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Superman (1987) #202-203
Superman: Godfall Vol. 1 (Action Comics
Earth's Protector is Missing!
Metropolis has been through the proverbial wringer, recently being restored to its natural luster as the city of tomorrow. But its protector, Superman is missing and its populace including his wife, Lois lane - have no clue where he is.
A Fugitive on Krypton.
Somehow, the Man of Steel finds himself on his native world Krypton, with new powers emerging. What is Kal-El accused of, and how can he escape alive and find his way back to earth.
Collects Action Comics #625-626, and Superman #202-203.
Metropolis has been through the proverbial wringer, recently being restored to its natural luster as the city of tomorrow. But its protector, Superman is missing and its populace including his wife, Lois lane - have no clue where he is.
A Fugitive on Krypton.
Somehow, the Man of Steel finds himself on his native world Krypton, with new powers emerging. What is Kal-El accused of, and how can he escape alive and find his way back to earth.
Collects Action Comics #625-626, and Superman #202-203.
118 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
23 people are currently reading
796 people want to read
About the author
Michael Layne Turner
300 books90 followersComic Book Artist. He studied pre-medicine at the University of Tennessee, and then moved to Aspen, Colorado, and later San Diego, where he taught martial arts, became an award winning water skier, and began drawing comic books. In 1994, he was hired by Top Cow Productions in Century City, California, where he was the co-creator of "Witchblade", a comic about a voluptuous female detective who fights evil with the aid of a mystical weapon that attaches itself to her arm and gives her superpowers. Turner later founded Aspen MLT, a Santa Monica publishing company that created online comic adaptations for the NBC television series "Heroes" and titles including "Fathom", a deep-sea story about a female superhero. He was also a regular cover artist for "Superman/Batman" and "The Flash". Turner's work was in demand for special editions and similar projects, and he drew covers for DC Comics' "Justice League" and Marvel's "Civil War". The milestone 500th issue of "Uncanny X-Men", released in July, 2008, featured one of Turner's special edition covers. He died of complications from chondrosarcoma, a form of bone cancer he had begun treatment for in 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
September 4, 2021
As with most comics written by the gents over at Aspen Comics, this is more about the pretty pictures than the complicated, poorly written story. Kal-El wakes up on Krypton having never left with his alien wife Lyla. There's a lot of cool visuals, with Superman riding a bike from Akira and a new costume. The story quickly dissolves into nonsense with paper thin characters. It's a book worth flipping through but not much else.
December 12, 2014
Superman’s been brainwashed, shrunk and placed into the bottled city of Kandor where he awakens with an alien wife and son. In his new reality, he’s Kal, a father and bureaucrat within Kryptonian government. That is until the day some Akira-type biker gangs try killing him and he discovers he has unknown strength – superpowers!
Godfall is a very dull middle piece of a larger Superman story. How Superman got brainwashed/shrunk happened to take place in a previous book (not sure which one but I haven’t read it, though several pages of text are provided to catch you up if you’re interested – I wasn’t) and what follows after concludes in the pages of Chuck Austen’s Action Comics run. We’re introduced to the dreadful Kryptonian cop Preus whose character Austen managed to completely mangle by making him totally psychotic in the even worse Superman book In The Name of Gog, before some guy (probably a pseudonym) called JD Finn put him to rest.
I suppose if you wondered what Kryptonian city life was like, this might be vaguely interesting though it’s more a visual feel than anything insightful. The Kryptonian armour the guards wear might’ve served as inspiration for the kind worn in the Man of Steel movie as they look similar but that’s not a great reason to read this.
So we watch as Kal slowly realises he’s Superman and that he’s in Kandor, in a bottle, on Brainiac’s ship. It’s a slow, uninteresting process before he escapes and grows big again (how did he do that again?) and then fights an alien witch called Lyla who stole his powers and also refuses to wear pants - another great character design, DC!
I didn’t understand Lyla’s character at all. One minute she’s pretending to be Superman’s wife, the next she’s stealing his powers, then she’s trying to replace Superman? Where did she come from? Was she in Kandor the whole time? Did she know Kal was Superman all along or only when he was exposed to the sun’s rays? Why would she want to rule Metropolis? She and Brainiac were fighting so they weren’t in cahoots – so what was the plan for Superman? Hope he would remain clueless as to who he was? What a baffling, poorly written character AND plot!
Some of the art is good, especially Michael Turner’s covers but Godfall’s story barely held my interest. Turner/Joe Kelly’s script is sloppy in places, boring in others, and his Superman is uninspired. Altogether it’s a very unmemorable read with quite a few moments where I was confused as to how we’d gotten from one scene to the next. Definitely not a must read, Godfall does however have the virtue of being a short book, even for a superhero trade, so the badness doesn’t stay for long!
Godfall is a very dull middle piece of a larger Superman story. How Superman got brainwashed/shrunk happened to take place in a previous book (not sure which one but I haven’t read it, though several pages of text are provided to catch you up if you’re interested – I wasn’t) and what follows after concludes in the pages of Chuck Austen’s Action Comics run. We’re introduced to the dreadful Kryptonian cop Preus whose character Austen managed to completely mangle by making him totally psychotic in the even worse Superman book In The Name of Gog, before some guy (probably a pseudonym) called JD Finn put him to rest.
I suppose if you wondered what Kryptonian city life was like, this might be vaguely interesting though it’s more a visual feel than anything insightful. The Kryptonian armour the guards wear might’ve served as inspiration for the kind worn in the Man of Steel movie as they look similar but that’s not a great reason to read this.
So we watch as Kal slowly realises he’s Superman and that he’s in Kandor, in a bottle, on Brainiac’s ship. It’s a slow, uninteresting process before he escapes and grows big again (how did he do that again?) and then fights an alien witch called Lyla who stole his powers and also refuses to wear pants - another great character design, DC!
I didn’t understand Lyla’s character at all. One minute she’s pretending to be Superman’s wife, the next she’s stealing his powers, then she’s trying to replace Superman? Where did she come from? Was she in Kandor the whole time? Did she know Kal was Superman all along or only when he was exposed to the sun’s rays? Why would she want to rule Metropolis? She and Brainiac were fighting so they weren’t in cahoots – so what was the plan for Superman? Hope he would remain clueless as to who he was? What a baffling, poorly written character AND plot!
Some of the art is good, especially Michael Turner’s covers but Godfall’s story barely held my interest. Turner/Joe Kelly’s script is sloppy in places, boring in others, and his Superman is uninspired. Altogether it’s a very unmemorable read with quite a few moments where I was confused as to how we’d gotten from one scene to the next. Definitely not a must read, Godfall does however have the virtue of being a short book, even for a superhero trade, so the badness doesn’t stay for long!
January 2, 2018
This was kind of a cool mix of what if and current mainline.
So Superman is roaming the city on a Akira like bike with a badass new suit on. All normal right? This must be a what if? He doesn't even believe he has powers. Then one day he is chased by some crazy people and uses his powers, afraid of his own self now. Layla, his wife in this "universe" worries about him and tries to help. However the longer and longer the story goes on we start seeing huge surprises and betrayals until Superman returns to his home where one final battle will go on.
Good: I actually enjoyed the art even if it reminds me of the 90's tropes a lot (big boobed woman barely clothed, super huge muscle bound guys) but it flowed well and the design on clothes kicked ass. I also thought the fights were epic in a lot of ways and looked great. Some good messages about hope and belief in systems.
Bad: It's a bit jarring and weird. The storyline is confusing if you don't understand the superman mythos. As much as it wants to be a stand alone you'll be kind of confused what is happening in this book.
I thought this was fun. Nothing mind blowing and Joe Kelly has written better for sure...but still it was enjoyable. A 2.5-3/5.
So Superman is roaming the city on a Akira like bike with a badass new suit on. All normal right? This must be a what if? He doesn't even believe he has powers. Then one day he is chased by some crazy people and uses his powers, afraid of his own self now. Layla, his wife in this "universe" worries about him and tries to help. However the longer and longer the story goes on we start seeing huge surprises and betrayals until Superman returns to his home where one final battle will go on.
Good: I actually enjoyed the art even if it reminds me of the 90's tropes a lot (big boobed woman barely clothed, super huge muscle bound guys) but it flowed well and the design on clothes kicked ass. I also thought the fights were epic in a lot of ways and looked great. Some good messages about hope and belief in systems.
Bad: It's a bit jarring and weird. The storyline is confusing if you don't understand the superman mythos. As much as it wants to be a stand alone you'll be kind of confused what is happening in this book.
I thought this was fun. Nothing mind blowing and Joe Kelly has written better for sure...but still it was enjoyable. A 2.5-3/5.
October 29, 2016
I actually purchased this book from a comic shop because the artwork looked interesting. I was not familiar with this creative team's work on the indie comic book series "Witchblade". i enjoyed this Superman tale and it actually has me more interested in reading more Pre-Flashpoint and Pre-New 52 Superman comic book runs. This story felt like a sort of continuation of the Alan Moore Supes tale, "For the man who has everything." Basically awakens after a battle with Brainiac on Krypton as a politician. He is married to an alien wife and has a son. He appears to have a simple life but his gut tells him that something is not quite right about this perfect world. Superman soon finds himself caught up with the political turmoil of the planet as a few alien rebels begin to battle against the ruling Kryptonian class. As the story moves along Superman begins to gain his powers and his memories. Krypton may not all be what it seems. This book was perfectly illustrated and was well written. It definitely felt like a new take on the Superman mythos. I definitely saw the anime influences on the story especially the Akira like look to Kryptonian technology and building structures. I think this a Superman tale worth reading.
May 27, 2014
2 1/2 STARS
If you like Superman comics, and you have about a half hour to kill, this isn't a bad read. On the positive, the art (especially the colors) are magnificent. The concept was also really neat, and I now have to give some credit to this creative team for exploring life on Kandor and developing the sociobiological dynamics. The class strata was some of the heart of the conflict, and the rascism that Kryptonians inflict on other aliens. It seems like a few years after the release of this, the microcosm of Kandor was revisited in both Superman and Action Comics (this has also been done on the pages of the new 52). So yeah, these guys brought back the City in a Bottle chic. However, the storyline gets really choppy; it's like these guys got a little too excited and didn't think everything through (I was confused as to wether Kandor was at the fortress of solitude, or on Brainiac's ship? Kelex was there to greet them, but then Brainiac shows up in Metroplis...huh). Maybe that was my own slow take on things, but if it didn't jump around so much, I probably would've given higher marks. Not bad, though.
If you like Superman comics, and you have about a half hour to kill, this isn't a bad read. On the positive, the art (especially the colors) are magnificent. The concept was also really neat, and I now have to give some credit to this creative team for exploring life on Kandor and developing the sociobiological dynamics. The class strata was some of the heart of the conflict, and the rascism that Kryptonians inflict on other aliens. It seems like a few years after the release of this, the microcosm of Kandor was revisited in both Superman and Action Comics (this has also been done on the pages of the new 52). So yeah, these guys brought back the City in a Bottle chic. However, the storyline gets really choppy; it's like these guys got a little too excited and didn't think everything through (I was confused as to wether Kandor was at the fortress of solitude, or on Brainiac's ship? Kelex was there to greet them, but then Brainiac shows up in Metroplis...huh). Maybe that was my own slow take on things, but if it didn't jump around so much, I probably would've given higher marks. Not bad, though.
March 5, 2020
I'm going to preface this by saying that I'm not the biggest Superman fan. I mean, Smallville was my jam, but that was about the extent of that. But this came highly recommended to me by one of my best friends so I had to check it out.
First, let me just say that I loved the artwork. This was also my first Michael Turner so I was really excited about that. He's held in very high regards among my comic friends, so I knew I was in for a visual treat. And I was. The colors and the imagery really elevated this story for me.
The story itself was interesting but hard for me to grasp at first. But that's what I get for starting something in the middle of a story. So I did feel like I was playing catch-up for most of the story. But once I had a handle on what was happening I could start to really feel the emotion of the piece. And there were a lot of emotions going around.
I'm really trying to up my graphic novel/comic game and I thought this was a good start to that.
First, let me just say that I loved the artwork. This was also my first Michael Turner so I was really excited about that. He's held in very high regards among my comic friends, so I knew I was in for a visual treat. And I was. The colors and the imagery really elevated this story for me.
The story itself was interesting but hard for me to grasp at first. But that's what I get for starting something in the middle of a story. So I did feel like I was playing catch-up for most of the story. But once I had a handle on what was happening I could start to really feel the emotion of the piece. And there were a lot of emotions going around.
I'm really trying to up my graphic novel/comic game and I thought this was a good start to that.
Read
June 16, 2020Test
July 7, 2024
Superman: Godfall Vol. 1
Kal-El's life on Krypton is one of privilege. His marriage to the alien Lyla is a cause for resentment, but when he is attacked by a gang of aliens, he exhibits the powers of a god when light burns from his eyes. The disturbing increase in his abilities hides a secret he cannot even admit to himself.
The 'Godfall' arc is interesting and Kelly's story can be understood out side it's contemporary context. The story reinforces the importance of Clark Kent in the Superman mythos. It is Clark's moral compass that defines Kal-El's actions.
Kal-El's life on Krypton is one of privilege. His marriage to the alien Lyla is a cause for resentment, but when he is attacked by a gang of aliens, he exhibits the powers of a god when light burns from his eyes. The disturbing increase in his abilities hides a secret he cannot even admit to himself.
The 'Godfall' arc is interesting and Kelly's story can be understood out side it's contemporary context. The story reinforces the importance of Clark Kent in the Superman mythos. It is Clark's moral compass that defines Kal-El's actions.
Read
April 20, 2022Ok
January 14, 2016
I've always enjoyed the comparatively introspective Superman stories to the bombastic ones, hence my affection for Sale and Loeb's Superman for All-Seasons, Waids Superman: Birthright, Strasczynski's "Grounded," and especially the Azarello/Jim Lee run whose title I can't remember at the moment. This, despite a fair amount of action, stands in that vein for me. It offers more than Big Blue pounding on someone or thinking his way around a challenge he can't just punch. It has character, in a very good way. Plus that BEAUTIFUL Michael Turner art...
March 2, 2011
Mind boggling art, probably some of Joe Kelly's better writing work, overall a great time!
May 5, 2015
The storyline was a bit of convoluted emptiness. The artwork was enjoyable.
May 16, 2016
Letting creative people be creative. Letting said creative people bring in crazy new ideas and actually making them work. These statements perfectly describe why this take on Superman works so well.
January 16, 2018
Might have enjoyed this more if I was more familiar with everything that had happened before in this superman timeline, but whatever. I read a bit about the characters and everything before I read it. Even if I had read everything else that happened before in this tale, I think I would have had the same sort of issues with it. All the character's motivations are either forced, cliche, or just nonexistent, which made it so I didn't really care about any of the characters or events and the whole thing just felt silly. But oh well. At least it wasn't as bad as Superman: Earth One.
February 18, 2023
A captivating premise and a Superman story that starts out like none other, though near the end it re-enters familiar territory.
The art is great; saturated, splendid, and enchanting. The use of color captures the mood of each scene well, and overall while it’s not my favorite style of Superman, it’s a good one.
The writing is mostly good. Despite some confused god allegories and an anti-climactic ending, Godfall recontextualizes an oft overlooked part of Superman’s mythos and explores how the city of Kandor would develop over time in its isolation.
Overall, a good read.
The art is great; saturated, splendid, and enchanting. The use of color captures the mood of each scene well, and overall while it’s not my favorite style of Superman, it’s a good one.
The writing is mostly good. Despite some confused god allegories and an anti-climactic ending, Godfall recontextualizes an oft overlooked part of Superman’s mythos and explores how the city of Kandor would develop over time in its isolation.
Overall, a good read.
July 9, 2023
The Michael Turner, Witchblade esthetic invades the Superman mythos and the results are mixed. First off, Turner's covers and designs are beautiful. His protégé, Talent Caldwell delivered some fantastic pencils. This book is artistically wonderful. The story is a little wonky. There is a big "why" that never is fleshed out but it deals with a universal concept of racism and how it unfolds on any world. The new cast of characters and the antagonists aren't interesting enough to matter. Overall, a shiny new look at Superman that doesn't hit on all cylinders.
July 30, 2020
The art is nice but that's about it. I feel like there was a good idea here that just didn't have enough room to breathe. By the time it's all starting to click you turn the page and its over. Unremarkable villain, no sense of the struggle ever mattering, the actual cool fight art lasting for like 2 pages. I wouldn't suggest this one to anyone but the most diehard Supes fans but they likely have already read it.
September 3, 2019
It’s sad to not like something from my favorite super hero. But here it is. I did not love Godfall. There are good things about the story - mainly Kryptonian visuals - but the hiper sexualization of female figures, thin plot and overall boring narrative makes Godfall a quite unexciting and disappointing read.
September 21, 2019
La idea no está mal. Superman está atrapado sin saberlo en la ciudad embotellada de Kandor. El problema está en la ejecución. El guión es confuso, el ritmo errático y los personajes no tienen nada de carisma... ni siquiera Superman. Tampoco soy muy fan de las ilustraciones hipersexualizadas y que no transmiten mucho. Mejora en la segunda mitad, pero es una historia que se puede obviar.
September 5, 2019
Joe Kelly writing Superman is hit or miss. When it's a hit, Kelly knocks it out of the park. When he whiffs it, there are still some interesting moments. This is one of the latter. As much as I wanted this to be great when I read it, it just didn't get there.
May 23, 2023
Great covers, story art quality varies wildly (beautiful splash pages and close ups, terrible backgrounds and details). The story itself is just okay. It reads like the final chapter of a much longer story that isn't detailed or given any context in this collection.
August 12, 2017
Awesome art and very interesting story!
July 2, 2017
Superman goes Akira, in Michael Turner's art.
Totally awesome.
Totally awesome.
September 11, 2017
Extremely impressed with the artwork and the overall concept. The story veered in a few subtle ways, but still way enjoyable.
October 12, 2018
Actually pretty cool.
November 12, 2019
Reprints/Collects:
Action Comics (1938) #812
Action Comics (1938) #813
Adventures of Superman (1987) #625
Adventures of Superman (1987) #626
Superman (1987) #202
Superman (1987) #203
Action Comics (1938) #812
Action Comics (1938) #813
Adventures of Superman (1987) #625
Adventures of Superman (1987) #626
Superman (1987) #202
Superman (1987) #203
February 3, 2022
I absolutely love the art style in this. The story had potential but didn't really keep me compelled throughout and by the end.
May 3, 2024
This comic sucks. It was an absolute waste of time
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews