Superman by Grant Morrison Omnibus

Action Comics (2011) #1-3

by Grant Morrison, Rags Morales (Illustrator)

From one of the greatest storytellers of our time—a bold reimagining of the Man of Steel!

Rocketed from a dying world. Raised by a kindly couple. Soaring into battle for truth and justice. Everybody knows the legend of Superman—but no one has ever shown you his earliest adventures quite like visionary writer GRANT MORRISON!
 
Clad in jeans and a T-shirt, this blue-collar champion takes on evil in every imaginable realm, from parallel Earths to alternate dimensions to the apartment next door—including familiar enemies like Lex Luthor and the Kryptonite Man as well as all-new threats like the Anti-Superman Army and Vyndktvx—all vividly brought to life by Morrison with writer SHOLLY FISCH and a legion of superartists led by RAGS MORALES, ANDY KUBERT, and BRAD WALKER!
 
This tremendous tome assembles all of Morrison’s New 52 Superman saga in one hardcover volume for the very first time—encompassing everything from the Last Son of Krypton’s action-packed debut through his climactic denouement in Dimension 5!
 
Collecting Action Comics #0-18 and Action Comics Annual #1, Superman by Grant Morrison Omnibus is a must-have treasury of tales from one of the most creative minds in comics—starring the greatest superhero of all time!
 

Genres: Comics, Superman, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes

680 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2013

About the author

Grant Morrison has been working with DC Comics for twenty five years, after beginning their American comics career with acclaimed runs on ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL. Since then they have written such best-selling series as JLA, BATMAN and New X-Men, as well as such creator-owned works as THE INVISIBLES, SEAGUY, THE FILTH, WE3 and JOE THE BARBARIAN. In addition to expanding the DC Universe through titles ranging from the Eisner Award-winning SEVEN SOLDIERS and ALL-STAR SUPERMAN to the reality-shattering epic of FINAL CRISIS, they have also reinvented the worlds of the Dark Knight Detective in BATMAN AND ROBIN and BATMAN, INCORPORATED and the Man of Steel in The New 52 ACTION COMICS.

In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.

Reviews

[Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is SUPER entertaining and perfectly readable, despite rumors of Morrison madness running amok. The first story arc is about Brainiac AI taking over the universe, the second follows Superman, Mxyzptlk, and his rival in an inter-dimensional war. The latter story arc definitely devolves into the occasional oddity, that's just the nature of Mxyzptlk and the 5th dimension. I rarely found myself confused. Overall, this is a more down-to-earth, Clark-centric Superman in a wacky no-holds-barred romp. The interspersed stories by Sholly Fish were quiet, unusual, and fantastic.

The artwork by Rags Morales is great. It's clean, slightly sketchy, and brightly colored. Definitely has that "house" style feel to it, reminiscent of Jim Lee, but characters look and feel how they should.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.

Set within The New 52 continuity, DC Comics sees to the Action Comics comic book series rebooting of its numbering for the first time since 1938 as they bring in legendary comic book writer Grant Morrison and artist Rag Morales together to tell Clark Kent’s history from the very beginning, before the world would see him for who he is: their Man of Steel. In an effort to reshape his story by drawing upon the rich lore already established throughout countless stories written and drawn by a myriad of creators, this creative team looks to explore his journey to help the vulnerable despite ill-intentioned individuals prone to foil any form of peace in Metropolis. This stunning omnibus thus contains Action Comics #0-18 and Action Comics Annual #1.

What is Superman by Grant Morrison Omnibus about? It explores Clark Kent’s early days in Metropolis, rushing around to save lives and defeat evil with his ripped jeans, blue t-shirt, and his trusty crest in the middle of his chest. Sassy and over-confident, he goes around the city accomplishing the impossible while also working his way towards building his career in journalism as Clark Kent. As the intergalactic threats start to cumulate, Superman also starts to find new allies, including Dr. John Henry Irons, who eventually embraces his role as Steel. Simultaneously, this omnibus explores Krypton’s fate and parallel universes, introducing us to Calvin Ellis (both the president of the United States and an Afro-American Superman) or Krypto. While Clark Kent learns to navigate through his troubles, often finding himself at an impasse, whether he likes it or not, he nevertheless quickly learns the hard way how to become the hero the world needs.

You have to give it to him. Writer Grant Morrison understands that Clark Kent/Superman is a complex entity that can be dissected into countless themes, genres, and adventures. He can fight for the truth as a young adult dreaming to work for the largest journal company in Metropolis. He can promote justice by dedicating every second of his life as a walking god among humans. He can embrace identity crises as he tries to understand what it means to be a hero and what it takes to achieve that status. He can be challenged into blinded loyalty to the planet he was born on or determined fatalism by playing hero to a city he loves despite its citizens fearing him. And Grant Morrison does all that without a problem.

But what’s really bothersome is that he does all that without any sense of logic, order, or care. One second you might be reading about Clark Kent and his first love before he goes to Metropolis and the next second you’ll be following Superman going through the Phantom Zone trying to understand what Mxyzptlk wants from him. And that’s what determines how much you’ll enjoy Grant Morrison’s take on Superman before it’s handed over to writers Andy Diggle and Greg Pak. While there are some quirky, eccentric, and over-the-top ideas being scrutinized without any desire for structure, it’s in the unapologetic vision of Clark Kent/Superman that you’ll enjoy Grant Morrison’s take on the hero, ultimately both provocative and stimulating.

As anyone could’ve guessed, the artwork fits within the theme of confusion and Grant Morrison’s erratic and grandiose vision. When it’s a filler issue written by someone other than Grant Morrison, often just exploring a very specific and mundane gimmick in under 10 pages, the artwork would be just as rough as the narrative structure. However, for the most part, you will notice some excellent, dynamic, and explosive sequences that capture the most intense moments encountered in all of its beautiful and vibrant energy. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the quirky story-telling elements were also just as quirkily portrayed artistically. Always aiming for the extremes, going beyond the established borders of our imagination regarding well-known superheroes, readers won’t be disappointed to see all the good, the bad, and the ugly wrapped up neatly in this omnibus.

Superman by Grant Morrison Omnibus is an ambitious yet irritating reintroduction of Clark Kent’s boundless history and his journey to donning the mantle of the Man of Steel.

[Taylor Clogston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get the sense that Morrison is the kind of person to watch the Moffat run of Doctor Who and think "I wish writers wouldn't feel the need to spoon-feed viewers an easily digestible plot."

My rating is closer to three and a half stars. I enjoyed it, but I don't think it succeeded at the goal of introducing readers to Superman without requiring prior knowledge. The best parts focused on Superman's early career or were any time Krypto was in-panel.

[Ignacio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gusta lo que Morrison empieza a hacer aquí. Sobre todo cuando lo pones en el contexto de lo que ya había hecho con el All Star. Una vuelta a los orígenes donde retoma al Superman con conciencia de clase que salta edificios, para trenes y es más rápido que una bala. Una vez establecido, empieza a inyectarle elementos de la edad de plata (la legión, krypto, las kriptonitas de colores) que funcionan bien mientras mantiene la complejidad al mínimo. Sin embargo, llegado un punto, aprieta el acelerador a tope de la trama central (la amenaza de la quinta dimensión) con saltos temporales y fragmentos de relato que se desarrollan en complementos, y se presentan multitud de grumos. Sobre todo debidos a unos Rags Morales y Brad Walker que me temo no eran dibujantes para esta parte del proyecto. No es que fuera especialmente compleja, pero se atascan en la narrativa y en la representación de una historia necesitada de algo de vuelo imaginativo. Su material habría lucido en manos de un Kubert, Gene Ha o Chris Sprouse. Artistas que, para desgracia de los principales, aparecen en algunos de los mejores momentos.

Irregular pero, aun así, satisfactorio.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten years later, separated from the 90% of the New52 that was absolute trash, with no need to try and fit into the New52 continuity, and with everything collected into a single volume, Superman by Grant Morrison (really Action Comics by Grant Morrison) is a delight to read.

What seemed like it was all over the place when read as three TPBs (and likely even moreso when read as 19 monthly volumes and an annual) turns out to be a remarkably cohesive story. The story of an attack across time and space is enthralling, even if the story of how a villain cost the hero his family is too reminiscent of the Flashpoint story that had just derailed the entire DC universe immediately beforehand.

But the characters are terrific too. Young Clark, Lois and Jimmy, the adult Legion, and others are all deep and evocative. That we're seeing a number of them early in Clark's life is intriguing.

The villainous reboots create interesting new versions of classic characters, and the new villains (and their supporting cast) are just as great. Overall, this was an intriguing recreation.

The fact that it seems to be largely out of continuity ... well that's part of why this feels better 10 years on. Back in the day we were trying to put it in continuity with the vastly inferior Superman title, and it just didn't work. Now, we can just stick it on the shelf next to the upcoming Deluxe All-Star Superman and have two great alternate visions of a classic hero by one of comic's best writers.

It's also great to have all the Sholly Fisch stories positioned with their correct issues. In this format, they definitely add to the story (though I could also see reading just Morrison's core tale without them).

[Justin Partridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

That Day Witnessed…Some Say…A Battle For The Soul of The Planet Earth.

A War of Angels and Devils.

Nothing Less Than A New American Mythology.

///////

“All we have to do is say OUR names backwards to banish the devil! Together. Are you WITH me?”

I used to be really snotty about Superman.

And for the stupidest, most basic of reasons too. I thought I was too clever for him, too cool, too “sophisticated” of a comic reader to even try to connect with him and any of his incredible stories.

Then came Grant Morrison. Then came ALL-STAR SUPERMAN. suddenly the edgelord veil was all but blasted from my eyes. Not only had I completely come around on Supes, but for the first time ever, I’m hyper focused on superhero comics and what they say and mean to me.

Then came the New 52.

Smarter and more elegant writers and minds have litigated (and re-litigated) the merits, highs, and lows of the New 52, but for me, it will always be the time I started taking and buying comics seriously. Alongside Marvel NOW!, it caused me to start doing the reading and really knuckling down on my own voice and thoughts and theory on comics as a whole.

Right in the center of that, proving to be the beating heart and burning catalyst to my passion was Action Comics 2012.

I bought nearly the whole of the New 52’s #1 issues but none of them got read more than Action Comics #1. It literally pulsed in my hands as I read it. It was stripped down, it was propulsive, muscular, clever, insane, and it looked like something transported from a Bruce Timm inspired 40s newspaper stand.

Everything that has made ALL-STAR sing had been distilled and refracted through 25 pages and three staples. I pulled every single issue, double dipping sometimes as I wanted variant covers. I read and reread each issue voraciously. I BLOGGED about it. Nothing then or since had made me more excited simply about the IDEA of comics and finally, FINALLY I had a Superman run to call my own.

And now, a decade since, still nothing vibrates quite at the frequency of this run, now fully collected in a massive but handsome omnibus collection (along with some healthy backmatter which I appreciated a lot). It’s kinetic, it’s insane, it’s bursting with joy and excitement and experimentation, starring one of fiction’s greatest creations (and her boyfriend Superman too!)

It’s chock to bursting with incredible visuals and an truly impressive back up writer in Sholly Fisch who just makes the fine, insanely difficult art of the back up story look easy.

It’s just…everything. Everything a comic and Superman story should be. I could and would read it forever. And probably will.

[Nicolas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This era of Superman has a pretty notorious rep. I hadn't read it since it dropped the first time and I really couldn't remember. This omnibus comprises the first 18 issues plus an annual and a #0. The art is primarily by Rags Morales. Right away were are off to a weird start. As I recall the lead up to the New 52 was promoting a streamlined, back-to-basics kind of take on DC Comics. If that was really the goal, who in the world thought Grant Morrison was the one? I do have to admit the first 5 or so issues where we have t-shirt Superman doing some street level stuff, I was a pretty in. But then that vanishes and we go on the typical trippy, Quaalude-fueled ride that is a Grant Morrison story. And there's no transition. It's just suddenly aliens and demons and time travel and Mxyzptlk. I don't get it.


Then there's the art. I guess that's a place where I would have gone with a classic, shiny, spit-curled kind of vibe. Instead it feels very loose and inconsistent. Superman is unrecognizable from panel to panel. It's weird and I found it to be very unpleasant. What's more, nothing from this run made any lasting impact on the character.

This reread didn't change my opinion, but it was at least interesting to revisit. I'm covering my return to New 52 Superman over on Comic Book Coffee Break: https://smallvillechronicle.blogspot....

[Justin Decloux · Rating 4 out of 5]

When 52 started, I attempted to follow every new title that came out (Yep, all 52 of them), but I quickly gave up. It was a huge mess, and one title that left a particular sour taste was Grant Morrison's run on ACTION COMICS. For a few issues, it delivered exactly what it promised, a more grounded take on Superman, in a down-on-his-luck figuring out the ropes Spider-Man mode, as he figured himself out.

And then it stopped being that. Very quickly.

