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All-Star Superman

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18:15 / 20.01.06

But, Cameron, given that Superman himself can live another 832 centuries, I see no reason why a kid w/ half his DNA can't manage a measly two an'alf.

18:20 / 20.01.06

J-Lo sounds like a Kryptonian name, no wonder the Unknown Superman is curious.

Given that Lois was mildly hallucinating, it might also turn out that he was actually asking about, say, Jor-El.

19:05 / 20.01.06

Alright! So I might not have been all that wrong then.

Concerning the "?uper", I think we'll just have to wait and see. I thought it could be Clark-Super himself in a dark horrible future after he and Lois didn't stay together or something. But it's more probable that's just a descendent.

19:27 / 20.01.06

>>>given that Superman himself can live another 832 centuries, I see no reason why a kid w/ half his DNA can't manage a measly two an'alf.<<<

Point.

20:34 / 20.01.06

a measly two an'alf.

Millenia, you mean. Otherwise Superman Jr'd be dead by 2206.

yawn - thing's buddy

20:47 / 20.01.06

some of the best quitely artwork i've seen.

sexy panels.

20:51 / 20.01.06

Ah yer right, Chad. My basic mental arith went to fuck doing that for whatever reason; originally wrote 853 centuries, then edited 'cos I forgot to sub the 21 previous. So, yeah. 25. It's still piss-all to a Superman.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

22:52 / 20.01.06

Looks like the Alpha Centurion's helmet is in Superman's Museum of Postmodern Weapons. Thoughts regarding art terrorism and the Weapons of Total Destruction coming across as art exhibits? Cross-reference with Kill Your Boyfriend and King Mob's bout of ontological terrorism.

As an aside, downtown there's this brilliant glassworks art gallery I often go to when I'm looking for literary inspiration; amidst the regular collection of objects is a glass ray-gun. The kryptonite laser and its conversational context (ie "art critics) reminds me a lot of it. Same look.

On the page where Superman examines himself in the mirror, I like that the final panel where we seem him exiting the room shows the mirror appearing to be broken, only it's just the reflection of the spiral door. It took me two or three reads before I realized he hadn't chucked the glasses at the mirror and shattered some of the glass. The (imagined) break in the mirror of truth not only implies the illusion of a betrayal (Lois's paranoid feelings) but, ah, mirrors Superman's potential for breakdown.

Increasing Kal's powers does make him a god, yes, which is a risky move as has been said. But it also opens us up to Godly Concerns, and as a Hercules figure Superman's not immune to his own foibles and terrors. He's a god, but from his perspective he's going to die very shortly. The increased power/increased mortality is an interesting parallel. It is also a weakness which is more interesting and less arbitrary than the kryptonite (or the Green Lantern ring's yellow impurity).

23:54 / 20.01.06

Amazing issue. I love how Supes now has his own version of the Batcave giant penny. And Lois' fear, distrust, and paranoia (what if Superman has gone mad? and I'm here alone with him and he's telling me all this crazy shit that I'm not sure if I believe) is a terrific spin on the dynamic between them.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

00:55 / 21.01.06

Finder: (what if Superman has gone mad? and I'm here alone with him and he's telling me all this crazy shit that I'm not sure if I believe) is a terrific spin on the dynamic between them.

I still think there's a slice of The Shining going on in Lois's brain, especially with the torrent of Artic snowfall outside her window, and I love how it comes out of that sense that Lois has been lied to for their entire relationship up until this point, and she can't deal with that, and Superman's finally opening himself for her, but even without the paranoia-gas, she has to question whether that invalidates their relationship.

The Shining and the Miracleman echoes bear some exploration, I think, and Lois's feelings of paranoia extending from the Solitude of the setting, which clash with Kal's intentions; the Fortress is a time capsule. It's a guarantee of immortality when he's just been told he's going to die, and that ties in with the notions of them getting married and having children, as well as the art gallery vibe. The Future Supermen. This is about legacy.

I do seem to be going on about All-Star Superman a lot, but it's really opening my brain up.

05:46 / 21.01.06

whomever said this comic was a day vitamin? right on, brother. it's a Mushroom and GM/FQ are fucking Mackeena doing the teaching. I'll have to reread this whenever I can.

Sparrow, sustitute J-Lo for CICA [as in Daniela Cicarelli] or GI [as in Gisele Bündschen] for similar effect; not same effect because it's a very different context. what is J-Lo for us and for that amazing Unknown Superman of 4500 AD, a Kryptonian name? a living corporate entity conceptual being whose blackhole ass engulfed the universe?

re: 12 Labours; I guess although GM *did* mention this while hyping the series in interviews, but he's stressed that as a concept it belonged to the previous Supes pitch DC had fearfully rejected back in the day - and that he wasn't using much from it. anyway yeah, similarities can be found - as the clever Barbfolks have already noticed - and it only makes reading these self-contained tales even better.

Supes' legacy: the Exo-gene, eh? if Lois is too afraid from the Kryptonian who cried wolf to marry him and carry his offspring... there's always 6 billion potential superbeings for 24 hours that take turns in saving the day.

he may be even more omnipotent, but it's been a while since he was vulnerable as in the Mirror of Truth scene. what about Lois seeing in B&W, an "effect" from the chemicals Supes mentioned being released in the air? nice touch.

09:04 / 21.01.06

Has that Unknown Superman of 4500AD ever been seen before? It seems to ring some bells...

I mean other than visually:

The Natural Way

09:48 / 21.01.06

No, Papers, it's not the isolation that engenders paranoia in Lois - yr missing the point - it's the fact that she lives in a world where anything can, and indeed, will happen; where identity, reality and continuity frequently undergo radical permutations and contortions. Her entire frame of reference can be pulled out from under her feet at any time. Lois's boyfriend is sometimes a bumbling journalist, sometimes Batman, sometimes a robot and at others a living, breathing man-God... Grant is underlining with this story, where Lois has to be convinced that Clark actually is her boyfriend - a fact so obvious it's been driving fans mad for years - just how bizzare and contrary the emotional landscape of the DCU actually is.

yawn - thing's buddy

12:00 / 21.01.06

^hi waddam. more please. ta.

------------------------

man, the creepy visions from the future on that holodek thing.

my copy of the comic actually emits faint radio crackles on those pages, does yours?

12:25 / 21.01.06

Near as I can figure, the only other time the Unknown Superman has even been MENTIONED is in an old interview Grant did about his HyperCrisis idea:

My one regret about my brief falling out with DC after the 'Superman Incident' is that I didn't get to do my Hypercrisis series at DC to explain all this stuff and set up a whole new playground. It's the one thing I could still be arsed doing with classical superheroes. If I ever go back, I'll explain the whole Hypertime thing and recreate the Challengers of the Unknown as Challengers: Beyond the Unknown.

It's one thing I still want to do. It had a monster eating the first few years of the 21st century and Superman building a bridge across this gaping hole in time. A bridge made of events. The Guardians of The Multiverse and a new Green Lantern Corps made up of parallel reality Green Lanterns, the Superman Squad and the mystery of the Unknown Superman of 2150 etc, etc. There's a huge synopsis filled with outrageous stuff.

13:27 / 21.01.06

my copy of the comic actually emits faint radio crackles on those pages, does yours?

Funny you should ask, did last night, yes.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

15:31 / 21.01.06

wedd: No, Papers, it's not the isolation that engenders paranoia in Lois - yr missing the point - it's the fact that she lives in a world where anything can, and indeed, will happen;

Well, I was going more with the isolation expressing the paranoia or bringing it out to the forefront, setting expressing internal state, et cetera, but you're point's taken. I'm tending to see All-Star Superman as an extension of, or thematic sequel to Flex Mentallo, especially the transformative Silver Age issue.

17:08 / 21.01.06

>>>>I'm tending to see All-Star Superman as an extension of, or thematic sequel to Flex Mentallo, especially the transformative Silver Age issue.

Pretty much every superhero comic book written by GM I consider as a Flex Mentallo sequel somehow. The corrupted reality with the supers and gods as fiction will always ring in my head when I see these stories as they're trying to break out through narrative means. These Superman comics are what I've been wildly waiting for since the day I finished Flex (which is glued up into my heart for life, even though I was never a superhero "genre" fan).

And also AllStarSupes has that lovely feeling to it as well as if picks up where Flex stopped. The unpretentious wildimaginative lighthearted stories that end up hitting in your heart stronger than any "serious" and unimaginative comic that shows itself as something you should guard with you own life.

Solitaire Rose as Tom Servo

17:58 / 21.01.06

While I have trouble going into the panel by panel detail as people here, I read a few issues in the "Superman Showcase" before reading the current issue and was just amazed at how similar they are. Yeah, the current story is better written and much easier to read, but the amount of wonderfully strange ideas in this book is like reading one of the Silver Age books.

There is a sheer joy to the character here that I am amazed that more "traditional" comics readers are upset about...and it's everything that's wrong with comic book sales today. This is something that, if you put it n the hands of a kid, they'd go giddy for.

Could you imagine how the Superman team of the 90's would have spent 18 issues telling the story of how Superman changed the key to his fortress?

11:40 / 22.01.06

Re: the DC 1,000,000 crossover. Kal Kent, The Man of Steel of Tomorrow in A-SS is from 853,450. This is way, way ahead from One Million which only took place in 85,271. Either that or I claim my no-prize now.

12:21 / 22.01.06

Time travel, extended lifespans...

It'll probably come back to bite us in the proverbial ASS at some point in the future.

15:13 / 22.01.06

If the J.Lo thing turns out to be some meta-playing on the comic's acronym, my dog will find me dead on the floor with those Joker's victims' smile on my face.

15:41 / 22.01.06

What? Like "Justice League Zero"?

16:52 / 22.01.06

Oooh, that could be it.

21:05 / 22.01.06

Quick question. In #1, the "You have no right to limit my ambitions, fascist" -- is that Luthor talking through Death or he has a consciouness of his own and talking by him(it?)self? In one of my readings I even thought it could be Luthor shouting at the General, but made no sense (but it would be a nice weird ambiguity).

EDIT: oh and has anyone read this?
http://doublearticulation.blogspot.com/2005/12/on-allusion-all-star-superman-and.html
I loved it (specially about the cover)!

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

03:25 / 23.01.06

Sparrow: And also AllStarSupes has that lovely feeling to it as well as if picks up where Flex stopped. The unpretentious wildimaginative lighthearted stories that end up hitting in your heart stronger than any "serious" and unimaginative comic that shows itself as something you should guard with you own life.

I think what I mean is that it feels like it extends out of Flex #4 - when the bad guy is revealed to be a poor little adolescent, that "realism" is as much a trap as fantasy, et cetera. All-Star Superman rings to me more of the ideal story world that Flex is talking about, where there is no need to debase yourself in the name of realism or drench yourself so completely in the saccharine that you can't stand up straight. Superman's world is fun and smart and technicolour, but Kal's allowed to be worried about his mortality and legacy while Lois is allowed to have real grown-up emotions and anxieties.

While most of the post-Flex GM comics play into this, for some reason this strikes me as having the same "tone" as Flex's finale - do you see what I mean? I think it might be as simple as having Quitely on the art, or that Superman's voice is so close to Flex's.

03:59 / 23.01.06

Papers, I can't see where we disagree.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

04:15 / 23.01.06

Enh, just rambling.

I want me some exo-genes.

04:50 / 23.01.06

I keep seeing bits of a sort of "Blakeian" approach to myths here, something in the way it's presented or something(as if a Blake approach was a silent & implicit previous given step so that it could be worked with in a less heavy-handed manner). I don't know, I'm blabbing. I just wish I had a better frame of reference and understanding to immerse myself in this thing. I can almost feel some sunny archetype, some sort of original monomyth (but not necessarily Campbell's. One a bit more... raw maybe) around every little bit of this story, characters and imageries, and how that Big Myth works through and relate with this twentieth-century "degenerated" myth or something. I just can't put my goddamn finger on it. I loved the essay on doublearticulation I posted above, but it still seems a bit... damn it, I don't know... anyone knows any good material that I can circulate these things?

I wish there were new GM interviews.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

05:01 / 23.01.06

I'm edgy about this reflecting some Super-Big Monomyth, even if it isn't Campbell's. I'd like to think that there can be no monomyth, that it's all collections of myths rather than one big one.

Anyone have any thoughts on Morrison's All-Star Superman set up beside Moore's Supreme stories, in the way they remix and build on the Silver Age Superman stories?

07:53 / 23.01.06

as much as i enjoyed moore's SUPREME run, reflecting on them, they had a somewhat tongue in cheek feel to me. they were fun to be sure. maybe i need to unearth them and have another go. it's been a while since i have read through the issues.

on the other hand, while still fun, morrison's ALL STAR feels slightly more....reverential to the source material. it's also refreshing that someone is finally doing superman stories with superman actually IN them. rather than a clone of the character.

08:29 / 23.01.06

So, he's the kid? I think perhaps he is.

Nah. The "horrible truth" could be that, without any natural superheirs, science was forced to create a Frankensuperman.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

14:43 / 23.01.06

krakaboom: as much as i enjoyed moore's SUPREME run, reflecting on them, they had a somewhat tongue in cheek feel to me. they were fun to be sure. maybe i need to unearth them and have another go. it's been a while since i have read through the issues.

Ethan Crane is a far more...sarcastic person than Clark Kent. I would say. And of course Supreme is a lot more metafictional than All-Star Superman, which distances the reader. I always enjoyed the Supreme/Suprema interaction, though.

I wonder, is Morrison going to write Kara Zor-El into this? We haven't really seen any evidence that she exists in this particular world, what with Kal mentioning he'd thought about getting a sidekick (Only Lois points out nobody could keep up with him) and Quintum being so focused on replacing Kal in the event of his death (which probably wouldn't be as important if Kara was around to carry on the mission).

Re: The Unknown Superman. Well, possibly there's been some kind of change in public opinion regarding superhumans that forces him to more fully disguise himself? Or the usual kryptonite accident and horrible disfigurement.

15:25 / 23.01.06

>> Nah. The "horrible truth" could be that, without any natural superheirs, science was forced to create a Frankensuperman.

I find myself very disturbed and fascinated by the Unknown Superman (whose mask of bandages looks very much like the old DC war comic hero "The Unknown Solider," which Garth Ennis did a Vertigo revival before just shortly before Ennis got further into doing war comics) and the crypic line about "the terrible result".

15:49 / 23.01.06

>>>find myself very disturbed and fascinated by the Unknown Superman (whose mask of bandages looks very much like the old DC war comic hero "The Unknown Solider,"<<<

Well, the use of the term "unknown" is I think a tip off that the resemblence is very much intentional...

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