Sent to Earth as an infant from the dying planet Krypton, Kal-El was adopted by the loving Kent family and raised in America's heartland as Clark Kent. Using his immense solar-fueled powers, he became Superman to defend mankind against all manner of threats while championing truth, justice, and the American way!
After defeating villains terrestrial and beyond, Superman faces a threat that he can’t simply outmuscle. A threat smarter, more cunning and deadly than he can imagine: the Luthors!
It closes up the story of the first two where we introduced Lex Luthor and his wife Alexandra. We take the threads in the first book and pay them all off now. We know that someone in book one arranged for a hit on Krypton. It didn’t just blow up, someone killed that planet. In issue three we’re going to find out who that person is, what happened, and why. If you are a Shakespeare fan look up Tyrell who was the main bad guy in Superman Earth One Volume 1. You’ll find that’s the guy that worked for Richard III to go off to kill the young princes. That raises the question- who is Richard III in our story? Who is that guy?
Superman: Earth One, we meet again. It's been too long since I've seen you poke your nose up but you won't win me over this time just like the last times we met.
@squalleon: What if Anti-Monitor destroyed Krypton? Considering he destroyed Earth 3 Unvierse's Krypton too.
I am fairly certain that JMS won't include wider DCU characters like the Anti-Monitor. So I wouldn't hope if I were you. I have a feeling it was Zod. He has already being confirmed for Vol.3 and he could easily be a villian in a position so powerful that he could hire Tyrell. Plus the solicit doesn't mention him even though he was teased before. Now for motive I am not sure...
Anyway, I am excited, and unless I hear praise from Earth One Teen Titans, this will be the only Earth One book for me this year, not really all that excited for batman.
Volume 1 was decent at best and some what enjoyable, Volume 2 as boring trash and it didn't help that I think Parasite is one of Supes lamest villains, hopefully Volume 3 with Lex and Zod will be original and enjoyable and not super cliche.
@allstarsuperman: In the book's defense, the hooker was at least a more interesting romance than the current Superman/Wonder Woman one. Plus Clark didn't know she was a hooker at first.
@allstarsuperman: In the book's defense, the hooker was at least a more interesting romance than the current Superman/Wonder Woman one. Plus Clark didn't know she was a hooker at first.
Nah ah bro. Superman is super strong and Wonder Woman is super strong. Quite frankly its a match made in Heaven. I don't see how nobody every saw this before the new 52.
But really I see what you mean, still Supes dating a hooker does not sit well with me. And the fact he didn't say anything to the guy with the syringe either, I get this is yet another case of the "young superman who is not perfect", but a lot just doesn't work for me. That said I should probably give that at least one more read as I have only read each one once.
@allstarsuperman: Believe me, the Earth One stories do not sit well with me at all so I only defended it at a limited length compared to those who actually enjoy the series. It's another travesty against Superman which is a shame.
I remember when this series was originally announced they promoted it as Emo Superman. The commentors all mocked the idea due to the fact that it was just trying to be cool cus at the time there was the emo fad going on. Also they made it sound like
I for one loved Earth One volume One. I thought Earth One volume Two was okay. I really hope DC makes Earth One GN's a long term ongoing thing only telling stories through GNs. I'm excited for volume 3.
This is an alternate take on Superman I am okay with because it's … I dunno, I'm just okay with these different takes on Superman/Batman so far.
Why don't people get that it's an elseworld? By definition it isn't supposed to be traditional. If you didn't enjoy it because it wasn't traditional, then that's your fault for having the wrong expectations.
Why don't people get that it's an elseworld? By definition it isn't supposed to be traditional. If you didn't enjoy it because it wasn't traditional, then that's your fault for having the wrong expectations.
I think it's because it's the closest thing we have to the traditional (the red underwear) but without the personality.
Superman: Earth One, we meet again. It's been too long since I've seen you poke your nose up but you won't win me over this time just like the last times we met.
@allstarsuperman: Believe me, the Earth One stories do not sit well with me at all so I only defended it at a limited length compared to those who actually enjoy the series. It's another travesty against Superman which is a shame.
Superman: Earth One, we meet again. It's been too long since I've seen you poke your nose up but you won't win me over this time just like the last times we met.
@allstarsuperman: Believe me, the Earth One stories do not sit well with me at all so I only defended it at a limited length compared to those who actually enjoy the series. It's another travesty against Superman which is a shame.
@allstarsuperman: Earth One is not really for the worse, there is nothing objectively bad about that superman. But subjectively you can hate almost everything about him.
I really enjoyed both earth one stories. They were a unique take on the superman mythos. Once again it is wrongly called dark and edgy by some but it wasn't that way at all. Rather it was the tale of a young man who was wondering what to do with his life. Rather than leap into being superman it explored what clark could do. Many see that as bad but I found it interesting. If we think about it seriously the idea of being superman isn't that appealing. Imagine the back lash from people. I was intrigued with how JMS dealt with that in volume 2. The fact that superman's appearance in some foreign countries could be considered an act of war was genius and it forced clark to find a different way. In addition it showed clark using his tremendous intellect in more ways than one. It was truly fascinating. It seems that on comic vine if superman isn't presented as a he was in all star superman that the story is terrible or considered too dark or edgy. I think that's a stereotype we need to get rid of. All star superman is truly an awesome story line but some of the older superman fans really need to get off their high horses and at least guide the new fans superman has gained through things like the reboot and man of steel and show them some other gems. We shouldn't criticise them we should be happy for them.
I need to read earth one to see what all the fuss is about..
Good to see JMS loves his history. A Superman story involving Richard III, very timely coming just a year after the bones of Richard III were exhumed from underneath a Leicestershire car park!
@soldierofel: Not when those stories make Superman unnecessarily darker, morally ambiguous or fatally flawed for the sake of it. You need to realise that to those who know about Superman's history, stories like these are detrimental to the core of Superman's character. Not just in terms of All Star Superman but in terms of who Superman represents. It is a fatally flawed assertion on your part to mistake the generalisation of angsty brooding Superman stories for who the character really is. Superman has never represented any of those things yet Earth One and parts of the New 52 plus MOS are forcing that upon the character unnaturally. And that's a massive disrespect to the character I've known and loved for years. That's why I take offense at poor portrayals like these and terrible writing of Superman.
@lvenger: Look i respect you as a superman fan but don't think for a second that i haven't been a superman for a long time because i like these interpretations of him. Once again you make the mistake of thinking earth one superman is darker. Rather he is simply more of a realist. That doesn't he mean he's a bad character it means he wants to think things through first. At the end of the day these are all interpretations of the legend created by Siegel and Shuster. Each interpretation is relevant to the time. For instance golden age superman is probably what we could call a darker hero because he was willing to teach criminals a lesson the hard way. Silver age superman and Christopher Reeve's superman was the paragon of light and hope that we all know and that carried through. Earth one and to an extent the new 52 is relevant to our timeline today. At the end of the day though earth one superman wasn't as dark as you think he was, he didn't kill which i know your pretty defensive about and neither did he cause city wide destruction. When he realised that he had to protect people he selflessly leapt into the fray and protected metropolis. He was only scared of putting on the costume because of what it meant. For the rest of his life he would have to wear a mask when he wasn't superman. I mean no disrespect to you either.
Look i respect you as a superman fan but don't think for a second that i haven't been a superman for a long time because i like these interpretations of him.
You always seem to come out in support of a darker, edgier version of Superman in these threads though. If the shoe fits...
Once again you make the mistake of thinking earth one superman is darker. Rather he is simply more of a realist. That doesn't he mean he's a bad character it means he wants to think things through first.
No he is flat out darker. He didn't want to use his powers for the good of others in the first place and tried to find a job he could use to exploit his powers through, he used his powers way more violently and, worst of all, Earth 1 Superman left a dictator to the mercy of a mob. I don't care however you try to justify it, that is NOT something Superman should ever be doing yet that's what happened in Volume 2 of Earth One. Try and justify that as not being a dark Superman, I dare you. And the Pre New 52 version almost always thought things through, it's just that he did so in a positive manner that helped others or himself aspire for better. Characteristics that Superman should never display.
At the end of the day these are all interpretations of the legend created by Siegel and Shuster.
Actually DC have had way more of an influnece shaping Superman than Siegel and Shuster. After the departure from the Golden Age, the editor Whitney Ellsworth introduced the code of conduct that meant Superman wasn't allowed to kill in comics anymore. And from that tweak began the genesis of one of the most moral paragons of virtue in the fictional medium. It's something being ignored a lot today. Though the core of Siegel and Shuster's original invention does remain, the company has defined Superman far more than his original creators have now.
At the end of the day though earth one superman wasn't as dark as you think he was, he didn't kill which i know your pretty defensive about and neither did he cause city wide destruction
See above for my explanation demonstrating why Earth One Superman is a dark, emo, brooding caricature of Superman. I think it's objectively clear that Earth One Superman was exactly as dark as people say he was and your argument doesn't justify what happened in Earth One Superman. This is why there's been plenty of criticism levelled at it. Not as much as Batman's Earth One graphic novel but enough to annoy Superman fans who actually like the character being good.
When he realised that he had to protect people he selflessly leapt into the fray and protected metropolis.
That was only through an alien invasion which caused him to put on the costume. Not a lifelong desire to do good or to use his powers to help others and make the world a better place. This panel from Adventures of Superman is a perfect explanation as to why Superman uses his powers the way he does.
And stories like Earth One which stray from this are not good examples of reinterpreting the character.
I mean no disrespect to you either.
Nor do I but I also don't hold my words against stories which goes against the core of Superman's character.
@lvenger: it's not disrespectful when we get a Batman that different than mainstream. Superman fans give me disentary.
Your ignorance on the full context and reasons presented here is stifling. Seriously why would you express something so blatantly untrue and flameworthy just to demonstrate that you don't like people criticising Superman Earth One? What is the point of that? And the Superman in Earth One was vastly different from his mainstream version too.
@lvenger: Look, i think were both pretty solid on our views, you like and defend a specific version of superman which i respect. Whereas i'm open to different interpretations. Hell we probably grew up with the same Superman as in the Donner Verse and even the nineties animated series. Again no disrespect. You mentioned that i came to the defence of what you call darker superman stories. It's not that i only defend those but i simply like all versions of him. I love the bizarreness of the silver age to the wisdom and ideals of the pre 52 to the more tactical and younger new 52. I don't know why that is i just do. Yes i concede that Superman did do things that are morally grey but the whole thing about leaving a dictator to those who have been under his thumb seems to me something that the golden age superman would do. Again it comes down to interpretation. JMS gave us a look at how hard it is to be Superman. The scan you posted is one of my personal faves but even with the best upbringing in the world you've got to me a pretty special person to devote your life to protecting others. Again it's another reason why i love Superman. However like i've mentioned before we shouldn't hold it against other younger Superman fans who like this version of him. Just an example. My friends younger brother absolutely hated superman. When he first saw the teaser trailer of Man Of Steel he thought it looked stupid. So when the film came and he went to see it wasn't i shocked that he rang me up and said "i made a mistake Superman is the coolest hero in the world". I was intrigued and stunned as the kid hated Superman because he thought of him as cheesy. Man of steel changed his view and now the kid loves to read Superman from both the new 52 and the pre 52. It's things like that, that remind me of Superman's power to attract everyone and why to me he will always remain the worlds greatest superhero. It's also another reason why i'm open to all versions of big blue. Thanks for the debate. One last question: What was your view on Superman: birthright? i always thought that strayed into darker territory.
@soldierofel: I'll just answer your question on Birthright since I won't be able to fully reply to your post without being perceived as blunt or harsh. I thought it was definitely one of the best ways to present a modern, realistic version of Superman in comics alongside Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek. Not to mention that it's the best Superman origin story IMO. It was only dark in its other content and villains. Superman himself was not a dark character, he was just young and starting out yet still had the makings of Superman. Mark Waid called it his love letter to everything Superman and I think there is plenty of positivity and optimism in that series. It also happens to realistic and contemporary too.
ho, ho, ho what fun we all have with our strong views on particular Superman books!
Me, I like different takes on different characters. Man, I even love Batman Earth one which I know puts me in a minority...I'd love to see a Wonder Woman Earth one and a Green arrow Earth one and from what I remember, when I flicked through Superman Earth One I thought I was OK.
I am also unusual in that I've flicked through Waid's Superman Birthright several times in bookshops and it has never grabbed me.. perhaps I need to take a closer look.
But generally, its good that we all like different stuff....
Earth One is an elseworld...you're being obtuse and unfair to people who have a different opinion than you...again.
No I'm showing an understanding of the character and why certain stories unfairly and poorly represent these characters. You're the one who seems to hate the idea of sound criticism or people discrediting certain opinions. Try not to make baseless assumptions and pull words like obtuse out to make me sound as if I'm doing worse than I actually am. It only makes your argument all the more of a straw man for me to knock down like I do usually.
Earth One is an elseworld...you're being obtuse and unfair to people who have a different opinion than you...again.
No I'm showing an understanding of the character and why certain stories unfairly and poorly represent these characters. You're the one who seems to hate the idea of sound criticism or people discrediting certain opinions. Try not to make baseless assumptions and pull words like obtuse out to make me sound as if I'm doing worse than I actually am. It only makes your argument all the more of a straw man for me to knock down like I do usually.
It can't be a poor representation of a character if it is depicting an alternate representation of the character. That's the whole point of it being an alternate take. Different, away from the norm, something atypical or - even by its definition - uncharacteristic. That's the whole point of it all, otherwise there'd be no point of making it an elseworlds. I may not agree with your issues on modern mainstream Superman, but you can't dog on the various elseworlds incarnations for being exactly what they advertise - something other than what you're used to expecting. You may not like them, but they are never out of character because that IS their character.
You're criticizing an else world for not being a traditional representation of the character. That's a silly thing to do. Else worlds do not have to be traditional representations of the character. That's why their called else worlds. I've got no problem with fair criticism. It just so happens that fair constructor criticism is virtually non existent around these parts. What baseless assumption have I made, lvenger? And since when have You knocked my arguments down? That's inaccurate. You usually just stop responding or ignore me completely. Because you're smart enough to realize that you were wrong. Now you're trying to make this more than it actually is by trying to bait me into a flame session with your intentionally inflammatory comments toward the latter part of your post. That's poor debating. I expected better from you.
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