Superman: War of the Worlds

Superman: One-Shots

by Roy Thomas, Michael Lark (Illustrator), Willie Schubert (Letterer)

Across the timeless expanse of space they came...Terrifying tripods that spewed fiery death to all humanity.

All that stands between Earth and utter destruction is a powerful mysterious being in red and blue...a being who may himself be an alien.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Superman, Dc Comics, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Comic Book

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Roy Thomas was the FIRST Editor-in-Chief at Marvel--After Stan Lee stepped down from the position. Roy is a longtime comic book writer and editor. Thomas has written comics for Archie, Charlton, DC, Heroic Publishing, Marvel, and Topps over the years. Thomas currently edits the fanzine Alter Ego for Twomorrow's Publishing. He was Editor for Marvel comics from 1972-1974. He wrote for several titles at Marvel, such as Avengers, Thor, Invaders, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and notably Conan the Barbarian. Thomas is also known for his championing of Golden Age comic-book heroes — particularly the 1940s superhero team the Justice Society of America — and for lengthy writing stints on Marvel's X-Men and Avengers, and DC Comics' All-Star Squadron, among other titles.

Also a legendary creator. Creations include Wolverine, Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider, Vision, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Valkyrie, Morbius, Doc Samson, and Ultron. Roy has also worked for Archie, Charlton, and DC among others over the years.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Golden Age Superman fights the aliens from War of the Worlds. The Superman of that era was much less powerful making this a more even fight. Explores the xenophobia of the era. Michael Lark's art reminded me of Fleisher's Superman.

[Q. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simply amazing Elseworlds story starring a Golden Age Superman!

[StrictlySequential · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those of us who only dabble in "capes & tights" when an excellent writer has done well- another choice avenue towards great stories is within DC's ELSEWORLDS imprint! The different takes on the "superheroes" are perfect opportunities to shed some, frequently most, of the child's play and absurdity that's inherent in the genre.

What you can count on the most are historical "period pieces" and/or classic fiction adaptations with the character placed accordingly.

Specifically, if Roy Thomas is adapting ANYTHING it's worth the read and his quality is "out of this world" most of the time PLUS Lark's art is BEST suited for classic 20th century stories!

[Matthew Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful mix of the appropriate era's Superman and the famed Orson Wells radio broadcast panic. The ironic end note, once the Martians have been defeated in the 1940s, having killed about 60 million people, that no one can imagine what other calamity could cause such destruction, is rather pleasing.

[Tony Laplume · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant little lost treasure from the heyday of Elseworlds, from longtime Marvel writer Roy Thomas, reimagining the origins and story! of Superman, mixing in the H.G. Wells classic War of the Worlds (Thomas often found himself adapting classics), in a self-contained adventure that rewrites world history and features early art from Michael Lark, as beautiful as ever. Just imagine a sequel…

[Adam Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this 64 page prestige comic: The Golden Age cast of Superman are inserted into the War of the Worlds in a story that evokes the Orson Welles broadcast which occurred 1938, the year that Superman was first introduced. The Superman of this story is pure Golden Age with Lois and Clark at the Daily Star rather than the Planet and with George Taylor as editor rather than Perry White.

Superman appears on the scene as Martians are invading. This is literally his first appearance as he fights the Martian, he and Lois encounter a scientist named Luthor (who wasn't actually introduced until 1940 but this wouldn't be an Elseworld's Superman book without Luthor appearing.)

Overall, while the book isn't essential reading, it is fun. Roy Thomas is probably the only writer who could pull this off with his extensive knowledge of Golden Age comics. Other than the inclusion of Luthor, the story captures the spirit of the era perfectly. Michael Lark's art is really well-done and captures the feel of the era. While, I'm not certain about Thomas' decision to set this at the beginning of Superman's career, it does create a contrast between two aliens on Earth that works powerfully in the story. Overall, a good work by one of comic's legendary writers.

[Michael Craft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superman vs the Martians!

This was one of the best elseworlds story! The artwork fit the time period and reflected the Superman of the late 1930’s and respected the War of the Worlds storyline. Clark, Lois and Luthor fit into the story so seamlessly. This has got to be an animated movie!

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An "Elseworlds" Superman story with an old-fashioned look & an old-fashioned soul, but a very post-modern look at xenophobia. It physically hurts to watch Lois being repelled by Kal-El's alien heritage, after decades of uncompromising acceptance. A rather remarkable and poignant piece of work.

[Matthew Kreke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one, I love superman and war of the worlds. Faithful to the book (may not appeal to fans of one of the movies). Makes the invaders more menacing to compensate for the fact that we have superman on our side.

[Pamela Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super-b

Loved it's original take on two classic stories coming together. The golden age feel of it all is a plus as well.

[Tvrtko Balić · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superman! Martians from The War of the Worlds! Two alien beings from inconceivably advanced civilizations, coming to Earth to make it their home, one human like and being raised to embody all the values of humanity, the other being incredibly inhuman and coming to conquer Earth but not necessarily humans who they see as no different from any other animal. That's not a bad combination for an Elseworlds comic, there's two powerful forces from different media coming together with similarities and differences that can be explored. Also, while originally a late 19th century novel, The War of the Worlds also has a famous American adaptation from 1938, the same year Superman made his debut, so there is an opportunity for a setting that is vintage yet fateful to both. So does this comicbook use all this potential? For the most part, yes. Common alien origin is a theme explored in this book, linking it with prejudice against foreigners and what is different and the clash between the two makes for a good story. But like with many Elseworlds the authors make choices which I am not a fan of, it's like just because they can write anything they feel the need that they should and instead of copying the material they are drawing upon they feel the need to be original when the original stories are simply better and in could even combine well. And there are also some weird choices probably made because the story is rushed and it needs to go from point A to point B that the author imagined. In the example of this book, the book starts with Clark Kent who hasn't come out as Superman yet and Lois Lane going to explore the Martian landing. It's just The War of the Worlds with Superman characters. I love it. Then Clark Kent is shot by a heat ray and revealed to be Superman and an alien. I am not sure why. This could have just been a classic Superman story featuring the Martians or he could have still died and it would be more shocking because up to that point one could imagine it as a just another Superman story. But OK, now Clark is revealed to be an alien, if anything this makes it easier to explore themes of common alien origin and xenophobia. Superman quickly becomes immobilized. It was smart to have this be Superman's first adventure because then he comes unprepared and Martian technology is described as inconceivably advanced so it is imaginable that they could cause a problem for Superman. Superman wakes up weeks later finding the Martian invasion progressing successfully pretty much like in the original story, but with more information about worldwide events, I actually like this, the two characters are interacting, but they are not interfering with original stories. Who delivers exposition? Lex Luthor, spared because he is collaborating with the Martians. This is a decent idea, but poorly executed. It goes against the idea that Martians are so much more advanced than humans that they only view us as animals. Then against, Luthor can be seen as truly exceptional and Martians acknowledging this would confirm him as such. I just wish they had some reason to think so, maybe show them notice him using some invention of his that actually poses a threat. Lex Luthor collaborates with the Martians and is working to cure them of Earth diseases that are their downfall in the original story. When he stops being useful, they decide to kill him. It moves the story forward, but if they found a human that is so advanced I think they would at least try to study him, so I am not a fan of this, especially when there is no reason to make Luthor survive then. But he does survive, Superman saves him and Lois, but dies. Superman's death upon his debut in this world is an interesting choice which I don't know if it was good, but it was executed well, it was a well written death. What follows? There's potential to emphasize the point of the War of the Worlds even further, creatures who killed even Superman, to who humans are like ants, defeated by the common cold. Right? Well, wrong, the Martians in this are defeated by Luthor's technology, completely destroying the wonderful ending of the original story. And instead of things going pretty much to normal, but with great trauma and anxiety for the future, we are left with a weird alternative timeline where dictatorships become democracies and democracies move towards dictatorship while Superman serves as an ideal for the new League of Nations. So in the end I feel like the story was mostly on the right track, but it kept stumbling and making turns when it shouldn't have.

[Holo Zlerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just got done reading this, It freaking slaps

Love the dichotomy drawn between the Martians and Superman, and the art and writing being on point, All the characters feel like the classic versions of these characters for the most part

Although it definitely feels a bit constrained, like I wish the story was a bit longer and more in depth

Like it's definitely a quick read and I wish there was more meat on this bone you know because I was cooked expertly

Like if DC ever revisits this continuity I would love to see Golden age Batman And Gotham being one of the last strongholds of humanity or something like that

But I do understand why the greater DC Universe was not referenced in the story, as not only is it a Superman story but it's message requires a sort of hyper focus on Superman Do to the previously mentioned dichotomy set up between Supes, The refugee from another world who loves earth and the Martians, the truly vicious invaders bearing the name of the literal Greek God of War

Honestly even with the stories short length there's a lot to be analyzed Here and a lot of potentially thought-provoking elements That could have been easily ruined if it was made longer

But despite that I still wish it was longer because it's so good, honestly this is probably now one of my favorite elseworld or what if takes on Superman now Enough gushing about The story, Now to cover the art which works beautifully with the story

The art manages to balance the contemporary with the golden age having a distinctive very golden age feel at times with its choice of color and panel layout while either working in more Modern artistic elements or completely switching up to a more modern panel layout and visual language

Also there was a lot of cheeky visual references to stuff like the old Superman film serials (cartoon and live action) as well as of course the obligatory action comics # 1 Reference with Superman picking up a car and using it to knock out 1 of the tripods and incorporating that important visual iconography in a logical way beyond just being a show of power and how super this man really is you know

But an important part about all these references Is that I never felt distracted by them which can often be the case, most of the time it was either something I quickly noticed and then back to the action or something more bombastic and triumphant befitting the reference you know

Honestly I'm not sure what else I can say About the art, The color choice is muted but bombastic, fitting the time period and plot, The expressions are brilliant and beautifully done and all around just really beautiful stuff

This all coming together to make probably one of my favorite Superman stories now

TLDR this comic is great, surprisingly nuanced and complex narratively while also being a rip roaring page turner, And if you're a Superman fan I recommend you read it because this is really one of his hidden gems when it comes to the many stories of Superman

Also thank you Roy Thomas and Michael Lark for bringing to life such a wonderful story and putting together such a brilliant concept

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Elseworlds story combining the Golden Age Superman with H. G. Wells' Martian invasion.
1938 and as ruthless invaders arrive on Earth from Mars, the hidden survivor of another doomed world emerges to protect humanity against the Martians.

This is a mash-up of Superman and 'War of the Worlds', it's as simple as that. If you're not onboard for that concept, then there's really no point bothering with this book.

What I found most engaging about it myself was the fact that the original Golden Age version of Superman is the one pitted against the Martians.
This means that, although not set in Victorian England like the original story, there's still a historical feel to the story which works in its favour. It also reminded me greatly of the 1950s movie version of 'War of the Worlds', which I've loved since I was a kid (and which is infinitely superior to Steven Spielberg's version).

One of the things that disappointed me here was that there were some really interesting story threads that are left dangling at the end. I think it's a deliberate choice by the writer to suggest this world goes on after this story ends but I genuinely want to find out what happens in a post-Superman world where FDR, Hitler, Stalin and the British royal family have all been wiped out by aliens (and Britain has been taken over by the fascist Oswald Mosely).
Kudos to Roy Thomas for creating such compelling concepts but bad-show to this book for never showing us how they develop.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Thomas LaPorte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an Elseworlds story, meaning it takes place out of DC's main continuity, allowing for unique stories focused around familiar characters in rare situations.

I love War of the Worlds and beamed with excitement when I heard about this story. It holds true to the story of War of the Worlds with Superman inserted and playing his role. But what disappointed me was the lack of characterization of Superman, like in other Elseworlds story. Yes, he was a weaker golden age character, but I didnt learn anything new about him—which disappointed me.

Overall, the story is for fans of War of the Worlds. If that's your thing, this is perfect for you. If you're looking for a new take on Superman, you may be better off with other Elseworlds story.

[Doctor Doom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rarely are two mythos blended together as well as this. An early version of Superman [albeit with a few anachronisms] against H.G. Wells' Martians. Great story though the reactions of the humans are somewhat generalized, still ... all in all one of the best comic/graphic novels I have read in a while. I did NOT want to put it down, a real page turner [er, finger swiper?].
So why did I not give it 5 stars. Well, besides the issues already alluded to there is the art. At times brilliant, and at time Superman [though never directly called that in the story] sometimes looks like a short, chubby cosplayer in Superman pajamas. So for the inconsistency in art and story I dropped it a star. Still a fun read and I look forward to rereading it.

[C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

At its weakest, it has a lot of the issues of 'Superman: Metropolis' where it feels like comic book character haphazardly stuffed into a pre-existing. But Roy Thonas does a much better job of finding synthesis here by drawing on the overlap between Wells' 1898 novel and the 30s era of Superman. There are also some clever twists and turns at the end that make me hope that Thomas has written some alternate history fiction.

[Santiago L. Moreno · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aunque los Elseworlds de DC me suelen gustar bastante, este no es de los rompedores. El dibujo de Lark le va como un guante, pero el guión de Thomas no es gran cosa. Un tebeito con aroma vintage que se olvida rápido.

[Kurt Milby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read. The art is by far some of the best I have seen. It's hard not to enjoy the premise, it is a simple elseworlds tale. Their is some potential for more than one issue. I liked it.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting mix of the 2 story lines. Superman fights the H. G. Wells martins. Very recommended

[Brannigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is good but the story is lame.