Does anyone else dislike All Star Superman?

[Jim Kelly]

I went to a lot of effort to avoid reading any of Under the Red Hood or Flashpoint--it would seem like a wasted effort if I now had to watch the animated versions of them.

[ekrolo2]

I went to a lot of effort to avoid reading any of Under the Red Hood or Flashpoint--it would seem like a wasted effort if I now had to watch the animated versions of them.

Then you're missing out on some very good movies. Especially ones that are much better than their comic counter parts, especially Red Hood.

[Johnny Thunders!]

Since we haved moved on to DC Animated, I don't think the movies have topped the Justice League Unlimited. The whole Justice Lords Saga is one of the best JLA adventures ever. I think from Batman on, the TV shows have been the real stars of the animated universe.

Do people not like Frank Quitely's art? I think Superman fans should feel lucky.

[Jim Kelly]

I like Frank Quitely art. I bought FLEX MENTALLO and JLA: EARTH 2 (in the expensive hard-bound edition) for Quitely art--as much as Morrison's scripts.

When All STAR SUPERMAN was first announced, though, I had some trepidation because it's Quitely's style to draw a big hulking Superman. That was all right for EARTH 2, but I didn't know if I wanted 12 issues of a brawny, stupid looking Superhulk. When the first issue came out, I was impressed that Quitely had tamed his tendencies and slimmed his Superman down and gave him a gentler, more intelligent expression.

If you compare his Superman to Swan, Jurgens or Garcia-Lopez it might not seem that way, but judging Quitely in terms of his own craft, I thought he got his Superman right.

What didn't set right with me was that the whole book was digitally inked. It bugged me that the art wasn't embellished by hand with brush and pen--but I suppose that's becoming a lost art.

That aside, it helps if you look at the art in the book as Kurt Schaffenberger on steroids (and wow how great would it have been if Schaffenberger in his prime had inked this book). You shouldn't expect the characters to appear realistic--Jimmy and Lois being the most absurd in this regard. They are cartoons. Like Schaffenberger, Quitely is fully in control of his style. To me consistency is one of the most important things in comic art--so, as long as an artist's style is consistent in itself then I'm willing to give him artistic license to do what he wants in that style.

[BBally]

I like Frank Quitely art. I bought FLEX MENTALLO and JLA: EARTH 2 (in the expensive hard-bound edition) for Quitely art--as much as Morrison's scripts.

When All STAR SUPERMAN was first announced, though, I had some trepidation because it's Quitely's style to draw a big hulking Superman. That was all right for EARTH 2, but I didn't know if I wanted 12 issues of a brawny, stupid looking Superhulk. When the first issue came out, I was impressed that Quitely had tamed his tendencies and slimmed his Superman down and gave him a gentler, more intelligent expression.

If you compare his Superman to Swan, Jurgens or Garcia-Lopez it might not seem that way, but judging Quitely in terms of his own craft, I thought he got his Superman right.

What didn't set right with me was that the whole book was digitally inked. It bugged me that the art wasn't embellished by hand with brush and pen--but I suppose that's becoming a lost art.

That aside, it helps if you look at the art in the book as Kurt Schaffenberger on steroids (and wow how great would it have been if Schaffenberger in his prime had inked this book). You shouldn't expect the characters to appear realistic--Jimmy and Lois being the most absurd in this regard. They are cartoons. Like Schaffenberger, Quitely is fully in control of his style. To me consistency is one of the most important things in comic art--so, as long as an artist's style is consistent in itself then I'm willing to give him artistic license to do what he wants in that style.

To me, it seems that Quietly combined aspects of the different designs Superman had over the years, he was built like the bulky Superman drawn by Shuster, Boring and Schaffenberger but his face had a Curt Swan like compassion about him.

[Jim Kelly]

For those that don't know, the Scottish comic artist who signs himself as "Frank Quitely" is in fact Vincent Deighan. His pen name is a play on "quite frankly." I think if you remember that, then you're less likely to get the spelling wrong. After all, what does "quiet frankly" mean? Nothing, quite frankly.

[dancj]

I'd add Last Son of Krypton to this list as well.

Yeah - I probably would have too if I'd thought of it.

[dancj]

Well Batman IS mentioned in the Lois issue (issue #2), so there is at least one other Superhero in the ALL STAR Supes universe.

Superman mentions Batman and what adventures they have had in one of the issues.
Plus when Superman goes to Bizarro World, he is aware of what the Bizarro Justice League is, showing that there probably is a Justice League on his Earth.

Ah - well in that case I take it all back.

[dancj]

Do people not like Frank Quitely's art?

It's a strange phenomenon. I can't explain it, but these people do exist.

[MykeHavoc]

Since we haved moved on to DC Animated, I don't think the movies have topped the Justice League Unlimited. The whole Justice Lords Saga is one of the best JLA adventures ever. I think from Batman on, the TV shows have been the real stars of the animated universe.

Do people not like Frank Quitely's art? I think Superman fans should feel lucky.

The JLU season 1 Cadmus arc may very well be the best animated series run of episodes I've ever seen.

[Cipher]

I guess I'll weigh in on this now since I'm reading it in full for the first time via Comixology's Christmas sale, having formerly read the first two issues and watched the animated adaptation.

It's not doing anything to change my opinion on it, which is that it's mediocre. It hits a few really brilliant points, but as far as Morrison's writing goes, it hits an awkward spot between his very meta-oriented material and his very character-driven. I really loathe its use of Lois Lane. It's hardcore on the Clark Kent-as-disguise track. It's a nice love-letter to Superman's silver-age elements, and has the brilliant trick of mapping those elements onto a vaguely modern world, as if it had grown up with them, but I'm not sure it does much for the story. I can say that if I were to have encountered this in full several years ago, it would not have turned me around on the concept of Superman, which I wasn't big on. Definitely not in the way Morrison's Action Comics run did.

Of Morrison's two Super-works, I think Action Comics is handily the better, and provides more of a mission statement for the character and his world. Quitely's art is always fantastic, though, which makes All-Star a visual treat even when I'm lukewarm on its writing.

[friendly-fire-press]

I don't love it or hate it ... I put it in the it's okay category ...

Your arguments are definitely valid, ekrolo2, and I agree with much of what you said. There are some sequences in All Star I like, then there are other parts that leave me a bit cold

While I quite like Sci-fi and Silver Age type elements, All Star often came across as a little too campy and melodramatic at times (for my taste)

[TheSuperBrando]

I thought I was the only one! I'm a lifelong Superman fan, been reading the comics for almost 25 years, even converted my friend who's a lifelong Marvel fan and used to be a Superman hater. And I HATE All Star Superman. All powerful god Superman who faces no challenges, dopey Clark, silver age cheese. And the art! He's wearing a round tablecloth for a cape, every pose he's in looks like he's dumpy and hunched, and everything's so. . . wrinkly. Holy crap I hate that comic, it's the embodiment of every terrible interpretation of Superman ever all rolled into one. And for years I've felt like I'm taking crazy pills, because everyone. . . EVERYONE. . . loves that pile of garbage! People regularly say it's the best Superman comic ever written!

[ekrolo2]

It's a strange phenomenon. I can't explain it, but these people do exist.

Yeah we don't like the ubber wrinkly style that makes everyone look like malformed freaks. I honestly don't get how so many like him tbh.

[TheSuperBrando]

Yeah we don't like the ubber wrinkly style that makes everyone look like malformed freaks. I honestly don't get how so many like him tbh.

And dopey and hunched posture, and round tablecloth cape, and giant Jay Leno chin, and thick frumpy body. . .