Superman: Earth One News (SPOILERS)

[Jan]

JMS posted a link to a really good analysis of his Earth One run. Looks like this is the first of a series (three?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=099OVA2MZ5o

[Ubik]

Just read it and I felt the same way about this one as I did the last volume. It was competent, but nothing really grabbed me. In fact, it may have grabbed me less than the last one.

I must admit, I kinda groaned when Zod turned out to be the big bad, I know he's a classic Superman villain, but I didn't feel his inclusion really added much to the book. Much like Parasite, I struggled to really find rhyme or reason for his motivations besides a very simplistic 'he's evil and hellbent on wiping out Kal-El's family line'. He was a bit of a cardboard cut out, sort of like a standard bad guy for the sake of it.

What I did like was a more compassionate and logical (A)Lex Lutor, and would have loved to have seen more of this character (perhaps we will!?). But conversely, what I didn't like was the tacked on revenge motif worked in for Alexandra to become 'Lex', it just seemed paper thin to me. Like a quick and easy device to create another antagonist.

The 'girl next door' relationship stuff was nice, those scenes worked for me. I could have happily read more pages that developed the cast of characters instead of fist fights between Superman and Zod, which all left me rather bored.

So, all in all, a passable effort, but not a book I'd want on the bookshelf.

[Jan]

Congratulations to JMS for Superman: Earth One volume 3 being the best selling graphic novel for February.

http://www.diamondcomics.com/Home/1/...ticleID=157435

And it's still on the NYT bestseller list for graphic hardcovers for the fourth week.

http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-...oks/list.htmll

Jan

[Jan]

#1 on the NYT Best Seller list of hardcover graphic novels. Woo-Hoo!

http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-...ooks/list.html

Anybody else notice that JMS seems to be hinting that he'll be doing another Earth One book for a different character? In the interview linked above he says,

: The details are still under wraps, but let’s just say for now that I’m definitely on board for another book…maybe about Clark, maybe someone else…who can say?

and in response to a recent question about any other characters he might want to do an Earth One book about, he wrote:

That's a more interesting question than you suspect. Alas, I can't comment on it....

Oh, please, let it be Wonder Woman! I really liked what he was doing with her.

Jan

[Jan]

Wow, never would have expected an issue over Clark's friendship with Lisa. Some people...

This is a nice interview with a hint of the future toward the end and news of a sale coming up at the very end.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/article...ores-clar.html

Jan

[AstroBoy]

Here's ComicbookResources.com's review.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...review&id=8246

and an interview with JMS

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...ticle&id=59016

[Jan]

Got my copy this afternoon and I've read it once. I always want to read these a second time because after waiting 2+ years, I always gulp it too quickly. The following should be reasonably spoiler free, I think.

First, there's a change in artists and I didn't notice it so much in the preview pages but definitely did in the actual book. The page layouts are really amazing in some cases - I like that a lot. There's a certain lack of feeling to the actual art, though. Zod's eyes are often (usually) shadowed and some of the feeling we got from the characters, even Clark/Superman is less. Background images of people are particularly bland. The women all seem to have much the same face. My real issue, though, is with the coloring. It's just off...muddy. Great big fight, major injuries but the blood on Superman's face looks like he's been eating crumb cake, not bleeding.

I liked the story a lot. There are a number of JMS' trademark human moments and, as noted up above, some familiar turns of phrase. Makes sense...with all that JMS has said about Superman's influence on him as he was growing up, those lessons/phrases have probably been rattling around in his head for decades.

I love the relationship between Clark and his neighbor and look forward to more.

There's an even more interesting twist than the one we already had about the Luthors that I didn't see coming but I think could be really interesting down the line.

I liked the final scene and it was quite fitting but I have to admit that I kind of missed that they didn't feature a Daily Planet item like they did in the first two books. I thought those were wonderful epilogues to the stories and would have enjoyed seeing it in this third one.

I kind of wonder about the covers for these three books. All of them have Superman looking pretty angry and this one especially really doesn't have anything to do with what's in the story. I prefer a cover that meshes with the contents.

That's it for a first read. I'll be interested to hear what you all think about this latest offering. Think we'll have to wait another 2.5 years again?

Jan

[babylonlurker]

Another nice interview with JMS. In this, he talks a little more about his approach to writing Superman and how he decided his approach to portraying Clark/Superman. Small spoiler toward the end of the interview.

http://bamsmackpow.com/2015/02/04/su...l-straczynski/

Definite spoilers for some dialog in this interview. Some of the quotes may seem just a *little* familiar!

Jan

I pre-ordered on AMZ.co.uk , should be here mid February (yes, not yet out here across the pond)
Looking forward to the familiar quotes

[Jan]

Another nice interview with JMS. In this, he talks a little more about his approach to writing Superman and how he decided his approach to portraying Clark/Superman. Small spoiler toward the end of the interview.

http://bamsmackpow.com/2015/02/04/su...l-straczynski/

Definite spoilers for some dialog in this interview. Some of the quotes may seem just a *little* familiar!

Jan

[Jan]

Nice interview with JMS about SEO:v3 out today in comic shops and next week in bookstores. Only minor spoilers.

http://www.supermanhomepage.com/comi...upEarthOneVol3

And a nice review:

http://www.examiner.com/review/dc-co...review?cid=rss

Jan

[Jan]

Six-page preview of SE1-v3 coming out next week. Looks good and the change in artist isn't jarring.

http://shelf-life.ew.com/2015/01/27/...ume-3-preview/

Jan

[Jan]

Enter to win an advance copy of Superman: Earth One-Volume 3!
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/s...arth-one-vol-3

You guys can try for the 9 that I won't win.

Jan

[Jan]

JMS shared a page from the upcoming Volume 3. In typical JMS fashion, things look bad for Superman.

https://www.facebook.com/13965245940...e=1&permPage=1

ETA: Don't thing I've seen this before. JMS answered somebody's tweet about the artist and said that it's Adrian Syaf.

Jan

[Jan]

A fan tweeted that he'd pre-ordered Volume 3 and asked if this would be the end. JMS replied:

Volume 3 concludes the first three-volume arc. I've been told I can keep writing it as long as I like, so we'll see

I really enjoyed the first two. Just wish they'd come out more often.

Jan

[Jan]

Here's a cool interview about the next Superman: Earth One coming out in February. A few preview panels and beware of small spoilers.

http://www.previewsworld.com/Home/1/...ticleID=154679

Jan