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Elseworlds: Superman Vol. 1
- GenresComics
368 pages, Paperback
Published September 3, 2024
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6 people want to read
About the author
Roger Stern
1,558 books111 followersRoger Stern is an American comic book author and novelist.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 1, 2025
I was ready to be bored, after reading the mediocre Elseworlds: Justice League Vol. 1 & the terrible Elseworlds: Batman Vol. 1 (2024 Edition). To my pleasant surprise this Superman Volume is actually fun.
In the context of Elseworlds Tales, Superman really works well. His rocket landed in another place or another time on Earth and let's explore how different surroundings impact him and his people.
But most importantly, the writing in these stories is really good, as opposed to the aformentioned books.
Let's look at each of them in order:
Superman: Speeding Bullets: Superman lands in Gotham and becomes the heir of the Waynes. The parents get killed and the child has to grow up with grief and the urge for revenge instead of love and humility. This quickly becomes Batman with Superpowers, but it is well written. The supporting cast of Batman and Superman appear in here and some of the characters are even rolled into one. The ending is a bit whacky, but the story is fun -> Good
Superman: Kal: Superman in medieval times, a touch of Sword & Sorcery. My favourite story in this book, particularly because the development of Superman and the inhumanity of his adversary are portrayed expertly. -> Great
Superman: Distant Fires: Superman loses everything as the world is consumed in a nuclear war. After a long isolation, he finds some of his old friends and foes, as they fight to survive. This features one of my favourite depictions of Wonder Woman in all of fiction. The commentary on Shazam being a second rate Superman is funny and the ending of this story is fantastic. -> Great
Superman: A Nation Divided: The stinker of this collection, even though it is depicted on the cover. Superman fights in the revolutionary war, as he slowly learns about his powers. Superman taking sides in such a war feels wrong. I'm not very interested in the war itself and the historical figures involved. The ending makes me scratch my head. It's not the worst story I've read, but not on par with other ones in this collection. -> Mediocre
Superman Inc.: Superman grows up isolated and takes advantage of his powers to climb the career latter and is not interested in saving humanity. This feels unique and refreshing, because this story operates in between Superman being good and evil. He is a business man first and foremost and has to overcome his own flaws. -> Great
Superman: War of the Worlds: The classic Martian invasion coupled with Superman. Alien invasions is the #1 most terrifying horror story to me, ever since I've watched Independence Day, when I was way too young. The addition of Superman to the story is done in a clever way, as he is not only a formidable adversary to the Aliens, but also unwillingly helps them against the Bacteria on Earth. While the setup is clever, the ending and resolution feels lacklustre and the artwork isn't all that great. -> Good
I wouldn't have expected to like these stories, as much as I did, after stumbling with both Batman and Justice League before. I suppose this book gets a recommendation, as the stories are fun and they can be read and enjoyed without knowing (much) about the character.
In the context of Elseworlds Tales, Superman really works well. His rocket landed in another place or another time on Earth and let's explore how different surroundings impact him and his people.
But most importantly, the writing in these stories is really good, as opposed to the aformentioned books.
Let's look at each of them in order:
Superman: Speeding Bullets: Superman lands in Gotham and becomes the heir of the Waynes. The parents get killed and the child has to grow up with grief and the urge for revenge instead of love and humility. This quickly becomes Batman with Superpowers, but it is well written. The supporting cast of Batman and Superman appear in here and some of the characters are even rolled into one. The ending is a bit whacky, but the story is fun -> Good
Superman: Kal: Superman in medieval times, a touch of Sword & Sorcery. My favourite story in this book, particularly because the development of Superman and the inhumanity of his adversary are portrayed expertly. -> Great
Superman: Distant Fires: Superman loses everything as the world is consumed in a nuclear war. After a long isolation, he finds some of his old friends and foes, as they fight to survive. This features one of my favourite depictions of Wonder Woman in all of fiction. The commentary on Shazam being a second rate Superman is funny and the ending of this story is fantastic. -> Great
Superman: A Nation Divided: The stinker of this collection, even though it is depicted on the cover. Superman fights in the revolutionary war, as he slowly learns about his powers. Superman taking sides in such a war feels wrong. I'm not very interested in the war itself and the historical figures involved. The ending makes me scratch my head. It's not the worst story I've read, but not on par with other ones in this collection. -> Mediocre
Superman Inc.: Superman grows up isolated and takes advantage of his powers to climb the career latter and is not interested in saving humanity. This feels unique and refreshing, because this story operates in between Superman being good and evil. He is a business man first and foremost and has to overcome his own flaws. -> Great
Superman: War of the Worlds: The classic Martian invasion coupled with Superman. Alien invasions is the #1 most terrifying horror story to me, ever since I've watched Independence Day, when I was way too young. The addition of Superman to the story is done in a clever way, as he is not only a formidable adversary to the Aliens, but also unwillingly helps them against the Bacteria on Earth. While the setup is clever, the ending and resolution feels lacklustre and the artwork isn't all that great. -> Good
I wouldn't have expected to like these stories, as much as I did, after stumbling with both Batman and Justice League before. I suppose this book gets a recommendation, as the stories are fun and they can be read and enjoyed without knowing (much) about the character.
