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Superman: Grounded #2
Superman: Grounded, Vol. 2
Top comics writers J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Roberson (iZOMBIE) continue Superman’s journey across the U.S. In this second “Grounded” volume, Superman meets the new Wonder Woman for the first time! But why can’t he shake the feeling that he already knows her? Then, Superman visits Boulder, Colorado, where The Flash made a strange discovery that relates to Superman. And in Salt Lake City, Batman arrives to revisit one of his earliest adventures with The Man of Steel!
168 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2011
3 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
About the author
J. Michael Straczynski
1,372 books1,281 followersJoseph Michael Straczynski is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series Babylon 5 (1993–1998) and its spinoff Crusade (1999), as well as the series Jeremiah (2002–2004) and Sense8 (2015–2018). He is the executor of the estate of Harlan Ellison.
Straczynski wrote the psychological drama film Changeling (2008) and was co-writer on the martial arts thriller Ninja Assassin (2009), was one of the key writers for (and had a cameo in) Marvel's Thor (2011), as well as the horror film Underworld: Awakening (2012), and the apocalyptic horror film World War Z (2013). From 2001 to 2007, Straczynski wrote Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, followed by runs on Thor and Fantastic Four. He is the author of the Superman: Earth One trilogy of graphic novels, and he has written Superman, Wonder Woman, and Before Watchmen for DC Comics. Straczynski is the creator and writer of several original comic book series such as Rising Stars, Midnight Nation, Dream Police, and Ten Grand through Joe's Comics.
A prolific writer across a variety of media and former journalist, Straczynski is the author of the autobiography Becoming Superman (2019) for HarperVoyager, the novel Together We Will Go (2021) for Simon & Schuster, and Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer (2021) for Benbella Books. In 2020 he was named Head of the Creative Council for the comics publishing company Artists, Writers and Artisans.
Straczynski is a long-time participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums (including GEnie, CompuServe, and America Online) since 1984. He is credited as being the first TV producer to directly engage with fans on the Internet and to allow viewer viewpoints to influence the look and feel of his show. Two prominent areas where he had a presence were GEnie and the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated.
Straczynski wrote the psychological drama film Changeling (2008) and was co-writer on the martial arts thriller Ninja Assassin (2009), was one of the key writers for (and had a cameo in) Marvel's Thor (2011), as well as the horror film Underworld: Awakening (2012), and the apocalyptic horror film World War Z (2013). From 2001 to 2007, Straczynski wrote Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, followed by runs on Thor and Fantastic Four. He is the author of the Superman: Earth One trilogy of graphic novels, and he has written Superman, Wonder Woman, and Before Watchmen for DC Comics. Straczynski is the creator and writer of several original comic book series such as Rising Stars, Midnight Nation, Dream Police, and Ten Grand through Joe's Comics.
A prolific writer across a variety of media and former journalist, Straczynski is the author of the autobiography Becoming Superman (2019) for HarperVoyager, the novel Together We Will Go (2021) for Simon & Schuster, and Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer (2021) for Benbella Books. In 2020 he was named Head of the Creative Council for the comics publishing company Artists, Writers and Artisans.
Straczynski is a long-time participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums (including GEnie, CompuServe, and America Online) since 1984. He is credited as being the first TV producer to directly engage with fans on the Internet and to allow viewer viewpoints to influence the look and feel of his show. Two prominent areas where he had a presence were GEnie and the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
June 14, 2021
Superman's existential crisis continues in this boring snoozefest. Superman is depressed and wonders if the world needs a Superman. Not even appearances of Wonder Woman, Flash, and Batman can save this turkey. The writing is just ham-fisted and dull.
October 18, 2021
This was such a great volume and continues Superman's trek across America and starts off with pollution and small town jobs and it was interesting what happened to him and Lois and the convo they had and then meeting the new Wonder Woman and saving people, teaming up with the flash and rescuing him and interesting convo there, recounting his first adventure with Bruce before they were heroes and well fighting Livewire and then the big fight with Lisa Jennings and her origin and all and solves Superman's doubt "Must there be a Superman" and its epic the way it ends and its one of the best stories ever and I loved it every moment!
Its one of those stories that leaves you with doubt but then by the end you see your legacy and the works you have done and continue to do it and that's what happens to Superman and reading through it, its so good and reads like a love letter to Superman and defines what Truth, Justice and the American Way is and its amazing!
The ending and twist with Lisa was awesome and particularly the moment he shares with lois in the end and the purpose he gets again is so cool, ahh its one of the best Superman stories ever easily and a must read for anyone and I think this is the last story of post-crisis before the flashpoint reboot so a landmark one indeed!
Its one of those stories that leaves you with doubt but then by the end you see your legacy and the works you have done and continue to do it and that's what happens to Superman and reading through it, its so good and reads like a love letter to Superman and defines what Truth, Justice and the American Way is and its amazing!
The ending and twist with Lisa was awesome and particularly the moment he shares with lois in the end and the purpose he gets again is so cool, ahh its one of the best Superman stories ever easily and a must read for anyone and I think this is the last story of post-crisis before the flashpoint reboot so a landmark one indeed!
December 3, 2011
I would say the word awful, but it just doesn't do this piece of trash justice.
January 5, 2012
Following on from the excellent first collection of the Grounded arc, part two is a bit of a mixed bag. What made the first story work is here--the focus on who Superman is as a person rather than simply having him relentlessly bashed about the head for 160 pages--but the sense of purpose seems to dwindle quite significantly. Part of this might be put down to the lack of involvement by instigating writer J. Michael Stracynski, who is credited as "plotter" and "co-writer" with Chris Roberson, indicating that whilst he might have had a hand in shaping the story, he had abandoned it before the arc concluded.
For the reader, we endure several issues where Superman really doesn't have a lot to do except question himself and behave somewhat out of character. Part of this can be explained--Superman has lost his adoptive father, and then the planet New Krypton in the preceding saga. The loss of a father and a home has forced the Man of Steel to question himself, which is a new thing for Superman, and for many Superman readers used to the character being an unshakable moral and ethical pillar. But this change along is not the problem with this arc. The problem is that this essential dilemma is handled without tremendous nuance or insight--the Man of Steel simply comes off as glum in-between random acts of life saving and visits by super-powered friends. There are moments to be enjoyed, particularly the issue where a self-proclaimed Superman expert takes the depressed Clark Kent around his town and tells him that he doesn't know what Superman really means, which works despite the obvious and forced irony. The Flash cameo is well executed also, as the pair reminisce at superspeed whilst the world appears to freeze around them.
The largest complaint here is that this collection simply doesn't gel with part one. The first part was complex and interesting, whereas the second treats its dilemmas with simplicity, achieving resolution by essentially having a few strangers directly contradict what Superman himself experienced in the first half of this arc. There are other reasons for Superman's change of heart (which I won't spoil), but overall the whole thing feels anticlimactic--like a good idea that simply ran out of steam.
The final page serves to closes off this Superman volume before the New 52 relaunch, and it also serves as somewhat of a microcosm of the entire volume--decent art, some nice ideas, but overall you can't help but feel like it's an opportunity hasn't been fully exploited.
For the reader, we endure several issues where Superman really doesn't have a lot to do except question himself and behave somewhat out of character. Part of this can be explained--Superman has lost his adoptive father, and then the planet New Krypton in the preceding saga. The loss of a father and a home has forced the Man of Steel to question himself, which is a new thing for Superman, and for many Superman readers used to the character being an unshakable moral and ethical pillar. But this change along is not the problem with this arc. The problem is that this essential dilemma is handled without tremendous nuance or insight--the Man of Steel simply comes off as glum in-between random acts of life saving and visits by super-powered friends. There are moments to be enjoyed, particularly the issue where a self-proclaimed Superman expert takes the depressed Clark Kent around his town and tells him that he doesn't know what Superman really means, which works despite the obvious and forced irony. The Flash cameo is well executed also, as the pair reminisce at superspeed whilst the world appears to freeze around them.
The largest complaint here is that this collection simply doesn't gel with part one. The first part was complex and interesting, whereas the second treats its dilemmas with simplicity, achieving resolution by essentially having a few strangers directly contradict what Superman himself experienced in the first half of this arc. There are other reasons for Superman's change of heart (which I won't spoil), but overall the whole thing feels anticlimactic--like a good idea that simply ran out of steam.
The final page serves to closes off this Superman volume before the New 52 relaunch, and it also serves as somewhat of a microcosm of the entire volume--decent art, some nice ideas, but overall you can't help but feel like it's an opportunity hasn't been fully exploited.
December 31, 2015
I mentioned in my review of the first volume of Grounded that I hadn’t read a Superman comic since at least 1997, so this series being my first in that span of time is in retrospect, a tragedy. This book is not good. It makes me question whether or not they even make Superman comics that are good. I have some ostensibly good ones on my TBR list, but as far as I have actual knowledge, Superman in comics is boring, pompous, overwritten, and stupid. And that is sad.
After writing the first volume of Grounded, Straczynski takes a step back into just doing the plot, while Chris Roberson fleshes it out. His style is even more robotic than Straczynski's. Say something about JMS, his dialogue may be wholly his own, but he at least makes it work.
Superman finishes his jaunt across America to find himself by first questioning the very notion of there being a public Superman, then being visited by a bunch of Superhero friends like The Flash and Batman to shepherd him in the right direction. Turns out Superman is depressed and that’s what’s causing all his problems. Which is a nice sentiment! I like that depression is being taken seriously here. However, the way things turn out is just dumb so it’s a bit of a mixed bag.
I don’t recommend picking up these comics at all. You should probably read something else. Not giving this one star because it wasn’t as stupid as it could have been.
After writing the first volume of Grounded, Straczynski takes a step back into just doing the plot, while Chris Roberson fleshes it out. His style is even more robotic than Straczynski's. Say something about JMS, his dialogue may be wholly his own, but he at least makes it work.
Superman finishes his jaunt across America to find himself by first questioning the very notion of there being a public Superman, then being visited by a bunch of Superhero friends like The Flash and Batman to shepherd him in the right direction. Turns out Superman is depressed and that’s what’s causing all his problems. Which is a nice sentiment! I like that depression is being taken seriously here. However, the way things turn out is just dumb so it’s a bit of a mixed bag.
I don’t recommend picking up these comics at all. You should probably read something else. Not giving this one star because it wasn’t as stupid as it could have been.
July 10, 2013
Much better than the first volume, one suspects due to the work of Roberson. We get an actual plot and neat elements like the Supermen from the future. And, despite being “Grounded”, Superman flies around an awful lot.
December 24, 2012
Gah! This was so painful! the writing was utterly, utterly, awful. What a waist of time.
I give it two stars (as opposed to one) because it ties into some of the events that are happening in other DC storylines, like Wonder Woman, Batman and The Flash; there are a couple important events that should be read in order to keep up with the entire DC continuity.
I think if the writer wanted to take us through a philosophical bender about Superman, he really needed to have something to say! Something groundbreaking and new. But he had NOTHING!!!! It is painful how vacuous and meaningless this deconstruction on the "meaning of Superman" is!!
This was volume two, and together with volume one, I think this could be the worst series of Superman comics I have ever read. A total throwaway.
2/5
I give it two stars (as opposed to one) because it ties into some of the events that are happening in other DC storylines, like Wonder Woman, Batman and The Flash; there are a couple important events that should be read in order to keep up with the entire DC continuity.
I think if the writer wanted to take us through a philosophical bender about Superman, he really needed to have something to say! Something groundbreaking and new. But he had NOTHING!!!! It is painful how vacuous and meaningless this deconstruction on the "meaning of Superman" is!!
This was volume two, and together with volume one, I think this could be the worst series of Superman comics I have ever read. A total throwaway.
2/5
January 8, 2012
Holy crap. JMS's worst work ever. Superman overcomes his liberal depression before he falters in succumbing to moral ambiguity and embraces the one and only thing that will ensure a bright future...his tea party American exceptionalism. I'm going to vomit now.
April 19, 2024
two things are obvious from this second half of Grounded: that Chris Roberson loves Superman, Elliot S! Maggin's Superman in particular, and that if you thought the first half of Grounded was terrible, Roberson agrees. thus on the one hand we have numerous loving nods to Maggin's work on the character, along with everything from the science fiction fanzine in which Siegel and Shuster published proto-Superman prose story "The Reign of the Superman" to the "Lex Luthor took forty cakes" meme, and on the other an immediate, aggressive course correction from the ponderous, poe-faced lecture-fest that was the story so far. Roberson seems not just to want to get things back on track and reaffirm the Man of Tomorrow's core values, recontextualising Straczynski's frankly bizarre characterisation as a trauma response amplified by mysterious outside influence, but to explicitly signal that that's what he is doing, that he's very much aware a course correction is needed and is no more impressed with what's come before than you are. sometimes a writer implicitly criticising their predecessor in the pages of the book itself can come across as petty, occasionally as warranted, even necessary catharsis. I'm honestly not entirely sure where it falls in this case, but at the very least I can't say I disagree with the assessment.
in any case, Roberson does bring a welcome breath of fresh air to proceedings with an all-too-brief series of inventive cross-country adventures, with highlights including a visit to the Still Zone and the Superman Squad's Fortress of Solidarity, a run-in with the Flash under the influence of a stray Kryptonian artifact, and a lively encounter with a supercharged Livewire. Eddy Barrows, whose Superman moped dutifully in Volume 1, gets a chance to make a better impression as a visual storyteller with a firm hand and a solid compositional eye, whose images of Superman in flight and rendering of the blur of super-speed pop very nicely. though the handful of fill-in artists mostly do an okay enough job, Barrows' absence is felt, and that inconsistency makes for an unfortunate speed bump in the reading experience.
while Roberson shows a rare grasp of Superman and his classic milieu beyond the cliches and misconceptions that plague far too many takes on the character, and peppers his scripts with the kind of imaginative throwaway concepts superhero stories thrive on, his dialogue here can sometimes tend towards the heavy-handed and clumsily over-explicit, towards stating themes and internal conflicts out loud and in so many words in a way that dulls their impact to some degree. Superman can reconnect with his ideals and be reminded of the true meaning of Truth, Justice, and the American Way without it needing to be expressed in quite such an on-the-nose way. but given that, the unfortunate narrative gap caused by DC's decision to pull one issue from publication entirely, and the inherently compromised position of having to clean up Straczynski's mess in the first place, there's a good deal more to like here than one might expect, and I'd be happy to see Roberson tackle the character again under more favourable circumstances.
in any case, Roberson does bring a welcome breath of fresh air to proceedings with an all-too-brief series of inventive cross-country adventures, with highlights including a visit to the Still Zone and the Superman Squad's Fortress of Solidarity, a run-in with the Flash under the influence of a stray Kryptonian artifact, and a lively encounter with a supercharged Livewire. Eddy Barrows, whose Superman moped dutifully in Volume 1, gets a chance to make a better impression as a visual storyteller with a firm hand and a solid compositional eye, whose images of Superman in flight and rendering of the blur of super-speed pop very nicely. though the handful of fill-in artists mostly do an okay enough job, Barrows' absence is felt, and that inconsistency makes for an unfortunate speed bump in the reading experience.
while Roberson shows a rare grasp of Superman and his classic milieu beyond the cliches and misconceptions that plague far too many takes on the character, and peppers his scripts with the kind of imaginative throwaway concepts superhero stories thrive on, his dialogue here can sometimes tend towards the heavy-handed and clumsily over-explicit, towards stating themes and internal conflicts out loud and in so many words in a way that dulls their impact to some degree. Superman can reconnect with his ideals and be reminded of the true meaning of Truth, Justice, and the American Way without it needing to be expressed in quite such an on-the-nose way. but given that, the unfortunate narrative gap caused by DC's decision to pull one issue from publication entirely, and the inherently compromised position of having to clean up Straczynski's mess in the first place, there's a good deal more to like here than one might expect, and I'd be happy to see Roberson tackle the character again under more favourable circumstances.
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July 23, 2024Still not great, but at least Superman feels in character. There are some good moments here, my favorite being when Superman meets the Superman Squad. But again, the writing is bland, and even has dated (for 2011) thought bubbles. Yikes. The hokeyness is higher here too, but you know what, hokeyness is okay with Superman. I’m not ashamed to say I was smiling during a few of those hokey scenes. For that alone, I like this better than the first volume.
“Grounded” was the last major story before the New 52. From what I’ve read, except for Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns' Action Comics runs, New 52 Superman was garbage. The Rebirth era that followed was much better.
“Grounded” was the last major story before the New 52. From what I’ve read, except for Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns' Action Comics runs, New 52 Superman was garbage. The Rebirth era that followed was much better.
February 18, 2016
For most of this volume, JMS supplied the plots, with writing credit on maybe half the stories.
The overall theme is carried through here to it's conclusion: primarily the question of whether there really needs to be a Superman. I felt that this question has been asked many times before and answered in a much better fashion than here. Superman's initial answer to the question was quite stupid in my opinion.
There's also more aftermath to the whole New Krypton storyline, which I didn't read. It's mainly used as the catalyst for the whole story arc. Batman also shows up and this is after his apparent death and when he creates Batman Incorporated.
Two or three subplots loosely woven together with a mishmash of average artists lead to a story that never really gets off the ground (get it?)
The overall theme is carried through here to it's conclusion: primarily the question of whether there really needs to be a Superman. I felt that this question has been asked many times before and answered in a much better fashion than here. Superman's initial answer to the question was quite stupid in my opinion.
There's also more aftermath to the whole New Krypton storyline, which I didn't read. It's mainly used as the catalyst for the whole story arc. Batman also shows up and this is after his apparent death and when he creates Batman Incorporated.
Two or three subplots loosely woven together with a mishmash of average artists lead to a story that never really gets off the ground (get it?)
February 26, 2013
Superman meets with The Flash to explain why he is going on his walkabout. Superman also bumps into Bruce Wayne/Batman and ultimately finds out the mystery of the black woman who has been stalking him.
I haven't read the Wonder Woman Odyssey so I don't understand her cameo.
Best part was the final explanation of the black woman and Superman's final battle with her.
This story didn't need to be stretched out into two volumes. If they had skipped out on the extraneous material and subplots that went nowhere, it could have been a much tighter and more cohesive storyline.
I haven't read the Wonder Woman Odyssey so I don't understand her cameo.
Best part was the final explanation of the black woman and Superman's final battle with her.
This story didn't need to be stretched out into two volumes. If they had skipped out on the extraneous material and subplots that went nowhere, it could have been a much tighter and more cohesive storyline.
July 10, 2014
I really liked this. I thought it was interesting because Clark was dealing with a lot of grief: the death of his father Jonathan Kent and the destruction of New Krypton. His walking around gave him the chance to deal with his despression and get back to being Superman.
Grounded may not be a fan favorite but I thought it was good.
Grounded may not be a fan favorite but I thought it was good.
December 31, 2011
I read this because of JMS, and a first part of Grounded was good. Second story is credited for JMS, but is a hard to believe, this was just borefest. I have never liked the DC universe and even less Superman comics. After this i will stay with my Marvel home for a long time.
June 11, 2015
Not quite as good as the first volume.
December 25, 2020
I enjoyed Grounded Vol. 1 pretty well. It wasn't incredible but it had something to say and a clear vision.
But this? Is this even the same story?
StorieS, I should say, because about 10 different plots were shoved into this. And all the interesting elements of volume 1 were dropped. The somewhat clumsy commentary from Volume 1 became ham-fisted nonsensical trash. Much of this book made no sense because I hadn't read the Batman or Wonderwoman stories that tied in to this one.
None of Superman's decisions made sense, even in the context of the story. He was wishy-washy and continuously baffled by everything going on.
This isn't quite bad enough to be 1 star. Instead, it's painfully forgettable and disappointing. And it's especially sad that this was the big finale storyline for the Superman comic title that had been running since 1938 (to be rebooted, of course). What a way to go out.
But this? Is this even the same story?
StorieS, I should say, because about 10 different plots were shoved into this. And all the interesting elements of volume 1 were dropped. The somewhat clumsy commentary from Volume 1 became ham-fisted nonsensical trash. Much of this book made no sense because I hadn't read the Batman or Wonderwoman stories that tied in to this one.
None of Superman's decisions made sense, even in the context of the story. He was wishy-washy and continuously baffled by everything going on.
This isn't quite bad enough to be 1 star. Instead, it's painfully forgettable and disappointing. And it's especially sad that this was the big finale storyline for the Superman comic title that had been running since 1938 (to be rebooted, of course). What a way to go out.
April 6, 2022
This volume is much more...flawed, than the 1st. I'm not sure what happened, but I can only guess that JMS got bored halfway through this "Grounded" arc and was just trying to get it over with. I'm not sure if someone filled in on writing duties or what, because it felt totally mailed in after the first couple of issues. Half the dialogue in this book is literally "truth, justice and the American way". I liked what was bubbling up in the 1st volume, but here it falls flat. Like 2-dimensional flat. While in the first, the usual sentiments associated with Superman (hope, justice, perseverance) felt more natural, here it felt fully contrived and force-fed. Even the story with Clark and Bruce back in the day just felt out of the blue and unnecessary. Honestly disappointed with this volume because of how much I liked the first, so I'd recommend reading the first if you're curious and stopping after that if you can help it.
April 26, 2023
Does the world need Superman?
This is the question posed in both volumes of Superman Grounded. Do we need a Superman in the real world? Or more specifically, do we need to adher to the values he presents; Truth, Justice, and the American Way.
Superman struggles with this question and decides to leave his alter-ego behind to help people in more subtle ways. Which we don't really see him do by the way.
The story also includes a poorly executed cameo from Batman, where they recount their first team-up before they became superheroes. Yuck.
The main antagonist in the story is a teacher. In all seriousness, the teacher manipulates Superman into giving up his heroics, which is an interesting concept, but it is wrapped up way too quickly.
Despite the heavy themes, the implementation of the story lacks excitement and falls short in execution which keeps this book from being a standout among other Superman stories.
This is the question posed in both volumes of Superman Grounded. Do we need a Superman in the real world? Or more specifically, do we need to adher to the values he presents; Truth, Justice, and the American Way.
Superman struggles with this question and decides to leave his alter-ego behind to help people in more subtle ways. Which we don't really see him do by the way.
The story also includes a poorly executed cameo from Batman, where they recount their first team-up before they became superheroes. Yuck.
The main antagonist in the story is a teacher. In all seriousness, the teacher manipulates Superman into giving up his heroics, which is an interesting concept, but it is wrapped up way too quickly.
Despite the heavy themes, the implementation of the story lacks excitement and falls short in execution which keeps this book from being a standout among other Superman stories.
November 18, 2022
I forced myself to finish this. It just doesn’t have the “Grounded” charm of the first volume. Straczynski mentioned on Twitter that he was dealing with serious vision problems during this run, and another writer shares credit on several stories, so I’m wondering if the influence of the other author is the reason for the decline in quality, but I kind of doubt it. In the end, it was the dramatic shift in the story arc that I didn’t like.
The story really shifts away from the walk and interactions with average people to the bigger scope of Superman’s legacy. None of this change engaged me as a reader.
With all of that, the individual comics do have moments of the charm similar to the first volume, but my frustration with the overall shift has buried them in my memory, so I have no examples. Suffice to say, I didn’t hate everything.
The story really shifts away from the walk and interactions with average people to the bigger scope of Superman’s legacy. None of this change engaged me as a reader.
With all of that, the individual comics do have moments of the charm similar to the first volume, but my frustration with the overall shift has buried them in my memory, so I have no examples. Suffice to say, I didn’t hate everything.
September 15, 2024
This was rough. I didn't like this much at all. Eddy barrows' art stepped up here, possibly a new colourist, unsure, but their art was elevated from the last trade.
Stories weren't all so interesting. The one issue that had Lois investigating a major polluter who employed most of a town had good messages but Lois was drawn wearing the skimpiest clothes for an almost professional setting. Not by Barrows.
The issue where Superman quits was fairly poor also. Id just read volume one and stop, because there's no real definitive ending anyway.
The Superman Squad was very cool. Superman seeing what his legacy would bear. The fortress of solidarity. Great idea.
Stories weren't all so interesting. The one issue that had Lois investigating a major polluter who employed most of a town had good messages but Lois was drawn wearing the skimpiest clothes for an almost professional setting. Not by Barrows.
The issue where Superman quits was fairly poor also. Id just read volume one and stop, because there's no real definitive ending anyway.
The Superman Squad was very cool. Superman seeing what his legacy would bear. The fortress of solidarity. Great idea.
July 21, 2020
In Order to Realise Your Desires, You Must Remain Grounded
Struggling through his depression by walking across America, Superman is helped along the way by his friends and comes to a crisis: must there be a Superman?
A strong story, with excellent art, helps readers understand the growing conflict inside the despairing Man of Steel.
Struggling through his depression by walking across America, Superman is helped along the way by his friends and comes to a crisis: must there be a Superman?
A strong story, with excellent art, helps readers understand the growing conflict inside the despairing Man of Steel.
August 12, 2020
"Must there be a superman" and "No Superman is an island"
This book loses some of JMS melodrama but gains a little bit of Chris Roberson's weirdness (which is largely a riff on Alan Moore's Supreme).
The Fortress of Solidarity is super fun. Superman's actions with Wonder Woman, Flash and the recently returned Bruce Wayne (of Batman Inc era) are fairly well-written.
This book loses some of JMS melodrama but gains a little bit of Chris Roberson's weirdness (which is largely a riff on Alan Moore's Supreme).
The Fortress of Solidarity is super fun. Superman's actions with Wonder Woman, Flash and the recently returned Bruce Wayne (of Batman Inc era) are fairly well-written.
December 29, 2017
Chris Roberson does amazing work to rehabilitate the terrible work JMS did in the first half of this arc. Didn't think this half of the arc needed to pontificate on truth, absolute morality, & the American way, but I loved Roberson extensive use of Super-mythology & Grant Morrison-esque touches.
July 15, 2025
Aside from the issue where Batman and Superman discuss grief, this miniseries falls flat. The premise is great, theres good ideas, but the execution is deeply frustrating as it keeps undercutting itself with action, artworks not great either.
July 22, 2017
This is a good volumen two to end this JMS story about a depressed Superman. And yes There must be a Superman, for ever.
August 26, 2019
Honestly, Superman dealing with depression and overcoming it, is inspiring.
April 20, 2025
Una conclusión que deja que desear pero una historia genial, Superman definitivamente se volvió mi súper héroe favorito hace un par de años y cada vez me gusta más
June 25, 2025
2.5/5
December 27, 2025
The second volume of the Superman: Grounded story arc was a mixed bag of guest stars, flashbacks, tons of concepts thrown at the wall to see if they stick, Superman moping about, Oy vey! What a mess.
September 19, 2017
A pretty clear rebuttal of the first volume in the run. I enjoyed this more, but it does muddle the overall story in its about-face. Superman cheers up, rediscovers his purpose, and somewhat retraces his steps as he realizes that, yes, Virginia, there must be a Superman. Lots of continuity nods, which made this book feel more a part of the pre-Flashpoint DC universe.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews