Superman: The Man of Steel Vol. 7 (Superman: The Man of Steel

Superman: The Man of Steel (Collected Editions) #7

by John Byrne, Jerry Ordway (Illustrator)

In these tales from 1987, written and illustrated by John Byrne, Superman battles familiar foes including Brainiac, Lex Luthor and Toyman, and fights alongside Green Lantern and The Spectre.

Genres: Comics, Superman, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Dc Comics, Fantasy, Action

187 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 1988

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

John Lindley Byrne is a British-born Canadian-American author and artist of comic books. Since the mid-1970s, Byrne has worked on nearly every major American superhero.

Byrne's better-known work has been on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic Four and the 1986 relaunch of DC Comics’ Superman franchise. Coming into the comics profession exclusively as a penciler, Byrne began co-plotting the X-Men comics during his tenure on them, and launched his writing career in earnest with Fantastic Four (where he also started inking his own pencils). During the 1990s he produced a number of creator-owned works, including Next Men and Danger Unlimited. He also wrote the first issues of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series and produced a number of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of the book is Millenium crossovers, a mostly forgotten event. Those issues are surprisingly well done. I'd like to see DC reprint the Millenium event along with all the comics it crossed over into similar to what DC is doing now for Crisis on Infinite Earths. The last half of the book has some major ramifications for Gangbuster and the retconned Braniac who is kind of stupid, as a circus carnie mentalist possessed by Vril Dox. John Byrne is still handling art on two of the three books with Jerry Ordway drawing the Adventures of Superman. The art is fantastic.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good deal better than Superman books coming out these days. Wish more of this series had been collected.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Millennium (Superman #13-14 + Action #596-597 + AOS #436-437). Though the Millennium crossover (and coda) cover several plot threads, they nevertheless tell a cohesive, onging story that would foreshadow the triangle era of Superman, which still lay three years in the future.

The core of the crossover is the story of a Smallville entirely taken over the Manhunters. It's an audacious retcon that took the whole Manhunter/spy concept big and would take a whole miniseries ("World of Smallville", sadly not included) to iron things out.

As for the rest, we get: the intro of a new, murderous Toyman (another great post-Crisis reinvention), a dull trip to an alien dimension, a great Gangbuster story, and Lois figuring out Clark's secret (kinda). It's all around a strong continuation of the soap opera that was post-Crisis Superman [4/5].

Wings (Superman #12). A weird villain, but a nice bit of body horror, and moreso a great view into Maggie Sawyer's life. [4+/5].

The Amazing Brainiac (AoS #438). An interesting recreation of Brainiac as a bodiless, floating entity. I'm not convinced that, as Brainiac appears here, he's close enough to the original concept to be a great reboot of the character, but still an intriguing new Super-villain, even if this issue just feels like a setup [4+/5].

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

More great Superman stories with team ups and adventures that will keep you glued to every single well drawn page.

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

The tie-ins to DC's Millennium event really drag this collection down and unfortunately, those issues take up more than half this volume. Things pick up quickly once Millennium is in the rearview.

[Derek Royal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another collection in the Byrne run on Superman. I began reading these last summer, around the time of the Man of Steel movie. The film got quite a bit from Byrne's handling of the superhero. This was an average volume. The "Point of View" story seemed to go forever, though.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gems include the buckwild 3part Millennium crossover story about the Manhunters infiltrating Smallville (complete w/ a Steed & Peel cameo & a Spectre team-up!), an excellent epilogue where Lois & Lana first meet, & the debut of Skyhook

[Gabriel Llagostera · Rating 4 out of 5]

En este tomo hay de todo: por un lado un par de cruces con Millennium, necesarios para seguir la saga principal, pero que sin ese contexto no aportan nada y resultan incompletos; después una historia en que la que vemos un enojo de Lois porque piensa que Clark y Superman se han burlado de ella al revelar Jonathan Kent que ambos son amigos de niños; la historia en sí no está mal, lo que le critico es que la actitud de Lois con todo esto de las primicias es demasiado infantil, algo poco creíble para una periodista con esa inteligencia y personalidad.

Lo polenta viene después, con esas historias autoconclusivas que tan bien marcaron esta etapa y que tanto me gustan. En "Alas" tenemos un villano terrorífico, pero además nos permite conocer el pasado de Maggie Sawyer, uno de los grandes personajes de esta etapa. Después tenemos el origen de Brainiac, o al menos una primera aproximación de lo que será después el personaje; la historia es muy buena y además nos permite conocer un poco más la dinámica de Clark con Cat Grant y su hijo.

La última historia a destacar se vincula a la introducción del Prankster, que si bien se nota que es medio introductoria, es divertida igual. Después se introduce a Checkmate pero la cosa no pasa de una especie de prólogo para conocer la dinámica del grupo creado por el propio Byrne.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Byrne and Jerry Ordway handle all of the scripting and the penciling portion of the artwork. They keep the continuity tight as a drum in spite of the fact that these issues are part of the Millennium crossover, one of those crossovers that required you to buy 46 different comics to get the whole story. Those are what drove me out of buying monthly comics as the '80s wound down.

I really enjoyed seeing John Byrne draw the Spectre for the team up in Action Comics #596. Adventures of Superman #437 is one of those split screen stories that Byrne first did back in Fantastic Four #277. One story runs across the top half of the page for the entire issue and another story runs across the bottom, with the events being tied up over the last few pages of the issue. It was a novel idea at one time but I find it to be annoying today. Not all experiments work in retrospect.

Not only are these issues fun to read but there's a lot of great character development going on here. Superman #15 is especially great. Adventures of Superman #438 features a new Brainiac, or at least the consciousness of the old Brainiac beamed into the brain of someone else. I am a sucker for circus stories so you can see why I liked that one.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but not the strongest volume in the series.
The book started off very strong with an interesting “Toy Man” story, however this issue ended on a cliffhanger which was never addressed again in the book which was disappointing.
While there are still more great stories in this book (particularly towards the end) there are a few in the middle of the volume which were quite boring and not well-written. This book is very much a selection of individual tales that do not link together that well unfortunately.
Thankfully, this volume has started showing the issue cover at the start of each issue rather than at the end of the book (which is a great improvement and something I’m glad about). I was never a fan of the way they had done it in prior volumes.
I’m not sure why, but I really like the cover of this volume (maybe its colours and simplicity)?
Overall, another good book in the series and I’m looking forward to volume 8. Would recommend!

[Pietro Rossi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Toys in the Attic. Hmm... It sets up a future story with the re-introduction of the Toyman. But there's no coherent story. 3/10

Junk. A Millennium tie-in. As with above, left with a lot of backstory and an unresolved cliffhanger. 3/10

Hell is Where the Heart Is. A Millennium tie-in.

Point of View.

Visitor. Lois Lane visits Smallville and has heart to heart with Lana, and discovers a fabricated origin of Superman. 7/10.

Wings. Skyhook kidnaps Maggie Sawyer's daughter with a view to mutate her as with other kids. A very stylish story, full of characterisation and drama. 8/10.

The Amazing Braniac. And so this collection ends as it began, with a reimagining of a classic foe. 7/10

Pity that the tie-ins and setting up stories have done a disservice to this collection. Overall I'd say 5/10

Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

What?!?! Such insanity in one book!! The book contains some of the Millennium event and its incomprehensible. I can't fathom how someone thought this made any sense at the time. The Manhunter story is pure bananas. There are so many absolutely bizarre moments. Also, John Byrne's Lois Lane is very unlikable. The art however was pretty spectacular. Overall, this doesn't hold up well at all.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing special here. Forgettable (and forgotten) villains. Issues that crossover with the Millennium miniseries without any context or explanation of what was going on in the Millennium story. And too much of Jerry Ordway"s terrible art. Just a mediocre entry from the Thought Bubble Exposition era of 80s comics.

[Spidey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cada vez más flojo tanto de guión como de dibujo

[Connor McKenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing Green Lantern and Spectre stories but unfortunately tie into an event not included in this book.

[ISMOTU · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superman’s part in the Millennium crossover is held within this volume as well as some interesting developments to his new backstory.

[Timo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good bits, some forgettable bits and some bits from cross-overs that did not make that much sense.

[Victor Orozco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice set of stories that continue the Superman Post-Crisis era, though I have to admit these stories are very detailed and at the same time lacking. Mostly because half of them intersect a major DC event, an event that pretty much fizzled out. Its been a few years since DC's epic Crisis of Infinite Earth's but the Millenium storyline has not stood the test of time and since then has been retconned in many respects.

Millenium deals with the Green Lanterns meeting up with the Guardians of Zamaron - a group of Guardians and the original female inhabitants of Zamaron have chosen a select group of humans to fight in the Millenium, with the year 2000 a decade or so away there were a lot of apocalyptic stories being entertained in comic books, movies, and TV shows. In this case, the villains of this story the Manhunters, the evil robots created as the forerunners of the Green Lantern Corps are out to stop them. The angle that involves some interesting history and one that feels a bit strange. It involves Superman because of a Trojan Horse style infiltration of Smallville. Alluded to in the previous collection with the Kent family being shot at but not killed, as every human being born around the same time Kal-El was sent to Earth is being manipulated into finding and bringing him to the Manhunters for manipulation. Whilst everyone else in Smallville is kidnapped by the Manhunters as bait.

It is a horrific adventure but at the same time I can't help but notice the Christian parallel of Herod's Massacre of the Innocents told in a comic book, only instead of a massacre its a massive brainwashing. I do love these Judeo-Christian references that have been a mainstay in Superman comics, this story is a fine example. Clark goes to the silence of Smallville to get captured by Manhunters, the liberation of his town to the rescue of the innocents with the help of the mighty Spectre.

Bits and pieces of Superman's involvement in the rest of the story follows, but like I said it means little. Most of this story has been retconned away and some of it is well very strange. I can't help but wonder how this slipped the Comics Code Authority. Don't know how it follows because you have to pick up the actual Millenium comic series.

The conclusion of this angle for Superman does lead into an interesting storyline in which the Kents give a connection to Superman and their family BUT without revealing their son's secret. This leads to a really interesting strain between Lois and Clark's relationship that at the same time develops a lot more with Lois Lane in the Post-Crisis.

Millenium aside, John Byrne's run on Superman continues with Superman dealing with Toyman. Gangbuster dealing with a really amazing angle with him and Lois Lane culminating in a fight with an interesting villain, the results of which are truly heartbreaking. As well as a great development of the Maggie Sawyer character with her family caught in the grasp of a dangerous creature.

Finally a new version of the supervillain Brainiac which has been alluded to in various media.

All in all some really good stories here. B

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Byrne takes over the writing of The Adventures of Superman with this volume, and we have more cohesiveness than the previous volumes as Byrne continues Marv Wolfman's plot threads and supporting cast. It does help to have Steve Englehart's Millennium handy, and unlike previous volumes, this doesn't really edit the contents and looks more like most trade paperbacks do now. Previous volumes would reproduce the covers at a small size in the back. this volume prints them at normal size at the start of each issue. They also didn't eliminate any copy, such as about the next issue, which makes it easy to read the Milennium issues where they fit. In this volume, we also learn more about Captain Sawyer's personal life, the tragedy of Jose Delgado, introduced in volume 5, and the post-Crisis introduction of Vril Dox, who makes mental connection with a powerful mental mutant named Milton Fine who works as a circus performed called The Amazing Brainiac, and Dox likes the name. Brainiac definitely needed a different backstory since the Bottle City of Kandor was not going to be part of the post-Crisis Superman saga.

[Dallas Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot of what makes comics not great, in this one and then one gem in here!

We get a super bizarre atrocity dropped in Superman's life in Millenium. That whole event rubs me the wrong way with it trying to ruin everyone's 80s DC rebooted series by replacing some beloved character with a machine villain.
That being said the Green Lantern bit was more interesting!

Lots of minor silly villain tales that are fine and moderately interesting.

Then there's one phenomenal comic issue in here of Crimebuster that reminds you how comics can be so creative and fascinating!!

[Chris Fluit · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy John Byrne's Man of Steel and run on Superman quite a lot but this volume is predominated by the awful Millennium crossover- one of DC's worse ideas and a drag on this story in particular. The second half of Volume 7 is a bit better but still not up to the standards of the previous installments.

[Batusi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid and engaging showcasing Byrne's confident handle on the character dynamics.

The stories explore various global threats as well as schemes by Lex Luthor, the introduction of the Silver Banshee, and a complex relationship turn between Lois and Clark.

This volume maintains Byrne's strong paces and reinforces Superman's moral core amidst increasingly complex challenges.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoy John Byrne's Superman stories - an easy to like and relate to Clark Kent, creative use of super-powers, a solid mix of challenges physical and mental, and a complex, enjoyable supporting cast to flesh out the hero's world. There's nothing here that isn't terrific.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice collection. I'd read some of them when first out, but I like the emphasis on Smallville in this book.

[Emmanuel Nevers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy how these 80s Superman comics play out. I can't wait to read the next volume!!

[Nicolas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much here, and I really hated the whole millennium thing. Also, the Clark and Superman grew up like brothers thing just doesn't work.

[Mark Ciemcioch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Haiku Review:
Crossover nonsense
makes most stories silly but
Byrne art at his peak.