The Man of Steel #1
Date:
1986
Publisher:
DC Comics
Cover Price:
75¢
2013 NM Price:
$4.00
Stats:
32 color pages plus “Meanwhile…” and “Superman: A Personal View” columns
Writer & Penciller:
John Byrne
Other Artists:
Dick Giordano, Tom Ziuko, John Costanza
Notable Notes:
Superman’s origin re-told
No More Invulnerable Superman!
About a decade ago a friend and I were discussing the Superman cartoons of the day, and he mentioned how he didn’t like the current version of Superman – you know, the one who wasn’t invincible and who had to work for his victories. I liked it and thought it made for more interesting stories, but neither of us were aware of this ground-breaking series from the mid 1980s. It wasn’t long after that conversation that I purchased this series and learned for myself why Superman had weaknesses. If you’ve ever wondered the same thing then read on my friends!
Synopsis:
This first issue (of a 6 issue limited series) is divided into 4 chapters – each several pages long. The first story is a prologue that takes place on the planet Krypton where we see Superman’s parents, Jor-El and Lara, discussing the demise of their planet as they send their infant child out into space – after which their planet blows up in spectacular fashion. In the next chapter a teenage Clark Kent, who is a local sports superstar, is given a talking-to by his father, who also reveals to Clark the reason for his “super” abilities. The third chapter reveals how Clark saves a plane from crashing and is consequently exposed to the public of Metropolis – especially the determined reporter Lois Lane. And finally we are shown how Clark’s parents help him come up with both a costume and a secret identity – leading to creation of Superman!
My 2 Cents:
-
I gotta admit – the story was pretty dang cool! I like Superman stories as much as the next guy, but I don’t consider myself a super-fan, however this story was totally fascinating and kept me turning the pages right up to the end!
-
I am always impressed when the same person both writes and draws a comic, and John Byrne does a great job with both tasks here. The art is cool and detailed – making this issue even more fun to read. Kudos Mr. Byrne, kudos!
-
So, part of the reason for this series was to
reboot the Superman story
for a post-crisis world. Since I never read Superman before this I am fine with that, but I can see how it would irk some people (kind of like the New 52 irks me!)
How I Rate This Issue:
Where To Get Your Own Copy:
