Superman, Last Son of Krypton

Superman Novels #1

by Elliot S. Maggin

As the dying planet of Krypton tears itself apart, Jor-El, Krypton's greatest scientist, launches a tiny interstellar ship into the frigid void of space bearing its hold his only child - the infant who will become Earth's Superman. From his childhood in Smallville, to his emergence as Metropolis newsman Clark Kent, through his battles with his arch-enemy Lex Luthor, his story is told anew and as never before, with all the high drama and excitement that have enthralled three generations of fans.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Superman, Fantasy, Comics, Superheroes, Dc Comics

238 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Elliot S. Maggin, also spelled Elliot S! Maggin, is an American writer of comic books, film, television and novels. He was a main writer for DC Comics during the Bronze and early Modern ages of comics in the 1970s and 1980s. He is particularly associated with the character of Superman.

Reviews

[Elliot S! · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this back in the Seventies - as Superman: Last Son of Krypton - and reissued it in 2018. I expect to read it on my weekly podcast, "Elliot Makes Stuff Up."

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best thing about this book: Lex Luthor properly characterized!

Ignore the cover image - this book has nothing to do with the first Superman movie starring Christopher Reeve. Also ignore the 16 pages of movie pictures included - this book is an original adventure featuring Superman.

If not for the interest generated by the movie, this novel likely wouldn't exist, but it's quite a bit different - Clark Kent has moved from newspaper reporter to tv anchor. And while the book seems to start out similarly to the movie by delving into Superman's origin (leaving Krypton as a baby), events quickly diverge. (Example: Albert Einstein personally selects the Kent family to raise the young Kal-El.)

Mostly the book is forgettable genre product, but it does develop a very satisfying version of Lex Luthor, including his formative years (impacted by Superboy) and his later villainous (but ingenius and admittedly downplayed) evil deeds. This Lex doesn't really seem to be evil, just driven, and often humor is used to make Lex a sympathetic character. In fact, Lex teams up with Superman (to the extent that it serves his purposes) in this book to face an alien threat to Earth.

Funny and original, the book does however sputter and doesn't always keep its focus enough to suit me. I won't be saving this for a reread, but I don't regret the few hours it took me to read. Admittedly, I'm not a Superman fan at all - only interested tangentially due to my fondness for Batman.

3.5 stars - for Lex admirers foremost.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of two prose Superman novels that Elliot S! Maggin wrote around the time of the first Christopher Reeve film. Despite the cover and inserted photographs it doesn't connect to the movie, and in fact comes from the period in Clark's life where he's a TV news anchor rather than a newspaper reporter. It tells the origin story painlessly, and does an excellent job with Lex Luthor's evolution. The plot is pleasingly pulpish, with a Green Lantern cameo, and is a fun and engaging story. It's not the best written thing ever, but it definitely was the best superhero book I'd ever read by a guy who used an exclamation point rather a period after his middle initial. Say it with me now: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's.......

[Robin Tell-Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

The degree to which these two little novels (Last Son of Krypton, Miracle Monday) have shaped my idea of how a novel works is a long-standing, embarrassing little secret of mine. Personally, despite the pop-culture nature of the very idea of a Superman novel, I have always felt Maggin accomplished some powerful and noteworthy storytelling here. This is Superman at his most godlike, but it’s also a deeper, more thoroughgoing examination of his lifetime and psyche than I’ve ever seen attempted anywhere else. Lex Luthor, too, becomes a character with his own past and preoccupations, and dozens of projects underway at all times few of which have anything to do with Superman. The ensemble cast around them is drawn on familiar characters from the comics, each done in similarly loving closeup, plus a pile of others from the author’s own head. Maggin is a deft writer of dialogue, with a light comedic tone most of the time.

But structurally, these books are pretty intricate, with the main action often deliberately buried in a flurry of unrelated or tangentially related incidents (Maggin is also a great maker of lists, which may be a stylistic tic or may just be the inevitable result of larding on so much byplay while the plot goes sneaking along underneath). It’s not hard to read them a couple times before you’re strictly clear on which characters were actually Luthor in disguise all along, for example, because Maggin is quite content to let disguises of that sort go unmasked for many chapters in a row. When a new character or scene is introduced, its importance to the story can take quite a while to emerge, but you do need to pay attention if you want to catch it when the reveal comes.

Well worth your time whether you’re particularly interested in the comics or not.

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turning comic books into novels is always hit or miss ( kind of like turning them into movies) but Eliot s! Maggin manages to do it and not lose a drop of silver age comic magic as well as giving us one of the best Superman/Lex relationships in any format.

The story is a goofy silver age feeling thing, involving Albert Einstein, aliens and features a guest appearance by one of the Guardians of Oa from the Green Lantern comics.

Superman can fly through space and Lex has a personality as well as a couple dozen really cool, mad scientist gadgets. He feels like a guy smart enough to go up against Superman. None of that evil businessman junk.

It's all silly, larger than life, yet some how believable and reminds you how cool Superman is and how much fun comics used to be.

[✨Alix✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing was confusing and droned on at times, but overall I really liked this book. I love how Lex Luthor was portrayed, and his dynamic with Superman. I thought the story would be cringy, but there was so much depth. It was a nice little break from the books I normally read!

[Oleg X · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like Superman? Can you stomach Pre-Crisis versions of Clark Kent and his supporting cast? Then it's a very good sci-fi comedy and I recommend it. Writing is fun 70s pulp. Plot starts wild and doesn't stop being wild. Superman is cool and uses his arsenal of superpowers in entertaining ways but he's not 100% unbeatable (for squares and lovers of plots with stakes in the audience). Lex Luthor is cool and diabolical and Maggin obviously loves him as much as Superman (I can talk about this version of Lex in at least as many words as this review is). Maggin also has way too much fun coming up with alien cultures and bad guy's plot. In the middle the novel becomes Superman and Luthor buddy and the only way it could be better is if in the end Luthor admitted that they do work better together and then they kissed.

The book's so good I'm adding to my TBR Maggin's second Superman novel I was having doubts about (cause the plot "Superman outsmarts the literal Satan" sounds hinky beyond my ability to stomach Pre-Crisis Superman but now I trust the guy).

P.S. Hey, do you know that at one time Clark Kent was a TV news presenter? Wild thing to be reminded of in one of the most iconic Supeman stories. It's like reading The Death of Superman and seeing Luthor as a muscular Australian with a luscious red mane.

P.P.S. I have seen words "super-ventriloquism" in these two weeks more times than in my entire life. Don't know what that says about me as a Superman fan.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s one of two things I’ve come to expect the typical Superman novel weakness to be – cheesiness that’s hit-or-miss with its blatant quirkiness, or dryness which makes characters too distant if the author doesn’t dampen the moment every so often. It’s obvious there’s going to be some cheesiness; after all, it’s a novel about superheroes, just goes with the territory, but you can establish a setting which stays true to the legend while holding enough intellect, enough fun, to keep it worthy.

In this case the novel came highly recommended. I checked the reviews on Paperbackswap, Goodreads, and Amazon, surprised to see the three sites united on raves (not common). I hadn’t read a Superman book in awhile, thought why not, so ordered it and then waited in (almost embarrassed to admit) impatience and dorky eagerness. I first opened it to be a bit glum at the size, pretty thin for the 270 or so pages. The writing is a slightly small so there’s a decent amount of story in there, just not something that’s going take long to read if you get absorbed.

Even though the book totes that Superman is now a motion picture, and includes photos from the first film in the center of the book, the story has nothing at all to do with the movie. In fact, it’s very important to note that the Superman/Clark Kent persona is the older almost pre-Crisis type, and the Lex Luthor is the complete opposite of the comedic movie role. Here they go to the roots – in between plot points a flashback or so occurs telling a little about the younger Luthor in Smallville, a friend of sorts with the Kent/Superboy, but more absorbed in his scientific endeavors. These backflashes fascinated me, and it was a different take - some of the common things were there just sketched out and altered slightly, while other things were changed pretty dramatically (such as what happens with Clark's adoptive parents.)

