"All-Star Superman" Reminds Us About Heroism
In The Face of Villainy, Heartache, and Death
The Mythos
Most reviews you will find about this comic book run is that it is “stirringly mythic,” the quintessential essence of the man in tights, the undisputed “best of” Superman.
So I can’t agree from a logical standpoint because I don’t know all of Superman’s runs and lore like that like that, but I will say I enjoyed this version of him.
We meet Bizarro and Lex Luthor, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. Not for the first time and definitely not for the last. We get a quick rundown of Superman’s history and past encounters as Superman attempts to tie up the last of his missions before he, unfortunately, dies by solar poisoning from Luthor.
In spite of not having read most other runs, getting into this tradeback was relatively easy and painless, allowing room for interpretation but not being gridlocked into perceiving or accepting his story as a canonical version.
Superman’s mythos is dispensed neatly and succinctly, which is a great way to enjoy the classic hero as it pays constant homage to the history it has grown from while also doing so in a way that allows newer readers like myself to enjoy the run without getting too bogged down in the details.
Each chapter is short and sweet and ties in to the general theme of Superman dying. Which, you might be wondering, how does the mostly invincible man, an almost god-like figure like Superman, die?
And that’s where I urge you to read it. Because it just…is.
Superman, for all intents and purposes, is the ideal of what a man and what a man appearing to be a hero, should be. He is perfection and he is kindness personified, but what makes him Superman isn’t the super part, but the man part.
At his core, he shows us what we can achieve. He is how good man can be and I love him for that. And you feel that as the comic progresses: Superman is just a good man, but he can no longer keep up with his good deeds and he slows down and he slowly, almost imperceptibly, dies.
Quiet Heroism
My favorite thing about superheroes and their aliases is the fact that many of them chose to become journalists or news reporters of some sort in their civilian lives (in the really early runs of the comics). Doesn’t matter that they spent the morning saving Metropolis or stopping the burglary of a bodega in Queens; they still try to do good in their lives with or without the cape.
They choose a line of work that closely aligns with their values and will allow them to help people, in whatever small way it is.
Clark Kent is, as per usual, a journalist in this run, and a damned good one at that. Even Lex Luthor praises his journalism skills and allows Kent a sneak interview before his death sentence in jail.
One of my favorite bits of Superman (and Spider-Man) for that matter, is that he will always do good. No matter what, no matter where. He will do what is right and he will be the hero, not for any accolades or awards, but for the sheer fact that that is how his mother raised him.
Jonathan and Martha Kent gave him his humanity and taught him of the never-ending spring of hope and love that man can and should have for one another, and by the gods Clark will hold onto that morality until he dies.
And die he does. Not heroically, in a blaze of glory with the throat of his enemy firmly grasped in his fist.
No, Superman dies like a man. With the knowledge that it is happening. And that when it happens, for surely it will happen, he has done everything in his power to make sure that the people who will outlive him will be taken care of. That in his absence, the people he has cared for will still be okay.
“I love you, Lois Lane. Until the end of time.”
-Superman
Morrison + Quitely VS. The DCCU
Morrison and Quitely did exactly what the DC Cinematic Universe has been trying to do in the past decade or so. They were able to condense Superman’s lore and unimaginable strength into a 12-run comic issue that not only exemplifies what makes the Man of Steel so iconic, but also does so in a fresh and unique way.
His origin story here isn’t as blasé and boring as some movies or shows we’ve been inundated as of late. They assume you know of Superman. They rely on this recognition, this vague sense of the idea of what a hero is to truly draw you in. And then they continue their story as they normally would, battles and enemies arriving for the first time in this run as the last time, as a farewell as Superman gets his life together for one final push to the finish line. It’s an homage to the history and a love letter to the fans.
It’s a Herculean effort. Checking off heroic deeds like some laundry list of death.
Their Superman asks not for a tearful goodbye, but a recognition that in order for something to begin anew, something has to end.
We’ve all seen the superhero movies. They’re a dime a dozen, the most popular tale to spin in Hollywood’s crafty table. There’s the origin, the conflict, the revival or rebirth of the hero into someone who matters.
We’ve seen the anti-heroes rising up and rebelling (Invincible, The Boys, My Hero Academia, and my favorite One Punch Man) and we’ve seen the insults thrown at boy scout heroes who are too good, too virtuous, too heroic as to be unattainable versions of what a hero is.
By all means, follow the hero that speaks to you, on any and every level. Choose the hero that is as complex or as shallow as you. Choose a hero that makes mistakes and kills people or who chooses, at the end of the day, that being bad is more fun and rewarding than any ethical deed they’ve done.
At this point, we’ve seen it all. Across movies, comic books, manga, anime, you name the medium, there is an anti-hero rubbing against the grain and chuffed that we still idolize what it means “to be a hero.”
The nuance of that statement really evolved in comic books during the 80s and 90s, but it’s garnered a newfound audience with the cinemas and the inevitable rise of streaming.
Being a hero is more than just cool; it’s traumatic and devastating while also being the best and the worst thing that could ever happen to you. It’s a metaphor, a vibe, a feeling of righteousness that bleeds off halftone pages to make you feel like you live in a slightly less shitty world.
Superman is the ideal. He is everything we could want from a superhero: kind, charismatic, charming. Compassion that knows no bounds, a love for doing good that goes beyond being a hero, and an appreciation for life and death in spite of defying the odds of the latter so often.
We’ve seen his story a million and one times and we’ve yet to see every rendition yet to come. But this specific Superman is exactly what Superman stands for.
And that’s good.
If you're looking for other really interesting concepts of Superman, I can suggest a few. Perhaps my favourite is "Superman: Red Son" which is a self contained story like All Star Superman but with really fascinating twists on the character.
The other is actually just a short story in a comic book but you can find it by searching for "Superman and the Jumper". It's a story about Superman happening upon someone who wants to jump off a building to their death. Probably one of the most powerful ways to simplify Superman down to who he truly is.