I love Superman. It's no secret -- he's the best, the original, the real deal, the man of steel. When a creative team shares that certain passion for the character, it shows, and when it shows, it's very good. Written by Jeph Loeb (scribe of Batman: The Long Halloween, the current Batman: Dark Victory and my favorite lycanthrope/basketball movie, Teen Wolf) Superman For All Seasons, told in four chapters/seasons by different narrators, details Clark Kent's earliest adventures as he becomes the world's greatest hero. It's a character-driven tale of Clark learning what he can do in life -- as well as what he can't do -- and how he affects the people that are close to him, including parents, childhood friends, evil businessmen and entire cities.
The key ingredient to a solid comic script is heart, and Loeb's passion for the characters is obvious, running through scenes that include Jonathan Kent discussing his feelings about the loss of his son to destiny, Lois Lane's pondering on how this "Prince Charming in a cape" could truly exist, and Lex Luthor's condescension towards the city that he built but which now worships a man in tights. These multiple narratives possess more soul than most comics on the market. Most striking is Loeb's characterization of the Man of Steel, who in his teens wonders what is happening to him and what he can do with abilities that grow stronger every day. Although he is scared and a bit naive, he nonetheless wants to help -- he just has to find out how.
The story feels much like a mix of Superman: The Movie (notably the first chapter, entitled "Spring") and the animated film, The Iron Giant -- there's an innocence to the main character, a desire to find himself and do good -- all of this is mixed with that special sense of wonder that both movies possess.
In a good writer/artist partnership, the art tells the story effectively while simultaneously becoming a reflection of it. It's very well done here by penciller/inker Tim Sale (Loeb's Batman partner). The story here is lighter than the pair's Batman work, where grays, blacks, thick lines and shadows were used to render the world of the Dark Knight. The panels are bigger and much more open; the art is allowed to breathe. Instead of inked blacks, the shadowing is done with painting. Sale has a very different style from what you'll find in comic stores these days; his is more European and very expressive. His Clark Kent/Superman is as big as a brick house, with an honest, naive face. A tremendous nod goes to his renditions of backgrounds -- Clark's Smallville might've come straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting, while Metropolis truly resembles the retro-futuristic "City of Tomorrow" that it was meant to be. All of these settings come alive with the coloring of Bjarne Hansen, whose hues perfectly match each season in which the chapters take place. Sale focus on drawing bigger gives Hansen the chance to really give a feel and atmosphere to the story's settings, which range from a 50's-era General Store to a Kansas farm.
A special nod goes to letterer Richard Starkings, who created different fonts for each of the chapter's narrators. Though the separate fonts differ radically, they don't detract from the reading. Starkings' speech balloons have a natural quality, as if they were done with a classic crow quill -- in this growing age of computer lettering, it's a refreshing sight.
Ultimately, this is a great book. It's a good story with beautiful, uncluttered art -- very easy to read and accessible to someone who's never read a Superman comic (or any comic, for that matter) and therefore can serve as a perfect introduction to the world of comics. It's a touching story that'll put a smile on a fan's face and leave the reader with a good feeling. If you liked the Superman: The Movie movie, The Iron Giant, or if you simply enjoy the character from the animated series, get this book.
-- Yannick Belzil
Superman For All Seasons was originally released as a four-issue Prestige Format miniseries published by DC Comics. The collected hardcover is currently available through comic retailers.
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