Superman: Red and Blue

Superman Red & Blue (2021-) #1-6

by John Ridley, Clayton Henry, Brandon Easton (Illustrator)

The Man of Steel Stars in DC's New Superman: Red & Blue anthology mini-series!


In the spirit of DC’s iconic Eisner Award-winning Batman: Black & White anthology series, DC proudly announces Superman: Red & Blue, a new anthology mini-series presenting fresh new takes on the Man of Steel.

Around the world, everyone knows that when they see a red and blue streak in the sky, it’s not a bird...it’s not a plane...it’s Superman!

Academy Award-winning writer of DC Future State: The Next Batman John Ridley joins artist Clayton Henry (Batman/Superman) to tell a story of Clark Kent as he confronts a villain who still haunts him, in a story that shows what Superman can mean to a whole country.

Brandon Easton (DC Future State’s Mister Miracle) and Steve Lieber (Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen) take readers to the streets of Metropolis to show how one hero can mean so much to an individual in pain.
Writer/artist Wes Craig (Deadly Class) tells a tale of Superman’s early days and the man who inspired him to become the hero he is today!

Marguerite Bennett (DC Future State: Kara Zor-El, Superwoman) and artist Jill Thompson (The Sandman, Black Orchid) give us a tale of teenage Clark Kent, while Dan Watters and Dani, the team behind Coffin Bound, bring us an outlandish fable about what happens when all colors are stolen!

This collection includes Superman Red & Blue #1-6

Genres: Comics, Superman, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

288 pages, ebook

First published March 17, 2021

About the author

John Ridley IV (born October 1965)[2] is an American screenwriter, television director, novelist, and showrunner, known for 12 Years a Slave, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He is also the creator and showrunner of the critically acclaimed anthology series American Crime. His most recent work is the documentary film Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992.


Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

"My birth name is Kal-El and I am the child of two worlds. The first is a civilization from beyond the stars that might seem like an impossible fantasy but has long since met its tragic end. The second is a homespun section of the heartland, as real as it gets and straight out of the American dream. This is my story." -- mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent typing Superman's story (wink-wink) to scoop rival Lois Lane

Although cut from the same stylistic cloth as Wonder Woman: Black & Gold - and you can probably guess the obvious difference by the hues listed in the respective subtitles - Superman: Red & Blue did not quite reach the same lofty heights (up! up! and . . . almost?) as the aforementioned Amazonian's book. Once again featuring an extensive and diverse array of writers and artists taking their shot at interpreting the super-heroic title character, when the included tales were good they were really good -- see 'The Measure of Hope,' 'A Man Most Saved,' 'The Scoop,' 'Son of a Farmer,' and lastly 'Deescalation' (in which Clark Kent's mannerisms and appearance perfectly echo the late actor Christopher Reeve's daffy but well-performed incarnation of the secret identity) for some first-rate heartwarming 'Man of Steel' short stories. However, the collection also included head-scratching misfires like the inexplicable 'Into the Ghost Zone,' the ridiculous 'Streaky the Supercat in Hissy Fit,' and 'Namrepus' (in which I'd venture that Superman would even briefly disavow his 'no killing' stance to straight up murder the supremely annoying Mr. Mxyzptlk in this very unfunny narrative) in the mix. Still, this anthology moves along fast enough that it doesn't have a chance to get boring.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthology of top notch creators putting their spin on Superman in 8-page stories. The ones that work best are those where the artist is experienced in doing their own colors. They make the best use of the red and blue color palette while a few look like they've barely used photoshop before with color randomly splashed in places. All in all though, there's some good stuff to be found within.

[Sud666 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whelp that wasn't good at all. The concept? A series of short stories (more like vignettes) by various writers, with the theme being a red and blue coloring style. Cool concept but poor execution. The stories pretty much, with a few exceptions, are crap. Too short, sometimes too trite, and mostly cringe-worthy bad.
The art style is more interesting and makes for some cool panels. But, the stories of mediocre quality and seemed "mailed-in" with little thought. Not impressed, but the art style is cool.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anthologies rarely rise above "just okay," and this is firmly in that category. My biggest problem with the book is that everyone played it safe, serving up the cliched inspirational stuff I've seen hung around Superman's neck like an albatross hundreds of times before.

Here's the sole image in the book that offered a glimpse of something different and intriguing:



Here are the also rans:

• [Untitled - "My palms sweat."] / John Ridley, writer; Clayton Henry, artist
~ 2 stars ~
In an epilogue to World's Finest #192-193 from 1970, Clark Kent is anxious when he has to interview a man who tortured him years earlier when he was in a powerless state as Superman. A realistic downer.

• The Measure of Hope / Brandon Easton, writer; Steve Lieber, artist
~ 2 stars ~
A dead mom? More depressing mopiness about the limits of Superman's powers.

• The Boy Who Saved Superman / Wes Craig, story & art
~ 3 stars ~
So powerlessness is definitely a theme here. When Superman is down and out, it's up to a young immigrant to get him back into the fray. The right kind of inspiring.

• Human Colors / Dan Watters, script; Dani, art
~ 2 stars ~
A silly, if well-intentioned parable about the importance of color to humanity.

• The School of Hard Knock-Knock Jokes / Marguerite Bennett, writer; Jill Thompson, artist
~ 2 stars ~
Kindergartener Clark Kent stars in a heavy-handed afterschool special about shunning and friendship.

• Own / Steven T. Seagle, writer; Duncan Rouleau, art
~ 2 stars ~
Martha Kent rips her coffee clique when they make a slight about adoption.

• Into the Ghost Zone / Chuck Brown, writer; Denys Cowan, pencils; John Stanisci, inks
~ 2 stars ~
I'm not familiar with the Earth-2 Superman, Val-Zod, and this silly action piece does little to properly introduce him.

• Patience / Dan Panosian, story & art
~ 2 stars ~
Lex Luthor futilely attacks Superman with some new red kryptonite, including a boxing match. I grew up with Muhammad Ali clobbering Supes in glorious, full-color, treasury-sized Neal Adams art, and, friend, that is not a comparison you want to invite.

• My Best Friend, Superman / Stephanie Phillips, script; Marley Zarcone, art
~ 2 stars ~
Another obvious and heavy-handed afterschool special set on a playground. Or maybe it would be more at home on the corny old Superfriends TV show.

• S Is for Cyborg / Jason Howard, art & story
~ 2 stars ~
Cyborg Superman Hank Henshaw needs to be forgotten forever by everyone. Just stop with him already, DC.

• Deadline / Jesse J. Holland, writer; Laura Braga, artist
~ 3 stars ~
It's a little awkward, but I like this story of Bruce Wayne and Diana musing whether or not a busy and constantly distracted Clark Kent will make his newspaper deadline and their dinner date.

• Kilg%re City / Michel Fiffe, writer & artist
~ 2 stars ~
Nearly unreadable nonsense, but the art is sort of fun.

• A Man Most Saved / Brandon Thomas, writer; Berat Pekmezci, art
~ 2 stars ~
I like the premise of a man who has been saved by Superman repeatedly getting the chance to pay him back, but it felt like it needed a few more pages or a slightly different angle of attack to succeed.

• Something to Hold on to / Nick Spencer, writer; Christian Ward, art
~ 2 stars ~
Superman invites the kids from a group home to his Fortress of Solitude for a field trip. Toyman crashes. I zone out.

• Little Star / James Stokoe, story & art
~ 2 stars ~
I like the concept of an asteroid on a collision course with Earth hiding a special little mystery, but the end left me cold. That's not how Supes would've handled it.

• Namrepus / Mark Waid, writer; Audrey Mok, artist
~ 3 stars ~
A classic throwback sort of tale with Superman deciding to show up in the Fifth Dimension and prank Mr. Mxyzptlk. Funny and clever.

• Prospect of Tomorrow / Francis Manapul, writer & artist
~ 2 stars ~
Superman goes to Mars to play matchmaker with exploration drones? Bizarre.

• A Little Is a Lot / Robert Venditti, writer; Alitha Martinez, artist
~ 3 stars ~
A simple story of everyday heroism being a match for Superman's extraordinary abilities.

• For the Man Who Has Nothing / Michael W. Conrad, writer; Cully Hamner, artist
~ 2 stars ~
Oh, no, another bad Bizarro story.

• #SavedBySuperman / Rich Douek, writer; Joe Quinones, art
~ 2 stars ~
A cool concept wherein social media idiots start throwing themselves off things as part of a viral challenge to have Superman save them. But it goes for a preachy ending instead of something realistic or clever.

• Fetch / Judd Winick, writer; Ibrahim Moustafa, artist
~ 2 stars ~
Krypto arrives on Earth and makes Clark Kent happy. Ho-hum.

• Deescalation / G. Willow Wilson, writer; Valentine De Landro, artist
~ 3 stars ~
A crime is committed, and Clark Kent gets to save the day for once. Nice.

• Your Favorite / Josh Williamson, writer; Chris Sprouse, pencils; Karl Story, inks
~ 2 stars ~
Jimmy Olsen is a screw-up, and a pretty boring one at that.

• Red Sun . . . Blue Dot / Mark Buckingham, story & art
~ 2 stars ~
Baby Supes flies in a rocket while his Kryptonian parents have a morose voice-over dialogue.

• [Untitled - "Matthew 3:17"] / Daniel Warren Johnson, writer & artist
~ 2 stars ~
Jonathan Kent's a good dad. Yup.

• Streaky the Supercat in: Hissy Fit / Sophie Campbell, story & art
~ 3 stars ~
Cats, amiright? Hee.

• Scoop / Matt Wagner, story & art
~ 3 stars ~
Clark Kent's a damn good reporter.

• The Special / Tom King, writer; Paolo Rivera, artist
~ 3 stars ~
Clark Kent's a good man too. Yup.

• Son of Farmers / Darcie Little Badger, writer; Steve Pugh, art
~ 2 stars ~
I was a son of a maize farmer too. Didn't find any of these lessons shaping my life.

• "Ally" / Rex Ogle, writer; Mike Norton, artist
~ 2 stars ~
Nice, but really?


FOR REFERENCE:

Contents:
• Superman Red & Blue #1 Cover / Gary Frank, illustrator
• [Untitled - "My palms sweat."] / John Ridley, writer; Clayton Henry, artist
• The Measure of Hope / Brandon Easton, writer; Steve Lieber, artist
• The Boy Who Saved Superman / Wes Craig, story & art
• Human Colors / Dan Watters, script; Dani, art
• The School of Hard Knock-Knock Jokes / Marguerite Bennett, writer; Jill Thompson, artist
• Superman Red & Blue #2 Cover / Nicola Scott, illustrator
• Own / Steven T. Seagle, writer; Duncan Rouleau, art
• Into the Ghost Zone / Chuck Brown, writer; Denys Cowan, pencils; John Stanisci, inks
• Patience / Dan Panosian, story & art
• My Best Friend, Superman / Stephanie Phillips, script; Marley Zarcone, art
• S Is for Cyborg / Jason Howard, art & story;
• Superman Red & Blue #3 Cover / Paul Pope, illustrator
• Deadline / Jesse J. Holland, writer; Laura Braga, artist
• Kilg%re City / Michel Fiffe, writer & artist
• A Man Most Saved / Brandon Thomas, writer; Berat Pekmezci, art
• Something to Hold on to / Nick Spencer, writer; Christian Ward, art
• Little Star / James Stokoe, story & art
• Superman Red & Blue #4 Cover /John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson, illustrators
• Namrepus / Mark Waid, writer; Audrey Mok, artist
• Prospect of Tomorrow / Francis Manapul, writer & artist
• A Little Is a Lot / Robert Venditti, writer; Alitha Martinez, artist
• For the Man Who Has Nothing / Michael W. Conrad, writer; Cully Hamner, artist
• #SavedBySuperman / Rich Douek, writer; Joe Quinones, art
• Superman Red & Blue #5 Cover / Amanda Conner, illustrator
• Fetch / Judd Winick, writer; Ibrahim Moustafa, artist
• Deescalation / G. Willow Wilson, writer; Valentine De Landro, artist
• Your Favorite / Josh Williamson, writer; Chris Sprouse, pencils; Karl Story, inks
• Red Sun . . . Blue Dot / Mark Buckingham, story & art
• [Untitled - "Matthew 3:17"] / Daniel Warren Johnson, writer & artist
• Superman Red & Blue #6 Cover / Evan "Doc" Shaner, illustrator
• Streaky the Supercat in: Hissy Fit / Sophie Campbell, story & art
• Scoop / Matt Wagner, story & art
• The Special / Tom King, writer; Paolo Rivera, artist
• Son of Farmers / Darcie Little Badger, writer; Steve Pugh, art
• "Ally" / Rex Ogle, writer; Mike Norton, artist
• Variant Cover Gallery / Lee Bermejo (#1), Yoshitaka Amano(#1), David Choe (#2), Brian Bolland (#2), Derrick Chew (#3), John Paul Leon (#3), Alexander Lozano (#4), Walter Simonson (#4), Arthur Adams (#5), Miguel Mercado (#5), Gabriele Dell'Otto (#6), and Kevin Eastman (#6), illustrators
• Cover Process / Gary Frank, Nicola Scott, Amanda Conner, Evan "Doc" Shaner, and John Paul Leon, illustrators

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an anthology of Superman being an inspiring perfect good boy, from many perspectives, his and his supporting cast's and sometimes that of his villains. Some will call them sappy, preachy, uninteresting, and obvious. Maybe. But I'm still glad we have a few heroes like him to keep the hope going and pass a few good lessons, rather than just a bunch of "realistic" anti-heroes on a quest to show us how much life sucks and how little we can do about it.

Life does suck enough as it is.

Still wouldn't mind some stories of the original Superman, though. When he was rougher and scarier and not as much of a paragon, but was still a good guy. Allowed to beat up some corrupt rich folks. Have to look into that.

[Sem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superman stripped down to the basics, to the core of what makes him Super and what makes him Man - the empathy, the unrelenting desire to help, the belief in goodness. Spread over 6 issues of fantastic stories with very few duds and some of the best Superman tales easily making up for any flaws in the rest. Imagine the emotional catharsis of that one All-Star Superman page being reached over and over, issue after issue. This is what this anthology does for me.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very mixed bag of Superman shorts that starts strong before showing a slow decline the further on it goes. Only a few writers get the balance between writing Superman well and being able to tell a good and engaging story without butchering the character, and there are a few instances of this here. However, most skate on mediocre or passable, making the overall experience a little disappointing.

[Murphy C · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I find the second and third issues to be fairly abominable, this dichromatic Superman anthology mini-series contains quite a lot of excellent material. I can recommend the second half, or issues three through six, unreservedly. I read the first issue well before I picked up the rest of the series, so I only reviewed issues after one. Following are my individual reviews of those issues:

Ish 2: Terrible writing and worse artwork. The only bright spot in this issue is Denys Cowan's too-few pages of President Superman/Calvin Ellis. Miles and miles from the high standard set by Batman: Black and White. Whoever edited this project ought to be just a little bit ashamed of themselves for this drivel. 2 STARS.

Ish 3: The best thing about this issue is the Paul Pope cover. The interior artwork is almost uniformly atrocious. The writing is just as bereft. The illustration of the lead story by artists Laura Braga and Hi-Fi is the single exception in this insult of a prestige anthology of a comic. I mean, I really DO NOT like being mean (i.e., overly critical of someone else's presumably hard work), but Michel Fiffe's work--with which this is my first encounter--simply does not belong in a professionally published comic. Neither Fiffe's writing nor art meets the lowest bar of quality I'd expect from a fly-by-night, borderline shady indie publisher, much less DC Comics. Just awful. 2 STARS.

Ish 4: This issue represents a marked improvement on the previous two issues. The quality of writer and story is much higher this time round, with the first story being a decent little Mr. Mxyzptlk story (with, unfortunately, characteristically amateurish artwork) by perennial DC workhorse Mark Waid, the comics gods bless him. Joe Quinones closes the issue out with some very competent illustration to a C+ story. 3 STARS.

Ish 5: I wish that the whole series had achieved this issue's quality. Herein there's a touching and slightly harrowing Clark Kent story by G. Willow Wilson, wasted (almost; it's still worth reading) on the glorified fan art of one Valentine de Landro. Chris Sprouse (an excellent artist) illustrates a pleasant little Jimmy Olsen story by Josh Williamson. Mark Buckingham beautifully illustrates a few pages of non-story narration, which are very nice if ultimately meaningless, and Daniel Warren Johnson closes the issue out with a gut-wrenching father/son story which he illustrates himself. It's fine. The real gem here is the sweet opening Krypto/Superboy story by Judd Winick (a name DC fans see in print too seldom in these latter days) and artist Ibrahim Moustafa. This is one of the only tales in this ENTIRE anthology which consists of art and writing which are both of the highest quality and each designed to complement the other in the telling of a story. 4 STARS.

Ish 6: Damn, this was nearly perfect. I really wish the entire mini-series had been produced with as much skill and care as issues 5 and six. The standout here is Matt Wagner's beautiful and pitch perfect Golden Age-set story, in which the writer/artist deftly explores the dichotomy between Superman's and Clark Kent's two very separate professional careers. Clark doesn't feel comfortable (Midwest modesty and all) writing about, and thereby sensationalizing, his alter ego's exploits, for instance. The artwork ranges from very good to masterful in each story of this final issue. Sophie Campbell's textless Streaky story delighted me as a bona fine feline enthusiast (however I wish the art had been allowed to bake a little longer; it looks unfinished), and the closing story, which some will deride as "woke propaganda" or pandering or whatever other bullshit, surprised me by drawing a little bit of mist from my cynical eyes. Superman has always been my favorite character. He's always inspired me, but, as a straight, white American man (or boy), I recognize that I represent the character's traditional audience. But I truly believe that Superman is not, should not be, maybe cannot be limited in such ways. Superman represents ideals that are inclusive, that embrace everyone. The idea that the example of Superman might help a young person, any young person, to come out, to embrace the truth of themselves, only adds to my reverential love for the character. 5 STARS.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superman: Red & Blue collects issues 1-6 of the DC Comics series featuring writers such as Tom King, John Ridley, Mark Waid, and Joshua Williamson and art by Francis Manipul, Clayton Henry, Joe Quinones, and Paolo Rivera.

An anthology of Superman stories where all the art is in shades of black, red, white, and blue. My favorites included a Smallville diner waitress watching Clark Kent grow up from a child to a father, Jimmy Olson capturing his favorite picture of Superman, Clark Kent stopping a convenience store robbery, and a man who has been saved by Superman twelve times gets the chance to return the favor.

I’m a little surprised that there were not bigger names attached to this book. There are a lot of recent notable DC writers and artists who I think could have told some interesting Superman stories. I get DC uses these anthology series to test out younger writers and artists but there should be a good balance of new and experienced creators on these books. I love that DC embraces the short format but I do wish the color books (Batman Black & White, Superman Red & Blue, Wonder Woman Black & God, Harley Red & Black) leaned even more into the art where the stories were given a reason for this special format. So many are just normal stories where it feels like a filter was slapped on the art to make it fit the color criteria.

[James DeSantis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection didn't really do much for me. I guess I'm just more of a long format fan for Superman. The short stories, being 10-15 pages just didn't connect for me. The art was good, but not every issue I loved the art style.

Overall just okay but everyone else loves it, so try it out!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great. It was so nice to see Superman through the eyes of so many different writers and artist. Not all the stories landed how they should have but the majority was solid. I really liked being able to read short stories of Superman from all different angles. Sometimes I wonder if the way I see Superman is real or did I just inflate his goodness and kind nature. But this anthology proves that so many people agree that Superman is just great. I was surprised to see even some YA authors contributing to this. I may have teared up a couple times.

Some notable stories were by Tom King (of course he wrote a amazing rendition) James Stokoe, Daniel Warren Johnson, and Jesse J Holland.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is amazing anthology made for Superman fans.

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most difficult aspects of publishing an anthology is to provide good quality of stories in the collection. Multiple poorly written stories can hamper the experience of reading one good story. So, the publishers and editors have to be vigilant regarding the story they choose.

Superman: Red and Blue is a good example of a decent compilation of stories. I would not say that there are no bad ones in the lot, in fact, some are so horrible that they made me put down the book for a while. But most of them effectively portray the essence of Superman, his morals and his overall character, and are some of the best Superman stories I've read. I'd also like to point out the amazing coloring throughout most of the book, with the themed color being played out in a vibrant manner by some amazing artists and colorists of our age.

There were stories that made me tear up because of his good they were, stories that made me chuckle because of the lightheadedness of Superman seeping through, but above all they inspired me to become a better person, and that's what a good Superman story does.

[Jeffrey Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good!

This is an anthology for the Man of Steel! Inspired by that last success of Batman: Black and White. I really liked a lot of the stories within this graphic novel. Others... what the hell were you thinking?

Now I don't think this will be everyone's cup of tea. To them this may be toothpaste and orange juice. But for me, the absolute dork that I conceive myself to be absolutely loved it. If you're getting to know the character of Superman better this is great. I liked how it depicted Superman to the average civilians eye.

6.5 out of 10 it was very well done!

[Robbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

[5/5]
This book is amazing. I genuinely loved this book. Sure there were a couple of stories in here that were a bit boring to me but I don’t think that detracts from my overall thoughts on it. Superman Red and Blue is an anthology of short stories that also serve as a reconstruction of Superman. Superman is a peak character and I think showing this to anyone would persuade them as well. This story is THE Superman story for me so far (Maybe Secret Identity will change that). This story made me feel emotional. There are so many different stories and themes inside of this that I’m sure most people will find a couple that really stand out to them the most. I love this book man, go read it if you haven’t yet.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really solid anthology. Obviously, the best stories showed Superman’s character of goodness and hope, but I particularly enjoyed the stories that showcased those living around and in relationship with Superman. Some of these stories were very good and some were just good. Only a small couple of these were just bad.

[n · Rating 5 out of 5]

there are many reasons superman is my favourite superhero and they're all in this collection <3

[MannyLikesPie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice collection of short stories, some really hit home with almost tears

[Alejandro Cabrera Martínez · Rating 5 out of 5]

El mejor cómic de todos. Ahora entiendo a Superman y la importancia de su figura como el héroe principal. Tanto si te gustan los cómics como si no este hay que leerlo.

[Tobias Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this collection. I never gelled with Black and White back in the day, probably because I'm not as interested in Batman. I feel like if people call Superman boring they are missing the whole point: the biggest stretch of Superman isn't that he can fly or comes from another planet. It's that the most powerful person on the planet could be also the kindest. This really boiled down on that part of his character and had a beautiful rule-breaking end. I was gonna give it a four but I've talked myself into a five.

[Jean-Paul Lane Valley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superman is my favorite superhero of all time, and these stories encapsulate different aspects of why he's great: he's inspiring, he's powerful, he's somewhat tragic, he's moving, he's wacky, he's friendly, he's fair, he's human and he's my hero. This is an obligatory recomendation to all Superman fans and people that just like the guy overall.

[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely anthology. Each story is written and illustrated by a different writer and artist, with their main similarity being a colour scheme that's only red and blue. Not all the stories are created equal, but they range from "pretty good" to "one of my favourite Superman stories" and the anthology as a whole is a great package. It's Superman stripped down to basics - the empathy, the kindness, the love for humanity. Truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.

Some of my miscellaneous favourites include:
- Human Colours by Dan Waters and Dani. Especially striking art tells a story where a 5th dimensional imp has stolen the colours from the world, and with them most strong emotions. Superman debates whether it's worth bringing back the good with the bad, and starts with red and blue.
- Deadline by Jesse J. Holland and Laura Braga. Diana and Bruce put bets on whether Clark will make it in time for dinner with them, showing just everything Superman gets up to in the few minutes it takes him to get there.
- A Man Most Saved by Brandon Thomas and Berat Pekmezci. Charley Miles talks about the friendship he's struck up with Superman over being the man he had to save the most, and the time he saved Superman.
- Namrepus by Mark Waid an Audrey Mok. Superman travels to the Fifth Dimension to prank Mr. Mxyzptlk and show him how it feels. More silly than emotional but it was very funny.
- For the Man Who Has Nothing by Michael W. Conrad and Cully Hamner. Superman helps Bizarro celebrate his birthday.
- Fetch by Judd Winick and Ibrahim Moustafa. A young Clark meets Krypto for the first time. This one made me cry.
- Deescalation by G. Willow Wilson and Valentine de Landro. Clark Kent stops a robbery.
- Your Favourite by Josh Williamson, Chris Sprouse, and Karl Story. The only Jimmy Olsen centric story of the bunch, Jimmy reflects on the favourite Superman picture he's taken over the years.
- The unnamed one by Daniel Warren Johnson. If you've seen the panel of Superman saying "I love you." to the Earth then you know which one I mean. It also made me cry.
- The Special by Tom King and Paolo Rivera. Clark Kent's life, as told through the eyes of someone working at a diner in Smallville.

[Khurram · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed with this book. Out of all types of books across DC or Marvel. I think thus was the one I enjoyed the least.

Even though it is a difficult review, as there are a number of different teams working on short stories throughout the book, all the stories were pretty similar. Most concentrated on Superman's humanity rather than his powers, or Superman's life lessons from his parents, the Kents.

Some good and powerful stories, yes, but it was you much of the same thing for me. It would have been nice to have a couple of action stories in there. I mean, a short story is a perfect platform for a couple of Superman swoops in to save the day. For me, the just red and blue did not work. Also, I did not like most of the drawing of Superman himself.

An ok book, but nothing really new for me. It was almost all the teams that had the same idea, just their own interpretation of it, rather than showing different aspects of the character. The book finishes with a variant cover gallery.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The colors red and blue symbolize the iconic Superman, and in this anthology, many different authors and artists share self-contained eight-page stories about DC’s famous hero using only those two colors. As with any collection like this, some were excellent, while others fell flat due to the storytelling or art. I will feature my favorites among the 30 stories in this collection.

Untitled – John Ridley, writer; Clayton Henry, artist

This story obviously picks up from a previous story, but it shows how Clark Kent has to interview a man who mistreated him when he was Superman. The ending is open-ended but realistic.

Deadline– Jesse J. Holland, writer; Laura Braga, artist

Bruce Wayne (Batman) and Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) wait for their good friend Clark Kent to meet them for dinner. They make a bet that he won’t make it on time, since Superman is such a do-gooder and will get distracted. But don’t underestimate Supes!

Kilg%re City – Michel Fiffe, writer & artist

The art is horrendous, but I liked seeing Hawkgirl, Booster Gold & Cyborg.

A Man Most Saved – Brandon Thomas, writer; Berat Pekmezci, art

A man who has been saved 13 times by Superman over the course of his lifetime, shares how he returned the favor once, and as the news interview progresses he gets one more chance. I enjoyed the art.

Namrepus – Mark Waid, writer; Audrey Mok, artist

An enjoyable retro art style with Superman besting Mr. Mxyzptlk with pranks.

A Little Is a Lot – Robert Venditti, writer; Alitha Martinez, artist

The lessons of Clark’s youth serve him well in the future. Loved the art and coloring.

#SavedBySuperman -Rich Douek, writer; Joe Quinones, art

Great art with a mediocre story about social media influencers who force Superman to save them for likes. Sadly, I think this would happen in real life.

Fetch – Judd Winick, writer; Ibrahim Moustafa, artist and Streaky the Supercat in: Hissy Fit -Sophie Campbell, story & art

The first is about Clark’s dog Krypto and the second is a silly cat story with Supergirl. Gotta love Supes with his pets!

The Special – Tom King, writer; Paolo Rivera, artist

We saw Clark from infancy through his adult years with his own son visiting the same Kansas diner, and alongside the same waitress aging from a young woman to about to retire. A poignant and sweet story that utilized color very effectively.

Ally– Rex Ogle, writer; Mike Norton, artist

A teen gains the resolve to tell his family he is gay because he takes strength from Superman when he tells the public his secret identity. Somewhat trite, but the art by Norton (one of my favorite artists) elevates it.

There were different versions of Superman that were used in the stories including Cyborg Superman Hank Henshaw, Bizarro and Val-Zod (Earth-2) that underperformed due to my unfamiliarity with them since the short stories didn’t give you enough time to explain who there were. Too many of the stories were banal and preachy, so as a whole I came away disappointed with this collection. If you like Superman and short stories try the excellent Superman: American Alien instead!

This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2023/03/2...

[StephenM · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anthologies are alway uneven, but this one seemed especially so. Of the 30 short stories in the volume, at least 5 are annoying political tracts. Most have sappy, idealistic morals, though that was probably predictable for a Superman book and doesn't ruin every story. Mark Waid's take on Mr. Mxyzptlk is far and away the best in the book. Tom King's story of the Smallville diner might be 2nd place for me. I'd say about 7 or 8 other stories are pretty good and worth reading, including ones by Judd Winick and Sophie Campbell about pets that are memorably cute, and one by G. Willow Wilson about Christopher Reeve's Clark Kent in a convenience store. The rest are all basically forgettable, though there is some good art throughout. (I found Mark Buckingham's story the most disappointing, since he's capable of so much better.) So that's like a 30% hit rate: good for baseball, not so much for comics.

I did like that 2 stories featured Pa Kent's religious beliefs prominently. Though I was surprised that in the first one he attends a Catholic church--I thought it was canonical the Kents were Methodist.

[Met · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stupendo. Storie variegate e con stili diversi tra loro: alcune più banali di altre, ma tutte più che godibili. Volume ottimo per chi vuole leggere storie non legate alla continuity di Superman. E ce n'è una in particolare - quella di Daniel Warren Johnson che mi ha stretto il cuore, otto pagine, e già da sola vale tutto il volume.

[curtis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to grade this higher, as quite a few of these are really, really terrific Superman stories. Unfortunately, collection is also marred by a few that are simply silly, lazy, or self-indulgent—far more interested in sermonizing than in telling a good story.

[Jahan Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

They definitely use more than just red and blue in the pictures, but it's still really good.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some hits, some misses, but the good ones are memorable, and worth the price of admission.

[Michael Speranzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what superman is, and should always be. It's inspiring, comforting, and it makes me want to be a better person.