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43rd out of 1,502 books
—
3,026 voters
All-Star Superman, Vol. 1 (All-Star Superman #1)
Two of the comics industry's top creative talents, writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, the acclaimed team behind JLA: EARTH 2, reunite to redefine Superman based on the timeless, essential iconic elements that everyone knows about the Man of Steel.
In the first volume, the World's Greatest Super-Hero rescues a doomed group of astronauts on the surface of the su
...moreHardcover, 160 pages
Published
April 11th 2007
by DC Comics
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Okay, other than Frank Quitely giving Supes the physique of a championship bowler, this book wasn’t bad. It certainly was NOT the loathsome, Batman persona-raping shit bomb that All-Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder, Volume 1 was (I still haven’t forgiven you for that Frank Miller). I think that Grant Morrison did a good job capturing the essential, archetypal “goodness” of Superman in this homage/tribute/restoration of the icon of icons.
Still, this was a swing and a miss for me...though...more
64 likes · like · see review
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In this DC Superman revamp, Superman contemplates his mortality and some absolutely goofy stuff happens. While Frank Quitely's art is downright gorgeous--he expertly presents us with a cuddly Clark and a steely-muscled Man of Steel--Grant Morrison's writing isn't quite up to snuff. A few of the episodes, namely "Superman's Forbidden Room" and "A Funeral in Smallville", have both scatter-shot moments of- and an enormous potential for great tenderness, but Morrison intermixes the emotional element...more
4 likes · like · see review
Despite the fact that I read a lot of comics -- and I do read a lot of comics -- I don't read a lot of superhero comics. Which isn't true at all, because I read a lot of superhero comics; it's just that almost all the superhero comics I read are Batman. I am absolutely obsessed with Batman in a way I've learned to live with, and I don't feel the need for non-comics fans or non-superhero fans to 'get it,' because so many other people obviously already do.
But. If, say, you were getting into comics...more
But. If, say, you were getting into comics...more
8 likes · like · see review
Jan 17, 2012
Rhiannon
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
People who think they don't care about Superman
Look! Superman playing super-fetch with his super-dog! Aw!
Hey, guys. Guess what I read yesterday? Superman. Isn't that weird?
Well, it was "Buy 1 Graphic Novel, Get 1 For $1" Day @ my work. And I had stocked up on the latest volumes of the three series that I am currently in the middle of (Fables, The Walking Dead, Chew). I just needed one more! And the stock was looking slim (yay! sales; boo! none for me). When this guy that I work with, Tyler, hands me Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman. Since...more
Hey, guys. Guess what I read yesterday? Superman. Isn't that weird?
Well, it was "Buy 1 Graphic Novel, Get 1 For $1" Day @ my work. And I had stocked up on the latest volumes of the three series that I am currently in the middle of (Fables, The Walking Dead, Chew). I just needed one more! And the stock was looking slim (yay! sales; boo! none for me). When this guy that I work with, Tyler, hands me Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman. Since...more

3 likes · like · see review
Morrison is a great comic book writer, but he has a few obvious flaws that can make his work difficult to digest, and have always kept him from reaching the same heights as Alan Moore.
All-Star Superman, while using the same deconstructed narrative and mind-blowingly bizarre gift of invention that are his trademarks, manages to overcome those limitations and essentially create the platonic ideal of what a Superman story should be.
In twelve issues this series manages to truly show how an epic stor...more
All-Star Superman, while using the same deconstructed narrative and mind-blowingly bizarre gift of invention that are his trademarks, manages to overcome those limitations and essentially create the platonic ideal of what a Superman story should be.
In twelve issues this series manages to truly show how an epic stor...more
4 likes · like · see review
**combines All Star & Kryptonite reviews because I'm lazy & originally appeared on emtoast.com**
When I was about 6 years old I had a Dad crafted fort in my back yard. It was basically just 3 pieces of wood nailed together to form a triangle with a back on it and a curtain for the door. All I had in there was a Superman movie poster and a little lock box that I kept crackers, pepperoni, and a few Superman comics in. It was my mini-me fortress of solitude. Flash forward a few years and I w...more
When I was about 6 years old I had a Dad crafted fort in my back yard. It was basically just 3 pieces of wood nailed together to form a triangle with a back on it and a curtain for the door. All I had in there was a Superman movie poster and a little lock box that I kept crackers, pepperoni, and a few Superman comics in. It was my mini-me fortress of solitude. Flash forward a few years and I w...more
Dec 15, 2007
Justin
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who wants a little joy in their lives.