December 1, 2025
DC Comics collects a series of stories that align with their epic Elseworlds Universes. This caught my eye after a simple browsing in a bookstore, but once I saw the title, particularly with the image of Superman regaled as a Union trooper, I knew I was ready to read it. It's six stories that imagine what it would have been like if a particular question was asked and answered for Superman and, in certain cases, other DC comic book superheroes.
Speeding Bullets. A universe in which Kal-El's rocket would land not on a farm in Kansas but in an alley in Gotham City found by Thomas and Martha Wayne as he grew up in a privledged and protected existence only to lose it all to a man with a gun, but he pledges himself to stop those that destroy lives like his as he learns his powers and his anger turn him into a one-man vigilante force as he fights terrible dangers, including a villain gone mad.
Kal. A universe in which Superman's story is told in a medieval setting, where high-end alien science is mistaken for magic. Basic elements, such as being raised by farmers, also include blacksmiths, as well as corrupt lords instead of corrupt businessmen. Squires and knights, lords and ladies, with chivalry and romance thrown into the mix, with powerful weapons and armor.
Distant Fires. A universe in which a nuclear apocalypse kills most of humanity, with its heroes being stripped of their powers. Superman does what he can to survive as he ventures out into what is left of the world. He eventually finds his former hero friends, and they rebuild the world, but there are still petty differences that divide them as conflict ensues, and this time, the world faces its end, with hope being found in the next generation.
A Nation Divided. A universe in which Superman's story is told during the epic War Between the States. Having been raised by moral farmers out to protect their fellow enslaved men, Atticus Kent matures into his powers and uses them to fight for the Union after two years of war, seeing action in the major battles of Vicksburg, Atlanta, and Gettysburg. His involvement ends the war more quickly and saves more lives than in the original history. But ends up finding out he was sent to protect all mankind, not one nation.
Superman, Inc. A universe where the Kent family didn't find Kal-El, but a stranger who takes the boy to a shelter, as he is raised in the system, and as he develops powers that he uses to make himself wealthy. But amidst all that fame and success, he learns that he has everything and nothing when someone finds him, another strange visitor from a distant planet, who points him in the right direction.
War of the Worlds. A universe where the alien creatures from H.G. Wells epic story strike in the 1930s as Clark Kent Superman fights these creatures all the while enduring the machinations of a corrupt genius using his influence to be the dominant force on Earth.
This was a nice collection. Some of these stories I've read before independently: Kal, Distant Fires, and A Nation Divided. Speeding Bullets was okay, but I felt it was underdeveloped. If I wanted a story where Kal-El is raised by the Wayne family, I would have been more creative. Give him the name Thomas Wayne, Jr. instead of Bruce Wayne, and make it about two brothers living with the loss of their parents instead of an only child. Have Clark's eyes fall for a beautiful redhead reporter named Vicki Vale, not Lois Lane. Bruce would be the respectable face and the engineer, while Thomas is the muscle. Kal was also underdeveloped. I would have thrown in cooler things like Dragons and Wizards, like Game of Thrones or The Watcher. Distant Fires was exceptional, presenting a tragic story but with beautiful themes. A Nation Divided was also exciting, though an alternate history, it was respectful to the history, and I am a major Civil War buff. Superman, Inc. was interesting in that it presented themes of power and wealth being incompatible with true happiness. War of the Worlds was written in a way where it wasn't the classic book inserted into the comic book, but the comic book inserted into the classic book, with the hero able to save the day but with tragic consequences. All in all, a good collection of Elseworlds stories.
Speeding Bullets. A universe in which Kal-El's rocket would land not on a farm in Kansas but in an alley in Gotham City found by Thomas and Martha Wayne as he grew up in a privledged and protected existence only to lose it all to a man with a gun, but he pledges himself to stop those that destroy lives like his as he learns his powers and his anger turn him into a one-man vigilante force as he fights terrible dangers, including a villain gone mad.
