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Superman: For Tomorrow #1-2
Superman: For Tomorrow
The complete 12-part saga from SUPERMAN #204-215 written by Brian Azzarello with sensational art by Jim Lee!
A cataclysmic event has struck the Earth. Millions of people have vanished without a trace. No one is left unaffected; not even Superman! But after a year, Superman is left with many questions. For a hero who tries to have all the answers, it's torture. And, just as the action heats up and the stakes are raised, one huge question emerges: Just how far is Superman willing to go "For
Tomorrow?"
A cataclysmic event has struck the Earth. Millions of people have vanished without a trace. No one is left unaffected; not even Superman! But after a year, Superman is left with many questions. For a hero who tries to have all the answers, it's torture. And, just as the action heats up and the stakes are raised, one huge question emerges: Just how far is Superman willing to go "For
Tomorrow?"
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
83 people are currently reading
1439 people want to read
About the author
Brian Azzarello
1,296 books1,105 followersBrian Azzarello (born in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo. He and Argentine artist Eduardo Risso, with whom Azzarello first worked on Jonny Double, won the 2001 Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story for 100 Bullets #15–18: "Hang Up on the Hang Low".
Azzarello has written for Batman ("Broken City", art by Risso; "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire", art by Lee Bermejo, Tim Bradstreet, & Mick Gray) and Superman ("For Tomorrow", art by Jim Lee).
In 2005, Azzarello began a new creator-owned series, the western Loveless, with artist Marcelo Frusin.
As of 2007, Azzarello is married to fellow comic-book writer and illustrator Jill Thompson.
information taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Az...
Azzarello has written for Batman ("Broken City", art by Risso; "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire", art by Lee Bermejo, Tim Bradstreet, & Mick Gray) and Superman ("For Tomorrow", art by Jim Lee).
In 2005, Azzarello began a new creator-owned series, the western Loveless, with artist Marcelo Frusin.
As of 2007, Azzarello is married to fellow comic-book writer and illustrator Jill Thompson.
information taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Az...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 212 reviews
December 2, 2015
Ummmmmm.
What the fuck did I just read?
No. Really! I have absolutely no idea what I just read.
This has volume one & two, so I'm pretty sure I got the complete story. In fact, there was even a little nifty The End tacked on to the last page.
So, if someone could please tell me what the hell happened, I'd really appreciate it.
As far as I can tell, Superman's Imagination (along with some Kryptonian sciency-stuff) created...Utopia?
And then somehow his Magic Imagination Ball (for some unexplained reason) blew up or went off (not sure?), and caused a Rapture-like event called The Vanishing.
The Vanishing is pretty self-explanatory, in that a bunch of random people, um...vanished.
Oh, and Lois. Lois is gone, too.
So, you know....
And for some reason, it seems Superman has amnesia about Imagination World , as well. But not really.
I think he erased his own memory, but (again) not sure that's actually how it went down. I mean, Wonder Woman and Batman knew more about what had happened than he did, but that's actually not a good argument for amnesia, is it? They usually know more about what's going on in any given situation than Clark does anyway.
There's more to the tale, including a dying priest, a surly mercenary spy, animatronic parents, some Elemental giants, and a balding General Zod.
Don't worry, it all makes more sense in the story!
I'm sure I'll catch shit for not loving this, or not getting the deeper nuances to the story, but I simply don't care.
It was a weird look at Superman whining on and on and on about his inner feelings, and I'm just not the right audience for that sort of comic.
What the fuck did I just read?
No. Really! I have absolutely no idea what I just read.
This has volume one & two, so I'm pretty sure I got the complete story. In fact, there was even a little nifty The End tacked on to the last page.
So, if someone could please tell me what the hell happened, I'd really appreciate it.
As far as I can tell, Superman's Imagination (along with some Kryptonian sciency-stuff) created...Utopia?
And then somehow his Magic Imagination Ball (for some unexplained reason) blew up or went off (not sure?), and caused a Rapture-like event called The Vanishing.
The Vanishing is pretty self-explanatory, in that a bunch of random people, um...vanished.
Oh, and Lois. Lois is gone, too.
So, you know....
And for some reason, it seems Superman has amnesia about Imagination World , as well. But not really.
I think he erased his own memory, but (again) not sure that's actually how it went down. I mean, Wonder Woman and Batman knew more about what had happened than he did, but that's actually not a good argument for amnesia, is it? They usually know more about what's going on in any given situation than Clark does anyway.
There's more to the tale, including a dying priest, a surly mercenary spy, animatronic parents, some Elemental giants, and a balding General Zod.
Don't worry, it all makes more sense in the story!
I'm sure I'll catch shit for not loving this, or not getting the deeper nuances to the story, but I simply don't care.
It was a weird look at Superman whining on and on and on about his inner feelings, and I'm just not the right audience for that sort of comic.
October 3, 2016
Poor Superman!
He’s from another planet and does whatever he can to protect his new home, tries to do the right thing, has to deal with Batman putting krypton in his hair products, he suffers the indignity of working with losers like Aquaman and Aztec and deals with a bunch of haterade from those he’s sworn to defend.
And he still can’t get a decent storyline.
Consider that a warning shot fired over your proverbial bow, Goodreader.
Brian Azarello has penned some fine things in the past, but somewhere in this sprawling volume, he seems to have lost his way. Without getting all spoilerish, there are huge plot holes, characters that are introduced and yet have little bearing on the major storyline, and some of the most head scratching logic I’ve ever read. To wit:
While Superman is off in space saving whiny Kyle Rayner’s behind (He was distraught and didn’t have his head in the game; something about defrosting his refrigerator), a bunch of people, including Lois Lane, vanish from Earth.
Where did they go? We’ll find out, but first: Philosophy.
Once Superman is finished debating the nature of his role on Earth, the whole Jebus complex he has going and the theological essence of what it means to be “special”, he finally locates the device that caused the “vanishing”.
Even a bout of writer amnesia (or the imbibing of substances) won’t prevent Superman from doing something “bad”.
Did I mention that even the elements of the Earth hate him. Hate him!!
And don’t call be Clark anymore, Mount Rushmore bitches. It’s Kal-freaking-El.
And Superman fights a monster…. *yawn*
The art: Jim Lee seems to finally show some maturity as an artist.
What does that mean, Jeff?
Dunno, but it sounds good.
Bottom line: Sorry Superman fans (Hi Anne! Hi dude in Idaho who’s getting his meds adjusted!), this is a mess. I have New Krypton on reserve at the library, so here’s hoping.
He’s from another planet and does whatever he can to protect his new home, tries to do the right thing, has to deal with Batman putting krypton in his hair products, he suffers the indignity of working with losers like Aquaman and Aztec and deals with a bunch of haterade from those he’s sworn to defend.
And he still can’t get a decent storyline.
Consider that a warning shot fired over your proverbial bow, Goodreader.
Brian Azarello has penned some fine things in the past, but somewhere in this sprawling volume, he seems to have lost his way. Without getting all spoilerish, there are huge plot holes, characters that are introduced and yet have little bearing on the major storyline, and some of the most head scratching logic I’ve ever read. To wit:
While Superman is off in space saving whiny Kyle Rayner’s behind (He was distraught and didn’t have his head in the game; something about defrosting his refrigerator), a bunch of people, including Lois Lane, vanish from Earth.
Where did they go? We’ll find out, but first: Philosophy.
Once Superman is finished debating the nature of his role on Earth, the whole Jebus complex he has going and the theological essence of what it means to be “special”, he finally locates the device that caused the “vanishing”.
Even a bout of writer amnesia (or the imbibing of substances) won’t prevent Superman from doing something “bad”.
Did I mention that even the elements of the Earth hate him. Hate him!!
And don’t call be Clark anymore, Mount Rushmore bitches. It’s Kal-freaking-El.
And Superman fights a monster…. *yawn*
The art: Jim Lee seems to finally show some maturity as an artist.
What does that mean, Jeff?
Dunno, but it sounds good.
Bottom line: Sorry Superman fans (Hi Anne! Hi dude in Idaho who’s getting his meds adjusted!), this is a mess. I have New Krypton on reserve at the library, so here’s hoping.
February 9, 2017
This is pretty fantastic. I didn't know what I was getting into when I started reading except that it felt like a "why am I still bothering with this" from Superman, but in fact it turned out to be a rather awesome mindfuq. ;)
I'm not entirely certain that it will rank up there as the most awesome Superman tale that I've ever read, but it is pretty close. It's about heaven and hell and how we make our own.
Literally.
Very, very fun and accessible, even for people who have managed never to learn about Zod.
My biggest surprise was in Superman's moving his fortress! And to that location, even!
I'm not entirely certain that it will rank up there as the most awesome Superman tale that I've ever read, but it is pretty close. It's about heaven and hell and how we make our own.
Literally.
Very, very fun and accessible, even for people who have managed never to learn about Zod.
My biggest surprise was in Superman's moving his fortress! And to that location, even!
April 13, 2015
Picked up this Absolute Edition on clearance (because size matters) and now I know why it’s on clearance.
I’m with you Anne . Just didn’t flow. It had elements that could have worked. Superman, Lois vanishing, the phantom zone, a surprise villain (who I will be spoiling by the end of the review by the way), a sneaky secret agent, and guest appearances by the Justice League. But the book never came together for me. All that fluffing with no money shot. And I love Azzarello. His last run on Wonder Woman was the shit and I even liked his Joker and Luthor more than most probably did. But he lost me on this one.
Even Jim Lee’s art (which I also typically appreciate) was lacking at times. Some of it was great (see above). But, his villain designs were stupid weak. Equus was torn from the pages of any 90's Rob Liefeld comic and the surprise villain (General Zod) looked like something my 8 year old son would have designed. Does Zod look like Baron Karza from the Micronauts to anyone else? Pretty, just kinda dumb.
Gave this one an extra star for Jim’s artwork. But, I definitely thought I was gonna like this one a little bit more than I did. Only a recommend for Jim Lee completists. All others beware.
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June 7, 2021
This was pretty bad with super good art.
It starts with the disappearance of Metropolis and Superman wasn't there because he was on an intergalactic mission but when he comes back he finds about the disappearance and investigates and meets a father named Daniel who has his own problems, goes against Mr Orr a shadowy mercenary and then has to battle Equus a human enhanced monster and the elementals and meets up with Batman and Wonder Woman for strange conversations and fights them and leaves to Phantom Zone where his supposed plan was to make this as an alternative for Earthlings to come in if their planet was destroyed like Krypton and now its been taken over by Zod and he has to fight him and all the other threats while something was going on?
Yeah it was weird, I don't think they thought this story through and while the premise and core idea was good, the execution was terrible and it just sounds weird and gives you a sense of dread when reading it, the art is sublime but falls flat with this terrible story. And then again Superman was way out of character and Zod's design looked atrocious and no proper resolution to Daniel. Uhh skip this one.
It starts with the disappearance of Metropolis and Superman wasn't there because he was on an intergalactic mission but when he comes back he finds about the disappearance and investigates and meets a father named Daniel who has his own problems, goes against Mr Orr a shadowy mercenary and then has to battle Equus a human enhanced monster and the elementals and meets up with Batman and Wonder Woman for strange conversations and fights them and leaves to Phantom Zone where his supposed plan was to make this as an alternative for Earthlings to come in if their planet was destroyed like Krypton and now its been taken over by Zod and he has to fight him and all the other threats while something was going on?
Yeah it was weird, I don't think they thought this story through and while the premise and core idea was good, the execution was terrible and it just sounds weird and gives you a sense of dread when reading it, the art is sublime but falls flat with this terrible story. And then again Superman was way out of character and Zod's design looked atrocious and no proper resolution to Daniel. Uhh skip this one.
