Nobody is talking about Superman: American Alien?

[Rakzo]

Because is certainly deserves to be talked about, especially after the last issue.

I was a bit ambivalent about Max Landis' work considering I didn't particularly like the few works he had on the character but here has demonstrated that he has a perfect and most importantly, REALISTIC vision for Superman.

The first chapter was about showing a realistic take on Clark's childhood and the recent one is about showing a realistic take on his time as a teenage and all of it feels authentic. From his relationship with his friends and crush to how he needs to hide whenever he wants to have a beer, everything seems relatable. The natural dialogue truly helps, Landis knows how people talk.

Even when it comes to the classic moments when he discovers his powers it seems pretty logical. The way how he handled the criminals here is pretty much what you would expect from someone who doesn't have the proper training but since it happened to really, REALLY bad people you still get a huge level of satisfaction.

Finally, the last moment between Clark and his mom is pretty heartwarming and once again, pretty real.

This is seriously the most interesting Superman I've read in years.

[Last Son of Krypton]

I like it, even if it's not exactly my cup of tea. It's well written and well drawn, and I'm always open to read a different take on Superman.

[Myskin]

Simply perfect story so far. It should become continuity. Let's face it, Landis may seem a douche but is a very creative and clever guy.

[Myskin]

By the way, who is editing this? I don't think that such a good story could be published under Berganza's current management.

[Tayswift]

By the way, who is editing this? I don't think that such a good story could be published under Berganza's current management.

it is being edited by alex antone, who also did adventures of superman.

the story is good, I didn't liked Clark hiding beers, and that scene was too brutal.

[Rakzo]

Alex Antone seems to be the editor, there's no sight of Berganza's awfulness thank goodness.

Also, Landis IS a douche but fortunately he's also a good writer.

[DeathFalcon182]

I didn't like the fact that Clark needs to be told to do a good thing he would otherwise do himself. It's Landis' version of telling these things helped made Clark a good person. No Landis, he has always been a good person, he isn't lured into being one.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

I didn't like the fact that Clark needs to be told to do a good thing he would otherwise do himself. It's Landis' version of telling these things helped made Clark a good person. No Landis, he has always been a good person, he isn't lured into being one.

I can't believe I'm going to go for bat for a comic where Clark spoilers:

burns a dude's arms off

end of spoilers as not totally missing the point of the character, but of *course* Clark had to be told to do good things as a kid. That's how you learn. If he just fundamentally knew down to his bones from the moment the rocket opened up what right and wrong was in any given situation, he wouldn't need Ma and Pa, or really any formative experiences at all. For a 16 year old, he's remarkably decent and determined to do the right thing in a situation where he's clearly and understandably in way over his head.

Some minor quibbles (an oddly constructed panel or two, the 'villain' of the piece wasn't great and didn't seem to have much to do with the central idea of the issue), but on the whole, this worked for me way the hell better than it had any right to. I wouldn't like it as the 'main' Superman myself, but it's everything I'd want out of a darker take like this. I'm sure the booze and what's clearly going to go down with Lana will rub some people the wrong way, but again, 16. The big moment was I thought more over the top than it needed to be, but unlike...similar (though for those concerned, not identical) incidents, this felt properly built up to thematically and resolved. And that last page was good, even if it wasn't as remarkably well-put together as the epilogue in the previous issue, which makes sense given that this was built to serve a different purpose.

Oh, and since I was showing off some of what was upcoming in American Alien that had been revealed in the other thread, here's a look at Jonathan Cases' issue #6 variant, which gives a look at the Superman costume proper for this series:



Like the prototype costume we got a glimpse of for issue #5, looks homemade in a way I like. Curious if this is the final version, or if he'll find himself in the regular costume by the end (since that's what he was in with the Superman/Joker story Landis wrote, which is presumably canon to this).

[Kurtzberg]

I do like this, and hopefully it's strong moving forward. As for Landis, I don't particularly care if he's a douche, he clearly loves the character a lot and is a good writer. I liked the first issue, and I like the idea of rotating artists for each issue and as Clark ages.
I liked Pa Kent in the first issue, with his don't be a jerk and maybe weird's okay talk. I liked Clark's mom with her fear and her love in this issue.
I can live with the fact Clark has some hesitancy, he's a kid. He's not Superman yet, he's not a paragon, he's some kid from a very small town in Kansas. A scared kid who doesn't understand his own power, and had never encountered violence like that before, doesn't mean he isn't a good person because he needs someone to yell "Hey, do something, you can do something, just do something!" at him to galvanize his inner goodness that his parents have helped foster into action. He acted in the end, it was messy, but that's life. Kids aren't always going to know the right thing to do immediately, or how to go about doing it even if they do and that's okay too, growing pains.
It's not a Superman for All Seasons or All Star, but it's a good story so far.

[Myskin]

I wouldn't like it as the 'main' Superman myself, but it's everything I'd want out of a darker take like this..

That's just me, but If I had to choose between keeping in continuity Morrison's Action Comics Superman or Max Landis' Superman, without a doubt I'd choose the latter (even if it's just two issues so far).
The fact that he's a young kid who is making mistakes which well, everybody could make - or he's simply developing his own moral conscience in a credible way instead of being a saint since his birth, and Landis is able to represent all of his inner turmoil in a credible way without making a Batman-like guy out of him is slowly making this Clark Kent the most relatable Superman I've ever seen. To me it's not dark nor grim, it's just life. And a kid I can identify myself with.

[manduck37]

I haven't had a chance to pick up the second issue yet, but I'm glad to hear people are really enjoying it. I loved the first issue. Landis writes in a way that his characters feel very natural and believable. His dialogue feels authentic and the characters have unique personalities that come through. So having Clark as a kid who grows up making mistakes really makes sense to me. He has to learn what good and evil are somehow. Plus that shows off how important Clark's relationship with his parents really is. I look forward to reading the next issue. So far, I've found this to be a refreshing take on Superman.

[DeathFalcon182]

I can't believe I'm going to go for bat for a comic where Clark spoilers:

burns a dude's arms off

end of spoilers as not totally missing the point of the character, but of *course* Clark had to be told to do good things as a kid. That's how you learn. If he just fundamentally knew down to his bones from the moment the rocket opened up what right and wrong was in any given situation, he wouldn't need Ma and Pa, or really any formative experiences at all. For a 16 year old, he's remarkably decent and determined to do the right thing in a situation where he's clearly and understandably in way over his head.

Some minor quibbles (an oddly constructed panel or two, the 'villain' of the piece wasn't great and didn't seem to have much to do with the central idea of the issue), but on the whole, this worked for me way the hell better than it had any right to. I wouldn't like it as the 'main' Superman myself, but it's everything I'd want out of a darker take like this. I'm sure the booze and what's clearly going to go down with Lana will rub some people the wrong way, but again, 16. The big moment was I thought more over the top than it needed to be, but unlike...similar (though for those concerned, not identical) incidents, this felt properly built up to thematically and resolved. And that last page was good, even if it wasn't as remarkably well-put together as the epilogue in the previous issue, which makes sense given that this was built to serve a different purpose.

Oh, and since I was showing off some of what was upcoming in American Alien that had been revealed in the other thread, here's a look at Jonathan Cases' issue #6 variant, which gives a look at the Superman costume proper for this series:



Like the prototype costume we got a glimpse of for issue #5, looks homemade in a way I like. Curious if this is the final version, or if he'll find himself in the regular costume by the end (since that's what he was in with the Superman/Joker story Landis wrote, which is presumably canon to this).

No Landis is trying to get the point across that if Superman wasn't persuaded into doing this stuff, he wouldn't think of doing it on his own. No, that's just Landis' headcanon. If Superman raised in soviet Russia can become pretty much the Superman we know, where he wasn't explained what was what, Landis' whole argument falls apart. Johnathan, Martha and all his friends from Smallville are pivotal part of him growing up, but Superman's choices are always his own. Morrison's Action, Waid's Birthright they all tell the same thing. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but Landis' angst teen version of the character isn't something I would say 'Oh yeah, that's the Superman.' Instead my reaction would be be 'Oh okay, that's Landis' version of what he thinks Superman/Clark is.'

[Superlad93]

God I love this book. I knew there was something special about it the very moment I heard about it and saw that provocative picture of a young Clark's bloody mug shot. And the really cool think that I feel some people are overlooking is that it's tonally flexible in a way that no other Superman property has been is nearly a decade. Last issue was ripped right from Steven Spielberg's brain with it's warm and heartfelt tone. This issue would make Man of Steel and Earth One both squirm in their seats with how on the noes grounded it was. And with both of these books American Alien earns that moment of horror or that moment and almost cornball joy to the point where you have no choice but to hand it to it. Goodness was I glued to the page when Clark showed up at the end, shirt sleeves rolled up and probably nearly peeing his pants. I really feel for this Clark Kent in a way that I can't really say I feel for him in most (not all) other continuities.

Max Landis, Tommy Lee Edwards, Alex Antone, and anyone else working on this, thank you for a fantastic take on Clark Kent the Superman.

[Superlad93]

No Landis is trying to get the point across that if Superman wasn't persuaded into doing this stuff, he wouldn't think of doing it on his own. No, that's just Landis' headcanon. If Superman raised in soviet Russia can become pretty much the Superman we know, where he wasn't explained what was what, Landis' whole argument falls apart. Johnathan, Martha and all his friends from Smallville are pivotal part of him growing up, but Superman's choices are always his own. Morrison's Action, Waid's Birthright they all tell the same thing. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but Landis' angst teen version of the character isn't something I would say 'Oh yeah, that's the Superman.' Instead my reaction would be be 'Oh okay, that's Landis' version of what he thinks Superman/Clark is.'

But even Superman from Red Son was influenced by someone, Joseph Stalin. The main factor that Red Son and all Superman seem to share is they take the lessons and advice given to them and decided to make it there own thing aka being a flying nice man who punches monsters. Roughly no one who's telling him to help out is expecting ALL that of him. Just like how Superman of Red Son took the ideas of Communism and went to a warped extreme with them due to him helping his fellow "comrade" anyway that was superhumanly possible.

[Myskin]

No Landis is trying to get the point across that if Superman wasn't persuaded into doing this stuff, he wouldn't think of doing it on his own. No, that's just Landis' headcanon. If Superman raised in soviet Russia can become pretty much the Superman we know, where he wasn't explained what was what, Landis' whole argument falls apart. Johnathan, Martha and all his friends from Smallville are pivotal part of him growing up, but Superman's choices are always his own. Morrison's Action, Waid's Birthright they all tell the same thing. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but Landis' angst teen version of the character isn't something I would say 'Oh yeah, that's the Superman.' Instead my reaction would be be 'Oh okay, that's Landis' version of what he thinks Superman/Clark is.'

No offense meant, but I think that you are a bit nitpicking here. And not only because Soviet Superman does things (including performing lobotomy on his enemies) which "normal" Superman would never do. Every author writes characters according to his/her own view on life - Loeb does so, and also Morrison, Loeb, and Landis isn't doing anything different. This is not a case comparable to JMS' Superman, who is OBLIGED by his own enemy to publicly reveal himself to the world. Here we have a fundamentally good kid, who is understandably confused about what to do and needs a little push (for a couple of pictures in the whole issue, by the way). How many of us did have a completely shaped ethics when we were teen-agers? Come on. There isn't any teenage angst, just a kid who is still immature - and understandably so.