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All-Star Superman
All-Star Superman #4
All-Star Superman is back for Volume #4: The Superman/Jimmy Olsen War!
Two of the comics industry's top creative talents, writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, the acclaimed team behind 'JLA:EARTH 2' (2000), reunite to redefine Superman based on the timeless, essential iconic elements that everyone knows about the Man of Steel.
Jimmy Olsen, the Daily Planet’s “Mister Action,” is young, brilliant, and reckless! For this week’s story he must become the director-for-a-day of P.R.O.J.E.C.T. With top agents assigned to protect him, he’s looking forward to an easy day of jet-setting and international liaisons all in the name of scientific discovery. Instead, P.R.O.J.E.C.T. receives a terrifying directive—to take down a rogue Superman!
You've seen it before. Now, see it again as though for the first time. Not an origin story, modernization or reinvention—but instead a timeless and iconic presentation refined by the passion and craft of master storytellers, All-Star Superman presents a unique and elegant interpretation of the original and most recognizable of all superheroes.
Age Rating: 12–17+ / Grades 7–9+
Two of the comics industry's top creative talents, writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, the acclaimed team behind 'JLA:EARTH 2' (2000), reunite to redefine Superman based on the timeless, essential iconic elements that everyone knows about the Man of Steel.
Jimmy Olsen, the Daily Planet’s “Mister Action,” is young, brilliant, and reckless! For this week’s story he must become the director-for-a-day of P.R.O.J.E.C.T. With top agents assigned to protect him, he’s looking forward to an easy day of jet-setting and international liaisons all in the name of scientific discovery. Instead, P.R.O.J.E.C.T. receives a terrifying directive—to take down a rogue Superman!
You've seen it before. Now, see it again as though for the first time. Not an origin story, modernization or reinvention—but instead a timeless and iconic presentation refined by the passion and craft of master storytellers, All-Star Superman presents a unique and elegant interpretation of the original and most recognizable of all superheroes.
Age Rating: 12–17+ / Grades 7–9+
22 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 18, 2006
12 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Grant Morrison
1,792 books4,611 followersGrant Morrison has been working with DC Comics for twenty five years, after beginning their American comics career with acclaimed runs on ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL. Since then they have written such best-selling series as JLA, BATMAN and New X-Men, as well as such creator-owned works as THE INVISIBLES, SEAGUY, THE FILTH, WE3 and JOE THE BARBARIAN. In addition to expanding the DC Universe through titles ranging from the Eisner Award-winning SEVEN SOLDIERS and ALL-STAR SUPERMAN to the reality-shattering epic of FINAL CRISIS, they have also reinvented the worlds of the Dark Knight Detective in BATMAN AND ROBIN and BATMAN, INCORPORATED and the Man of Steel in The New 52 ACTION COMICS.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 22, 2025
2.5/5 Stars - "The Superman/Olsen War..."
April 4, 2025
This goofy, heartfelt series is the perfect antidote to read at night following a chapter of Blood Meridian.
July 14, 2019
Even Jimmy Olsen deserves an issue here and there. This issue seems to call back to the Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen comics, which were very popular back in the 50's, and thus it cemented the character as a very essential element in the mythology of the Man of Steel. Morrison gives us that trope in the surface, but applies it on his own way. This Jimmy Olsen is very active and less of a klutz than the one we’re used to. He still gets in trouble but goes above and beyond to try and get out of it, even sacrificing his health if necessary. Sure, he says it’s for his articles that he published on the paper, and it certainly helps, but deep down, we know that he's just a good person, a very good friend to the greatest super-hero ever. Also, nice reference to the monster that killed the Man of Steel back in the 90's and using it as a means to stop a crazed Superman if necessary. This issue gives us some classic comic book action with all the good writing we unfortunately don't always get. Great artwork by Quitely and great job by making Jimmy Olsen a likeable dude. Sure, no one is going to read Superman just because of him, but as part of Superman's lore, it was great to recognize him in this All-Star opportunity.
