Voices From Krypton

by Edward Gross, Brandon Routh (Foreword), Mark Waid (Afterword)

Hailed as possibly the most comprehensive oral history of Superman to be committed to print, Voices From Krypton combines over 85 years of Superman's legacy into a sweeping tale of how the champion of the oppressed became one of the world's most recognizable pop culture icons. 
Not only does this epic collection include interviews with Superman favorites like Henry Cavill, Tom Welling, and Zack Snyder, Voices From krypton also dives into the Tim Burton directed Nicholas Cage movie that never happened. You might think you know Superman, but you haven't yet read Voices From Krypton.

Genres: Comics, Nonfiction, Tv, Pop Culture, Film

706 pages, Hardcover

Published June 6, 2023

About the author

Edward Gross is a veteran entertainment journalist who took his childhood passion for film and television and turned it into a career. As a student at Hofstra University, while most of the staff of The New Voice was interviewing the likes of student senators and faculty members, he was speaking to people like playwright Neil Simon (awarded an honorary degree by the school), Curtis Sliwa of New York’s Guardian Angels, Dr. Daniel Schwartz, the police psychiatrist who interviewed both David Berkowitz and Mark David Chapman; and James Bond director John Glen. Early on he sold pieces to New York Nightlife, Starlog and Filmfax magazines and was on his way.
Over the years he would not only become a correspondent for Starlog, but part of the editorial staff of Fangoria, Cinefantastique, SFX, Cinescape, Sci-Fi Now, Not of This Earth, RetroVision, Life Story, Movie Magic, Film Fantasy and TV Magic. Online he was Executive Editor, US for Empire Online, Film and TV Editor at Closer Weekly, Life & Style, and In Touch Weekly, and Nostalgia Editor for DoYouRemember? Currently he is senior editor at Geek magazine, and editor and podcast host for Voices from Krypton (devoted to the superhero genre), TV RetroVision (classic television) and Vampires and Slayers (the name says it all).
In addition to the oral history books he’s written with Mark A. Altman, Gross’ other titles include Secret File: The Making of a Wiseguy and The Unofficial 25th Anniversary Odd Couple Companion; X-Files Confidential; Spider-Man Confidential; Planet of the Apes Revisited with Joe Russo and Larry Landsman; Rocky: The Ultimate Guide; and Stargate: SG1 — In Their Own Words.

Reviews

[Martin Maenza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This examination of the Man of Steel, coordinated by Edward Gross, releases on May 23, 2023. Narcelle Books provided an early galley for review.

This is a very timely release and perfect for celebrating the 85th anniversary of the iconic hero's debut. I enjoy the use of the talking-head retrospective documentary approach employed here. Gross weaves together the comments from various interviews to form the narrative. And what a collection of interviews are gathered. Not only do we get actors who portrayed the most famous super-hero and creative folks behind those films and shows, we get a ton of comic book writers and artists input as well.

I knew of the radio show and eventually the TV show of the 1950's. I had not realized, however, how much the newspaper strip and merchandising early on contributed to the successful infusion of the character into the consciousness of the masses. The book provides many details on all of these as well as the movie serials of the 1940's, the conflicts between DC Comics and the character's creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and so much more.

As a life-long comic reader, I especially enjoyed the chapters focusing on the Silver Age comics (1960's) and the Bronze Age comics (1970'). This is where I really discovered the character and his supporting cast. The book also looks at comic period from the post-Crisis relaunch of the character (late 1980's) through the big "Death of Superman" event (late 1990's). And, of course, my favorite of the films - 1978's Superman: The Movie - is given its very own chapter.

This over-700-page book covers all aspects of the comics, the cartoons, the movies and the animated shows. If you're a super-fan of Superman, this book is one you need to read.

[Ben A · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his epic oral history of Superman, Edward Gross gives us the complete story from the humble beginning to the latest and upcoming incarnation of the Man of Steel over the last 85 years. Mr. Gross leaves no stone unturned, as every single iteration of the character gets a mention and as always, there is such a great variety of interviews and perspectives. If you are a Superman fan, this is the book for you; if you want to learn more about the character, it could be the book for you. Make no mistake, at over a thousand pages, this is a huge, huge, comprehensive book and I watched and read a lot of Superman shows, and comics along with it. I will always say that it's the ultimate compliment to the authors of these oral histories that they make the story come alive and make me want to experience what I'm reading about. Mr. Gross is very good at this, and he did it to me again, and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Special thanks to The Nacelle Company, NacelleBooks and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

[Zach Koenig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Considering that the Superman character has been around in some iteration or another since 1938, it is exceedingly difficult to make a definitive "anything" on that character's history across many mediums. But that is exactly what Edward Gross does here--putting together a remarkably comprehensive oral history of the Man of Steel.

Voices From Krypton is a straight-up oral history edited by Gross, so it contains snippets of interviews from key Superman-adjacent figures arranged in chronological order (up through about 2021/2022). It covers the comics, the films, the TV series, the animated works--and even the Broadway musical! Actors, artists, producers, directors, publishers, podcasters, writers, & fans all have their "day in the sun" within the pages of Voices From Krypton--expressing unique facts and opinions about the superhero superstar.

At 700 pages, Voices From Krypton will contain something for every Supes nut--whether you came to the material from comics, films, or TV. The flip side, of course, is that Gross is probably going to devote a good amount of time to the Super-properties you don't so much care about. While skimming is palatable in these epic oral histories, I'd advise against it--as Gross's curation is so good that you'll learn a lot about your Kal-El blind spots!

In the copy I read (not labelled a proof or ARC), there were a fair amount of punctuation and formatting errors throughout the text. Nothing that significantly deterred the reading experience, but hopefully cleaned up in other editions for posterity's sake.

Overall, Voices From Krypton is now what I would consider the definitive history of the Superman character. Yes, it will represent a commitment to get through, but if you truly believe this character can fly it is well worth the time spent examining all the nooks and crannies that Gross explores.

[Jeff Wetherington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up at the 2023 Superman Celebration in Metropolis, IL where the author was a guest. He was a delight to meet and graciously autographed my copy of his book.

As someone who considers himself to be a sort of "expert" on the subject of Superman and his history, I say this book is one of the most authoritative and in-depth works on every iteration (comic books, radio, TV, books and movies) of the Man of Steel that exists. And the sources of those authority are the very people who worked on the Last Son of Krypton's creations, character and adventures over the past 85 years.

I highly recommend this detailed (700 plus pages) examination of one of our greatest heroes of all time to anyone who loves Superman and wants to know more about his rich and layered history.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here: If you are a fan of Superman, in any form or any specific iteration, this is a great book. The author admits to being a total Superman nerd and fan. Often folks who truly love something make the best authors. And this is very complete from the first inklings from two Jewish teenage boys in Cleveland into the comic book sensation that was the nucleus for whatever has followed. It saw the character evolve and grow with the times and current events. As the world changed, so did Superman.

On television, in the movies, in every medium of the time, he became a mainstay. Perhaps his pinnacle was the moment Christopher Reeves flew into a closeup with a slightly cheeky and flirtatious smile. He is, to this day, considered by many as the perfect Superman. But the books takes his words and the words of many of the creative people both in front of and behind the camera and the comics. It is fascinating to read why some of the changes, both good and bad were made to try and keep the character current. Sadly, the world has become a far more cynical place and even Superman had to adjust.

I recall the backlash when Henry Cavill put on the costume and his character had to deal with shades of grey that asked some hard questions. Many, like me, found it so dark at first but in hindsight can appreciate the reasons behind the shift and admire the deft skill inherent in it. That is perhaps what I consider the greatest accomplishment of the book. It allows the reader to comprehend why the evolutions occurred and why, 85 years on, it continues to have relevance.

Five purrs and two paws up.

[Richard Guion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ranks up there with The Krypton Companion on the best non fiction books on Superman. Told through oral histories, this covers the beginnings of Superman in the comics up to the present day. Including both the comics, television shows, cartoons, the movies AND the TV shows. The George Reeves era is particularly interesting. Lots of interviews highlight the movie failures of Superman 3 & 4, plus the aborted film attempts of Jon Peters, Tim Burton and JJ Abrams - thank goodness those were not made. For the comics, the interviews highlight the peaks and valleys - and illustrating that DC has had no clue how to handle Superman for the past 20 years, despite the occasional outlier.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is packed full of great (and often opinionated!) accounts of Superman's history. There's so much great information in it. On the other hand, it goes on and on and on and on and on (and fucking on) about every single topic. We didn't need an accounting of all ten seasons of SMALLVILLE, despite the show's many merits. We don't need to touch on every animated project or, worse yet, never-made film. Lots (LOTS!) of great info in this book for we Superman nerds, but better editing to keep each section tightly focused and cut to the chase would've made it a book that didn't inspire occasional spurts of glassy-eyed page flipping.

[Rick Lee Lee James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Definitive Book on Superman

Mark Waid probably knows more about Superman than any other human in this planet and even he calls this the definitive book on Superman. This is an astounding piece of word that chronicles Superman through the words and experiences of other, from his inception in Cleveland Ohio to the Superman and Lois TV series. There is not a stone left unturned in this amazing chronicle told through, what the book title calls, the voices from Krypton. No Superman fan will be disappointed with what is offered here. Bravo Edward Gross! Bravo!

[Pei-jean Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good look into the history of the world’s first superhero. Superman’s history is told through the words of the people who were connected to the Man of Steel in varying ways whether as fans or the people involved in the comics, movies and TV.
The downside for me though is the lack of chronology in the retelling of the evolution of Superman through the ages in particular as it entered the modern age.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eighty five years of a continuing, totemic character of American media generates a lot of history. 'Voices from Krypton' provides a concise, clear and accessible account of the world's greatest comic creation, from the earliest collaborations between Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster right up to the planned feature film 'Superman: Legacy'.

[Christopher Leto · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was super.

What an amazing ride through history. My hats off to the author, collecting all these amazing stories. I feel like I knew 84.3% of the material presented, but it was still well worth reading it. Hearing it through the voices of those throughout history. It’s unfortunate about Dean Cain and his politics.

[Sam]

*I received an e-arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This is a super fun reference /pop culture history type book. I read some chapters more deeply than others, but I am someone who really likes pop culture history and has taken fandom history courses, so this was a really nice collection. Well-written and seemed to be well-researched as far as I can tell.