Superman: Last Son

Ah, "Last Son". The much-ballyhooed, much-criticized, much-excoriated story arc that was to be one of DC's big draws for 2007, only to get shot in the foot pretty much the second it got out of the gate. It's a story that's drawn more than its share of detractors - Johns-haters, Kubert-bashers, purists soured by "Superman Returns" who loathe the idea of Superman and Lois raising a child, and just plain anti-Donnerists who proclaim to being fed up with all the homages paid lately to the films' contributions to Superman lore in spite of the fact that the Christopher Reeve movies are probably the most widely-recognized take on Superman that there is (heck, Donner still takes crap for all the cruddy sequels, and he really only ever directed the first one and most of the second).
"Last Son" may also be one of the best Superman stories I've read in recent years. "Last Son" takes that same premise that got Bryan Singer in hot water with comic book fans - a Superkid - and twists it into a much more workable and compelling direction, and in doing so capably works familiar elements of the Superman film series into the comics. The result is a story that takes advantage both of the widespread exposure of the Superman movies AND the character's place in the DC Universe, but at the same time is able to stand on its own without relying too heavily on either of the two, a misstep that hurt "Superman Returns" despite the best of intentions. "Last Son" is by no means a perfect story, nor is it particularly innovative, but on the most basic levels and expectations of a Superman story, it works.

SPOILERS HO!

"Last Son" begins when a rocket carrying a Kryptonian boy crash-lands on Earth - a familar beginning, right? Except this time it lands in the middle of downtown Metropolis, and the Kent who finds it is Clark Kent in the guise of his caped alter-ego. Superman and the boy bond instantly; though the kid has no recollection of ever having come from Krypton - nor is there any record of his existence among the crystal-based archives of the Fortress of Solitude - he quickly acclimates to Earth life and, with some initial hesitance, Clark and Lois take in this newest addition to the Kent family, naming him Chris (an affectionate nod to the late Mr. Reeve). The boy also gets his first taste of super-human scrapes when the Greatest Criminal Mind Of Our Time himself, Lex Luthor, dispatches several of Superman's oldest foes to try to snag'im. But the new Kent "family" withstands even this, and things look bright for our hero's future...

...until Chris' REAL parents show up: General Zod and Ursa, joined by their mindless brute of an ally Non, all direct from the Phantom Zone and looking to re-shape Earth in the image of their deceased homeworld...and to ensure that the Son of Jor-El kneels before Zod! Oh, and did I mention they're bringing an entire Phantom-Zone-prison's-load of Kryptonian criminals WITH them? With the entire Justice League downed by the invaders, Superman will be forced to endure the ultimately indignity by turning to the only ones left who can help him thwart Zod's plans - and that's Luthor and his newly-reorganized Superman Revenge Squad: Parasite, Metallo, and Bizarro! And even if the Man of Steel does prevail and finally rein in the Revenge Squad before they can finish him off in the bargain, it may not be a happy ending in the Kent household after all...

This story, of course, marks the introduction of Ursa and Non into the Superman comics; and while there've been OTHER Zods for Superman to face over the the past 20 years, let's be honest, none of them can ever hold a candle to the Terence Stamp portrayal of the character, something that Johns and Kubert wisely acknowledged in crafting this version of the General. Zod as portrayed here is a great extension of the movie incarnation of the character: total ice and inhumanity towards the Earthlings, bent on the conquest of this lesser world and willing to discard those who've served their purpose to him - including his own son; a moment where he actually threatens to kill Chris with his bare hands to show his intentions, coupled by the boy's pleas to his own mother being completely unacknowledged by her is one of the book's more powerful moments.
Of course, Luthor and the rest of the Rogues' Gallery featured kind of get backseated as a result, but they do have their shining moments in the story - Luthor himself gets a chance to express his contempt for Superman's self-appointed "last son" status in the wake of the Phantom Zone invasion, and even as he helps fend off the intruders he's waiting for the right moment to cast a fatal blow at the son of Jor-El.
Pretty much the entire traditional Superman supporting cast gets a moment here: Ma and Pa Kent, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, even the holographic Jor-El from the movies. The Revenge Squad also gets some pretty funny moments during the climactic final battle in downtown Metropolis, in particular a great scene between Metallo and Parasite akin to a typical schoolyard gross-out contest.
Much of the emotional core of the story centers, as they often do in Superman stories, around Clark and Lois, this time dealing with the new addition to their family. Although Lois isn't quite ready for the prospect of raising a kid, when Chris's life is endangered by his own parents she is prepared to do what is necessary to protect him; it's doubtful that even motherhood would be any cause for Lois Lane to break out of character, and "Last Son" does an adept job of showcasing that aspect of her. Likewise, the weight of responsibility is evident on Clark's shoulders, and Kubert's art does a pretty decent job of capturing that. In spite of the mystery surrounding the boy's origins for the first half of the story, Superman takes his obligations to Chris very seriously. In fact, there's something about the Clark and Lois angle of this whole parenting thing that just works a lot better here than it did in "Superman Returns", probably owing to the fact that the characters are married in the comics.
Also faring better than his "Superman Returns" counterpart is the character of Chris Kent, who comes off here more like an actual kid instead of the poor, misguided MacGuffin of the story that little Jason White turned out to be in "Superman Returns"; with typical youthful subversiveness, Chris even actively defies his own true father, his would-be foster dad's courage rubbing off on him and inciting Superman's rage when Zod's abuse of the boy reaches its zenith.

If there's any evident weaknesses in "Last Son" that I can see, there are two: the first being its muddied place in comics continuity. All the little movie nods notwithstanding (because that really is not as big an issue as the purists oft make it out to be), the final outcome of the story seems to be in a bit of contradiction with the established course of events in the current raft of DC titles. Granted, I can only ever read a title at a time, so I can't comment too much myself on the current strand of goings-on in the DC Universe, but I do know that there are certain incongruities that just don't jibe with at least the final chapter of the story.
The other readily-apparent weakness of "Last Son" is that, in its simplest form, it IS essentially a rehash of "Superman II" with dabs of "Superman Returns" mixed in. Kal-El again has an internal struggle brought to the fore: here it is whether or not he can ever actually balance the responsibility of fatherhood with the Never-Ending Battle; this isn't really touched on as thorougly as the former dilemma is, but you get a sense that it's there, especially in the early part of the story. Once again, as in "Superman II", General Zod takes certain stage as the villain, with Superman's other present foes reduced basically to comic relief, although this time the more sinister and scheming print version of Luthor remains largely intact, and the others aren't really all that far out of character, either (let's face it: Metallo and Parasite have always been little more than super-powered thugs, and Bizarro is...well...Bizarro).

However, for the most part, "Last Son" IS a very well-executed juggling of the highs of the Superman film franchise with the more appealing action and trappings of the comic-book mythos, and by that nature is about the closest we're ever gonna get to seeing Richard Donner's Superman III.

Last Son, the much hyped and maligned Superman storyarc from the team of Geoff Johns (arguably the best superhero writer today) and Richard Donner (director of the original Superman film), is a spectacular achievement that displays what might have been with future Superman film installments had Donner not been fired from the set of Superman II. What happens when Supes finds a young Kryptonian boy? He decides that he and Lois should raise him properly, even naming the boy Christopher Kent (in a tasteful ode to Christopher Reeve) in the process, but their new found familial happiness sadly doesn't last long. Soon enough, Kryptonian criminals General Zod, Ursa, and Non are free from the Phantom Zone and wreaking havoc on Metropolis. Brawls are engaged, uneasy alliances are formed, and plenty of nods, winks, and odes are given to Superman mythology and lore. While Last Son as a whole doesn't quite fit into the Superman continuity as of late, there's still something about it that makes it a wonderful read regardless. Adam Kubert's pencil work is great as well, and the 3-D Phantom Zone segment is something that needs to be seen to be believed. All in all, other than Grant Morrison's brilliant, quintessential run on All-Star Superman, Superman: Last Son is one of the best modern Superman stories you are likely to read. It was worth the delays and aggravation, and above all, is worth every second of your time.

Superman Last Son is a surprisingly rollicking good romp of superhero goodness and a pretty fun and memorable superman story to boot. And believe me, in the long publishing career of this character, there are surprisingly (that word again) few excellent, memorable comic epics involving the Man of Steel, making Last Son all the more special. Although not a perfect collection, (I'll get to that in a bit), this story is definitely worth owning if you're a) a Superman fan; b) a Superman the Movie or Richard Donner fan; c) looking to read a cool superhero story; d) you like collected comic multi-part epics where something meaningful happens in every single issue. If any or more of that list above is you, you should buy this collection.

Others have covered the plot of the story, so I won't go into too much of it here, but I wanted to focus on the aspects of storytelling and art that made this volume worthwhile for me. Story-wise, three things really jumped out at me. First, the plot. No pages are wasted here and no decompressed storytelling is apparent in any of these chapters. The story moves along at a brisk clip, has some surprising turns, (even Superman does some interesting things when he discovers Chris missing), and is most importantly, full of action! What's more, it's neatly and fully wrapped up at the end, which is rare in the modern comic industry. Second, the villains make the hero. Last Son involves Zod, and Johns and Donner are smart enough to recall the most impressive version of the character, namely the one created by Terrence Stamp, and in this volume, the character, together with his compatriots, Ursa and Non, form a perfect triumvirate of menace and destruction. Three, all the other characters, including Lois Lane, the supporting cast, and especially Superman, are well handled, three dimensional, and resonate with you as a reader. One sequence in particular which really epitomizes why Johns' and Donner's understanding of the characters, helps to make better, more compelling storytelling, is the Phantom Zone sequence involving Superman and Mon-el. In a heartbreaking scene in which Mon-el risks his life to save Superman, (who in some ways, has saved and condemned Mon-el all at once,) Superman must hurry to push Mon-el back into the Zone to ensure he doesn't die. Reflecting on Mon-el's fate and his own responsibility for Mon-el's misery in the zone, Superman can only say, "I'm sorry." The pain on his face is admirably captured by Kubert and the moment nicely encapsulates Superman's humanity and the tragedy of the situation the characters face.