December 24, 2024
This feels like covering all the basics for the Superman story and this one has Jimmy Olsen and Superman, it was nice let's go ahead and Keep on reading.
I have always loved comics, and I have I can. I love comics to bits, may the comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and hope always to love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics, Diamond Comics, or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I just want to Keep on Reading.
I have always loved comics, and I have I can. I love comics to bits, may the comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and hope always to love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics, Diamond Comics, or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I just want to Keep on Reading.
July 6, 2025
Issue #4
Mythic masculinity challenged and defeated by kindness.
Samson and Atlas serve as distorted reflections of Superman — powerful but shallow. Their challenge becomes less about muscles and more about maturity. Superman’s triumph isn’t just over them, but over the idea that might makes right. Compassion wins.
Mythic masculinity challenged and defeated by kindness.
Samson and Atlas serve as distorted reflections of Superman — powerful but shallow. Their challenge becomes less about muscles and more about maturity. Superman’s triumph isn’t just over them, but over the idea that might makes right. Compassion wins.
August 6, 2025
Not as much fun as the previous instalments in this series, mainly because of the time spent wandering around with Jimmy Olsen, but this certainly has some good stuff packed into the second half, including a very different Superman and a very dangerous Doomsday.
August 23, 2025
متكروته دي
May 21, 2020
Never loses a step in its nuanced simplicity. When Superman collapsed into Jimmy Olson's arms, my platonic heart swooned. When Jimmy Olson wrote "I LOVE LUCY" on the moon my romantic heart swooned. When Jimmy Olson cross dressed, my heart for historically accurate characteristic callbacks swooned.
It's perfect as ever.
It's perfect as ever.
March 6, 2022
Solid filler issue
Low 8.7/10
Low 8.7/10
Read
July 28, 2023For A Day
Jimmy Olsen upgrades for a day, and he makes out alright. Superman does pretty well too, despite Olsen calling him a coward. The art and pacing remain top notch.
Jimmy Olsen upgrades for a day, and he makes out alright. Superman does pretty well too, despite Olsen calling him a coward. The art and pacing remain top notch.
July 7, 2025
Welcome to the life of Jimmy Olson, room full of mementos and pictures with Superman doesn’t help when you are voted worst dressed man in metropolis…two years in a row. And now his girlfriend, Lucy Lane, is talking about going out with the one “Rock Hansom” because he has tickets to the exclusive “Frankenstein on Ice” everyone is talking about. Sigh, even with his weekly “in a day” column he still has so many things working against him, must be that dreaded witches curse he keeps hearing about. But today is offering a very special chance for his column, as the one and only Leo Quintum is teleporting away to a home world of beings who only communicate with light, and now Jimmy has the chance to be the head of PROJECT for a day. Best dressed while sporting one of Leo’s rainbow coats…here we come!
What’s really interesting is that while walking by a project door marked “Do Not Open Until Doomsday,” Agatha, his assistant, confirmed he should not be going in that secret area, and that it’s a project transitioned over when PROJECT was Cadmus. Obviously we all know what is cooking behind that door, and hope we never have to use it. But now it’s that time of day, for the head honcho to go and check on the underverse room. A room with a portal to a lower dimension that is composed of suped heavy gravity. But right as Jimmy starts to examine the room, the machine with it’s hooks through the portal suddenly grasps onto something way too heavy and starts to rip down into the portal, breaking the scaffolding underneath it and sending Jimmy flailing for something to hold onto before he falls in and gets crushed to atoms. Luckily Jimmy hangs out with Superman quite a bit, and he was able to hold on and trigger his signal watch. It doesn’t take long for Clark Kent to bumble his way out of a meeting with Perry and fly up and away to the moon to save Jimmy. Now it’s time to pull out whatever caused this in the first place…only to pull out the claw and a find a large black rock. As the team works quick to contain it, they realize that it’s a new type of Kryptonite: black K.
Usually a new form of Kryptonite would be quite a problem, but now Superman is immune to Kryptonite and be feels fine. PHEW, that is good to hear. Jimmy has been having a bad case of witches curses lately and…he would…hate…uh…Superman? Suddenly Superman grasps and breaks the table he is at. His speech bubbles begin to grow black with anger as he starts to berate Jimmy and breaks the table the object around them. Only momentarily does Superman break back through as he realizes the exposure to black Kryptonite is turning him bad and he can’t control it! Worse than that, in every moment he is beginning to talk like Bizarro! Suddenly Superman breaks through the compound and makes his way for Earth. As it turns out, Superman helped them develop three ways to stop him. The first involves Kryptonite and is now useless. The second is what they are planning on using, a meteor that is secretly a satellite with a phantom zone gun that will send him there. But I agree with Jimmy when he says that’s a one way trip to hell, they can’t do that what is option 3? Doomsday, right?! We see that right as Superman smashes through the daily planet sign and arrives on Earth, so is Jimmy teleported down with syringe gun in hand. Jimmy has to work quick to try and a life Superman’s attacks before deciding that it’s time and turning the syringe on himself! Even against the worries of PROJECT, Jimmy introduced the doomsday virus into his body and turns into the creature himself to fight Superman! Even in his bad broken state…Superman realizes this is bad for him. Jimmy is able to lag down the hurt, all while the others monitoring him mark down the seconds until it could take over his mind permanently. Suddenly Jimmy is able to knock down Superman enough to return him to normal and Jimmy is able to revert himself. Laying on the rubble two very well dressed men walk up and thank Superman for saving them from that monster, then hand over two VIP tickets to Frankenstein on ice as they are the producers of it. As the issue comes to an end Superman and Jimmy are recovering well in the PROJECT medical room. And even though Jimmy can’t right about any of this, before he is done he has a few other requests…including an alteration to the moon. As Jimmy arrives home he finds Lucy waiting for him, turns out Rock Hansom was arrested for selling “mind bending mars rock” on EBay, but that gives Jimmy the perfect opportunity to introduce his VIP tickets to the show and his little message on the moon: “I love Lucy.” HAHAHAHAHA.
What’s really interesting is that while walking by a project door marked “Do Not Open Until Doomsday,” Agatha, his assistant, confirmed he should not be going in that secret area, and that it’s a project transitioned over when PROJECT was Cadmus. Obviously we all know what is cooking behind that door, and hope we never have to use it. But now it’s that time of day, for the head honcho to go and check on the underverse room. A room with a portal to a lower dimension that is composed of suped heavy gravity. But right as Jimmy starts to examine the room, the machine with it’s hooks through the portal suddenly grasps onto something way too heavy and starts to rip down into the portal, breaking the scaffolding underneath it and sending Jimmy flailing for something to hold onto before he falls in and gets crushed to atoms. Luckily Jimmy hangs out with Superman quite a bit, and he was able to hold on and trigger his signal watch. It doesn’t take long for Clark Kent to bumble his way out of a meeting with Perry and fly up and away to the moon to save Jimmy. Now it’s time to pull out whatever caused this in the first place…only to pull out the claw and a find a large black rock. As the team works quick to contain it, they realize that it’s a new type of Kryptonite: black K.
Usually a new form of Kryptonite would be quite a problem, but now Superman is immune to Kryptonite and be feels fine. PHEW, that is good to hear. Jimmy has been having a bad case of witches curses lately and…he would…hate…uh…Superman? Suddenly Superman grasps and breaks the table he is at. His speech bubbles begin to grow black with anger as he starts to berate Jimmy and breaks the table the object around them. Only momentarily does Superman break back through as he realizes the exposure to black Kryptonite is turning him bad and he can’t control it! Worse than that, in every moment he is beginning to talk like Bizarro! Suddenly Superman breaks through the compound and makes his way for Earth. As it turns out, Superman helped them develop three ways to stop him. The first involves Kryptonite and is now useless. The second is what they are planning on using, a meteor that is secretly a satellite with a phantom zone gun that will send him there. But I agree with Jimmy when he says that’s a one way trip to hell, they can’t do that what is option 3? Doomsday, right?! We see that right as Superman smashes through the daily planet sign and arrives on Earth, so is Jimmy teleported down with syringe gun in hand. Jimmy has to work quick to try and a life Superman’s attacks before deciding that it’s time and turning the syringe on himself! Even against the worries of PROJECT, Jimmy introduced the doomsday virus into his body and turns into the creature himself to fight Superman! Even in his bad broken state…Superman realizes this is bad for him. Jimmy is able to lag down the hurt, all while the others monitoring him mark down the seconds until it could take over his mind permanently. Suddenly Jimmy is able to knock down Superman enough to return him to normal and Jimmy is able to revert himself. Laying on the rubble two very well dressed men walk up and thank Superman for saving them from that monster, then hand over two VIP tickets to Frankenstein on ice as they are the producers of it. As the issue comes to an end Superman and Jimmy are recovering well in the PROJECT medical room. And even though Jimmy can’t right about any of this, before he is done he has a few other requests…including an alteration to the moon. As Jimmy arrives home he finds Lucy waiting for him, turns out Rock Hansom was arrested for selling “mind bending mars rock” on EBay, but that gives Jimmy the perfect opportunity to introduce his VIP tickets to the show and his little message on the moon: “I love Lucy.” HAHAHAHAHA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2025
Jimmy Olsen y Lucy Lane se preparan en el apartamento de Jimmy. Lucy lee el periódico, donde afirma que Jimmy ganó el premio al peor vestido de Metrópolis por segundo año consecutivo. Amenaza con dejarlo por Rock Hansom para ver Frankenstein sobre hielo.
En el Daily Planet, Perry White y Jimmy Olsen comentan cómo todos leen las columnas "por un día" de Jimmy los fines de semana. Tienen curiosidad por saber cómo superará su último artículo sobre ser el amor de Estados Unidos por un día.
En el Daily Planet, Perry White y Jimmy Olsen comentan cómo todos leen las columnas "por un día" de Jimmy los fines de semana. Tienen curiosidad por saber cómo superará su último artículo sobre ser el amor de Estados Unidos por un día.
February 25, 2025
Superman Comic Reading Challenge
Day 4 - All Star Superman No. 4
This issue felt a little disjointed to me at times, as if panels were missing between scenes. So this issue was the homage to the series Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen which was a little before my time. Add in a dash of Doomsday legacy and it was all pretty good fun.
Day 4 - All Star Superman No. 4
This issue felt a little disjointed to me at times, as if panels were missing between scenes. So this issue was the homage to the series Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen which was a little before my time. Add in a dash of Doomsday legacy and it was all pretty good fun.
August 10, 2020
Not bad, and I appreciate the Doomsday references, but I’m not sure Jimmy Olsen really solidifies as a character, here. He seems more like a collection of reckless traits. As usual, Superman is written with generosity and warmth while every other character seems flat.
March 7, 2025
Bad. Really really bad.
Filler issue that adds no value besides Jimmy exposition. The story sucks. Superman going bad and Jimmy becoming Doomsday for less than a minute is the stupidest thing I’ve ever read.
Skip this issue
Filler issue that adds no value besides Jimmy exposition. The story sucks. Superman going bad and Jimmy becoming Doomsday for less than a minute is the stupidest thing I’ve ever read.
Skip this issue
July 6, 2018
My least favorite one of this series.
July 13, 2024
Very colorful.
December 26, 2024
Jimmy Olsen antics forever. He’s always getting turned into a big ol thing.
December 29, 2024
Silly, but fun. A little disjointed and hard to follow, too.
January 27, 2025
Se siente como una cuenta atrás todo.
June 1, 2025
Now, I really thought this issue was much better than the last one. I thought the way they did Doomsday was a really cool new interpretation. 4/5
July 3, 2025
Typical day for Jimmy Olsen. Turn into a monster. Save or be saved by Superman. Score.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2025
Jimmy Olsen helps stop Superman from being bad after Black-K takes control
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2025
stan jimmy
March 11, 2026
3.5★
this one was better than the lois arc
this one was better than the lois arc
December 14, 2016
Storyline is not so special. Sometimes even boring.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews