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Superman: It's a Bird by Steven T. Seagle
Gorgeously painted by European artist, Teddy Kristiansen, It's A Bird...
is a Superman story that doesn't feature Superman at all. Rather, this
unique graphic novel explores what the icon of Superman means to the
world. Told from the perspective of an author who has written tales
about Superman, this book explores the overwhelming effect that the Man
of Steel has had on society. A compelling narrative told in a variety
of experimental styles, It's A Bird weaves two interlocking
one that ultimately explores our own mortality and another that dissects
the symbolic and cultural elements which make up Supeman's mythic
importance.
is a Superman story that doesn't feature Superman at all. Rather, this
unique graphic novel explores what the icon of Superman means to the
world. Told from the perspective of an author who has written tales
about Superman, this book explores the overwhelming effect that the Man
of Steel has had on society. A compelling narrative told in a variety
of experimental styles, It's A Bird weaves two interlocking
one that ultimately explores our own mortality and another that dissects
the symbolic and cultural elements which make up Supeman's mythic
importance.
Paperback
First published May 1, 2004
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902 people want to read
About the author
Steven T. Seagle
499 books51 followersSteven T. Seagle is an American writer who works in the comic book, television, film, live theater, video game, and animation industries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
September 4, 2022
"I know that there are two things that the average comic writer waits his or her entire career to hear...We want you to work on Superman."
![2004] It's a Bird – comicsVORTEX](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1662304636i/33348751._SX540_.jpg)
Can landing the coveted assignment of writing Superman’s next adventure for DC Comics trigger an existential crisis? Funny you should ask. It’s a Bird, is an engaging and thought-provoking exploration of how Steven Seagle’s world came crashing down after receiving this assignment. Even though this is a graphic novel, I read this book slowly, stopping and thinking about how he relates (or more frequently doesn’t relate) to the Superman icon. It’s a Bird isn’t just about Superman. While the invincible man of steel provides a touch point, the work is about struggling to come to grips with mortality (specifically Huntington’s Disease), family that isn’t always there for each other and the author continuing forward in a relationship with his girlfriend. 4.25 stars
Can landing the coveted assignment of writing Superman’s next adventure for DC Comics trigger an existential crisis? Funny you should ask. It’s a Bird, is an engaging and thought-provoking exploration of how Steven Seagle’s world came crashing down after receiving this assignment. Even though this is a graphic novel, I read this book slowly, stopping and thinking about how he relates (or more frequently doesn’t relate) to the Superman icon. It’s a Bird isn’t just about Superman. While the invincible man of steel provides a touch point, the work is about struggling to come to grips with mortality (specifically Huntington’s Disease), family that isn’t always there for each other and the author continuing forward in a relationship with his girlfriend. 4.25 stars
September 10, 2020
Because we are at Superhero pandemic (this was from last year: lol!!!!), we are at a point of toomuchness, I rarely touch these sagas, tales, or origin stories. But they are everywhere! Black Panther gets a Best Picture nomination; Logan got a Screenplay nomination years ago. & then theres the glut of shows, of constant reminders that these are our American dreams, come to life.
Seagle's personal account--in which he struggles to give life to the Man of Steel as he comes to terms with the (maybe) familial curse of Huntingtons--is a flight of fancy. A deconstruction that is built along the parameters of the writer's own life. Think: What the film "Adaptation" did to the nonfiction book "The Orchid Thief." Took it as its own DNA and ran with it. Similarly, Seagle understands the supe only through the filter of Seagle.
For a story told & retold (then sold and repackaged, and sold some more!) we see the blaring S in a different light...
Seagle's personal account--in which he struggles to give life to the Man of Steel as he comes to terms with the (maybe) familial curse of Huntingtons--is a flight of fancy. A deconstruction that is built along the parameters of the writer's own life. Think: What the film "Adaptation" did to the nonfiction book "The Orchid Thief." Took it as its own DNA and ran with it. Similarly, Seagle understands the supe only through the filter of Seagle.
For a story told & retold (then sold and repackaged, and sold some more!) we see the blaring S in a different light...
November 15, 2014
It’s a dream assignment for many comics writers: a call from DC with the offer to write Superman! The most iconic superhero of all time, Superman is a legendary character whose symbol is recognised across the globe and whose story is known by millions. After 75 years, Superman continues to endure and, thanks to a new wave of movies, is more popular than ever. What an opportunity for any writer to add to the character!
That is, if the writer has a storyline to offer - which Steven Seagle doesn’t, both in the book and actually. His character in the book is basically him, an artsy-fartsy comics writer who dabbles with commercial comics to pay the bills. He read a Superman comic when he was a kid and then avoided them ever since, reading “proper” books instead. The book follows Seagle’s attempts to figure out a way in to the character, as well as talking about a genetic illness that plagues his family: Huntington’s Disease.
The fact that this is published by Vertigo, DC’s indie arm, should tell you this isn’t going to be your regular Superman book. Superman is a background detail mentioned in passing here and there and the main story is Seagle and Huntington’s Disease. And it’s a horrifying illness. It cripples the mind and body, sends the sufferer into involuntary seizures, and slowly kills you; there is no cure.
Seagle’s grandmother died of it, his aunt is currently stricken with it and he fears that he’s in line to receive it, though he’s told it skips generations. That angle of the book is interesting if depressing. Seagle becomes a human being and his actions are understandable from this perspective, even if he comes off as a thoroughly unpleasant and pretentious man throughout.
The Superman inserts, because they’re not really a story, deal with Seagle discussing aspects of the character. It’s very clear that Seagle despises Superman on nearly every level. He hates his costume, his origins, his implausible life, everything. I’m really not sure why DC would pick him to write a Superman book as he’s got nothing positive to say about the character and all of his ideas of Superman are simplistic. He hasn’t read contemporary Superman comics so he sees him as this one dimensional character, when, if you’ve read more than a few Superman comics, you’ll know there’s more to him than just the bullet points.
Written alongside his personal story of HD, the resentment becomes more clear - Seagle hates that Superman will never have HD because he’s perfect. Even so, doing a systematic character assassination all the way through the book isn’t something I’m interested in reading, especially as so many of his arguments feel cheap and easy.
“Superman isn’t realistic” is the main one which is one I especially hate. Why on earth would anyone expect Superman to be realistic? Superheroes and realism can mix on a certain level but only on the surface - we know no-one can fly, etc., so why try to reconcile this with reality? Superheroes are fantasy - come at it from any other angle and you fail like Seagle does repeatedly. Making Superman realistic leads to crap like Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel.
The ending is rushed and pat. He fights his dad and their decades of strained relations instantly disappears leading to a new openness between them, blah blah blah. Very Lifetime Channel. And suddenly - for no reason - he goes from hating Superman to liking him right at the end. How contrived is that?
I get that Superman is a tough character to write, and even writing about how tough to write about Superman, like It’s a Bird… does, is tough! But whining about him page after page isn’t the way to go about it. Seagle’s personal story is the only reason to read this one because it's not really a Superman book. But even then, it’s Seagle basically repeating that he’s afraid of getting HD, so it’s not particularly insightful either.
It’s a turd…
That is, if the writer has a storyline to offer - which Steven Seagle doesn’t, both in the book and actually. His character in the book is basically him, an artsy-fartsy comics writer who dabbles with commercial comics to pay the bills. He read a Superman comic when he was a kid and then avoided them ever since, reading “proper” books instead. The book follows Seagle’s attempts to figure out a way in to the character, as well as talking about a genetic illness that plagues his family: Huntington’s Disease.
The fact that this is published by Vertigo, DC’s indie arm, should tell you this isn’t going to be your regular Superman book. Superman is a background detail mentioned in passing here and there and the main story is Seagle and Huntington’s Disease. And it’s a horrifying illness. It cripples the mind and body, sends the sufferer into involuntary seizures, and slowly kills you; there is no cure.
Seagle’s grandmother died of it, his aunt is currently stricken with it and he fears that he’s in line to receive it, though he’s told it skips generations. That angle of the book is interesting if depressing. Seagle becomes a human being and his actions are understandable from this perspective, even if he comes off as a thoroughly unpleasant and pretentious man throughout.
The Superman inserts, because they’re not really a story, deal with Seagle discussing aspects of the character. It’s very clear that Seagle despises Superman on nearly every level. He hates his costume, his origins, his implausible life, everything. I’m really not sure why DC would pick him to write a Superman book as he’s got nothing positive to say about the character and all of his ideas of Superman are simplistic. He hasn’t read contemporary Superman comics so he sees him as this one dimensional character, when, if you’ve read more than a few Superman comics, you’ll know there’s more to him than just the bullet points.
Written alongside his personal story of HD, the resentment becomes more clear - Seagle hates that Superman will never have HD because he’s perfect. Even so, doing a systematic character assassination all the way through the book isn’t something I’m interested in reading, especially as so many of his arguments feel cheap and easy.
“Superman isn’t realistic” is the main one which is one I especially hate. Why on earth would anyone expect Superman to be realistic? Superheroes and realism can mix on a certain level but only on the surface - we know no-one can fly, etc., so why try to reconcile this with reality? Superheroes are fantasy - come at it from any other angle and you fail like Seagle does repeatedly. Making Superman realistic leads to crap like Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel.
The ending is rushed and pat. He fights his dad and their decades of strained relations instantly disappears leading to a new openness between them, blah blah blah. Very Lifetime Channel. And suddenly - for no reason - he goes from hating Superman to liking him right at the end. How contrived is that?
I get that Superman is a tough character to write, and even writing about how tough to write about Superman, like It’s a Bird… does, is tough! But whining about him page after page isn’t the way to go about it. Seagle’s personal story is the only reason to read this one because it's not really a Superman book. But even then, it’s Seagle basically repeating that he’s afraid of getting HD, so it’s not particularly insightful either.
It’s a turd…
August 24, 2019
"Ne kadar hızlı yürürsen yürü, durmana ve hayatın hakkında bir kez daha düşünmene sebep olacak şeyler görürsün... olaylar önermeleri doğrular... 'Dünyaya bir şey katıyor musun, yoksa dünyadan mı alıyorsun?' Popüler bir kişisel inanç parçasıdır bu... sabahtan akşama yaşamanın kişinin yapabileceği tek şey olduğu. Her an düşünecek çok şey vardır... Ne giymeli? Oraya varmak ne kadar sürer? Yemek? Ve ne yenecek? Çakıl taşları gibi ufak tefek sorunlar, Gize'deki taşlardan daha fazla yer kaplar. Faturaları ödedin mi? Bugün birinin doğum günü mü? Anahtarların nerede? Ve nasıl olacak da iki dünyayı dengeleyeceksin... işini ve evini? Ama o sınırlı çevrende dikkatini çekenlerden çok daha fazla dünya var... insanların ne giyip yiyeceklerine çöp kutularını karıştırarak karar verdiği 'alternatif evrenler'... alınacak hiçbir şey olmadığı için faturaların da olmadığı kasabalar... çocukların, doğumlarını kutlamaya değer görmeyecekleri köyler... kilitlenecek kapısı olmadığı için anahtarların hiçbir işe yaramadığı şehirler. Bu tür şeyler bizlere, süperinsanların başka bir gezegenden gelen kişiler olmadığını hatırlatır... asıl süperler, kendi küçük dünyalarının tersini görebilen ve kendi sınırlı varoluş çabaları içinde o alternatif dünyalara ulaşabilen bireylerdir."
Klasik çizgi roman ve Superman severleri hayal kırıklığına uğratabilecek kısmen biyografik, kısmen varoluşsal, (şahsım adına) çok güzel ve yaratıcı (bulduğum) bir deneme.
Eserin, uzun zaman önce, ben ve eminim benim gibi nice gence alternatif dünyalar sunarak hayatı daha çekilir kılan birçok eserin Türkçe'ye kazandırılmasına vesile olan rahmetli Emre Yerlikhan'a ithaf edilmesi çok yerinde ve duygulandıran bir hareket olmuş.
Klasik çizgi roman ve Superman severleri hayal kırıklığına uğratabilecek kısmen biyografik, kısmen varoluşsal, (şahsım adına) çok güzel ve yaratıcı (bulduğum) bir deneme.
Eserin, uzun zaman önce, ben ve eminim benim gibi nice gence alternatif dünyalar sunarak hayatı daha çekilir kılan birçok eserin Türkçe'ye kazandırılmasına vesile olan rahmetli Emre Yerlikhan'a ithaf edilmesi çok yerinde ve duygulandıran bir hareket olmuş.
May 31, 2020
" Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!" . This might be one of the most popular quotes in Superhero fiction, now used synonymously with the sighting of the aforementioned character through popular culture.
In It's a Bird, Steven T. Seagle gives account of the period in his life when he was given the opportunity to write a Superman comic book. The writer, himself, is reluctant to write the book because of his feelings towards Superman. So, throughout the book, he tries to explore and understand the character, his impact on society, his motives, his powers and weakness, while also reflecting on his own vulnerability to Huntington's disease that runs in his family. The book is gorgeously painted by Teddy Kristiansen, and it has a sort of melancholic vibe to it.
The opinions and feelings of the writer towards Superman makes him feel like a real life Lex Luthor (except that he has hair, and writes comic books.)
In It's a Bird, Steven T. Seagle gives account of the period in his life when he was given the opportunity to write a Superman comic book. The writer, himself, is reluctant to write the book because of his feelings towards Superman. So, throughout the book, he tries to explore and understand the character, his impact on society, his motives, his powers and weakness, while also reflecting on his own vulnerability to Huntington's disease that runs in his family. The book is gorgeously painted by Teddy Kristiansen, and it has a sort of melancholic vibe to it.
The opinions and feelings of the writer towards Superman makes him feel like a real life Lex Luthor (except that he has hair, and writes comic books.)
April 2, 2018
I love this book. A meditation on illness, family, memory, super-heroes--comic book superhero history and the question of why the narrator/author can't seem to access the ability to write a superman comic book even though he has been offered the opportunity to do so and it is an opportunity so many other sequential/comic writers can only dream of.
But the author/narr can't find a way to connect to the character and story of superman, and it haunts him. In some ways it is too far from his experience, and in some ways it hits "too close to home."
This is an existentially painful exploration of the author's relationship to illness and his family's history of illness, and how his parents' refusal to be more open about the family history, and how the author's fear of inheriting a devastating genetic disease, all affect his relationships and his ability to work, and color his feelings toward fictional characters as well as real people.
I am close to giving this one five stars, but it is hard to see yet another story about a cis guy in emotional pain who shuts down and becomes belligerent and decks his friends and treats his girlfriend like shit. On one hand, I really appreciate the apparent honesty. On the other hand, I sometimes get a bit bored of the way our literary cultures value and romanticize toxic masculinity.
But the author/narr can't find a way to connect to the character and story of superman, and it haunts him. In some ways it is too far from his experience, and in some ways it hits "too close to home."
This is an existentially painful exploration of the author's relationship to illness and his family's history of illness, and how his parents' refusal to be more open about the family history, and how the author's fear of inheriting a devastating genetic disease, all affect his relationships and his ability to work, and color his feelings toward fictional characters as well as real people.
I am close to giving this one five stars, but it is hard to see yet another story about a cis guy in emotional pain who shuts down and becomes belligerent and decks his friends and treats his girlfriend like shit. On one hand, I really appreciate the apparent honesty. On the other hand, I sometimes get a bit bored of the way our literary cultures value and romanticize toxic masculinity.
October 11, 2013
This book is beautiful. It's biography, history, philosophy, Greek mythology, color theory, graphica lore, and life with incredible illustrations and illuminations. It's about escapism and metaphor, all tied up in one framing story. But I should preface my review by admitting that I do not even like Superman, nor (initially) does Seagle's protagonist. I grew up with Christopher Reeves, who was cool, but I ultimately had very little genuine interest in the character who looked kind of like he was wearing the american flag as underwear. (Don't even get me started on Captain America!)
This is a Superman comic, and it isn't. The story begins with the protagonist visiting a relative in the hospital and passing time with a Superman comic. It's A Bird is similarly perhaps the kind of reading material I'd give to someone experiencing loss, fearing loss, or recovering from loss. Everyone I know should probably read it - I think you'd all enjoy.
I'd also give it to my masters seminar students, to explain how you can really surround yourself with and immerse yourself in a problem or a passion as a form of extensive inquiry. It's just that good of a book.
Do you like good writing? Good art? It's worth the read, really. Enjoy!
This is a Superman comic, and it isn't. The story begins with the protagonist visiting a relative in the hospital and passing time with a Superman comic. It's A Bird is similarly perhaps the kind of reading material I'd give to someone experiencing loss, fearing loss, or recovering from loss. Everyone I know should probably read it - I think you'd all enjoy.
I'd also give it to my masters seminar students, to explain how you can really surround yourself with and immerse yourself in a problem or a passion as a form of extensive inquiry. It's just that good of a book.
Do you like good writing? Good art? It's worth the read, really. Enjoy!
August 16, 2017
4.5 stars.
September 27, 2011
I never thought I'd be able to say that a Superman book made me cry, but this book proved me wrong with the brilliant choice to leave Superman out. That is to say that it deals with Superman a lot as an abstract, a concept, a cultural phenomenon, but never really launches into any story about Superman. Instead, it is one of the most poignant and beautiful autobiographical comics I have ever read, focusing on writer Steven T. Seagle's personal struggles with his family, the lurking terror of the genetic condition Huntington's Disease he may have inherited, his romantic relationship and his inner battles, set against the backdrop of trying write for one of the most boring, 2-dimensional mass media phenomenon we have ever known.
Steven T. Seagle and Teddy Kristiansen are one of the greatest unsung teams in comic books. Their work together in the 90's on House of Secrets is some of my favorite storytelling I have ever encountered in the medium, though it has unfortunately largely slipped between the cracks of comics history. Here they are together again and in top form. My impulse is to write a fucking essay about this book, but I will stop myself here and hope that is enough of an endorsement for you to check it out because it/they deserves the attention and unlike House of Secrets you can fairly easily find a copy of this.
Steven T. Seagle and Teddy Kristiansen are one of the greatest unsung teams in comic books. Their work together in the 90's on House of Secrets is some of my favorite storytelling I have ever encountered in the medium, though it has unfortunately largely slipped between the cracks of comics history. Here they are together again and in top form. My impulse is to write a fucking essay about this book, but I will stop myself here and hope that is enough of an endorsement for you to check it out because it/they deserves the attention and unlike House of Secrets you can fairly easily find a copy of this.
November 9, 2012
This is not a Superman story. There are no great battle involving super villains here.
This is a more personal, maybe even introspective type of story and Superman is only one piece in the larger puzzle that is the life of the protagonist (who may or not be the author).
After he's been given the chance to write the greatest superhero of all time, Steven must wrestle some old demons and seriously consider why he would ever want to work on the book of a hero he never could believe in, all the while trying to find his lost father.
This is a more personal, maybe even introspective type of story and Superman is only one piece in the larger puzzle that is the life of the protagonist (who may or not be the author).
After he's been given the chance to write the greatest superhero of all time, Steven must wrestle some old demons and seriously consider why he would ever want to work on the book of a hero he never could believe in, all the while trying to find his lost father.
September 7, 2017
You know it's going to be a weird comic book club when the person who chose the book and was EXCITED we were going to read it started our discussion of it by saying "So... I'm sorry about this one."
It's A Bird... by Steven T. Seagle is a book about one man's grappling with the horrors of Huntington's Disease while dealing with the prospect of an offer to write Superman for DC Comics. What would be a huge boon for his career ends up crippling him with depression for... well... it's not really explained why it bothers him so much. Something about how he associates Superman with his first encounter with Huntington's Disease. Or maybe it's his dislike of Superman as a character (which is a fairly common thing, unfortunately).
On paper this is all fine. It's clear why he wrote it. This story is obviously deeply personal to him, falling in the category of "memoir about a thing that happened to me that I had to deal with so I dealt with it by writing about it." But the biggest reason this fails is because none of this really comes together. There are sections of this book that are about him internalizing his struggle with possibly having Huntington's Disease. There are sections about him talking about his issues with Superman. There are little vignettes where he turns on his writer brain to try and come up with why he'd want to write Superman, free-associating and trying to figure out an angle on a character who is extremely hard to write.
All of this is his reach extending beyond his grasp. Being 13 years ago I've no doubt that Seagle is a better writer now than he was here, but it doesn't change the fact that all of these pieces don't ever feel full or ripe in the way I'd want them to. As a book about Huntington's Disease, it conveys the horror of the disease, but not in a way that makes it seem like he did anything except struggle with it; there isn't a sense of completion or wholeness that comes across at the end. As a book about struggling with whether or not to write Superman, my girlfriend points out that he is nothing but whiny and ungrateful about the prospect of having such a high profile project to put his name on and it isn't clear why, in the end, he ends up taking the assignment. As a book about praise for Superman, the vignettes don't ever cast Superman in a light that makes it clear why anyone would want to write about him in the first place. Seagle focuses on the larger cultural issue with the character rather than digging in and figuring out why Superman might be a lasting cultural icon of such force and power.
It simply fails to convey what the author means or intends. Walking away from a book like this (a genre that, generally, most comics writers excel at) only leads me to think that there's a short circuit here. That Seagle fails to convey what it feels he wants to express only ends up making this a failure. A writer's job is to convey a feeling or an emotion. And yes, he is unduly hard on the "Steve" character of this book (that character being himself) such that the character is not idealized or one to be emulated or lauded, but there's a version of this that shows him as a... you know... nice person. There's a version of this book that accurately conveys what he's going through beyond just "depression" and "misery".
Unfortunately, that version isn't the one between these pages.
It's A Bird... by Steven T. Seagle is a book about one man's grappling with the horrors of Huntington's Disease while dealing with the prospect of an offer to write Superman for DC Comics. What would be a huge boon for his career ends up crippling him with depression for... well... it's not really explained why it bothers him so much. Something about how he associates Superman with his first encounter with Huntington's Disease. Or maybe it's his dislike of Superman as a character (which is a fairly common thing, unfortunately).
On paper this is all fine. It's clear why he wrote it. This story is obviously deeply personal to him, falling in the category of "memoir about a thing that happened to me that I had to deal with so I dealt with it by writing about it." But the biggest reason this fails is because none of this really comes together. There are sections of this book that are about him internalizing his struggle with possibly having Huntington's Disease. There are sections about him talking about his issues with Superman. There are little vignettes where he turns on his writer brain to try and come up with why he'd want to write Superman, free-associating and trying to figure out an angle on a character who is extremely hard to write.
All of this is his reach extending beyond his grasp. Being 13 years ago I've no doubt that Seagle is a better writer now than he was here, but it doesn't change the fact that all of these pieces don't ever feel full or ripe in the way I'd want them to. As a book about Huntington's Disease, it conveys the horror of the disease, but not in a way that makes it seem like he did anything except struggle with it; there isn't a sense of completion or wholeness that comes across at the end. As a book about struggling with whether or not to write Superman, my girlfriend points out that he is nothing but whiny and ungrateful about the prospect of having such a high profile project to put his name on and it isn't clear why, in the end, he ends up taking the assignment. As a book about praise for Superman, the vignettes don't ever cast Superman in a light that makes it clear why anyone would want to write about him in the first place. Seagle focuses on the larger cultural issue with the character rather than digging in and figuring out why Superman might be a lasting cultural icon of such force and power.
It simply fails to convey what the author means or intends. Walking away from a book like this (a genre that, generally, most comics writers excel at) only leads me to think that there's a short circuit here. That Seagle fails to convey what it feels he wants to express only ends up making this a failure. A writer's job is to convey a feeling or an emotion. And yes, he is unduly hard on the "Steve" character of this book (that character being himself) such that the character is not idealized or one to be emulated or lauded, but there's a version of this that shows him as a... you know... nice person. There's a version of this book that accurately conveys what he's going through beyond just "depression" and "misery".
Unfortunately, that version isn't the one between these pages.
July 30, 2007
What makes you pick up a comic book in a comic bookstore, flush through it and finally buy it? As for me, it's the cover and the whole appearance of the book (thickness, texture). Then it's the arts and the graphics that co-create the story - I have to like it since I will have to face it throughout the reading. Then the contents; the story itself - it has to be interesting since I want to enjoy it thoroughly. And get all my money's worth for it. This book, "It's a Bird...", has all of those mentioned above and it didn't take me long to decide - and I don't regret the decision.
Look, I don't like the books about superheroes anymore (not as much as I did when I was a little girl). What I like now, concerning superheroes, are stories about different ways to look at them, or about other kinds of 'superheroes' who wear no tight, flashy costumes. The phrase "It's a Bird..", the title of this book, rightaway associates to Superman, the all-time superhero. But instead of telling how Superman battles his evil vilains, this book places Superman in analogies with our (mere human's) daily lifes. This attracts me most. The way of thinking towards Superman in this book is truly refreshing. Moreover, it is a semi-autobiography. There's something deep and sweet - or perhaps, personal - about it. The author must have put a lot of him in it.
And the arts! A few lines and a brush of colors that can tell many tales. It's very impressive; I just love it. I guessed I've seen this style somewhere, and I was right - I've read "House of Secrets" by the same artist and author. The lettering (fonts) is also inseparable. Since the stories have several moods and settings, the arts and the lettering also go along with them, helping me getting into a relevant mood and knowing where I am (at the story).
Shortly, I enjoyed everything of this book. I hope I can find more graphic novels that I enjoy thoroughly as much as this one.
Look, I don't like the books about superheroes anymore (not as much as I did when I was a little girl). What I like now, concerning superheroes, are stories about different ways to look at them, or about other kinds of 'superheroes' who wear no tight, flashy costumes. The phrase "It's a Bird..", the title of this book, rightaway associates to Superman, the all-time superhero. But instead of telling how Superman battles his evil vilains, this book places Superman in analogies with our (mere human's) daily lifes. This attracts me most. The way of thinking towards Superman in this book is truly refreshing. Moreover, it is a semi-autobiography. There's something deep and sweet - or perhaps, personal - about it. The author must have put a lot of him in it.
And the arts! A few lines and a brush of colors that can tell many tales. It's very impressive; I just love it. I guessed I've seen this style somewhere, and I was right - I've read "House of Secrets" by the same artist and author. The lettering (fonts) is also inseparable. Since the stories have several moods and settings, the arts and the lettering also go along with them, helping me getting into a relevant mood and knowing where I am (at the story).
Shortly, I enjoyed everything of this book. I hope I can find more graphic novels that I enjoy thoroughly as much as this one.
November 18, 2011
I feel like a bit of a Scrooge not liking this book more. It definitely has an interesting concept at its core and it's heart is in the right place. I think my main complaint is that Seagle's main character just doesn't come off as that sympathetic, which is a bit of a shame given the subject matter and the fact that the story seems to be largely autobiographical. It's not that he's a jerk, but rather that the wiry, black-clad writer struggling with his subject matter comes off as a little cliched and tiring.
In addition, while the dual concepts of A) struggling to find the heart of the Superman concept and B) struggling with a family disease both have meat to them, they never quiet tie together in a satisfying manner. I'm not saying that everything needs to be neat and tidy, but still.
Finally, from an artistic standpoint, the book is definitely ambitious, with the artist taking on a number of different styles to address different aspects of Superman. Unfortunately, a lot of these styles seemed sort of rush or half realised, leaving me wanting more definition to characters and idea.
All in all, this is an interesting read. But, struggles to reach the greatness it aspires to.
In addition, while the dual concepts of A) struggling to find the heart of the Superman concept and B) struggling with a family disease both have meat to them, they never quiet tie together in a satisfying manner. I'm not saying that everything needs to be neat and tidy, but still.
Finally, from an artistic standpoint, the book is definitely ambitious, with the artist taking on a number of different styles to address different aspects of Superman. Unfortunately, a lot of these styles seemed sort of rush or half realised, leaving me wanting more definition to characters and idea.
All in all, this is an interesting read. But, struggles to reach the greatness it aspires to.
January 4, 2015
Wow.
I meant to read this since publication ten years ago.
This is a kind of metafiction approaching the freelance assignment to the aging character of Superman, while the fictional "Steve" wraps up some unhealthy obsessions and questions about health in his family.
Now I have all sorts of questions for author Seagle about the biographical roots of this fine autobiographical fiction, especially the insightful comparison of the genetic Huntingdon's Disease to genetic superheroes.
Huntingdon's is cruel, and I know it best from Woody Guthrie's life, unmentioned here, except in an off-hand reference to not wanting to raise kids, a key psychological point for the protagonist, because they might turn out to like, say, country music.
Well, get over it. In fact, by story's end, the protagonist does resolve this aspect of family disfunction, at least in the human context as far as is possible.
Art is well-done by collaborator Christiansen, in a variety of styles, and kudos too to letterer Todd Klein, for storytelling in lettering in a variety of styles.
Highly recommended.
I meant to read this since publication ten years ago.
This is a kind of metafiction approaching the freelance assignment to the aging character of Superman, while the fictional "Steve" wraps up some unhealthy obsessions and questions about health in his family.
Now I have all sorts of questions for author Seagle about the biographical roots of this fine autobiographical fiction, especially the insightful comparison of the genetic Huntingdon's Disease to genetic superheroes.
Huntingdon's is cruel, and I know it best from Woody Guthrie's life, unmentioned here, except in an off-hand reference to not wanting to raise kids, a key psychological point for the protagonist, because they might turn out to like, say, country music.
Well, get over it. In fact, by story's end, the protagonist does resolve this aspect of family disfunction, at least in the human context as far as is possible.
Art is well-done by collaborator Christiansen, in a variety of styles, and kudos too to letterer Todd Klein, for storytelling in lettering in a variety of styles.
Highly recommended.
May 1, 2020
Yer yer çok sıkıldım. Bir çizgi roman nasıl sıkıcı olabilir? Olmamalı evet ama oluyor. Süpermen ve süpermen çizgi romanlarını sevmiyorum. Ama bu farklı bir şeyden bahsediyor diye gördüm. Araştırdığımda durumun farklılığını da anladım. Okunmalı diye düşündüm fakat okunmasa daha da olurmuş.
September 8, 2018
Let’s face it: superheroes are pretty silly as a concept. Before we freak out and fly to our keyboards, hear me out.
This is a gorgeous Vertigo book examining a writer’s struggle to connect with the mythos of Superman while dealing with the reality of genetic terminal illness. This isn't a Superman book, but a book about trying to connect with the CONCEPT when we are stuck with our own fragility. A great book for people who are interested in comics but big enough kids to understand how many stories are not just about the ideas, but how we move in the space between reality and fiction. Superman is a fantasy that packs a lot more punch for the powerless, but as we grow up and see the world as more complex than punching our way out of every fight, we see there are many things that can’t be fought with fists or will alone, and many fights that are not so easy as "good vs evil."
One thought I have is how much of the character the writer misses for the cape and action scenes. Superman has become more human and more complex through the years and, as Allen points out, it is clear he hasn’t read a comic in years if he is just hung up on the mantra or image. I'd argue that someone who was unable to do even the basic homework of Superman's history SHOULDN'T write a Superman story--which the author HIMSELF argues-- so it seems he has taken a great route of writing ABOUT Superman as a concept rather than moving the character as a chess piece with set moves and powers.
That being said, to focus too much on this shortsightedness of the author is to miss his role as a CHARACTER in the book: flawed, biased, and conflicted with his own life. Yes, WE may know more about Superman's history, but the WRITER'S CHARACTER does not. People thinking less of the entire work for this one aspect of it are throwing the baby out with the bathwater in typical fan fashion. (Much like missing larger ideas Tarantino was trying to evoke in Kill Bill’s discussion of Superman for the fanboy catnip of “Well, actually...”) I have sadly known too many adult men who are comic book fans that never learned to look for the meaning or the motivation of a thought beyond the nitpicking of the statement itself, and it is sad to see all that they miss in the conversation.
Also, I love books where characters don’t have to be likable to have something of value to share with the reader. Anyone going into a book like this expecting a resolution of embracing and loving what we as the reader love about the character is missing the point. How exactly do we expect a depressed person grappling with possible terminal illness to act, exactly? Why is it necessary for other people to love what we love uncritically for us to continue to love that thing?
Maybe it’s okay to enjoy a little conflict with our spandex adventures. Maybe our heroes can mean even more to us when we challenge what it is we see or don't see in the image.
And for the record, I always loved Superman more than Batman, but it is because I loved Clark Kent as an attainable ideal more than Superman as a concept we could look up to. Maybe that says a lot about me.
This is a gorgeous Vertigo book examining a writer’s struggle to connect with the mythos of Superman while dealing with the reality of genetic terminal illness. This isn't a Superman book, but a book about trying to connect with the CONCEPT when we are stuck with our own fragility. A great book for people who are interested in comics but big enough kids to understand how many stories are not just about the ideas, but how we move in the space between reality and fiction. Superman is a fantasy that packs a lot more punch for the powerless, but as we grow up and see the world as more complex than punching our way out of every fight, we see there are many things that can’t be fought with fists or will alone, and many fights that are not so easy as "good vs evil."
One thought I have is how much of the character the writer misses for the cape and action scenes. Superman has become more human and more complex through the years and, as Allen points out, it is clear he hasn’t read a comic in years if he is just hung up on the mantra or image. I'd argue that someone who was unable to do even the basic homework of Superman's history SHOULDN'T write a Superman story--which the author HIMSELF argues-- so it seems he has taken a great route of writing ABOUT Superman as a concept rather than moving the character as a chess piece with set moves and powers.
That being said, to focus too much on this shortsightedness of the author is to miss his role as a CHARACTER in the book: flawed, biased, and conflicted with his own life. Yes, WE may know more about Superman's history, but the WRITER'S CHARACTER does not. People thinking less of the entire work for this one aspect of it are throwing the baby out with the bathwater in typical fan fashion. (Much like missing larger ideas Tarantino was trying to evoke in Kill Bill’s discussion of Superman for the fanboy catnip of “Well, actually...”) I have sadly known too many adult men who are comic book fans that never learned to look for the meaning or the motivation of a thought beyond the nitpicking of the statement itself, and it is sad to see all that they miss in the conversation.
Also, I love books where characters don’t have to be likable to have something of value to share with the reader. Anyone going into a book like this expecting a resolution of embracing and loving what we as the reader love about the character is missing the point. How exactly do we expect a depressed person grappling with possible terminal illness to act, exactly? Why is it necessary for other people to love what we love uncritically for us to continue to love that thing?
Maybe it’s okay to enjoy a little conflict with our spandex adventures. Maybe our heroes can mean even more to us when we challenge what it is we see or don't see in the image.
And for the record, I always loved Superman more than Batman, but it is because I loved Clark Kent as an attainable ideal more than Superman as a concept we could look up to. Maybe that says a lot about me.
May 1, 2025
I was not ready to read such a loaded graphic novel. Makes one think about posterity, death and how to handle life. Being reminded that the only thing we can spend together is time hit me surprisingly hard, maybe I felt that I was approaching life quite wrongly, focusing always on the future not “today”, not “now”, especially not to the time I have with people. This book really made me feel like I need to contemplate about my “now”.
August 12, 2018
This was emotional and provocative in a way I didn't expect. It's true, some people read comic books because they actually want to be superheroes. And turns out living superheroes are the most real when they employ the hardest lessons of living and loving to make life easier for everyone else.
November 17, 2025
This is a thoughtful exploration of hope, virtue, and cultural expectations in the face of death and inherited disease. Seagle can be obnoxious, but that’s by design. My only real complaint is the art. There are some interesting creative choices, but I couldn’t help but thinking throughout: I could do better than that, and I’m a hack amateur.
