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Superman For All Seasons
by
Jeph Loeb,
Tim Sale , Bjarne Hansen
The catalyst for the Smallville television program, Superman for All Seasons is an emotional and insightful examination of Clark Kent's transformation from a powerful boy into a heroic man. Told through the course of four seasons in the Man of Steel's adolescent life, this coming-of-age tale humanizes the alien from another planet so that he is not only realistic but also ...more
Paperback, 208 pages
Published
October 1st 2002
by DC Comics
(first published October 1st 1999)
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The graphic novel that returned my love of comic books. As a newly minted college graduate, I had seen no reason to embrace comics again outside of a research capacity for my plays. This novel, however, made me remember everything I loved about comics as a kid: the almost "morality play" storylines, the majesty of the characters as they move across panels, the comedy that can easily be found in running around in tights, the hardbitten women unwilling to sit on the sidelines while the...more
I'll go ahead and give it the 5 star nod. As always the writing from Loeb is excellent although I caught him with a repeat(his "You don't have to ask if you can ask" line was directly from Daredevil Yellow, though I think this came first so maybe he stole it for Daredevil). I was a little uncertain by the artwork at first because the way he draws Superman is a bit...strange, but it makes a lot of sense when you see the nature of the story. The way Tim draws Lana is just amazing, I'v...more
I used to have a problem with Supes. Being a fan of the Bat, Superman was a little too squeaky clean for me. I’m not saying that all of our modern heroes need to be dark, tortured antiheroes, but the whole Midwestern farm boy turned reporter thing never really interested me. Then I read Superman For All Seasons and something happened. I can only describe it as a warming of the cockles of my tiny Grinch heart. Loeb and Sale have given us a beautiful and elegant exploration of the origins of Super...more
I really enjoyed this. Jeph Loeb proves that he's at his best when working with the wonderful Tim Sale and the two combine for a great Superman story. The four parts are split into seasons, starting with Spring. The first story, about Clark coming into his powers as well as growing up, is great. There's real emotion in the story, especially between father and son. In fact, if the story had stayed this good, I'd be giving the book five stars. But, after the first story, Clark leaves Smallville an...more
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I really enjoyed this book. I think that Jeph Loeb's storytelling is always really well thought out and the artwork by Tim Sale was an interesting approach to the Man of Steel. I loved the way that each season used a different supporting character's views on what was happening, Loeb tends to do that better than most other comics authors and really gets to the heart of the characters. I also really liked how Lois Lane was written in this book which, I think, returned more to the roots of the char...more
I picked this up at Comic-Con in a sort of whirlwind of TPB-buying, at one of the many 50%-off sales that nerds swarm over on the Final Day of the Con. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale have done a bunch of very popular one-offs about a given character (most famously, their "color" books: Daredevil Yellow, Spider-Man Blue, etc as well as their DC Batman books), and for whatever reason, this one caught my eye. I haven't read much of their stuff, and I don't really care about Superman in general ...more
Looking back, this is what I wanted Smallville to be - chronicling not just Superman's origin, but his down-to-Earth origin as a country-boy who can save the world. The illustrations are beautiful, the story is compelling and intimate. I think most comic-book fans prefer Batman to Superman because it's to handle Batman's humanity, while Superman's seems...well, alien, in every sense of the word. But here, more so than a lot of other signature Superman stories, we get to see Clark Kent, as a f...more
This is just the book I needed to remind me of why I love Superman so much. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale weave a touching story that is more about Clark Kent than the costume he wears. I loved the idea of each chapter (or season) being narrated in captions by someone important in Clark's life: his dad, rival, nemesis, and old girlfriend. These four individuals give their own spin on this man that they are all, apparently, trying to figure out. Oftentimes their captions appear with images that mak...more
I have historically loved the combination of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. There work on Batman, Daredevil, Spider-Man, and the Hulk etc., have been great. Here, their take on a young Clark Kent dealing with being Superman was really good. Told through the eyes of four different people in Clark’s life we, the readers, get to see how different people view Clark differently. While the book is light on the action the inner turmoil and emotional impact is pretty huge. The dialogue from Ma and Pa Kent...more
Sweet.... That seems to be about the best word for it. It's enjoyable, has a certain innocent appeal to it, is reminiscent of other things, and kind of fleeting. Leaves you hankering for even more volume, and even more body.
I have a soft spot for Superman; one that's grown over the years as I've become increasingly more cheesed-off with with dystopias and 'gritty' stories that mostly seem to wallow in violence, bleakness, and misery. For me, Superman often sidesteps this and concentrate on showi...more
I have a soft spot for Superman; one that's grown over the years as I've become increasingly more cheesed-off with with dystopias and 'gritty' stories that mostly seem to wallow in violence, bleakness, and misery. For me, Superman often sidesteps this and concentrate on showi...more
Not much more to add to my previous comment. This was an exceptionally written and illustrated Superman story that lightly examines his origins and attempts to shed light on why Clark Kent would make the decision to be Superman. This is not very heavy on the sci-fi side of Superman but rather his human origins. Those familiar with Superman's continuity in a general sense will likely pick up on some of the lighter shadings here. Loeb and Sale create a simple and effective tale carefully construc...more
Another fine work from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. Focusing less on the villains and more on the hero, this graphic novel gives us the Norman Rockwell portrait of Smallville as Superman has his first crisis of faith (Can I save everyone?) and has to return home for the answer. No major revelations here as we know Superman will come back and save the day but the scenes of DC's most powerful figure falling into his adoptive mother's arms, admitting to Pa Kent he is afraid, and sharing a tender kiss w...more
"These are the choices each of us makes not only to do good, but to inspire good in others."
Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale examine Superman from the perspective of wholesome Americana. The idea here is more or less that Martha and Jonathan Kent make Clark Super, because they and his origins in Smallville instill in him the character to be Super, more than the power.
It's a nice spin on the story, and I'm always charmed by Time Sale's storytelling choices and draftsmanship. ...more
Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale examine Superman from the perspective of wholesome Americana. The idea here is more or less that Martha and Jonathan Kent make Clark Super, because they and his origins in Smallville instill in him the character to be Super, more than the power.
It's a nice spin on the story, and I'm always charmed by Time Sale's storytelling choices and draftsmanship. ...more
Great structure and story by Jeph Loeb, with wonderful artwork by Tim Sale (though not my favorite interpretation of Superman). I love the story, but I'm a little confused on the timeline and not sure how it fits in the overall continuity. It seems like at one point in the story, it's suggested that both Clark and Lana have been away from Smallville for 20 or 30 years, but at the same time it seems like we're seeing a Superman who's really unsure of himself, and is still at the beginning of his ...more
Oh, I loved this. I haven't that many Superman books, but every single one I have read made me love Clark a *lot*. This book is about him slowly becoming Superman, with all that entails - secret identity, arch nemesis and the realization that even he can't save everybody (and that bit kills me every time, how hard it is for him to accept that). The writing is excellent, definitely among my favourites by Loeb, and the artwork is to die for. As is the coloring. A lovely, wonderful, beautiful book....more
This isn't the most epic Superman story ever told. The "action" sequences are actually quite tame compared to some of the more contemporary Superman stories. Instead of dazzling the reader with bizarre plots, ridiculous technology, and over-powered villains, Jeff Loeb returns to the roots of the Superman mythos by exploring what makes Clark Kent super.
This is a coming of age story as Clark learns to adapt to his new powers before deciding what to do with them. He leaves th...more
This is a coming of age story as Clark learns to adapt to his new powers before deciding what to do with them. He leaves th...more
This is a lovely book, with gorgeous art -- it has a very atmospheric quality. I'm not sure there's all that much to the story -- the plot itself is loose and meandering. But the character arcs are strong and the narration (from Pa Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and Lana Lang, in each respective "season") really holds together the emotional threads and symbolic resonance. While the story depends a bit too much on better-than-average knowledge of the Superman origin story to have a ful...more
I think I definitely liked this one better than All-Star Superman. It's the origins of the Superman story, which was perfect for me, a Superman newbie. There was a sweetness and wholesomeness to the graphic novel that I really enjoyed. It was uplifting in a lot of ways. I just didn't feel like it was completely a finished plotline, which is why I can't rate it higher. Lex and Superman never really have their showdown, which I would have LOVED to see happen.
Oh well. Highly recommended...more
Oh well. Highly recommended...more
Lex's story and Lana's were definitely the best. This graphic novel has an awesome grasp of the tradition Superman mythology but is never boring or dated :] There is one great quote by Lois about how much money Lex earns that is fantastic: "We were bored and tired and we tried to figure out how much Luthor makes. Our best guess? One hundred and fifty dollars a second. In other words, if Lex Luthor found a hundred dollar bill lying in the street...it wouldn't be worth his time to pick it up....more
This is one of the best examples of why I like the character of Superman. The story focuses on his relationships with his parents and the small town community that saw him grow up.
It's a coming of age story, but not an origin story. The details concerning his home planet, his emerging superpowers, and even his public debut as Superman are glossed over. Instead, we're shown Clark Kent's more personal journey to find his place in the world.
The tone is nostalgic and uplifting...more
It's a coming of age story, but not an origin story. The details concerning his home planet, his emerging superpowers, and even his public debut as Superman are glossed over. Instead, we're shown Clark Kent's more personal journey to find his place in the world.
The tone is nostalgic and uplifting...more
This is one of the best graphic novels I've read yet. It's much more uplifting than the Miller and Moore novels I've read. Granted Batman is meant to be more dark and gritty. This story deals with how Clark Kent came to terms with who he was and how he realized, that even as Superman he wasn't perfect, he couldn't do anything.
If you have the desire to pick up a graphic novel to see what they have to offer, start here. I'll have to find out if this has a sequel.
If you have the desire to pick up a graphic novel to see what they have to offer, start here. I'll have to find out if this has a sequel.
Disappointing (after friend Simon's glowing review). The drama never went very deep, and the central conflict (Superman's loneliness?) was a bit whiny. I feel like it was moving in the right direction in terms of characterizing Lex Luthor as a Darwinian capitalist, but even this didn't get the exploration necessary to make it worthwhile. I'm coming off a kick of reading Frank Miller Batman stories, so maybe that's why this seemed so innocent to me.
Not an action/adventure epic, which is different for a superman title, but beautifully told nonetheless. The story concerns the struggles of clark kent to suppress his desires for an ordinary life and learning to deal with his limitations (yes superman his limitations too). The result is a heart-warming tale that fleshes out the relationship he has with his parents and with Lana Lang and focuses on the sacrifices superman makes every day that we may not even think about. Typically, people spe...more
Heidi Schutt
rated it
The colored illustrations in Superman: For All Seasons drew me in. I wasn't overstimulated like I sometimes am by colors in graphic novels. The blend of soft and hard lines, color and different sizes of panels made this pleasing to read. The story of Superman is also one of my favorite superhero stories, so it was just the entertainment I needed for a rainy afternoon.
I have a hard time rating this because I have nothing to compare it to. This is only my second Superman comic. I liked it, but I felt like it could've been better. Maybe that was because it's one of my friend Kristy's favorites. Sorry Kristy. (But I would give five stars to Annual Superman #9 which I couldn't find on Goodreads.)
I've never read a really good Superman comic, although I feel like there's got to be one out there. I guess this is the closest I've come. The story is thin, but the themes are strong and the art is beautiful. I love the drawings of Smallville. I might have given it another star, if Superman wasn't drawn like such a dumb jock. He looks like he's seven feet tall and 350 pounds, which would really make it impossible for anyone not to notice that Clark Kent is Superman. I mean, come on. Once again,...more
This book treads lightly over material that's also been recounted in John Byrne's The Man of Steel (and is at least a similar time period of Superman: Birthright). The early part of the book is also similar to Smallville.
Clark Kent realizes he should use his powers for good, heads to Metropolis, has run-ins with Lex Luthor, and must rethink his superheroing career.
It's not the most original story, but Loeb (who's worked on Smallville and Heroes) tells it pretty well, hitting all th...more
Clark Kent realizes he should use his powers for good, heads to Metropolis, has run-ins with Lex Luthor, and must rethink his superheroing career.
It's not the most original story, but Loeb (who's worked on Smallville and Heroes) tells it pretty well, hitting all th...more
a new rendition of the superman story based on different points of view of people around him, those who love them as being clark kent, a friend and admirer or archnemesis. Jeph Loeb dissected who the man of steel or tomorrow is. a loving and caring son, a faithful friend and the defender of what is Good, Just and Democratic
This is a good retelling of the Superman origin. You probably know the Superman origin already and so you may not be interested in this book, but they do manage to tell it in a way never before seen. It is worth the read even if it is just a retelling of a story we have seen time and time again.
One of the best Superman stories ever written. The art is brilliantly done in the style of Normal Rockwell to really drive that whole "small town old-timey American values" feeling home. It's character centric and takes Superman in a direction that he (surprisingly) is rarely taken.
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| fantastic story | 1 | 6 | May 05, 2010 11:19pm |
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an Emmy and WGA nominated American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a Co-Executive Producer on the NBC hit show Heroes, and formerly a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost.
A four-time Eisner Award winner and five-time Wizard Fan Awards winner (see below), Loeb's comic book career inclu...more
More about Jeph Loeb...
A four-time Eisner Award winner and five-time Wizard Fan Awards winner (see below), Loeb's comic book career inclu...more
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