Of course Lois Lane is in the novel but it also should be mentioned that nothing at all is brought up about any romantic interest on Clarks part or hers. The author chose to not focus on that at all apparently. Clark is working for a TV station and they do not even work together any longer; Superman is of course still her savior and hero when times heat up. This includes a scene that surprised me and almost seems anti-Superman as he melts a gun and gives a mans hand third-degree burns. I've already said Lex is different, and they focus more on the mental illness aspect of youth and then the theories as an adult that he is the perfect balance for Supermans heroics. Clark is more interesting when he's Superman and it finally shows more thought later on. At first he just seems so distantly sketched but I felt more toward the ending with the character and think it was easier to then see him as more realistic.

Pacing was pretty swift, a good deal happened. The story turned a surprising 180 in that it changed course midway through the book in a way. The first half was between Superman and Lex Luthor and their rivalry, while the second half they had to work together of all things to leave Earth and solve a situation on another realm. While the author made the man of steel and the villain super-geniouses, I sadly was unable to keep following along with some of the scientific, mid-dimensional stuff later on. There was plenty of it, and that keeps my interest little, so I didn't focus on much other than the action.

Apparently I keep rambling, so I'll start wrapping this one up. Rather than cheesy, this book took itself as seriously as it could. It really tried for a very different type of backstory and intriguing plot that stands out and had it complex with other characters (Green lantern system, etc.) The author chose to concentrate solely on Lex and Clark rather than anything with Lois besides a few saving scenes, and the writing style was easy to follow and well-penned. I have to say I agree with the reviews on the other sites -- it was a worthy, unique story that actually had a real story, not just a scene play-by-play with the characters. My least favorite was the very beginning, where it was less captivating than the rest and almost slightly full for a chapter or so. Besides occasional dryness it was the best I've read yet in this genre.

And yes, the pictures were fun to look through!

[ספרן הלילה · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a child, I adored Superman, and I LOVED this book. In retrospect, however, it really wasn't that good. The plot is rather silly by today's standards.

[Ryan McSwain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Son of Krypton is the first of two Superman novels written by Elliot S! Maggin during the Bronze Age of Comic Books. It's a story of ancient prophecy, strange alliances, and daddy issues.

Maggin captures the feel of 1970s Superman comics, but the world is also appropriately fleshed out in this different medium. I was impressed by the whimsical inclusion of the Clark Kent part of Superman's life (although Lois Lane gets little more than a cameo). The retconned elements of Superman's origin are fun and shouldn't offend the purists too much.

Maggin nails the characterization of this Pre-Crisis Lex Luthor. It reminded me of the Luthor in All-Star Superman: brilliant, egotistical, and tragically deluded. The story of Luthor's entry in the Smallville Science Fair was a real highlight of the book.

My one complaint is the story never felt that consequential. Maybe I was hoping for "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" or "The Amazing Story of Superman-Red and Superman-Blue!" Last Son of Krypton would have been an incredible annual issue for Action Comics or DC Comic Presents, but Superman never really feels threatened and the iron-clad status quo isn't even scratched. The galactic scope of the story is a hoot, but it made for a shallow villain.

The story isn't world-changing, but the tone, characterization, and world are rock solid. I'd recommend Last Son of Krypton to fans of classic Superman or folks looking for a lighthearted, well-written superhero story.

I haven't read the second book, Miracle Monday, but it's on my to-read pile.

[Bill Doughty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maggin wrote the best Superman comic books of the 70s, so it's not surprising that he could bang out a decent Superman novel, too. The plot is a little silly - Lex Luthor steals Einstein's lost papers that turn out to have something to do with Krypton or something - but the characterization is where this book really shines. Having the time and space to really dig into the characters' heads, Maggin takes full advantage of the opportunity and really gets into why these people do what they do, especially Luthor. Under Maggin's pen, Lex becomes more than just another mad scientist arch-criminal... he truly sees himself as the equal and opposite reaction to Superman's every action. You may not walk away remembering much of the actual story, but the different look at familiar characters will remain with you for a long time.

[Dan Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is from a very special era in Superman's history, so the camp may not be for everyone. Really neat Silver Age story though with some neat additions to the legend. The Luthor here obviously influenced Mark Waid's exemplary "Birthright." You may be surprised at how SF this story is.

[S.E. Martens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd one. First released in 1978 it seems to have been originally marketed as a movie tie-in with an image from the film on the cover of early editions. But this novel actually has nothing to do with the 1978 Superman film and is instead an original Superman story, one that is set in the world of the Bronze Age comics. Somehow the rights must have remained with Maggin and not DC or Warner Bros, as the edition I have is a reprint self-published on Create Space.

The Bronze Age adventures aren't a tone that translates easily to a prose novel. We get lines about Lex wearing "skin tight pajamas" (lol) and the narrative is scattered and bombastic. There are random flashbacks to Superman's youth in Smallville and his friendship with a young Lex Luthor interspersed with a plot in which some aliens want to steal Albert Einstein's secret papers. Superman and Lex Luthor need to to team up to save the day.

Lex Luthor is easily the best part of this novel. I really enjoyed this iteration of Lex's character - he was both funny and arrogant and much more interesting than this quite holier-than-thou version of Superman. I can see why so many of the reviews praising this novel talk about his characterization.

Maybe the weirdest thing about this novel is that Albert Einstein received communications from Jor-El when Krypton exploded and was the one to select John and Martha Kent as Kal-El's adoptive parents. Oh, and Superman talks to God at one point. That's also pretty weird.

Also there's this bit:

Superman loved Lois Lane.
Lois Lane loved Clark Kent and ached in vain to believe he was Superman.
Clark Kent loved Superman.
No one understood this. - p. 51

Like, what does that mean?

Despite this random poem, Lois is barely a character in this novel.

I would not say, objectively, that this is a good book but it is weird and entertaining.

Apparently there's a sequel where Superman fights the Devil.

[Kent Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mistakenly assumed that this was the novelization of the first Superman film but who can blame me? What with the cover and the pages of photos from the movie I don't think that's an unreasonable assumption. It was more like a straight up comic book novel than the film. Even including references to Oa, the Guardians and the Green Lantern Corps which were pleasant surprises. The book actually felt more like a vehicle for Lex Luthor than Superman but, since this was before Superman was 'depowered' later in the 80s, I can understand why. It's just too difficult to make him interesting when he's so overpowered. All in all it was pretty entertaining but Superman's near omnipotence did become somewhat boring at times. Even laughable in one instance when he FLEXED HIS STREET CLOTHES OFF. Yes, you read that right. Dressed as Clark Kent, he flexed his muscles so that his CK suit burst into threads! Wow. Super indeed.

[Lynn Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book a few times since 1978. More than, perhaps, any other novel, this feels like reading a really good comic book. It definitely reflects the time in which it was written, which for those of us who were alive at the time is comforting, but might seem old-fashioned to younger readers. As I mentioned in my review of Miracle Monday, Elliot's Superman is smarter and more compassionate than most other portrayals. His Luthor is also more sympathetic, and both characters are completely compatible with Jerry Siegel's portrayals of the characters, For someone who grew up reading Superman comic books in the 1970s, this story's portrayal of Superman's world is definitive.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up because I’ve been on this serious Superman kick I can’t seem to shake. I’m really happy I decided to read it though. It was a pretty great version of the story. I’m not sure why it makes such a huge deal about the Superman movie when it’s a different take on him.(maybe it was a marketing thing for the movie) Though I did like the iconic pictures of Christopher Reeves. I loved the part with lex and Superman/Clark together. I just loved this lex. I could easily picture Michael Rosenbaum from smallville as this lex and he is my favorite Lex. I was a little worried when I first got this that I wouldn’t be able to like it because it’s an older one, I thought it would be hard to get into but I’m happy to say that isn’t true. It was very easy to get wrapped up in. I wish I got to see a little more of Lois but that’s my own thing. I love Lois and Clark together. Lol. I’d definitely recommend if you love the man of steel. :)

[Donald Kirch · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! I had this old paperback on my shelves and forgot about it for decades! The novelization of the Christopher Reeve motion picture. So much was cut out of the movie most of us grew up on - when it WAS cool to say "Truth, Justice, and the American way!" A very good trip back into my childhood - the BEST part!

[Pappy]

I don’t know what to say about this other than blah. I want so bad to like it because it’s Superman! I love Superman! But this is NOT a good book. No im sorry, and I hate that soooo much. Disappointed I am!!!

[Mike Ward · Rating 1 out of 5]

Elliot S! Maggin has written some good Superman stories, but this book isn't one of them. Lex Luthor has a major role in this book, but the villain of the story is... never mind, I won't spoil it other than to say it's a minor one-off comic book character you've probably never heard of or have likely forgotten about if you have.

In the comics, Maggin's near-deification of Superman could come on too strong at time, but it could also be at least somewhat charming, but here Maggin goes over the top when Superman TALKS TO GOD. Again, I won't spoil the details, but Maggin's Superman is so special that he can change pre-ordained events.

Much of the story is propelled forward by a coded document left behind by Albert Einstein that Luthor wants because he loves Einstein, that Superman wants because some rogue Guardian of the Galaxy tells he should go get it, and that the big bad guy wants be cause he thinks it contains the secret to trisecting any angle! (Presumably with just a compass and straight edge because otherwise it's not the hard.)

The big bad before the shocking reveal that I did not care anything about is called the Master, and the Master is running a real-estate scam in outer space that makes the terrestrial one in the movie look positively practical. It will also kill a lot more people, but it hardly even seems to matter. Once that plan is thwarted by means that seem waaaaay to destructive for Superman, we find out the Master has another evil plan that involves the earth and it's...thwarted shortly after it's introduced.

Finally Luther who's never be charged with any state crimes because reasons and has gotten a full presidential pardon for all his federal crimes goes back to prison for petty theft because saving billions of lives carries no weight with Superman. (No wonder Luthor hates the big boy scout. I'm about to agree with him.)

Oh yeah, lots of flashbacks to Smallville pad this one out, and the subplots include a dispute between Superman--in his guise as Clark Kent--and Steve Lombard over whether or not Steve's bloody Mary's taste better than Ma Kent's home-made soda pop. We don't ever find out the results, but since Superman waste time when he's supposed to be saving a planet to stop and buy an elixir that will make Ma's sody pop taste irresistible, I'm sure Clark will win.

You'll need a Ph.D. in bronze age Superman comics to follow the whole thing. Maggin assumes you are familiar with them. At one point he describes Luthor as wearing his purple and green flight suit with no other description. I know what he's talking about, and no it isn't the power suit that is also purple and green because that wasn't introduced until 1983, but a description would have been nice. And the whole book is like that.

Read Maggin's comic books, but skip this.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be honest, on my superhero grading scale, Superman doesn't really fall anywhere near the top (my top 3 being: the X-Men, Spider-Man, & Batman). Sure, I absolutely love the show Smallville, and I even enjoy watching Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, but I have never cracked open a Superman comic book, and I don't really care for him in most of his other forms (be it cartoon, movie, etc.).

Nonetheless, I found an old copy of this book and decided to give it a shot, as I've been re-watching Smallville and was kinda feelin' it. One thing to note about this book is that it was first published in 1978, so of course it's rather dated (which I don't mind, as every decade has its own good books and bad books). In fact, it was actually pretty fun to read something from the late 70s, because I got to picture clothing and technology in a vastly different way than I normally do while reading.

Anywho, despite going into this book not knowing whether or not I would like Maggin's novel version of Superman, I soon found myself enjoying it. Maggin really captured the feel of the Silver Age of Comic Books through his writing, and though I have yet to read a Superman comic, this book made me feel as though I was reading one. Even the storyline felt very comic-y: it involved Jor-El sending off a baby Superman into the care of an earthling named Albert Einstein, who put him in the care of a really nice couple (John & Martha Kent); it also described an adult Superman having to work together with nemesis Lex Luthor in order to thwart an evil plan by an alien enemy.

What I really enjoyed reading in this book was the relationship between Superman and Lex Luthor. Maggin juxtaposed flashbacks of their boyhood friendship with scenes of their current rivalry, which really painted a picture of the complicated relationship that they have. If there is one thing about the Superman franchise that I love, it's the relationship between Lex and Clark (one of the reasons why I love Smallville so much). Maggin really made Lex so friggin' awesome - in this story he was less poised billionaire player, and more spastic-oddball science geek (love!).

Lex was the best part of this novel, and really made me laugh out loud. I may have found the storyline to be a bit on the dorky side (Albert Einstein and aliens? Really?), but his character made it all worth it. I don't think I'd read it again, though. 3.5 Stars

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough about Elliot S! Maggin. He made me a Superman fan. Sure, I was maybe four years old when the first Richard Donner movie came out, so I grew up watching Christopher Reeve fly across the big screen, but the comics at the time were much different. The late 70's and early 80's can be seen as the period when comics started to mature - by this point, people who had literally grown up with the medium were now in the business themselves, and they were bringing a new sense of competent storytelling to these "long-underwear heroes". But Maggin seemed to have the BEST take on the Superman characters. His version heavily influenced Mark Waid and Alex Ross in the making of 'Kingdom Come' and it's not surprising.
Elliot Maggin can do the thing most writers cannot: tell a story about a nearly omnipotent being that still has drama and a sense of challenge. This is the Silver Age Superman, who can fly right through the sun if he has to, or travel through time just by vastly exceeding the speed of light. He's amazingly powerful and yet has to face threats that can legitimately harm him. When it's a job for Superman, then the whole world may be at stake. Or in this case, an entire section of the Galaxy.
Maggin did a lot of work on perennial archenemy Lex Luthor, who in these days was still a scientific genius supervillain rather than a corrupt businessman. This Luthor is completely an outlaw, but his troubled past and his extreme genius make him just as much of an outsider as Superman himself, one you cannot help but feel sorry for. I truly cannot imagine the character of Superman without John Williams' theme music - I also cannot imagine him without these books. To me, this is the only real Superman, the one the comics, movies and TV shows can never quite pull off.

[Darik · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bizarre, though certainly imaginative, Superman adventure prone to rambling detours, poor contextualization, and a serious overload of nonsensical comic book sci-fi ideas.

Written by classic comic book author Elliot S! Maggin (who deliberately replaced the period in his name with an exclamation point, because he felt it was more dynamic), this book is set during Superman's Bronze-Age period (meaning the seventies and the early eighties)-- in which the Man of Steel's powers and abilities were so numerous and overwhelmingly potent that his tales were less about "how can Superman save the day" and more about "what crazy thought experiment can we drop Supes into THIS month?" As such, the novel includes such elements as a wandering space minstrel who produces 3-D holograms with his instrument, a planet of ammonium seas and a single inhabited island, a faster-than-light solar-powered sailing ship, a secret document written by Albert Einstein that's stolen by aliens, and a scene where Superman actually dies and has a conversation with God himself. It's... a bit much.

I feel like I should have enjoyed this more, but Maggin's prose is far too cutesy and his narrative far too incoherent for me to really connect with. On top of that, his Superman is a bit of a patronizing jerk who sees himself as better than humans, even if he still cares about them-- which was, unfortunately, kind of how Superman was written back in the Bronze Age. He also cheats to win a bet made with loudmouth sportscaster Steve Lombard, which seems thoroughly beneath him.

The book has flashes of sheer creativity and cleverness... but believe me, it wears thin fast. There's a reason this stuff works best in twenty-two page increments.

[Rich Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm pretty sure this was the very first super-hero novel I ever read. I'm not counting the first Phantom or Flash Gordon books that were out a few years earlier, since they were comic strip characters. Soon after this, I started reading the more plentiful Marvel Comics novels that were out for a few years and then dried up as interest waned. But this was the first for me. And a good novel by any point of view.

Elliot S. Maggin was a perfect choice as author, being the prolific comic book writer that he is; All the characters are captured perfectly from their comic book incarnations. Even the retroactive addition that Maggin makes to the Superman mythos is handled smoothly, and makes you wish that writers of his caliber were still handling the Man of Steel's comic books today. And that this particular Man of Tomorrow was still actually being written about.

Last Son of Krypton is an interesting look at Superman's origins, as well as being a very readable mystery/science fiction tale. Definitely worth an afternoon of your time!

[Galen Rappe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good prose novel about Superman, written by the premier Superman writer of the seventies and early eighties, when Superman was as much about science fiction as he was about superheroics. Maggin is great at describing those superheroics in totally believable detail, and is genius with using the characters perfectly, as they were at the time.

Anyone completely unfamiliar with Bronze Age Superman comics might be surprised by some of the turns the story takes, however. The villain of the piece is a conquering alien warlord, and Lex Luthor is believably the seemingly-goofy mad scientist villain he was in those days, escaping from jail every six months and never the same way twice. Even Albert Einstein, clearly a hero of Maggin's, plays a significant role. And every character is treated seriously. It's pretty much a perfect Superman novel.

[Mike McDevitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended by favorite author Mark Waid in a podcast sometime back.
Despite the movie tie-in cover this is an original novel set in the Superman comic book world of 1978. Here Superman can zip across time and space under his own power, and Clark Kent is a TV news anchorman. Featuring a reluctant team-up with jailbird genius Lex Luthor, a fascinating look at their antagonistic relationship as they struggle to save the galactic arm from an alien corporate takeover together. Also starring Albert Einstein and very possibly God.
Funny and moving. A realistic take on arguably the most outlandish version of Superman. Go big or go home, I say!
I enjoyed this a LOT more than I expected and I started the sequel 'Miracle Monday' right afterwards.

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you can find this book out there, snap it up.

One of the best written comic book stories I've ever seen.

I haven't seen it on a shelf in over 20 years so if you see it, it's worth whatever you have to pay for it.

Update: You'll have to find it used, of course. Amazon has some sellers with it for under $20. Also, pick up the second book, "Miracle Monday," for another great read. Again, good read.

Note: I got it from Glenn. His e-mail: madhatterspalace@yahoo.com.

Further Update: Read through it again real quick and thoroughly enjoyed it again!

--Wag--

[Dovile · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is silly (bordering on parody) and confusing if you're not familiar with pre-Crisis Superman comics (before DC rebooted them for the first time, which means Superman was Superboy in Smallville before he came to Metropolis; the Kents are dead; Clarks works as a news anchor, not at the Daily Planet, etc). The storytelling is all over the place, most of the story takes place not on Earth, and I didn't really care about the whole alien plot. There were a few funny bits, but that's all to recommend this book.

[Billy Martel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need to process this one for a while. It's not the version of Superman that I prefer. But it is unquestionably fascinating. There's an inordinate amount of philosophy and even theology in this book for the subject matter. The conceit of this book alone earns it the 4 star rating from me. At least for now.

[Gabriel Nobles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was by far one of the best super-hero novels I've ever read.

[Daniel Sherrier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't remember when I got this book or read it last. Probably sometime in the '90s on both counts.

So, curiosity drove me to reread it. It's a fun, quick read. Even though it's got Christopher Reeve on the cover and movie photos inside, it's based on 1970s Superman comics, not the movie series.

This Clark Kent has moved on from the Daily Planet and is a TV reporter. This Superman has extra powers, including super-memory and the ever-useful super-ventriloquism. This Lex Luthor spent some of his childhood in Smallville and knew young Clark and Superboy (and lost his hair in a lab accident, because in old-school comics, even something as commonplace as baldness requires a special origin story).

The book's cast also includes the Guardians from Green Lantern -- and none other than Albert Einstein, who's retconned into Superman's origin story (which is unnecessary generally but works for the book).

Elliot S. Maggin's novel reads like a fleshed-out version of a '70s comic book, and he plays it straight, as though the strange, colorful world of old Superman comics is the most natural thing ever. It's nice to find such a superhero story *without* any self-aware, self-deprecating meta humor. Instead, we just have Superman being Superman, with a very well-written Lex Luthor threatening to steal the show.

Maggin had a second Superman novel, "Miracle Monday," which I've never read, but now I'm curious.