February 1, 2018
Since his inception in 1938, Superman may be a superhero that is very rooted in science-fiction, he has been seen as a religious allegory, given that he was created by two Jewish kids from Cleveland, Ohio whilst his origin story is reminiscent of the Moses story. Certainly when you watch Richard Donner’s classic 1978 movie, the filmmakers consciously made Superman an allegory for Jesus Christ and since then, many Superman stories from all media lend themselves to Christian themes. With For Tomorrow by Brian Azzarello and Jim Lee, the religious angle has been taken to a whole new level.
Set after a year when a million people (including Superman's wife, Lois Lane) mysteriously vanish from the face of the earth, the Man of Steel tries to solve the puzzle while dealing with his personal loss as well as guilt over failing to prevent the disaster.
Right from the above synopsis, this is a darker story than what we expect from Superman so don’t expect a whole lot of humour. For most of the drama, there is a parallel storyline concerning a priest questioning his faith and serving as Superman's confessor. No doubt that Azzarello is interested in having a philosophical discussion into how Superman’s life and never-ending act of heroism can lead into people’s views towards him as a messianic saviour and his attempt at making our world a better place.
However, Azzarello’s heavy-handed approach can lead to mixed results as it does deviate from what Superman purists would want which is a light adventurous romp (if you want that, go and read All-Star Superman). What works best about For Tomorrow, is when Azzarello is evoking the established Superman mythos as there are many sequences of Superman saving people, fighting a giant monster and even sharing a scene with the Justice League of America who start to question his solo heroism. However, if there’s one thing that will ring true for many Superman fans is his romance with Lois and the reunion scene here makes him a man that any woman can idealise.
Halfway through this twelve-issue arc, things start to get confusing when we find out the secrets of The Vanishing in which Azzarello brings a highly convoluted sci-fi approach to Heaven and Hell. What it also leads to is a strange revelation for Superman as his characterisation throughout will question many readers. As for the subplot involving Father Leone which is to provide a human side to For Tomorrow as well as an opportunity for Superman to say some words of inspiration, but the priest’s story was resolved poorly and left unanswered questions in regards to some of the supporting cast.
Coming off of the overrated Batman: Hush which felt more like an exercise for Jim Lee to draw as many villains as possible without the help of a coherent narrative, Lee’s work here is more about how visually stunning he could make Superman. Without any of Superman’s rogues gallery, the villains here are different from one another which allows Lee to craft not the same repetitive action sequence. If you are to read For Tomorrow, it’s worth getting the Absolute edition as it shows the level of detail that the all-star artist brings which is both rough and beautiful.
There is a lot to like and to get confuse with Brian Azzarello’s story which works best when it tells a Superman story until it starts to deviate, whilst Jim Lee provides his best work when drawing the Man of Steel.
Set after a year when a million people (including Superman's wife, Lois Lane) mysteriously vanish from the face of the earth, the Man of Steel tries to solve the puzzle while dealing with his personal loss as well as guilt over failing to prevent the disaster.
Right from the above synopsis, this is a darker story than what we expect from Superman so don’t expect a whole lot of humour. For most of the drama, there is a parallel storyline concerning a priest questioning his faith and serving as Superman's confessor. No doubt that Azzarello is interested in having a philosophical discussion into how Superman’s life and never-ending act of heroism can lead into people’s views towards him as a messianic saviour and his attempt at making our world a better place.
However, Azzarello’s heavy-handed approach can lead to mixed results as it does deviate from what Superman purists would want which is a light adventurous romp (if you want that, go and read All-Star Superman). What works best about For Tomorrow, is when Azzarello is evoking the established Superman mythos as there are many sequences of Superman saving people, fighting a giant monster and even sharing a scene with the Justice League of America who start to question his solo heroism. However, if there’s one thing that will ring true for many Superman fans is his romance with Lois and the reunion scene here makes him a man that any woman can idealise.
Halfway through this twelve-issue arc, things start to get confusing when we find out the secrets of The Vanishing in which Azzarello brings a highly convoluted sci-fi approach to Heaven and Hell. What it also leads to is a strange revelation for Superman as his characterisation throughout will question many readers. As for the subplot involving Father Leone which is to provide a human side to For Tomorrow as well as an opportunity for Superman to say some words of inspiration, but the priest’s story was resolved poorly and left unanswered questions in regards to some of the supporting cast.
Coming off of the overrated Batman: Hush which felt more like an exercise for Jim Lee to draw as many villains as possible without the help of a coherent narrative, Lee’s work here is more about how visually stunning he could make Superman. Without any of Superman’s rogues gallery, the villains here are different from one another which allows Lee to craft not the same repetitive action sequence. If you are to read For Tomorrow, it’s worth getting the Absolute edition as it shows the level of detail that the all-star artist brings which is both rough and beautiful.
There is a lot to like and to get confuse with Brian Azzarello’s story which works best when it tells a Superman story until it starts to deviate, whilst Jim Lee provides his best work when drawing the Man of Steel.
December 31, 2020
The Deluxe Edition was a rather nice hardcover. It has a great deal of interesting information and multiple variant covers and a sketchbook included. It made for a nice addition to my comic collection.
What is it all about? The story is rather strange but it works. People all of the Earth have vanished, including Lois Lane. A year later Superman is sad and unable to come up with any answers. He develops a friendship with a cancer-stricken priest and starts learning about himself, not only as a Superman but as an inhabitant of Earth.
Eventually, some super-spy-guy helps him find some clues which lead to an interesting idea-Superman was responsible for it all. There, if you've not read this story, then no more spoilers. But alternate worlds, fear of loss both personal (Lois) and public (everyone else), the Phantom Zone, General Zod, and the idiotically named villain Equus (WTH man? Equus is Latin for horse. What part of this villain has anything to do with a horse? Did you pick the name because it "sounded" cool?) round out this story.
The artwork is Jim Lee and is good throughout the volume.
While the story is good, it did have the potential to be great. The exploration of what a Superman ought to do versus what he does do is interesting. In a strange inversion of the "with great power.." mantra, it seems to ask rather if Superman should get involved in everything? If he does what are the consequences? If that had been explored rather than wasting time fighting that random Middle Eastern woman and her elemental djinn-things, then this could have been a great story.
However I think Superman fans will enjoy this one. The rest of us? I think that they will find this a good comic. There is much worse out there, so this story is good. Add in the extras and I think this will appeal to all Superman fans. I liked it but didn't go crazy over it. Thus 3 stars.
What is it all about? The story is rather strange but it works. People all of the Earth have vanished, including Lois Lane. A year later Superman is sad and unable to come up with any answers. He develops a friendship with a cancer-stricken priest and starts learning about himself, not only as a Superman but as an inhabitant of Earth.
Eventually, some super-spy-guy helps him find some clues which lead to an interesting idea-Superman was responsible for it all. There, if you've not read this story, then no more spoilers. But alternate worlds, fear of loss both personal (Lois) and public (everyone else), the Phantom Zone, General Zod, and the idiotically named villain Equus (WTH man? Equus is Latin for horse. What part of this villain has anything to do with a horse? Did you pick the name because it "sounded" cool?) round out this story.
The artwork is Jim Lee and is good throughout the volume.
While the story is good, it did have the potential to be great. The exploration of what a Superman ought to do versus what he does do is interesting. In a strange inversion of the "with great power.." mantra, it seems to ask rather if Superman should get involved in everything? If he does what are the consequences? If that had been explored rather than wasting time fighting that random Middle Eastern woman and her elemental djinn-things, then this could have been a great story.
However I think Superman fans will enjoy this one. The rest of us? I think that they will find this a good comic. There is much worse out there, so this story is good. Add in the extras and I think this will appeal to all Superman fans. I liked it but didn't go crazy over it. Thus 3 stars.
April 17, 2013
It took me a short bit to come to the final decision on what I wanted to rate Superman: For Tomorrow. As always, I enjoyed Jim Lee’s art. Also, the first half of the book was very well written by Brian Azzarello, showing an emotionally vulnerable and introspective side to Superman which I’ve always enjoyed reading in other story arcs about the Man of Steel. However, it was the entire second part of the story, which takes place in the Phantom Zone which left me with some pause.
As a possible defense to the writer, I may have been a little tired at the time I was reading it. An initial first reading left me confused as to what was actually going on a couple times. There were parts of the story that seemed disjointed and the overall flow that was present during the first half of the story arc seemed to have “Vanished”. After rolling it around in my head for a bit last night and then again this morning, I think I’ve pretty much worked it out though which is what left me to finally rate this book as I have.
The story itself takes place a year after a mysterious event in which a million people suddenly vanish and Superman is angry with himself that he could not save them as he was literally a million miles away from the planet when it happened. A large part of the story is told as a sort of confessional between Superman and a cancer stricken priest named Father Leone. Without giving away the entire tale or basically writing a plot synopsis, the crux of the story comes down to Superman coming to terms with the fact that he can only save those who want to be saved, and whether he has the right or moral obligation to with a brief afterthought on if someone will save him when his own time comes. The only real point in the story which I could argue felt completely out of place is a brief fight between Superman and Wonder Woman.
Overall, this was a very good read, and one I am glad I picked up and would recommend to any fans of Big Blue.
As a possible defense to the writer, I may have been a little tired at the time I was reading it. An initial first reading left me confused as to what was actually going on a couple times. There were parts of the story that seemed disjointed and the overall flow that was present during the first half of the story arc seemed to have “Vanished”. After rolling it around in my head for a bit last night and then again this morning, I think I’ve pretty much worked it out though which is what left me to finally rate this book as I have.
The story itself takes place a year after a mysterious event in which a million people suddenly vanish and Superman is angry with himself that he could not save them as he was literally a million miles away from the planet when it happened. A large part of the story is told as a sort of confessional between Superman and a cancer stricken priest named Father Leone. Without giving away the entire tale or basically writing a plot synopsis, the crux of the story comes down to Superman coming to terms with the fact that he can only save those who want to be saved, and whether he has the right or moral obligation to with a brief afterthought on if someone will save him when his own time comes. The only real point in the story which I could argue felt completely out of place is a brief fight between Superman and Wonder Woman.
Overall, this was a very good read, and one I am glad I picked up and would recommend to any fans of Big Blue.
February 28, 2022
7/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dibujo espectacular de Jim Lee, lo que se espera de un cómic de Superman. Un argumento de Brian Azzarelo interesante, con un toque importante de misterio que engancha hasta su finalización. Personajes con carisma como el cura o el señor Orr. Pierde fuerza en la parte final, donde parece que se intenta resolver todo de golpe y confunde al lector.
Destacar las nuevas ediciones (DC pocket) que relación calidad/precio son muy interesantes para adentrarse en el universo DC.
Dibujo espectacular de Jim Lee, lo que se espera de un cómic de Superman. Un argumento de Brian Azzarelo interesante, con un toque importante de misterio que engancha hasta su finalización. Personajes con carisma como el cura o el señor Orr. Pierde fuerza en la parte final, donde parece que se intenta resolver todo de golpe y confunde al lector.
Destacar las nuevas ediciones (DC pocket) que relación calidad/precio son muy interesantes para adentrarse en el universo DC.
November 30, 2021
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
It’s only once you lose something precious that you realize how important it was to you. Taking these things for granted simply leaves us in a vulnerable position once it becomes threatened or until it’s too late. For Superman, when the unexpected, the unlikely, and the impossible happened, his life changed beyond anything he could ever imagine. From that moment onward, his ability to trust himself in doing the right thing would never be the same again. He would need to find a way to do change things for the better, to do better, and to work towards a future he can make better. Collecting Superman issues #204-215 written by Brian Azzarello, penciled by Jim Lee. and inked by Scott Williams, this story arc is a tale of introspection and moral reevaluation for one of Earth’s greatest heroes.
