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Superman: Year One #1-3
Superman: Year One
From legendary writer Frank Miller comes a groundbreaking, definitive treatment of Superman's classic origin story, with art by John Romita Jr.
From the collapsing spires of Krypton to the bucolic fields of Kansas, from the submerged splendors of Atlantis to the chaotic energy of the Daily Planet, the story of Clark Kent, last son of the House of El, is the stuff of legend. Now, two of comics' greatest creators join forces to bring a bold new vision of the Man of Steel's origin to life.
With Superman: Year One, writer Frank Miller (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Ronin, Sin City), and artist, John Romita Jr. (Iron Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, Kick-Ass) bring their renowned storytelling talents to bear as they reimagine the formative trials that young Clark must undergo to claim his place I our world.
As he learns to balance the grave responsibilities of his powers against their limitless possibilities, Clark must also build his humanity just like everybody else-one relationship at a time. Greater than a super-powered adventure, more powerful than a coming-of-age tale, Superman: Year One is a visceral exploration of the fundamental importance of choice in this American icon's journey into heroism.
From the collapsing spires of Krypton to the bucolic fields of Kansas, from the submerged splendors of Atlantis to the chaotic energy of the Daily Planet, the story of Clark Kent, last son of the House of El, is the stuff of legend. Now, two of comics' greatest creators join forces to bring a bold new vision of the Man of Steel's origin to life.
With Superman: Year One, writer Frank Miller (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Ronin, Sin City), and artist, John Romita Jr. (Iron Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, Kick-Ass) bring their renowned storytelling talents to bear as they reimagine the formative trials that young Clark must undergo to claim his place I our world.
As he learns to balance the grave responsibilities of his powers against their limitless possibilities, Clark must also build his humanity just like everybody else-one relationship at a time. Greater than a super-powered adventure, more powerful than a coming-of-age tale, Superman: Year One is a visceral exploration of the fundamental importance of choice in this American icon's journey into heroism.
216 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2019
49 people are currently reading
611 people want to read
About the author
Frank Miller
1,355 books5,347 followersFrank Miller is an American writer, artist and film director best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. He is one of the most widely-recognized and popular creators in comics, and is one of the most influential comics creators of his generation. His most notable works include Sin City, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One and 300.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 297 reviews
October 2, 2020
Ha! No.
1.5 stars
This wasn't completely awful, but Clark's inner monologue was just weird. How can someone sound so fucking awkward inside their own head? He sounded so goddamn creepy that I was honestly waiting for the moment when Miller popped up with a Gotcha! This is Evil Superman! twist.
No, seriously. I was shocked when it didn't happen.
I'm not sure what exactly happened to make anyone think it would be a good idea to have Clark turn into a playboy, either. The whole thing is littered with the women in his life who are falling all over themselves to be with him.
And...ok?
But then he just up and leaves several of them without a backward glance after having these You Are My Forever Love moments with them. And in the case of Posiodon's daughter, Lori, it seems as though they may have been on their way to getting married when he just sort of trotted off on to another adventure.
WEIRD.
And speaking of weird, that whole incestuous storyline was a lot of fun, wasn't it?
I gotta say, Wonder Woman giving him that weepy-eyed look as he flies out the window made me throw up in my mouth a little.
Getthefuckoutofherewiththat.
Oh, and apparently Batman not only has a gun (pew, pew!) but now acts like a douchey frat boy after a kegger.
AWESOME.
It's also worth noting that it looks like this version of Baby Clark mind controlled the Kents into adopting him.
Because that's not scary as all fuck, is it?
Just so you think I'm not a big whiner baby, there were parts of it that were interesting. The stuff with him in the military caught my attention as a what if - then it just went off the rails and into mermaid land. Add to that the fact that he never seemed to visit Smallville, or mention Lana & the Kents again, and you can see why I was convinced I was reading a comic about Ultraman.
Normally, I'm not a fan of John Romita Jr.'s art, but I actually thought this was the best work I've ever personally seen from him. That's not to say I loved it, but I didn't (for once) hate it.
And look, I know it had to be incredibly hard to try and retell the Superman origin story...again. I get that, really.
But maybe that's a sign that it doesn't need to be retold.
On the whole, though?
1.5 stars
This wasn't completely awful, but Clark's inner monologue was just weird. How can someone sound so fucking awkward inside their own head? He sounded so goddamn creepy that I was honestly waiting for the moment when Miller popped up with a Gotcha! This is Evil Superman! twist.
No, seriously. I was shocked when it didn't happen.
I'm not sure what exactly happened to make anyone think it would be a good idea to have Clark turn into a playboy, either. The whole thing is littered with the women in his life who are falling all over themselves to be with him.
And...ok?
But then he just up and leaves several of them without a backward glance after having these You Are My Forever Love moments with them. And in the case of Posiodon's daughter, Lori, it seems as though they may have been on their way to getting married when he just sort of trotted off on to another adventure.
WEIRD.
And speaking of weird, that whole incestuous storyline was a lot of fun, wasn't it?
I gotta say, Wonder Woman giving him that weepy-eyed look as he flies out the window made me throw up in my mouth a little.
Getthefuckoutofherewiththat.
Oh, and apparently Batman not only has a gun (pew, pew!) but now acts like a douchey frat boy after a kegger.
AWESOME.
It's also worth noting that it looks like this version of Baby Clark mind controlled the Kents into adopting him.
Because that's not scary as all fuck, is it?
Just so you think I'm not a big whiner baby, there were parts of it that were interesting. The stuff with him in the military caught my attention as a what if - then it just went off the rails and into mermaid land. Add to that the fact that he never seemed to visit Smallville, or mention Lana & the Kents again, and you can see why I was convinced I was reading a comic about Ultraman.
Normally, I'm not a fan of John Romita Jr.'s art, but I actually thought this was the best work I've ever personally seen from him. That's not to say I loved it, but I didn't (for once) hate it.
And look, I know it had to be incredibly hard to try and retell the Superman origin story...again. I get that, really.
But maybe that's a sign that it doesn't need to be retold.
On the whole, though?
November 12, 2021
At this point, Frank Miller is certainly living off his cred as creating some of the best comics in my lifetime in Daredevil, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, Sin City, and 300. However his comics of the last several years have been awful. I don't really think we really even needed another origin story for Supes in the first place.
This quickly goes off the rails when Baby Kal uses his psychic powers to make Jonathan Kent take him home. A lot of his growing up felt like the recent movie Brightburn about a Superman who goes bad. Yes, he never goes that far in this, but he also doesn't do nearly enough to hide his powers either. It's also never explained why these adults and teachers are scared of these bullies tormenting Clark and his friends. It makes little sense.
My teeth began to grind when Clark joined the military. Besides the nonsensical logistics of how exactly is Superman going to pass a physical? They do draw blood and give you shots. If Superman can stop a bullet how is a needle going to pierce his arm? And this doesn't even bring to account that Superman shouldn't be learning how to kill people in the first place. It goes completely against his character. Oh and then Clark Kent goes AWOL to screw a mermaid. Did I forgot to mention Superman can now breathe water even though he doesn't have gills? The issue ends with Superman becoming the king of Atlantis and getting hitched to Lori Lemaris only to be forgotten the very next issue.
Clark Kent is written really douchy. He talks about how Lana Lang and Lori Lemaris are the loves of his life only to instantly forget them when it's convenient to the plot. They don't even get a goodbye. He just disappears. Miller gives Supes all these extra powers too, as if he needs them. Now he's a telepath, can breathe underwater and absorb lightning. I fully expected this to end with Superman punching a planet. I haven't even brought up how Batman carries a gun and shoots people now.
John Romita Jr.'s art is very good for the most part and Alex Sinclair's colors really pop. My only complaint is that JRJr has a real problem drawing kids consistently. Clark as a kid fluctuates between 8 and 15 with each page of the first issue. It's kind of confusing.
Anyway, get this from the library if you really feel the need to check out this dumpster fire. Don't spend any of your hard earned money on it.
This quickly goes off the rails when Baby Kal uses his psychic powers to make Jonathan Kent take him home. A lot of his growing up felt like the recent movie Brightburn about a Superman who goes bad. Yes, he never goes that far in this, but he also doesn't do nearly enough to hide his powers either. It's also never explained why these adults and teachers are scared of these bullies tormenting Clark and his friends. It makes little sense.
My teeth began to grind when Clark joined the military. Besides the nonsensical logistics of how exactly is Superman going to pass a physical? They do draw blood and give you shots. If Superman can stop a bullet how is a needle going to pierce his arm? And this doesn't even bring to account that Superman shouldn't be learning how to kill people in the first place. It goes completely against his character. Oh and then Clark Kent goes AWOL to screw a mermaid. Did I forgot to mention Superman can now breathe water even though he doesn't have gills? The issue ends with Superman becoming the king of Atlantis and getting hitched to Lori Lemaris only to be forgotten the very next issue.
Clark Kent is written really douchy. He talks about how Lana Lang and Lori Lemaris are the loves of his life only to instantly forget them when it's convenient to the plot. They don't even get a goodbye. He just disappears. Miller gives Supes all these extra powers too, as if he needs them. Now he's a telepath, can breathe underwater and absorb lightning. I fully expected this to end with Superman punching a planet. I haven't even brought up how Batman carries a gun and shoots people now.
John Romita Jr.'s art is very good for the most part and Alex Sinclair's colors really pop. My only complaint is that JRJr has a real problem drawing kids consistently. Clark as a kid fluctuates between 8 and 15 with each page of the first issue. It's kind of confusing.
Anyway, get this from the library if you really feel the need to check out this dumpster fire. Don't spend any of your hard earned money on it.
March 28, 2020
Another year, another blimmin’ retelling of Superman’s origins - from no less than Frank Miller this time! A guy who I thought only despised the Man of Steel is now unexpectedly writing a Superman comic. Though, unfortunately like all of Miller’s latter-day output, it’s godawful. In this tedious reiteration of his origin, Superman does some Navy SEAL training and porks (spears?) a mermaid. What else? What else, indeed.
Like the super-characters from his Dark Knight comics, Miller’s Superman is a lot more knowing and a lot less innocent than he’s usually written to be, particularly at this time of his life. His tone is almost arrogant in the way he looks down on humans, which makes him a lot less likeable.
The bad guys he battles are absurdly one-dimensional. High school bullies that supposedly hold Smallville in thrall and attempt to rape Lana Lang, Navy grunts in a bar who attempt to rape female customers, and a version of Poseidon that’s out to rape his own daughter: this is just laughably childish characterisation and lazy writing.
Superman goes from being madly in love with Lana Lang to throwing his lot in with the new love of his life Lori the little mermaid even though they barely know each other and met briefly in one scene? It’s not even remotely convincing. And what is it with love interests starting with the letter “L” - Lana, Lori, Lois? Superman’s got a type and it’s bizarrely alphabet-related.
I don’t know why we had to see Superman do Navy SEAL training, especially given how long that goes on for - nearly a third of the book for something utterly pointless! It’s not like it was teaching him discipline or values - he already got that from Jon and Martha. Also, is it normal for cadets to be taken on actual life-or-death missions against terrorists while still in training?
And the rest is just rehashing the familiar story: Metropolis, journalism, Lois, Lex, yadda yadda yadda, the end. It’s such a boring book.
The title is a misnomer - this story takes place over several years rather than one year, unless it’s figurative and stands for just the beginning. But it’s really called Superman: Year One because Miller wrote arguably his best DC book in Batman: Year One and this is just a reference to tell readers, hey, ‘memberberries that classic? Check this one out!
Because did we really need another origin retelling? Of course not. That’s the only reason this book exists: nostalgia and yet another version of the same guff to flog to readers. What little new details Frank Miller throws into his retelling doesn’t justify its existence and I just wouldn’t bother with Superman: Year One at all. Instead, if you want to read better Superman origin stories, I would recommend the vastly superior Superman: Birthright or even Superman: Secret Origin over this rubbish.
Like the super-characters from his Dark Knight comics, Miller’s Superman is a lot more knowing and a lot less innocent than he’s usually written to be, particularly at this time of his life. His tone is almost arrogant in the way he looks down on humans, which makes him a lot less likeable.
The bad guys he battles are absurdly one-dimensional. High school bullies that supposedly hold Smallville in thrall and attempt to rape Lana Lang, Navy grunts in a bar who attempt to rape female customers, and a version of Poseidon that’s out to rape his own daughter: this is just laughably childish characterisation and lazy writing.
Superman goes from being madly in love with Lana Lang to throwing his lot in with the new love of his life Lori the little mermaid even though they barely know each other and met briefly in one scene? It’s not even remotely convincing. And what is it with love interests starting with the letter “L” - Lana, Lori, Lois? Superman’s got a type and it’s bizarrely alphabet-related.
I don’t know why we had to see Superman do Navy SEAL training, especially given how long that goes on for - nearly a third of the book for something utterly pointless! It’s not like it was teaching him discipline or values - he already got that from Jon and Martha. Also, is it normal for cadets to be taken on actual life-or-death missions against terrorists while still in training?
And the rest is just rehashing the familiar story: Metropolis, journalism, Lois, Lex, yadda yadda yadda, the end. It’s such a boring book.
The title is a misnomer - this story takes place over several years rather than one year, unless it’s figurative and stands for just the beginning. But it’s really called Superman: Year One because Miller wrote arguably his best DC book in Batman: Year One and this is just a reference to tell readers, hey, ‘memberberries that classic? Check this one out!
Because did we really need another origin retelling? Of course not. That’s the only reason this book exists: nostalgia and yet another version of the same guff to flog to readers. What little new details Frank Miller throws into his retelling doesn’t justify its existence and I just wouldn’t bother with Superman: Year One at all. Instead, if you want to read better Superman origin stories, I would recommend the vastly superior Superman: Birthright or even Superman: Secret Origin over this rubbish.
October 20, 2019
This is a tricky one to rate. One’s first thought can’t help but be ‘Do we really need yet another re-telling of Superman’s origin story?’ and, to be honest, I don’t think we really did.
That being said, the first two issues (and each issue is a giant-sized 67 pager) are undeniably engaging and entertaining, doing a decent job of capturing what makes Clark who he is, despite a couple of questionable decisions .
Issue three is where it starts to feel very rushed; the plotting falls to pieces once Lex Luthor, Batman and Wonder Woman are introduced (in rapid succession); and it fails to have any kind of satisfying ending. Rather than another character-defining epic like The Dark Knight Returns, Miller’s take on Superman seems destined to be remembered rather as something of an odd duck.
That being said, the first two issues (and each issue is a giant-sized 67 pager) are undeniably engaging and entertaining, doing a decent job of capturing what makes Clark who he is, despite a couple of questionable decisions .
Issue three is where it starts to feel very rushed; the plotting falls to pieces once Lex Luthor, Batman and Wonder Woman are introduced (in rapid succession); and it fails to have any kind of satisfying ending. Rather than another character-defining epic like The Dark Knight Returns, Miller’s take on Superman seems destined to be remembered rather as something of an odd duck.
November 12, 2019
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
How many times have we heard about the story of a space ship holding a special baby that crash-landed in the middle of Smallville, Kansas? The one where that very baby grows up to don a symbol of hope for the city of Metropolis? The one where he learns to fit in with humans although he possesses powers worthy of a God? In the same vein as Batman: Year One, legendary writer Frank Miller returns with the help of artist John Romita Jr. to write a reimagined origin story for Superman in honor of his 80th anniversary. As part of the DC Black Label imprint, this tale focuses on some of the most crucial turning points throughout the hero’s formative days, including his teenage, young adult, and his career-defining early-adult days.
What is Superman: Year One about? This three-issue story invites readers to revisit Superman’s origins from the destruction of Krypton and exile of Kal-El to his introduction in Metropolis as the Man of Steel. As a stranger to Earth, he learns to stand up to those who are in need and to control his powers before inviting any form of alienation from those who do not see eye to eye with him. It’s through personal experiences of love and danger, that he understands what he is capable of doing, what he believes in and what he wants to give the world, but he will never forget his roots and what his adoptive parents have allowed him to become.
There he goes again. While writer Frank Miller might have had a hand in revolutionizing the comic book industry with some of the most impressive stories out there, he has failed to prove the world that he is still relevant as he continues to repeatedly write some of the most painful and cringy stories in the market. This time around, he wished to tackle one of DC’s most iconic heroes while having complete control of the Big Blue Boy Scout’s lore and an oversized format to explore it all on. Oddly enough, the graphic novel starts off intriguing and resolutely promising as the dialogue doesn’t scream pretentious or absurd for once. He ties together various iconic characters that have often been associated with Clark Kent’s growth, from his parents to his love interest, and allows us to see the innocent yet virtuous hero acknowledge his place on Earth while restraining himself to avoid breaking everything he touches, objects and people alike.
It is as you progress through the story and Clark Kent grows old that you start getting the idea that Frank Miller plans on adding some unnecessary lore elements to the hero’s journey, as the transition seems off more often than not. In fact, when Clark Kent reaches his young adult days, he is put in a world that is not common of him to be in, especially when he is often reluctant to be a pawn to a higher authority. It can maybe be argued that he has always been a man who will do anything for his nation but to insert it so early in his life almost makes it seem like he was always inclined to join forces with the government in the long run. The story also ventures in an underwater tale where Superman showcases unprecedented signs of cockiness, as he discovers more of his powers while proving his love for an unusual love interest. This chapter simply appeared out of the blue and quickly made me think that Frank Miller simply wanted to fuse Aquaman’s playground to Superman’s adventures.
The final chapter is where it completely derailed in my books as the story lost its focus and expanded its cast to include other heroes and villains that shouldn’t have been in this story in the first place—amongst them all, he unsurprisingly decided to ruin the Dark Knight with some of the worse dialogues of all time. This whole chapter almost felt like it that was designed to prove the people at Warner Bros and DC Comics that he had a “better” idea—the premise of it could’ve been good but the execution here was horrible—than director Zach Snyder as to what Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) should’ve been.
And the artwork? Thankfully, Frank Miller didn’t do that too. He does do the inside cover art of this edition and I’m glad that the dusk jacket is there to hide it. However, John Romita Jr. does a decent job illustrating this story from start to finish but since I’m not much of a fan of his visual style, especially his character designs, I can’t say that I loved it too much. It’s mostly the inking by Danny Miki and colouring by Alex Sinclair that allowed this volume to keep me hooked. Vibrant, clearly-defined, and with a touch of mysticism, the artwork was decent enough to not contribute to Frank Miller’s yet-again unnecessary and mediocre project.
Superman: Year One is a superfluous origin story that skips through his evolution and delivers a hectic, unfocused and precipitous finale that completely lost sight of its intended direction.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
_______________________
It's not surprising for Frank Miller to go down that route in the end...
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
October 23, 2019
Just so bafflingly, bizarrely, badly written. Two fantastic creators at the bottom of their game. Every page made me a little sadder.
December 21, 2020
Well, the art is good. Yeah, I know not the most uplifting of comments to start a review but considering the material, quite apt. So what's the deal? Great question. I am still trying to figure out what I just read.
So Frank Miller, hubris laden, bored silly and seeking to put a few more dollars into his accounts has decided to write a Year One story for Superman. The funny thing is that it starts out well enough. No really. I actually liked the story for the first part- from the destruction of Krypton to the Clark Kent in High School...I was fine with it and thought it an interesting take on the Superman origin story.
Then Clark joins the Navy and the downhill slide starts. I realize, like most liberals, that Frank Miller has little to no concept of the military. His painful version of Navy Basic Training is farcically amusing and then goes straight into dumbass land with Kent going to SEAL training and even deploying on missions, all before completing the aforementioned training. I am not even going to touch how incredibly stupid his idea of how the military works and how the things he is describing really work. I honestly find his vision of the military to be more in keeping with how a 14 year old views these things. So never mind all that as most people tend to be rather ignorant about such things. But, I do have one question- how in the name of HELL did he pass a physical? No really...the guy in invulnerable. How did they draw blood? Did none of the M.D.s think "Hmmm this odd?" Even a cursory examination would have thrown up all sorts of red flags. So yeah-if YOU are a space alien seeking to hide your powers and true identity..here is some advice DO NOT join the military. Also, one other side note, if you are ever faced with a command deck full of terrorists, instead of pointing your guns stealthily at them and then causing the clusterfuck scene with the grenade-how about this? Pop a flashbang and then while they are stunned silly..walk in and calmly blow their brains out. Trust me..it works wonders.
Then after getting booted from the military for saving his team's life (like I said his ideas of how the military works are borderline moronic), the story goes even further downhill with a really, really odd story about him in Atlantis, mucking about with mermaids and getting on incestuous Posideon's bad side. Superman makes a Kraken puke and then Posideon swims away sad that he lost his throne and can't have sex with his own daughter. *sigh*
The story gets even worse with the Lois Lane/Daily Planet/ Luthor part. The interactions between Superman and Luthor made little to no sense. The Batman fight? It made even less sense. Also..this Batman is an idiot. To top this off Wonder Woman shows up (where was she this entire time?) and then they go after Luthor, who sends Superman off to fight Brainiac. Story ends. Till Money Grab #2..sorry apparently there is a follow up to this that I shall be avoiding. Before I end this horrid review..one other question- if Superman can tell Luthors lying..then how did he get suckered into fighting Batman? It doesn't make much sense.
So, it started out well. Then it began to decline till it hit rock bottom. A mediocre story, primarily because after the first part Miller mails it in and just throws some random gibberish on the page, and viola! we have a graphic novel. I would really avoid this unless you like subpar crap. But, hey Romita Jr's art is actually spot on and I enjoyed it. So there is that..do yourself a favor and avoid this one.
So Frank Miller, hubris laden, bored silly and seeking to put a few more dollars into his accounts has decided to write a Year One story for Superman. The funny thing is that it starts out well enough. No really. I actually liked the story for the first part- from the destruction of Krypton to the Clark Kent in High School...I was fine with it and thought it an interesting take on the Superman origin story.
Then Clark joins the Navy and the downhill slide starts. I realize, like most liberals, that Frank Miller has little to no concept of the military. His painful version of Navy Basic Training is farcically amusing and then goes straight into dumbass land with Kent going to SEAL training and even deploying on missions, all before completing the aforementioned training. I am not even going to touch how incredibly stupid his idea of how the military works and how the things he is describing really work. I honestly find his vision of the military to be more in keeping with how a 14 year old views these things. So never mind all that as most people tend to be rather ignorant about such things. But, I do have one question- how in the name of HELL did he pass a physical? No really...the guy in invulnerable. How did they draw blood? Did none of the M.D.s think "Hmmm this odd?" Even a cursory examination would have thrown up all sorts of red flags. So yeah-if YOU are a space alien seeking to hide your powers and true identity..here is some advice DO NOT join the military. Also, one other side note, if you are ever faced with a command deck full of terrorists, instead of pointing your guns stealthily at them and then causing the clusterfuck scene with the grenade-how about this? Pop a flashbang and then while they are stunned silly..walk in and calmly blow their brains out. Trust me..it works wonders.
Then after getting booted from the military for saving his team's life (like I said his ideas of how the military works are borderline moronic), the story goes even further downhill with a really, really odd story about him in Atlantis, mucking about with mermaids and getting on incestuous Posideon's bad side. Superman makes a Kraken puke and then Posideon swims away sad that he lost his throne and can't have sex with his own daughter. *sigh*
The story gets even worse with the Lois Lane/Daily Planet/ Luthor part. The interactions between Superman and Luthor made little to no sense. The Batman fight? It made even less sense. Also..this Batman is an idiot. To top this off Wonder Woman shows up (where was she this entire time?) and then they go after Luthor, who sends Superman off to fight Brainiac. Story ends. Till Money Grab #2..sorry apparently there is a follow up to this that I shall be avoiding. Before I end this horrid review..one other question- if Superman can tell Luthors lying..then how did he get suckered into fighting Batman? It doesn't make much sense.
So, it started out well. Then it began to decline till it hit rock bottom. A mediocre story, primarily because after the first part Miller mails it in and just throws some random gibberish on the page, and viola! we have a graphic novel. I would really avoid this unless you like subpar crap. But, hey Romita Jr's art is actually spot on and I enjoyed it. So there is that..do yourself a favor and avoid this one.
February 20, 2020
I sort of kind of wanted to like it at times, but the narration was laughably bad, major plot lines kept being introduced and dropped, mysterious and odd new powers were given to Supes, and he and the other characters acted way out of character. This is a Black Label book, but I find nothing mature in this take on the Superman, other than Clark following his penis around as he changes the course of his life every time he sees an attractive female, immediately ghosting the previous one.
Seriously, this is just a bad retelling of John Byrne's The Man of Steel limited series from the 1980s.
Seriously, this is just a bad retelling of John Byrne's The Man of Steel limited series from the 1980s.
November 30, 2019
Imagine if someone wrote the Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman in the absolute worst possible ways. Superman as an arrogant ultra-strong, amazing alien to be looked up to who is motivated almost entirely by a sense of morality that isn't explained even partially, and who is a ladies' man almost to a fault. Batman as an illogical, arrogant vigilante who exists almost exclusively to be a foil for Superman. Wonder Woman as a five-second character who lusts after Superman with the fire of a thousand suns. Literally, that's her whole thing. It's so weird and offended me partly because it was such a long read to be this bad.
The dialogue was terrible. The country diction was extremely overdone and not remotely genuine. Lines were repeated, but not in a well-written way. Like he would repeat the same line twice in a row way too many times through the book (Ex. but not from the book: "Too late for it all. Too late for it all.") Art ABSOLUTELY SUCKED.
Overall, it started off around 2 stars and went downhill hard.
The dialogue was terrible. The country diction was extremely overdone and not remotely genuine. Lines were repeated, but not in a well-written way. Like he would repeat the same line twice in a row way too many times through the book (Ex. but not from the book: "Too late for it all. Too late for it all.") Art ABSOLUTELY SUCKED.
Overall, it started off around 2 stars and went downhill hard.
December 28, 2020
Atrocious. Vile. A stain in the legacy of not only Superman, but also the remaining members of the Holy Trinity of DC, Batman and Wonder Woman.
Superman: Year One is not in the main continuity and is, in fact, the origin story of the Superman from TDKR. There are some good parts in the first third of the book and the coloring is vibrant, but that is all. The writing is dreadful, the art hideous.
It feels like Frank Miller can't write an optimistic character, ans JRJR can't draw anymore.
Superman: Year One is not in the main continuity and is, in fact, the origin story of the Superman from TDKR. There are some good parts in the first third of the book and the coloring is vibrant, but that is all. The writing is dreadful, the art hideous.
It feels like Frank Miller can't write an optimistic character, ans JRJR can't draw anymore.
December 2, 2019
At one point you see a panel where a copy of the Daily Planet is sitting on a desk with a headline that reads, simply, "WTF?" Yeah, exactly. To all of this.
But if you've ever wanted to see Clark do military basic training or bang a mermaid, this is your chance.
But if you've ever wanted to see Clark do military basic training or bang a mermaid, this is your chance.
August 23, 2020
This is a quick review of the first issue and I will update the review when the next issues come out.
I do not get the hate for this book. Comic Book website had given this a one star review. It might not be revolutionary like some of the all-time greats but it is a fantastic and grounded version of Superman, which is not overly cynical and dark like the Zack Snyder version. It shows good reasons why the Alien chooses to be human. This is very important to me, because that's what Superman is--an alien being who comes from a technocratic and advanced society which does not tolerate weakness. If we are buying into the Superman/Clark Kent duality, we must accept that he is neither and both - he likes being both and he sees the importance of bearing the sign of house of El as well as a guest on earth. He is naturally drawn to vulnerable people and he wants to help them but he realizes that all his power does not allow him to help people all the time. The truth of the matter is, Superman lives in the world where murders, rapes and genocide happens. He gets to decide which crimes he will stop and which ones he will allow to happen. Every time he switches off his world-tuner, he bears the weight of responsibility of what he has sanctioned. That weight of responsibility shines through in this book. While it is a different father figure, Uncle Ben, who says that with great power must also comes great responsibility - Superman lives it. And the art is gorgeous and color use is brilliant. Pa and Ma Kent come across as earnest and caring. They don't have to be oversmart or woke. As much as I love the woke Aunt May in the recent Spider-Man books (that is the best character reinvention in comics in years imo), 1940s Kansas-bound Martha and Jonathan Kent don't have the same world-exposure that a 2010s New-Yorker Aunt May has. Of course, they are conservative. But they represent the simplest kind of binary values to Superman. One criticism that I can't abide by is that Lana Lang is passive, waiting to be rescued. No, she is smarter than Superman and proves to be as courageous as him. She teaches him the importance of using a scalpel instead of a sledge-hammer. She understands him more instinctively than he does on his own. She does not get as much air time, because this is not Lana Lang year one. But she is not a one-note girlfriend character. Overall, I am excited for the next issue.
UPDATE: After reading the remaining two issues, I have downgraded the rating a bit. The second issue set up a lot of interesting new things which were completely abandoned for a return to the Miller-verse of DKR. That was very disappointing. So, very strong first issue, followed by an intriguing second and a bad third... This seems to be the new Frank Miller formula.
I do not get the hate for this book. Comic Book website had given this a one star review. It might not be revolutionary like some of the all-time greats but it is a fantastic and grounded version of Superman, which is not overly cynical and dark like the Zack Snyder version. It shows good reasons why the Alien chooses to be human. This is very important to me, because that's what Superman is--an alien being who comes from a technocratic and advanced society which does not tolerate weakness. If we are buying into the Superman/Clark Kent duality, we must accept that he is neither and both - he likes being both and he sees the importance of bearing the sign of house of El as well as a guest on earth. He is naturally drawn to vulnerable people and he wants to help them but he realizes that all his power does not allow him to help people all the time. The truth of the matter is, Superman lives in the world where murders, rapes and genocide happens. He gets to decide which crimes he will stop and which ones he will allow to happen. Every time he switches off his world-tuner, he bears the weight of responsibility of what he has sanctioned. That weight of responsibility shines through in this book. While it is a different father figure, Uncle Ben, who says that with great power must also comes great responsibility - Superman lives it. And the art is gorgeous and color use is brilliant. Pa and Ma Kent come across as earnest and caring. They don't have to be oversmart or woke. As much as I love the woke Aunt May in the recent Spider-Man books (that is the best character reinvention in comics in years imo), 1940s Kansas-bound Martha and Jonathan Kent don't have the same world-exposure that a 2010s New-Yorker Aunt May has. Of course, they are conservative. But they represent the simplest kind of binary values to Superman. One criticism that I can't abide by is that Lana Lang is passive, waiting to be rescued. No, she is smarter than Superman and proves to be as courageous as him. She teaches him the importance of using a scalpel instead of a sledge-hammer. She understands him more instinctively than he does on his own. She does not get as much air time, because this is not Lana Lang year one. But she is not a one-note girlfriend character. Overall, I am excited for the next issue.
UPDATE: After reading the remaining two issues, I have downgraded the rating a bit. The second issue set up a lot of interesting new things which were completely abandoned for a return to the Miller-verse of DKR. That was very disappointing. So, very strong first issue, followed by an intriguing second and a bad third... This seems to be the new Frank Miller formula.
March 19, 2020
NOPE!
This book suuuucked. Clark Kent as a Navy Seal? Check! Clark Kent Navy Seal swimming to Atlantis to make out with a hot mermaid? Check! And did you know the earth farts?
Seriously. “Planet Earth farts.” That’s something a 7-year-old would write, but this was actually written by a 62-year-old man.
I was already hating this book but determined to finish it when something really strange started happening about 2/3 of the way through. Text started being repeated at a crazy clip. It just kept coming, and eventually every time there was another instance, I just wanted to fling this book into the garbage can. The next 2 photos are collages of these double texts. Each panel is a separate occurrence. What the hell? Who signed off on this crap?!
Batman is a punch-happy meathead in this book, ironically while he is talking about how stupid Superman is. Wonder Woman is portrayed as a simpleton too.
I give this half a star for the art, because for the most part it’s OK, so that rounds up to 1 star. Avoid like COVID-19.
This book suuuucked. Clark Kent as a Navy Seal? Check! Clark Kent Navy Seal swimming to Atlantis to make out with a hot mermaid? Check! And did you know the earth farts?
Seriously. “Planet Earth farts.” That’s something a 7-year-old would write, but this was actually written by a 62-year-old man.
I was already hating this book but determined to finish it when something really strange started happening about 2/3 of the way through. Text started being repeated at a crazy clip. It just kept coming, and eventually every time there was another instance, I just wanted to fling this book into the garbage can. The next 2 photos are collages of these double texts. Each panel is a separate occurrence. What the hell? Who signed off on this crap?!
Batman is a punch-happy meathead in this book, ironically while he is talking about how stupid Superman is. Wonder Woman is portrayed as a simpleton too.
I give this half a star for the art, because for the most part it’s OK, so that rounds up to 1 star. Avoid like COVID-19.
June 27, 2022
The main problem with this is the fact that it rarely feels like a Superman story. There are so many instances where Clark Kent does something completely out of character that it makes you question whether Miller is writing an OC who just happens to have the same name and powers as Kal El. Why is Clark suddenly a dick now? Why does Clark have random new powers? Why is Clark Kent part of the military? Why is Clark randomly hooking up with a mermaid? Why does Clark openly use his powers when out as a civilian? Narratively, it's extremely wish washy, with the story jumping from plot point to plot point with each sequence being conveniently wrapped up and bearing almost no consequence later. Completely stripped of his likeability, this isn't a portrayal that I want to revisit any time soon.
September 3, 2022
Wordy and boring with pompous captions all over the place, out of character, way too long for what it’s worth (nowt). I can’t believe the guy who was my absolute reference in the 80’s could fall down so hard. Miller has lost his mojo; for good it seems.
Sic transit gloria mundi
Sic transit gloria mundi
June 7, 2020
Brilliant. As only Frank Miller could imagine it.
In the decades since Dark Knight Returns, a funny thing happened to the career of Frank Miller. At first he could do no wrong! And now, basically he can do nothing right. His big sin was revisiting Dark Knight Returns. Dark Knight Returns was a myth-building best possible last crusade for the Dark Knight. He even took on Superman in a legitimate fight. He died. But not really. The greatest sin of Dark Knight Strikes Again...is basically that it happened at all. That perfect ending became...just another moment in Batman’s career. It just continued.
Skipping Dark Knight: The Master Race, which Miller co-wrote so as to minimize the chances of him doing something “crazy” again, and as a result fans...don’t actively grumble about it, now we have Superman: Year One. Seriously, if you had told readers in 1986 that Frank Miller would be called a creative hack, the only fans who would’ve believed you were the diehard monthly readers who just wanted ordinary Batman doing ordinary things. And those fans existed, I assure you. Frank Miller was not an unquestioned god in his heyday.
Miller sees his career as chasing the creative legacy of Will Eisner, the creator of The Spirit and innovator of the graphic novel format. He hasn’t been a regular monthlies guy since Daredevil, and even his Daredevil is hardly remembered, now, for his ordinary monthly work. His art was memorable when he did Dark Knight Returns, but it reached a new level with Sin City, with 300, the stuff Hollywood fell in love with. And fans decided, at that point, incredibly, that Frank Miller was “a bad artist,” and worse storyteller.
Miller has done plenty of work in collaboration with other artists. His “Batman: Year One” is perhaps the most famous example. When Superman: Year One was announced, there was enough residual goodwill from the old days, or perhaps generated by Master Race, that fans were excited, and they expected something like “Batman: Year One.”
Except Superman is not Batman. The origin of Superman is a series of needful developments, whereas Batman’s is the death of his parents and a vow. Superman was Superman long before he put on a costume. And that’s what Frank Miller is interested in.
The biggest divergent mark in his version is Superman in the military. Forget the Atlantis stuff happening around it, the expanded relationship with the mermaid Lori Lemaris. The very thought of Superman in the military, in the modern age, is an outrage. That’s Vietnam for you. You can have Captain America, the Justice Society of America, fighting in WWII, both because that’s literally what made them relevant in the first place and what still makes sense in their stories, but Superman??? Of course not!!! Right?
The oddest choice Miller makes is a few of the things Jonathan Kent says, the way he says them. I figured it was Miller’s way of myth-busting the corn-fed innocence of Smallville, allowing the Kents to have character traits that weren’t just instilling values in young Clark. But Miller does that, too. Miller’s Pa Kent is as eager for Clark to hide his abilities as Zack Snyder, but the difference here is that we follow Clark’s thoughts along the way, how he ingrains the idea of holding back, and using Pa’s suggestions to know what to do instead.
Anyway, I think it’s brilliant, as I’ve noted. This is a Superman who often gets waylaid by his interest in girls, but inspired by them at the same time, from Lana to Lori to Lois to, yeah, Wonder Woman. If this were Loeb & Sale, Year One would have leaned heavily into that. Instead we see all of it build and build until it’s the guy we all know. It’s not the Superman from Dark Knight Returns. Frank Miller isn’t the Frank Miller from Dark Knight Returns. And there will be fans who will forever feel betrayed by that.
But it’s their loss.
In the decades since Dark Knight Returns, a funny thing happened to the career of Frank Miller. At first he could do no wrong! And now, basically he can do nothing right. His big sin was revisiting Dark Knight Returns. Dark Knight Returns was a myth-building best possible last crusade for the Dark Knight. He even took on Superman in a legitimate fight. He died. But not really. The greatest sin of Dark Knight Strikes Again...is basically that it happened at all. That perfect ending became...just another moment in Batman’s career. It just continued.
Skipping Dark Knight: The Master Race, which Miller co-wrote so as to minimize the chances of him doing something “crazy” again, and as a result fans...don’t actively grumble about it, now we have Superman: Year One. Seriously, if you had told readers in 1986 that Frank Miller would be called a creative hack, the only fans who would’ve believed you were the diehard monthly readers who just wanted ordinary Batman doing ordinary things. And those fans existed, I assure you. Frank Miller was not an unquestioned god in his heyday.
Miller sees his career as chasing the creative legacy of Will Eisner, the creator of The Spirit and innovator of the graphic novel format. He hasn’t been a regular monthlies guy since Daredevil, and even his Daredevil is hardly remembered, now, for his ordinary monthly work. His art was memorable when he did Dark Knight Returns, but it reached a new level with Sin City, with 300, the stuff Hollywood fell in love with. And fans decided, at that point, incredibly, that Frank Miller was “a bad artist,” and worse storyteller.
Miller has done plenty of work in collaboration with other artists. His “Batman: Year One” is perhaps the most famous example. When Superman: Year One was announced, there was enough residual goodwill from the old days, or perhaps generated by Master Race, that fans were excited, and they expected something like “Batman: Year One.”
Except Superman is not Batman. The origin of Superman is a series of needful developments, whereas Batman’s is the death of his parents and a vow. Superman was Superman long before he put on a costume. And that’s what Frank Miller is interested in.
The biggest divergent mark in his version is Superman in the military. Forget the Atlantis stuff happening around it, the expanded relationship with the mermaid Lori Lemaris. The very thought of Superman in the military, in the modern age, is an outrage. That’s Vietnam for you. You can have Captain America, the Justice Society of America, fighting in WWII, both because that’s literally what made them relevant in the first place and what still makes sense in their stories, but Superman??? Of course not!!! Right?
The oddest choice Miller makes is a few of the things Jonathan Kent says, the way he says them. I figured it was Miller’s way of myth-busting the corn-fed innocence of Smallville, allowing the Kents to have character traits that weren’t just instilling values in young Clark. But Miller does that, too. Miller’s Pa Kent is as eager for Clark to hide his abilities as Zack Snyder, but the difference here is that we follow Clark’s thoughts along the way, how he ingrains the idea of holding back, and using Pa’s suggestions to know what to do instead.
Anyway, I think it’s brilliant, as I’ve noted. This is a Superman who often gets waylaid by his interest in girls, but inspired by them at the same time, from Lana to Lori to Lois to, yeah, Wonder Woman. If this were Loeb & Sale, Year One would have leaned heavily into that. Instead we see all of it build and build until it’s the guy we all know. It’s not the Superman from Dark Knight Returns. Frank Miller isn’t the Frank Miller from Dark Knight Returns. And there will be fans who will forever feel betrayed by that.
But it’s their loss.
December 13, 2019
I liked the start of this comic. I liked the destruction of Krypton from baby Superman's point of view. I think it was really interesting. But after that there was not a lot to like in the first two issues. The John Romita jr's artwork was good but not as good as it can be and Alex Sinclair's colors were nice but too digital for my taste. Now, as far as the writing goes, it wasn't great. As a matter of fact it wasn't even close to great. They were some point where the plot was going way faster than it should and they were some points where it was going really, REALLY, slow. Also the characters evolution was unrealistically fast, like the relationships between them. For example, Jonathan Kent finds Superman he acts like it's the most normal thing in the world and when he tells Martha she reacts like nothing is happening. I don't know if it's just me, but I think that it would take more time to accept something like that. Maybe I'm the crazy one, I don't know. Oh! There was also an other good in those two issue, way that Frank Miller wrote Superman trying to control his powers was really interesting and very good. But then, after two mediocre (at best) issues, comes the third issue. In the third issue we see how Superman met Lois Lane, we see Superman fighting some marines (basically it was more like Superman was flexing his strength than fighting, but it still worked), we see Superman deciding to become a reporter and moving to Metropolis for a job at the daily planet, we see Superman capturing a lot of bad guys and stopping a hostage situation at Luthor's company, we see the passion of a true reporter through Lois, we see Luthor trying to take Superman to his side, we see Batman, Joker, Wonder Woman, a lot of great things happen and all those things where perfectly written by Frank Miller. The only thing that I disliked in the third issue was when Wonder Woman stops Superman and Batman from fighting and she kinda created justice league. It wasn't bad as an idea but it happened so fast the it didn't make any sense. So to sum up, after all I liked it. 7/10 from me.
June 3, 2020
Sweet Jesus what an agonizingly awful graphic novel. It starts off amazing, but halfway through you start to get distracted and then angered by Frank Miller’s CONSTANT REPETITION. He has double lines on almost every page. It’s a major distraction. The dude just repeats lines over and over and over and over and pretty soon all you want is a page that doesn’t have repetitive dialogue. I almost couldn’t finish this dumpster fire.
August 22, 2022
Why do we need another retelling of Superman’s origin? Especially one where Batman uses guns, Superman fucks mermaids, and everybody in Kansas talks like they’re in the 1950s even though this takes place in the present day?! Frank Miller is aware Kansas is a real place on Earth and not some alien planet, right?
Two stars for the mermaid fucking.
Two stars for the mermaid fucking.
October 26, 2021
Скільки разів ми чули історію про космічний корабель, у якому була маленька дитина, який впав у Смолвіль? Історія, де дитина росте, дізнається про свої супер здібності, де його названі батьки намагалися пояснити своє бачення життя, де згодом Супермен стає символом надії міста Метрополіс.
⠀
Й ось Френк Міллер повертається до історії походження Супермена разом із художником Джоном Ромітою-мл. Автор зосередився на важливих етапах і моментах формування особистості Супермена: дитинство, юнацтво і дорослішання. Ця історія складається із трьох збільшених випусків і починається з руйнування Криптону, польоту Кал-Ела на Землю, де він вчиться протистояти іншим, контролювати свої сили та розбирається у своїй особистості. Через власні переживання любові та небезпеки він розуміє на що здатний, у що вірить і що хоче подарувати світові. Але він ніколи не забуває свого коріння й того, що навчили його земні батьки. Усе виглядає, наче схожим, але є кілька нюансів.
⠀
У першому випуску Кларк має багато справ із хуліганами та підлітками, що більше приближує його до людської раси. Досить непогано все тут виглядає. Та все ж першим, що мене здивувало — це те, що Кларк у космічному кораблі підріс і прилетів уже дитиною, а не немовлям. А що не сподобалося — це те, що дитина Кларк використовував сили контролю розуму, щоб Кенти виховували його. Це не є однією з його надздібностей, але можна загалом не звертати увагу на цей факт. Більше турбує, що тут він показується з негативного боку.
⠀
Другий випуск розповідає про службу Супермена на флоті, який загалом досить непогано спрацював у формуванні образу героя. Навіть окрема сюжетна лінія, коли Кал-Ел пливе в Атлантиду для зустрічі із королем Посейдоном, щоб заслужити руку його дочки. А ось останній випуск бажає бути кращим. Історія розповідається з поспіхом із багатьма сюжетними прогалинами, де, таке враження, основні сюжетні моменти відбуваються поза кадрами.
⠀
Якщо підсумувати, то цей комікс вийшов непоганим, були хороші моменти, були не дуже. Але в будь-якому випадку Френк Міллер ризикнув і вніс в ориджин Супермена багато нових елементів.
⠀
Й ось Френк Міллер повертається до історії походження Супермена разом із художником Джоном Ромітою-мл. Автор зосередився на важливих етапах і моментах формування особистості Супермена: дитинство, юнацтво і дорослішання. Ця історія складається із трьох збільшених випусків і починається з руйнування Криптону, польоту Кал-Ела на Землю, де він вчиться протистояти іншим, контролювати свої сили та розбирається у своїй особистості. Через власні переживання любові та небезпеки він розуміє на що здатний, у що вірить і що хоче подарувати світові. Але він ніколи не забуває свого коріння й того, що навчили його земні батьки. Усе виглядає, наче схожим, але є кілька нюансів.
⠀
У першому випуску Кларк має багато справ із хуліганами та підлітками, що більше приближує його до людської раси. Досить непогано все тут виглядає. Та все ж першим, що мене здивувало — це те, що Кларк у космічному кораблі підріс і прилетів уже дитиною, а не немовлям. А що не сподобалося — це те, що дитина Кларк використовував сили контролю розуму, щоб Кенти виховували його. Це не є однією з його надздібностей, але можна загалом не звертати увагу на цей факт. Більше турбує, що тут він показується з негативного боку.
⠀
Другий випуск розповідає про службу Супермена на флоті, який загалом досить непогано спрацював у формуванні образу героя. Навіть окрема сюжетна лінія, коли Кал-Ел пливе в Атлантиду для зустрічі із королем Посейдоном, щоб заслужити руку його дочки. А ось останній випуск бажає бути кращим. Історія розповідається з поспіхом із багатьма сюжетними прогалинами, де, таке враження, основні сюжетні моменти відбуваються поза кадрами.
⠀
Якщо підсумувати, то цей комікс вийшов непоганим, були хороші моменти, були не дуже. Але в будь-якому випадку Френк Міллер ризикнув і вніс в ориджин Супермена багато нових елементів.
July 16, 2019
4 and a half stars for the art, which is absolutely beautifully composed. Two stars for the writing. I enjoyed some of Miller's work but he doesn't do as strong a job on Superman as others have. However the art makes it worth reading.
October 26, 2019
There's bad. And then there's Superman: Year One.
Terribly written, the art is waaaaay below JRJr's standards, the story is an absolutely unneccessary retelling of Supes's origins. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
Terribly written, the art is waaaaay below JRJr's standards, the story is an absolutely unneccessary retelling of Supes's origins. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
April 25, 2020
1.5*. Frank miller has made Clark into a creepy weirdo. This was the strangest Superman run ive read.
August 26, 2021
Ja neviem ako napísať k tomuto čokolvek pozitívne. Romita nie že nevie kresliť krky, on dá decku hlavu 3x väčšiu než je normálne, svaly sú v tvare v akom nie je možné pre ne existovať, polovica ľudí vyzerá jak dôsledok Černobylu. Z kresby sa mi chcelo celý čas blvať. Príbeh komentovať tiež nedokážem ničím milým, je to nudné, stupidné a nechápem jak človek, čo vedel písať duchaplné a zaujímavo vytvoril niečo takéto. Tretí bookozošit som ani nedočítala, lebo toto neni krok vedľa, to je let zo Slovenska do Viedne čo omylom skončí v Ugande.
November 17, 2019
3.5 Stars
A lot of Frank Miller's more recent work is polarizing and I see this one was no exception. First off, I suppose I misunderstood what DC's Black Label imprint was all about. I thought it was for more mature storytelling, but really, Miller's All Star Batman had more adult content than this series did, which had very little really.
Now, let me start by saying I thought the art was really good, some of Romita's best. The story was..harder to rate.
I would say this is more of an "Elseworlds" story than canon as there are too many weird things going on.
For one thing, this shouldn't be called "Year One" but rather "The Early Years" as there are several years covered here. The first issue deals with Superman as a child and teen, and was the best issue of the three. A really humanizing first issue as Clark deals with bullies and teen angst in general. I did not like the idea of baby Clark using mind control powers to have the Kents raise him (this idea was basically covered in one panel) because for one thing, mind control isn't known to be one of his abilities and for another it just doesn't work for Superman's origin. Lana Lang is the love interest here.
The second issue has Superman in the Navy, which worked okay. He journeys to Atlantis, or at least part of Atlantis, to meet Lori Lemaris and Poseidon (no Aquaman.) Creepy part here is when Poseidon tells his daughter Lori she'll need to replace her mother and be his companion in "every way." And later he even explains further, which was really unnecessary. This was out of place.
Finally the third issue, where we start to enter nonsensical "Dark Knight Strikes Again" territory. The plot is rushed with very little transition. Batman and Wonder Woman are introduced too quickly, and at times we're left guessing as it seems major plot points are taking place off panel. Batman is somewhat out of character, the Joker just seems to pop up out of nowhere for little reason, and Wonder Woman...I don't know where to start with her. Did Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman have prior relationships I missed? It seems like something was going on we weren't let in on, but who knows. Of course for this issue, we get Lois Lane.
The first issue really impressed me and the second wasn't bad either, but the third one sort of went off the rails. If you're a Superman fan this is still worth a read, as I didn't think it was horrible, but I was expecting a lot more.
A lot of Frank Miller's more recent work is polarizing and I see this one was no exception. First off, I suppose I misunderstood what DC's Black Label imprint was all about. I thought it was for more mature storytelling, but really, Miller's All Star Batman had more adult content than this series did, which had very little really.
Now, let me start by saying I thought the art was really good, some of Romita's best. The story was..harder to rate.
I would say this is more of an "Elseworlds" story than canon as there are too many weird things going on.
For one thing, this shouldn't be called "Year One" but rather "The Early Years" as there are several years covered here. The first issue deals with Superman as a child and teen, and was the best issue of the three. A really humanizing first issue as Clark deals with bullies and teen angst in general. I did not like the idea of baby Clark using mind control powers to have the Kents raise him (this idea was basically covered in one panel) because for one thing, mind control isn't known to be one of his abilities and for another it just doesn't work for Superman's origin. Lana Lang is the love interest here.
The second issue has Superman in the Navy, which worked okay. He journeys to Atlantis, or at least part of Atlantis, to meet Lori Lemaris and Poseidon (no Aquaman.) Creepy part here is when Poseidon tells his daughter Lori she'll need to replace her mother and be his companion in "every way." And later he even explains further, which was really unnecessary. This was out of place.
Finally the third issue, where we start to enter nonsensical "Dark Knight Strikes Again" territory. The plot is rushed with very little transition. Batman and Wonder Woman are introduced too quickly, and at times we're left guessing as it seems major plot points are taking place off panel. Batman is somewhat out of character, the Joker just seems to pop up out of nowhere for little reason, and Wonder Woman...I don't know where to start with her. Did Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman have prior relationships I missed? It seems like something was going on we weren't let in on, but who knows. Of course for this issue, we get Lois Lane.
The first issue really impressed me and the second wasn't bad either, but the third one sort of went off the rails. If you're a Superman fan this is still worth a read, as I didn't think it was horrible, but I was expecting a lot more.
February 8, 2021
Κείμενο στο Smassing Culture
Επιστροφή στις ρίζες του Ανθρώπου από Ατσάλι
Οι origin stories στα comics πάντα τραβούν το βλέμμα του αναγνωστικού κοινού. Παρά το γεγονός ότι ειδικά για τους υπερήρωες πρώτης γραμμής αυτές οι πρώιμες ιστορίες είναι ευρέως γνωστές (κυρίως απ’ τις κινηματογραφικές τους μεταφορές), οι δημιουργοί comics διψούν να τις αφηγηθούν ξανά με το δικό τους τρόπο, προσθέτοντας κι αυτοί το λιθαράκι τους στο μύθο των δημοφιλών ηρώων των comics. Και για τους αναγνώστες αντίστοιχα είναι πάντοτε θελκτικό να ξαναγνωρίσουν τους ήρωές τους και να ανακαλύψουν νέες πτυχές του μύθου τους. Ειδικά για τους νέους αναγνώστες, που θέλουν να ξεκινήσουν να διαβάζουν τις ιστορίες ενός συγκεκριμένου υπερήρωα, αλλά έχουν χαθεί στο αχανές continuity των μηνιαίων runs, οι origin ιστορίες αποτελούν μία ιδανική πύλη για τον υπερηρωικό κόσμο των comics.
Μία τέτοια origin ιστορία είναι και το Superman: Year One, την οποία ανέλαβε να διηγηθεί ο Frank Miller ως μία αυτοτελή ιστορία που κυκλοφόρησε στο imprint του DC Black Label (εκεί που η DC εκδίδει τα τελευταία χρόνια τους πιο σκοτεινούς και «ενήλικους» τίτλους της) και η οποία κυκλοφορεί πλέον εδώ και λίγο καιρό στα ελληνικά απ’ τις εκδόσεις Anubis σε προσεγμένη μετάφραση των Χρήστου Κανελλόπουλου και Ηλία Τσιάρα. Φυσικά, απ’ την πρώτη στιγμή που ανακοινώθηκε ο τίτλος το hype των φίλων των comics εκτοξεύτηκε στα ύψη, καθώς ο Frank Miller είναι ένας απ’ τους σημαντικότερους εν ζωή δημιουργούς comics, ο οποίος μάλιστα κάτω από τον ίδιο τίτλο («Year One») έχει αφηγηθεί μία απ’ τις πιο κλασσικές origin ιστορίες του Batman. Μάλιστα οι δύο ήρωες (Batman και Superman) είχαν έρθει αντιμέτωποι στο κλασσικό comic αριστούργημα του Frank Miller, το Dark Knight Returns και υπήρχε εξ’ αρχής το σενάριο των fans ότι η ιστορία του Superman που θέλει να διηγηθεί ο Miller είναι η origin story του Superman που γνωρίσαμε στο Dark Knight Returns. Σαν κερασάκι στην τούρτα ήρθε η συνεργασία του Miller με τον John Romita Jr. στην εικονογράφηση του τίτλου.
Ο Miller χώρισε την ιστορία του σε τρία τεύχη. Στο κάθε τεύχος αφηγείται μία διαφορετική περίοδο των πρώτων χρόνων του Clark Kent στη Γη. Απ’ την πρώτη στιγμή που μωρό – πρόσφυγας έφτασε στη Γη απ’ τον αφανισμένο πλανήτη Krypton μέχρι την ημέρα που ξεκίνησε το ταξίδι για την Metropolis, μέσα σε 200 σελίδες μας διηγείται πώς από τον χαρισματικό Clark Kent του Smallville προέκυψε ο θρυλικός Superman. Ο Miller επανέρχεται σε κλασσικά μοτίβα της origin story του Superman, όμως επιχειρεί και να καινοτομήσει προσθέτοντας νέες πτυχές σε αυτήν την λιγότερο γνωστή περίοδο της ζωής του ήρωα. Ίσως την πιο πρωτότυπη πινελιά την έδωσε στο δεύτερο τεύχος όπου τοποθετεί τον Clark στον στρατό με την πεποίθηση ότι με αυτόν τον τρόπο μπορεί να εκπληρώσει την επιθυμία του πατέρα του να κάνει καλύτερο τον κόσμο. Ο Clark σε εκείνη τη φάση της ζωής του έχει μάθει να συγκρατεί τις δυνάμεις του, να μην τις επιδεικνύει, να μην προσπαθεί να ξεχωρίσει και γι’ αυτό φαντάζει λογικό να προσπαθεί να γίνει κομμάτι ενός συνόλου, το οποίο θα βοηθήσει με τις ιδιαίτερες ικανότητές του να πετύχει το στόχο του.
Το πρόβλημα με την ιστορία που αφηγείται ο Miller στα δύο πρώτα τεύχη δεν είναι τόσο οι επιλογές του για τον Clark (αν και χωράει αρκετή συζήτηση ο ουδέτερος τρόπος αντιμετώπισης του αμερικάνικου στρατού), όσο το γεγονός ότι αποτελούν ως επί το πλείστον τυπικές ιστορίες, που ακολουθούν τα κλασσικά μοτίβα του είδους τους, στα οποία η παρουσία του Clark μοιάζει σε στιγμές σχεδόν διακοσμητική. Ειδικά το πρώτο τεύχος είναι μία τυπική teen αφήγηση, που διαδραματίζεται σε ένα σχολείο της αμερικάνικης επαρχίας. Οι έρωτες, οι φιλίες, οι αντιζηλίες, το bullying και το αμερικάνικο ποδόσφαιρο είναι κάποια απ’ τα βασικά συστατικά του τεύχους. Ο Clark γίνεται φίλος των πιο ντροπαλών παιδιών, εκείνων που συχνά περνούν απαρατήρητα απ’ τους σχολικούς διαδρόμους και που μετατρέπονται στους κύριους στόχους του bullying απ’ τις βίαιες παρέες των σχολείων. Έτσι ο Clark, χωρίς να θέλει να αποκαλύψει τις υπερφυσικές ικανότητές του, γίνεται υπερασπιστής των φίλων του και εχθρός των τραμπούκων.
Αντίστοιχα και στο δεύτερο τεύχος, στο μεγαλύτερο κομμάτι του οποίου μας διηγείται την εκπαίδευση του Clark στον αμερικάνικο στρατό, η εξέλιξη είναι αρκετά προβλέψιμη, ενώ απουσιάζει και η πρωτοτυπία στην αφήγηση της καθημερινότητας του στρατού. Παρ’ όλο που ο Superman δεν είχε βρεθεί ξανά στο παρελθόν στον αμερικάνικο στρατό, το πέρασμά του από αυτόν δεν ήταν τελικά ιδιαίτερα αξιοσημείωτο. Μάλιστα, το γεγονός ότι τη μόνη φορά που παρουσιάζεται ο αμερικάνικος στρατός στο πεδίο της δράσης βρίσκεται αντιμέτωπος με μουσουλμάνους τρομοκράτες προδίδει τις ιδεολογικές εμμονές που έχει αναπτύξει ο Frank Miller στα έργα του τα τελευταία χρόνια.
Ακόμα όμως και η επαναφήγηση των κλασσικών μοτίβων της origin ιστορίας του Superman γίνεται πολλές φορές με τρόπο ασταθή και βιαστικό. Στιγμές όπως η «υιοθεσία» του Clark απ’ τους Kent ή ο σχηματισμός της Trinity εκτυλίσσονται μέσα σε ελάχιστα καρέ, ακολουθώντας έναν γρήγορο ρυθμό που αφήνει πολλά κενά, μοιάζοντας να έχει μπει η αφήγηση σε fast forward. Ίσως αυτή είναι και μία συνέπεια του reboot μίας ιστορίας από αυτές που γνωρίζουν πλέον οι πάντες.
Ένα απ’ τα πιο αξιοπρόσεκτα στοιχεία της ιστορίας του Miller είναι ότι σε κάθε φάση της ζωής του Clark τον συνδέει και με ένα διαφορετικό ερωτικό ταίρι. Ενώ εμείς έχουμε στερεοτυπικά συνδεδεομένο τον Clark Kent με τη Lois Lane, ο Miller θέλει να μας διηγηθεί το παρελθόν του ήρωα και να μας υπενθυμίσει ότι είναι απόλυτα φυσικό ο Clark να είχε ερωτικές περιπέτειες και πριν φτάσει στη Metropolis και γνωρίσει τη Lois. Έτσι κάθε τεύχος συνδέει τον Clark και με μία διαφορετική γυναίκα, ενώ προφανώς στο τρίτο τεύχος κάνει την εμφάνισή της για πρώτη φορά η Lois, αλλά και η Wonder Woman, η οποία επίσης έχει υπάρξει ερωτική σύντροφος του Superman σε κάποιες comic ιστορίες του παρελθόντος. Βέβαια ας μην ξεχνάμε ότι ο έρωτας του Clark για την Lois έδωσε την ιδέα στον Tom Taylor να δημιουργήσει το Injustice, μία σειρά comics όπου με αφορμή την δολοφονία της Lois ο Superman μετατρέπεται σε βίαιο δικτάτορα που προσπαθεί να επιβάλλει την εξουσία του σε όλο τον πλανήτη.
Όσον αφορά το σχέδιο του John Romita Jr., (Daredevil: Man without Fear, Eternals: Το Ξύπνημα των Θεών, Wolverine: Δημόσιος Κίνδυνος) χωρίς να εντάσσεται στις κορυφαίες στιγμές της καριέρας του, παραμένει εντυπωσιακό στα μεγάλα καρέ και αξιοπρόσεκτο ακόμα και στα πιο τυπικά σημεία της αφήγησης. Ο έμπειρος σχεδιαστής ακολουθεί τη ροή της αφήγησης του Miller και προσαρμόζει αξιόλογα το σχέδιό του στις αλλαγές αυτού. Το πιο ενδιαφέρον σημείο της δουλειάς του είναι η σχεδιαστική αποτύπωση της ωρίμανσης του Clark, η εξέλιξη της μορφής του από τον έφηβο μαθητή του Smallville στον θρυλικό υπερήρωα.
Τελικά το Superman: Year One είναι ένα comic που διαβάζεται μεν ευχάριστα αλλά δεν ανταποκρίθηκε στις προσδοκίες που είχε χτίσει όταν ανακοινώθηκε. Αντιθέτως την ίδια χρονιά (το 2019) με λιγότερο θόρυβο ��ίχε κυκλοφορήσει κι ένα άλλο origin του Ανθρώπου από Ατσάλι, το «Man and Superman» του Marv Wolfman, στις σελίδες του οποίου διαβάζουμε μία απολαυστική επαναφήγηση των πρώτων χρόνων του ήρωα. Δυστυχώς το Superman: Year One είναι άλλο ένα απ’ τα comics του Frank Miller με τα οποία προσπαθεί να επαναλάβει επιτυχίες του παρελθόντος του. Με το Year One προσπάθησε να δημιουργήσει ένα origin story αντάξιο του Batman: Year One, όπως αντίστοιχα τα προηγούμενα χρόνια έχει προσπαθήσει να επαναλάβει κι άλλες παλιότερες επιτυχίες του, μεταξύ των οποίων είναι το Dark Knight Returns και οι 300. Σε καμία από αυτές τις νέες δημιουργίες του δεν κατάφερε να ξαναβρεί τον παλιό εαυτό του και σίγουρα αυτή είναι μία δυσάρεστη είδηση για τους αναγνώστες των comics, επειδή ο Miller είναι ένας θρύλος των comics, σημάδεψε μία ολόκληρη γενιά δημιουργών στα ‘80s και τα 90’s, αλλά δυστυχώς σήμερα δείχνει να έχει στερέψει από νέες ιδέες.
Επιστροφή στις ρίζες του Ανθρώπου από Ατσάλι
Οι origin stories στα comics πάντα τραβούν το βλέμμα του αναγνωστικού κοινού. Παρά το γεγονός ότι ειδικά για τους υπερήρωες πρώτης γραμμής αυτές οι πρώιμες ιστορίες είναι ευρέως γνωστές (κυρίως απ’ τις κινηματογραφικές τους μεταφορές), οι δημιουργοί comics διψούν να τις αφηγηθούν ξανά με το δικό τους τρόπο, προσθέτοντας κι αυτοί το λιθαράκι τους στο μύθο των δημοφιλών ηρώων των comics. Και για τους αναγνώστες αντίστοιχα είναι πάντοτε θελκτικό να ξαναγνωρίσουν τους ήρωές τους και να ανακαλύψουν νέες πτυχές του μύθου τους. Ειδικά για τους νέους αναγνώστες, που θέλουν να ξεκινήσουν να διαβάζουν τις ιστορίες ενός συγκεκριμένου υπερήρωα, αλλά έχουν χαθεί στο αχανές continuity των μηνιαίων runs, οι origin ιστορίες αποτελούν μία ιδανική πύλη για τον υπερηρωικό κόσμο των comics.
Μία τέτοια origin ιστορία είναι και το Superman: Year One, την οποία ανέλαβε να διηγηθεί ο Frank Miller ως μία αυτοτελή ιστορία που κυκλοφόρησε στο imprint του DC Black Label (εκεί που η DC εκδίδει τα τελευταία χρόνια τους πιο σκοτεινούς και «ενήλικους» τίτλους της) και η οποία κυκλοφορεί πλέον εδώ και λίγο καιρό στα ελληνικά απ’ τις εκδόσεις Anubis σε προσεγμένη μετάφραση των Χρήστου Κανελλόπουλου και Ηλία Τσιάρα. Φυσικά, απ’ την πρώτη στιγμή που ανακοινώθηκε ο τίτλος το hype των φίλων των comics εκτοξεύτηκε στα ύψη, καθώς ο Frank Miller είναι ένας απ’ τους σημαντικότερους εν ζωή δημιουργούς comics, ο οποίος μάλιστα κάτω από τον ίδιο τίτλο («Year One») έχει αφηγηθεί μία απ’ τις πιο κλασσικές origin ιστορίες του Batman. Μάλιστα οι δύο ήρωες (Batman και Superman) είχαν έρθει αντιμέτωποι στο κλασσικό comic αριστούργημα του Frank Miller, το Dark Knight Returns και υπήρχε εξ’ αρχής το σενάριο των fans ότι η ιστορία του Superman που θέλει να διηγηθεί ο Miller είναι η origin story του Superman που γνωρίσαμε στο Dark Knight Returns. Σαν κερασάκι στην τούρτα ήρθε η συνεργασία του Miller με τον John Romita Jr. στην εικονογράφηση του τίτλου.
Ο Miller χώρισε την ιστορία του σε τρία τεύχη. Στο κάθε τεύχος αφηγείται μία διαφορετική περίοδο των πρώτων χρόνων του Clark Kent στη Γη. Απ’ την πρώτη στιγμή που μωρό – πρόσφυγας έφτασε στη Γη απ’ τον αφανισμένο πλανήτη Krypton μέχρι την ημέρα που ξεκίνησε το ταξίδι για την Metropolis, μέσα σε 200 σελίδες μας διηγείται πώς από τον χαρισματικό Clark Kent του Smallville προέκυψε ο θρυλικός Superman. Ο Miller επανέρχεται σε κλασσικά μοτίβα της origin story του Superman, όμως επιχειρεί και να καινοτομήσει προσθέτοντας νέες πτυχές σε αυτήν την λιγότερο γνωστή περίοδο της ζωής του ήρωα. Ίσως την πιο πρωτότυπη πινελιά την έδωσε στο δεύτερο τεύχος όπου τοποθετεί τον Clark στον στρατό με την πεποίθηση ότι με αυτόν τον τρόπο μπορεί να εκπληρώσει την επιθυμία του πατέρα του να κάνει καλύτερο τον κόσμο. Ο Clark σε εκείνη τη φάση της ζωής του έχει μάθει να συγκρατεί τις δυνάμεις του, να μην τις επιδεικνύει, να μην προσπαθεί να ξεχωρίσει και γι’ αυτό φαντάζει λογικό να προσπαθεί να γίνει κομμάτι ενός συνόλου, το οποίο θα βοηθήσει με τις ιδιαίτερες ικανότητές του να πετύχει το στόχο του.
Το πρόβλημα με την ιστορία που αφηγείται ο Miller στα δύο πρώτα τεύχη δεν είναι τόσο οι επιλογές του για τον Clark (αν και χωράει αρκετή συζήτηση ο ουδέτερος τρόπος αντιμετώπισης του αμερικάνικου στρατού), όσο το γεγονός ότι αποτελούν ως επί το πλείστον τυπικές ιστορίες, που ακολουθούν τα κλασσικά μοτίβα του είδους τους, στα οποία η παρουσία του Clark μοιάζει σε στιγμές σχεδόν διακοσμητική. Ειδικά το πρώτο τεύχος είναι μία τυπική teen αφήγηση, που διαδραματίζεται σε ένα σχολείο της αμερικάνικης επαρχίας. Οι έρωτες, οι φιλίες, οι αντιζηλίες, το bullying και το αμερικάνικο ποδόσφαιρο είναι κάποια απ’ τα βασικά συστατικά του τεύχους. Ο Clark γίνεται φίλος των πιο ντροπαλών παιδιών, εκείνων που συχνά περνούν απαρατήρητα απ’ τους σχολικούς διαδρόμους και που μετατρέπονται στους κύριους στόχους του bullying απ’ τις βίαιες παρέες των σχολείων. Έτσι ο Clark, χωρίς να θέλει να αποκαλύψει τις υπερφυσικές ικανότητές του, γίνεται υπερασπιστής των φίλων του και εχθρός των τραμπούκων.
Αντίστοιχα και στο δεύτερο τεύχος, στο μεγαλύτερο κομμάτι του οποίου μας διηγείται την εκπαίδευση του Clark στον αμερικάνικο στρατό, η εξέλιξη είναι αρκετά προβλέψιμη, ενώ απουσιάζει και η πρωτοτυπία στην αφήγηση της καθημερινότητας του στρατού. Παρ’ όλο που ο Superman δεν είχε βρεθεί ξανά στο παρελθόν στον αμερικάνικο στρατό, το πέρασμά του από αυτόν δεν ήταν τελικά ιδιαίτερα αξιοσημείωτο. Μάλιστα, το γεγονός ότι τη μόνη φορά που παρουσιάζεται ο αμερικάνικος στρατός στο πεδίο της δράσης βρίσκεται αντιμέτωπος με μουσουλμάνους τρομοκράτες προδίδει τις ιδεολογικές εμμονές που έχει αναπτύξει ο Frank Miller στα έργα του τα τελευταία χρόνια.
Ακόμα όμως και η επαναφήγηση των κλασσικών μοτίβων της origin ιστορίας του Superman γίνεται πολλές φορές με τρόπο ασταθή και βιαστικό. Στιγμές όπως η «υιοθεσία» του Clark απ’ τους Kent ή ο σχηματισμός της Trinity εκτυλίσσονται μέσα σε ελάχιστα καρέ, ακολουθώντας έναν γρήγορο ρυθμό που αφήνει πολλά κενά, μοιάζοντας να έχει μπει η αφήγηση σε fast forward. Ίσως αυτή είναι και μία συνέπεια του reboot μίας ιστορίας από αυτές που γνωρίζουν πλέον οι πάντες.
Ένα απ’ τα πιο αξιοπρόσεκτα στοιχεία της ιστορίας του Miller είναι ότι σε κάθε φάση της ζωής του Clark τον συνδέει και με ένα διαφορετικό ερωτικό ταίρι. Ενώ εμείς έχουμε στερεοτυπικά συνδεδεομένο τον Clark Kent με τη Lois Lane, ο Miller θέλει να μας διηγηθεί το παρελθόν του ήρωα και να μας υπενθυμίσει ότι είναι απόλυτα φυσικό ο Clark να είχε ερωτικές περιπέτειες και πριν φτάσει στη Metropolis και γνωρίσει τη Lois. Έτσι κάθε τεύχος συνδέει τον Clark και με μία διαφορετική γυναίκα, ενώ προφανώς στο τρίτο τεύχος κάνει την εμφάνισή της για πρώτη φορά η Lois, αλλά και η Wonder Woman, η οποία επίσης έχει υπάρξει ερωτική σύντροφος του Superman σε κάποιες comic ιστορίες του παρελθόντος. Βέβαια ας μην ξεχνάμε ότι ο έρωτας του Clark για την Lois έδωσε την ιδέα στον Tom Taylor να δημιουργήσει το Injustice, μία σειρά comics όπου με αφορμή την δολοφονία της Lois ο Superman μετατρέπεται σε βίαιο δικτάτορα που προσπαθεί να επιβάλλει την εξουσία του σε όλο τον πλανήτη.
Όσον αφορά το σχέδιο του John Romita Jr., (Daredevil: Man without Fear, Eternals: Το Ξύπνημα των Θεών, Wolverine: Δημόσιος Κίνδυνος) χωρίς να εντάσσεται στις κορυφαίες στιγμές της καριέρας του, παραμένει εντυπωσιακό στα μεγάλα καρέ και αξιοπρόσεκτο ακόμα και στα πιο τυπικά σημεία της αφήγησης. Ο έμπειρος σχεδιαστής ακολουθεί τη ροή της αφήγησης του Miller και προσαρμόζει αξιόλογα το σχέδιό του στις αλλαγές αυτού. Το πιο ενδιαφέρον σημείο της δουλειάς του είναι η σχεδιαστική αποτύπωση της ωρίμανσης του Clark, η εξέλιξη της μορφής του από τον έφηβο μαθητή του Smallville στον θρυλικό υπερήρωα.
Τελικά το Superman: Year One είναι ένα comic που διαβάζεται μεν ευχάριστα αλλά δεν ανταποκρίθηκε στις προσδοκίες που είχε χτίσει όταν ανακοινώθηκε. Αντιθέτως την ίδια χρονιά (το 2019) με λιγότερο θόρυβο ��ίχε κυκλοφορήσει κι ένα άλλο origin του Ανθρώπου από Ατσάλι, το «Man and Superman» του Marv Wolfman, στις σελίδες του οποίου διαβάζουμε μία απολαυστική επαναφήγηση των πρώτων χρόνων του ήρωα. Δυστυχώς το Superman: Year One είναι άλλο ένα απ’ τα comics του Frank Miller με τα οποία προσπαθεί να επαναλάβει επιτυχίες του παρελθόντος του. Με το Year One προσπάθησε να δημιουργήσει ένα origin story αντάξιο του Batman: Year One, όπως αντίστοιχα τα προηγούμενα χρόνια έχει προσπαθήσει να επαναλάβει κι άλλες παλιότερες επιτυχίες του, μεταξύ των οποίων είναι το Dark Knight Returns και οι 300. Σε καμία από αυτές τις νέες δημιουργίες του δεν κατάφερε να ξαναβρεί τον παλιό εαυτό του και σίγουρα αυτή είναι μία δυσάρεστη είδηση για τους αναγνώστες των comics, επειδή ο Miller είναι ένας θρύλος των comics, σημάδεψε μία ολόκληρη γενιά δημιουργών στα ‘80s και τα 90’s, αλλά δυστυχώς σήμερα δείχνει να έχει στερέψει από νέες ιδέες.
August 14, 2020
People like to joke about how many times we've seen Batman and Spider-Man's origin, but really, at least in the comic realm, no character comes close to Superman for "really, we're doing this AGAIN" origin retelling. DC just can't seem to resist giving us a new version every few years. To be fair, I like a bunch of them - John Byrne's "Man of Steel," Loeb & Sale's "Superman for All Seasons," Mark Waid's "Superman: Birthright," and Geoff John's "Superman: Secret Origins" are all quite good, but still, the stories they're telling aren't really THAT different from each other. Superman's origin is so set in stone that author's seem hesitant to change it up all that much, leading one to wonder WHY we need to have it retold so often. My guess is that it's just a iconic tale that every big comic writer/artist wants their shot at it, and DC likes making money, so they're certainly not gonna say no. As a Superman fan, I'm not necessarily opposed to it, and I suppose it's kinda neat that we get to see it filtered through the perspective of so many great talents.
But still, the notion of Frank Miller tackling ANOTHER take on the Superman origin was definitely area for concern, given that 2) Miller's best days are clearly far behind him, and b) he's a noted Superman-hater, often depicting him as a lame government stooge in his Batman work. So right off the bat, I guess the good news is that Miller treats the big blue boy scout with a bit more respect than I expected here. That's the good news....unfortunately there's still a bunch of bad news:
- The title is "Year One," even though - like every version of Superman's origin - it actually spans several years, following him from childhood up through a stint in the navy and eventually his first year or so in Metropolis. Calling it "Year One" is clearly just a cynical cash-in on his famous, and far superior "Batman: Year One."
- Book One, about young Clark's years in Smallville, is pretty boring, since it really does just feel like more of the same stuff we've seen so many times before. And in fact, the little new flourishes that Miller DOES add - like baby Kal-El apparently using telepathy to convince the Kent's to keep him, and a grossly out-of-place attempted rape of Lana Lang (cause Miller's gotta Miller) - are not particularly welcome.
- Book Two is where Miller really starts to put HIS stamp on Superman's origin, and, uhhh...okay. The idea of Clark joining the Navy and becoming a Navy Seal raised a lot of Superman fan eyebrows when it was first announced, and I'll admit - given Miller's politics in recent years - I was pretty concerned about where it was heading when it was introduced. Surprisingly enough, Miller uses this story to show how Clark learns that he never wants to kill, but on the other hand, I'm pretty sure we've never NEEDED that sort of extra step before, and you can't help but feel Miller threw this whole sequence in because he really just wanted to write another scene of Arab terrorists getting shot in the head.
- The second half of Book Two, concerning Clark's first actual adventure as Superman, is even stranger, depicting Superman falling in love with an Atlantis mermaid named Lori, and then trying to prove himself to her father Poseidon (who, we learn, does not approve of ANY suitor because he himself wants to bone his daughter...again, Miller's gotta Miller). I guess Miller's Superman can just breath underwater, which, whatever, his powers have been inconsistent with various authors over the years. I just can't for the life of me figure out why THIS story felt like an important piece to add to the origin in Miller's eyes, other than he just loves the idea of Superman boning a mermaid.
- Book Three is (faint praise alert) probably the best of the three, as we finally get to Metropolis. Still, there's about three books of story crammed into this one, and it ends up feeling sloppy and rushed. There are some time jumps that really leave you a bit confused as to what is going on, especially in regards to Superman's relationship with Lex Luthor. And the first confrontation between Superman and Batman is laughable, with both written as petulant man-babies hurling lame insults at each other (I bet Zack Snyder liked this part, at least). Oh, and of course, in Wonder Woman's brief appearance she immediately falls in love with him, to the point where she cries when he flies off on an adventure without her, because this is a Frank Miller book and women are just powerless against so much manly machismo, damnit.
- Over the course of the three books, there are THREE scenes of Clark promising a woman (Lana, Lori, and Wonder Woman) that he will either stay with them forever or be back for them as he goes off on a journey. NONE of these are resolved...in fact, Lana and Lori are just completely forgotten about. If you're thinking this might make Superman look like kind of a dick...you're right! Oh, you'll notice that none of those three women are Lois Lane. Lois IS here - to the story's credit, she gets one bad-ass moment that feels like the Lois we all know and love, and there are small hints of an attraction and possible future relationship - but, still, I guess Lois & Clark didn't seem like an important enough part of the Superman story for Miller to bother getting into.
This book is a drag. There's at least one GREAT sequence (a montage showing Superman's first weeks of crime-busting in Metropolis), and John Romita, Jr's art is as great as ever (I know his style is divisive, but I've always been a big fan). And like I said, I was pleasantly surprised that Miller at least (usually) highlighted Superman's morality, rather than just crap all over him. That's why I'm giving this a 2 out of 5. But at the end of day, this is definitely the worst version of this story I've read from a major creator, and I honestly can't fathom what in here Miller felt was so important to tell this version of the story, or why. Frank Miller's place in comic history is assured. He wrote some of the greatest comic stories ever in the '80s and '90s; nothing can take that away. But his output over the last few decades has left us with little worth defending (and I say that as someone who ironically enjoys his insane "All-Star Batman"). It might be time to stop letting Miller play with these iconic characters...but, of course, that's probably not gonna happen since DC knows his name will always sell books. And heck, I read this one mostly knowing what I was getting into, so I guess I'm part of the problem.
But still, the notion of Frank Miller tackling ANOTHER take on the Superman origin was definitely area for concern, given that 2) Miller's best days are clearly far behind him, and b) he's a noted Superman-hater, often depicting him as a lame government stooge in his Batman work. So right off the bat, I guess the good news is that Miller treats the big blue boy scout with a bit more respect than I expected here. That's the good news....unfortunately there's still a bunch of bad news:
- The title is "Year One," even though - like every version of Superman's origin - it actually spans several years, following him from childhood up through a stint in the navy and eventually his first year or so in Metropolis. Calling it "Year One" is clearly just a cynical cash-in on his famous, and far superior "Batman: Year One."
- Book One, about young Clark's years in Smallville, is pretty boring, since it really does just feel like more of the same stuff we've seen so many times before. And in fact, the little new flourishes that Miller DOES add - like baby Kal-El apparently using telepathy to convince the Kent's to keep him, and a grossly out-of-place attempted rape of Lana Lang (cause Miller's gotta Miller) - are not particularly welcome.
- Book Two is where Miller really starts to put HIS stamp on Superman's origin, and, uhhh...okay. The idea of Clark joining the Navy and becoming a Navy Seal raised a lot of Superman fan eyebrows when it was first announced, and I'll admit - given Miller's politics in recent years - I was pretty concerned about where it was heading when it was introduced. Surprisingly enough, Miller uses this story to show how Clark learns that he never wants to kill, but on the other hand, I'm pretty sure we've never NEEDED that sort of extra step before, and you can't help but feel Miller threw this whole sequence in because he really just wanted to write another scene of Arab terrorists getting shot in the head.
- The second half of Book Two, concerning Clark's first actual adventure as Superman, is even stranger, depicting Superman falling in love with an Atlantis mermaid named Lori, and then trying to prove himself to her father Poseidon (who, we learn, does not approve of ANY suitor because he himself wants to bone his daughter...again, Miller's gotta Miller). I guess Miller's Superman can just breath underwater, which, whatever, his powers have been inconsistent with various authors over the years. I just can't for the life of me figure out why THIS story felt like an important piece to add to the origin in Miller's eyes, other than he just loves the idea of Superman boning a mermaid.
- Book Three is (faint praise alert) probably the best of the three, as we finally get to Metropolis. Still, there's about three books of story crammed into this one, and it ends up feeling sloppy and rushed. There are some time jumps that really leave you a bit confused as to what is going on, especially in regards to Superman's relationship with Lex Luthor. And the first confrontation between Superman and Batman is laughable, with both written as petulant man-babies hurling lame insults at each other (I bet Zack Snyder liked this part, at least). Oh, and of course, in Wonder Woman's brief appearance she immediately falls in love with him, to the point where she cries when he flies off on an adventure without her, because this is a Frank Miller book and women are just powerless against so much manly machismo, damnit.
- Over the course of the three books, there are THREE scenes of Clark promising a woman (Lana, Lori, and Wonder Woman) that he will either stay with them forever or be back for them as he goes off on a journey. NONE of these are resolved...in fact, Lana and Lori are just completely forgotten about. If you're thinking this might make Superman look like kind of a dick...you're right! Oh, you'll notice that none of those three women are Lois Lane. Lois IS here - to the story's credit, she gets one bad-ass moment that feels like the Lois we all know and love, and there are small hints of an attraction and possible future relationship - but, still, I guess Lois & Clark didn't seem like an important enough part of the Superman story for Miller to bother getting into.
This book is a drag. There's at least one GREAT sequence (a montage showing Superman's first weeks of crime-busting in Metropolis), and John Romita, Jr's art is as great as ever (I know his style is divisive, but I've always been a big fan). And like I said, I was pleasantly surprised that Miller at least (usually) highlighted Superman's morality, rather than just crap all over him. That's why I'm giving this a 2 out of 5. But at the end of day, this is definitely the worst version of this story I've read from a major creator, and I honestly can't fathom what in here Miller felt was so important to tell this version of the story, or why. Frank Miller's place in comic history is assured. He wrote some of the greatest comic stories ever in the '80s and '90s; nothing can take that away. But his output over the last few decades has left us with little worth defending (and I say that as someone who ironically enjoys his insane "All-Star Batman"). It might be time to stop letting Miller play with these iconic characters...but, of course, that's probably not gonna happen since DC knows his name will always sell books. And heck, I read this one mostly knowing what I was getting into, so I guess I'm part of the problem.
December 5, 2024
Історія Супермена, якби її писав Юрій Винничук, мало би чим відрізнялась від цього коміксу:
Навчаючись у школі Супермен зустрічається (і схоже спить) зі школяркою; коли навчається на морського котика, то фліртує з русалкою, вони цілуються; потім западає на журналістку Лоїс Лейн і сам іде в журналістику щоб таємно милуватися нею; а під кінець зустрічає Диво-жінку, між ними також пробігає іскра, обмежується тим, що цнотливо цілує її в лоб і летить у космос.
Зрештою, навіть Лекс Лютор дивиться на Супермена ледь не закоханим поглядом.
Таке собі, Френк Міллер уміє краще.
Навчаючись у школі Супермен зустрічається (і схоже спить) зі школяркою; коли навчається на морського котика, то фліртує з русалкою, вони цілуються; потім западає на журналістку Лоїс Лейн і сам іде в журналістику щоб таємно милуватися нею; а під кінець зустрічає Диво-жінку, між ними також пробігає іскра, обмежується тим, що цнотливо цілує її в лоб і летить у космос.
Зрештою, навіть Лекс Лютор дивиться на Супермена ледь не закоханим поглядом.
Таке собі, Френк Міллер уміє краще.
January 18, 2021
they sure made a lot of Choices with this one, huh? anyway, gonna go reread birthright now
December 7, 2019
I used to be a very devoted fan of Miller's, decades ago, but that has decreased quite a bit these last few years. Not only because of his reduced output but the few things he has done just didn't have the edge it used to. In other words, I wasn't that excited to begin with about reading this and the bar wasn't set very high.
Having read many variations of Superman's origin and upbringing, I was curious what new could possibly be added. Now that I've finished it: not much. First of all, any "dangerous" situations that a young Clark is but through has zero drama. We all know he's going to be fine.
Keeping to very minor spoilers, Clark spends a brief stint in the military. This is new, a modernization, but frankly it was boring, much like the rest of this. Yes, we know Clark has to hide his powers, yes we know he won't kill, blah blah blah. Towards the end, we get to see and hear Batman, but his dialogue was so oft-putting and cringe-worthy. Even more polarizing than Miller's version in All-Star Batman and Robin. It simply doesn't sound like Bruce. More of an angry thug.
Miller's staccato captions, while giving an insight to what Kal El is thinking, just don't have the impact they used to. They previously were well placed, with specific phrases invoking specific feelings, but now it almost seems too much and not as effective and developing the right mood.
The writing only deserves two stars, but I'm giving one extra for John Romita Jr.'s art. His last few years at Marvel resulted in less than stellar work from him. I think you could tell that he was dissatisfied working there. Even though he started on Superman after first coming to DC, this work seems much better: his anatomy has improved, eliminating those long and thin body limbs as well as reducing the number of "scratches/hashmarks", resulting in a much cleaner style. This may simply be to Miki's inking.
To summarize, the book isn't terrible, it just simply isn't interesting. It doesn't engage you, you don't feel for Kal El the way you do in Superman for All Seasons for example. It is a more modern take, and a few moments that are probably a little more realistic, but inherently, nothing stands out here to make this worthwhile.
Having read many variations of Superman's origin and upbringing, I was curious what new could possibly be added. Now that I've finished it: not much. First of all, any "dangerous" situations that a young Clark is but through has zero drama. We all know he's going to be fine.
Keeping to very minor spoilers, Clark spends a brief stint in the military. This is new, a modernization, but frankly it was boring, much like the rest of this. Yes, we know Clark has to hide his powers, yes we know he won't kill, blah blah blah. Towards the end, we get to see and hear Batman, but his dialogue was so oft-putting and cringe-worthy. Even more polarizing than Miller's version in All-Star Batman and Robin. It simply doesn't sound like Bruce. More of an angry thug.
Miller's staccato captions, while giving an insight to what Kal El is thinking, just don't have the impact they used to. They previously were well placed, with specific phrases invoking specific feelings, but now it almost seems too much and not as effective and developing the right mood.
The writing only deserves two stars, but I'm giving one extra for John Romita Jr.'s art. His last few years at Marvel resulted in less than stellar work from him. I think you could tell that he was dissatisfied working there. Even though he started on Superman after first coming to DC, this work seems much better: his anatomy has improved, eliminating those long and thin body limbs as well as reducing the number of "scratches/hashmarks", resulting in a much cleaner style. This may simply be to Miki's inking.
To summarize, the book isn't terrible, it just simply isn't interesting. It doesn't engage you, you don't feel for Kal El the way you do in Superman for All Seasons for example. It is a more modern take, and a few moments that are probably a little more realistic, but inherently, nothing stands out here to make this worthwhile.
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