Superman For All Seasons tells of a shy, unconfident Superman instead of the typical all-American Boy Scout that pervades the understanding of the most famous superhero. Each chapter is a season, starting with Spring and ending in Winter. The first three are fairly average, there’s nothing too special here, but the art is fine and the coloring is unique.

The fourth chapter is where this book shines. Superman, alias Clark Kent, may be the most powerful being on earth, but he’s without confidence. He can’t save everyone, and that depresses him. It’s not just depression, but a sense of being lost in the responsibility of the world that I share with this fictional hero. We never hear the thoughts of Clark in this comic, but we see what his friends and family think about him. The final chapter is told in the voice of Lana, Clark’s childhood sweetheart. She slowly realizes that he can’t love her not because of her, but because Superman has to love everyone. He can’t belong to her. His powers, unasked for, give him a greater responsibility: Superman belongs to the world. ( )

This is the first Superman graphic novel I've read that really delves into his life in Smallville, as a result, it feels distinct, cozy and emotional, moreso than most Superman stories.

I wasn't a fan of the artstyle at first, it's nowhere near as flashy or detailed as Red Son or Kingdom Come, but it ties in so well with the story that it works perfectly. Less is more, and every panel and piece of dialogue feels meaningful.

It's very fresh, despite being an "origin" story, which I'm usually bored of at this point. I like there isn't really a big bad in this one, and Clark seems more like a young man would - capable, but hesitant and confused about his direction in life. Very poignant. Excellent Superman story. ( )

I borrowed this one from my local public library.

See my brief note on the book:

[http://gypsylibrarian.blogspot.com/2006/12/short-notes-on-graphic-novels-8.html] ( )

"We can be grateful for the seasons, no matter how cruel or harsh they seem. For it is only through their passage that we can truly appreciate the future." -page 196-197

I am very new to superhero comics. To be honest, I always dismissed them as beneath my intellectual standards, something for teenagers and stunted adults who live in their parent's basement. How wrong I was!

Here is a really wonderful story that is as much about the moods and dilemmas which come with the passage from adolescence to adulthood as it is about the idealism and philosophical underpinnings of the man of steel. I couldn't believe the sophistication of some of the scenes in this novel. Although I have seen the films, I loved this portrayal of Lex Luthor, less egotistical mad scientist, more capitalist power monger.

I really can't recommend this novel enough to anyone. ( )

"We can be grateful for the seasons, no matter how cruel or harsh they seem. For it is only through their passage that we can truly appreciate the future." -page 196-197

I am very new to superhero comics. To be honest, I always dismissed them as beneath my intellectual standards, something for teenagers and stunted adults who live in their parent's basement. How wrong I was!

Here is a really wonderful story that is as much about the moods and dilemmas which come with the passage from adolescence to adulthood as it is about the idealism and philosophical underpinnings of the man of steel. I couldn't believe the sophistication of some of the scenes in this novel. Although I have seen the films, I loved this portrayal of Lex Luthor, less egotistical mad scientist, more capitalist power monger.

I really can't recommend this novel enough to anyone. ( )