Do you think Superman is too good? Too powerful? Too hard to empathize with? Just too goofy in general? Well, then you need to give this one a look. All the perceived weaknesses of Superman's character are made into something so strong, so iconic, that I have a hard time believing that anyone could hate this book. The writing and art are both nothing short of incredible, with an opening page that serves as an amusingly fast-paced reminder of the origin that even most non-comic book fans know by...more
1 like · like · see review
Am not quite sure where I fall on this. Some of it displays signs of brilliance bit there a there are a few meh moments which I'll touch on in a TFF review. Some characters had great art for them (Lois, Clark and a couple of others) but I didn't like the artwork for the front cover nor the weird purple alien (not a big Superman fan so not too sure on this character, the other not-quite Superman Supermen, Luthor and Jimmy Olsen. But the story was strong and I may stick around for Vol.2.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Superman is who Americans think of when they hear the word "superhero." DC Comics has recently been allowing their classic characters to be remolded with new stories that fall outside of the existing set of histories created for them.
This first volume is a collection of the first 5 issues of the comic book line of the same title. Each issue focuses on one of the major characters surrounding superman such as Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Lex Luthor. To make things more interesting, the first issue...more
This first volume is a collection of the first 5 issues of the comic book line of the same title. Each issue focuses on one of the major characters surrounding superman such as Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Lex Luthor. To make things more interesting, the first issue...more
"All-Star Superman" - volumes 1 and 2 - is a sort of warped bucket list for the Man of Steel. Through the brilliant deigns of Lex Luther, he is dying; but before he does, he is destined to accomplish 12 amazing feats to save the Earth. It is not a question of whether or not he will be successful - it is a question of what price he will have to pay in the process.
I have never been a Superman fan - not by choice, but for lack of interest - but Grant Morrison's fable has really transformed my view...more
I have never been a Superman fan - not by choice, but for lack of interest - but Grant Morrison's fable has really transformed my view...more
Aug 01, 2012
Mykle
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Adults and children.
Recommended to Mykle by:
Bridgetown Comics
I've been warming up to Grant Morrison lately, and after reading Flex Mentallo: Man Of Muscle Mystery I was excited to see anything else he'd done with this amazing artist Frank Quitely. I was thinking of We3 or maybe some of the New X-Men stuff they did, or who knows what else might exist that I hadn't heard of.
So I went to the local comic shop, wallet in hand, ready to shell out more megabucks for more of these beautiful yet slender full-color paperback anthologies. ("Dang-it, when I was a you...more
So I went to the local comic shop, wallet in hand, ready to shell out more megabucks for more of these beautiful yet slender full-color paperback anthologies. ("Dang-it, when I was a you...more
Dear Grant Morrison,
It's not you, it's me. I should have known better. I've never been a big fan of Superman. We both know that I'm much more of a Batman sort of girl. I can't think of a single Superman book that I've loved. I probably should have left well enough alone. But I was curious, and anything had to be better than Frank Miller's All-Star Batman. That much was true. At least you seem to understand Superman's character, in a way that Miller no longer understands Batman's and has never un...more
It's not you, it's me. I should have known better. I've never been a big fan of Superman. We both know that I'm much more of a Batman sort of girl. I can't think of a single Superman book that I've loved. I probably should have left well enough alone. But I was curious, and anything had to be better than Frank Miller's All-Star Batman. That much was true. At least you seem to understand Superman's character, in a way that Miller no longer understands Batman's and has never un...more
I am going to unashamedly copy whole the review by a well known author in his own right and a good friend of mine (author: andrew mayer)
Morrison is a great comic book writer, but he has a few obvious flaws that can make his work difficult to digest, and have always kept him from reaching the same heights as Alan Moore.
All-Star Superman, while using the same deconstructed narrative and mind-blowingly bizarre gift of invention that are his trademarks, manages to overcome those limitations and esse...more
Morrison is a great comic book writer, but he has a few obvious flaws that can make his work difficult to digest, and have always kept him from reaching the same heights as Alan Moore.
All-Star Superman, while using the same deconstructed narrative and mind-blowingly bizarre gift of invention that are his trademarks, manages to overcome those limitations and esse...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
"Definitive" is a word that is overused and undervalued in the current world of reviews, but there is no other way to describe this masterful tale about the world's most recognizable Superhero other than THE definitive Superman story. Whether you are a Super Fan or, like me, just casually interested in the big, blue boyscout, Grant Morrison once again does what he seemingly alone is able to do. He takes the most iconic figure in comic book history (and possibly all of popular culture) and makes...more
1 like · like · see review
This is an unforgettable work of art condensing the many milestones throughout Superman's long career into a single, alternate universe story line in which Superman is dying. Lex Luthor has grokked how to kill the Man of Steel, and put into motion a plan that would eventually overload Supe's cells.
Morrison writes with sensitivity and grace, and coupled with the pencils of Quitely and the colors of Grant, is a piece nothing short of transcendental. How can an alien to our planet be more human tha...more
Morrison writes with sensitivity and grace, and coupled with the pencils of Quitely and the colors of Grant, is a piece nothing short of transcendental. How can an alien to our planet be more human tha...more
1 like · like · see review
Even getting past the fact that I would read Frank Quitely drawing the phone book, this is some of Grant Morrison's best work. I think he is often at his best with work-for-hire, because the conceit, the structure of work he does not own, focuses his imagination. I think I have mentioned this elsewhere, but I wonder if part of what makes his Superman so good is that he realized that in order to bring the all powerful superhero into some semblance of believable scope, he also had to limit himself...more
1 like · like · see review
This is a great mixture of simplicity and imagination. Morrison doesn't write Superman as some depressive outsider or someone desperate to make a normal life in spite of his powers. He's a larger-than-life hero whose main concerns are saving people and collecting cool stuff in the Fortress of Solitude. He even wants to be friends with Lex Luthor - who is also quite straightforward, but written very well.
The imaginative aspects (especially everything to do with Leo Quintum) are fun. Something tha...more
The imaginative aspects (especially everything to do with Leo Quintum) are fun. Something tha...more
Xmas present. I'm a big fan of comics but not enough to know the various writers and artists, except Alex Ross, but I guess because "All Star" is in the title these guys are supposed to be the best.
Volume 1 only has the first 6 comics in the series, so you need to get Volume 2 for the other twelve.
The deal is that Lex Luthor finally got the best of Superman by tricking him into flying so close to the Sun that his cells are overcharging and dying. The way Supe is drawn he looks a little paunchy a...more
Volume 1 only has the first 6 comics in the series, so you need to get Volume 2 for the other twelve.
The deal is that Lex Luthor finally got the best of Superman by tricking him into flying so close to the Sun that his cells are overcharging and dying. The way Supe is drawn he looks a little paunchy a...more
There are hundreds upon hundreds of mediocre Superman stories. There are, perhaps, dozens upon dozens of good Superman stories. Morrison and Quitely's All Star Superman is one of the really great Superman stories.
As I understand it, the concept behind the "All Star" books (there was also one for Batman, and I think one for Wonder Woman is in the works or underway) was to put top talents on a 12 issues story arc unbound by continuity. This certainly appears to have worked for All Star Superman. T...more
As I understand it, the concept behind the "All Star" books (there was also one for Batman, and I think one for Wonder Woman is in the works or underway) was to put top talents on a 12 issues story arc unbound by continuity. This certainly appears to have worked for All Star Superman. T...more
it was Grant Morrison who first (to my knowledge) called Superman "the sci-fi Jesus," & i can't think of a more appropriate, succinct encapsulation of the character. he is humanity's savior, delivered from on high, in a rocketship from outer space. his father sent him to us because of our potential, which he was meant to show us, by reflecting the best we have to offer, clothed in the heavenly vestments of his otherworldly father. his earthly upbringing gave limitless power incarnate an inna...more
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[This review is for volumes 1 and 2 together.:]
This was so popular a read on the comics sites I occasion and it's been so roundly lauded on sites that aren't even about comics that I figured that at the least this was some sure-fire entertainment. And I'm sure that for some, it was. I, unfortunately, am not a member of that illustrious Some.
Honestly (I know... if you have to state something honestly it implies dishonesty—or at least a marked predisposition toward dishonesty—in everything else yo...more
This was so popular a read on the comics sites I occasion and it's been so roundly lauded on sites that aren't even about comics that I figured that at the least this was some sure-fire entertainment. And I'm sure that for some, it was. I, unfortunately, am not a member of that illustrious Some.
Honestly (I know... if you have to state something honestly it implies dishonesty—or at least a marked predisposition toward dishonesty—in everything else yo...more
This is the first superman comic I can remember reading. I have never been a fan of the character. To be fair, I'm not really a fan of any of the caps and cowls crowd. I tend to prefer books like hellboy, preacher, and Y-the last man over sups. Seems like your cheating if the main character is basically a god. Not all that interesting to me.
