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Superman (1939-2011) #233-238, 240-242
Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore!
The new DC COMICS CLASSICS LIBRARY makes its debut with this beautiful hardcover volume, SUPERMAN:
KRYPTONITE NEVERMORE.
Originally published in 1971, this story turned The Man of Steel's status quo on its head. When an explosion Superman's only true weakness, Kryptonite, Superman seems unstoppable. But Superman begins to lose his powers creature with the form of Superman but composed of sand is born. When the true nature of Sand Supermans it is discovered that any contact between the two super beigns would result in the destruction of Earth.
collect Superman #233-238, 240-242
KRYPTONITE NEVERMORE.
Originally published in 1971, this story turned The Man of Steel's status quo on its head. When an explosion Superman's only true weakness, Kryptonite, Superman seems unstoppable. But Superman begins to lose his powers creature with the form of Superman but composed of sand is born. When the true nature of Sand Supermans it is discovered that any contact between the two super beigns would result in the destruction of Earth.
collect Superman #233-238, 240-242
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 3, 1971
14 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
Dennis O'Neil
1,758 books276 followers
Dennis "Denny" O'Neil
was a comic book writer and editor best known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retirement.
His best-known works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Michael Kaluta and The Question with Denys Cowan. As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles. From 2013 unti his death, he sat on the board of directors of the charity The Hero Initiative and served on its Disbursement Committee.
His best-known works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Michael Kaluta and The Question with Denys Cowan. As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles. From 2013 unti his death, he sat on the board of directors of the charity The Hero Initiative and served on its Disbursement Committee.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 2, 2021
The iconic Superman: Kryptonite comic theoretically did three things: it moved Clark from print journalism to newscasting; it destroyed all Kryptonite on Earth; and it lowered Superman's power level. (I say theoretically because it's not clear how long any of this other than the newscasting lasted).
The changes are clearly all interesting, and intended to make Superman into a better character, without the crutches of Kryptonite or god-like powers. But as for the story itself: it's just OK. A scientific accident turns all Kryptonite on Earth to iron, also creating a sand-Superman who will slowly steal some of real-Superman's powers over the next half-year (before real-Superman eventually declares he doesn't want them back, because that'd be bad or something, because he might accidentally destroy the world).
Beyond that, this comic is still pretty Silver Age. There are giant ants and Lois in trouble and bums riding a demon around and I don't recall much else. No particularly notable foes, no particularly notable stories. So, interesting premise, but the follow-through doesn't really rate the acclaim this story has gotten over the decades.
The changes are clearly all interesting, and intended to make Superman into a better character, without the crutches of Kryptonite or god-like powers. But as for the story itself: it's just OK. A scientific accident turns all Kryptonite on Earth to iron, also creating a sand-Superman who will slowly steal some of real-Superman's powers over the next half-year (before real-Superman eventually declares he doesn't want them back, because that'd be bad or something, because he might accidentally destroy the world).
Beyond that, this comic is still pretty Silver Age. There are giant ants and Lois in trouble and bums riding a demon around and I don't recall much else. No particularly notable foes, no particularly notable stories. So, interesting premise, but the follow-through doesn't really rate the acclaim this story has gotten over the decades.
December 1, 2024
Kryptonite Nevermore serves as an interesting bridge between the Silver Age and Bronze Age Superman.
In 1971, editor Julius Schwartz and writer Dennis O'Neil sought to move Superman away from some of the wackier types of stories we'd seen in the 50s and 60s.
I personally really enjoy the Silver Age stories. They're a blast to read and often very funny. I don't mind the over-the-top powers, dating mermaids, and casual time travel. I even like the Super Pets. That stuff is fun.
There's a line in this that actually annoyed me, where Superman thinks "I'm not used to using my brains in any struggle" (p. 180) - and like, excuse me, Mr. O'Neil?! This is simply not accurate.
Even with all of his amazing powers, Superman doesn't just go around pummeling people. He thinks of clever and imaginative ways to save the day with a minimum of violence, especially during the Silver Age.
However, I can understand the need to change things up from time-to-time, to allow for some different avenues of storytelling.
Issue No. 240 is truly iconic, from the cover - which shows a distraught Supes holding a copy of the Daily Planet with the headline blaring "SUPERMAN FAILS!" - to amazing dialogue, as a depowered Superman laments: "I thought they admired me for myself! I've lived in a fool's paradise!" (p. 127)
Supes is really put through the wringer in this collection - he even suffers brain damage at one point!
I get the feeling O'Neil didn't really like Superman.
We do get to see mod-era Wonder Woman, which is a treat. I might have to read the 1960s WW omnibus next.
This is definitely an interesting moment in Superman's history. It shows a creative team struggling to find a new mode for storytelling for DC's most iconic hero, and that's fascinating.
In 1971, editor Julius Schwartz and writer Dennis O'Neil sought to move Superman away from some of the wackier types of stories we'd seen in the 50s and 60s.
I personally really enjoy the Silver Age stories. They're a blast to read and often very funny. I don't mind the over-the-top powers, dating mermaids, and casual time travel. I even like the Super Pets. That stuff is fun.
There's a line in this that actually annoyed me, where Superman thinks "I'm not used to using my brains in any struggle" (p. 180) - and like, excuse me, Mr. O'Neil?! This is simply not accurate.
Even with all of his amazing powers, Superman doesn't just go around pummeling people. He thinks of clever and imaginative ways to save the day with a minimum of violence, especially during the Silver Age.
However, I can understand the need to change things up from time-to-time, to allow for some different avenues of storytelling.
Issue No. 240 is truly iconic, from the cover - which shows a distraught Supes holding a copy of the Daily Planet with the headline blaring "SUPERMAN FAILS!" - to amazing dialogue, as a depowered Superman laments: "I thought they admired me for myself! I've lived in a fool's paradise!" (p. 127)
Supes is really put through the wringer in this collection - he even suffers brain damage at one point!
I get the feeling O'Neil didn't really like Superman.
We do get to see mod-era Wonder Woman, which is a treat. I might have to read the 1960s WW omnibus next.
This is definitely an interesting moment in Superman's history. It shows a creative team struggling to find a new mode for storytelling for DC's most iconic hero, and that's fascinating.
July 27, 2014
I wanted to read this book for awhile, but there was a few things that kept me from picking it up.
1) The price. Even at a discount this book was usually 30 or 25 dollars, and that just seemed like a lot for a book that doesn't even contain 200 pages.
2) I had read a few reviews when I was considering buying it and one thing many of them mentioned was the poor production values of the book.
3) I'm not really a Superman fan. I've enjoyed some stories with him in it, but it's usually some kind of event, or Justice League story.
I thought I would talk about those points now that I've actually read and purchased the book.
1) I was actually able to get this book brand new for only 7 dollars because of some website promotions. I figured at that price it was a steal, even if it turned out to have some production issues.
2) Which it didn't. The colors do seem to have a washed out effect, but it isn't as bad as some reviews led me to believe. It actually has the look of being colored by water colors, which I think goes great with a comic.
3) I don't really like Superman because of his power level. He just has a ton of great powers and seemingly can't be stop. A story that takes away his weakness to Kryptonite would make that even worse. However, this story was meant as a way to depower him. A Superman who struggles is one where I become interested.
This book is better than most people are giving it credit for, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a "DC Classic". It has an important part in both Superman's and DC's history but it's not something you Must have in your collection. I'm thinking that DC chose this book to be the first in this Classic Line because it hadn't been collected before, and it represents a change in both Superman and DC.
The story is fairly simple. An accident turns all the Kryptonite on earth into lead, leaving Superman only vulnerable to magic. Another thing that happens is an energy double of Superman is created and being close to the creature drains Superman's powers, making him less and less...well, super. The end result is having a Superman where writers can't just simply throw Kryptonite into a story to slow Superman down, or have him easily defeat any enemy with his massive powers. In other words: A more Human Superman.
The best part of this book is the art. I loved it. There where some parts that made me thing of old EC horror comics with it's use of shadow and color. And as I said before I liked the watercolor look.
This is not a great book, but if you can get a hold of a copy it's worth reading.
1) The price. Even at a discount this book was usually 30 or 25 dollars, and that just seemed like a lot for a book that doesn't even contain 200 pages.
2) I had read a few reviews when I was considering buying it and one thing many of them mentioned was the poor production values of the book.
3) I'm not really a Superman fan. I've enjoyed some stories with him in it, but it's usually some kind of event, or Justice League story.
I thought I would talk about those points now that I've actually read and purchased the book.
1) I was actually able to get this book brand new for only 7 dollars because of some website promotions. I figured at that price it was a steal, even if it turned out to have some production issues.
2) Which it didn't. The colors do seem to have a washed out effect, but it isn't as bad as some reviews led me to believe. It actually has the look of being colored by water colors, which I think goes great with a comic.
3) I don't really like Superman because of his power level. He just has a ton of great powers and seemingly can't be stop. A story that takes away his weakness to Kryptonite would make that even worse. However, this story was meant as a way to depower him. A Superman who struggles is one where I become interested.
This book is better than most people are giving it credit for, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a "DC Classic". It has an important part in both Superman's and DC's history but it's not something you Must have in your collection. I'm thinking that DC chose this book to be the first in this Classic Line because it hadn't been collected before, and it represents a change in both Superman and DC.
The story is fairly simple. An accident turns all the Kryptonite on earth into lead, leaving Superman only vulnerable to magic. Another thing that happens is an energy double of Superman is created and being close to the creature drains Superman's powers, making him less and less...well, super. The end result is having a Superman where writers can't just simply throw Kryptonite into a story to slow Superman down, or have him easily defeat any enemy with his massive powers. In other words: A more Human Superman.
The best part of this book is the art. I loved it. There where some parts that made me thing of old EC horror comics with it's use of shadow and color. And as I said before I liked the watercolor look.
This is not a great book, but if you can get a hold of a copy it's worth reading.
December 20, 2022
Some early 70s weirdness
Overly wordy, overly preachy, in the way DC Comics (and Denny O'Neal in particular) were during that period. No memorable villains, no real threats. Lots of Superman saving planes and boats (which apparently crashed and lost control often in 1971), stopping bombs (which apparently were readily available in 1971!) and unnecessarily smashing through walls and doors. An interesting time capsule of the era, but just a mediocre story that doesn't hold up, slightly redeemed by decent artwork. It's also a cautionary tale to all comic book writers tempted to include "contemporary" slang to make the stories seem more timely. . . DON'T DO IT! 50 years later it will be CRINGE WORTHY and embarrassing.
Overly wordy, overly preachy, in the way DC Comics (and Denny O'Neal in particular) were during that period. No memorable villains, no real threats. Lots of Superman saving planes and boats (which apparently crashed and lost control often in 1971), stopping bombs (which apparently were readily available in 1971!) and unnecessarily smashing through walls and doors. An interesting time capsule of the era, but just a mediocre story that doesn't hold up, slightly redeemed by decent artwork. It's also a cautionary tale to all comic book writers tempted to include "contemporary" slang to make the stories seem more timely. . . DON'T DO IT! 50 years later it will be CRINGE WORTHY and embarrassing.
July 6, 2013
This was just really cool. I haven't read much from this area so it was interesting to see them settling into some serious changes: no Kryptonite, less powerful Superman and Clark takes a job with Morgan Edge as TV anchor. The story was trippy and odd, but in a good way. I like that they didn't update the coloring; it made it feel old-school. I also liked seeing Diana Prince in her depowered karate girl era. This may not be for everyone, but I loved it.
Read
August 14, 2024These nine issues from 1971, written by Dennis O'Neil, were pretty significant at the time. The first issue starts with the elimination of all kryptonite on Earth by a scientist who converts it into iron. But Superman becomes slightly depowered anyway due to a new, spirit-like Superman flying around. It's an interesting premise, a clear attempt at making Superman more grounded without the hindrance of kryptonite. But the stories are just okay. Very Silver Agey, forgettable threats, the usual superhero beats. O'Neil himself said that he wasn't a great fit for Superman and was unsure of what to do with the character. In the end, the best part is Curt Swan's art. His Superman is the definition of classic.
June 3, 2023
Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore
An experiment to harness the power from green Kryptonite for electrical energy goes awry and Superman is shocked to discover that the green Kryptonite has been rendered chemically inert and it has decayed into iron. However, he also learns that his powers have been strangely limited and he is unsure if they will ever be fully restored.
This was a brave early attempt to depower the Man of Steel, who by this point could not only leap tall buildings, but entire star systems, in a single bound. While it did not last, it could be seen as a template for the post Crisis reboot of the Superman character.
An experiment to harness the power from green Kryptonite for electrical energy goes awry and Superman is shocked to discover that the green Kryptonite has been rendered chemically inert and it has decayed into iron. However, he also learns that his powers have been strangely limited and he is unsure if they will ever be fully restored.
This was a brave early attempt to depower the Man of Steel, who by this point could not only leap tall buildings, but entire star systems, in a single bound. While it did not last, it could be seen as a template for the post Crisis reboot of the Superman character.
November 24, 2019
El Superman clásico de los 70 ilustrado por el genial Curt Swan, con guiones de un joven Dennis O'Neil, cumple con lo justo. Las historias han envejecido mal y creo que lo poco rescatable es el arte de Swan.
El capítulo especial de Walt Simonson, pensado como "homenaje" de esta saga, es totalmente innecesario e intrascendente.
Un 3 por el arte del maestro Swan que, así y todo, no siempre brilla.
El capítulo especial de Walt Simonson, pensado como "homenaje" de esta saga, es totalmente innecesario e intrascendente.
Un 3 por el arte del maestro Swan que, así y todo, no siempre brilla.
July 21, 2024
Issue 233:
“Either you haven’t seen a paper - - or you can’t read!”
I haven’t read a lot of the really classic Superman stories so this is a great look into that world. I do seem to remember in Kirby’s 4th world that Superman was on TV, so this does show how that started: with edge bossing everyone around.
This story follows a scientific accident that turns all of the world’s Kryptonite into iron. Making it so that Superman has 0 weaknesses on earth, except for magic. But it does appear that other things are going wrong with Supes. Heat visions appeared to be weaker at one moment, and where the scientific accident was, a creature made of earth and stone rose from the ground. And that area also seemed to make Clark weaker.
Oh I also find it so funny that Superman refers to Kryptonite as “K,” like it’s some kind of street drug. But apparently anyone can get their hands on it, as one random guy has some on it, just in case Superman showed up.
Issue #234
“Edge is the kind of man you don’t like at first…but gradually, you get to hate him.”
I absolutely love this overly sarcastic Superman. He has to hold himself back at times to try and play fair to unfair laws, like how slavery was basically legal in this issue because the workers were “contracted” but then forced to stay on an island with an erupting volcano. But the real meat of this issue comes from Superman failing to stop the volcano due to the figure that is taking shape but causing him to weaken, similar to the effects of K.
But I absolutely loved that moment where he fell out of the sky and landed on the ship cannon by accident. Only to stand there pondering what happened while the crew was trying to attack him, to absolutely 0 avail. But the big thing that just went unnoticed. How is Clark getting to these locations so fast!? Huh?!? One moment edge tells him from metropolis to go to some island, a few hours later he is there reporting. What?? That doesn’t raise any red flags for anyone.
Issue #235
This curious earthly double of Superman isn’t the only thing he has to worry about this issue, when it comes to weakening and taking his powers. As magic still affects the man of steel. In this issue we got quite a wacky villain. Starting as a man who discovered an old harp that granted him the ability to play piano. In reality it stole the ability from a real successful piano player. But when Superman outshines him at his debut by saving someone, he wants revenge. He uses the tool to grant himself powers not only similar to Superman, but actually Superman’s abilities, leaving the man of stew with only a few abilities. Curious enough this also starts to affect the body double, and ends up helping Clark destroy the artifact to return their powers. Oh also, the dude dressed up as the god Pan, mainly because he is a theater nerd lol. Now that Clark is very aware of this silent double, I’m interested to see where this goes.
Issue #236
What in the world was this issue? Superman is a little bored, he’s already learned 40 languages and heads to the fortress of solitude to continue a science project with some Kryptonian tech. But this tech happens to allow him to be psychically intercepted, then hypnotized to try and help some escaped criminals break the defenses of their law enforcement. He figures out the ruse and takes down the criminals, all while leaning that:
“Evil combines in many guises…some of these are even beautiful!”
Perhaps this will help with the current doppelgänger threat he is dealing with?
Issue #237
This was a very calamitous issue. Superman comes into contact with some kind of space virus that affects people differently. Lois gets trapped with an incompetent pirate and some bandits while a swarm of killer ants comes towards them. And the doppelgänger is still helping and causing trouble by siphoning and temporarily disability Superman’s powers. The more we see the doppelgänger the more it takes on the form of Superman.
Superman was almost not able to save Lois this issue because of the fear of the virus he was transporting. What he didn’t know was that doctors found a cure, but what he did know was that coming into contact with the doppelgänger disinfected him. He was able to use this info to come in contact, cause a huge explosion, then come plummeting down to earth to save Lois. He lost his ability to fly, but he can still leap buildings in a single bound!
Issue #238
I notice a trend that threats Superman deals with on a daily basis seem to trend towards world ending. Like almost everyday. And for some reason in this issue when terrorists took over a drilling operation to the center of the earth. Then demanded gold, hostages, and an H Bomb, the us government just said, sure?!?! A hydrogen bomb? To the guys with a hole to the center of the earth. Really?? They wouldn’t have been able to blow everything up before you gave them that. Luckily Superman’s powers started to return when needed to stop that. But the duplicate seems to be no help in the slightest and has ostracized itself from humanity.
Issue #240
It seems we are getting to experience a different kind of Superman. One that has had all of his powers stripped away, and everyone still gunning for him. I think he should really take some classes with the martial arts members of the league, just for situations like this. But we are also seeing Superman’s entire identity change and be stripped away. Last issue he lost his powers, this issue he is loosing his personality. He is more vindictive to the comments people have around him, this is not like the superman we know. I have a feeling he will be going on a journey of rediscover and recovery, but it could always happen again lol.
Issue #241:
Wow this issue did not age well at all. From some of the language to characterizations. But the story overall is keeping me engaged. They blame Superman, while mortal, in the last issue being hit in the head, causing him to act irrationally. I think he was already acting a bit irrational, maybe some of his intelligence was stolen by the duplicate. But they were able to send out Superman’s spirit to straight up jump the duplicate and take the powers back. Of course as mentioned, Superman starts acting irrational and making mistakes. And Dianna and the mystic want to help him. This leads them to track down the double and find the truth. It is a being from another planet of existence, that came through during a rift caused by the experiment that turned all Kryptonite to iron. And in this issue, another one leaked through and took over a statue of a monster. As in their universe they have no formal they have to take one.
Keeping up so far?
Well it looks like we are leading to a final showdown between the original duplicate, brain injury Superman, and a new entity. Hopefully we can find somewhere to fix supes.
Issue #242
What in the world was this conclusion? So the entity from Quarmm that took the form of the monster absolutely decked Superman to hospitalization. Of course Jimmy just happens to be in a completely different city and finds him. So he gets surgery to fix his brain injury, YAY! But the Quarmm entity doesn’t really know anything so 2 thugs trick it into going on a crime spree with them. But then it realizes, hey, I’m super powerful I don’t need these doofuses. Drops them then goes to finish the job with Superman. Luckily Superman has been healing and is up for a fight but can’t do it without his full strength. So the other Quarmm entity with his likeness shows up and they drive the creature back to the rift.
But we have unresolved plot. There are still 2 Supermen. Well the mystic has a solution. He makes it so that they can touch without blowing up, and have a final fight to determine the outcome. Well that final fight ends up destroying the world. Luckily, it wasn’t real! Quarmm dude after seeing this decides to peace out back home, but Superman denies returning the other part of his powers to himself so he isn’t “too powerful.” WHAT?!? That is the most idiotic thing.
So this whole storyline, we get rid of Kryptonite so it concludes with just tipping the scales a bit and making Superman a little bit weaker. Really? What about the one thing that can still hurt him. It’s really just gone. That’s crazy.
“Either you haven’t seen a paper - - or you can’t read!”
I haven’t read a lot of the really classic Superman stories so this is a great look into that world. I do seem to remember in Kirby’s 4th world that Superman was on TV, so this does show how that started: with edge bossing everyone around.
This story follows a scientific accident that turns all of the world’s Kryptonite into iron. Making it so that Superman has 0 weaknesses on earth, except for magic. But it does appear that other things are going wrong with Supes. Heat visions appeared to be weaker at one moment, and where the scientific accident was, a creature made of earth and stone rose from the ground. And that area also seemed to make Clark weaker.
Oh I also find it so funny that Superman refers to Kryptonite as “K,” like it’s some kind of street drug. But apparently anyone can get their hands on it, as one random guy has some on it, just in case Superman showed up.
Issue #234
“Edge is the kind of man you don’t like at first…but gradually, you get to hate him.”
I absolutely love this overly sarcastic Superman. He has to hold himself back at times to try and play fair to unfair laws, like how slavery was basically legal in this issue because the workers were “contracted” but then forced to stay on an island with an erupting volcano. But the real meat of this issue comes from Superman failing to stop the volcano due to the figure that is taking shape but causing him to weaken, similar to the effects of K.
But I absolutely loved that moment where he fell out of the sky and landed on the ship cannon by accident. Only to stand there pondering what happened while the crew was trying to attack him, to absolutely 0 avail. But the big thing that just went unnoticed. How is Clark getting to these locations so fast!? Huh?!? One moment edge tells him from metropolis to go to some island, a few hours later he is there reporting. What?? That doesn’t raise any red flags for anyone.
Issue #235
This curious earthly double of Superman isn’t the only thing he has to worry about this issue, when it comes to weakening and taking his powers. As magic still affects the man of steel. In this issue we got quite a wacky villain. Starting as a man who discovered an old harp that granted him the ability to play piano. In reality it stole the ability from a real successful piano player. But when Superman outshines him at his debut by saving someone, he wants revenge. He uses the tool to grant himself powers not only similar to Superman, but actually Superman’s abilities, leaving the man of stew with only a few abilities. Curious enough this also starts to affect the body double, and ends up helping Clark destroy the artifact to return their powers. Oh also, the dude dressed up as the god Pan, mainly because he is a theater nerd lol. Now that Clark is very aware of this silent double, I’m interested to see where this goes.
Issue #236
What in the world was this issue? Superman is a little bored, he’s already learned 40 languages and heads to the fortress of solitude to continue a science project with some Kryptonian tech. But this tech happens to allow him to be psychically intercepted, then hypnotized to try and help some escaped criminals break the defenses of their law enforcement. He figures out the ruse and takes down the criminals, all while leaning that:
“Evil combines in many guises…some of these are even beautiful!”
Perhaps this will help with the current doppelgänger threat he is dealing with?
Issue #237
This was a very calamitous issue. Superman comes into contact with some kind of space virus that affects people differently. Lois gets trapped with an incompetent pirate and some bandits while a swarm of killer ants comes towards them. And the doppelgänger is still helping and causing trouble by siphoning and temporarily disability Superman’s powers. The more we see the doppelgänger the more it takes on the form of Superman.
Superman was almost not able to save Lois this issue because of the fear of the virus he was transporting. What he didn’t know was that doctors found a cure, but what he did know was that coming into contact with the doppelgänger disinfected him. He was able to use this info to come in contact, cause a huge explosion, then come plummeting down to earth to save Lois. He lost his ability to fly, but he can still leap buildings in a single bound!
Issue #238
I notice a trend that threats Superman deals with on a daily basis seem to trend towards world ending. Like almost everyday. And for some reason in this issue when terrorists took over a drilling operation to the center of the earth. Then demanded gold, hostages, and an H Bomb, the us government just said, sure?!?! A hydrogen bomb? To the guys with a hole to the center of the earth. Really?? They wouldn’t have been able to blow everything up before you gave them that. Luckily Superman’s powers started to return when needed to stop that. But the duplicate seems to be no help in the slightest and has ostracized itself from humanity.
Issue #240
It seems we are getting to experience a different kind of Superman. One that has had all of his powers stripped away, and everyone still gunning for him. I think he should really take some classes with the martial arts members of the league, just for situations like this. But we are also seeing Superman’s entire identity change and be stripped away. Last issue he lost his powers, this issue he is loosing his personality. He is more vindictive to the comments people have around him, this is not like the superman we know. I have a feeling he will be going on a journey of rediscover and recovery, but it could always happen again lol.
Issue #241:
Wow this issue did not age well at all. From some of the language to characterizations. But the story overall is keeping me engaged. They blame Superman, while mortal, in the last issue being hit in the head, causing him to act irrationally. I think he was already acting a bit irrational, maybe some of his intelligence was stolen by the duplicate. But they were able to send out Superman’s spirit to straight up jump the duplicate and take the powers back. Of course as mentioned, Superman starts acting irrational and making mistakes. And Dianna and the mystic want to help him. This leads them to track down the double and find the truth. It is a being from another planet of existence, that came through during a rift caused by the experiment that turned all Kryptonite to iron. And in this issue, another one leaked through and took over a statue of a monster. As in their universe they have no formal they have to take one.
Keeping up so far?
Well it looks like we are leading to a final showdown between the original duplicate, brain injury Superman, and a new entity. Hopefully we can find somewhere to fix supes.
Issue #242
What in the world was this conclusion? So the entity from Quarmm that took the form of the monster absolutely decked Superman to hospitalization. Of course Jimmy just happens to be in a completely different city and finds him. So he gets surgery to fix his brain injury, YAY! But the Quarmm entity doesn’t really know anything so 2 thugs trick it into going on a crime spree with them. But then it realizes, hey, I’m super powerful I don’t need these doofuses. Drops them then goes to finish the job with Superman. Luckily Superman has been healing and is up for a fight but can’t do it without his full strength. So the other Quarmm entity with his likeness shows up and they drive the creature back to the rift.
But we have unresolved plot. There are still 2 Supermen. Well the mystic has a solution. He makes it so that they can touch without blowing up, and have a final fight to determine the outcome. Well that final fight ends up destroying the world. Luckily, it wasn’t real! Quarmm dude after seeing this decides to peace out back home, but Superman denies returning the other part of his powers to himself so he isn’t “too powerful.” WHAT?!? That is the most idiotic thing.
So this whole storyline, we get rid of Kryptonite so it concludes with just tipping the scales a bit and making Superman a little bit weaker. Really? What about the one thing that can still hurt him. It’s really just gone. That’s crazy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2021
Me es difícil ser objetivo en la calificación de este comic. Sin tener mucha idea del contexto y la época en la que se publicó por primera vez, termina pasando como una historia mas del cómic de principio de los '70s. Entretenida, de lectura rápida y con agradables ilustraciones, con el tono simpático e inocentón característico.
Después de un experimento fallido para obtener una nueva fuente de energía partiendo de la Kryptonita, Superman pronto descubre que toda la roca de la tierra ha quedado inerte y por lo tanto ya no lo afecta. A partir de este punto lo veremos en historias prácticamente autoconclusivas donde se enfrentara a diversas situaciones donde el mayor enemigo siempre es la naturaleza humana. Para complicar las cosas, un a extraña figura de arena con aspecto de Superman, lo persigue y su acercamiento provoca la pérdida de poderes en el Hombre de Acero. La situación con este personaje se resolverá sobre el final del tomo.
Hasta ahí todos felices. Sin pena ni gloria. Pero al investigar porque ameritaba una edición en tapa dura y porque ya se había recopilado en otra antologías, me puse a investigar el contexto en el que salió y algunas palabras de los autores. Aparentemente llegaron como cambio de plantel, desde el editor hasta el equipo creativo, con la idea de omitir parte de la mitología del Hombre de Acero que a su parecer no aportaba mucho o que servía como excusa de guión repetitiva y a la larga, predecible. Es así como lo primero que hacen es eliminar el factor Kryptonita, para obligar a Superman y guionistas a tener que enfrentarse a conflictos que realmente se compliquen sin la excusa genérica de la piedra verde. Lo siguiente que se plantearon era evitar hacer un Superman totalmente ilimitado que inventara poderes de la galera y remolcara planetas enteros sin temor al factor continuidad. Y como se ve a lo largo de este tomo, lo enfrentan a cuestiones sobre todo terrestres y que lo debilitan desde el lado humanitario. Hoy por hoy estamos mas acostumbrados a leer sobre los problemas psicológicos de los personajes... de hecho es raro que no se ahonde en esa materia. Sin embargo, parece que para esa época el cambio fue innovador. Aunque esto no signifique que fue bien recibido, ya que el periodo de O'Neil en Superman inicia y concluye en este mismo tomo. Y al partir, parece que se volcó nuevamente a los golpes indiscriminados. Por lo que este corto periodo quedo como anecdótico.
Conocer el trasfondo de todo le da un plus a la apreciación de la lectura, sin embargo voy a optar por las 3 estrellas ya que no debería ser necesaria una lección de historia para poder apreciar una buena trama y desarrollo. Al menos no de este estilo. Muchas veces los comics resultan ser atemporales y permiten que sean apreciados independientemente de la epoca en que se publiquen. Sobran los ejemplos.
Después de un experimento fallido para obtener una nueva fuente de energía partiendo de la Kryptonita, Superman pronto descubre que toda la roca de la tierra ha quedado inerte y por lo tanto ya no lo afecta. A partir de este punto lo veremos en historias prácticamente autoconclusivas donde se enfrentara a diversas situaciones donde el mayor enemigo siempre es la naturaleza humana. Para complicar las cosas, un a extraña figura de arena con aspecto de Superman, lo persigue y su acercamiento provoca la pérdida de poderes en el Hombre de Acero. La situación con este personaje se resolverá sobre el final del tomo.
Hasta ahí todos felices. Sin pena ni gloria. Pero al investigar porque ameritaba una edición en tapa dura y porque ya se había recopilado en otra antologías, me puse a investigar el contexto en el que salió y algunas palabras de los autores. Aparentemente llegaron como cambio de plantel, desde el editor hasta el equipo creativo, con la idea de omitir parte de la mitología del Hombre de Acero que a su parecer no aportaba mucho o que servía como excusa de guión repetitiva y a la larga, predecible. Es así como lo primero que hacen es eliminar el factor Kryptonita, para obligar a Superman y guionistas a tener que enfrentarse a conflictos que realmente se compliquen sin la excusa genérica de la piedra verde. Lo siguiente que se plantearon era evitar hacer un Superman totalmente ilimitado que inventara poderes de la galera y remolcara planetas enteros sin temor al factor continuidad. Y como se ve a lo largo de este tomo, lo enfrentan a cuestiones sobre todo terrestres y que lo debilitan desde el lado humanitario. Hoy por hoy estamos mas acostumbrados a leer sobre los problemas psicológicos de los personajes... de hecho es raro que no se ahonde en esa materia. Sin embargo, parece que para esa época el cambio fue innovador. Aunque esto no signifique que fue bien recibido, ya que el periodo de O'Neil en Superman inicia y concluye en este mismo tomo. Y al partir, parece que se volcó nuevamente a los golpes indiscriminados. Por lo que este corto periodo quedo como anecdótico.
Conocer el trasfondo de todo le da un plus a la apreciación de la lectura, sin embargo voy a optar por las 3 estrellas ya que no debería ser necesaria una lección de historia para poder apreciar una buena trama y desarrollo. Al menos no de este estilo. Muchas veces los comics resultan ser atemporales y permiten que sean apreciados independientemente de la epoca en que se publiquen. Sobran los ejemplos.
August 12, 2021
I haven't read these stories before, somehow, but I think they hold up very well as a transitioning point from the Silver to the Bronze Age. Superman is a tough character to get right, and O'Neil does his best here to breathe some life into the staid tradition.
One of the earliest serializations in Superman comics, O'Neil plants a lot of subplots, most of which are not resolved in this volume, and also ties in to Jack Kirby's New World comics which were appearing at the same time. Although there were some Silver Age elements in these stories, namely the giant ants down in South America and the Devil's Harp storyline, O'Neil brings a rather modern sensibility to the comic, even showing Superman getting annoyed with Lois Lane's always needing rescued. (It's possible this is a side effect of the main storyline, but it's unclear.)
Also nice was seeing O'Neil's "new" Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and her mentor I Ching show up. This also gave a nice shared universe and continuity one didn't always see from DC back in those days.
Still, as O'Neil writes in the afterword, the Superman comics didn't exactly keep up this more sophisticated approach after he left the book. That's unfortunate, and it would take efforts by John Byrne, Marv Wolfman, etc., to finally bring Superman out of the constraints of the Silver Age beginning nearly fifteen years later.
I felt long time Superman artist Curt Swan felt rejuvenated by the new approach, as his pencils have a dynamism that is often lacking in the more pedestrian stories. Inked by Murphy Anders, overall the art team gives a grittier Superman that what we had seen in the previous decades. It's very lovely to look at and I'm always amazed at how many alien races Swan came up with over the course of his career. Just a wonderful art team all around.
One of the earliest serializations in Superman comics, O'Neil plants a lot of subplots, most of which are not resolved in this volume, and also ties in to Jack Kirby's New World comics which were appearing at the same time. Although there were some Silver Age elements in these stories, namely the giant ants down in South America and the Devil's Harp storyline, O'Neil brings a rather modern sensibility to the comic, even showing Superman getting annoyed with Lois Lane's always needing rescued. (It's possible this is a side effect of the main storyline, but it's unclear.)
Also nice was seeing O'Neil's "new" Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and her mentor I Ching show up. This also gave a nice shared universe and continuity one didn't always see from DC back in those days.
Still, as O'Neil writes in the afterword, the Superman comics didn't exactly keep up this more sophisticated approach after he left the book. That's unfortunate, and it would take efforts by John Byrne, Marv Wolfman, etc., to finally bring Superman out of the constraints of the Silver Age beginning nearly fifteen years later.
I felt long time Superman artist Curt Swan felt rejuvenated by the new approach, as his pencils have a dynamism that is often lacking in the more pedestrian stories. Inked by Murphy Anders, overall the art team gives a grittier Superman that what we had seen in the previous decades. It's very lovely to look at and I'm always amazed at how many alien races Swan came up with over the course of his career. Just a wonderful art team all around.
March 17, 2015
Despite utilising as its main theme an element I view as completely unnecessary - the 'depowering' of Superman, this collection by Dennis O'Neill contains what is maybe my favourite pre-'Crisis' Superman tale. The art by Curt Swan is the very essence of that period's Superman, his take on the character being arguably the most iconic of all time.
Ironically, the premise of a depowered Kal-El runs counter to the two images most associated with this series. The first, a cover showing Superman busting free from Kryptonite chains(drawn by O'Neill's most well known 'Batman'collaborator, Neal Adams) and the second, a panel showing the Man Of Steel happily munching away on a rock of Kryptonite with no apparent concern for its previous ability to kill him.
New found resistance to Kryptonite aside, there is real danger in store for our hero as a mysterious force has drained (and will later duplicate) his powers. The idea was to bring Superman back down to Earth somewhat, and was in keeping with writer Dennis O'Neill's style at the time(as are appearances from I-Ching and Wonder Woman towards the conclusion), having done a lot of work to restore Batman's edge after the relentless camp of the post-Wertham and television years. Fortunately, the experiment retains much of what makes Superman an appealing character and lacks the mean-spiritedness found at tthe core of Alan Moore's 'final' Superman story, 'Whatever Happened To the Man Of Tomorrow?'.
Anyone with even a passing interest in Superman should enjoy 'Kryptonite Nevermore'. For more engaged fans there is a lot to take in from the story, including the seeds of an element from Grant Morrison's 2011-13 'Action Comics' run, and the clear influence for story strands of the 1983 film 'Superman III'.
Ironically, the premise of a depowered Kal-El runs counter to the two images most associated with this series. The first, a cover showing Superman busting free from Kryptonite chains(drawn by O'Neill's most well known 'Batman'collaborator, Neal Adams) and the second, a panel showing the Man Of Steel happily munching away on a rock of Kryptonite with no apparent concern for its previous ability to kill him.
New found resistance to Kryptonite aside, there is real danger in store for our hero as a mysterious force has drained (and will later duplicate) his powers. The idea was to bring Superman back down to Earth somewhat, and was in keeping with writer Dennis O'Neill's style at the time(as are appearances from I-Ching and Wonder Woman towards the conclusion), having done a lot of work to restore Batman's edge after the relentless camp of the post-Wertham and television years. Fortunately, the experiment retains much of what makes Superman an appealing character and lacks the mean-spiritedness found at tthe core of Alan Moore's 'final' Superman story, 'Whatever Happened To the Man Of Tomorrow?'.
Anyone with even a passing interest in Superman should enjoy 'Kryptonite Nevermore'. For more engaged fans there is a lot to take in from the story, including the seeds of an element from Grant Morrison's 2011-13 'Action Comics' run, and the clear influence for story strands of the 1983 film 'Superman III'.
May 14, 2018
Essa coleção Lendas da DC que a Panini encampou, quase sempre me dá uma preguiça enorme de ler. Uma razão é porque, depois de ter comprado as coleções do Batman e não terem valido a pena, segundo meu gosto, nem metade das edições, eu fiquei um pouco ressabiado. Essa edição que traz as histórias de uma parte pequena da fase de Curt Swan - foram mais de trinta anos - no Superman. Mas ela tem um sabor especial porque aqui começa a fase de Dennis O'Neil, o roteirista sensação da época que já havia modificado Lanterna Verde, Arqueiro Verde e Mulher-Maravilha. Nessa edição o Superman come uma kryptonita e Clark Kent começa a trabalhar na televisão. O que eu não sabia é que as histórias independentes estavam ligadas por um elemento em comum que vai se desenvolvendo ao longo dos números e isso transforma o quadrinho em algo mais instigante e imponente. O que literalmente destoa das outras coleções é a colorização que não foi restaurada. Entretanto, para mim, elas dão um charme a mais, fazendo o encaderndo parecer todo vintage. Bem, pelo menos esse não me fez me arrepender de tê-lo comprado, como a maioria dos encadernados do Batman. Ufa!
March 9, 2021
Bronze age DC is much maligned, Bronze Age Superman, even more. Interestingly, it all began with the best intentions when Julius Schwartz took over the book and paired longstanding artist Curt Swan with hot up-and-comer Dennis O'Neill.
Denny wanted to humanize and bring Superman closer to 1970s reality. Getting rid of Kryptonite, giving Clark Kent a flashy new TV job and gradually depowering him were some of the changes.
Some of it works, some of it doesn't, some of it is a great WTF of good intentions gone bad.
The first couple of issues are generally good, and it goes downhill until Wonder Woman (at the time) colleague I-Ching and other silliness take over.
Swan was at the top of his powers, inked by his best inker, Murphy Anderson (and, intriguingly in one issue, Dick Giordano), Denny does his earnest seventies thing (close to his GL/GA than his Batman), but Lois, just to mention one aspect, is seriously mis-serviced.
Anyway, worth the read, and surprisingly, a long read that evolves over issues, at a time when serializations was not really done at DC.
Denny wanted to humanize and bring Superman closer to 1970s reality. Getting rid of Kryptonite, giving Clark Kent a flashy new TV job and gradually depowering him were some of the changes.
Some of it works, some of it doesn't, some of it is a great WTF of good intentions gone bad.
The first couple of issues are generally good, and it goes downhill until Wonder Woman (at the time) colleague I-Ching and other silliness take over.
Swan was at the top of his powers, inked by his best inker, Murphy Anderson (and, intriguingly in one issue, Dick Giordano), Denny does his earnest seventies thing (close to his GL/GA than his Batman), but Lois, just to mention one aspect, is seriously mis-serviced.
Anyway, worth the read, and surprisingly, a long read that evolves over issues, at a time when serializations was not really done at DC.
March 8, 2022
Un cómic donde vemos a un Superman lidiando contra la debilidad y la perdida de sus poderes. Al entrar en contacto con un extraño mineral una misteriosa copia hecha de arena del superhombre aparece. Cada vez que este clon anda cerca el hombre de acero pierde sus poderes y esto lo aprovechan tanto sus enemigos como la opinión pública para hacer leña del árbol caido.
Superman se verá invadido por la rabia y la incomprensión de verse marginado así después de todo lo que ha dado por la tierra. Es un cómic diferente que combina las aventuras típicas con las reflexiones del protagonista. No es de los mejroes pero sí es entretenido.
Superman se verá invadido por la rabia y la incomprensión de verse marginado así después de todo lo que ha dado por la tierra. Es un cómic diferente que combina las aventuras típicas con las reflexiones del protagonista. No es de los mejroes pero sí es entretenido.
October 27, 2024
This collection follows the short lived Dennis O'Neil run on Superman in the 70's. About 10 issues. I had read the first story in it (Kryptonite Nevermore) and had always wondered what happened to the sand creature that was produced when Superman was hit by the Kryptonite blast.
There is a lot for me to unpack in this collection but my quick review is - great art by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson (inking) and Dennis proves - yet again - he is not suited to write comics with super powered heroes in it. He doesn't have the imagination and doesn't have the love of the history of comics to use Superman's old foes. As another example, his run on the Justice League was horrid. As another example - his run on Green Lantern was saved by Neal Adams' art but you will notice he did his best to keep the stories less about the powers and more about the man within. That is his strnegth and it is not well served with a hero like Superman.
Okay - so Dennis had two ideas "Get rid of kryptonite because it is overused as a way to depower Superman" and "Superman is too powerful so let's depower him". Do you see the contradiction? To be honest - it could have worked. Superman was getting way too powerful and you can depower him but remove the kryptonite weakness because now that he is depowered - other things can hurt him. Unfortunately - as soon as Dennis left the book Superman's powers came back and Kryptonite came back. I think the reason depowering Superman never sticks around for long is because it is baked into our social consciousness that he is invulnerable and able to fly into suns. The other problem is "how depowered is he" unless you have a way to get all writers to agree or a way to enforce it in the books then there will always be one writer who moves him at the speed of light to solve a problem.
The problem with Dennis is his way of getting rid of kryptonite was stupid. A kryptonite explosion caused a chain reaction for all kryptonite on earth to turn to lead. Bad enough that is sill science but...what about kryptonite still out there in the universe? I mean - if you don't like kryptonight just don't write stories with it. It is (in theory) rare so just ignore it as a writer.
Another problem - that sand creature I mentioned was an ongoing plot for all 10 issues and it was really dull. He was a formless creature from the Quuarum (sp?) dimension who took the shape of Superman out of sand. Basically he drained Superman's powers...became more and more like Superman and Superman just kind of ignored him until the final battle and they both agreed it was just best for the sand Superman to leave and go back to the dimension he came from. No personality, no interesting conflict, and never heard of again (except in Superman vs Shazam).
The first issue shows a little promise in developing Clark Kent - Morgan Edge - his new boss makes him into a TV reporter and that was cool. Morgan Edge I guess is a minion of Darkseid but we never learn any more of that in 10 issues. He would be a fun character to develop but alas - Dennis does a crappy job of developing Clark's side of Superman. Lois shows up for a couple of issues but Superman basically calls her annoying and seems to hate her because she is always getting in trouble. Yikes. Jimmy Olsen makes a small appearance. But other than that nada in the way of developing Superman/Clark or his supporting characters - or creating new interesting villains. Also - we get a crossover from another book Dennis was ruining - Wonder Woman and her Asian mentor I Ching. In case you missed it - Dennis depowered Wonder Woman (omg...I see a theme) and took away ALL her powers so she could be a spy and she had a mentor who was a magic guy I Ching. He comes into Superman's book to help him out mystically. Not a surprise then these stories have not appeared in other collections. Although it doesn't bode well that the upcoming DC Finest (2025) collection is highlighting this period of Superman.
In the end - my main takeaway is something I already knew - Dennis is a crappy writer when it comes to writing super heroes. He can do some great stories with lesser powered heroes (Batman) and he loves themes of social justice but when it came to writing Superman he was a very bad choice.
Superman is always a tough hero to write for but I feel the ones who succeeded better in the 70's took advantage of his strengths - his supporting characters and his life as Clark - his kryptonian heritage and some of the ideas that could open up - the fact he is powerful and can do adventures unthinkable for most heroes. If your one idea is "depower him" it isn't much of an idea.
There is a lot for me to unpack in this collection but my quick review is - great art by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson (inking) and Dennis proves - yet again - he is not suited to write comics with super powered heroes in it. He doesn't have the imagination and doesn't have the love of the history of comics to use Superman's old foes. As another example, his run on the Justice League was horrid. As another example - his run on Green Lantern was saved by Neal Adams' art but you will notice he did his best to keep the stories less about the powers and more about the man within. That is his strnegth and it is not well served with a hero like Superman.
Okay - so Dennis had two ideas "Get rid of kryptonite because it is overused as a way to depower Superman" and "Superman is too powerful so let's depower him". Do you see the contradiction? To be honest - it could have worked. Superman was getting way too powerful and you can depower him but remove the kryptonite weakness because now that he is depowered - other things can hurt him. Unfortunately - as soon as Dennis left the book Superman's powers came back and Kryptonite came back. I think the reason depowering Superman never sticks around for long is because it is baked into our social consciousness that he is invulnerable and able to fly into suns. The other problem is "how depowered is he" unless you have a way to get all writers to agree or a way to enforce it in the books then there will always be one writer who moves him at the speed of light to solve a problem.
The problem with Dennis is his way of getting rid of kryptonite was stupid. A kryptonite explosion caused a chain reaction for all kryptonite on earth to turn to lead. Bad enough that is sill science but...what about kryptonite still out there in the universe? I mean - if you don't like kryptonight just don't write stories with it. It is (in theory) rare so just ignore it as a writer.
Another problem - that sand creature I mentioned was an ongoing plot for all 10 issues and it was really dull. He was a formless creature from the Quuarum (sp?) dimension who took the shape of Superman out of sand. Basically he drained Superman's powers...became more and more like Superman and Superman just kind of ignored him until the final battle and they both agreed it was just best for the sand Superman to leave and go back to the dimension he came from. No personality, no interesting conflict, and never heard of again (except in Superman vs Shazam).
The first issue shows a little promise in developing Clark Kent - Morgan Edge - his new boss makes him into a TV reporter and that was cool. Morgan Edge I guess is a minion of Darkseid but we never learn any more of that in 10 issues. He would be a fun character to develop but alas - Dennis does a crappy job of developing Clark's side of Superman. Lois shows up for a couple of issues but Superman basically calls her annoying and seems to hate her because she is always getting in trouble. Yikes. Jimmy Olsen makes a small appearance. But other than that nada in the way of developing Superman/Clark or his supporting characters - or creating new interesting villains. Also - we get a crossover from another book Dennis was ruining - Wonder Woman and her Asian mentor I Ching. In case you missed it - Dennis depowered Wonder Woman (omg...I see a theme) and took away ALL her powers so she could be a spy and she had a mentor who was a magic guy I Ching. He comes into Superman's book to help him out mystically. Not a surprise then these stories have not appeared in other collections. Although it doesn't bode well that the upcoming DC Finest (2025) collection is highlighting this period of Superman.
In the end - my main takeaway is something I already knew - Dennis is a crappy writer when it comes to writing super heroes. He can do some great stories with lesser powered heroes (Batman) and he loves themes of social justice but when it came to writing Superman he was a very bad choice.
Superman is always a tough hero to write for but I feel the ones who succeeded better in the 70's took advantage of his strengths - his supporting characters and his life as Clark - his kryptonian heritage and some of the ideas that could open up - the fact he is powerful and can do adventures unthinkable for most heroes. If your one idea is "depower him" it isn't much of an idea.
November 15, 2024
Its difficult finding a way to review this book since its so dated. Not as dated as I thought, but still very old.
Superman is overpowered with the conversion of Kryptonite to Iron (which he eats to prove a point that it can't hurt him at one point?), making him nearly invulnerable. That is, except for a sand being that was summoned from Quirm in the same explosion that made Kryptonite useless against the Man of Steel.
He eventually gets his powers snatched by this being, which allows someone to hit him in the head so hard that he receives brain damage and acts differently than normal. Its kind of a weird plotline but its whatever. Also, shoutout to depowered Wonder Woman making an appearance in this book, no wonder everyone fucking hates that run.
The writing is pretty good for a book from the 70s, O'Neil wrote a lot better than some of the other writers of that era, and even better than some of the writers after his time (Mark Gruenwald and John Byrne being examples during the 1980s). It goes to show that DC pretty much always had the top tier talent from the get go, and continue to today.
I don't think Dennis O'Neil was familiar with the supervillains that Clark Kent normally faces, which is why he creates like 3 in this book. Pan has potential to be cool, I like the demon harp or whatever, that was a fun idea. I also like the weird orange monster at the end, I don't even think they give him a name but he's kind of cool. Sand Superman, which apparently is named Quarrmer is dumb as rocks. It feels like O'Neil could've used a character like Bizarro but chose not to for some reason.
Curt Swan is always great for Superman, I love his art. The inker on this just expands upon it and creates that iconic 70s Superman that was so uniquely different from the old school 50s and 60s stories. I don't even mind some of the uglier bits like Quarrmer, the book still holds up artistically.
Its pretty clear that this run was to limit the insane amount of power Superman had by the Silver Age of comics. O'Neil didn't like writing for the character since he was "so powerful" and therefore unrelatable or whatever bullshit rhetoric you hear about this character on a consistent basis. It does its job by the end, Supes is limited and can't juggle planets or dismantle reality with a punch, but that kind of takes away something that made Superman interesting. He has so much power, so many strange characters, it just kind of sucks to limit that and try and ground the character. Its a goofy mythos, let it stay goofy. The Silver Age had so many weird stories that have stayed in the DC continuity or have reshaped it on many occasions, embrace that! That being said, I still thought the book was fun and goofy in different ways.
Superman is overpowered with the conversion of Kryptonite to Iron (which he eats to prove a point that it can't hurt him at one point?), making him nearly invulnerable. That is, except for a sand being that was summoned from Quirm in the same explosion that made Kryptonite useless against the Man of Steel.
He eventually gets his powers snatched by this being, which allows someone to hit him in the head so hard that he receives brain damage and acts differently than normal. Its kind of a weird plotline but its whatever. Also, shoutout to depowered Wonder Woman making an appearance in this book, no wonder everyone fucking hates that run.
The writing is pretty good for a book from the 70s, O'Neil wrote a lot better than some of the other writers of that era, and even better than some of the writers after his time (Mark Gruenwald and John Byrne being examples during the 1980s). It goes to show that DC pretty much always had the top tier talent from the get go, and continue to today.
I don't think Dennis O'Neil was familiar with the supervillains that Clark Kent normally faces, which is why he creates like 3 in this book. Pan has potential to be cool, I like the demon harp or whatever, that was a fun idea. I also like the weird orange monster at the end, I don't even think they give him a name but he's kind of cool. Sand Superman, which apparently is named Quarrmer is dumb as rocks. It feels like O'Neil could've used a character like Bizarro but chose not to for some reason.
Curt Swan is always great for Superman, I love his art. The inker on this just expands upon it and creates that iconic 70s Superman that was so uniquely different from the old school 50s and 60s stories. I don't even mind some of the uglier bits like Quarrmer, the book still holds up artistically.
Its pretty clear that this run was to limit the insane amount of power Superman had by the Silver Age of comics. O'Neil didn't like writing for the character since he was "so powerful" and therefore unrelatable or whatever bullshit rhetoric you hear about this character on a consistent basis. It does its job by the end, Supes is limited and can't juggle planets or dismantle reality with a punch, but that kind of takes away something that made Superman interesting. He has so much power, so many strange characters, it just kind of sucks to limit that and try and ground the character. Its a goofy mythos, let it stay goofy. The Silver Age had so many weird stories that have stayed in the DC continuity or have reshaped it on many occasions, embrace that! That being said, I still thought the book was fun and goofy in different ways.
January 10, 2025
Nearly a three-star, but that would have been more for historical purposes.
This is one of those Superman monuments that I've long lacked, but Hoopla had a copy so here we are.
Julius Schwartz (editor) and Denny O'Neil (writer) attempt to shed the narrative crutches that had built up in the twenty years since Supes' advent.
Most of this baggage is bypassed by ignoring it, but they couldn't ignore the big green elephant in the room. And so Kryptonite is turned into lead. All of it. And I get it: the access our criminal elements had to kryptonite was astounding. We must have entire mountain ranges of the stuff.
But this clearly leaves our storytellers a problem: how do you endanger or stop Superman. From where does the conflict come? And so they are quick to diminish his power.
As a reader, you understand O'Neil's new-school, Marvel-influenced approach. Humanize, humanize, humanize. And after reswimming the oceans of DC Silver Age for a few weeks, I really get it. DC needed this.
But the book doesn't totally stick the vault. Even Levitz in the intro acknowledges that O'Neil doesn't quite speak Kryptonian. He's better speaking the language of the orphans of Gotham.
These issues are necessary and important stuff. I'm grateful to have finally read it. But it is one of those stories where you are reading an editorial mandate and/or a writer trying to "fix" a status quo. You are always highly conscious of the editor. As they try to make Clark relatable, you hear more from Schwartz than you do Clark.
(It was interesting to have Diana show up in her similarly depowered years. You see the movement DC was attempting.)
This is one of those Superman monuments that I've long lacked, but Hoopla had a copy so here we are.
Julius Schwartz (editor) and Denny O'Neil (writer) attempt to shed the narrative crutches that had built up in the twenty years since Supes' advent.
Most of this baggage is bypassed by ignoring it, but they couldn't ignore the big green elephant in the room. And so Kryptonite is turned into lead. All of it. And I get it: the access our criminal elements had to kryptonite was astounding. We must have entire mountain ranges of the stuff.
But this clearly leaves our storytellers a problem: how do you endanger or stop Superman. From where does the conflict come? And so they are quick to diminish his power.
As a reader, you understand O'Neil's new-school, Marvel-influenced approach. Humanize, humanize, humanize. And after reswimming the oceans of DC Silver Age for a few weeks, I really get it. DC needed this.
But the book doesn't totally stick the vault. Even Levitz in the intro acknowledges that O'Neil doesn't quite speak Kryptonian. He's better speaking the language of the orphans of Gotham.
These issues are necessary and important stuff. I'm grateful to have finally read it. But it is one of those stories where you are reading an editorial mandate and/or a writer trying to "fix" a status quo. You are always highly conscious of the editor. As they try to make Clark relatable, you hear more from Schwartz than you do Clark.
(It was interesting to have Diana show up in her similarly depowered years. You see the movement DC was attempting.)
March 19, 2023
Denny O' Neil is generally famous for working on Batman and Green Lantern/Green Arrow.
In the 70's, he did a short run on Superman that tried some interesting things with the traditional formula: Kryptonite was gone, Clark Kent become a TV broadcaster and they tried to depower the man of steel a little.
Mixed in with all that are some pretty decent and creative stories.
The mysterious stranger, that is following Superman and seems to be messing with his powers, the appearance of a villain who may have gotten his powers from the devil and a fight with a trio of angels.
All the while, Superman is struggling to figure out what to do if he's losing his powers and how he fits in and is seen by the world.
The mix of big super hero action and strong emotional beats is well handled.
Denny stopped writing Superman, as he thought he was a bad fit, but this run has me wishing he'd done more.
Plus, the Curt Swan art is beautiful, as always.
In the 70's, he did a short run on Superman that tried some interesting things with the traditional formula: Kryptonite was gone, Clark Kent become a TV broadcaster and they tried to depower the man of steel a little.
Mixed in with all that are some pretty decent and creative stories.
The mysterious stranger, that is following Superman and seems to be messing with his powers, the appearance of a villain who may have gotten his powers from the devil and a fight with a trio of angels.
All the while, Superman is struggling to figure out what to do if he's losing his powers and how he fits in and is seen by the world.
The mix of big super hero action and strong emotional beats is well handled.
Denny stopped writing Superman, as he thought he was a bad fit, but this run has me wishing he'd done more.
Plus, the Curt Swan art is beautiful, as always.
July 25, 2023
It's kind of fascinating to see Denny O'Neil writing Superman and mixing some silver age nonsense with his seventies-era melodrama. Also funny to see him drag his depowered Wonder Woman experiment into the proceedings, along with her mentor, I-Ching, with somewhat mixed results.
I've also never been a huge fan of Curt Swan but the artwork for this storyline, with inker Murphy Anderson, is really quite good. I can see why people feel Swan is THE Superman artist though I'm confident Anderson's finishes have a lot to do with why I enjoyed the look of the book as much as I did.
This was an entertaining read for me but a strange overall period for the Man of Steel so I think mileage will vary for most people on this.
I've also never been a huge fan of Curt Swan but the artwork for this storyline, with inker Murphy Anderson, is really quite good. I can see why people feel Swan is THE Superman artist though I'm confident Anderson's finishes have a lot to do with why I enjoyed the look of the book as much as I did.
This was an entertaining read for me but a strange overall period for the Man of Steel so I think mileage will vary for most people on this.
July 29, 2023
I recall having one of the issues of this series a long time ago, so when I saw this in a local library, I decided to pick up it and a few other trade paperbacks for some comics nostalgia. Overall, this was okay. I liked the. Story idea of Superman struggling with the loss of much of his powers and the artwork was great, but it summed up to a mostly forgettable story. The writing, particularly the dialogue, seemed a bit off to me and the issues weren’t as exciting as the idea of the story. Certainly not worth purchasing, but maybe it would be fun for someone who remembers these comics from their childhood.
August 1, 2023
What a great example of the essence of classical comic books. Here we have a story developed throughout several issues and yet every issue can be perfectly read as a single and separate piece. The mysterious sandman is always present in the background, but Superman/Clark has to deal with very different problems framed within very different contexts. This comes after the Silver Age and somehow epitomizes the interest in reducing Supes' superpowers, which were too unleashed at that time. Two remarkable professionals doing their job. Swan in particular is probably the definitive artist for Superman, but what Adams do with the covers is in a different league.
July 4, 2025
Of all the Superman comics I have read thus far. This is easily the strangest.
On paper, it should be straightforward, a young writer tackles the job of soft rebooting Superman for 1971. He and DC decide on two strategies, tamper Superman's powers and get rid of Kryptonite as a plot.
How these two goals are achieved is how we end up with one of the most bizarre Superman stories I have ever read. You will never guess the actual plot point they come up with to depower Superman.
No, seriously, you won't.
This arc works best as an odd curio, though there's some period racism and weird gender stuff that make me hesitate to recommend it too heartily.
On paper, it should be straightforward, a young writer tackles the job of soft rebooting Superman for 1971. He and DC decide on two strategies, tamper Superman's powers and get rid of Kryptonite as a plot.
How these two goals are achieved is how we end up with one of the most bizarre Superman stories I have ever read. You will never guess the actual plot point they come up with to depower Superman.
No, seriously, you won't.
This arc works best as an odd curio, though there's some period racism and weird gender stuff that make me hesitate to recommend it too heartily.
April 2, 2018
All in all, a pretty solid Superman yarn. O'Neil avoids his typical pitfall of being overly preachy, and Swan - inked by Murphy Anderson - looks better than ever. Actually, I'm typically indifferent to Swan - heresy for a Superman fan, I know, but his stuff's a little stiff - so I was really happy and surprised to see how sharp it looked here. O'Neil does indulge in some spiritual hoohah toward the end, with Wonder Woman and I-Ching getting involved and Superman having a spirit quest. Still, nice plotting, nice adventure, a good solid Superman comic.
February 23, 2023
This was an interesting read.
I’ve never read earlier Superman comics, and now that I have, I can say they aren’t really for me. The dialogue is exposition heavy, the plot is pulpy (not necessarily a bad thing), and characterization is lacking. I was also a little put off by the orientalist tropes and random bible verse plopped into the middle of the page.
That said, this was worth reading just to get a sense of the character’s history and immerse myself in another era of comic books.
I’ve never read earlier Superman comics, and now that I have, I can say they aren’t really for me. The dialogue is exposition heavy, the plot is pulpy (not necessarily a bad thing), and characterization is lacking. I was also a little put off by the orientalist tropes and random bible verse plopped into the middle of the page.
That said, this was worth reading just to get a sense of the character’s history and immerse myself in another era of comic books.
December 25, 2024
A fine Silver Age story to try to bring Superman's power level down from how large it had become while taking away the threat of Kryptonite.
Solid writing and great Silver Age art. An interesting piece of history and the afterwords by Dennis O'Neil is worth a read to understand what he wanted to do.
Solid writing and great Silver Age art. An interesting piece of history and the afterwords by Dennis O'Neil is worth a read to understand what he wanted to do.
December 20, 2025
This is from the period of DC where they were stripping characters of their powers. First Wonder Woman becomes an Emma Peel style Karate fighter and then Superman has Kryptonite removed from the world then a doppelganger drains his powers. It’s all fairly interesting but i was just waiting for the return to the status quo. Not in this volume.
July 4, 2022
Overrated sequence of stories from around 1970. Reading and weeding.
Read
February 3, 2023crisis of power and personality. honestly loving superman stories, they’re always so weird. he’s a weird alien guy who became a country boy who moved to the city. always an outsider.
March 21, 2024
Not the greatest story but I enjoy reading the older stories from the 70s
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