Re-reading it now, I see it was just Morrison doing what he does best: Introducing baffling threads that don't pay off for fifteen issues while demanding an annoying knowledge of obscure comic history (Hey, you remember Doug Moench & Dave Hoover's The Wanderers from the 80s?). It all comes together in the end, but the entire storytelling structure takes a while to get used to, as well, with almost every issue featuring a head-scratching main story, followed by a backup that explains what was happening. Not my preferred way to ingest comics, but eventually, I got on its wavelength, and when it works, like in the issue about Krypto, it works like gangbusters.

All in all, now knowing what the full shape of this ended up being, I think this one is a win, even though I wish we spent a longer time with the grounded Supes.

And this should really be called Superman by Grant Morisson and Sholly Fisch, because Fisch is credited as the writer for 2/3rds of these comics!

[Tesutamento · Rating 3 out of 5]

New 52 başlı başına bir fiyasko girişim olsa da arada iyi şeyler de yok değil. Grant Morrison özellikle All-Star Superman'den epey takdir toplamış olacak ki kendisine epey bir kredi açıyor DC. New 52 ile evrene yumuşak bir taze reset atan DC'de şirketin göz bebeği Action Comics bu kez Morrison'a emanet.

Bu omnibusta sadece Morrison'ın yazdığı sayılar olur sanmıştım ama hikaye bütünlüğünü korumak adına Sholly Fisch'ın bölümleri de yer alıyor. Keşke Morrison öyle bir kurgu yapsaymış ki bu kısımlar hiç olmasaymış. Beni kitaptan koparan bu kısımları atlayarak okusaydım bir şeyler eksik kalacaktı elbet ama baştan sona keyifli bir okuma olabilirdi.

Morrison'un genç Superman'i alışık olduğumuz karaktere biraz gençlik eklemiş ve çok lezzetli bir hikaye ortaya çıkarmış. Bazen fazla idealist bazen fevri bazen kimlik arayışındaki bu Clark popüler kültüre yerleşmiş sıkıcı Superman algısına olabildiğince ters bir karakter. Dünyadaki açlığa son verebileceğini bilen ama babasının ölümüne engel olamayan bir karakterin yaşayacağı iç çatışma güzel aktarılıyor. Kitabın ilk yarısında bu taze hava mevcutken ikinci yarısında işler değişiyor ve uzaylılar, zaman yolculukları ve iblisler hikayeye dahil oluyor. Ordan sonrası tipik süper kahraman işleri.

[Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect book that also has many flaws and is very confusing. 10/10 and better than all star but also I barely understand anything that happens in the last quarter of the story.

[MannyLikesPie · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE GOAT DOES IT AGAIN, you already know I cried at the end

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art in this collected restart of the Superman series is very engaging at times, and it shows how these artists are trying things in new ways from the comics of the 1980s, 1990s. However, I've read some of the first superman comics, as well as many of the 1986 new run done by Byrne, leading up to Superman's death and rebirth, and I wanted to give this a try.

So....this comic is really confusing when it comes to telling a story. There are so many things unexplained, and references for older fans, but it never comes together. The John Byrne run explained things sequentially, and the characters had depth. You got to know them as somewhat complex people. Here, it is rare for them to get any emotional depth, and we feel little attachment to them. The picture truly does take over and leave the writing as an afterthought. My son who is 13....I am sure he will put this down fairly quickly. He loved the Byrne stuff I showed him, but I am pretty sure he would say this is not as good.

Considering the needs of readers needs to happen a lot more in comics for them to make sense.

[jason_not_derulo]

The most mixed a bag has ever been.

Morrison has some old school (I wanna say Silver Age?) sensibilities in their writing. They love doing massively scoped sci-fi shit and sometimes it’s a blast and sometimes I have to take ibuprofen. As sort of an origin story for Clark/Kal in the New 52, which in itself is supposed to be a clean slate for DC, this story doesn’t really work. If you don’t know these characters (some of which I didn’t), you’re gonna get lost.

That being said, this story isn’t without its moments. I think the Sholly Fisch issues are standouts (though they can be a tad overwritten at times) and the art in general is just fantastic. I never get sick of seeing how an artist differentiates Clark and Superman.

All in all, I think this collection of stories is worth it if you’re a Superman fan but if you’re just getting started with the character, maybe wait till you’ve read some others first.

[Jenna Inouye · Rating 3 out of 5]

vyndktvx is a great villain and watching pieces from throughout the story fall into place as the final battle happened at the end was very satisfying. that being said, this omnibus left a lot to be desired in some big ways, but i get that im not necessarily the target audience for action focused comics like these as i prefer more character-driven stories. also i love my central characters from the superman mythos; lois is one of my favorite characters ever and i read 600+ pages of superman stories just to have her barely show up!

and then obviously theres also a lot of new 52 changes to superman’s story that are very frustrating

i also just wasn’t a fan of clark’s design !! why does he look like harry potter! and where are superman’s trunks!!

[Hugo Emanuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

As part of my new52 readthrough of titles of that era I had not yet read, I finished Grant Morrison's Action Comics run.

I found its not among their best work, but still found it a very enjoyable read, and very distinctly Morrison in all the best ways - break neck pace; unexpected and somewhat manic narrative shifts, both in tone and chronology; brimming with unexpected and mind-boggling ideas.

The pace and character development in the first arc were a bit off, and its approach to the antagonist was somewhat uninspired and unoriginal.
It kind of felt at certain moments that Morrison wasn't very invested in retreading certain obligatory aspects of Superman's new and old mythology (even if modified), and that they were itching to get to tell their own stories with their unique spins.

But once that first arc was over, the title became much better, with brilliant concepts, mind and time warping narratives, new foes, and focused on a Superman characterization more akin to Morrison's other takes on the character - the kind hearted, steel willed, and hyper-intelligent (a characteristic often forgotten by some writers and fans alike) alien being, who nonetheless carries within himself the best qualities of humanity , more so than any of us.

If you enjoy Morrison's work (which I absolutely love), you'll very likely enjoy this a good deal, even if doesnt quite measure up to their best work.

The first arc has a surprisingly overall more traditional structure, which might lull the reader into a deceptive sense of security.
But the second half of his run is a wild ride, full of Morrison's trademark brilliant madness (and all the better for it, as far as I'm concerned), so be wary.

And it's that tonal shift between the first half and the second half o the run that strikes me as the oddest.
The new52 was originally intended to be welcoming for new readers by rebooting some of the DC characters. And while the first half of the run is easy enougth to follow for a new reader of DC (despite certain changes to the Superman status quo kind of require some knowledge of the characters to work) , the second half requires both previous knowledge of the characters history, as well as Morriosn's own style and work to be fully (or even half) grasped, which, of course, clashes with the idea of it being approachable for new readers.

Artwork is mostly by Rags Morales.

The book also features some short backup stories by Sholly Fish that further flesh out the characters through mostly quiet and intimate moments, with artwork by Chris Sprouse. These are well written, and those quieter moments really complement and work well with Morrison's more manic pace.

A solid 7.5 out of 10 for me. Tempted to rate it 8, but when compared with Morrison's best work, it somewhat lacks, so 7.5 it is.

[Bruno Poço · Rating 3 out of 5]

#1 (é apresentado um super jovem , um pouco arrogante e convencido , que ainda não sabe voar , só salta , e usa uma tshirt e umas jeans )

#2 (o super é visto como ameaça pelo governo e é capturado submetendo se a testes e tortura)

#3 (apesar de todo o bem que tenta fazer , continua a ser contestado desta vez pela população que se queixa de ele destruir os edifícios onde moram ou outras situações onde são “prejudicadas”)

#4 (os militares criam um ser meio homem meio máquina para deter o super , mas perde o controle dele que começa a destruir tudo é apenas o super pode ajudar , surge então o aço para ajudar)

#5 (mostra o drama vivido em krypton , a chegada de kal el à terra e seu encontro com os kent , surgem personagens sombrios e misteriosos que querem destruir o super)

#6 (começa se a desenrolar as intenções desses personagens sombrios e seu mestre , super e a legião lutam contra uma lula gigante de nome erik e começam as tretas temporais)

#7-8 (continua onde ficou no #4 onde o super descobre brainiac e seus mundos engarrafados)

#9 (história com o superman da terra 23) nunca mais aparece

#10 (um caçador de nome nimrod tenta matar o super e este aproveita para dar um fim à identidade clark kent)

#11 (ele está com dúvidas se fez o correto e pede ajuda ao batman , brainiac , à senhoria ….. ele agora é bombeiro e chama se jonnhy clark , ao mesmo tempo um ser poderoso busca pela sobrinha de lois que como ele é uma neo sapiens com capacidades extra)

#12 (conclusão do combate com o neo sapiens com capacidades telepáticas e telekineticas)

#13- (um cientista kriptoniano é exilado por jor-el para a zona fantasma e muitos anos depois vem vingar se em kal el enviando o para a zona fantasma em seu lugar)

#14 ( enfrenta os metaleks que fogem de uma ameaça antiga , a multitude , um conjunto de anjos enraivecidos)

#15-17 (vyndktvx da quinta dimensão tenta destruir através das várias eras com ajuda de vários elementos poderosos , rancorosos com o heroi , tudo acontecendo no mesmo momento, mete narração de uma princesa da 5 dimensão e vários planos temporais, retorno de vários viloes e amarra várias pontas soltas do run , e luthor surpreende ajudando o super pois só ele o pode matar

#18 (conclusão do arco e do run do morrison com a batalha final contra vyndkvx e mais um milhão de coisas acontecendo ao mesmo tempo) confuso , desligado , desinteressante , sem coração

Annual #1 (super enfrenta um homem irradiado com kryptonita e conta com a ajuda do aço) de sholly ——-entra após o #6

Sholly fish termina em cada número com uma história curta relacionada com esse mesmo número

+++++ a exploração da identidade do clark , deixa de ser uma desculpa e passa a personagem centralizar vezes
+-+-+ a arte tb é boa , a melhor é a dos números onde desenha o andy kubert

[Dylan DeVita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tough one. Grant Morrisons Action Comics is high conceptual and has a lot of meta commentary about Superman that I found really interesting. I absolutely loved the first issue and I love how the focus was on Superman being a fighter for the downtrodden. I also love the younger angstier take on the character and the jeans and t shirt look is such a cool suit. It captures that feeling in the visual design. But some of the writing can be a bit hard to follow at least on first reading. I think this run lends itself to multiple readings which would probably make me appreciate it more. It was confusing at times at least for me. The art work doesn’t always work for me either not so much in its technical application (though sometimes the way Rag Morales draws faces can be a bit wonky) but in the action it’s depicting. It’s a little difficult to understand what’s happening in some of the scenes. I found myself having to take multiple looks to figure out what was going on. That being said I still enjoyed the run overall. There’s some really emotional moments that hit me deeply. The ones that personally resonated with me were the quiet moments that Clark had when his father offered him guidance and encouraged Clark to embrace his who he is. The issue with about Krypto legit almost brought me to tears. He really is the best boy ever. And while some of the issues in the middle left me confused a bit I really think Grant nailed the ending. It was epic and was a perfect culmination of the ideas they were presenting throughout the run. Sholly Fisch also has some really great stories in this run like the The Boy Who Stole Superman’s Cape and the final story showing Supes’ impact in the future inspiring a young man to defend another child from being bullied. These are perfect stories that capture how inspirational the Man of Steel can be. A very unique, some times confusing, but interesting take on the hero that started it all.

[Ross Cudmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Nothing less than a New American Mythology"

An ode to Golden and Silver Age Comics, this is everything John Byrne's Man of Steel isn't.

Far from a standard re-telling of Superman's origin story as you might expect from a new continuity, Morrison creates something greater and more inspiring by re-incorporating classic Superman mythos in a way that feels modern and new.

Superman here is a Champion of the Oppressed, of the People. Both as Superman and as Clark Kent he takes on corrupt business-men, all the while leaping over tall buildings and being as strong and fast as a Steel Locomotive.

Right off the bat the young Superman has to deal with classic foes like Lex Luthor and Braniac. Steel is introduced early on to the cast as a supporting character, much early than in previous continuity, as Superman battles to save Metropolis.

Morrison re-introduces the Legion of Superheroes, a classic staple of Superman lore, where Pre-Crisis he joined them as Superboy. Here is where the story telling becomes more "Morrison" as the story jumps around in space and time.

Calvin Ellis, the Superman of another world (and President) is introduced in this story, as he comes face to face with the "Superman" of another world. This "Superman" is a corporate entity created powered by imagination. Created to sell products and destroy all competition. Of course Mr Mxyzptlk also features heavily in the latter half of the story, introducing the complicated world of the 5th Dimension.

Superman in the hands of Morisson is complex. It is modern American myth, a dissection of storytelling, a promotion of Justice, an attack on fatalism, and so much more.

This story is provocative and stimulating. It challenges the reader and doesn't always confine itself to traditional modes of storytelling.

[Aidan]

There are no writers like Grant Morrison. Absolutely exemplary, heartwarming, and inspiring entertainment from beginning to end. Unlike other authors (Byrne, Waid, Johns) who pick and choose which elements of Superman’s origins they prefer to keep, discard, or alter, Morrison attempts to cram everything from 70 years of story into this, and I couldn’t be happier. Morrison presents a newly unified adaptation of the Superman mythos, from the golden age common man champion of the oppressed to the killed and reborn celebrity god man of the 90s, the character that Morrison first wrote all the way back in JLA. This work is simultaneously a prequel to Superman’s appearances in JLA and All Star Superman, as well as a sequel to works like Final Crisis, progressing and deepening Morrison’s ideas on superhero fiction and the eternal conflict of Superman’s importance as a moral archetype that remains shackled to a money focussed corporation.

Sholly Fisch’s backups do mostly good work fleshing out Morrison’s ideas, answering questions, and providing character moments, in readable if unexciting ways. He does have a story featuring a pretty racist and generic straw man depiction of an evil scheming middle eastern dictator who hoards nuclear weapons and sponsors terrorism that makes me wish Fisch’s work was left out of this collection. There’s also a Max Landis no-dialogue story that I couldn’t really make sense of, but I don’t care to. The art has its ups and downs, nowhere near some of Morrison’s other collaborators, but very readable as well.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

This run might be confusing to anyone that isn't familiar with Morrison's work, which is why I understand if this wasn't a fan favorite during the controversial New 52 era. By being a huge Morrison fan, I was able to understand what they were going for since issue 1.
The first arc is very straight forward, and probably the best of the 18 issues. Once the Legion and the 5th dimension stuff started, you start getting a bit confused, and you only get answers if you keep reading. The set up and back up stories all work so well, and keep you engaged even if you don't have the full picture yet, that it's a shame that the final arc is kinda weak. Instead of going out with a bang, the run ends with a "I guess" that I'm sure will go away on a re-read. But even if it makes more sense that way, it would still have the issue of juggling too many concepts all at once, and ending up feeling unfocused. The bad guy becomes a Superman clone in a Superman robot suit that is also turning into Doomsday, and Superman has a lion head as a reference to the Silver Age...and you don't get much out of it other than it being very weird. That's the biggest issue with the entire run: it has amazing ideas, and a great set up, that it all gets kind of wasted. The final arc is a a 5th dimension/time travel/silver age cameo fest that makes you wonder what the hell is going on instead of being a great conclusion to what could have been a top 5 Superman run. I loved every bit of it, specially early issues where Superman truly becomes the champion of the opressed. The final arc? Not so much.

[Riley Pilgrim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a 3.5 for me. Grant Morrison has written some of my favorite comics, but he's also written some of my least favorite too. He's always been hit or miss for me. His Batman run for example is up there with the best. How does this Superman one fair? Ehhhh pretty great in places, and rather confusing in places. Superman's characterization is really great in this, and the best stories were the ones where we weren't getting confused by 5th dimension BS. The Stories where it was more down to earth, for example the issue where the kid stole his cape-such a heartfelt story.

As a surprise to no one, Morrison got really meta by the end, and I was left very confused what was happening. If you love his writing then you'll definitely love the places he goes in the last half, and honestly to give him credit, he does handle the New 52 changes really well. This isn't the worst Superman comic ever, I just think Morrison lost me by the end. The art in this comic is really good, and at times did carry the storytelling. There's better Superman stories out there though, so I recommend you check this out if you're ride or die for Morrison's writing.

[César More · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the New 52 started, I hated this run a lot. Now, having reread everything once again, I've got mixed feelings.

The firsts issues are very straightforward. Don’t be fooled by them. The next ones are much hard to follow, specially when the story jumps between past and future and opens storylines that will become important in later issues. There are also, of course, the ones that never get to get completed and a lot of new characters that never get a resolution. Anyways, Morrison being Morrison.

Very ugly artwork from Rags Morales, the worst he's ever done. He's certainly not a good choice to accompany Morrison's ideas.

Instead, the art from Sholly Fisch's companion stories is excellent (so are the stories). Cully Hammer and Chris Sprouse stand out among all.

Overall, Morrison's ideas are the best part of this book, as it is usually from they. Very uneven omnibus, but, nevertheless, very interesting too.

[Michael Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morrison reinvented Golden Age and Silver age Superman stories for the 21st century. This Superman origin starts with Superman standing up for the oppressed of Metropolis. Superman takes on the elite. Superman also has everything from the silver age Krypto the Superdog, The Legion of Superman-heroes, Brainiac and the bottled city of Candor, Lex Luthor , Mxyzptlk and all the wacky sci-fi plots you could imagines. You also have for modern references as well Steel, an issue all about the Death of Superman, etc.

Morrison pulled out all the stops in this love letter to Superman. But Morrison also takes risk in this continuity Ma and Pa Kent die will Clark is still in high school. Lois Lane and Clark are not a couple. Clark does not work at the Daily Planet but a rival company.

Morrison was able to get to the core of Clark Kent and tell bold new stories. I would recommend this run to anyone who is looking into reading Superman comics for the first time. I rate this 5 out of 5 stars.

[Adamwilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's not much room for theme or character or even action in between the convoluted plot, and I'm saying that as a big Grant Morrison fan. Some of it I liked a lot, but the book itself is less than the sum of its parts.

If you're new to Grant Morrison, don't start here.
If you're new to Superman or wanting to expand your knowledge of him, look elsewhere.
If you want that classic Ma & Pa Kent small-town philosophy, or any other tropes that make Superman who he is - ignore this book entirely.
(Ironically, you should go read All-Star also written by Morrison)
all this to say, I'm unsure who this book is for.

If it weren't for the bite-sized contributions from Sholly Fisch, this book would have zero depth and zero heart. Her stories were some of the best in this run and I would've had a much harder time finishing it without them.

Sick cover though.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first arc is pretty great, showing the progress of Superman from the Golden Age to the Silver. From fighting spousal abusers and corrupt landlords to fighting robots from outer space. And it all feels consistent.

Like All-Star, it's then a series of Silver-age-ish one shots that connect into a large (crazy) story.

It does feel a little choppy, and the backup stories mixed in and really inconsistent art doesn't help. Rags Morales barely completes any full issues, and what he does complete is not his best work.

Overall, I liked it. Morrison cares about the heart of Superman, and it shows. But it absolutely pales next to All-Star or his Batman run, even as it's very reminiscent of them both

[spepp · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.8

Schizophrenic Morrison strikes again. I admit I was expecting a much more "normal" presentation to the reboot of the Superman mythos and I'm most definitely glad it wasn't the case. I've seen a lot of people call this incomprehensible, which-- it's kind of fair? But the argument doesn't stand when all the clues are there, in almost every single issue. I concede, though, that it's a run that definitely benefits of a second reading. The writing sets up threads in scenes I didn't even considered the possibility of them being plot important - and, to me, that's part the charm.

The sequence from issue #13 to #18 obviously reminded me of their run on Doom Patrol in the best ways possible.

[Krishnakumar Mohanasundaram · Rating 1 out of 5]

Grant Morrison is a disaster!! I cannot understand the good reviews he wins over!!

He deliberately delivers a plot that is so convoluted, poorly comphrendable, confuses over and over and pushes the reader to invest more into trying to understand the plot he is trying to narrate.

I have never read a Superman storyline that's as confusing and chaotic as this..

And not only this, all my previous experience with this author had been the same (except for Batman: Arkham Asylum)

No more Grant Morrison for me.. I will try my best to stay away from his works as best as possible..

[Bardiya Ghasemzadeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun series, especially with the way it all fits together. Though I do wish it had a few more chapters to flesh out everything to a better degree, particularly with the k people. In an ideal world their run would’ve had another 7 issues before the finale to the vyndktvx arc.
The president Superman chapter was a really cool one shot too.
Fisch’s backup stories always tie in together in interesting ways as well, showing another character’s pov of the same story or expanding some details.
3.5/5

[Jesus Saldivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 101st comic I’ve read this year and it’s a: 3.5! 💙

I spoke too soon saying I didn’t understand why people complained so much about this run but I got it in the end lmao it really does get as whacky as Morrison can get with Superman at times (which I totally support btw, let’s get very different versions of Superman each time!) but I enjoyed all of it and there’s some true standout issues in this omnibus that I will never forget, like the ghost in the fortress of solitude!

Overall, a great read to wrap up the year, and this omnibus is gorgeous!

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

While not quite on the level of All-Star Superman (but really what is?), this is still a must read run. Morrison crafted a wonderfully intricate tale that weaves across time, space, and dimensions that is pure Superman through and through. For my money this might be the best thing to come out of the New 52, and if not the best, it's top 3 at worst.