Superman Returns the Visual Guide

by Daniel Wallace

This is the definitive visual guide to the Man of Steel's latest epic movie "Superman Returns". It has everything you need to know about the very first superhero, his friends and enemies. It is a must-have visual extravaganza for all Superman fans, packed with live action stills, photographs and profiles of the film's star cast, including Brandon Routh as Superman, Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, and Kevin Spacey as Lex Luther. It is a super addition to any fan's collection!

Genres: Art, Media Tie In

70 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Joseph Benitez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! It is the complete visual guide to the movie. It has everything about the movie. It is a must-have for all DC Comics fans.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really beautiful look into the world of superman created by Dan Dyas. He’s a talented production designer and made a world for superman that I think often gets overlooked. Beautiful and romantic and timeless looking.

[Parka · Rating 5 out of 5]

(More pictures at parkablogs.com)

This companion book to the movie Superman Returns surprises me with the depth of content. It includes storyboards, full coloured concept art, models and miniatures, sketches and costume design.

Bryan Singer explains in the foreword how the movie was conceived and that he's a big fan of Superman. The introduction talks about the challenges of adapting the icon onto big screen. There's explanation on the fabric used for the cape in order to produce "the right amount of flutter".

Multiple storyboards used for framing the movie look like typical comic book panels., dynamic and action-imminent. Selected pieces of concept art are painted at full colour, so rich in detail they can be used on screen. On the pages, they are used big and a pleasure to the eyes.

There's always something interesting to read about the production process in any movie. In this case, the production crew actually planted 500 acres of corn and calculated when they are going into ripe in time for the filming.

The sketches and design for Metropolis and Daily Planet show the amount of research done. Metropolis was created to evoke the fictional and yet familiar feel. The wall deco from Daily Planet reminds me of the masterpieces that adorn the walls and ceiling of Rockefeller Center. In other words, the movie is designed to be timeless.

There's a section on Krypton, with considerable pages devoted to conceptualizing the crystal city and Superman's Fortress of Solitude. The last few pages shows the train set and the yacht design, with the blueprint of the latter included.

This book is great for any Superman fan, regardless of whether you have seen the movie. If you haven't watch the movie, this book will make you want to. If you have, you'll appreciate the effort and thought that went behind the movie production.

This review was first published on parkablogs.com. There are more pictures and videos on my blog.

[Angel Torres · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely book filled with amazing details about the movie. A great delight for any Superman fan.

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does what it says on the tin well, in that it is indeed a very good visual guide. Basically this mean's we get a lot of high quality shots of the actors, locations, background stuff etc. The text is ok, but pitched quite basic, to the extent I could have written most of it. Very nice to look at though, some 2 page spreads especially.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice book about the characters in the movie!