Superman: Earth One, Volume 1

Superman: Earth One

by J. Michael Straczynski (Writer), Shane Davis (Artist), Sandra Hope (Inker)

Forget everything you know about The Man of Steel and brace yourself for a staggering new take on the world's most popular Super Hero.

Best-selling, Hugo Award-winning writer J. Michael Straczynski (Thor, Babylon 5) and red-hot rising star artist Shane Davis (Green Lantern, Superman/Batman) team up for this exciting launch of the Earth One graphic novel series. Set in an all-new continuity re-imagining DC's top heroes, Earth One is a new wave of original, stand-alone graphic novels produced by the top writers and artists in the industry. The groundbreaking new line rockets into effect right here with the Super Hero who started it all – Superman!

What would happen if the origin of The Man of Tomorrow were introduced today for the very first time? Return to Smallville and experience the journey of Earth's favorite adopted son as he grows from boy to Superman like you've never seen before!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superman, Comic Book, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics

144 pages, Hardcover

First published November 2, 2010

About the author

Joseph Michael Straczynski is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series Babylon 5 (1993–1998) and its spinoff Crusade (1999), as well as the series Jeremiah (2002–2004) and Sense8 (2015–2018). He is the executor of the estate of Harlan Ellison.
Straczynski wrote the psychological drama film Changeling (2008) and was co-writer on the martial arts thriller Ninja Assassin (2009), was one of the key writers for (and had a cameo in) Marvel's Thor (2011), as well as the horror film Underworld: Awakening (2012), and the apocalyptic horror film World War Z (2013). From 2001 to 2007, Straczynski wrote Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, followed by runs on Thor and Fantastic Four. He is the author of the Superman: Earth One trilogy of graphic novels, and he has written Superman, Wonder Woman, and Before Watchmen for DC Comics. Straczynski is the creator and writer of several original comic book series such as Rising Stars, Midnight Nation, Dream Police, and Ten Grand through Joe's Comics.
A prolific writer across a variety of media and former journalist, Straczynski is the author of the autobiography Becoming Superman (2019) for HarperVoyager, the novel Together We Will Go (2021) for Simon & Schuster, and Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer (2021) for Benbella Books. In 2020 he was named Head of the Creative Council for the comics publishing company Artists, Writers and Artisans.
Straczynski is a long-time participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums (including GEnie, CompuServe, and America Online) since 1984. He is credited as being the first TV producer to directly engage with fans on the Internet and to allow viewer viewpoints to influence the look and feel of his show. Two prominent areas where he had a presence were GEnie and the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this 12 years ago and didn't like it.
Fast forward to today, and I appreciate this story so much more than I did then.
Straczynski's take on Earth One's Superman has a fresh appeal that I really enjoyed this time around. I don't know what the difference is other than me because the story sure didn't change.



So, this isn't our Superman.
The core of his story is still the same (baby jettisoned from a dying planet and adopted by the loving Kents) but this Clark is a little younger when he comes to Metropolis. A little less sure of what he wants to do with his life because the sky is the limit. Sports star, high paid tech dude, lowly reporter? Take your pick, Mr. Kent.
The only thing he's sure of is that he doesn't want his life to be about his powers.
No superheroing for this guy.



Of course, the evil aliens show up and that goes right out the window.
I did like the twist on Krypton's destruction and how it tied into this new villain.



I'm looking forward to reading the other two volumes and getting a refresher on how it all turned out on this other Earth.
Recommended.

[Will M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe they should've made Geoff Johns do this series, because the Batman Earth One series is among my favorite graphic novels ever. This story arc of Superman was not bad just to be clear, but nothing was interesting on the other hand. Forgettable at best.

Actually the whole thing felt a bit rushed. It's like Stracyznski didn't give Superman the proper introduction that he deserved. I'm not a huge Superman fan, but I'm not among the haters. I don't think I've ever read a Superman graphic novel, or even a single comic book issue, so that's why I was expecting to enjoy this. Everything that I know about Superman would be because of the movies and the TV series (animated). This is not a good start for a Superman newbie.

The artwork was commendable though. I liked how they portrayed him, unlike some of the Justice League ones. Am I the only one who can see a slight similarity to Spider-man? Seriously, the job that he chose closely resembled Spidey's. Like I said though, I don't really know the original story of Superman, so I'm not sure if I should complain about that in the first place.

3/5 stars. Mediocre but not terrible enough to make me steer away from the next volume. Hopefully the next one would have a better plot development. I don't like my graphic novels rushed.

