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Superman: American Alien (Single Issues) #1
Superman: American Alien
Screenwriter and Eisner Award nominee Max Landis (Chronicle, American Ultra, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN) presents the seven-issue miniseries that chronicles Clark Kent’s development into the archetypal hero he will eventually become. With the tone of each issue ranging from heartwarming and simple, to frighteningly gritty and violent, to sexy, sun-kissed and funny, SUPERMAN: AMERICAN ALIEN is unlike anything you’ve seen before. This new hardcover includes special bonus features.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published November 11, 2015
65 people are currently reading
2346 people want to read
About the author
Max Landis
53 books78 followersMax Landis is a Hollywood screenwriter and Eisner Award nominee. Featured as one of Forbes 30 under 30 two consecutive years, Max Landis is an outspoken rising star in the screenwriting world. Having sold over fifteen projects in the last five years, Landis' first produced feature, Chronicle, did well at the box office and led to more sales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 576 reviews
September 19, 2025
This is my new favorite Superman story.
All the goddamn stars!
When somebody says they don't like Superman - too overpowered, too unrelatable, too boring - I start spluttering and flapping my arms around like a crazy person.
Butbutbutbut...NO! He's like totally down to earth, but really cool! Like, he's the best! He's just a Midwest farm boy at heart, except he's a total BADASS! Loves his mom (<--my personal favorite), good friend, smokin' hot boyfriend material, all-around swell guy...
And he is! He is. It's just hard to see it with all those superpowers getting in the way.
Which is why I think American Alien does an extremely admirable job showcasing just what makes this character so amazing.
This is neither a faithful adaptation nor a wildly different origin for the Man of Steel. It settles comfortably somewhere in between both of those labels. Almost like you're getting snippets of the untold stories that were pivotal to his growth, the moments responsible for shaping the way he saw himself, the events that fundamentally changed him, and the way they all molded him slowly into the character that we know today.
Even with some of the art not giving off a Superman vibe (<--my personal opinion), the stories were all strong enough to make it a minor annoyance for me.
Ok, the first story starts when Clark is a young boy. He's just barely started to develop powers, and the ones that are manifesting are more frightening than cool. At first, anyway...
If you spend time with young children, then you know how strong the urge to fit in, to blend, to be the same runs in them. Something as silly as the wrong clothing can start WWIII, and anything that's perceived as physically out of the norm can seem devastating.
As adults, we (hopefully) know that normal is a subjective term. But to a kid? Normal is something tangible, something to strive toward. And when it isn't possible for them to squish themselves into that fake mold, their self-esteem tends to take a hit.
Perception is their reality.
Here's the thing, though: nobody fits the mold. Nobody.
And when you finally figure that out, you're one step closer to growing up. Some people get there on their own, and some people are lucky enough to have folks in their lives to help them learn how to fly.
Clark's life on earth is peppered with people who care. His parents, his childhood friends, and even the majority of the residents of Smallville help guide him through the trials of adolescence. His normal isn't exactly their normal, but he's treated with the same love, held to the same standards, and (best of all) allowed to make the same mistakes as any other teenager.
All of the issues deal with turning points that strike a surprisingly human chord.
The stories range from fun - like when Clark is mistaken for Bruce Wayne, and learns how the other half live...
To momentous - like when he sets the tone of the relationship with his most well-known nemesis...
To the gut-wrenching - like when he faces something that he can't fix...
All those stories culminate in the final issue. And it's in that one that Clark realizes who he truly is, and why he's truly fighting.
I'm not from Krypton...
...I'm from Kansas.
*swallows lump, blinks back eye liquid*
Damn. I'm all choked up. And fuck you if you're not.
I love this character, and I loved this book.
Highly Recommended.
All the goddamn stars!
When somebody says they don't like Superman - too overpowered, too unrelatable, too boring - I start spluttering and flapping my arms around like a crazy person.
Butbutbutbut...NO! He's like totally down to earth, but really cool! Like, he's the best! He's just a Midwest farm boy at heart, except he's a total BADASS! Loves his mom (<--my personal favorite), good friend, smokin' hot boyfriend material, all-around swell guy...
And he is! He is. It's just hard to see it with all those superpowers getting in the way.
Which is why I think American Alien does an extremely admirable job showcasing just what makes this character so amazing.
This is neither a faithful adaptation nor a wildly different origin for the Man of Steel. It settles comfortably somewhere in between both of those labels. Almost like you're getting snippets of the untold stories that were pivotal to his growth, the moments responsible for shaping the way he saw himself, the events that fundamentally changed him, and the way they all molded him slowly into the character that we know today.
Even with some of the art not giving off a Superman vibe (<--my personal opinion), the stories were all strong enough to make it a minor annoyance for me.
Ok, the first story starts when Clark is a young boy. He's just barely started to develop powers, and the ones that are manifesting are more frightening than cool. At first, anyway...
If you spend time with young children, then you know how strong the urge to fit in, to blend, to be the same runs in them. Something as silly as the wrong clothing can start WWIII, and anything that's perceived as physically out of the norm can seem devastating.
As adults, we (hopefully) know that normal is a subjective term. But to a kid? Normal is something tangible, something to strive toward. And when it isn't possible for them to squish themselves into that fake mold, their self-esteem tends to take a hit.
Perception is their reality.
Here's the thing, though: nobody fits the mold. Nobody.
And when you finally figure that out, you're one step closer to growing up. Some people get there on their own, and some people are lucky enough to have folks in their lives to help them learn how to fly.
Clark's life on earth is peppered with people who care. His parents, his childhood friends, and even the majority of the residents of Smallville help guide him through the trials of adolescence. His normal isn't exactly their normal, but he's treated with the same love, held to the same standards, and (best of all) allowed to make the same mistakes as any other teenager.
All of the issues deal with turning points that strike a surprisingly human chord.
The stories range from fun - like when Clark is mistaken for Bruce Wayne, and learns how the other half live...
To momentous - like when he sets the tone of the relationship with his most well-known nemesis...
To the gut-wrenching - like when he faces something that he can't fix...
All those stories culminate in the final issue. And it's in that one that Clark realizes who he truly is, and why he's truly fighting.
I'm not from Krypton...
...I'm from Kansas.
*swallows lump, blinks back eye liquid*
Damn. I'm all choked up. And fuck you if you're not.
I love this character, and I loved this book.
Highly Recommended.
November 21, 2016
A criticism I’ve heard from some people who’ve read a Superman comic goes something like “He’s not interesting because I can’t relate to him - he’s too powerful, he’s too perfect, it’s too much. He’s a frikkin’ god!” American Alien is Max Landis’ attempt to humanise Superman and make him an approachable character to those readers. And it’s not a bad comic but it’s definitely flawed.
From what I’ve seen of Landis’ work, his writing doesn’t have a shred of originality to it, which is ironic because whenever I’ve seen him on Screen Junkies he’s always complaining about remakes/reboots and how studios don’t take chances on new stories. His scripts are all rehashes of existing stories whether it’s Frankenstein, Jason Bourne or Akira, and American Alien is the same: it’s simply another retelling of the Superman origin. So, once again, we see Clark learning his powers on the Kent family farm, learning about Krypton, choosing to become a hero, and meeting other emerging heroes in the world like Bruce Wayne (Batman), Ollie Queen (Green Arrow), and Abin Sur (Green Lantern), as well as his nemesis Lex Luthor, his future love Lois Lane and best friend Jimmy Olsen.
Landis does write a really compelling Lex. His Lex is so frighteningly above everyday concerns that it feels like he’s surpassed his humanity. He doesn’t come off as villainous so much as that’s a by-product of his hyper-intelligence and the path he’s chosen. I didn’t like Landis’ revised Clark though. His approach of making Clark relatable is turning him into a silly hipster who’s kinda stupid which doesn’t really jibe with who the character is. Superman’s meant to be a genius but you wouldn’t know that from this book.
There’s a backup story called The Castaways which is a splash page of bits and pieces that shows you Jon and Martha’s lives before Clark arrived and it’s really clever. Matthew Clark’s layout is fantastic and from this unconventional storytelling approach you see a picture emerging of these two people from all the detail. Clark’s contribution here was about the only art that felt like it was doing something different.
Each of the seven issues is drawn by a different artist who all do fine work but aren’t doing anything exceptional. Joelle Jones and Jonathan Case’s issues looked great, as did Jock and Francis Manapul’s, though Jae Lee makes Clark, Lois and Dick Grayson all look Asian for some reason! It’s fitting that the artwork doesn’t excite as neither does Landis’ writing.
American Alien is a decent retelling of Superman’s origin for a contemporary audience and the generally positive response to the book seems to show that Max Landis was successful in endearing the character to some new readers - Clark does come off as a more human, albeit annoyingly hipster-ish, dude here. But I didn’t feel that it was a very special Superman origin and these unremarkable and unmemorable stories won’t impress those who’ve read books like Birthright, Earth One, Secret Origin, Superman For All Seasons and numerous other origin retellings as it’s really just more of the same.
“This Is Not A Superman Comic” says the blurb - yeah it is, and it’s one we’ve seen many times before.
From what I’ve seen of Landis’ work, his writing doesn’t have a shred of originality to it, which is ironic because whenever I’ve seen him on Screen Junkies he’s always complaining about remakes/reboots and how studios don’t take chances on new stories. His scripts are all rehashes of existing stories whether it’s Frankenstein, Jason Bourne or Akira, and American Alien is the same: it’s simply another retelling of the Superman origin. So, once again, we see Clark learning his powers on the Kent family farm, learning about Krypton, choosing to become a hero, and meeting other emerging heroes in the world like Bruce Wayne (Batman), Ollie Queen (Green Arrow), and Abin Sur (Green Lantern), as well as his nemesis Lex Luthor, his future love Lois Lane and best friend Jimmy Olsen.
Landis does write a really compelling Lex. His Lex is so frighteningly above everyday concerns that it feels like he’s surpassed his humanity. He doesn’t come off as villainous so much as that’s a by-product of his hyper-intelligence and the path he’s chosen. I didn’t like Landis’ revised Clark though. His approach of making Clark relatable is turning him into a silly hipster who’s kinda stupid which doesn’t really jibe with who the character is. Superman’s meant to be a genius but you wouldn’t know that from this book.
There’s a backup story called The Castaways which is a splash page of bits and pieces that shows you Jon and Martha’s lives before Clark arrived and it’s really clever. Matthew Clark’s layout is fantastic and from this unconventional storytelling approach you see a picture emerging of these two people from all the detail. Clark’s contribution here was about the only art that felt like it was doing something different.
Each of the seven issues is drawn by a different artist who all do fine work but aren’t doing anything exceptional. Joelle Jones and Jonathan Case’s issues looked great, as did Jock and Francis Manapul’s, though Jae Lee makes Clark, Lois and Dick Grayson all look Asian for some reason! It’s fitting that the artwork doesn’t excite as neither does Landis’ writing.
American Alien is a decent retelling of Superman’s origin for a contemporary audience and the generally positive response to the book seems to show that Max Landis was successful in endearing the character to some new readers - Clark does come off as a more human, albeit annoyingly hipster-ish, dude here. But I didn’t feel that it was a very special Superman origin and these unremarkable and unmemorable stories won’t impress those who’ve read books like Birthright, Earth One, Secret Origin, Superman For All Seasons and numerous other origin retellings as it’s really just more of the same.
“This Is Not A Superman Comic” says the blurb - yeah it is, and it’s one we’ve seen many times before.
December 6, 2016
American Alien retells the story of Superman’s origin (as far as his time on Planet Earth is concerned, at least) in seven chapters, each self-contained and illustrated by a different artist. I think the changing visual styles are supposed to vaguely mirror the protagonist’s progression through the various stages of his life, as they shift from cartoony to gritty to more sophisticated and iconic, and I generally enjoyed the varied ride. The surprisingly humane, often humorous, bouncy, slightly Archie-esque portrayal of the "Man of Steel" may take a little getting used to, but at the end of the day I thought it captured the character’s essence well—with all its naivety, cheesiness and charm. 3.5 stars.
September 7, 2019
A series of vignettes featuring Clark Kent in his life before he became Superman. The writing is fantastic. I found myself enraptured with each issue. Each issue has a different artist, all of which are great. The one thing I didn't really get were the one page stories in the back of each issue. They didn't really tie in to the rest of the book and seemed superfluous. This series is in its own continuity and not part of the new 52.
November 21, 2016
This is from (apparent) wunderkind Max Landis and a host of artists depicting what are for Landis seven shaping stories from Superman's development. It's a kin of millennial origin story that focuses more on relationships than action. It has the feel of fan fiction in places, like what if Clark Kent were this party guy for awhile as he was growing up? What if people back home knew he could fly?
The seven stories include 1) an early one on Clark learning to fly, with family help. I really liked this one, soft and sweet; 2) teenaged Clark story, Clark as typical teen with powers, okay; 3) College Clark as partier for a day, mistaken for Bruce Wayne, okay; 4) Intern Clark interviews Lex Luthor, sees Dick Grayson, I like this one quite a bit; 5) Adult Clark, with Lex and Lois, ok; 6) Adult Clark, old high school buddies go to visit Clark, help him focus on his Great Responsibilities, pretty good, and 7) a real Superman one with an action finish, where he will now commit to saving the human race. Pretty strong finish.
Each of the seven issues/stories is illustrated by a different artist, in a style appropriate to that story. One seems like Archie and Veronica, one is noir, and so on. I especially liked the art work of Matthew Clark on the early Clark Kent, and the work by Joelle Jones. The whole package feels bold and splashy and original in its conception. The stories are not as inventive as the art, coming from all these directions.
Doesn't feel at all like a typical superhero comic, but it's ambitious and interesting and beautiful, over all. It's not all that radically different than the basic origin story, really, and yet it feels like it stands outside the basic superhero conceptions in some ways. It humanizes him a lot and feels pretty fresh and fun, and is overall pretty well done. Liked it quite a bit. Maybe 3.5 at the moment.
The seven stories include 1) an early one on Clark learning to fly, with family help. I really liked this one, soft and sweet; 2) teenaged Clark story, Clark as typical teen with powers, okay; 3) College Clark as partier for a day, mistaken for Bruce Wayne, okay; 4) Intern Clark interviews Lex Luthor, sees Dick Grayson, I like this one quite a bit; 5) Adult Clark, with Lex and Lois, ok; 6) Adult Clark, old high school buddies go to visit Clark, help him focus on his Great Responsibilities, pretty good, and 7) a real Superman one with an action finish, where he will now commit to saving the human race. Pretty strong finish.
Each of the seven issues/stories is illustrated by a different artist, in a style appropriate to that story. One seems like Archie and Veronica, one is noir, and so on. I especially liked the art work of Matthew Clark on the early Clark Kent, and the work by Joelle Jones. The whole package feels bold and splashy and original in its conception. The stories are not as inventive as the art, coming from all these directions.
Doesn't feel at all like a typical superhero comic, but it's ambitious and interesting and beautiful, over all. It's not all that radically different than the basic origin story, really, and yet it feels like it stands outside the basic superhero conceptions in some ways. It humanizes him a lot and feels pretty fresh and fun, and is overall pretty well done. Liked it quite a bit. Maybe 3.5 at the moment.
June 19, 2025
2025: Well, I don't respect Max Landis anymore. Because he's a piece of shit. He deserves to lose everything he has.
Saying that, this is still one of my favorite Superman stories ever. It hits all the right marks on who Clark is, who superman is, while giving us a origins, but also feeling fresh and honestly clever on how it handles the people who love Clark not just who knows Superman. Excellent comic written by a horrible person.
2016 Review:
Max Landis is someone I respect, but don't love all of his work. I also don't always agree with him on subjects.
Saying that Superman: American Alien is the best Superman story I've ever read.
What makes this 7 issued collection so great is they feel seperate yet all flow so well. We start with Clark as just a kid, then teenager, young adult, aspiring hero, and a true fucking badass by the end. Not badass in the sense he beats the living shit out of baddies, which he does, but badass in the sense he begins to conquer life in general. To show you no matter who you are, where you're from, you can overcome ANYTHING.
I really loved most of the art. Issue 1 and 3, and the last issue all have stunning art. The others are either just good or almost great. Which is still good, because I usually hate sketch type drawings, they usually look lazy to me.
I freaking LOVED the dialog. It hits home, and it makes Clark so relatable. Which he should be. This is a alien, true, who almost can't die, but he is just trying to make it in life. Trying to love the right girl, trying to keep us his job, trying to just have purpose in his life. It's so well handled, with great human moments with Clark's friends, parents, and even enemies.
I can gush over this over and over again. It's truly remarkable how well it's done, how it flows, I give two thumbs way up. After watching the horrid BvS I'm so glad we got something like this to really show the young generation why Superman can be written so well. Give us a Superman like this so we can fall in love with the character once more!
Saying that, this is still one of my favorite Superman stories ever. It hits all the right marks on who Clark is, who superman is, while giving us a origins, but also feeling fresh and honestly clever on how it handles the people who love Clark not just who knows Superman. Excellent comic written by a horrible person.
2016 Review:
Max Landis is someone I respect, but don't love all of his work. I also don't always agree with him on subjects.
Saying that Superman: American Alien is the best Superman story I've ever read.
What makes this 7 issued collection so great is they feel seperate yet all flow so well. We start with Clark as just a kid, then teenager, young adult, aspiring hero, and a true fucking badass by the end. Not badass in the sense he beats the living shit out of baddies, which he does, but badass in the sense he begins to conquer life in general. To show you no matter who you are, where you're from, you can overcome ANYTHING.
I really loved most of the art. Issue 1 and 3, and the last issue all have stunning art. The others are either just good or almost great. Which is still good, because I usually hate sketch type drawings, they usually look lazy to me.
I freaking LOVED the dialog. It hits home, and it makes Clark so relatable. Which he should be. This is a alien, true, who almost can't die, but he is just trying to make it in life. Trying to love the right girl, trying to keep us his job, trying to just have purpose in his life. It's so well handled, with great human moments with Clark's friends, parents, and even enemies.
I can gush over this over and over again. It's truly remarkable how well it's done, how it flows, I give two thumbs way up. After watching the horrid BvS I'm so glad we got something like this to really show the young generation why Superman can be written so well. Give us a Superman like this so we can fall in love with the character once more!
February 18, 2024
2.5 Stars
This is the second ''Oh, you will loooooooove this'' Superman title that I didn't enjoy. Yeahhh... guess the hype got me and this was not what I was expecting.
This is a new origin. A modern and updated story by Max Landis. Every issue focuses on a different age, on a different time in Clark's life. They're self-contained stories and every chapter has a different artist, so there is great artwork here.
I could tell you about my complicated relationship with Max Landis. I usually hate the guy, I can't stand him, but then he comes out with things like Chronicle and I'm like, fuck this guy, that was good. So, I don't know... I was really expecting something original, something that would take me by surprise and... it was original, I give you that, but it wasn't engaging, at all.
Listen, I think this millennial version of Superman can grow on me, but most of the book felt, oh, so immature. Landis tries way too hard to be edgy and modern and I felt like I was reading fanfiction.
Good fanfiction, but fanfiction nonetheless. I bet there are many stories out there with crazy ideas of a young Superman partying on a boat with Ollie while passing as Bruce Wayne and having sex with random chicks; of a Clark Kent having casual sex with Lois Lane 'cause she's too cool for him until she thinks she can lose him. Jesus, what a trope to use. Listen, it was fun to read, I'll give you that. But so out of nowhere, such a poor idea to me.
It's the YA, millennial Superman show that the CW can't wait to produce since ending Gossip Girl!
I'll give some praises to this story later, just give me a moment here. Maybe it's my own idea of what Superman means that make me roll my eyes to this brat, hipster alien kid. Was the idea to making him relatable? 'Cause it didn't work for me. There are things like the interaction of Clark and Batman, of him wearing the Batman cape, that didn't sit well with me. I felt like it undermined his origin story. It was like putting Supes in a second place on his own comic. I don't know, man. Fuck it, I just didn't like it.
Now, the good. I loved the first chapter. The little kid afraid of his own unknown abilities, of his parents saying Screw normal. Yeah, that I loved. It was a charming tale. Second story with a teenager Clark was also compelling. Didn't love everything, but at least I enjoyed most and could see Clark with other eyes. He wasn't the lonely boy anymore. He was accepted and loved, but still scared and insecure of his powers. This story was a bit gory, but I ended up liking this dark twist. Then it pretty much went downhill to me.
There are some good lines in this book, some funny moments that didn't always land with me, but I am sure I would have laughed if I'd seen it on a proper fanfiction. I mean, the ridiculous moments with Deathstroke. Great fanfic material, didn't much enjoy it here.
I really liked Luthor here and the little cameo of Dick Grayson. It felt so forced, but it was nice being in the head of little Robin. I guess that's it. Those are my positives.
Like I said, maybe I'll enjoy it more if I reread it with an open mind later. Maybe. Not so sure, though.
I do have to say, the HC edition is freaking stunning.
This is the second ''Oh, you will loooooooove this'' Superman title that I didn't enjoy. Yeahhh... guess the hype got me and this was not what I was expecting.
This is a new origin. A modern and updated story by Max Landis. Every issue focuses on a different age, on a different time in Clark's life. They're self-contained stories and every chapter has a different artist, so there is great artwork here.
I could tell you about my complicated relationship with Max Landis. I usually hate the guy, I can't stand him, but then he comes out with things like Chronicle and I'm like, fuck this guy, that was good. So, I don't know... I was really expecting something original, something that would take me by surprise and... it was original, I give you that, but it wasn't engaging, at all.
Listen, I think this millennial version of Superman can grow on me, but most of the book felt, oh, so immature. Landis tries way too hard to be edgy and modern and I felt like I was reading fanfiction.
Good fanfiction, but fanfiction nonetheless. I bet there are many stories out there with crazy ideas of a young Superman partying on a boat with Ollie while passing as Bruce Wayne and having sex with random chicks; of a Clark Kent having casual sex with Lois Lane 'cause she's too cool for him until she thinks she can lose him. Jesus, what a trope to use. Listen, it was fun to read, I'll give you that. But so out of nowhere, such a poor idea to me.
It's the YA, millennial Superman show that the CW can't wait to produce since ending Gossip Girl!
I'll give some praises to this story later, just give me a moment here. Maybe it's my own idea of what Superman means that make me roll my eyes to this brat, hipster alien kid. Was the idea to making him relatable? 'Cause it didn't work for me. There are things like the interaction of Clark and Batman, of him wearing the Batman cape, that didn't sit well with me. I felt like it undermined his origin story. It was like putting Supes in a second place on his own comic. I don't know, man. Fuck it, I just didn't like it.
Now, the good. I loved the first chapter. The little kid afraid of his own unknown abilities, of his parents saying Screw normal. Yeah, that I loved. It was a charming tale. Second story with a teenager Clark was also compelling. Didn't love everything, but at least I enjoyed most and could see Clark with other eyes. He wasn't the lonely boy anymore. He was accepted and loved, but still scared and insecure of his powers. This story was a bit gory, but I ended up liking this dark twist. Then it pretty much went downhill to me.
There are some good lines in this book, some funny moments that didn't always land with me, but I am sure I would have laughed if I'd seen it on a proper fanfiction. I mean, the ridiculous moments with Deathstroke. Great fanfic material, didn't much enjoy it here.
I really liked Luthor here and the little cameo of Dick Grayson. It felt so forced, but it was nice being in the head of little Robin. I guess that's it. Those are my positives.
Like I said, maybe I'll enjoy it more if I reread it with an open mind later. Maybe. Not so sure, though.
I do have to say, the HC edition is freaking stunning.
February 4, 2021
“THIS IS NOT A SUPERMAN COMIC”
This is what it says on the back of this hardcover volume of Max Landis’s seven-issue love letter to the Man of Steel who actually doesn’t take centre stage, but really his mild-mannered alter ego Clark Kent. Since his inception in 1938, Superman has been reinterpreted over the decades as many writers and artists have given their own spin into Superman’s origin story and what does he mean in each time and place, from shining examples such as Mark Waid’s Birthright to low points like J. Michael Straczynski’s Earth One. Given that we all should know who Superman is and where he comes from, from his Kryptonian birth to his Kansas upbringing, the son of filmmaker John Landis finds a new angle to the all so familiar story.
Known primarily as a screenwriter, most notably for his excellent script of the found-footage superhero movie Chronicle, Max Landis has commented on how much Superman means a great deal to him, having done many YouTube videos such as short films and rants for his YouTube channel. What we get from American Alien is that it doesn’t follow the traditional A-to-Z formula of most Superman origins and tell seven stories that explore different periods of Clark Kent’s youth before becoming the world’s greatest superhero.
With each issue establishing its own tone as well as individual artists applying their visual style to whatever period, Landis presents the most human depiction of Clark Kent who, over the course of the series, changes and how each of these events shape him, as well as depicting life as an unpredictable road and how your persona alters from time to time, something that we can all relate to. As the title American Alien has many meanings, the first issue – illustrated by Nick Dragotta who applies a Pixar-styled cuteness to his hand-drawn character designs – focuses Clark as a little boy who is wrestling with his otherworldly powers and fears how he could be seen as a monster against those he loves.
Following the childish innocence of #1, #2 is all about teenage angst as Clark attempts to take the law into his own hands after a horrific crime in Smallville, visualised by Tommy Lee Edwards’ moody visuals. Although the first two issues couldn’t be any more different from each other in terms of art and subject matter, they both share the message of just because you may feel may alien during your youth, you are not alone, something Clark learns that he is not a monster and is surrounded by loved ones.
For those who felt upset over Henry Cavill’s emo portrayal of Superman, Landis’ comic will add some shed of light for you Super-fans as Clark has many moments of humour as displayed in #3 where Clark pretends to be Bruce Wayne on his birthday yacht party where he encounters a pre-Green Arrow Oliver Queen and Deathstroke. Amidst the drunken hilarity, what I took most from this story is Clark’s brief romantic fling with Barbara Minerva as their relationship – through Joëlle Jones’ art – is both sexy and touching as they talk about despite having superficial fun, they wish to achieve greater goals with Clark realising he can’t stay in Smallville forever, while Minerva wants to be an archaeologist, a nod to her animalistic fate. As much as we can root for our heroes beating up the villains, no one is born evil and how wanting your desires is a typical human emotion.
My favourite issue is #4 as intern Clark moves to Metropolis and the road to Superman is becoming more evident, as well as being the most guest-featured story with intern Clark interacting with other DC icons. Despite great introductions from Lois Lane (whom Clark mistakes as Louis Lane) and Lex Luthor (who is at his egocentric best), the best characterisation comes from Clark interviewing a young Dick Grayson, who has seen the darkness and that it needs light to be a counterpoint, which foreshadows the contrasting dynamic between Superman and one certain dark knight. Granted that he has drawn superhero comics before, Jae Lee is an unusual choice and yet most of the artists in this series are unconventional artists to approach the Superman mythos.
As one of the most significant artists for DC in recent years, Francis Manapul presents stunning artwork with a gorgeous visualisation of Metropolis and Clark dons a pair of goggles, body armour and a black cape; before being named Superman, he is the Flying Man. Despite the lack of red and blue tights, the fifth issue follows the traditional Superman formula with Lois and Lex play integral roles, whilst a classic character from Supes’ rogues gallery leads to a spectacular fight.
When it comes to the final two issues in which Superman has now been established for the public, the question of what does Superman stand for and how he stands apart from his future fantastical compatriots. In the sixth issue (naturalistically drawn by Jonathan Case) where Clark embraces his super persona, his Smallville bestie Pete Ross questions Clark’s recklessness as a vigilante and not accepting the responsibility of worrying about others. This all leads to the climatic issue where Superman fights an alien menace (and an odd choice for those who know their DC lore) and for a lot of the issue, it is Jock’s rough but visceral artwork showcasing the slugfest. Although the art here isn’t as slick and polished as the previous issues and the story ends with a whimper than a bang, Landis is more interested in the emotional intimacy and the final panel of a smiling Clark, reveals a happy ending where he finds his place on this earth.
Not since Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly’s All-Star Superman has any other comic encompasses why Superman means a great deal to his readers. With Max Landis’ humanist approach to the character and his collaboration with the spot-on if unconventional artists, American Alien shines a bright new light to Clark Kent that is cute, funny, sexy and angry and all around a good man who can be standing right next to us.
This is what it says on the back of this hardcover volume of Max Landis’s seven-issue love letter to the Man of Steel who actually doesn’t take centre stage, but really his mild-mannered alter ego Clark Kent. Since his inception in 1938, Superman has been reinterpreted over the decades as many writers and artists have given their own spin into Superman’s origin story and what does he mean in each time and place, from shining examples such as Mark Waid’s Birthright to low points like J. Michael Straczynski’s Earth One. Given that we all should know who Superman is and where he comes from, from his Kryptonian birth to his Kansas upbringing, the son of filmmaker John Landis finds a new angle to the all so familiar story.
Known primarily as a screenwriter, most notably for his excellent script of the found-footage superhero movie Chronicle, Max Landis has commented on how much Superman means a great deal to him, having done many YouTube videos such as short films and rants for his YouTube channel. What we get from American Alien is that it doesn’t follow the traditional A-to-Z formula of most Superman origins and tell seven stories that explore different periods of Clark Kent’s youth before becoming the world’s greatest superhero.
With each issue establishing its own tone as well as individual artists applying their visual style to whatever period, Landis presents the most human depiction of Clark Kent who, over the course of the series, changes and how each of these events shape him, as well as depicting life as an unpredictable road and how your persona alters from time to time, something that we can all relate to. As the title American Alien has many meanings, the first issue – illustrated by Nick Dragotta who applies a Pixar-styled cuteness to his hand-drawn character designs – focuses Clark as a little boy who is wrestling with his otherworldly powers and fears how he could be seen as a monster against those he loves.
Following the childish innocence of #1, #2 is all about teenage angst as Clark attempts to take the law into his own hands after a horrific crime in Smallville, visualised by Tommy Lee Edwards’ moody visuals. Although the first two issues couldn’t be any more different from each other in terms of art and subject matter, they both share the message of just because you may feel may alien during your youth, you are not alone, something Clark learns that he is not a monster and is surrounded by loved ones.
For those who felt upset over Henry Cavill’s emo portrayal of Superman, Landis’ comic will add some shed of light for you Super-fans as Clark has many moments of humour as displayed in #3 where Clark pretends to be Bruce Wayne on his birthday yacht party where he encounters a pre-Green Arrow Oliver Queen and Deathstroke. Amidst the drunken hilarity, what I took most from this story is Clark’s brief romantic fling with Barbara Minerva as their relationship – through Joëlle Jones’ art – is both sexy and touching as they talk about despite having superficial fun, they wish to achieve greater goals with Clark realising he can’t stay in Smallville forever, while Minerva wants to be an archaeologist, a nod to her animalistic fate. As much as we can root for our heroes beating up the villains, no one is born evil and how wanting your desires is a typical human emotion.
My favourite issue is #4 as intern Clark moves to Metropolis and the road to Superman is becoming more evident, as well as being the most guest-featured story with intern Clark interacting with other DC icons. Despite great introductions from Lois Lane (whom Clark mistakes as Louis Lane) and Lex Luthor (who is at his egocentric best), the best characterisation comes from Clark interviewing a young Dick Grayson, who has seen the darkness and that it needs light to be a counterpoint, which foreshadows the contrasting dynamic between Superman and one certain dark knight. Granted that he has drawn superhero comics before, Jae Lee is an unusual choice and yet most of the artists in this series are unconventional artists to approach the Superman mythos.
As one of the most significant artists for DC in recent years, Francis Manapul presents stunning artwork with a gorgeous visualisation of Metropolis and Clark dons a pair of goggles, body armour and a black cape; before being named Superman, he is the Flying Man. Despite the lack of red and blue tights, the fifth issue follows the traditional Superman formula with Lois and Lex play integral roles, whilst a classic character from Supes’ rogues gallery leads to a spectacular fight.
When it comes to the final two issues in which Superman has now been established for the public, the question of what does Superman stand for and how he stands apart from his future fantastical compatriots. In the sixth issue (naturalistically drawn by Jonathan Case) where Clark embraces his super persona, his Smallville bestie Pete Ross questions Clark’s recklessness as a vigilante and not accepting the responsibility of worrying about others. This all leads to the climatic issue where Superman fights an alien menace (and an odd choice for those who know their DC lore) and for a lot of the issue, it is Jock’s rough but visceral artwork showcasing the slugfest. Although the art here isn’t as slick and polished as the previous issues and the story ends with a whimper than a bang, Landis is more interested in the emotional intimacy and the final panel of a smiling Clark, reveals a happy ending where he finds his place on this earth.
Not since Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly’s All-Star Superman has any other comic encompasses why Superman means a great deal to his readers. With Max Landis’ humanist approach to the character and his collaboration with the spot-on if unconventional artists, American Alien shines a bright new light to Clark Kent that is cute, funny, sexy and angry and all around a good man who can be standing right next to us.
March 23, 2022
7.6/10
Seven stories about a kid from Smallville who grew up to become a symbol of hope and peace.
All seven stories are written by Max Landis but illustrated by different artist. They are all connected and in chronological order, showing us the life of Clark Kent, yet you can read any of them individually and it will still make sense and feel complete. Also a great element is that all the stories have a different vibe to them.
P.s. Always great to see some Jae Lee art.
Seven stories about a kid from Smallville who grew up to become a symbol of hope and peace.
All seven stories are written by Max Landis but illustrated by different artist. They are all connected and in chronological order, showing us the life of Clark Kent, yet you can read any of them individually and it will still make sense and feel complete. Also a great element is that all the stories have a different vibe to them.
P.s. Always great to see some Jae Lee art.
September 25, 2016
Well before I read this Superman tale I had no idea who Max Landis was. My bad. I will have to check out more of his work. As far as this particular work? I loved it. Yep.
American Alien is a origin story. While origin stories of Superman abound, there are some that stand apart. This is one of them. American Alien is funny, strange, modern and a phenomenal look at Superman as the issues progress through his ages. I thought that was very well done. I enjoyed watching young Clark learning how to fly or just how scary it must have been from his parents perspective.
Some of the stories are creatively funny- from a young Clark (18 yrs or so) being mistaken and then playing along with being mistaken for Bruce Wayne, to a hilarious encounter with Deathstroke to various other funny situations as Clark attempts to cement his own reputation. Landis' Luthor is excellent! Arrogant and amoral, he is very well done.
While it is hard to imagine a "fresh" Superman origin story-here you have one. If I had a complaint it would be the quality of the art. Some of the art is quite decent and sometimes-not so much. That's a shame as this is a tale that certainly would have been enhanced by some great artwork.
Still..this is a GREAT Superman book. I highly recommend this to any Superman fan, of course, but also to anyone who enjoys a good story laced with humor and some well-written dialogue emplyed by the various characters. It was a very good take on the Superman story and one I absolutely enjoyed. Well done Max Landis!
American Alien is a origin story. While origin stories of Superman abound, there are some that stand apart. This is one of them. American Alien is funny, strange, modern and a phenomenal look at Superman as the issues progress through his ages. I thought that was very well done. I enjoyed watching young Clark learning how to fly or just how scary it must have been from his parents perspective.
Some of the stories are creatively funny- from a young Clark (18 yrs or so) being mistaken and then playing along with being mistaken for Bruce Wayne, to a hilarious encounter with Deathstroke to various other funny situations as Clark attempts to cement his own reputation. Landis' Luthor is excellent! Arrogant and amoral, he is very well done.
While it is hard to imagine a "fresh" Superman origin story-here you have one. If I had a complaint it would be the quality of the art. Some of the art is quite decent and sometimes-not so much. That's a shame as this is a tale that certainly would have been enhanced by some great artwork.
Still..this is a GREAT Superman book. I highly recommend this to any Superman fan, of course, but also to anyone who enjoys a good story laced with humor and some well-written dialogue emplyed by the various characters. It was a very good take on the Superman story and one I absolutely enjoyed. Well done Max Landis!
February 9, 2022
This is probably one of the best that Superman has to offer when it comes to miniseries, and possibly in general. Sure, it's another origin story, but it's done in a way which feels unique. It's a book that's as much about growing up pains and discovery as it is a superhero piece packed with powers, supervillains and action; there are even a few DC cameos along the way. Each chapter represents a different time period in Clark's life, with a variety of artists brought onboard to give their own unique flavour. The artstyles are almost like a visual representation of how different every stage of The Man of Steel's younger years were. The first chapter drawn like something you would see in a children's book thanks to the warm colours and almost cartoon-like features, and the last features a lot more jagged, rough lines and is paired with comparitively dull and washed out tones. An amazing read which reminds me why I love Superman so much as a character.
November 6, 2016
Well that was disappointing. I'd heard great things but I really hated what this did to Supes' origin story. One of the worst Superman books I've read. Sad.
May 3, 2018
Max Landis is famous for writing shitty movies, producing mediocre TV shows and sexually assaulting women. But there's one thing I can't take away from him, and that's writing pretty good Superman comics. between him and Eddie Berganza, Superman was attracting a very unpleasant crowd in recent years, eh? Good thing they're both gone from DC now.
Anyway, if you can look past the writer being a scumbag, American Alien is actually a really good Superman comic. It's not an origin story per se, more like a chronicle of Clark Kent growing up and working towards becoming Superman over the course of his youth. Every issue is a self-contained story, but all of them feed into each other and create a greater whole. I only really dislike one story in this collection, and that is issue #2 about a group of criminals showing up in Smallville and shooting up a bunch of people — that issue was just viscerally unpleasant, and I could do without it entirely. The rest of the book contains some really great stories with amazing artwork from some of the most talented artists working right now. Landis's take on characters of Lois, Lex Luthor, Bruce Wayne, Jimmy Olsen and many others feels fresh and spot-on. His Clark is layered and complex, though I'm not 100% behind him — there's this juvenile angst which I don't think always suits him, and he's also not as smart as I like my Clark Kent to be. You could say that he's still young and learning, and I get that, but something just feels off about him to me.
Still, I can't deny that this is a very refreshing take on Superman that could (and does) appeal to a huge chunk of the modern readership. I would say that I highly recommend this book to anybody even remotely interested in the character, but there's that big problem that I mentioned in the first paragraph. If you can look past that, do read it — maybe borrow it from the library if that's an option for you. If you can't though, don't worry — there are better Superman books out there. For another more grounded and human take on the character, try Superman: Secret Identity, for a great origin story check Superman: Birthright, and for an iconic, timeless and all-around perfect Superman book there's always All-Star Superman.
Anyway, if you can look past the writer being a scumbag, American Alien is actually a really good Superman comic. It's not an origin story per se, more like a chronicle of Clark Kent growing up and working towards becoming Superman over the course of his youth. Every issue is a self-contained story, but all of them feed into each other and create a greater whole. I only really dislike one story in this collection, and that is issue #2 about a group of criminals showing up in Smallville and shooting up a bunch of people — that issue was just viscerally unpleasant, and I could do without it entirely. The rest of the book contains some really great stories with amazing artwork from some of the most talented artists working right now. Landis's take on characters of Lois, Lex Luthor, Bruce Wayne, Jimmy Olsen and many others feels fresh and spot-on. His Clark is layered and complex, though I'm not 100% behind him — there's this juvenile angst which I don't think always suits him, and he's also not as smart as I like my Clark Kent to be. You could say that he's still young and learning, and I get that, but something just feels off about him to me.
Still, I can't deny that this is a very refreshing take on Superman that could (and does) appeal to a huge chunk of the modern readership. I would say that I highly recommend this book to anybody even remotely interested in the character, but there's that big problem that I mentioned in the first paragraph. If you can look past that, do read it — maybe borrow it from the library if that's an option for you. If you can't though, don't worry — there are better Superman books out there. For another more grounded and human take on the character, try Superman: Secret Identity, for a great origin story check Superman: Birthright, and for an iconic, timeless and all-around perfect Superman book there's always All-Star Superman.
October 26, 2016
"Who needs normal? Maybe weird is better.
Superman: American Alien starts with a younger Clark Kent realizing for the first time that he can fly. The bad thing about it was, he had no idea how he does it, how he can control it, and how to land with both his two feet on the ground.
I can't really tell you much about it yet (i've only read the first issue), but all I can say is that I enjoyed reading this. The only other origin story I've read from Superman was Earth One (I think), and that story didn't really focus on a much younger Superman. Here, on issue 1 at least, you get to see Clark discovering his abilities, then freaking out because he had no idea how it works. Being a kid, you think the most important thing in the world is to fit in, and with Clark being what he is, that would prove to be really hard, especially now that all his abilities start to manifest itself. I thought Landis did a great job showing us that.
The writing, I really liked. There was a bit of humor in it, which is always a plus for me. While Clark was discovering the stuff that he can do, his parents were also discovering things about their son that they did not know. So while we see Clark's character developing, we also see the development in the character of those people around him.
Looking forward to starting the other issues. I believe, so far, we only have 7 issues of this, so I'm definitely reading the rest.
July 30, 2024
A delicious read from start to finish.
February 12, 2018
"Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's -- Holy #$@&!"
Without a doubt, reading the varying GR reviews (it seems to be a 'love it or hate it' tome) on Superman: American Alien was almost as entertaining as the book itself. I can see that some folks will think of it as trashing, or at least severely tweaking, the classic mythology of the 80 year-old (gasp!) character. I would counter with the opinion that they took the Man of Steel and filtered him through a Marvel lens. I ended up really enjoying it.
"You're not just anyone. One day, you're going to have to make a choice. You have to decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be. Whoever that man is, good or bad, is going to change the world." - Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent in Man of Steel (I know, I know - it's from a movie, not a book)
Seven short chronological stories, starting with grade-school Clark Kent in Smallville and then wrapping up with Kent during his first year working at the Daily Planet. While the initial story was so-so (and the style of artwork didn't help) things kept improving until the end. This book is quite simply about a Kansas farmboy trying to find his place and purpose in the world, one stumbling block after another. There is sudden, horrific violence (Hawk), inspired comedy (Parrot), the human interest angle (Angel and Owl), and good old-fashioned superhero POW! action (Eagle and Valkyrie).
Another feature that is worth the mention are the handful of inspired cameo appearances (either in costume or in secret identity) by Superman's future fellow Justice League members throughout a number of the stories.
Without a doubt, reading the varying GR reviews (it seems to be a 'love it or hate it' tome) on Superman: American Alien was almost as entertaining as the book itself. I can see that some folks will think of it as trashing, or at least severely tweaking, the classic mythology of the 80 year-old (gasp!) character. I would counter with the opinion that they took the Man of Steel and filtered him through a Marvel lens. I ended up really enjoying it.
"You're not just anyone. One day, you're going to have to make a choice. You have to decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be. Whoever that man is, good or bad, is going to change the world." - Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent in Man of Steel (I know, I know - it's from a movie, not a book)
Seven short chronological stories, starting with grade-school Clark Kent in Smallville and then wrapping up with Kent during his first year working at the Daily Planet. While the initial story was so-so (and the style of artwork didn't help) things kept improving until the end. This book is quite simply about a Kansas farmboy trying to find his place and purpose in the world, one stumbling block after another. There is sudden, horrific violence (Hawk), inspired comedy (Parrot), the human interest angle (Angel and Owl), and good old-fashioned superhero POW! action (Eagle and Valkyrie).
Another feature that is worth the mention are the handful of inspired cameo appearances (either in costume or in secret identity) by Superman's future fellow Justice League members throughout a number of the stories.
December 3, 2017
Superman: American Alien.
The most critically praised abomination of Superman's repertoire.
First some background on Landis:
Landis' first contact with the character was the one that made him quite famous in the internet, with his parody of "Death of Superman". Since then Landis has been praised as a Superman expert, doing blogs and videos on the character, he was approached to write him at least twice.
So now Landis has complete freedom, to show us, what a good, revolutionary insight he has on the character and *dramatic pause* he fails.....utterly.
What I hate most about this series is that it is a vaguely vailed statement about Superman from Landis. Landis is clearly ashamed about what makes the character tick. He has problems with the character down to his fundamental level. Superman isn't meant to be an everyman, he isn't meant to be relatable and grounded. He is a vast, larger than life figure, that works best when he is portrayed as that, and if you don't believe me, check Superman's best selling, most enduring and most critically praised stories.
American Alien is clearly a vanity project. The ones who will read it (unfortunately), will see that Landis has changed Clark to the point that he is Landis. Clark parties of yoats, he is a millennial hipster, he dresses and even looks like him. Landis just can't connect to the humble timeless upbringing of Superman and he puts himself in the story, which doesn't make him a bad writer but it clearly affects his view on Clark. He really doesn't see the "hero of the people" aspect of Clark, neither the "quintessence of good" of Superman. So the characterization is completely lackluster.
People who DON'T READ Superman will like it but they won't like "Superman", heck, if this wasn't Superman, I would like it too. But this isn't a random Superman clone of the week. This is the real deal, from a guy who claims he knows Superman.
Lastly, connecting Clark to Batman reduces Clark's own character arc. He suddenly is a reactionary character. He is a second player, not his own thing.
I would highly recommend to avoid this series. It mostly got praise because of Landis, rather than its own quality. All in all, this is a contemporary product of its time, forgettable and mis-take on Superman, that will be forgotten, for better or worse.
The most critically praised abomination of Superman's repertoire.
First some background on Landis:
Landis' first contact with the character was the one that made him quite famous in the internet, with his parody of "Death of Superman". Since then Landis has been praised as a Superman expert, doing blogs and videos on the character, he was approached to write him at least twice.
So now Landis has complete freedom, to show us, what a good, revolutionary insight he has on the character and *dramatic pause* he fails.....utterly.
What I hate most about this series is that it is a vaguely vailed statement about Superman from Landis. Landis is clearly ashamed about what makes the character tick. He has problems with the character down to his fundamental level. Superman isn't meant to be an everyman, he isn't meant to be relatable and grounded. He is a vast, larger than life figure, that works best when he is portrayed as that, and if you don't believe me, check Superman's best selling, most enduring and most critically praised stories.
American Alien is clearly a vanity project. The ones who will read it (unfortunately), will see that Landis has changed Clark to the point that he is Landis. Clark parties of yoats, he is a millennial hipster, he dresses and even looks like him. Landis just can't connect to the humble timeless upbringing of Superman and he puts himself in the story, which doesn't make him a bad writer but it clearly affects his view on Clark. He really doesn't see the "hero of the people" aspect of Clark, neither the "quintessence of good" of Superman. So the characterization is completely lackluster.
People who DON'T READ Superman will like it but they won't like "Superman", heck, if this wasn't Superman, I would like it too. But this isn't a random Superman clone of the week. This is the real deal, from a guy who claims he knows Superman.
Lastly, connecting Clark to Batman reduces Clark's own character arc. He suddenly is a reactionary character. He is a second player, not his own thing.
I would highly recommend to avoid this series. It mostly got praise because of Landis, rather than its own quality. All in all, this is a contemporary product of its time, forgettable and mis-take on Superman, that will be forgotten, for better or worse.
January 6, 2017
3.5 Stars
This was certainly a breath of fresh air! Written by Max Landis, known more as a screen writer than comic writer, it offers multiple chapters within Clark Kent's life, giving the reader a peek into various formative points in his development.
Each chapter is drawn by a different artist, and I have to say this is one of the most beautiful books I've read in awhile. My favorites were Dragotta, Jae Lee, Francis Manapul and Jock. Again, these were all instances of Clark's life where something significant happens to him: first begins to fly, moving to metropolis and meeting the usual supporting cast, stopping his first crime, going against his first super-villain, etc. Remember that this is about Clark and what he is feeling, why he decides to do things a certain way, etc.
The stories don't step too much on current continuity/history, most fitting nicely within the known canon, a few such as costume selection and the look and direction of Jimmy Olsen are a more "modern" take. Other than those, the book is nearly "timeless". My favorite was the first chapter when Clark obtains and finally controls his ability to fly. He reaction to that and what he wants to do with this ability was one of the most realistic portrayals I've seen.
It has a similar feel to Superman for All Seasons but not quite that "small town, midwest". This is a slightly different but still personal, intimate look at Clark's journey into both the man and Superman that he becomes.
This was certainly a breath of fresh air! Written by Max Landis, known more as a screen writer than comic writer, it offers multiple chapters within Clark Kent's life, giving the reader a peek into various formative points in his development.
Each chapter is drawn by a different artist, and I have to say this is one of the most beautiful books I've read in awhile. My favorites were Dragotta, Jae Lee, Francis Manapul and Jock. Again, these were all instances of Clark's life where something significant happens to him: first begins to fly, moving to metropolis and meeting the usual supporting cast, stopping his first crime, going against his first super-villain, etc. Remember that this is about Clark and what he is feeling, why he decides to do things a certain way, etc.
The stories don't step too much on current continuity/history, most fitting nicely within the known canon, a few such as costume selection and the look and direction of Jimmy Olsen are a more "modern" take. Other than those, the book is nearly "timeless". My favorite was the first chapter when Clark obtains and finally controls his ability to fly. He reaction to that and what he wants to do with this ability was one of the most realistic portrayals I've seen.
It has a similar feel to Superman for All Seasons but not quite that "small town, midwest". This is a slightly different but still personal, intimate look at Clark's journey into both the man and Superman that he becomes.
April 10, 2017
Another very good cinematic retelling of Superman origin story with just one of the best Lex Luthor ever.
I loved the first "Archie" style episode where young Clark learns to fly, the Clark "Bruce Wayne" one was hilarious, and the two one page stories about Mxyzptlk and the Parasite were 5 stars gems, but the young Clark in Smallville chapter was just too much "Man of Steel" grimdark style and Batman sounded like the "Collegehumour" one for me.
November 29, 2017
I guess I'm in the minority here, but I really couldn't stand Max Landis' writing. The Superman that I love isn't a Superman that would burn the arms off of an armed robber, or pretend to be Bruce Wayne at a boozy yacht party, or have a full wall poster of himself in his living room. Perhaps these are things that Max Landis would do himself? Anyway, this is not the mild-mannered farm boy Clark Kent, but rather a loud and irritating urban socialite Clark Kent, which is not something I'm interested in.
December 11, 2017
Yay! I found a good superman story. Very good. Shame it finished so quickly.
May 27, 2018
This is one of the few Superman stories I loved so far, though arguably I'm not that much of a fan. It's ideal for someone who isn't versed in the Superman universe, though I expect that die-hard fans would enjoy it too.
The period in his youth when Clark Kent started manifesting his powers was a discouraging one. His control over his powers was nonexistent, but it was that much more satisfying to finally learn to use them. His parents' love for him made him into what he would eventually become. His father helped Clark to learn to fly, but he had to learn his other abilities himself. The first time he resorts to using his powers he does so in an unintentionally destructive way. We follow Clark as he gets mistaken for Bruce Wayne, gets hired as a successful reporter, encounters powerful men and women who will shape the DC universe in the future. He has to choose a name and decide what he stands for.
The period in his youth when Clark Kent started manifesting his powers was a discouraging one. His control over his powers was nonexistent, but it was that much more satisfying to finally learn to use them. His parents' love for him made him into what he would eventually become. His father helped Clark to learn to fly, but he had to learn his other abilities himself. The first time he resorts to using his powers he does so in an unintentionally destructive way. We follow Clark as he gets mistaken for Bruce Wayne, gets hired as a successful reporter, encounters powerful men and women who will shape the DC universe in the future. He has to choose a name and decide what he stands for.
October 17, 2016
This was an awful piece of garbage. Superman's origin story is reworked so that everyone from Smallville not only knows who he is, but also knows that he'd an alien. In the meantime, he's an ignorant and complete buffoon, who is angst ridden and so unsure of himself that he decides to imitate Batman. Batman! But setting all of that aside, any author who walks into an editor's office at DC and pitches an idea where Superman has sex with Cheetah (especially while he's dating Wonder Woman in other titles) should be fired on the spot, and not have that horrendous idea actually put into print! Shame on you DC!!!
January 21, 2020
Max Landis is a total asshole.
Now we've got that out the way, most of my precious stars are awarded for the art, which I liked a lot. The writing didn't blow me away.
To be clear, I'm approaching this as someone who has hardly read any Superman comics, but knows most of the bullet points regarding the character. And it all just felt a bit flimsy, like eating little snacks, never a full meal. Perhaps that was what Landis was going for, I'm just not that interested.
Now we've got that out the way, most of my precious stars are awarded for the art, which I liked a lot. The writing didn't blow me away.
To be clear, I'm approaching this as someone who has hardly read any Superman comics, but knows most of the bullet points regarding the character. And it all just felt a bit flimsy, like eating little snacks, never a full meal. Perhaps that was what Landis was going for, I'm just not that interested.
September 13, 2025
Yet another go at fiddling around with Superman's secret origin.
This one takes a coming-of-age bent, tracking Clark Kent's emotional development from elementary school to his early twenties in a series of connected vignettes. No big shakes, but some nice small moments.
The artist switches every chapter, hoping I guess to help set the changing tone of the story. I found the styles clashed slightly. None were great, none were awful, none really nailed the classic look or feel of the Man of Tomorrow.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contains material originally published in single magazine form as Superman: American Alien #1-7.
Contents [All stories written by Max Landis]: Dove / Nick Dragotta, illustrator -- [Interstitial] The Castaways / Matthew Clark, illustrator -- Hawk / Tommy Lee Edwards, illustrator -- [Interstitial] Revelations / Evan "Doc" Shaner, illustrator -- Parrot / Joëlle Jones, illustrator -- [Interstitial] The Real Question / Mark Buckingham, illustrator -- Owl / Jae Lee, illustrator -- [Interstitial] Vampire / Steve Dillon, illustrator -- Eagle / Francis Manapul, illustrator -- [Interstitial] The New Jimmy / Matthew Clark, illustrator -- Angel / Jonathan Case, illustrator -- Valkyrie / Jock, illustrator -- [Covers, Sketches, and Layouts] Ryan Sook, Nick Dragotta, Tommy Lee Edwards, Joëlle Jones, Jae Lee, Francis Manapul, Jonathan Case, and Jock, illustrators -- Superman: Seven Stories Original Series Pitch
This one takes a coming-of-age bent, tracking Clark Kent's emotional development from elementary school to his early twenties in a series of connected vignettes. No big shakes, but some nice small moments.
The artist switches every chapter, hoping I guess to help set the changing tone of the story. I found the styles clashed slightly. None were great, none were awful, none really nailed the classic look or feel of the Man of Tomorrow.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contains material originally published in single magazine form as Superman: American Alien #1-7.
Contents [All stories written by Max Landis]: Dove / Nick Dragotta, illustrator -- [Interstitial] The Castaways / Matthew Clark, illustrator -- Hawk / Tommy Lee Edwards, illustrator -- [Interstitial] Revelations / Evan "Doc" Shaner, illustrator -- Parrot / Joëlle Jones, illustrator -- [Interstitial] The Real Question / Mark Buckingham, illustrator -- Owl / Jae Lee, illustrator -- [Interstitial] Vampire / Steve Dillon, illustrator -- Eagle / Francis Manapul, illustrator -- [Interstitial] The New Jimmy / Matthew Clark, illustrator -- Angel / Jonathan Case, illustrator -- Valkyrie / Jock, illustrator -- [Covers, Sketches, and Layouts] Ryan Sook, Nick Dragotta, Tommy Lee Edwards, Joëlle Jones, Jae Lee, Francis Manapul, Jonathan Case, and Jock, illustrators -- Superman: Seven Stories Original Series Pitch
October 20, 2016
I went into this expecting this to be my favourite Superman story (that's not that hard since I've only read Superman in some Action Comics, Superman, JL and Batman/Superman from The New 52), but it turned out to be the best superhero story ever?
Max Landis somehow managed to write realistic child and teenage dialogue, funny stuff and emotional big ideas without it feeling melodramatic or forced... he can go from writing a wordy self-important Lex Luthor to Supes breaking it down:
The art changes with every issue, but it makes sense since these are basically 7 separate short stories. The first page sets up the feel of the first story:
It's about Clark as a little boy being terrified of who he is and what he can do, but it doesn't do it in a depressing way like Man of Steel. It's full of humour, but the emotional weight is still there.
The second story is angsty teenage stuff, but not really. It's Clark attempting to interfere with a crime and it's quite the learning experience. The best part is THAT CLARK ACTUALLY HAS FRIENDS FOR ONCE. I didn't even realize that was what was missing until he had some casual banter with his buddies (who know he's a an alien). The art wasn't my favourite, but it suited the mood of the story perfectly.
The third issue is Clark pretending to be Bruce Wayne on his birthday yacht party when Deathstroke crashes it. It has one of the best and most adorable panels in comic book history. And again, Max Landis nails the balance between the light-hearted and emotional moments.
The fourth issue has great character moments, but I found Jae Lee's art a bit out of place. His art is very stylized with basically no backgrounds and weird faces and it just feels like an odd choice. On the brighter side, Landis managed to incorporate a lot of big names in a single issue without it feeling like pandering. He put his own spin on well known stories and relationships, making them feel fresh and like a natural part of this little world his built up.
The fifth issue is Supes trying his hand at fighting crime once more and Francis Manapul's art elevates this above something we've seen a thousand times. His costume design, background work and creative use of the page is stunning.
The sixth issue is friends visiting Clark and him showing them around town after he's established Superman as a public figure. Sounding like a broken record here, but Landis switching so easily from humour to drama makes this feel more human than any other superhero comic.
And the finale is Superman being tested physically. That's all I say.
I think this is what DC was going for with the Earth One graphic novel series, a fresh new take on iconic figures that grounds them and makes them feel so real. Basically, I just want Max Landis to write every DC character.
ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS!
Honestly, even people who don't like Superman should read this, because it's just great storytelling.
December 3, 2017
This is my favorite Superman book, hands down!
Each issue is a snapshot of Clark Kent's life as he becomes Superman from discovering his ability to fly as a young boy in Kansas to his first real test as Superman. Each issue has a different aesthetic but the story and tone are consistent.
This comic is cinematic and masterful, it is a character study of Clark Kent, not a story of the omnipotent Superman. This is a MUST-READ!!!!
Each issue is a snapshot of Clark Kent's life as he becomes Superman from discovering his ability to fly as a young boy in Kansas to his first real test as Superman. Each issue has a different aesthetic but the story and tone are consistent.
This comic is cinematic and masterful, it is a character study of Clark Kent, not a story of the omnipotent Superman. This is a MUST-READ!!!!
January 2, 2018
Interconnected vignettes of Clark Kent's start in the world. I don't think I've ever liked Superman more, but I wish there were more Louis.
July 2, 2021
Re-read this because my seizures made my memory of it super foggy to continue where I left off. Enjoyed it more this time I guess!
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May 21, 2016
You need this. The world needs this. WE ALL NEED THIS.
American Alien is hands down the best comic series to debut this year. Really, what would it be like for Clark Kent to grow up as an alien living in a human world? We see so much of him as an adult and we even got to see a bit of teen Clark in Smallville but we haven't seen Clark this raw and real until now.
Each story is a self-contained moment in Clark's life. There are familiar characters and canon events but this is very much an out of continuity story. That's actually what makes it great...Landis gets Superman at his heart, which is arguably human in nature vs. nurture.
My mini-recaps and thoughts on each of the stories:
1. Primary School Clark - Really, imagine being a kid and discovering you have powers. Your parents know SOMETHING is different about you but no one really knows what all you'll develop. You're accidentally flying, accidentally eavesdropping, accidentally blowing stuff up. Do your parents risk taking you to a scientist and turning you over to Area 51? Plus you're watching scifi films and seeing how the human race might treat aliens. How terrifying it would be for young Clark! 5/5 stars.
2. Teenage Clark - Clark might be a boy scout goodie-goodie but let's be real, teenagers are teenagers. Here we see the depth of Clark's friendship with Pete. Of course he's peaking through people's clothes with his x-ray vision. Of course he's confused about if he really wants to spend his time helping others with powers he never asked for. He's confused that people think he's a monster and how best to use his powers, if at all. He's a teenager and his brain and personal morals are still developing. 4/5
3. College Clark - Following a plane crash, Clark ends up on a yacht where a party is in full swing and people mistake him for (mysterious) birthday boy, Bruce Wayne. Rather than try to fight it, the Kansas grown boy owns being a millionaire for a day and parties it up. The party is short lived when Deathstroke shows up and poisons who he thinks is Wayne. The poison essentially produces a drunken Clark for a bit before he boots Deathstroke off into space. 5/5 (this is a must read!)
4. Intern Clark - This is my personal favorite story within the series. Clark is sent to interview Lex Luthor. Along the way, he runs into young Dick Grayson in the LexCorp Kidz-Zone. We see baby Grayson use his skills of analysis to figure out Clark is more than what he seems. This leads Batman to show up and ask a few questions, launching Landis' version of Batman vs Superman. 5/5
5. ?-Man Clark - Just how did Superman get his name? This story explores just that. Superman is literally just starting to make a name for himself as a hero (and with Lois!). It also shows us where Lex and Clark started down their dark path. 3/5
6. New Adult Clark - The old gang comes to visit city-boy Clark. His new identity is not well received by his high school besties, who call him out for being a hipster tool and later for not fully understanding what it means to be a superhero. In a fit of anger, Clark flies out of the atmosphere and into Green Lantern territory. He returns to make amends with his friends and all is right again. 4/5
7. Superman - I was initially disappointed in this issue but have reflected on it and now understand why Landis chose to end the series this way. We see Clark fully embody Superman and fight to save the human race. There are some really great fight scenes in this issue! We are left with Lois and Clark asking the quintessential question...What now? 4/5
Overall a solid mini-series and I hope Landis will continue to give us stories we didn't know we wanted, but we need.
American Alien is hands down the best comic series to debut this year. Really, what would it be like for Clark Kent to grow up as an alien living in a human world? We see so much of him as an adult and we even got to see a bit of teen Clark in Smallville but we haven't seen Clark this raw and real until now.
Each story is a self-contained moment in Clark's life. There are familiar characters and canon events but this is very much an out of continuity story. That's actually what makes it great...Landis gets Superman at his heart, which is arguably human in nature vs. nurture.
My mini-recaps and thoughts on each of the stories:
1. Primary School Clark - Really, imagine being a kid and discovering you have powers. Your parents know SOMETHING is different about you but no one really knows what all you'll develop. You're accidentally flying, accidentally eavesdropping, accidentally blowing stuff up. Do your parents risk taking you to a scientist and turning you over to Area 51? Plus you're watching scifi films and seeing how the human race might treat aliens. How terrifying it would be for young Clark! 5/5 stars.
2. Teenage Clark - Clark might be a boy scout goodie-goodie but let's be real, teenagers are teenagers. Here we see the depth of Clark's friendship with Pete. Of course he's peaking through people's clothes with his x-ray vision. Of course he's confused about if he really wants to spend his time helping others with powers he never asked for. He's confused that people think he's a monster and how best to use his powers, if at all. He's a teenager and his brain and personal morals are still developing. 4/5
3. College Clark - Following a plane crash, Clark ends up on a yacht where a party is in full swing and people mistake him for (mysterious) birthday boy, Bruce Wayne. Rather than try to fight it, the Kansas grown boy owns being a millionaire for a day and parties it up. The party is short lived when Deathstroke shows up and poisons who he thinks is Wayne. The poison essentially produces a drunken Clark for a bit before he boots Deathstroke off into space. 5/5 (this is a must read!)
4. Intern Clark - This is my personal favorite story within the series. Clark is sent to interview Lex Luthor. Along the way, he runs into young Dick Grayson in the LexCorp Kidz-Zone. We see baby Grayson use his skills of analysis to figure out Clark is more than what he seems. This leads Batman to show up and ask a few questions, launching Landis' version of Batman vs Superman. 5/5
5. ?-Man Clark - Just how did Superman get his name? This story explores just that. Superman is literally just starting to make a name for himself as a hero (and with Lois!). It also shows us where Lex and Clark started down their dark path. 3/5
6. New Adult Clark - The old gang comes to visit city-boy Clark. His new identity is not well received by his high school besties, who call him out for being a hipster tool and later for not fully understanding what it means to be a superhero. In a fit of anger, Clark flies out of the atmosphere and into Green Lantern territory. He returns to make amends with his friends and all is right again. 4/5
7. Superman - I was initially disappointed in this issue but have reflected on it and now understand why Landis chose to end the series this way. We see Clark fully embody Superman and fight to save the human race. There are some really great fight scenes in this issue! We are left with Lois and Clark asking the quintessential question...What now? 4/5
Overall a solid mini-series and I hope Landis will continue to give us stories we didn't know we wanted, but we need.
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