October 8, 2019
Kesinlikle bir super kahraman romani degildir.
Yazarin otobiyografisidir. Ailesinde Huntington hastaligi olan bir yazarin ic hesaplasmasi yasami ve olumu kabullenme oykusudur. Sandman'den de tanidigim cizer kristiansen cok basarili bir is cikarmis. Ozellikle kitaptaki huntington hastalarini cizdigi kareler bir hekim olarak beni bile derinden etkiledi.
Yazarin otobiyografisidir. Ailesinde Huntington hastaligi olan bir yazarin ic hesaplasmasi yasami ve olumu kabullenme oykusudur. Sandman'den de tanidigim cizer kristiansen cok basarili bir is cikarmis. Ozellikle kitaptaki huntington hastalarini cizdigi kareler bir hekim olarak beni bile derinden etkiledi.
May 17, 2009
I am totally with this book in its topics/themes/premises. The art is also beautiful...kind of Egon Schiele/Edvard Munch...(but more angst than erotic.)
It's a semi-autobiographical story of a comics writer who is assigned to write Superman, which is apparently a huge break, but he has all these hangups because of a childhood trauma that we only fully understand at the end of the book. Huntington's Disease: his grandma died of it, and as a child he was given Superman to read in the hospital, but not allowed to see her. It's apparently totally crippling, paralyzing--an awful, awful way to go...and it's genetic. So he's dealing with all this: "oh, God, I'm so (potentially) vulnerable, and now I have to write about an invulnerable man?" drama. And there are some pretty interesting tangents...like about Superman's origins, symbolism, etc. (some of which I read about in more detail in Superman on the Couch...see other entry) which was all pretty neat.
I like that this book is a mish mash of things: memoir, meditation on the creative process, graphic novel, exploration of the cultural significance of Superman and comics in general...
But goddammit, the main character was just kind of annoying. I mean sure, Huntington's sounds like a bad way to go. His family is kind of fucked up. There were funny moments, but overall, there was a level of morose pretension that was just hard to take sometimes. I think he knew he was annoying and there was some self-effacement and even other characters telling him he was utterly self-involved...but still, it made it hard for me to care that much about him. And I wanted to. I really did, because I liked the scope of his project. And did I mention the art was pretty? So yeah, I think the main thing that kept me going were the ideas about Superman as well as the creative process. I really liked the part where he said "at a certain point as a writer you burn through the two or three stories you're born with and have to start looking outside yourself" like...doing research. Overhearing bits of gossip from strangers. Watching a man play with his dog outside of a coffeeshop. I dunno. Vague writerly soaking up stuff. I think it's an interesting thought: do we ever fully burn through our innate stories? I think it might be a combination--we're always retelling ourselves and our lives but finding new combinations with our observations from the outside world and in that assemblage lies the creative dance. I sort of had this moment though when reading that line: "wow, I am so looking forward to writing about other people again" Because you know, your own head can get old after a while. I used to write more about the outside...I guess it's a phases thing.
And it's funny cuz THIS book in particular seems to be SOOO self-centered, like the main character. But he said "semi-autobiographical" so maybe that line about innate stories is really key to understanding the book. But still...
If you're at all a comic book nerd and a writer, you'll probably like this book...I did. Three stars. But if you are only one of the above, you might find it kind of irritating. The part of me that would prefer to care about the people I'm reading about and not just be stimulated by their thoughts...well, full disclosure? I put the book, which takes about 2 hours to read, down for a few weeks and only finished it because I was sick and had little else to do.
It's a semi-autobiographical story of a comics writer who is assigned to write Superman, which is apparently a huge break, but he has all these hangups because of a childhood trauma that we only fully understand at the end of the book. Huntington's Disease: his grandma died of it, and as a child he was given Superman to read in the hospital, but not allowed to see her. It's apparently totally crippling, paralyzing--an awful, awful way to go...and it's genetic. So he's dealing with all this: "oh, God, I'm so (potentially) vulnerable, and now I have to write about an invulnerable man?" drama. And there are some pretty interesting tangents...like about Superman's origins, symbolism, etc. (some of which I read about in more detail in Superman on the Couch...see other entry) which was all pretty neat.
I like that this book is a mish mash of things: memoir, meditation on the creative process, graphic novel, exploration of the cultural significance of Superman and comics in general...
But goddammit, the main character was just kind of annoying. I mean sure, Huntington's sounds like a bad way to go. His family is kind of fucked up. There were funny moments, but overall, there was a level of morose pretension that was just hard to take sometimes. I think he knew he was annoying and there was some self-effacement and even other characters telling him he was utterly self-involved...but still, it made it hard for me to care that much about him. And I wanted to. I really did, because I liked the scope of his project. And did I mention the art was pretty? So yeah, I think the main thing that kept me going were the ideas about Superman as well as the creative process. I really liked the part where he said "at a certain point as a writer you burn through the two or three stories you're born with and have to start looking outside yourself" like...doing research. Overhearing bits of gossip from strangers. Watching a man play with his dog outside of a coffeeshop. I dunno. Vague writerly soaking up stuff. I think it's an interesting thought: do we ever fully burn through our innate stories? I think it might be a combination--we're always retelling ourselves and our lives but finding new combinations with our observations from the outside world and in that assemblage lies the creative dance. I sort of had this moment though when reading that line: "wow, I am so looking forward to writing about other people again" Because you know, your own head can get old after a while. I used to write more about the outside...I guess it's a phases thing.
And it's funny cuz THIS book in particular seems to be SOOO self-centered, like the main character. But he said "semi-autobiographical" so maybe that line about innate stories is really key to understanding the book. But still...
If you're at all a comic book nerd and a writer, you'll probably like this book...I did. Three stars. But if you are only one of the above, you might find it kind of irritating. The part of me that would prefer to care about the people I'm reading about and not just be stimulated by their thoughts...well, full disclosure? I put the book, which takes about 2 hours to read, down for a few weeks and only finished it because I was sick and had little else to do.
November 30, 2010
The first thing that made me pick up "It's a Bird" from the clearance table at Green Apple Books was the brilliant artwork of Teddy Kristiansen. The second was the promised deconstruction of the Superman mythology and the final reason for purchasing this book was the presence of one word within the first 3 pages--Huntingtons.
Its a Bird is the autobiographical account of writer Seagle's difficulties in coping with his grandmother's and ultimately his aunt's deaths due to Huntington's disease. While facing the fears that he may be genetically predisposed to the same sickness, Seagle is forced to contend with his memories of the man of steel when he is asked to write for the Superman series.
The face value of Superman has never appealed to me. It all seemed too easy when compared to other heroes like Batman. However, Seagle picks apart the entire mythos from the coloring of Superman costume to the conceptual ideas of power, courage, escape, secrecy and belonging. This new take on the Man of Steel makes the character seem not only more approachable, but ultimately imperfect and flawed.
It isn't an action packed comic, but a character driven story. Either way, recommended for those who loved Superman, those who hated Superman, and those who appreciate better character development in their comic books.
Its a Bird is the autobiographical account of writer Seagle's difficulties in coping with his grandmother's and ultimately his aunt's deaths due to Huntington's disease. While facing the fears that he may be genetically predisposed to the same sickness, Seagle is forced to contend with his memories of the man of steel when he is asked to write for the Superman series.
The face value of Superman has never appealed to me. It all seemed too easy when compared to other heroes like Batman. However, Seagle picks apart the entire mythos from the coloring of Superman costume to the conceptual ideas of power, courage, escape, secrecy and belonging. This new take on the Man of Steel makes the character seem not only more approachable, but ultimately imperfect and flawed.
It isn't an action packed comic, but a character driven story. Either way, recommended for those who loved Superman, those who hated Superman, and those who appreciate better character development in their comic books.
July 24, 2007
Seagle uses a combination mainly of dialog and stream of consciousness writing, and often varies the typeface between Steve's and Superman's lives. There is a dark and gritty, almost frightening tone to the entire book. Steve lives his life in a fog, and Kristiansen does an amazing job capturing the mood with his realistic watercolor illustrations. Steve's character, although somewhat sympathetic, is not entirely likable, but this contrasting aspect helps to better portray his inner turmoil for the reader. Because Seagle primarily focuses on Steve and the angst surrounding him, the pace is slow and contemplative, allowing the reader to get inside Steve's head. However, Seagle also includes flashbacks and Steve's thoughts about Superman, which add complexity to the story. Although Steve's girlfriend, family, and agent are part of the story, the philosophical ideas of Superman/Clark Kent/Cal-El and Huntington's Disease play more important secondary characters.
June 11, 2012
This book is an autobiographical graphic novel addressing Seagle's thoughts and reactions to him being offered to write a new approach to America's, if not the world's, most popular character, Superman. The book deals with the presence of Huntington's Disease in Seagle's family, the implications of this disease on his family, and the apparent contradictions in Superman's character.
I absolutely loved this book. The art added meaning to Seagle's story and how he draws a significant parallels to this "alien" disease and Superman's alien's origin. And because it is a graphic novel, I found it easy to read and follow. There were moments the art made me feel uncomfortable, but the words Seagle puts down made me understand why I felt uncomfortable. This story was a great way to humanize Superman and make "normalcy" seem like a super power.
I absolutely loved this book. The art added meaning to Seagle's story and how he draws a significant parallels to this "alien" disease and Superman's alien's origin. And because it is a graphic novel, I found it easy to read and follow. There were moments the art made me feel uncomfortable, but the words Seagle puts down made me understand why I felt uncomfortable. This story was a great way to humanize Superman and make "normalcy" seem like a super power.
August 10, 2014
For quite a while in my life I liked to believe that there is no graphic novel like Fun Home but this one...... This one is even better than Fun Home. In the beginning I thought it will turn out to be like David B's Epileptic but No.
This is way better than anything that I have ever read. People will give you a lot of theories about LIFE(in this novel its compared to Superman), dont believe them. Just read this book.
Intense and Beautiful. MUST READ
This is way better than anything that I have ever read. People will give you a lot of theories about LIFE(in this novel its compared to Superman), dont believe them. Just read this book.
Intense and Beautiful. MUST READ
October 21, 2014
'S' = struggle, the emotions of the outsider.
'S' = sickness, a genetic code carried at your core.
'S' = pluralization, narratives jumping through time, the fear of failures, not being able to relate to others
'S' = sketches, washed-out drawings pulling you into a decidedly non-cartoon portrayal of men of steel.
'S' = sickness, a genetic code carried at your core.
'S' = pluralization, narratives jumping through time, the fear of failures, not being able to relate to others
'S' = sketches, washed-out drawings pulling you into a decidedly non-cartoon portrayal of men of steel.
January 16, 2021
I first read it at a library, and that was probably a decade ago at least, and...it’s just one of those things you know is special right away, even if years later you can’t remember why, exactly, except that it was a story about why Superman is special. Even if, as it turns out, it’s not really about Superman at all.
Here we are, again. It’s a Bird... is about why Superman is so hard to take seriously, but not because of Superman, not because other superheroes seem more relatable, but because in the real world, crushed by real world problems like a disease that runs in the family that nobody talks about and that only makes everything worse, Superman doesn’t make any sense.
Or maybe he makes perfect sense. Maybe everything about him suddenly makes perfect sense. A lot of the comics that make the most sense these days have little or nothing to do with superhero adventures. Critics suggest that as a result they miss the whole point. What’s a superhero if they’re not steeped in action?
Well, they’re like us. They’re stuck in something we can understand. In a different time it meant they could do all the things we wish we could. In 1938 it meant the bad guys were defeated, because in 1938 that wasn’t happening. Later it seemed maybe bad guys were a little too easy to beat. Maybe it wasn’t so easy to identify them anymore.
Maybe the real problem was confronting the problems a little more directly. Maybe it was seeing what the problems were in-person. Maybe it was seeing how one person’s problems could be confronted.
So this is as excellent a starting point in such a journey as a comic book ever attempted. In another Steven S. Seagle story I just read, he concluded sometimes a story shouldn’t be told. In this one he determines exactly the opposite. It helps to know such things are possible, that you have to know the difference, that pain can be avoided by making the right choice, that this is kind of the whole point, to take the lessons of your life and knowing what to do with them, that if, say, you’re Superman and you have all these incredible gifts that you have incredible responsibility, that it’s not just pounding villains in the face but knowing how to inspire people who don’t have all those gifts, who only have the truths they discover, and having the courage to know what to do with them. How to make peace.
When DC’s Vertigo imprint went away, a lot of fans lamented the end of the kind of storytelling it got to publish. They wondered if the great series Vertigo used to champion would vanish. Me, I hope DC doesn’t walk away from stuff like this, the shorter statements, the literary, lyrical greatness, which creators like Seagle can always find smaller publishers to help them make, but with smaller audiences, too. Did this story need Superman to make its point? To ask such a question, well, misses the point.
Being able to tell a Superman story like this at all is why we need Superman at all.
Here we are, again. It’s a Bird... is about why Superman is so hard to take seriously, but not because of Superman, not because other superheroes seem more relatable, but because in the real world, crushed by real world problems like a disease that runs in the family that nobody talks about and that only makes everything worse, Superman doesn’t make any sense.
Or maybe he makes perfect sense. Maybe everything about him suddenly makes perfect sense. A lot of the comics that make the most sense these days have little or nothing to do with superhero adventures. Critics suggest that as a result they miss the whole point. What’s a superhero if they’re not steeped in action?
Well, they’re like us. They’re stuck in something we can understand. In a different time it meant they could do all the things we wish we could. In 1938 it meant the bad guys were defeated, because in 1938 that wasn’t happening. Later it seemed maybe bad guys were a little too easy to beat. Maybe it wasn’t so easy to identify them anymore.
Maybe the real problem was confronting the problems a little more directly. Maybe it was seeing what the problems were in-person. Maybe it was seeing how one person’s problems could be confronted.
So this is as excellent a starting point in such a journey as a comic book ever attempted. In another Steven S. Seagle story I just read, he concluded sometimes a story shouldn’t be told. In this one he determines exactly the opposite. It helps to know such things are possible, that you have to know the difference, that pain can be avoided by making the right choice, that this is kind of the whole point, to take the lessons of your life and knowing what to do with them, that if, say, you’re Superman and you have all these incredible gifts that you have incredible responsibility, that it’s not just pounding villains in the face but knowing how to inspire people who don’t have all those gifts, who only have the truths they discover, and having the courage to know what to do with them. How to make peace.
When DC’s Vertigo imprint went away, a lot of fans lamented the end of the kind of storytelling it got to publish. They wondered if the great series Vertigo used to champion would vanish. Me, I hope DC doesn’t walk away from stuff like this, the shorter statements, the literary, lyrical greatness, which creators like Seagle can always find smaller publishers to help them make, but with smaller audiences, too. Did this story need Superman to make its point? To ask such a question, well, misses the point.
Being able to tell a Superman story like this at all is why we need Superman at all.
May 9, 2017
Steven Seagle’s life seems, superficially, perfect. He’s met the love of his life. They are thinking about marriage. He’s writes comic books and has been offered the dream gig! Sadly he doesn’t have enough time to do that.
This isn't a Superman story, exactly; it's an avant-garde, refracted, semi fictional memoir, with Superman or, rather, the variety of ideas that Superman represents as its central symbol. If you are going to write what you know, how can you write about a person who is considered as a god? What does that even mean? Like, Nietzsche’s Übermensch? Answerable to no one with the right to tell others what is good and what’s bad, due to his sheer power? Is he a new god of being violent for good reasons, just like other old gods? Like a magical immigrant who is more American than Americans?
Kristiansen's inventive water colored ink art style, a bit reminiscent of the Expressionist painter Egon Schiele, gives a crisp, surreal look to the sections about Steve's messed up personal life and family secret.
In other way, it’s about Huntington’s Disease in the way that Art Spiegelman’s The Complete Maus is about Nazis. It may form a central construct of the story, but it’s more than that. This book portrayed a troubled relationship between powerful concepts and creative narrative.
It’s a great book.
Story – 4/5
Art – 5/5
This isn't a Superman story, exactly; it's an avant-garde, refracted, semi fictional memoir, with Superman or, rather, the variety of ideas that Superman represents as its central symbol. If you are going to write what you know, how can you write about a person who is considered as a god? What does that even mean? Like, Nietzsche’s Übermensch? Answerable to no one with the right to tell others what is good and what’s bad, due to his sheer power? Is he a new god of being violent for good reasons, just like other old gods? Like a magical immigrant who is more American than Americans?
Kristiansen's inventive water colored ink art style, a bit reminiscent of the Expressionist painter Egon Schiele, gives a crisp, surreal look to the sections about Steve's messed up personal life and family secret.
In other way, it’s about Huntington’s Disease in the way that Art Spiegelman’s The Complete Maus is about Nazis. It may form a central construct of the story, but it’s more than that. This book portrayed a troubled relationship between powerful concepts and creative narrative.
It’s a great book.
Story – 4/5
Art – 5/5
March 21, 2022
I finished this slim little comic on a Sunday afternoon, and I've been thinking all through the rest of the day about how to talk about it because it is one of those books that is both very particular in its depiction of a single character's inner world, and yet also about all of human existence. But let me try.
Steve, the protagonist, is a comics creator who is offered the gig of a lifetime: working on Superman. But he is, to the amazement of the people in his life, not enthusiastic about taking it. To him, Superman is unrelatable and unrealistic, and too perfect to be interesting. And besides, there are other, bigger things Steve has to worry about. Yet he keeps coming back to this character, one who is seemingly many things to many people but always meaningful.
On one level, the book is about Steve's exploration of the ideas that underpin the mythology of Superman through critique, deconstruction and examination, an attempt to grasp why Superman is so important to people.
But at another level, it is about the specific place Superman occupies in Steve's life, his personal history and in the anxieties particular to his family. The questions he grapples with repeatedly are: what does the idea of a perfect Superman mean when you yourself are imperfect, fragile and mortal? And *is* Superman indeed perfect?
So many of the themes this book touches on - love, trauma, the wounds festering within families, fear of the future, depression, the power of storytelling - are familiar, and could so easily be trite. But Steven T. Seagle's dense, reflective prose and Teddy Kristiansen's marvellous art (swipe to take a peek!) create an immensely relatable and moving story that is both particular and universal at the same time.
This is a book I know I will come back to.
Steve, the protagonist, is a comics creator who is offered the gig of a lifetime: working on Superman. But he is, to the amazement of the people in his life, not enthusiastic about taking it. To him, Superman is unrelatable and unrealistic, and too perfect to be interesting. And besides, there are other, bigger things Steve has to worry about. Yet he keeps coming back to this character, one who is seemingly many things to many people but always meaningful.
On one level, the book is about Steve's exploration of the ideas that underpin the mythology of Superman through critique, deconstruction and examination, an attempt to grasp why Superman is so important to people.
But at another level, it is about the specific place Superman occupies in Steve's life, his personal history and in the anxieties particular to his family. The questions he grapples with repeatedly are: what does the idea of a perfect Superman mean when you yourself are imperfect, fragile and mortal? And *is* Superman indeed perfect?
So many of the themes this book touches on - love, trauma, the wounds festering within families, fear of the future, depression, the power of storytelling - are familiar, and could so easily be trite. But Steven T. Seagle's dense, reflective prose and Teddy Kristiansen's marvellous art (swipe to take a peek!) create an immensely relatable and moving story that is both particular and universal at the same time.
This is a book I know I will come back to.
December 5, 2019
This is only incidentally a Superman story, as the author writes himself into the story as a reluctant writer of Superman comics. While there is some interesting examinations of what Superman means to American culture, that is really just the thin film floating on the top, with deeper themes beneath the surface.
Dealing with his own mortality causes the author to push his family and girlfriend away as he struggles with a deep-seated childhood trauma that is slowly revealed as the story wears on.
I’ve always had a soft spot for stories that break the fourth wall, and in this case the main character speaks directly to the audience as a comic writer speaking directly to the audience about the comics medium. Very meta as they say, and I enjoyed that aspect of the book.
This kind of story would normally be my bread and butter, but I struggled with the pacing, as well as the lack of likability of the main character. While it’s true that he is dealing with multiple family, health, and mental health issues, I still found the way he was treating his girlfriend to be a little too rude and selfish for me to really empathize with the character.
The art here is impressionistic, and works well for the story, although it is not what I would consider “good”. It gets the job done, and sets an appropriately dreamlike tone.
All in all, this was worth reading once, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as would think I would, considering the ambitious nature of the story.
It was just OK.
Dealing with his own mortality causes the author to push his family and girlfriend away as he struggles with a deep-seated childhood trauma that is slowly revealed as the story wears on.
I’ve always had a soft spot for stories that break the fourth wall, and in this case the main character speaks directly to the audience as a comic writer speaking directly to the audience about the comics medium. Very meta as they say, and I enjoyed that aspect of the book.
This kind of story would normally be my bread and butter, but I struggled with the pacing, as well as the lack of likability of the main character. While it’s true that he is dealing with multiple family, health, and mental health issues, I still found the way he was treating his girlfriend to be a little too rude and selfish for me to really empathize with the character.
The art here is impressionistic, and works well for the story, although it is not what I would consider “good”. It gets the job done, and sets an appropriately dreamlike tone.
All in all, this was worth reading once, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as would think I would, considering the ambitious nature of the story.
It was just OK.
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