What is Absolute Superman: For Tomorrow about? Set a year after The Vanishing, where a million people on Earth mysteriously disappeared, including Lois Lane, Superman desperately clings onto the remaining sanity he withholds within himself to not drown in his guilt over his inability to prevent this cataclysmic event. As his search for answers continues, he visits an ill-stricken priest to confess and reflect upon his purpose, their respective faith and hope in humanity, and in what Superman represents for the world. Inching closer to answers, the path upon which he walks will have him inevitably confront an evil entity and push him to embrace desperate measures for the sake of obtaining a much-desired peace of mind. But how far would he go for a tomorrow?
This turned out to be a brutal reading experience and there isn’t much to read either. Writer Brian Azzarello offers up some of the oddest dialogues I’ve ever seen Superman have with anyone, especially through his interaction with his trusty priest friend. Apparently, they liked finishing off each other’s sentences as if they could read each other’s minds. But not really. With terrible writing, also comes one of the most bizarre stories that sends Kal-El (yes, he insists that you call him that nowadays) down on a guilt trip, making him wonder if he can ever do the right thing again, thinking about the greater good rather than the individual life. It’s not that it’s a bad story, the idea of having some sort of forgotten utopia, exploring its most atypical corners with androids, giants, and whatnot, but writer Brian Azzarello does an awful job at coherently establishing his ideas and making much sense of it all. As you reach the second half, you’ll quickly notice that a lot of things simply happen for the sake of moving things forward but there is little direction was actually given to the narrative to justify Superman’s journey here.
Fortunately, there was a good reason for this story arc to receive the luxurious Absolute Edition treatment, and it all hinges on legendary artist Jim Lee’s penciling. In fact, his artwork is impeccable, doing beautiful justice to Superman’s character, not only majestically capturing his godly yet alien nature but also infusing him with a gentle and caring touch that reminds us of the paradoxical humanity that he embodies. Since a lot of this story arc also keeps at a minimum all dialogue between characters, there is enormous room allocated to the artwork and it is quite impressive to sift through his artistic vision and watch him brilliantly handle both static and dynamic narrative sequences. Credit should also be given to Scott Williams’ inking that breathes a lot of life into this work through vivid colours that impeccably highlight the best of Jim Lee’s pencils. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of those cases where the artwork allows you to pardon the story-telling flaws.
Absolute Superman: For Tomorrow is an unintelligible and jumbled mess exploring Kal-El’s self-awareness and journey of guilt.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
October 4, 2022
The art in the comics here is amazing as Jim Lee is on the ball.
But oh geese the story sucks, the story is just bad. I see the whole confession and question is Superman a god as part of the pitch. But after reading other reviews I thought this was just Superman returns from space to solve the mystery. It turns out that is not what happens. Most of this comic is Superman and a Catholic Priest having a dialog about divinity or loss or sin or forgiveness or I don’t know after a while it really does not matter.
It turns out that… . I don’t even know if this is worth a spoiler tag. It is just so bad who would believe it. How would Superman forget that so very important plot point?
The whole story is just not satisfying. They tried to something big and philosophical and failed. One star rating. One added star for the art by Jim Lee.
But oh geese the story sucks, the story is just bad. I see the whole confession and question is Superman a god as part of the pitch. But after reading other reviews I thought this was just Superman returns from space to solve the mystery. It turns out that is not what happens. Most of this comic is Superman and a Catholic Priest having a dialog about divinity or loss or sin or forgiveness or I don’t know after a while it really does not matter.
It turns out that… . I don’t even know if this is worth a spoiler tag. It is just so bad who would believe it. How would Superman forget that so very important plot point?
The whole story is just not satisfying. They tried to something big and philosophical and failed. One star rating. One added star for the art by Jim Lee.
February 5, 2019
The most unsuperman story ever! So I have always wanted to read this book, but I've always heard mixed things about it which always puzzled me. Brian Azzarello and Jim Lee doing a Superman story together, how bad could it be? It was very bad! So the story has a million people around the world seemingly disappear, Infinity War style (including Lois), all while Superman was out in space helping (but not really) Green Lantern. Now Superman is mopy and he flys around depressed for 80% of this book while trying to figure out what happened. There are many interesting things you can do with Superman in a what if Lois died story, this is not one of those stories!
Superman flies around for half of this book being an asshole to everyone, including the Justice League; the book invents new characters who are annoying and unlikeable. This is just one of the most uninteresting Superman stories I have ever read! I like most of what Azzarello writes, but this story was just very disappointing. The story also goes in a very weird direction towards the end, that just made me roll my eyes.
This books only real saving grace is Jim Lee's art which is amazing and awesome to look at! But if you want Jim Lee's art and a good story, go read Batman: Hush!
Superman flies around for half of this book being an asshole to everyone, including the Justice League; the book invents new characters who are annoying and unlikeable. This is just one of the most uninteresting Superman stories I have ever read! I like most of what Azzarello writes, but this story was just very disappointing. The story also goes in a very weird direction towards the end, that just made me roll my eyes.
This books only real saving grace is Jim Lee's art which is amazing and awesome to look at! But if you want Jim Lee's art and a good story, go read Batman: Hush!
May 1, 2019
Buried deep in this whopper is a germ of an interesting story - Superman, up in his Fortress and surrounded by the alien science of dead Krypton, has been tempted into creating his own world, an Eden on which to store the population of Earth, should it come to that. Realising he’s crossed a line, he uses super-meditation to erase the memory of doing it (and in doing to, fails to notice that Eden retains a serpent).
To get to that idea means wading through issue upon issue of convoluted, bombastic flummery, full of cyborgs, amoral military men, shadowy extra-governmental organisations and other early 00s tat, like a bad photocopy of a minor Warren Ellis book. Jim Lee draws big bodies hitting each other, as he tends to, and what might have been a psychological super-thriller becomes a notoriously overwrought mess. Lesson: it ain’t misdirection if there’s no direction visible in the first place.
To get to that idea means wading through issue upon issue of convoluted, bombastic flummery, full of cyborgs, amoral military men, shadowy extra-governmental organisations and other early 00s tat, like a bad photocopy of a minor Warren Ellis book. Jim Lee draws big bodies hitting each other, as he tends to, and what might have been a psychological super-thriller becomes a notoriously overwrought mess. Lesson: it ain’t misdirection if there’s no direction visible in the first place.
