BT09 – A is for Apocalyptic (#Blogathon)

I got two pair!

All-Star Superman, Vol. 1 (DC) [collects #1-6]
All-Star Superman, Vol. 2 (DC) [collects #7-12]
w. Grant Morrison; a. Frank Quitely, Jamie Grant 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

Morrison takes Superman for a spin, cranking the Silver Age wonderment up to 12, and seriously and provocatively taking on subject matter that’s rested peacefully since then and giving it a twist that will either have you marveling or mocking. Sometimes that results in some dead-ends — the extended Bizarro sequence goes for about two issues too long — and sometimes that results in highly memorable and (go figure) imaginative triumphs. The Silver Age stereotypes of the Superman Family are dealt with, too — Lois, Jimmy, Clark, even (especially) Luthor. 

Dying of a solar radiation overdose thanks to Lex’s cunning plans, Superman must put his affairs in order, performing twelve herculean feats before he dies. As I said, very Silver Age, but with a lightly contemporary spin that keeps it balanced neatly between camp and revisionism.

Overall, very strong stuff, with some outstanding artwork. Morrison can be more than a bit trippy (wait, did I miss a panel in there somewhere? or a whole page?), but All-Star Superman is a great set of stand-alone books, and something that even a non-comics reader (who, culturally, knows enough of the source material here to be able to follow along) might enjoy.

Annihilation Conquest, Book 1 (Marvel) [collects AC-Prolog, AC-Quasar #1-4, AC-Starlord #1-4, Annihilation Saga]
Annihilation Conquest, Book 2 (Marvel) [collects AC-Wraith #1-4, Nova #4-7, AC #1-6]
w. various; a. various 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

Marvel has long had problems with its cosmic — or at least space-born — characters. Usually one-off second bananas to lend a frisson of the fantastic to an Earth-bound series, they fly off back to the stars when all is over, only to be brought back in another 5 years as guest stars (or guest dead bodies, showing the stakes of whatever new threat is threatening).

The Annihilation Conquest series was intended to change that, bringing together some otherwise-unused characters into a star-spanning saga that would combine epic grandeur with The Dirty Dozen. Moondragon, Nova, Quasar, Starlord, Bug, Mantis, Broot — even Rocket Raccoon (a fave of mine) are here.

It works — barely — as the story bops between titles, character focus, writers, and artists. Not to mention some extended “what’s come before / during / after this” filler. The new Guardians of the Galaxy series that came from this holds together much better. These are not high on the re-reading scale, but worth having gone through, if only to see Rocket Raccoon again.

Listening to: Kamen, Michael, “Town (In the Theatre): The Statue in the Square/The Land of Cheese/WH” (Adventures of Baron Munchausen))