It's surprising in reading some of the other reviews, how little fuss gets made of Adam Kubert's art in this series. I can try to imagine why. Although a veteran in the comics industry now, Adam Kubert always struck me in the earlier days of his career as the "more talented" of the Kubert brothers. At the start of his career, he appeared to have a better, stronger command of anatomy, seemed a stronger, clearer storyteller than Andy, his brother, and employed an art style that was slightly less exaggerated, and perhaps also less obviously influenced by the flavor of the times, particularly when both he and his brother were just coming into their own at Marvel in the early 90s. Of late though, his art style has become more expressive, more stylistic and loose than his previous work, while Andy's has remained consistent in style, but is now consistently stronger in all those other areas (anatomy and storytelling) where Adam seemed more comfortable.

The result of the evolution of Adam Kubert's art is a slightly exaggerated, more relaxed, and only occasionally cartoonish approach to Superman Last Son , but which nevertheless is highly detailed, visually dynamic and extremely accomplished in its staging. In fact, it's clear that Adam Kubert's very in control of his craft here, and is making very deliberate decisions about how he wants to present this story. It's also clear that he's been reading or spending quite a lot of time studying European graphic novels, whose approach to storytelling is visually more open and cinematic than North American pencillers generally tend to be. For instance, across the same two pages, he uses a combination of large, double page panels that emphasize the importance of the moment the writers are going for, with much smaller, very tight panels usually focused on a character or close-up, to evoke intensity. Alternatively, Kubert uses a full two pages with panel grids that go across both pages. In one funny sequence involving a conversation between a physically imposing Superman and fairly average, human, Lex Luther, the reader gets to enjoy the full range of both characters' reactions to each other. It's a conversation that is key to Luthor's character, who isn't the least bit intimidated by the Man of Steel, and Superman's reactions to the villain flow from indignant, defiant, to downright sympathetic (to Luthor's point of view) at times. As a reader, you could get the gist of the conversation even without the words.

All his choices work superbly in this volume, so that the story reads with a scope that is reminiscent of a summer blockbuster in the best sense. As someone else said, it's like the pages are a really good, very polished storyboard for a movie of the graphic novel. Although my ideal would be for the tighter, more conservative Adam Kubert anatomy of his early career, to be fused with his present cinematic approach to page layout, I still think readers will be delighted by the different feel and scope of the art in this volume. It's just a pity Kubert wasn't disciplined enough to get the art out in a more timely fashion, or to have stuck around on Superman for a little longer. To be sure, part of the negativity initially associated with this story is related to the delays he caused to finishing it, and so that may explain why some are reluctant to give him the kudos he deserves. It's an all round pity, because he could have had a more lasting influence if he stuck around, but his brief work here is memorable nonetheless.

My only complaint about this volume is the very silly, ill-advised gimmick on DC's part of including the 3D glasses as a cut out in the middle of the volume, and worst, actually having the part of the story taking place in the Zone rendered in a fuzzy, "3D" ready way. As it turns out, if you don't want to use the glasses, the art in a 5th of the book is basically indecipherable to you. This kind of gimmick is completely stupid. I can maybe understand offering a "3D" version of the story as a single issue when it originally came out, but surely DC should offer readers the option to buy a non "gimmicked" version and to see the regular art if they wanted. "3D" glasses in a hardcover edition makes no sense, and suggests to me this volume is for kids. I've therefore deducted one star for a boneheaded decision by DC.

Overall though, I think everyone who reads this volume will come away happy. Coupled with the dynamic, creative and cinematic art, the characters in the story seem like the versions most people know and remember, even if they aren't regular readers of the Man of Steel's adventures. And all elements of a strong, clear, brisk plot, a great trio of villains, and heroes who are likeable and lovingly handled, make for a great time reading.

Well, first of all, I tend to purchase these series in the collector hardback (or paperback)version, so I will review this item alone without consideration to how it stands with other comic storylines. Although I may venture into comparing it (since it is from Richard Donner) to Superman and Superman II, and possibly Superman Returns.

The artwork in graphic novels draws me in, and this book proved no exception. The colors recapture the "Superman feel," and the panels remind me of a movie storyboard. Donner and Johns get back to the Superman of the first two movies, and I know I'm not the first to suggest that this felt like a Superman III.

Elements of the Superman mythology such as the Phantom Zone, Jor-El, Mon-El, and even Kryptonian history are given a tweaking and reintroduced in ways that renew one's interest in the original cinematic storylines. You should go see the Donner version of Superman II to understand more of what goes on in these books and of the personalities given to the main three Phantom Zone criminals.

I didn't like Superman Returns, and felt that the "Superkid" storyline should have been left out altogether. This book gives to me a more plausible version of how there could be a Superkid, and of how he could fit into Superman's universe. I thought that the Superkid idea could have worked in Superman Returns based on the Donner version of Superman II, but the version people saw in the theaters had Superman sleeping with Lois AFTER his powers were removed, thus causing (to me, anyway) some confusion as to how she could've had a child with powers.

All in all, a terrific read that stands out, too, for an interesting chapter to be viewed with the included 3D glasses. I wish Richard Donner had made more good Superman movies, but at least he graced us with another good story about the Man of Steel. Enjoy!

Don't get me wrong, this is a great story, but a better edition is now available. For a similar price you can get this story and the Geoff Johns 'Brainiac' story in a collection titled 'Superman: Last Son of Krypton. That is actually the edition I thought I was getting(the covers are almost identical). This edition just contains the 'Last Son' story, but does include the 3-D glasses that add depth to Phantom Zone panels. The 3-D aspect is interesting, but if you opt for a different edition that doesn't contain the feature, you really wont be missing much, Happy reading!

This is a very solid book. Very enjoyable, with very few problems. I am visually inspired, so my strongest comments are mostly visually based. The story is average, and seems to be a bit oddly paced. I never like when the resolution just pops up but it kind of does. I would have liked to see Zod, Ursa and Non in their Donner movie black leather suits, not the loose prison suits they appear in, in this story. Luthors inclusion doesn't have any impact, and neither does the Justice League. Maybe they tried to pack this story full, but all these elements arent as interesting as Zod, period. Not having them in there would have been fine to me. In fact, they congest it a bit. I mostly enjoyed Kuberts Superman, and his efforts to expand as an artist. This is obvious and it really shows. There are several "money shot" panels that are AWESOME! The additional featured artwork is great, and added to the book. The 3D Phantom Zone segment is creative but not that big a deal to me. An Intro by Donners 'Superman' movie, Jimmy Olsen (Marc Mcclure) adds to the validity of this book as a project by people who love The Man of Steel, this is NEVER in question. If anyone wants this book to see where Donner might have taken a trilogy, you'll be very happy. I wanted this book for a long time, and I'm VERY glad to finally own it. Worth the UNBEATABLE Amazon price.

Like others have said this book is what Superman Returns should have been. Fun, action packed, and totally exciting. I'm not going to give a huge plot summary since other reviewers have it covered. I'm just going to say this is a very enjoyable read. The story suffered from over-hype syndrome, though. This was supposed to be some awesomely magnificent storyline, but due to delays and the overall dissatisfaction with the Superbaby from Superman Returns this storyline was criticized by fans. But none of that matters in trade form. So you'll have no reason not to enjoy this book.

I bought this comic under the impression I was purchasing a valid story telling platform, an art form. What I got was more like a novelty baby's toy. Complete with cardboard three D cut out glasses smack dab in the middle of the novel. When you try to remove this distraction it ends up gutting the entire comic. Thus you are stuck with the embarrassing cut out three D glasses. I can just imagine how proud they were of themselves when they thought this up at DC, which is why marvel is ten times better. Stay away from this unless you want to where the three d - goggles.

and yes i am talkin about superman the last son harcover issue. i had it and trashed it becuase of the damned glasses! a cute toy though.

"Last Son" tells the story of a boy from space who crash lands on Earth and is taken under Superman's wing. The tale is moving and exciting, funny and sad, and the artwork is excellent. Recommended for Superman fans.

I was very excited upon learning that Richard Donner had written a Superman tale. Many in my generation recognize Donner's Superman as the definging Superman. So much so, Bryan Singer retold the movie and called it Superman Returns.

This was an excellent tale that re-introduced our three favorite Kryptonian criminals: General Zod, Ursa and Non from Superman II. It also introduces Christopher Kent (named as a tribute to the late Christopher Reeve) as a child whose rocket crash lands in Metropolis and turns out to be from Krypton. Superman feels a fatherly bond with this child and decides that as a fellow Kryptonian, it is his responsibility to raise this child.

As the story unfolds, we learn Christopher's true origin and his place in Zod's nefarious scheme to re-create Krypton. We also see that while Superman may not be this child's true father, Christopher Kent has learned more from the Man of Steel than his true father. While ultimately a Superman adventure, you get a glimpse into the personal wants and desires of the Man of Steel.