Superman: Grounded, Vol. 1

Superman (1939-2011) #700-706

by J. Michael Straczynski, Eddy Barrows (Illustrator)

After the devastating events of WAR OF THE SUPERMEN, Superman looks to reconnect with the roots of his battle for Truth, Justice and the American Way. “Grounded” begins as Superman visits Philadelphia – on foot – then continues in a small town in Ohio where, as in many towns, a number of its residents are from other places. But when The Man of Steel discovers that there are also a number of residents secretly from other worlds, he unravels a mystery that may have grave consequences for Earth.

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

168 pages, Hardcover

First published August 9, 2011

About the author

Joseph Michael Straczynski is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series Babylon 5 (1993–1998) and its spinoff Crusade (1999), as well as the series Jeremiah (2002–2004) and Sense8 (2015–2018). He is the executor of the estate of Harlan Ellison.
Straczynski wrote the psychological drama film Changeling (2008) and was co-writer on the martial arts thriller Ninja Assassin (2009), was one of the key writers for (and had a cameo in) Marvel's Thor (2011), as well as the horror film Underworld: Awakening (2012), and the apocalyptic horror film World War Z (2013). From 2001 to 2007, Straczynski wrote Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, followed by runs on Thor and Fantastic Four. He is the author of the Superman: Earth One trilogy of graphic novels, and he has written Superman, Wonder Woman, and Before Watchmen for DC Comics. Straczynski is the creator and writer of several original comic book series such as Rising Stars, Midnight Nation, Dream Police, and Ten Grand through Joe's Comics.
A prolific writer across a variety of media and former journalist, Straczynski is the author of the autobiography Becoming Superman (2019) for HarperVoyager, the novel Together We Will Go (2021) for Simon & Schuster, and Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer (2021) for Benbella Books. In 2020 he was named Head of the Creative Council for the comics publishing company Artists, Writers and Artisans.
Straczynski is a long-time participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums (including GEnie, CompuServe, and America Online) since 1984. He is credited as being the first TV producer to directly engage with fans on the Internet and to allow viewer viewpoints to influence the look and feel of his show. Two prominent areas where he had a presence were GEnie and the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

How do you have Superman, the most powerful being on Earth, deal with the issues of the everyman and make it interesting? Other writers have tried with varying degrees of success: John Byrne, Grant Morrison, etc. Now, J. Michael Straczynski wants to give it a whirl. It seems that Superman has lost touch with the issues of the common man after the mega-galactic New Krypton storyline, so he decides to take a walk across America, kind of like that old TV show Highway to Heaven but on steroids.

A word to Mr. Straczynski: If you are going to use real places, please get it right. There might be a South side of Chicago, but there isn’t a “south side” in Philadelphia. Then you have Superman ordering a cheese steak in a diner. A diner!! Not recommended. Maybe Superman doesn’t have to worry about food poisoning but the rest of us do. FYI: A real Philly cheese steak does not involve Cheese Whiz, SteakUm, or a T-Bone on white bread with a slice of Swiss cheese. And while we’re on the subject of signature Philadelphia sandwiches, here’s an analogy for you:

Subway: Hoagies :: Shia LaBeouf: (Insert name of any reasonably intelligent human being here)

Where was I, oh yeah, Superman takes a long walk. The problem here is the same problem that the old black and white Superman TV show had: if you don’t mix it up with someone/something that gives Superman a run for his money it gets boring, quickly.

He does encounter aliens living in Detroit of all places (Detroit, seriously, you’re no worse off putting them in, say Cleveland or Pittsburgh) and some thug gets possessed by a meteorite and Superman knocks him around destroying a little town in the process, thus putting a damper on the Goodwill tour.

Stracsynski also devoted entire issues to the problems of Lois Lane and Perry White and…ooh, look a bird just flew past my window.

