Customer Reviews
The Best Stand Alone Superman Graphic Novel for Ages - read on to find out why! - By: Mr. S. W. Steel, 08 Oct 2008 
This is a graphic novel that has kind of slipped underneath the radar; I have seen it advertised but have always had other purchases to make. And now i regret that i left it so long!
The main selling point of this graphic novel is the fact that Richard Donner is one of the writers on this project, & he is the director of the original Superman: The Movie - the man who got the Man of Steel so spot on for the silver screen. For those of you who haven't seen Superman II : The Donner Cut, you really need to buy it this very minute & watch it. His cut of the film that he was never allowed to finish is utterly awesome, despite the fact that he has had to editin unfinished scenes, & even screen testsin to it! Why am i prattling on about Richard Donner's films when i am supposed to be reviewing this graphic novel. Well, that it is simple ; this man captures everything 'Superman' perfectly. His storylines, his humour, the way Superman & Clark Kent were portrayed & of course, choosing the unknown Christopher Reeve to play the lead role are all proof that he understands the mythos of Superman, his placein the world, his origins etc.....
And so onto the graphic novel. This is a story that deals with another last son of Krypton - a Kryptonian survivor who arrivesin Metropolis when Superman is the great hero of the city. There is only one problem, he has been followed from the Phantom Zone by General Zod, Ursa & Non. What follows is mayhemin Metropolisin which Lex Luthor is enlisted to help rid the Kryptonian criminals from the world.
That is a really brief summary of the plot, & i don't want to spoil all the hidden revelations, surprises & twists but considering this is a one volume story, there is lots packed into it!Some of the more recent graphic novels have been part of a series & they have lost their punch & impact for it. The Last Son does not suffer from this at all. It has a great idea for a storyline & really runs with it & produces all the nice touches from the original & best Superman film. It's all here for you - Jor-El, the Fortress of Solitude, the Phantom Zone, funny interplay with Perry White & Jimmy, a tough but caring Lois Lane (with more drive akin to the Margot Kidder incarnation than the Kate Bosworth portrayalin Superman Returns), a nice scene with Jonathan & Martha Kent etc... The pace is pretty hectic, & you can tell it has been edited well to keep you interested, but more important than that; wanting more!
The big thing for me is that Superman is just like the Reeve version of the Man of Steel. It is very much paying homage to Reeve - the Kryptonian boy even gets called Christopher Kent, which is a really nice touch.
As you can tell, i loved this from the very start to the very end & i can really imagine this being made as a film & with there being talk of a Superman reboot at Warner Brothersin Hollywood, they could do a lot worse than looking at this graphic novel. But, maybe the solution to the silver screen dilemma could be solved by giving Richard Donner the chance to be the director again. Think about it - he is the only director to have a classic Superman film that everyone recognises from the opening credits, & music, the best Superman (Christopher Reeve), the famous helicopter rescue & so much more!
This graphic novel perfectly catches the spirit of the first Richard Donner Superman film & really surprised me by how much i loved it. With a nice introduction by Marc McLure (the Jimmy Olsen from the Reeve films) this graphic novel is a perfect addition to a collection for any fan of the films, & Superman, the comic book character.
Buy this as soon as you can & you really won't regret it! Utterly brilliant!