[mark monday · Rating 2 out of 5]

the art is gorgeous: a vivid palette, expert linework, by turns visceral and delicate, super stylish overall. but for some reason, Shane Davis gives us a short, slender, eerie, vaguely asian Superman.

the writing is smart, the pacing works well, the ideas are compelling, the mysteries are intriguing. but J. Michael Straczynski gets it all wrong too. this is not Superman. (and it is also not Earth One - but I'm not going to go there in this review.)

many years back, Mark Gruenwald's ingenious Squadron Supreme reboot was a clever, challenging take on the Justice League and pushed superhero stories in directions that had seldom been traveled before - it had similar ideas to but actually preceded Watchmen. 15 years later, Straczynski's sinister re-reboot Supreme Power went to even darker and more extreme places and was often equally excellent. I highly recommend both series.

anyway, Squadron Supreme's version of Superman is Hyperion. Straczynski's Hyperion is truly eerie. he's detached, he's cold, he's unsettling and ambiguous and unknowable and alien. he's highly disturbing. a disturbing Superman! I loved it.

but now Straczynski gives us a Superman who is basically his Hyperion. Hyperion is fascinating as a creepy alternate version of Superman, particularly in series that are bent on deconstructing various comic book tropes... but Superman does not equal Hyperion. I'm surprised that Straczynski doesn't seem to understand that.

[Sandee is Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read a lot of Superman comic books so I can't really compare this to anything, aside from the movie adaptations that is. But I absolutely love how they showed this side of Superman.

Superman, for me, was unstoppable force. He was the person we all would never be. He is strong. Has superhuman strength. Is also super smart. What else is there? What more can this guy want? He was basically a god. But of course, that wasn't all this was.

Kal-el has a lot of weaknesses. And this story actually showed us that.

THE THINGS I LIKED

● The humanity that they have added to Superman's character. The internal struggles that he had when deciding what was right and what was wrong. Would he do it because it was the right thing for everyone or would be do what is right for him. I loved seeing that in a character. Whether in books, graphic novels, or movies. I love a good character arc and this one is one of them.

● The illustrations were gorgeous. I'll be looking forward to more works by Shane Davis.

●I like that page where people were interviewed after the encounter with Tyrelle. There was one guy who made the reference to another Ubermensch in history that didn't go too well.

● I liked the dialogues. There were some that were really meaningful morals and could be applied to anyone.


THE THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE

● The reason why he was called Superman was a bit cheesy.

● I thought the plot line was pretty predictable. We all know Superman was going to make the right decision. But, it wasn't too bad that it made me hate this.

FINAL THOUGHTS

All in all, I really loved this. I can't wait to read the other volumes. I'll definitely look forward to other works by Stracszynski. I saw he made a few for Marvel too. I'd definitely pick those up too.

[The Lion's Share · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may be a fan of stracynski because I really enjoyed this.

Superman used to be my favourite hero and he's been written over and over so badly so many times. Each time they try and make him human to relate to the reader more because stupid batman fans keep saying "he's too strong" or "he's unrealistic" - fools! He's an alien and I love that he's really fucking strong and I love what he stands for.

So stracynski writes him as a superior here. Another origin story! Another one! However, this one was decent. Superman tries to fit in but in a different way. He has the world at his feet and then he realises he has another responsibility after an old neighbour arrives at his front door. Enter new bad guys for supes to deal with. Nice touch.

Look forward to reading the other volumes.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a focus on Super Boy right after he leaves to “find himself” at Metropolis. He has a lot of options with his knowledge and isn't really interested in being any type of superhero. However, cataclysmic circumstances force him to become one and that really isn't much of a surprise so not a spoiler, people.

The story had its moment but it was a bit too predictable for my tastes and didn't have any interesting small moments. The artwork was absolutely beautiful and primarily done by Shane Davis. The story was by famous writer Michael J. Straczinski and I had higher expectations and he didn't meet them.

ACTION SCENES: B to B plus; STORY/PLOTTING: B minus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B minus to B; ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B to B plus; OVERALL GRADE: B; WHEN READ: mid October 2012.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superman lands somewhere between the Batman (huzzah) and Wonder Woman (blah) books in the Earth One series. There are a few good things -- the homily-like flashback scenes on the Kent family farm, the dynamic duo of Daily Planet co-workers Lois and Jimmy in the midst of a disaster, and young Clark's 'shotgun' approach to researching employment opportunities upon arrival Metropolis.

However, the villain (who could possibly be mistaken for a member of KISS), with his generic world domination and/or destruction plot, is boring and too talky - is he auditioning to be in a Bond film?

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superman as god.

Superman as an allegory for Jesus.

There’s been plenty of ink spilled about these discussions, but DC’s problem has always been that its headliner is too powerful for prime time.

He can fly. He’s super strong. He’s bulletproof. He can shoot laser beams out of his eyes, his breath can freeze.

He’s raced The Flash (the fastest MAN alive) and has tied him a few times, barely lost, and even beaten the scarlet speedster a couple of times.

What the hell, DC? Is there anything this illegal alien cannot do???

“Nope” – Lois Lane

Marvel’s rebuttal approach has deftly added plenty of faults and limitations: Hulk might be immortal but he’s also unpredictable and dangerous and maybe a little scary too (see Al Ewing). Thor is damn near all powerful, but he can be beaten and he’s got some issues also.

Superman is the ultimate deus ex machina – you KNOW he’s gonna win. That’s what made the Death of Superman story arc so appealing and also so inevitable.

OK – yes, Kryptonite, but this is seldom used. Maybe they need to do that more often.

So we come to J. Michael Straczynski’s enjoyable re-imagining of the Superman origin story.

Published in 2010, as a part of DC’s Earth One imprint and preceding the New 52 launch, this features the man of steel as envisioned by artist Shane Davis as moody and reclusive – but still all too powerful. So even though we have some new villains and an altered backstory, same old Superman.

What makes this work, though, is the same formula that makes Action Comics work so well – build a better story AROUND Superman.

The scenes with Lois and Jim Olsen and Daily Planet Perry are some of the best and helps this to be more than just another retelling of a good but old story. The dialogue between Perry and Lois about journalistic integrity is very good.

So a good retelling – but still the same old story.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't listen to the reviews on this one. It's not terrible. From what I'd gathered, Straczynski and crew presented some emo-modernistic version of Superman with anger problems. There's nothing of the sort. Deep down there's not much different about our beloved Man of Steel. The changes to character and the origin story itself is very minor, with one significant change, which I enjoyed to tell the truth.

Clark Kent is newly arrived in Metropolis and looking for a job - a means to strike it out on his own. Through a series of flashbacks we learn the usual story, crash-landed from a dying planet, discovered by Jonathan and Martha Kent, humble farmers from the mid-west, discovery that he's not the same as other kids and the search for a place in the world. Clark is on the verge of self-discovery. There's still a bit of teen in him that yearns for fame and fortune, but at his core, he's still the Clark we know and love - his desire for fortune merely a front to fulfill a promise to his dying father to provide and protect his mother. Especially well done are scenes between Martha and Clark that lead to his eventual acceptance of his rightful place in the world. This self-realization is provoked by the invasion of a race of powerful beings known as Dheronians. There's a pretty epic slug-fest between their leader, Tyrell and Clark that reveals Superman's power balanced with ingenuity. One difference between canon Clark and Earth One Clark: this younger Clark is not seasoned. He gets angry sometimes and doesn't sit back spouting platitudes about responsibility and goodness and yada, yada, yada while he beats on the baddies. It's refreshing and realistic.

The action is balanced by solid narration and dialogue that results in a competent re-telling of the origin story for a new generation. As devoted and traditional as I am when it comes to my favorite superhero, I have to say that I was not only accepting of the changes, but happy with them; particularly a bit about the destruction of Krypton that I think has enormous potential down the line if they keep this series going.

[Donovan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The synopsis says it all. Superman doesn't know who he is, and that's because he's nobody but a surface version of his Golden Age self. Football star, scientist, baseball player. Which will he choose? All to buy Martha Kent a new Cadillac. He moves to the city to, I don't know, mope, creep on girls in diners, and jump into any career he wants to with only a two year degree. That's the Superman I know and love.

The "aliens attack the world" trope has become so tiresome, sudden belligerent aliens doling out random global violence. Meanwhile the villain distracts Superman by explaining his evil plan, even while Superman discusses the "villain explaining the evil plan" trope. The game changer was when Lois Lane and the photographer hooked a chain up to Supes and towed him from the red sun gravity force field. And the villain said something like "I underestimated you!" Oh man, I laughed so hard. A tow truck, that's impressive.

Compared to Batman Earth One, with its fascinating retelling of characters, history and setting, and a drastically different Bruce Wayne, who is nothing like the usual Rocky Balboa meets James Bond, but rather a complex, weak, naive, vengeful but hopeful human being, Straczynski does nothing new here for Superman. He's still a mumbling journalist. He still yearns for his parents and his lost planet. That's old news. And he lacks any real depth or conflict found in other countless titles. At best he has career path conflict, then he gets sidetracked by an alien invasion, and concedes to take the lowest paying job to, I don't know, keep a low profile? Didn't he blow his cover by saving the planet maskless? I was skeptical going into this and you should be, too. I wouldn't call myself a diehard Supes fan, more of an amateur fanatic, but this didn't do much for me.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes this *is* fresh, a very modern telling of the Superman origin story - and yet it doesn't feel *forced*, doesn't feel like you're reading or seeing things that were rammed into the story to make you think "yes, I see they took great pains to update the story - look at the cell phones! Look at how we finally drop the stupid planet-exploding-for-no-reason..."

Instead this is a very well-crafted story - JMS really has the *craft* of storytelling down, and he makes it clear it's about telling a great, cohesive story - not about showing off as a creator or injecting a lot of his ego and personal belief structure.

I totally believe the story, the angst of Clark Kent trying to find his place in the world - of course he would feel alone, and of course he would struggle with how he could find a place in this world. I smiled a couple of times to see the old Superman story get set aside because it didn't make sense, but somehow JMS and Davis found ways to weave together the old and the new so that it felt 'right'.

I so totally would read everything this team put out, if the fates had conspired to give us a continuing series. Thankful we got this much of it, look forward to their next offerings.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone knows Superman. And he's one of the most enduring comic heroes of all time for a reason.

Hope. Truth. Justice.

Those little things we never seem to get enough of because they are really, really sparse today. Or perhaps any day.

We're hungry. So very hungry for the ideal that we feel like we can never achieve in our lifetimes.


Well, let me just put it this way: Straczynski knows his audience. He delivers one hell of a good opening punch here. It's the reboot treatment, by all means, but it is a good one.

Out in 2010, this is, almost exactly, the template for the Man of Steel movie. The villain is slightly different and some aspects are stretched or condensed, but it's a slightly more hopeful version of the movie we did get. (And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the movie should probably get more props than I originally gave it when it came out.)

The art, the writing, everything about this was spot on. I would totally recommend it for anyone just wanting to start out on the Superman kick. Or should I say... punch?

[Sam Quixote · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Superman as much as anyone and hey I'm open to new versions of the character, so if a new Superman origin story has to happen in today's world with a twentyish Clark Kent moving out of small town Smallville to big town Metropolis, I'll go along for the ride. What people said to me about it was that this was an "emo" Superman but I didn't see that here. Sure Clark is 20 and wears a hoodie but so what? That doesn't make him emo.

No, what made me dislike this book was how booooring the story was. Remember Bryan Singer's "Superman Returns"? Remember how bored you were? That's what this is like, though J. Michael Straczynski does correct one of Singer's big problems with his story by allowing Superman to throw a punch, to get angry!

So why boring? Well, we go through the rigmarole of Clark starting life, wowing people with his amazing athletic abilities and amazing mental abilities. Life's not tough for Clark, though Straczynski attempts to show him "struggling" by giving him a less than appealing apartment to live in. But so what? He's Superman! And before he knows it, he's offered a six figure sum so I guess there goes any attempt of Clark struggling for long.

We get the flashbacks of Clark growing up in Smallville, Jonathan and Martha giving out wise instruction, raising this alien child as if their own, and Clark slowly understanding his role, not as a man, but as a Superman. It's nice but if you've read Superman before you'll have read this origin story a hundred times already, hell, even people who don't read the comics know the origin story; having it regurgitated here is just plain dull.

The only interesting part was the alien invasion in the middle of the book with lots of robots. Sounds interesting on paper, kind of de rigeur in the comics world, and not much different from other Superman or other superhero comics before. Mildly interesting, it was good to see Superman kicking ass.

And then it's done. Baddies defeated, then there's the Daily Planet, Lois and Jimmy and Perry, and of course Clark winds up working there. The book is done! Straczynski doesn't reinvent the character, or even retell the origin story in a daring new way, and frankly the only readers who would find this book interesting would be new readers who are coming into contact with this brilliant character for the first time. Seasoned comics fans will find little here to distinguish itself from other Superman origin comics, despite some decent art from Shane Davis.

[Mizuki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The story and the artwork itself is GREAT, but I am really not a fan of the angst Superman in the DCEU movies, I'm okay with this comic but I'm not a fan of it.

PS: but Lois Lane is pretty badass here, unlike her movie counterpart in Man of Steel.

And here is my favorite Superman story: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Other review:
Superman: Secret Origin https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Molly™☺ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Forget everything you know about The Man of Steel...but not really. It's not a super unique origin story, and yet it manages to do things worse than a lot of other Superman runs which makes this spin on the hero distinctive. At times, it feels like Superman is doing his best Batman impression as he goes full brooding mode for no reason other than teenage angst (?) A massive alien invasion attempts to provide the conflict and climax, both of which feel bland and predictable. That, in addition to the boring antagonist, makes for one uninteresting story. Not a Superman that I can personally get on board with, however, if Man of Steel is your favourite piece of Supes media, you might get a very small kick out of this.

[Sesana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This felt very much like the Man of Steel movie. That isn't really a good thing. I get that this Earth One books are supposed to be new, fresh takes on the origin stories of familiar heroes, but this one just felt off to me. And there are plenty of aspects of the story that don't make much sense. Since when is Clark enough of a genius that he can effortlessly solve equations that trained and experienced scientists have been struggling with for years? Did it never occur to Clark that putting in a literally superhuman performance at professional sports tryouts might make people a little too curious about him? Why are his parents trying to steer him towards becoming a superhero? Did Pa really ask a graphic designer friend to come up with the S logo? Once Clark actually does become Superman, there's a couple dozen people who should have good, educated guesses as to his not-terribly-secret identity, but it doesn't look like any of them do.

I did kind of like how Lois and Jimmy were handled. Jimmy alone is a big upgrade over the Silver Age version, and acts the way an enterprising news photographer should. And Lois is shown to be smart, capable, brave, and committed. Everything that Lois should be. I especially liked the hint that she knows good and well that Clark is Superman, but she's going to leave it alone- for now. But the two of them weren't enough to entirely save a book with a bland story and a bland hero.

[Nicolo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superman, the original and seminal superhero, has undergone a lot of reboots ever since he leaped off the pages of Action Comics number one in 1938. It is understandable that he needs to be re-imagined every time a new generation of comic book readers comes of age. Especially, the generation whose first exposure of the character came from the television show Smallville.

This project to revitalize the character had a lot going for it. It had a capable writer and artist team with proven track records in individual projects. This is probably Shane Davis’ best work, producing realistic and detailed pencils to emphasize the real world feel. The color tones are darker and muddied the pencils, but not enough to diminish Davis’ art. The colors give it a look that is edgy and modern. It is no fault of the artist that I find this take on the Superman mythos to be wanting.

My idea of Superman is neither an undecided youth, nor is he selfish and motivated by revenge. I’ve always thought of him as a symbol for humanity’s collective hope and man’s ability to do good. I find J.M. Straczynski’s Superman to be too human and flawed.

Straczynski writes a good story and the ending sets up further adventures and there are still subplots to be explored and resolved. It is enough to stir interest for me to wait for the next volume, but he is not my Superman. Thankfully, there is Mark Waid and Leinil Yu’s Superman: Birthright that I believe is a better reimagining of Superman’s origin. Geoff Johns’ Action Comics work and Grant Morrison’s All Star Superman also have tales of the Kryptonian with modern sensibilities and timeless wonder.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

The more I read one of these Earth One books, the more I wish that DC Comics would focus on them a bit more. Similar to the Ultimate Universe from Marvel, the books are designed to be a little bit more grounded, modern, and accessible takes on our classic DC heroes. And this book was one of the first outings.

I really appreciated how focused this was on Clark’s upbringing and the teachings and guidance that he received from Jon and Martha Kent. That really is the backbone of his character and the reader should fully understand why Clark Kent is the way that he is and why he becomes the greatest hero of all time. His adopted parents never hide the fact that it might be dangerous to reveal himself to the world but they also teach him how much help he can be to humanity, while still stressing that he needs to be his own person and make his own choice. That was the biggest failure of the Man of Steel movie to me. In that film, it seemed like his father was way too focused on telling him to hide himself and not save anyone, which is not the right message!

But while I appreciate such a focus on the guidance, I do feel that there was some neglect on a focus on Clark himself. Clark lacked any sort of charm or character and that was my biggest gripe with the book. He barely spoke and didn’t seem like someone you could depend on to save you. But hopefully that changes in the next installments as he’s fleshed out.

[Felicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was between 3-4 stars for me, really. I liked many things about it, but some of it was kinda emo for my tastes. I mean, I like depth in comics, it's so hard to accomplish, but I guess it's pretty hard to humanize a character that is, by definition, closed off from everyone. Superman is unto himself, and since he had no real deep relationships in this book besides his mother, it was hard to root for him. There were some cool parts, and the art was great though. Would recommend the read!

[Alejandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all the story of the young Clark arriving to Metropolis and looking for what to do with his life. However the climax, it was good but not exactly what I would expect, also they include some elements changing the reason of how Krypton exploded and that affected how people could look the staying of Superman on Earh in a whole different way. Not that I don't find creative but it wouldn´t be as I would so thrilled about it. Still, it's a very good book recommended to any Superman fan.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A baby is sent to Earth from his dying home planet, Krypton. Years later, the baby is now a young adult named Clark and moves from Kansas to Metropolis, searching for a way to fit in. He inadvertently triggers a series of events that brings an associate of his former world's destroyers to Earth, committed to hunting down the last survivor of Krypton.

It feels like the film Man of Steel was largely based on this, with the film's Zod taking the place of the verbose alien hunter Tyrell. Man of Steel was decent, not great, but this similar story was more fun and seems to be what it was hoped that the movie would be. It strikes a more somber tone than almost any other Superman origin I've read, and I think for the most part, it works. It has some tweaks that make it distinct. Clark is not just super physically, but also when it comes to science and math (as his 1950's and 1960's versions were super in literally all things), and he uses these abilities to find his place in the city. It makes sense, if he really is super in every way. His Earth parents have made it clear that he would be limiting himself if he doesn't use his full potential, and they've conceived of a method where he can help the most people possible. Clark is more introverted and thoughtful this time as well, which I liked; his personality fit the idea that he would voluntarily remain hidden until he couldn't any longer. Tyrell is an interesting new character, a rival of the planet Krypton who is only on Earth at some mysterious group's request. I also really liked the couple of pages of people's reactions to Superman's appearance, divided reasonably into half who like him and half who don't. In most other ways, the origin hits all the standard notes. Krypton is shown briefly. Lois, Jimmy, and Perry are all there and all characterized believably. Clark makes his dramatic public debut as Superman. All of these scenes are punctuated with flashbacks of Clark's youth, showing his growth and the ideas he has taken into adulthood. Shane Davis's art is probably one of the, if not the, strongest elements of the whole thing, showing very realistic portraits and some of the best recent Superman action I can recall.

The book does start to show cracks when you introduce logic into the mix, which is probably not a great idea when reading about a guy who flies unaided and shoots red fire from his eyes. Clark trying out for pro sports and throwing around game-changing scientific equations is fine and make sense for someone who is super in everything, but it would raise red flags and make the government (who has been studying his captured spaceship) look in his direction. Also, there seemed to be a lot of purposeful property destruction in this one. Come on, Clark, be more careful with those buildings unless you're paying for them. I'm also not a big fan of Clark's "S" being created by his mom as opposed to it being a Kryptonian symbol, but this was also an element of John Byrne's version of the origin and was probably done to make Clark more symbolically tied to his adoptive parents. In the end, none of these really diminished the quality of the book and my suspension of disbelief managed to stay intact.

A fairly standard yet well-told version of Superman's origin with a few interesting updates.

[merixien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zaten bir Superman hikayelerine çok da düşkün birisi değilim. Açıkcası hakkında çok fazla iyi yorum duyduğum için okumak istedim. Yönünü bulamayan, kayıp bir Superman cazip bir hikaye başlangıcı olsa da olayların şekillenmesi ve genel akış çok da beklediğimden farklı gelmedi.

[Johnathon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superman earth one is an epic looking blockbuster comic with the first half being am origin story remastered then the second half being am invasion, showing off superman's heroics and powers for the first time. Full of ships, explosions, lazers, buildings and windows being smashed and fights on spaceships, this is epic, bombastic artwork with pages and views of the city of metropolis, sun detached and big.

A story thats small scale in its personal introduction of clark and his connection to the Kents and big budget comic book art that looks like a blockbuster film.

[CS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bullet Review:

I'm not the biggest Superman fan in the world, but I've seen the original movie, "Man of Steel", and "Smallville" and am familiar with the basic storyline. The two biggest reason I read this were A) I had recently seen "Man of Steel" and heard this comic was used as inspiration for the movie (I can totally see the similiarities), and B) I've been on a comic book kick lately and really wanted to find a good entry point into possibly reading Superman. (The biggest problem to a newbie to these 50+ year comic series is "OMG, there are TEN VOLUMES of classic comics IN ADDITION to comics coming out?! Where the frak do I even begin?!?!")

At the end of the day, I think this comic is just OK, pure and simple. It's the same basic Superman origin story that we've seen about a million times before (even those of us who AREN'T Supes fans). It's not done badly, just "meh, same-o, same-o". It's a perfectly serviceable entry point for a newbie - I mean, I certainly wasn't confused about who was who and what was what, and I'm pretty newbie when it comes to Superman.

Honestly, I think the hardest part is that the comic is just so OK that it doesn't stand out. The characters are OK. The story is OK. The art is OK. After having Smallville do a pretty good job at feeling out Clark's teenaged years, it's hard to be excited about the "new direction" JMS takes the story.

Also, Clark is now a scientific genius, offered 6-figure salaries straight out of college/high school? In addition to being offered whatever position he wanted on a football team? Supes has always suffered from the Mary Sue/Marty Stu banner - did JMS have to make it WORSE?

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the best Superman origins I have read.

It starts off with Clark coming to Metropolis and trying out what to do, in between jobs and then meeting Perry and Lois and Jimmy and in the middle recalling his talks with his father and then going to his grave when he is attacked by Tyrell an alien from Dheron Planet and as he is gonna destry earth, its upto Clark to become Superman and remember what his father taught him and save the world. In that he finds his identity and about Krypton and finally decides to be a journalist.

Its a typical origin story but the way its written makes it a classic and stand out among others. I really like how it deals with themes of "trying to find your identity" and when he does he helps people and then there is amazing segment towards the end about his interview and him claiming why he cant be affiliated with politics and all and about becoming a hero for the world and his future with Lois and Perry and all.

The writing here is just impeccable delving deep into who he is as a character, his motives, his reasons for becoming it and hinting at more things to come and showing the world reaction to him and also the art is the main part which is just gorgeous all around and each panel is so lively and gives you a sense of watching a live action event actually happening in real time. The colors compliment it really well. All in all a must read for any Superman fan.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can find my review of this comic at:

https://bookidote.wordpress.com/2015/...

Yours truly,

Lashaan

Lashaan & Trang | Bloggers and Book Reviewers
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com

[Boo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

(This review also covers Superman: Earth One, Vol. 2)

I am still searching for a story about Superman that will make me like him, that will make his acceptance into society make sense. Based on the fact that several origin stories, along with two questionable movies, have popped up over the past decade or so that find alternate ways to give me this, I suspect that DC and its writers are still trying to figure that out as well.

You see, the reason why I don’t like him is because my thinking falls in line with Lex Luthor and Batman: he is an alien among us, superior to us in every way. No matter how much nurturing Ma and Pa Kent have given him, nothing removes the fact that he is not one of us, and as Clark Kent, he is attempting to suppress what makes him different. While I do agree that he is the danger that Lex and Batman believe he can be if turned against us, I have a far easier time in believing a Superman that, in his benevolence, chooses to rule over our lesser species in order to protect us. Which is a far more deadly version of Superman than one who simply wants to destroy us, and has been depicted well in alternate universe stories like Superman: Red Son and the Injustice: Gods Among Us game and comics.

But Superman: Earth One, like so many other Superman stories, adheres to the boyscout depiction of a man who just wants to belong and use his powers to help everyone.

A young Clark heads out on the town to find his purpose in life. His story initially focuses on his attempt to find a suitable career, but is actually more of a test of how his skills will be accepted in society. As an athlete, he’s highly desired. As a scientist, he solves a troublesome equation in seconds and is offered a huge salary to continue to do so, but Clark doesn’t find these things fulfilling.

He ends up at the Daily Planet, submitting his resume to chief editor Perry White, who, for the first time ever, become a real person for me. In my experience, White has always been depicted as an overbearing boss with no empathy. Though not as boisterous and callous as Spiderman’s J. Jonah Jameson, White has always been a caricature. But in his introduction, he shows compassion, honesty and full knowledge of the job, even providing Lois Lane with some writing advice that I’ve taken to heart:

"You fell in love with the words and put yourself too far into the story. Write about what you're writing about, not about you writing about what you're writing about."

Lane is a disappointment in this telling. Straczynski seems to work on the assumption that we know her to be the feisty news reporter who’ll go out of her way for the story, so he doesn’t really bother to show her doing any of that. Instead, he has her go after Clark in the second volume, because she is suspicious of him. It pangs of envy, rather than going after the news, and ultimately serves only as a device to give us a bit more of Clark’s personality and history, rather than defining Lane as an interesting character herself.

Photographer Jimmy Olsen on the other hand, is written very well, and seems to be, through his integrity, determination, and courage, the reason why Superman decides to don the cape and save the world.

So the save the world part—this is where volume one really and truly fails for me. Unmemorable bad guy, who helped orchestrate the utter destruction of Krypton, Clark’s home planet, has traversed the galaxy to kill the lone survivor of that genocide. Why? Because he really, really hates Kryptonians.

I suspect that a lot of the Man of Steel storyline has been picked up from this book, though I prefer the movie’s more logical reason for Zod hunting down Kal’El and seeking the destruction of earth. But like this book, we’ve still got this ridiculous notion that Superman is still doing the right thing, despite the destruction and death of millions being his fault for existing. Sure I can’t lump the genocide decision on Clark’s shoulders just because the bad guy came after him, but for me to believe in Superman, I want to see a whole lot more survivor’s guilt, instead of “Oh well, lemme make up for this mess by saving kittens.” Straczynski tries to give me this, most notably in an “exclusive” (though poorly written, from a journalistic point of view) interview that Clark scores with Superman himself, earning him employment at the Daily Planet despite White’s initial rejection. (We will ignore the fact that Olsen and Lane were at ground zero, face to face with Superman, even catching his face on camera, but failed to connect him with Clark. Crack reporting).

Conveniently, the businessman who’d offered Clark a six figure salary before, finds him in the aftermath of the battle to repeat the offer, but Clark refuses because the businessman obviously has no concern for humanity, returning to the Daily Planet instead, because of the integrity and courage the staff there have shown him. From there, Superman can keep a finger on the pulse of the world and dash off to save people as needed. We'll just ignore the fact that Clark's proven intelligence could be used to truly help people, in the same way Bruce Wayne could do more for Gotham as rich businessman Bruce Wayne, than as the revenge-seeking Batman. Anyway, Clark's current position and life decision to become Superman leads us to the next story.

In volume two, the focus is on the world view of Superman, with the government and military concerned that he is a significant threat that needs to be controlled, if not destroyed. Enter Lex2, the sexy Luthor husband and wife team, who spend their panels being sexy, and making blasé comments about how smart they are. Prior to their arrival, Superman must deal with the big bad, Parasite, who feeds on energy, of which Superman has lots. This leads to the sub-plot of Clark’s sex life, along with an attempt to pull at our heart strings with the residents of Clark’s bad-part-of-town apartment. Let’s just say that I’d much rather read about the quirky neighbours and their issues in the Hawkeye graphic novels, where you actually come to care about these people as far more than just plot lines. Clark also has to deal with the consequences of his actions when he tries to do the right thing against a dictator in another country, revealing that it is impossible to keep your hands clean, even if you don’t actually kill the bad guy yourself.

I really wanted to like these stories, but I find that they suffer the same problem I’ve had with all of the stories that try to explain Superman. They all have to make it to this same end goal that I don’t find believable in the first place, so everything thrown in along the way just comes off as superficial elements funneled through a filter to create the same end product. He has to work at the Planet. He has to try to fit in. Lois Lane. He has to save kittens. He has to face off with bad guys. Things need to be destroyed (with no clean up effort from him in the aftermath). Each story attempts to be creative with these required pieces of the Superman puzzle, but it’s only in alternate universes that I truly get depth and connection with those pieces, resulting in a truly believable character.

I'll end on a positive note by praising Davis' art, (though not Clark’s Bieber hair.) I liked the idea of Clark being physically our superior, without having to look it in an overly beefed up, neckless depiction. Davis gets very creative with the panel arrangements and I liked the way each page had its own colour-scheme that reflected the environment and mood. The Daily Planet is covered in soft browns, Clark's brooding introspection and time spent with his mother is usually blue, explosions are a bright, harsh orange...

www.BiblioSanctum.com

[Deacon Tom F. (Recovering from a big heart attack) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular

I have never read a graphic novel until this one. I judged they were just like the cOmicron books of my youth. I was wrong! This was amazing.
The artwork was incredible and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat.
This was enjoyable in every way.

I highly recommend.

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

B.R.A.CE. 2019 Αν και δεν είμαι φαν του Superman, όπως είμαι του απόλυτου Batman (!!!) παραδέχομαι ότι ήταν ένα απολαυστικό κόμικ με την αρχή της ιστορίας του και την πρώτη του εμφάνιση ως υπερήρωα.