I found some of the story to be a bit goofy and very random at times. Three superheros, bickering about who gets to date a girl. Not only is the girl simply...more
I found some of the story to be a bit goofy and very random at times. Three superheros, bickering about who gets to date a girl. Not only is the girl simply...more
Apr 08, 2012
Hayden
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
comics-graphic-novels
I was in the mood to check out a good Superman story, and picked up both volumes of this. Other than his current Action Comics run, I haven't really read much Grant Morrison before (gasp!), and didn't know what to expect. Although I wasn't blown away, this was a fantastic character piece.
All-Star Superman sort of works as a re-introduction to the Golden Age character for the 21st century. Each chapter is relatively self contained, and Clark Kent has been reimagined as a lumbering, oafish, and cl...more
All-Star Superman sort of works as a re-introduction to the Golden Age character for the 21st century. Each chapter is relatively self contained, and Clark Kent has been reimagined as a lumbering, oafish, and cl...more
Grant Morrison certainly seems to love putting his characters in the face of mortal danger, mortal being the operative word. But emphasizing vulnerabilities over strengths actually reveals the reasons why we find these old comic book heroes relevant and heroic. Morrison clearly knows this, and in this half-elegy, half-goofy scifi free for all, he showcases all the oddities and optimism that infused the Silver Age Superman, while giving the man himself a quiet, deeply personal send-off.
The art he...more
The art he...more
Am I the only person who thought the All Star Superman collection was a bit .... average? Superman is an incredibly difficult character to make interesting, as we know, because of his all-powerful nature. But some really clever writers have been able to do some interesting things with the Man of Steel. For some reason, this popular entry in the Superman canon just doesn't grab me. He spends the books passing tests, wrapping up his affairs, and coming to terms with dying. But the whole book just...more
Jun 30, 2009
Taejas Kudva
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who enjoyed any of the Superman movies.
Recommended to Taejas by:
The proprietor of Pastimes, outside of Asheville, NC
I've never read any of the main stream comic titles, though I know a bit about the lines from comicy friends, and I've liked a lot of the superhero movies, recent and past. This book just goes to show that short run titles are a great addition to the ever ongoing mythos of main books.
The story so far (vol. 1 only goes up to issue 6 of 12, I was told) has been really great. It rolls in a lot of the plot elements of the long running titles but in a very easily accessible way for people like me who...more
The story so far (vol. 1 only goes up to issue 6 of 12, I was told) has been really great. It rolls in a lot of the plot elements of the long running titles but in a very easily accessible way for people like me who...more
Normally, I am not a big Superman fan. I appreciate that he is the embodiment of the superhero fantasy, and I enjoyed most the old Christopher Reeve films well enough (I even enjoyed Superman Returns more than most). I just never thought that a Superman story could ever be truly deep or even particularly interesting.
Boy, was I wrong.
With All-Star Superman, Grant Morrison has crafted a story to show all of the Superman doubters that his stories aren't just about punching the bad guys really hard,...more
Boy, was I wrong.
With All-Star Superman, Grant Morrison has crafted a story to show all of the Superman doubters that his stories aren't just about punching the bad guys really hard,...more
The definitive Superman.
If you could bottle up all the different bits that make something what it truly is, but from the eyes of all the people who knew him then you'd get something like this book.
The best Superman story ever told. Mining a lifetimes worth of stories about the Man of Steel, Grant Morrison managed to do what most comic book writers today don't even try for which is to capture the true essence of a character and present it in a whole new story in a modern way that doesn't speak do...more
If you could bottle up all the different bits that make something what it truly is, but from the eyes of all the people who knew him then you'd get something like this book.
The best Superman story ever told. Mining a lifetimes worth of stories about the Man of Steel, Grant Morrison managed to do what most comic book writers today don't even try for which is to capture the true essence of a character and present it in a whole new story in a modern way that doesn't speak do...more
1 like · like · see review
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| Graphic Novel Rea...: Optional Book Club Discussion: All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison - Sept 12 - Oct 11 (may contain spoilers) | 18 | 45 | Feb 23, 2012 04:07am |
Scottish comic book author Grant Morrison is known for culture-jamming and the constant reinvention of his work. His often controversial books also rate amongst some of the most popular and critically-acclaimed. He is also active in screenwriting.
More about Grant Morrison...
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