It's a Bird... #1

I could not say enough good things about this book. It's simply awe inspiring, thought provoking, and easily my now favorite Superman story. That said, Superman isn't really in this book, sure he sets off the story and is the reason we have the story but he's not actually a character in it per se. This book is really about Steve, he's a comic book writer for DC, he was just offered the chance of a lifetime to most writers, the chance to write a Superman miniseries. So, what does he do? He says no because he doesn't get what makes Superman special and he has had a pretty bad experience with him.

Have you heard of Huntington's disease? Because I hadn't heard of it before reading this book. Now imagine you're like 6 or 7, your Grandmother is in the hospital and your father hands you a Superman comic to keep you preoccupied and out of their hair. You find out your grandmother dies. You would probably associate your grandmother dying with Superman, like our dear comic book writing pal Steve did. Which is the real reason he doesn't want to write Superman.

The story follows Steve trying to figure out if he can write a Superman story. We get to see little glimpses of what makes Superman an amazing character as Steve's notes, it shows why he's an outsider, why the colors are important and what they mean, kryptonite, and POWER. There's more but some things should be left as surprises, no? We get to learn more about Steve's life and see how Huntington's disease affected his life and his families life. The story is damn depressing and incredibly somber. It'll leave an impression.

The art is the best you could possibly ask for, for this particular tale. It's haunting. The artist changes his style several times just a bit when the story really asks for it, and that really adds something to this tale.

If you're looking for an emotional tale that also gives you a great grasp on Superman, read this book.