Kal. A universe in which Superman's story is told in a medieval setting, where high-end alien science is mistaken for magic. Basic elements, such as being raised by farmers, also include blacksmiths, as well as corrupt lords instead of corrupt businessmen. Squires and knights, lords and ladies, with chivalry and romance thrown into the mix, with powerful weapons and armor.
Distant Fires. A universe in which a nuclear apocalypse kills most of humanity, with its heroes being stripped of their powers. Superman does what he can to survive as he ventures out into what is left of the world. He eventually finds his former hero friends, and they rebuild the world, but there are still petty differences that divide them as conflict ensues, and this time, the world faces its end, with hope being found in the next generation.
A Nation Divided. A universe in which Superman's story is told during the epic War Between the States. Having been raised by moral farmers out to protect their fellow enslaved men, Atticus Kent matures into his powers and uses them to fight for the Union after two years of war, seeing action in the major battles of Vicksburg, Atlanta, and Gettysburg. His involvement ends the war more quickly and saves more lives than in the original history. But ends up finding out he was sent to protect all mankind, not one nation.
Superman, Inc. A universe where the Kent family didn't find Kal-El, but a stranger who takes the boy to a shelter, as he is raised in the system, and as he develops powers that he uses to make himself wealthy. But amidst all that fame and success, he learns that he has everything and nothing when someone finds him, another strange visitor from a distant planet, who points him in the right direction.
War of the Worlds. A universe where the alien creatures from H.G. Wells epic story strike in the 1930s as Clark Kent Superman fights these creatures all the while enduring the machinations of a corrupt genius using his influence to be the dominant force on Earth.
This was a nice collection. Some of these stories I've read before independently: Kal, Distant Fires, and A Nation Divided. Speeding Bullets was okay, but I felt it was underdeveloped. If I wanted a story where Kal-El is raised by the Wayne family, I would have been more creative. Give him the name Thomas Wayne, Jr. instead of Bruce Wayne, and make it about two brothers living with the loss of their parents instead of an only child. Have Clark's eyes fall for a beautiful redhead reporter named Vicki Vale, not Lois Lane. Bruce would be the respectable face and the engineer, while Thomas is the muscle. Kal was also underdeveloped. I would have thrown in cooler things like Dragons and Wizards, like Game of Thrones or The Watcher. Distant Fires was exceptional, presenting a tragic story but with beautiful themes. A Nation Divided was also exciting, though an alternate history, it was respectful to the history, and I am a major Civil War buff. Superman, Inc. was interesting in that it presented themes of power and wealth being incompatible with true happiness. War of the Worlds was written in a way where it wasn't the classic book inserted into the comic book, but the comic book inserted into the classic book, with the hero able to save the day but with tragic consequences. All in all, a good collection of Elseworlds stories.
March 9, 2025
Elseworlds is DC's version of Marvel's What If...?
This collection is all about Superman.
-The infant Kal-El lands in Gotham City and is found by The Waynes..
-Kal-El grows up to fight in The Civil War...
-Superman (and other heroes) survive a Nuclear War, but lose their powers...
-Superman grows up in medieval times.
-Superman grows up to be a Super Star Athlete..
-Clark Kent goes to 1938 Metropolis just when invaders from Mars land on earth.(War Of The Worlds)
All the stories are entertaining. The Gotham City one may be the most disappointing one.
The Civil War one is really good (the ending may not be for everyone) as is the Nuclear War tale(poor Captain Marvel)
The sports one and medieval one are interesting....
The War Of The Worlds one is a love letter to the early Superman stories.....
Could have been better,but it's never boring.
This collection is all about Superman.
-The infant Kal-El lands in Gotham City and is found by The Waynes..
-Kal-El grows up to fight in The Civil War...
-Superman (and other heroes) survive a Nuclear War, but lose their powers...
-Superman grows up in medieval times.
-Superman grows up to be a Super Star Athlete..
-Clark Kent goes to 1938 Metropolis just when invaders from Mars land on earth.(War Of The Worlds)
All the stories are entertaining. The Gotham City one may be the most disappointing one.
The Civil War one is really good (the ending may not be for everyone) as is the Nuclear War tale(poor Captain Marvel)
The sports one and medieval one are interesting....
The War Of The Worlds one is a love letter to the early Superman stories.....
Could have been better,but it's never boring.
October 11, 2025
A great collection of the Superman Elseworld stories. None of the biggest ones that get their one books.
If you like Elseworld stories, this is a great grab.
If you like Elseworld stories, this is a great grab.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews