Superman-orama

Speaking of Superman (as I was, briefly, four days ago), I wanted to get a few thoughts down on last week’s All Star Superman- you know, way after everyone else has had their say. The book didn’t knock me on my ass, but I liked it, and I’m finding more to like with re-reads. I approached this comic with mixed feelings; on the one hand, I was expecting a lot considering the Morrison/ Quitely creative team, and on the other, I feared the worst, considering the train wreck that is All Star Batman & Robin. How do I feel about ASB&R? I think I can sum that up in three panels from the comic itself:
I needn’t have worried, as Morrison shows once more that he gets Superman, or at least gets the character in a way that lines up with the way I see him, and that's what we look for, isn't it?

The John Byrne Superman reboot in 1986 involved a drastic reduction in Superman’s powers, with the rationale that the more godlike Superman was, the less readers could relate, and the less interested they’d be. Byrne sought to bring Superman down to a more human scale, which is a valid approach. Conversely, what I like about Grant Morrison is that, right from the opening pages, he says, to hell with the human scale:
The Quitely art is beautiful all the way through, and if I scanned in all the panels that I liked, we’d be here until tomorrow. I just finished rereading Quitely’s issues of New X-Men, and I’m struck by how different the tone is here. Everything has a sci-fi feeling here, but without the edge from X-Men. I still don’t like the way he draws women, but the rest is good enough that I’m willing to overlook my small gripes.

I’ve said many a time that the great Superman story has yet to be written. This issue isn’t it, but it may be a start.
___________________________________________________

Speaking of Superman, someone brought a whole heap of old comics into our store the other day and this cover jumped out at me:
Dude, settle down or you’re going to blow a super blood vessel or something. I’m not sure what the story’s about, but that cover has got me interested and wondering what it takes to piss Superman off like that.
___________________________________________________

And finally, speaking of Superman, and because I feel I should periodically share some bizarre Indian culture with you, here’s a link to a short clip from the Bollywood adaptation of Superman. That’s right, it’s a Superman movie, but in Hindi, with Indian actors, and dance numbers.

Don’t worry if you don’t understand the clip, I only get one word in five, and I’m still entertained. If I ever get a full copy, I’ll post a review, but in the meantime Stomp Tokyo has a pretty funny synopsis and review. Also, this website reported last year that an updated remake is being kicked around as a possibility. Hooray for Bollywood.