Even Batman warned him of the folly of this undertaking. Always heed advice from Bats. Always.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn. I usually like Straczynski's writing, the premise sounded good, and the cover looked interesting. So I really wanted to love it.
There were moments in Grounded that were pretty cool, but in the end I felt unsatisfied.
Why, you ask? Because after a while, the plot and Superman's actions seemed to mirror another much loved character.

Run, Forest! Run!

As the title implies, Superman basically grounds himself, and decides to, er, walk across America. It was supposed to be a way for Forest the Man of Steel to reconnect with his humanity. Saving the world one abusive husband at a time! And parts of it were touching, but...

Life is like a box of chocolates...

And not all of the stories were covered in chewy caramel. Some of them were filled with that shitty white goop.
For example, the Superman Gets Rid of the Drug Dealers story.
Don't tell my kids, but I secretly cringe whenever I read the Drugs Are Bad stuff. I always have to do a quick peek over my shoulder, just to make sure Nancy Reagan isn't lurking in the shadows with a handful of those retarded Just Say No stickers.
Brrrrr. Creepy.
M'kay, so the Evil Pushers story been done to death already (my opinion), but that's not even my main gripe. This one was just so...unrealistic.
(In case you were wondering, YES. I am rolling my eyes at myself right now.)
First, In what reality would random dealers get in Superman's face and taunt him? Lex Luthor usually dons some sort of mechanical armor before he does that, and I don't think it takes any special kind of intelligence to figure out why.
Second, in response to said taunting, Superman sets their stashes on fire with his heat vision. Multiple houses filled with these...stashes.
Pssst.
Just think about why that might not be a good idea for a minute...
Don't worry, it'll eventually come to you.

Smooth move, Gump.
Tsk. Nancy would be so disappointed in you.
On the bright side, I'm sure the neighborhood you helped probably had a very mellow evening.

Another section of the book that I thought was a bit wonky, was Lois' story. While she's covering the Superman Walkabout story for the Planet, she begins to question whether or not she sold out her ambitions for love.
Instead of being known for her own merit, she's known as the chick who interviews Superman. Awwww.
Cry me a river, lady. You're married to Superman. I'm sure there are a few perks that come along with that, right?
wink, wink
nudge, nudge
I did, however, find the interactions between Lois and Clark humorous and endearing. I think the story would have benefited with a little more page time between those two.

I just felt like running...

So what intense event caused our hero to hoof it from town to town?
A crazy lady barges up to him at a press conference, and publicly blames him for her husband's death.
Gasp!
Oh. Wait. She's nuts.
She blames Superman for not being on Earth when her husband needed him. Needed him to use his super eye-blasters to remove a tumor.
Mmmmmm. That's an awfully sad story, but it doesn't make it Superman's fault. I found it quite a stretch to believe that he didn't understand that, or that something that wacky could cause him to march around on foot helping people fix their cars.
At any rate, I thought it should have been a better reason.

Ok. I've been bitching, but this really wasn't awful. This really is a soild 3 star read, I was just hoping for something more.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

After New Krypton exploded, Superman comes back to Earth with his tail tucked between his legs. He lost people's faith in him when he abandoned Earth for New Krypton. Now he decides to walk across the U.S. like Forrest Gump in order to reconnect. There are some decent moments but most of it feels hokey and dated. G. Willow Wilson steps in to handle two "interludes" and they aren't much better. Lois Lane is feeling inadequate as she thinks she's been reduced to Superman's girl Friday. It's the complete opposite of the powerful independent woman she's been written as for at least the last 30 years. Given Straczynski and Willow's pedigree, I found this lackluster.

[Subham · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS SO GOOD!

It starts with the destruction of New Krypton and Superman deciding he will go around USA and help the common man and obviously politics and paparazzi and well the nightmare it brings but what I love is the thing he does, helping a boy and preventing domestic abuse, stopping drug peddlers and there is some great story where Batman (Dick Grayson) comes in. Media coverage and all and discovering shape-shifting aliens and I love the way he resolves that issue and man its awesome seeing how he helps the issue along and its fun and awesome.

This is such a great volume and just reminds you why Superman is one of the best heroes ever, he is one of us and well here its shown, more relatable than ever and I love the interludes and it just shows Lois questioning things and resolving and Perry and why he is the best news person!

One of the best, most relatable stories there is for sure and the art here is fantastic by Barrows and complements the writing so well! MUST MUST READ!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The creator of Babylon 5, J. Michael Straczynski, gives us his take on a Superman tale. After a great catastrophe Superman goes into deep reflection. Some would say it's depression and/or denial, especially Batman. Regardless, Superman decides to walk the USA reacting to the moment and helping people with small problems. There are some challenging moments in here that ask some thought provoking questions such as: if a superhero can't be everywhere what good are they to those hurt? How can a super moral person forgive themselves for a horrible outcome? Is a career more important than love (and vice versa to that question)? Why must Superman fix little problems when the locals could do it but lack the compassion and/or courage? Pay attention to the domestically abused boy and mother. The artwork has a classic and youthful look to it. This is the first half of the story. The next part is continued in volume 2.

STORY/PLOTTING: B to B plus; ARTWORK: B plus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B plus; THOUGHT PROVOKING QUESTIONS: B plus to A minus; OVERALL GRADE: B plus; WHEN READ: mid February 2012.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a LONG time since I've read a Superman comic, and this happened to be sitting next to Ms. Marvel when I went to pick it up at the library, so I checked it out. It was . . . interesting. It had the typical JMS positives and negatives. Some parts were great, and some parts were soooo not.

Actually, the last time I read a Superman comic was the wedding issue, what, back in 1997? I think that might have been the last time I read a DC comic as well . . . nope. A friend gave me some Batman comic freshman year of college, but I don’t remember which one. Anyway, my point is, I’m not SUPER (heh) familiar with DC or Superman comics, so take what I say with a grain of salt, maybe? Also, I read this during the 24 hour Read-a-thon right during my prime loopy time with a bunch of other comics, so I don’t actually remember much about it beyond main impressions.

So the story here is that after some huge thing has just gone down where Superman exceeded his limits, or went too far, got too scary and cosmic or whatever, he decides to sort of forego the superpowered life and remind himself why he does what he does. He takes a walk, from Metropolis to who all knows where, all on foot. As you might imagine, this becomes a big deal in the eyes of the public. His walk is speculated on in the press, and he’s followed from place to place. All along the way, he stops to talk with and help the people he meets. Occasionally, these are nice moments, but a lot of the time they end up feeling ham-handed and underdeveloped.

I’ll probably read the second volume just because I’m a completionist, but this book definitely isn’t an incentive for me to pick up the rest of the DC comics that are on my TBR list.

[John Yelverton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book from this acclaimed author, but instead of taking one of the greatest characters ever made and making him more incredible, he had Superman wander around the country feeling sorry for himself. A total waste of time.

[Emmett Spain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the Superman story I’ve been waiting for.

After enduring the New Krypton saga (which certainly had its moments), I was left with a crushing understanding: none of the stories present were really about Superman. They were stories with Superman in them, sure, but essentially they were stories about everyone else and their struggles, and whilst Superman had to face down and endure his own struggles, the stories seemed to revolve around the poor guy getting punched in the head far too much (a direct result of writers trying to downplay Superman’s powers in an effort to inject a greater sense of peril into the plot). But the greater problem was that the stories didn’t say anything much about the character himself outside of “He is a bit torn about his home.”

But now, we finally have a story that is ABOUT Superman. Every page is a display of who Superman is, and what he can truly do (outside of bench pressing planets). We see his goodness on display, the ways in which he challenges others to make the world better, and how he reacts to a world that has become somewhat distrusting of him. We see him connecting with the world again, with us, and we witness him talk a woman out of suicide. That episode alone is one of the most moving passages in any Superman story ever told (running very close to a similar scene in Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s “All Star Superman”).

There are moments of battle, but ultimately those moments are beside the point. It’s the aftermath we get a sense of—the effect Superman has on the world, both positive and negative, in the detail of our everyday lives rather than on a cosmic scale. It’s a story about goodness, hope, and hopefulness. It’s a story about fears and insecurities, about relationships with loved ones, friends, and one’s own relationship to the world.

In short, this is one of the best collections of Superman stories ever put together.

My deepest wish is that part two of this brilliant story does not lose the momentum that part one has built.

[Kyle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible.
It read like a highschool kid was writing a Superman story about the importance of staying in school, not doing drugs, and not bullying. No style. No finesse. Terrible artwork (the absolute worst version of a Louis Lane I have ever seen). Nothing significant happens in this volume that relates to the universe it is set in, so you won't miss anything if you skip over it. Cliche after cliche after cliche.

I think this goes down as one of the worst comics I have ever read.
You know why Superman isn't the everyman? because he is SUPERman.

Many a facepalm during this read.
Tedious. 1/5

[Josh Epstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

In preparation for the end of the world in 2012, last September, DC Comics relaunched their entire line of monthly comics.

This marked the official end of the Post Crisis DC Universe and the beginning of the New 52.

One thing lost in the shuffle was the controversial and widely panned final run of Superman, begun by J. Michael Straczynskyi.

In Grounded, JMS looked to bring the character, quite literally, back to Earth.

Rather than spending the final 12-issue arc of his career dealing with world-conquering space villains and finding his way out of some kryptonite trap, the Big Blue Boy Scout settles in for a long walk across America.

Yes, that's right—Superman, the guy who made you believe a man could fly, walked across America's heartland.

The premise may seem silly to some: the idea of the most powerful hero in the DC Universe putting aside, say, patrolling the world for danger and just going for a stroll across the Rust Belt. Of course, the run was almost universally panned by critics and fans. Sadly, this meant that a great many people steered clear of the book, which took a character whose black-and-white morality has been a staple over the years, and had him confront the very real social issues facing America today.

He confronts "illegal aliens" from another world living off the grid in Detroit, and convinces them that it is not enough for them to come here and survive, but that they must give back to their community and help it repair itself. In short order, a new biotech firm is opened at an abandoned auto plant.

He cleans the stock room of a greasy spoon diner in exchange for a sandwich.

He makes a radio shock-jock turned super-villain realize that she is suffering from information overload, and that she needs to regulate what she's absorbing in order to keep from going crazy.

He tells an old man to get his irregular heartbeat checked out, before it's too late.

This is Superman not as Deus Ex Machina but as explorer of the human condition. He is a super hero for the little guy, helping those who fall into the cracks that, if he were flying, he'd be too high to see.

Some would argue that taking Superman, of all characters, into this territory is dangerously overreaching the character's traditional bounds. He has typically been depicted confronting threats of epic, direct physical danger to himself and the people around him. Very rarely has he tangled with the intangible issues of reality.

A character born in 1986 was created in a world where growth was everywhere. The threats that Superman faced attempted to exceed in scope the lingering fears we faced in the waning years of the Cold War. Those could be (and were) created and defeated time and again, reassuring us that good would always triumph.

In Grounded, Superman struggles to find a path through the real challenges that face America. He is forced to examine the arguments that are baffling the best efforts of our own leaders. If you want to know whether he succeeds or not...

Read it.

Now that this run has now been collected by DC Comics, it is definitely worth a second look if you are interested in some solid social commentary from one of the greatest icons in American Pop Culture.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Superman book quite a bit, mainly because most of the Superman books I've read in the last year or so have been so over-the-top or otherworldly, you seem to forget that Superman was raised as Clark Kent, a Midwestern kid with 'wholesome values'. This seems to make Superman a 'Man of the People' who starts just walking across the US, running into daily life and regular people with average non-super problems. I felt way more interest in this Superman than the one who fights super-aliens and defies physics. The human connections in this story were rather moving, and Straczynski writes to great effect here.
Also nice to see was the involvement of Flash very briefly, as well as the Dick Grayson Batman, who got into a very interesting philosophical debate about where 'Superheroes' belong and why they can or cannot exist amongst normal society because of the dangerous elements/people they attract. It's a sobering thought in the book, and is a good way to admit that perhaps the Superman of the People can't last forever, but it sure is a nice place to spend a few books. Probably one of the more human Superman books in a long time. Recommended for most, especially people who don't usually like Superman, but want to give it a shot.

[Ronald · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Superman Grounded had an interesting premese, it is not a new idea. You can trace the walkabout all the way back to Australia 20,000 or more years ago. Unfortunately this story reads more like a segment from the movie Forrest Gump. The story feels shoehorned into an alread set story line. The actually walk about only lasts a little while before like all Superman stories a good idea drifts into stupid.

I do admit to enjoying all the questions people were asking Superman - Red K? Mr M? Magic? No one could concieve that Superman might just want to get back to his roots, as a small town country boy.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this volume JMS has some good characterization and really manages to catch the working-class feel of the original Superman. But from there it goes badly wrong, with the result being saccharine, cliched, and entirely forgettable stories. The two issues by Wilson are actually much better than JMS' work, though still at best slightly above average.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superman's desire to connect to humanity is a double-edged sword. It is his strength and potentially his weakness. This volume touches upon that duality as he seeks to "get his head on straight" after the events of New Krypton and War of the Supermen. The cross country walk reminds him of the crucial balance needed between persuasion and action, diplomacy and fighting.

[Darik · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow.

I haven't read this story since it was first published, and so I decided to take a second look at it... and somehow it's even worse than I remembered. The first half of a heavily-touted run by J. Michael Straczynski (which he essentially abandoned in the second volume, leaving only plot outlines for Chris Robertson to flesh out and finish the story), this volume sees a somewhat melancholy and alienated Superman, fresh from the destruction of New Krypton, attempting to reconnect to his roots and to the needs and wants of "the average person" by walking across the United States. On foot. For some reason.

This is... the worst kind of Superman story. Rather than being driven to stop some concrete threat or to do some kind of actual, material good in the world, Superman instead trundles solemnly from suburb to suburb, proselytizing to everyone he comes across about his abstract moral philosophy and providing surface-level solutions to entrenched systemic issues. This Superman's philosophy is that the world is as good as it CAN be, that it isn't fair but that there's also no way to IMPROVE it, and that the only thing one can do is to accept it as it is (or, apparently, kill yourself, which he sees as a perfectly valid choice). He's a neoliberal Jesus.

He is also vociferously a NIMBY, which we learn in a ridiculous speech he gives about how people have to drive problems away from "here" while allowing "over there" to deal with the problems on its own. He offers quick, ineffectual solutions to large-scale problems and then gets high-and-mighty about how, if everyone just implemented these solutions EVERYWHERE, there would be no problems. It's short-sighted and unrealistic, and it doesn't actually solve anything.

The whole book is preachy and reactionary, like how Superman gets his panties in a bunch when he discovers a group of alien refugees from a tyrannically oppressed world and starts whinging about how they shouldn't have "immigrated illegally" and lecturing them on how they should be "giving back to their community" if they want to be here-- as if the concept of ASYLUM had never entered into his mind before. And in the end, he decides to allow them to stay... but only because they have unlimited access to gold and alien technology, allowing them to re-open a local factory and provide jobs for the local townsfolk. So they can stay... because they have CAPITAL.

Supposedly this is a book about Superman reconnecting with humanity, but all it really is is a reflection of the smug self-satisfaction of suburban America-- about how their way of life is the RIGHT way of life, and the only thing they have to fear is invasion from corrupting outside influences. And as such, it reads as hollow propaganda-- presenting situations with all the depth and nuance of an After-School Special. Superman was originally created as a crusader for progress and social change, but HERE, all he stands for is the preservation of the existing social order... presented with po-faced sincerity that could only come from a writer who doesn't get why that social order isn't just happily accepted by everybody.

This is bad, is what I'm saying. REALLY bad. And I hate it!

(Oh, and G. Willow Wilson subs in as writer for two "Interlude" chapters that only serve to mischaracterize Lois Lane as a "bad feminist" for supposedly only being famous due to her connection to Superman, and Perry White as a physically-abusive workplace tyrant. They suck pretty hard, too.)

[Adam Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Action Comics #1, one of the first villains Superman took on was a wife-beater. The early Superman Golden Age stories introduced us to a guy who was concerned about real people and their very real problems. In one early adventure, he helped a down on his luck boxer come back. In another, he took the place of a man who was being pushed around constantly to help him a chance at success and happiness. In one unforgettable story, Superman helped a little boy at an orphanage ran by an abusive headmaster.

However, that Superman hadn't been seen for five decades or more. The drug dealers, gangsters, and abusers that terrorize people in our modern world had been deemed unfitting challenges for the man of steel as they can't really hurt him. Instead, Superman has to fight the big villains: Darkseid, Luthor, and Brainiac. The comic writes decreed Superman was too big, too grand, and majestic for ordinary people with their ordinary problems.

Superman: Grounded is therefore a throwback to the Superman of the 1940s and 50s. Superman left Earth to fight to save New Krypton in a previous issue. After that failed, some felt that Superman wasn't really loyalty to Earth: that he was alien and concerned with the affairs of alien worlds. Yet, when a widow blames him for the death of her husband (in a way that's rather far fetched), Superman makes a decision to start walking across America, getting in touch with ordinary people and their problems.

At first, when he started walking, I was reminded of the scene from Forest Gump when Gump began to run, but then as the story began to play out, I smiled. Superman's walkabout saw him helping people wherever he went, setting a good example and helping people in need. Sueprman's deeds were not hugely mighty, but they captured the often-forgotten heart of the Man of Steel. He spends hours on top of people talking to a suicidal jumper, he helps a man diagnose the problem with his car, takes on some crack houses, teaches a disturbed stalker a few lessons, and encounters an abused boy whose waiting for Superman or perhaps for anyone with enough compassion.

At its best, the book inspiring, moving, and evocative. It also gives an up close look at Lois Lane as she concludes she's a "bad feminist" as she comes to term with the choices in her life that have left her in Superman's shadow. We have a Perry White story that doesn't work quite well and seems to detract ever so slightly from the tone of the book while still working in a few humorous moments particularly when Perry acknowledges he could get fired from the Planet and he determines to start his own "blob" if that happens.

While this type of story couldn't go on forever, it was something wonderful while it lasted, it's an amazing story for its time and a must for everyone who loves to see the warm heart of Superman.

[TJ Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally enjoyed this. After the whole New Krypton sagas, Superman pulls a Forest Gump and go on a walkabout as he attempts to reconnect with his blue-collar superhero roots. In a comic/superhero era when the average reader relates more to the Wolverine/Punisher/Dark Knight Batman type of character more than the old school Superman/Captain America characters, JMS did a wonderful job in creating an emotional connection between the reader and Superman. It's too bad Grant Morrison is going to destroy Superman over the next year or so.

[STEVE LONG · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was great! I had totally forgotten about it and stumbled on it last night when I looking for another book. I had also forgotten that J. Michael had a run on Superman other than his Earth One series. It was fun to see Supes handle problems that more relatable to us earthlings. His encounter with the jumper and his conversation with her was wonderful. I can't wait to read Volume 2 and see where Superman's walkabout takes him.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish the story was longer. It really didn't need the mention of New Krypton as it read almost like an elsewhere tale, and maybe it should have so it didn't have to deal with Dick Grayson as Batman (it was obviously supposed to be Bruce).

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the Superman I grew up with. The hero...not just the fighting force.

[Keith Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. One of the better interpretations of Superman's characters as far as I'm concerned.

[Joe Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than its reputation.

[Jesse A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. It was a tad over-written in a few places but I like Supes in a bit of an existential crisis.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It looks like I'm in the minority again but I thought it was really powerful.. Superman doubting his power and his purpose.. a different take on the Man of Steel.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. A lot. Less action, more psychology and emotion.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superman gets in touch with America. Sincere, sweet, occasionally hilarious. Lots of love to JMS & G. Willow Wilson.

[Nate]

It’s a good idea, Superman walking America to reconnect with humanity after being away for a while (during the whole New Krypton saga). Could be similar to the great Green Lantern/Green Arrow series. But it doesn’t get there. The writing is often clunky and obvious, even preachy. And Superman is written inconsistently. Sometimes he’s compassionate and inspiring, other times kind of mean and overlord-y. What he says to those aliens about moving to America seems way out of character. I do find it interesting that this book has a scene of Superman saving a suicidal girl like in All-Star Superman. The scene here is fine but there’s a lot of text; whereas Morrison makes me cry with just a few words.

This book is notable for having G. Willow Wilson’s early comics work. Her Perry White is actually one of the few highlights.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superman Meets America

In the aftermath of the 100 Minute War, Superman fears he is losing touch with real America. Confronted by the wife of a normal man who died because Superman was busy doing something else, he decides to try find a new purpose and dedicated himself to protecting his fellow Americans.

Straczynski's story is simple, but addresses how Superman has to redefine himself in the wake of the earth shattering and devastating losses he has experienced. And therein lies its power.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

After re-reading Midnight Nation, my nostalgia for Straczynski’s writing brought me here. As a daily walker and a person who has connected with a few strangers on those walks, I appreciate the concept of grounding ones-self to reconnect with the world and provide perspective on life. The author’s note in the Midnight Nation trade explains Straczynski’s own connection to walking.

I’ve always been much more interested in how superheroes interact with the common person or with their peers than how they fight the big battles. Sure, the battles are interesting, but the lives of average people have a lot to offer and people are interesting.

I guess I go against the grain with my preferences. Unlike some of the other reviews, I enjoyed the stories focused on Perry and Lois the most, and then I think Straczynski did a nice job with the immigration storyline: everyone has something to offer to society.

While I enjoy and recommend this collection, I liked the story in Midnight Nation a bit more, hence the three instead of four stars. Everything is relative, I guess.

[Kass · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the wake of the "War of the Supermen" and the destruction of New Krypton (a story I haven't read) Superman is overcome with depression after losing his home planet for a second time. After a confrontation with a woman who blames his absence from earth for her husband's death (a la the woman who yelled at Tony Stark in that Avengers movie), Superman decides to walk across the United States to reconnect with his adoptive planet.

I enjoyed the ways this story attempted to reconnect Superman with his roots, helping people with everyday problems (saving the cat, Blake Snyder would say). As Superman Forrest Gumps 'cross America, he saves children from abuse, warns the elderly of their irregular heart beats, and solves poverty in Detroit. Just the small stuff. Of course, there are bigger issues and supervillains, but they stick to the sidelines. It was refreshing to see Superman placed in situations that haven't been his character's focus for many decades.

Superman's cross-country stroll of course causes all sorts of issues, and some interesting introspection on his role on earth and such. What was less well-handled was Lois Lane's introspection about how she got her rise to fame by interviewing Supes. Outright calling herself a "bad feminist" for gaining fame from holding a microphone to a man's face, it came across as on-the-nose and sloppily written. These scenes had that bad "men writing women" feel to them and could have been handled with more grace perhaps by a female writer who has had personal experience with this, or at least by a man who had enough understanding of feminism to give Lois's thoughts more gravity.

What also lowered my enjoyment of this comic was how dated it felt. This story was only written about 10 years ago but it has that painful 2000's/2010's "damn millenials" energy, especially from Perry White. Calling blogs "blobs", confusion about online newspapers, etc. etc. It was hard to read, "eurgh I'm an old man and I hate technology" humor. But it's a nitpick.

Overall, a refreshing, cute story about Superman rediscovering his love for Earth. It covered a lot of what I love about this character and I look forward to checking out Volume 2.