Defender
Last Son of Krypton
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Posts: 234
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« Reply #13 on: December 26, 2005, 09:40:29 PM » |
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Yeesh, ask an easy question next time. . .
My favorite Superman-themed Elseworlds, in no particular order:
Superman: Speeding Bullets. What would've happened if the rocket containing baby Kal-El had landed not in Smallville, Kansas but on the outskirts of Gotham City, and that kindly couple that raised him had been not the Kents, but the Waynes? Scary stuff, that's what. The ending may be a bit of a cop-out, but the story itself is at once fascinating and frightening.
Superman & Batman: Generations. What would've happened if Superman and Batman had debuted in the late 1930s, and existed in 'real time', living through the intervening years to the present, dealing with growing older, passing the torch to their descendants and the kind of world the DCU would have been if it existed in chronological continuity. Fascinating stuff, and a great story besides.
JLA: Age of Wonder. Admittedly not -entirely- about the boy with the red 'S' on his chest, this tale of Superman and the JLA making their debut in the 1900s and striving to make the world a better place through Edwardian science makes for a fun read. Superman is a moral exemplar here that serves to bind his friends together in a common desire to use their abilities--physical and mental--to better the world around them. Awesome stuff.
It's A Bird. . . Not really an elseworlds story, but more an semi-autobiographical piece by Steven S. Seagle about his assignment to the Superman titles and how he deals with that, his family life, and the impact of Superman as a cultural icon. Very compelling stuff.
Superman: Red Son. Superman's rocket lands in the heart of Soviet Russia and he is raised to fight a neverending battle for truth, justice, and the warsaw pact. Easily one of the best Superman stories bar none, regardless of continuity, with the single best ending I've ever read. It'll make you smile if you're a fan, and wonder why it never occured to you before.
Superman: Birthright. Not really an elseworlds per se, but a fun revision of Superman's origin for the 21st century. The artwork of Krypton is stunning, and Mark Waid's writing is so enthusiastic it crackles off the page. You may not be able to go back to the silver age, but this weds the classic Superman mythos to a modern context and it holds together surprisingly well.
-Def.
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