four distinct images, each accompanied by their own caption boxes thatboil Superman’s origin down to a mere six words. In a single page, Morrison and Quitely convey everything readers need to know before the real story begins, setting up the perfect blend of “widescreen” comics with a hyper-condensed approach to storytelling.
All-Star SupermanIncludes Several Unforgettable Moments from Superman History
Morrison and Quitely Plumb Emotional Depths with the Man of Steel
The clarity of the storytelling makesAll-Star Supermanan easy recommendation for new fans, as Quitely’s crisp, evocative renderings never leave the reader in doubt as to what is happening on the page. Yet it’s the emotional content that makes it an all-timer, as the story effectively portraysSuperman’s final year in moving, mythic fashion. Perhaps the most famous example is thenow-famous scene inAll-Star Superman#10, in which Superman takes time out of his busy schedule to prevent a young woman from jumping to her death.
Instead of mere schmaltz or empty pandering, Morrison and Quitely create a story in which the sentimentality is earned through the careful application of craft.
“You’re much stronger than you think you are. Trust me,” Superman tells the woman, the perfect example of how Morrison finds the exact right words to accompany the imagery. Again, it’s a simple scene that plays out on a single page, yet the combination of Quitely’s evocative renderings with Morrison’s sparse (but considered) captions speaks to everything that makesSuperman not simply a comic book superhero, but a vital piece of pop culture iconography. Instead of mere schmaltz or empty pandering, Morrison and Quitely create a story in which the sentimentality is earned through the careful application of craft.
All-Star Superman#10 also has a running subplot concerning Earth-Q, an experiment the Man of Steel conducts on a baby universe to see what an Earth without Superman would look like. As Earth-Q develops, readers get a brief glimpse of Italian philosopher Pico della Mirandola in the 15th century, delivering a public discourse that would later be published as theOration on the Dignity of Man:
“Let us not yield sovereignty even to them, the highest of the angelic hierarchies! Become instead like them in all their glory and dignity.Imitation is man’s nature, and if he but wills it, so shall he surpass even imagination’s greatest paragons.”
That quote, perhaps more than any other, sums upthe thesis of everything that Morrison and Quitely attempt to achieve withAll-Star Superman, in whichJerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’screation inspires those around him by being an avatar that represents the best of humanity.
Superman Represents the Best of Humanity
All-Star SupermanIs Everything the Character Should Be
After twenty years,All-Star Supermanhas still yet to be matched as a modern classic of the DC canon. In marching right up to the common criticisms of the character and subverting them, Morrison and Quitely boil the greatest superhero of them all down to his essence, creating an unforgettable portrait of humanism and a reflection on the importance of hope. For new fans looking forSupermancomics to read,All-Star Supermanis the perfect place to start.
All-Star Supermanis available now from DC Comics.
All-Star Superman
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN! Topsy-turvy madness on the backwards Bizarro planet. A bottled city that proves you can never go home again. A living sun hell-bent on destroying humanity. A world without the Man of Steel. Twelve impossible labors and mere moments to save the Earth.
