Written by John Byrne.
Art by John Byrne; Dick Giordano; John Costanza; & Tom Ziuko.
Collection Cover Art by Jerry Ordway; John Byrne; Tanya Horie; & Richard Horie.
SUMMARY:
Released in 2003 by DC Comics, this 152-page trade paperback reprints 1986’s complete Superman: The Man of Steel # 1-6 mini-series. The project was designed to softly reboot Superman’s continuity after 1985-86’s epic Crisis on Infinite Earths. Hence, writer/artist John Byrne re-imagines the familiar saga beginning with the destruction of planet Krypton.
Book One. “From Out the Green Dawn …/The Secret/The Exposure/The Super-Hero” – With planet Krypton’s destruction imminent, scientist Jor-El and his wife, Lara, hastily sends their infant son’s matrix orb/escape pod into hyperspace. Unlike his wife’s condescension towards Earth’s primitive culture, Jor-El knows full well the purpose of young Kal-El’s programmed destination.
Eighteen years later, Kansas farmer Jonathan Kent reveals to his son, Clark (Smallville’s star athlete), the hidden truth of his existence. Seven years then lapse, as Martha Kent maintains a scrapbook of Clark’s anonymous heroics. Forced to intervene, a high-profile, mid-air collision damaging an experimental NASA space shuttle in Metropolis exposes his secret.
Among those immediately demanding answers is one of the shuttle’s guest passengers: Lois Lane. Retreating home to Smallville, a despondent Clark realizes he must continue as this so-called ‘Superman.’ Martha Kent sews a colorful costume for her son’s new dual identity.
Note: Clark states that he has quietly resided in Metropolis for three years prior to the NASA incident. He is also already aware of Lois Lane’s celebrity status as a journalist.
Book Two. “The Story of the Century!” – While Superman acclimates to Metropolis, a tenacious Lois Lane finally resorts to desperate measures to obtain an exclusive interview. Yet, some interloper named Clark Kent seeking work at The Daily Planet may blindside her effort to score the elusive ‘scoop of the century.’
Book Three. “One Night in Gotham City” – Come one Gotham City night, Superman meets Batman for the first time. Their elusive mutual target is a psychotic thief dubbing herself as ‘Magpie.’
Book Four. “Enemy Mine …” – Nearly eighteen months after Book Two, Lois Lane & Clark Kent have a platonic work date exploring Lex Luthor’s luxury cruise ship, The Sea Queen. An at-sea hostage crisis subsequently prompts Superman’s presence. Luthor’s simmering resentment of the Man of Steel ignites into full-blown hatred.
Book Five. “The Mirror, Crack’d …” – Confirming Superman’s alien origins, Luthor’s first strike is the creation of Bizarro. Caught in the middle of this showdown is Lois’ younger sister, Lucy.
Book Six. “The Haunting” – At home in Smallville, 28-year-old Clark believes it’s time to make Lois aware of his feelings. Coming full circle with Book One, Clark encounters ‘ghost’ holograms of his Kryptonian parents. Meanwhile, Lana Lang confronts Clark with the fallout of the secret he had entrusted her with a decade before.
After Jor-El & Lara’s download of Krypton’s legacy into his mind, the Man of Steel rejects their belated gift in favor of his preference for Earth and America.
Notes: This title is also available in a digital format and a double-sized hardcover. This mini-series was also the precursor to DC renaming its original Superman series – “The Adventures of Superman” and then Byrne starting a new Superman series with his own Issue # 1. DC’s third Super-title, Action Comics, was mostly left unaffected.
REVIEW:
In both scripting and visuals, unsurprisingly, John Byrne’s The Man of Steel storyline feels dated nearly forty years later. The last page practically spells this notion out.
While the traditional tone of his Batman team-up is spot-on, Byrne’s plotting of Volume 1 too often falls short of awe and charm. Hence, the vibe of this simplistic reboot comes off as underwhelmingly bland. DC Comics’ later efforts at tweaking (i.e. a closer alignment with Christopher Reeve’s Superman films) frankly makes a more cohesive and entertaining fit for subsequent reboots.
Still, there are familiar structural elements utilized in TV’s Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Smallville, not to mention the 2013 Man of Steel film, that appear partially influenced by Byrne’s work. Volume 1’s all-ages material, at least, is easily readable – as compared to some of DC’s monotonous Super-dreck dwelling deep in its archives. Byrne’s Superman: The Man of Steel, in that sense, could provide an accessible jumping-aboard option at the library.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Entitled “Why Superman? Why Today?,” Ray Bradbury provides a two-page introduction – featuring some odd real-world analogies. Byrne also offers his three-page “Superman: A Personal View.” In a full-page format, the cover gallery supplies all six covers, plus Issue # 1’s variant. Byrne and Dick Giordano are the credited cover artists.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