April 29, 2016
What the *¨£% was that? :D
This one must have the most bizarre I've read so far... Totally no clue about how this came to be.
I think that Superman was the one responsible for these vanishings in the end, but why then did the Bat and WW go after him for some reason.. Did they know more??
And what did they do to the poor preacher... Why for gods sake? Completely bonkers..
No, sorry, didn't like this one bit.
This one must have the most bizarre I've read so far... Totally no clue about how this came to be.
I think that Superman was the one responsible for these vanishings in the end, but why then did the Bat and WW go after him for some reason.. Did they know more??
And what did they do to the poor preacher... Why for gods sake? Completely bonkers..
No, sorry, didn't like this one bit.
June 11, 2025
This book features some AMAZING art. In fact, the best parts of the book are the ones where Batman and Wonder Woman are forced into the story, leading to some simple scenes that are not confusing just for the sake of it and some pretty drawings.
This book introduces some truly terrible new characters. Superman ends up confessing his sins to a priest who is dying of cancer, who later is turned into an ugly monster. Then you have this mercenary called Mr. Orr who is somehow everywhere at once, doing things for no discernible reason? He's flying planes, posing as a nurse, bantering with Diana in a foreign country, and honestly I have no idea what his deal is supposed to be. There is also a character called "Halcyion" who ends up summoning giant elemental creatures to fight Superman? Which is cool and all, but I couldn't for the life of me tell you why she decided to do that.
The story itself is surprisingly not terrible? It constantly seems like it's going to devolve into nonsense territory, but it manages to stay grounded enough that you at least understand what happened (well, I still don't know what was up with the Clark Kent robot).
The book also features some dialogue I truly found bizarre. Examples:
"Can I get you some water?"
"I'm all right"
"Good. Is the world?"
"What? Good?"
"No. All right?
Who talks like this?
"That's food for thought."
"If you're a dog."
"Heh. Now that's funny"
Is it????
"And while I don't actually believe in magic, I don't dismiss that it exists."
So... you're an idiot?
"Jesus it's dusty in here... Why don't one of you ladies grab a broom and clean it up?"
"Why don't I use your tongue instead?"
"Because you'd never let go until I suffocate."
What does that mean??
This book introduces some truly terrible new characters. Superman ends up confessing his sins to a priest who is dying of cancer, who later is turned into an ugly monster. Then you have this mercenary called Mr. Orr who is somehow everywhere at once, doing things for no discernible reason? He's flying planes, posing as a nurse, bantering with Diana in a foreign country, and honestly I have no idea what his deal is supposed to be. There is also a character called "Halcyion" who ends up summoning giant elemental creatures to fight Superman? Which is cool and all, but I couldn't for the life of me tell you why she decided to do that.
The story itself is surprisingly not terrible? It constantly seems like it's going to devolve into nonsense territory, but it manages to stay grounded enough that you at least understand what happened (well, I still don't know what was up with the Clark Kent robot).
The book also features some dialogue I truly found bizarre. Examples:
"Can I get you some water?"
"I'm all right"
"Good. Is the world?"
"What? Good?"
"No. All right?
Who talks like this?
"That's food for thought."
"If you're a dog."
"Heh. Now that's funny"
Is it????
"And while I don't actually believe in magic, I don't dismiss that it exists."
So... you're an idiot?
"Jesus it's dusty in here... Why don't one of you ladies grab a broom and clean it up?"
"Why don't I use your tongue instead?"
"Because you'd never let go until I suffocate."
What does that mean??
March 27, 2020
"The end. I wonder when it comes... Who will save me?"
We will, Superman, we will. Believe that.
We will, Superman, we will. Believe that.
August 13, 2019
Никогда не думал, что Брайан Аззарелло и Джим Ли могут создать один из самых плохих комиксов, что я читал в своей жизни. Но это чистая правда. На волне феноменального успеха «Batman: Hush» DC Comics решили слепить нечто подобное и про Супермена. Большой и модный хардбэк из 12 выпусков, который не выходил бы из топов продаж долгие и долгие годы. В 2004 году они снова подписали в качестве художника Джима Ли, а сценаристом пригласили восходящую «вертиговскую» звезду Аззарелло. Ничто не предвещало беды. Начало истории было необычным, фактурным и многообещающим. С поверхности Земли исчезли миллион рандомных человек, включая Лоис Лэйн. Потерявший любимого человека и усомнившийся в собственном всемогуществе, Супермен постепенно слетает с катушек. Историю собственных метаний он рассказывает в форме флэшбечной исповеди католическому священнику Отцу Леоне, медленно умирающему от рака.
Если в фильмах Зака Снайдера вам видится много христианской символики, а Суп Генри Кэвилла кажется пугающе не каноничным - даже не пытайтесь читать «For Tomorrow». С первых выпусков ты будто застреваешь в вязких кинговских knightmares и просто не можешь поверить, что это происходит на самом деле. Осыпается гора Рашмор, лежит в руинах Крепость Одиночества, в очередной раз умирает генерал Зод. Все эти события впоследствии задним числом отменят и даже Зод будет признан alternate version of Zod, но вот сцену секса Супермена с Лоис и момент, где роботу Кенту выдавливают глаза, из памяти уже не выкинешь. История топчется на месте. Экспозиция длится, наверное, 10 выпусков из 12, а половина сюжетных ходов никуда не ведёт. Кем были главные антагонисты, «на которых работает 80 процентов населения Земли»? Кто такой мистер Элиас Орр?
Если в фильмах Зака Снайдера вам видится много христианской символики, а Суп Генри Кэвилла кажется пугающе не каноничным - даже не пытайтесь читать «For Tomorrow». С первых выпусков ты будто застреваешь в вязких кинговских knightmares и просто не можешь поверить, что это происходит на самом деле. Осыпается гора Рашмор, лежит в руинах Крепость Одиночества, в очередной раз умирает генерал Зод. Все эти события впоследствии задним числом отменят и даже Зод будет признан alternate version of Zod, но вот сцену секса Супермена с Лоис и момент, где роботу Кенту выдавливают глаза, из памяти уже не выкинешь. История топчется на месте. Экспозиция длится, наверное, 10 выпусков из 12, а половина сюжетных ходов никуда не ведёт. Кем были главные антагонисты, «на которых работает 80 процентов населения Земли»? Кто такой мистер Элиас Орр?
September 21, 2022
Unreadable. A miserable, self-important slog beginning to end, drenched in hyper-stylized, annoying dialogue that is so removed from the way human beings speak that it makes it impossible to understand what anyone is saying at any time. Everyone implies and infers and constantly finishes each other’s sentences in ways that are meant to be, I think, noir-y, but come off as completely absurd and repetitive and inadvertently laughable. The first half of this is just Superman and a priest ruminating on the same empty ideas about faith and responsibility over and over again, talking constantly but saying nothing, and the second half is a full descent into unfollowable chaos with no discernible plot or cause-and-effect. I genuinely have no idea what was going on in this, or who was responsible, or what anyone wanted. This story is the very definition of “too clever for its own good.” And I would say that’s just a little hiccup, a bump in the road, but it seems clear to me that this “style” was the intent here.
I can’t believe Jim Lee, who rarely drew comics at this point, agreed to do this. I mean, the art looks great, but it does nothing to help you understand anything that is going on, so I can’t even add a star for that. I kept reading this expecting something to click or start making sense or feeling meaningful, and it just doesn’t. Something this awful has no right being this proud of itself.
I can’t believe Jim Lee, who rarely drew comics at this point, agreed to do this. I mean, the art looks great, but it does nothing to help you understand anything that is going on, so I can’t even add a star for that. I kept reading this expecting something to click or start making sense or feeling meaningful, and it just doesn’t. Something this awful has no right being this proud of itself.
November 17, 2018
Caramba! Que quadrinho ruim! RUIM! RUIM! E o pior: em doze partes igualmente ruins. Nunca pensei que fosse dizer isso, mas o roteiro de Brian Azzarello consegue ser pior do que o do Jeph Loeb. Explico. nos anos 2000, quando Jim Lee passou a trabalhar para a DC Comics, chamaram ele para desenhar o Batman. Jeph Loeb ficou responsável pelos roteiros. Como as vendas foram grandes, resolveram colocar o senhor Lee para desenhar Superman também. E chamaram Azzarello para escrever. Caramba! O roteiro é pura embromação! Metade da população da Terra "sumiu", um padre com câncer quer que o Superman o cure e um monstro estilo predador quer matar o Superman para "evitar guerras". Poderia ser um plot bom? Poderia ser um plot bom. Mas não é. É terrível! E nem os desenhos incríveis de Jim Lee, que eu curto bagarai salvam esse encadernado em 12 fucking partes e mais de 300 páginas de quadrinhos. Sério, DC Comics?! Ainda bem que o Azzarelo conseguiu sua redenção com os super-heróis contruindo aquela "Maravilha" que é a Diana dos Novos 52, porque vamos combinar, ele não manda nada bem com supers. Esse é apenas um exemplinho...
February 14, 2018
It pains me to give a Superman graphic novel only 2 stars, especially one with great art by the amazing Jim Lee, but this story just didn't do it for me. Somehow around a million of people vanished off the face of the Earth, and a year later Superman is struggling with the disappearance of his wife, Lois Lane. He befriends and confides in a young priest who is dying of cancer and when Superman wants to use his powers to try to undo "the vanishing" he ends up fighting against the other members of the Justice League, especially Wonder Woman and Batman, who tell him to just let go and move on. We eventually learn that Superman caused "the vanishing" in order to protect the people of Earth in case of a Krypton-like extinction event by sending them into the Phantom Zone?
Also, there were technical issues with the e-book version that did not move from panel to panel in "zoom mode" the way it's supposed to. But, at least I only spent a couple of bucks on it.
Also, there were technical issues with the e-book version that did not move from panel to panel in "zoom mode" the way it's supposed to. But, at least I only spent a couple of bucks on it.
August 27, 2024
Pues sinceramente no sé muy bien qué decir... El dibujo de Jim Lee es la leche, como siempre (si te gusta, y a mi me encanta), pero es que no sé ni qué he leído... Así que no puedo decir mucho más. El argumento a priori parece interesante, un momento Leftovers con una parte de la humanidad desaparecida mientras Superman estaba fuera, en el espacio, y entre ellos, Lois Lane, lo que lleva a Superman a buscar el apoyo de un sacerdote, enfermo de cáncer. Y a partir de ahí... es una debacle argumental, con personajes que no se sabe muy bien qué pretenden (¿qué busca Alcíone?) y escenas que te dejan con la sensación de haberte perdido algo...
Muy prescindible...
Muy prescindible...
July 27, 2016
Maybe not the best choice for someone who's not familiar at all with superhero comics, this book has a complex story, philosophical even, which reveals itself in bits and pieces that fall in their place in the end. The introspection is heavy and, at times, feels overwhelming, but actually it makes sense, even if we don't want to see our superhero saviors doubting themselves and their mission.
The art is absolutely phenomenal and the book is definitely worth being revisited, even just perhaps to catch more of the intricacies that a first, compulsive reading might have missed.
The art is absolutely phenomenal and the book is definitely worth being revisited, even just perhaps to catch more of the intricacies that a first, compulsive reading might have missed.
August 25, 2024
Hay en el guión de este Superman wildstormizado una historia sobre lo que implica salvar el mundo y los problemas adosados que puede resultar interesante en manos de otro dibujante. Estando Lee por medio, con su espectacularidad anclada en lo peor de los 90, no hago más que salirme todo el rato pensando en lo ridículo de muchas caracterizaciones, la antisensualidad de su pretendida sensualidad, lo escacharrante de ciertas composiciones de página... Todo obedece más a sus WildCats y su Divine Right que a un tebeo de El hombre de acero y me canta cosa mala. Un drama.
January 7, 2017
Good Superman story a lot of action and good art work.
Story does become a little disjointed in the end but overall a very good Superman series.
Story does become a little disjointed in the end but overall a very good Superman series.
August 6, 2022
The problem with Superman is that he isn’t just a superhero, he’s the superhero. Where Batman gets to be the icon where creators can decide anything’s possible, Superman is capable of anything. Batman is human. Superman isn’t. Batman doesn’t have powers. It’s often said Superman is too powerful. So while Batman has the luxury of being limitless, Superman doesn’t. And so the best Superman stories aren’t about his powers at all, but about his limitations. His humanity.
I hadn’t read Superman: For Tomorrow previously. I was just getting back into comics when it was being published in individual issues, and I had heard nothing good about it. What can I say? I was rebuilding my trust as a reader. Earlier this year I read the second volume of the original collections from the twelve-issue run, and I found out I had made a mistake. This was a historic Superman story.
Brian Azzarello never really leans into the expected. I have yet to read enough of his work to know it that well, but Jim Lee, in an afterword, states Azzarello’s gift as a storyteller is getting at the heart of his characters. And this is a story about Superman’s heart, absolutely.
A surprisingly conflicted one. A story of survivor’s guilt, and the futility of being a savior, of somehow to live with such an impossible combination. That’s really the whole story, right there.
The supporting characters are fascinating. One is a template for Pandora, a character Lee later introduced in the New 52. Another is a mercenary who offers an entirely new template for a foe of Superman (never revisited, as far as I know). And there’s the priest. Fans tend to groan, when religious context is placed on Superman, but Azzarello finds a clever way around it, and often uses the character to fool the reader in the captions, believing they’re reading Superman’s thoughts when they’re actually the priest’s.
And even that is to put Superman in context. Not specifically religious, but a realm that’s reachable, in the real world.
Hopefully more readers accept the challenge of seeing Superman in this light. This is a definitive take.
I hadn’t read Superman: For Tomorrow previously. I was just getting back into comics when it was being published in individual issues, and I had heard nothing good about it. What can I say? I was rebuilding my trust as a reader. Earlier this year I read the second volume of the original collections from the twelve-issue run, and I found out I had made a mistake. This was a historic Superman story.
Brian Azzarello never really leans into the expected. I have yet to read enough of his work to know it that well, but Jim Lee, in an afterword, states Azzarello’s gift as a storyteller is getting at the heart of his characters. And this is a story about Superman’s heart, absolutely.
A surprisingly conflicted one. A story of survivor’s guilt, and the futility of being a savior, of somehow to live with such an impossible combination. That’s really the whole story, right there.
The supporting characters are fascinating. One is a template for Pandora, a character Lee later introduced in the New 52. Another is a mercenary who offers an entirely new template for a foe of Superman (never revisited, as far as I know). And there’s the priest. Fans tend to groan, when religious context is placed on Superman, but Azzarello finds a clever way around it, and often uses the character to fool the reader in the captions, believing they’re reading Superman’s thoughts when they’re actually the priest’s.
And even that is to put Superman in context. Not specifically religious, but a realm that’s reachable, in the real world.
Hopefully more readers accept the challenge of seeing Superman in this light. This is a definitive take.
July 12, 2021
I absolutely loved this arc. The art is fantastic and fits nicely into a very effective, traditional design of Superman.
These stories of introspection are what I like most about reading Superman. We get to see how immense his sense of duty sometimes becomes. He feels so much responsibility for mankind, while also maintaining a somewhat distant apprehension about how we choose to behave.
The story has some convoluted twists, I grant that. But overall the story and characterization really nail a tone that works for what's being written.
These stories of introspection are what I like most about reading Superman. We get to see how immense his sense of duty sometimes becomes. He feels so much responsibility for mankind, while also maintaining a somewhat distant apprehension about how we choose to behave.
The story has some convoluted twists, I grant that. But overall the story and characterization really nail a tone that works for what's being written.
September 21, 2019
Historia primorosamente dibujada por Jim Lee y con un guión que al menos da la sensación de que detrás hay alguien que sabe construir una historia e interesar al lector en ella. Azzarello centra el foco en la vida interior de Kal-El, apoyándose en sus pensamientos y en los diálogos con un personaje secundario para construir el conflicto interno del protagonista. La figura del confesor permite al guionista añadir trasfondo a la crisis que provoca la desaparición de Lois en Superman. Podría haber sido un mejor cómic de haber tenido Azzarello un pulso más firme en la conclusión. Hay un cierto apresurameinto, los problemas de conciencia planteados no tienen todo el desarrollo que cabría esperar y el personaje de apoyo, que llega a importar al lector, tiene un final desangelado. La idea central en todo caso, es tan buena como el desarrollo.
February 2, 2020
Una delle migliori storie di Superman, forse la migliore del versante "problematico" (in cui il personaggio rimane se stesso, ma il livello di dubbio soverchia la positività. A differenza di quelle di Grant Morrison, dove non c'è ingenuità, esiste il dubbio, ma l'ottimismo e la speranza comunque hanno l'ultima parola, e sono il messaggio finale che resta)
January 30, 2021
Plays with a lot of interesting ideas. Can’t say it all made sense to me.
Favorite line: “This young, arrogant country that has suckled you, that has nurtured you in its image will suffer until we get our way, and that suffering will be in its own image.”
-Elements of the Earth (water, fire, stone, air) casting judgment on Superman and the US
Favorite line: “This young, arrogant country that has suckled you, that has nurtured you in its image will suffer until we get our way, and that suffering will be in its own image.”
-Elements of the Earth (water, fire, stone, air) casting judgment on Superman and the US
July 8, 2025
The worst part of Superman: For Tomorrow is that Superman doesn’t even feel like himself. The story reminded me a bit of Batman: Failsafe—and I don’t mean that as a compliment. I really wanted to enjoy it more, but I couldn’t fully connect with the narrative, which is a shame because the artwork is truly iconic.
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