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Superman Adventures #3
Superman Adventures, Vol. 3: Last Son of Krypton
The Last Son of Krypton confronts his own past as he encounters survivors from his lost Homeworld, including his parents, Jor-El and Lara Plus, someone knows Clark Kent is Superman and wants to expose that secret to Lex Luthor and the world An encounter with the mysterious Dr. Fate rounds out this 112-page digest-sized collection.
112 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2006
55 people want to read
About the author
Mark Millar
1,520 books2,569 followersMark Millar is the New York Times best-selling writer of Wanted, the Kick-Ass series, The Secret Service, Jupiter’s Legacy, Jupiter’s Circle, Nemesis, Superior, Super Crooks, American Jesus, MPH, Starlight, and Chrononauts. Wanted, Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, and The Secret Service (as Kingsman: The Secret Service) have been adapted into feature films, and Nemesis, Superior, Starlight, War Heroes, Jupiter’s Legacy and Chrononauts are in development at major studios.
His DC Comics work includes the seminal Superman: Red Son, and at Marvel Comics he created The Ultimates – selected by Time magazine as the comic book of the decade, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, and Civil War – the industry’s biggest-selling superhero series in almost two decades.
Mark has been an Executive Producer on all his movie adaptations and is currently creative consultant to Fox Studios on their Marvel slate of movies.
His DC Comics work includes the seminal Superman: Red Son, and at Marvel Comics he created The Ultimates – selected by Time magazine as the comic book of the decade, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, and Civil War – the industry’s biggest-selling superhero series in almost two decades.
Mark has been an Executive Producer on all his movie adaptations and is currently creative consultant to Fox Studios on their Marvel slate of movies.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 14, 2014
I knew this book wasn’t going to be good as soon as I saw the cover. It proclaims “Graphic Novels For KIDS!” as if a) DC need to produce special comics for kids separate to their main line Superman stuff, and b) the term “graphic novel” substituted for comics, as if one is more respectable to the other.
Superman is probably the most kid-suited superhero ever. He’s pure child-like fantasy in his powers. DC shouldn’t need to produce special “graphic novels” like this when their main Superman comics should be fine for kids to read. There shouldn’t be hyper-violent/inappropriate Superman comics.
OK, rant over - this book stinks! Oh and one other thing - “graphic novels” are usually just that: a novel told graphically. This is a collection of 4 Superman short stories, so technically it should’ve been called “Comics for KIDS!” on the cover. Morons...
Mark Millar writes 3 stories, David Michelinie writes 1. Let’s get Michelinie’s out of the way first because it’s puerile. A villain with hypnosis powers makes Lois Lane vulnerable and suggestive. A lonely stalker-ish handyman at the Daily Planet who’s in love with Lois uses this opportunity to make her believe they’re a couple. I won’t go any further because it’s garbage but I can’t believe in a book aimed at kids DC would include this kind of story in it.
Millar’s offerings are better but still weak. Superman enters a parallel dimension where his Kryptonian parents are alive but his mother wants to take over Earth. In another story, a man Clark went to school with in Smallville thinks he knows his secret identity - and threatens to expose it to the world. And in the third tale, an alien spirit seeks sanctuary on its home planet.
None of the stories feel very fresh or interesting, at least not to someone who’s read a lot of Superman comics, but there are moments in each that are nice. Like when Superman meets his parallel universe Jor-El, or when Superman and Batman team-up for a ruse against the blackmailer, or when Superman saves the alien spirit by taking it home. Not enough to make them worth reading but still, nice.
There are a number of different artists contributing art (nobody major) but they’re aping the Bruce Timm/Superman animated show, so the book has the show’s look uniformly throughout. Either way, it’s not particularly memorable.
DC recently announced that this book would be one of a dozen or so they’d no longer be publishing - forever - and this is the last of three books I bought off that list. Having read all three, I can see why DC made that decision. Though Millar’s written one of the best Superman books in Red Son, this Superman Adventures book ain’t no great shakes and deserves to be ignored.
That’s the last time I question a company’s decision to discontinue unpopular/little known books - most of the time there are no hidden gems waiting to be found. The gems stay in print. Crud like this doesn’t.
Superman is probably the most kid-suited superhero ever. He’s pure child-like fantasy in his powers. DC shouldn’t need to produce special “graphic novels” like this when their main Superman comics should be fine for kids to read. There shouldn’t be hyper-violent/inappropriate Superman comics.
OK, rant over - this book stinks! Oh and one other thing - “graphic novels” are usually just that: a novel told graphically. This is a collection of 4 Superman short stories, so technically it should’ve been called “Comics for KIDS!” on the cover. Morons...
Mark Millar writes 3 stories, David Michelinie writes 1. Let’s get Michelinie’s out of the way first because it’s puerile. A villain with hypnosis powers makes Lois Lane vulnerable and suggestive. A lonely stalker-ish handyman at the Daily Planet who’s in love with Lois uses this opportunity to make her believe they’re a couple. I won’t go any further because it’s garbage but I can’t believe in a book aimed at kids DC would include this kind of story in it.
Millar’s offerings are better but still weak. Superman enters a parallel dimension where his Kryptonian parents are alive but his mother wants to take over Earth. In another story, a man Clark went to school with in Smallville thinks he knows his secret identity - and threatens to expose it to the world. And in the third tale, an alien spirit seeks sanctuary on its home planet.
None of the stories feel very fresh or interesting, at least not to someone who’s read a lot of Superman comics, but there are moments in each that are nice. Like when Superman meets his parallel universe Jor-El, or when Superman and Batman team-up for a ruse against the blackmailer, or when Superman saves the alien spirit by taking it home. Not enough to make them worth reading but still, nice.
There are a number of different artists contributing art (nobody major) but they’re aping the Bruce Timm/Superman animated show, so the book has the show’s look uniformly throughout. Either way, it’s not particularly memorable.
DC recently announced that this book would be one of a dozen or so they’d no longer be publishing - forever - and this is the last of three books I bought off that list. Having read all three, I can see why DC made that decision. Though Millar’s written one of the best Superman books in Red Son, this Superman Adventures book ain’t no great shakes and deserves to be ignored.
That’s the last time I question a company’s decision to discontinue unpopular/little known books - most of the time there are no hidden gems waiting to be found. The gems stay in print. Crud like this doesn’t.
March 22, 2018
The books are mostly by Millar and Amancio, and I maintain that this is some of Millar's best work. The villains are used in creative ways, and he cuts right the core of who the major characters are. He nails Superman's character with each line of dialogue. Amancio's art is clear and fun, although he gets a bit cheesecakey in the later stories. I don't mind, really, but others might object to seeing the outlineof Lois' breasts so clearly in a book labeled "Graphic novels for kids!".
These are terrfic Superman stories, including the heart-breaking tale of Superman going to parallel world where he meets Jor-El. (Too bad the alternate Lara is played as a conniving, evil bitch.) The Fate story was a mediocre one though, because IF the magical entity that possessed Superman just wanted to return home, why did he ATTACK?!
I was particularly charmed by Millar's story about Superman performing a series of super-rescues in a single night (some great sequences in there!) book-ended by a little boy's whispered prayer for Superman to find his missing puppy and the pup's return the following morning.
The Parasite/Mxyzptlk story was another really fun one.
The Supergirl story by Dorkin/Dyer was a tiny bit too predictable. David Michelinie's "Lois Lane" story was fun, if creepy. Some genuine emotion in that story.
These are terrfic Superman stories, including the heart-breaking tale of Superman going to parallel world where he meets Jor-El. (Too bad the alternate Lara is played as a conniving, evil bitch.) The Fate story was a mediocre one though, because IF the magical entity that possessed Superman just wanted to return home, why did he ATTACK?!
I was particularly charmed by Millar's story about Superman performing a series of super-rescues in a single night (some great sequences in there!) book-ended by a little boy's whispered prayer for Superman to find his missing puppy and the pup's return the following morning.
The Parasite/Mxyzptlk story was another really fun one.
The Supergirl story by Dorkin/Dyer was a tiny bit too predictable. David Michelinie's "Lois Lane" story was fun, if creepy. Some genuine emotion in that story.
January 7, 2013
This collects the all ages Superman Adventures Issues 30-34.
The book kicks off with a cracker jack two part story, "Family Reunion" that finds Clark Kent having seemingly lost a year and the world having moved on without Superman and his parents died. Out of nowhere his biological mom pops up and says that Krypton's Capitol City was saved and invites him to come home. However, things aren't what they seem in this tale of alternate dimensions where no one's quite what they seemed. Grade: A+
"Sullivan's Girlfriend Lois Lane" finds Superman doing battle with a hypnotic criminal who hypnotizes Lois without giving her a suggestion, so the janitor Sullivan gives him one of her own-that Lois Lane is his girlfriend. A somewhat Lois-centric feature that has mixed results. Shows Clark/Superman's character that he gently deals with Sullivan rather than intimidating him. Grade: B
"Clark Kent is Superman and I Can Prove It" finds someone having guessed Superman's secret identity and it's no one you'd expect, but a dead end former rival from Smallville. The way he extricates himself is a classic throwback to the silver age as well as how he deals with the discoverer. Grade: B+
By far, the weakest Superman Adventures story I've read in the digest so far was "Sanctuary" which features the supernatural superhero Dr. Fate. The story doesn't focus on Superman as a character which I hate and in addition to that, Dr. Fate doesn't acquit himself all that well either. The writers were thinking of something, but this was just weak. Grade: D
Even with the weak final story, "Family Reunion" makes this whole collection worthwhile.
The book kicks off with a cracker jack two part story, "Family Reunion" that finds Clark Kent having seemingly lost a year and the world having moved on without Superman and his parents died. Out of nowhere his biological mom pops up and says that Krypton's Capitol City was saved and invites him to come home. However, things aren't what they seem in this tale of alternate dimensions where no one's quite what they seemed. Grade: A+
"Sullivan's Girlfriend Lois Lane" finds Superman doing battle with a hypnotic criminal who hypnotizes Lois without giving her a suggestion, so the janitor Sullivan gives him one of her own-that Lois Lane is his girlfriend. A somewhat Lois-centric feature that has mixed results. Shows Clark/Superman's character that he gently deals with Sullivan rather than intimidating him. Grade: B
"Clark Kent is Superman and I Can Prove It" finds someone having guessed Superman's secret identity and it's no one you'd expect, but a dead end former rival from Smallville. The way he extricates himself is a classic throwback to the silver age as well as how he deals with the discoverer. Grade: B+
By far, the weakest Superman Adventures story I've read in the digest so far was "Sanctuary" which features the supernatural superhero Dr. Fate. The story doesn't focus on Superman as a character which I hate and in addition to that, Dr. Fate doesn't acquit himself all that well either. The writers were thinking of something, but this was just weak. Grade: D
Even with the weak final story, "Family Reunion" makes this whole collection worthwhile.
January 26, 2013
One good indicator of a writer's true ability is whether or not he can write effectively for children without condescending or oversimplifying. I was pelasantly surprised to discover that Millar is as good a writer for kids as he is for adults. He's not allowed to be as gritty or edgy as he is typically in his teen/adult books, but the creativity with plot and the skill with which he weaves his storylines are consistent with the quality of his writing for older audiences. I'm not even much of a Superman man (he's a bit too white-bread for me), but there are some great stories in here. I don't want to diminish Michilinie's entries either, which keep pace with Millar's easily, but I picked this up curious about Millar's writing for kids.
January 14, 2013
OK. 1.5 really.
I work in a school, so I read EVERYTHING before I let my kiddos read it. That's why I picked this up. It was well, a comic book. It was not great literature. However, if this gets my boys reading, I'll take what I can get.
I was suprised how clean it was. Nothing sexual or truely violent. Superman is ok in that reguard.
I work in a school, so I read EVERYTHING before I let my kiddos read it. That's why I picked this up. It was well, a comic book. It was not great literature. However, if this gets my boys reading, I'll take what I can get.
I was suprised how clean it was. Nothing sexual or truely violent. Superman is ok in that reguard.
July 16, 2016
Surprisingly interesting stories.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews