PopHorror Let's Get Scared
How do you make Superman vulnerable? When I was younger, this was a question that I was always curious about. Would you perhaps take away his power? His home or loved ones? Not actually. You leave him with all his might but give him one small flaw. An illness. A real one at that. Writer Grant Morrison (Happy! TV series) and Artist Frank Quietly takes us into the soul that is Superman. That is the premise of All-Star Superman.
From the Beginning
I came across this particular comic book series a few years ago, and it changed my life forever. All-Star Superman altered my life as a comic book fan and gave me a whole new perspective on Superman himself. The twelve-issue series was written and illustrated by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly. This story struck Superman with a cancer-like illness, due to concentrated levels of solar radiation. Superman doesn’t have any other debilitations or limits.
The series brought him down to a relatable level. It made him vulnerable and easier to understand. On top of that, it was a beautiful encapsulation of everything that makes Superman amazing. Even the cover of the first issue isn’t him saving anyone or doing anything heroic. Instead, it shows him sitting on top of a skyscraper, looking over Metropolis.
Meet The Team
Grant Morrison is outstanding with this purely original and emotionally resonant portrait into the final days of Superman’s life. Morrison is no amateur, either. He’s penned some of DC Comics’ best works, such as Batman, JLA, Action Comics and Vertigo’s The Invisibles. However, it’s all glued together by the amazing art of Frank Quietly. Quietly is best known for his work on New X-Men, Batman and Robin, and Jupiter’s Legacy. This was a match made in heaven as these two gave us such a cherished graphic novel, offering readers a glimpse into the Man of Steel suffering from within. He continues to help the citizens of Metropolis, foils Lex Luthor’s plans, and confesses to Louis Lane his true identity.
In Conclusion
We see Superman tie up the loose ends of his life, right there on paper. Actually, I loved how Morrison went ahead and made Clark Kent a separate entity than Superman. He slouches, and he’s clumsy and goofy. Yet with Superman, he’s perfect in every way, as well as being immensely powerful. Morrison took the time to split Superman into two halves of a character, one being Superman and the other, Clark Kent. Seeing Superman in such a weakened state is heartbreaking. The character stays true to himself and his morals. Furthermore, the entire series brought me to tears the first time I read it, because the graphic novel is so beautiful.
The artwork in All-Star Superman is really good as well. The art and story compliment each other in such a way that’s hard to imitate in comic books. Eventually, Warner Bros. decided to release an animated adaptation of this graphic novel. Personally, I don’t think it captures the same heart and soul of the book. Usually, that is the case of adaptations anyways. Lastly, this novel taught me how being vulnerable can bring out the best of us all.
