Welcome to Earth One!

[hippie_hunter]

Uh, how was it not environmental neglect? Their planet was dying, and they ignored it on any big scale until it was too late. And when is Earth's culture as a whole been deep into environmental neglect? Maybe the scientific community, but as a whole, only partially. Many parts of Europe are, but places like North America, China, and other Asian countries are lacking in that area pretty significantly (some are improving, sure, but there's still much to be desired).

Human history has been plagued with environmental neglect through overhunting species to the point of extinction, destroying forests for farm land, dumping waste, etc. Even today when we are aware of it, we still treat the Earth like crap.

Ignoring the imminent destruction of Krypton isn't environmental neglect. It's more along the lines of "HOW THE **** DO YOU MISS THAT!!!" It takes centuries if not millenia of build up to do something like that, plenty of time for a society as advanced as Krypton's to at least notice it.

And, yeah, like I said, there is a degree of exaggeration, but that's the nature of the genre. Do you have a problem with Reed Richards inventing things in crazy speeds? Because, honestly, it's basically the same thing in a different context.

I don't have a problem with exaggeration. It's why I don't have a problem with the story of Krypton blowing up and her leaders were arrogant to ignore Jor-El's warnings. I just simply thought that JMS brought up a rather good point and I thought he did a rather good update in a continuity that is completely separate from New Earth DC, in which Krypton should forever blow up naturally in that continuity.

I just don't get the complaints of JMS bringing a modern context to the destruction of Krypton. It's not affecting New Earth and regular Superman. And it fits within the context of the world that DC is creating with the Earth One line.

 

[Kurosawa]

Human history has been plagued with environmental neglect through overhunting species to the point of extinction, destroying forests for farm land, dumping waste, etc. Even today when we are aware of it, we still treat the Earth like crap.

Ignoring the imminent destruction of Krypton isn't environmental neglect. It's more along the lines of "HOW THE **** DO YOU MISS THAT!!!" It takes centuries if not millenia of build up to do something like that, plenty of time for a society as advanced as Krypton's to at least notice it.


I don't have a problem with exaggeration. It's why I don't have a problem with the story of Krypton blowing up and her leaders were arrogant to ignore Jor-El's warnings. I just simply thought that JMS brought up a rather good point and I thought he did a rather good update in a continuity that is completely separate from New Earth DC, in which Krypton should forever blow up naturally in that continuity.

I just don't get the complaints of JMS bringing a modern context to the destruction of Krypton. It's not affecting New Earth and regular Superman. And it fits within the context of the world that DC is creating with the Earth One line.

I don't have an issue with it because it's a new idea, I have an issue with it because it's a bad idea. Some of the different ideas-them finding the rocket on a hike-were okay and the government investigating the crash was fine as well. I was also okay with the different version of Jimmy although I found it a little predictable. I was hoping they would get away from the Kents being farmers, but they busted out the overalls and the wisdom lectures from Jonathan as usual.

 

[HighFivingMF]

Finally hopped into it keeping in mind it's a completely different entity from Superman altogether and enjoyed the Hell out of it. I'll also admit that I got chills when he finally suited up.

 

[PreK]

Man, I had high hopes for this. I really did. And I'm usually pretty optimistic about stuff like this, no matter how contrived or stupid it sounds.

I'm probably one of the few people that'll admit this, but I highly enjoyed most of the Ultimate Marvel imprint. Infact, I still consider the first arc of Ultimate Spider-Man to be one of the best retellings of a superhero origin ever done. And with JMS on the book, I was doubly excited, having been a fan of Supreme Power and knowing how big of a fan he was of Superman. It finally seemed like DC was going to really do something that equaled the quality of those first few Ultimate Marvel arcs.

Unfortunately, that isn't the case here. Superman: Earth One is about as redundant and preachy as you can get with a superhero comic. Ignoring the fact that Superman's origin has been redone twice in the last decade - a problem of which didn't really bother me, other than the fact that DC seemed hellbent on kicking the epic "Birthright" story to the curb - JMS really doesn't do much with the concept of a newer, modern day Superman. It's the same character with a sprinkle of hesitance. Like it could be the Superman we already know, but withheld from his traditional nobility, and not in an interesting way. Instead of coming off as a different iteration, JMS just kind of makes Superman into a guy who twiddles his thumbs until the very last second that Earth could be in grave peril, then becomes kind of a shell of who he's associated to being.

The supporting cast is kind of underwhelming too, save for Jimmy Olsen, who was probably the best written character in the book. Lois Lane is her same ole' self and nothing more... maybe even a little less. Same for Perry White and the Kents, apart from the fact that Jonathan seems to try and part wisdom with every breath he freaking takes. It's almost worthy of parody. Like an Uncle Ben archetype on steroids. And I'm not even going to get into the villain. The guy should be the poster child for how not to do a Superman villain - he steals elements from Zod and Brainiac and simultaneously disgraces them with his need to tout cliche after cliche.

The dialogue is atrocious at times, and cheesy in others. There's too much of it, and above all, there are too many lines that are just "on the nose". Almost to a laughable degree. Literally, I was reading a specific scene during the final battle and thinking of ways to parody it. "Go forth and fly, Clark. Don that big red and blue and yellow outfit that's been hanging over you like a cloud for the whole of your life. Press that metaphorical diamond shaped S against your chest and show the world how much of a SUPER young MAN you are."

Ugh.

Shane Davis' art is the only reason to really give this a look. Beyond that, color me worried for how they're gonna handle Batman.

Gotta agree with every single word of this review. I was highly anticipating the first release of the Earth: One line because of the potentially new heights a new universe creates. No bogged down continuity, no preconceived notions, just an unabashed beginning.

This story simply did not do enough to jumpstart, or even necessitate an entirely new universe. I closed the book and instantly was reminded of how much better Birthright was. That was a true reboot of the character, albeit one that was still very rooted with the classical mythos.

For such a lengthy book it felt oddly rushed. The last two-thirds was one big action sequence with tons of exposition and inner monologue. What should have came off as an epic and wide-spanning story felt like a spliced scene from an alien invasion flick. Groan-inducing and hackneyed dialog included.

There were some good points. I was totally into the book in the beginning. Clark's soul-searching journey was great, up until the moment he found his calling, ironically. I loved that he could have been anything, he could have been an important figure in the world without ever revealing his powers, how this world was his oyster. I loved the Daily Planet being on the brink of collapse in the modern tech world. I loved the new and improved Jimmy Olsen (finally a real photographer). I loved how the citizens (particularly Lois and Jim) inspired Supes to become their savior.

JMS had some great ideas here. But the ones that were great never really got to be fleshed out. Lois was severely under-utilized. Tyrell was your substandard villain cardboard-cutout from every corny sci-fi story. Clark's characterization was ok, but did nothing to really break out from the tough stigma he's had of being a pretty boring character.

I'll check out the sequel(s) if only because I'm curious as to how the universe will be expanded. Particularly with Supes and the supporting cast, now that the 'introduction' is done with. But I can't say I'm excited about this line anymore.

Fingers crossed I enjoy Johns' new Batman take much more.

P.S. Did DC ever explain why they trashed Birthright like an unwanted step-child? Now more than ever it's bugging me that such a great story is outright ignored. That book should have been the start of DCs "Ultimate" line.

 

[Kurosawa]

Shoehorning it into their regular continuity Hawkworld-style is the main reason I suppose. Plus it returned a lot of good Silver/Bronze Age elements that they never should have gotten rid of in the first place, and Secret Origin did the same thing. Waid's departure and Johns's ego probably also played a part.

We've actually already had a Ultimate version of Superman-it was called Man of Steel. That was the radically different version from what came before.

And God, yes, is JMS ever preachy with Superman.

 

[Saint]

Shoehorning it into their regular continuity Hawkworld-style is the main reason I suppose. Plus it returned a lot of good Silver/Bronze Age elements that they never should have gotten rid of in the first place, and Secret Origin did the same thing. Waid's departure and Johns's ego probably also played a part.

Maybe; Birthright was scuttled during Infinite Crisis, but I don't know how much of that was an editorial thing and how much of it was a Johns thing.

It's a shame, anyway. Secret Origin just seems unnecessary--it does a lot of the same things as Birthright, but it doesn't do them nearly as well, and it doesn't really introduce any new or improved ideas, so one wonders why it needed to replace Birthright in the first place. It's a fine Superman origin story, but Birthright was better.

I think I may go read it now.

 

[Drz]

I probably would have enjoyed this much more if I hadn't read Birthright, which as far as I'm concerned is the ultimate Superman origin story.

The thing that's notable here is how different JMS writes Earth One Clark from the way he he's writing Superman proper right now. JMS' current run on the latter is actually the first time I've picked up a core Superman title on a regular basis, because he seems to have an inherent understanding of the character that I think challenges even that of Geoff Johns. It's been wonderful.

His Earth One Clark is an entirely different person from the Superman we're familiar with, which is obviously deliberate. It works, with the caveat that there aren't any "Superman moments," where you feel that sense of familiarity--it's not iconic. The core concepts are there, but this is a very different animal, very much an "Ultimate" Superman. The writing itself is solid, which is the norm for JMS. If I had one major criticism, it's that ther aren't enough new ideas here, and the ones that are there aren't emphasized enough.

So much time is spent exploring this new, different Clark's attitude (not that this is a bad thing, of course) that there isn't much time left to explore the few new concepts that distinguish this book. Also, I agree with the poster who said that Jimmy was particularly well written, while Lois sort of fell to the wayside. Also, I really enjoyed the crux moment where they saved Clark from the red sun/gravity well weapon.

All things considered, I'll pick up the next installment.

Interesting to hear. I do wonder when the next copy will be. Will people have to wait a whole year for each volume or perhaps Shane Davis can do it in 6-7 months?

 

[Nave 'Torment']

I second that notion of making Batman Earth-1 a 60s, Adam West-inspired OGN Sounds awesome and very Silver Age. Just don't take the campiness overboard - I still can't believe that the 60s show was a parody of the comics instead of a ******-fest. Hrrm.

 

[bunk]

I liked the Superman story okay, overall. I feel like it could have benefited more if it were more of a departure. It's just too similar to the traditional origin to really validate itself. I don't think it's really fair to compare it to Birthright. The length of Earth One just doesn't really allow for it to accomplish as much. The main thing that disappointed me was that JMS didn't take this opportunity to re-imagine the secret identity of the character. It's probably the biggest sticking point for modern readers/audiences and it wasn't addressed at all. It's the same old thing, Clark puts on his glasses and nobody sees Superman. *yawn*

 

[Saint]

I don't know, it seems like all that can be done with the concept (that is, without reinventing it entirely) has been done already. We've been over the "Here are all the ways Clark hides his identity" routine so many times that I was relieved that JMS didn't bring us through it again.

I suppose something wildly different is something this incarnation was lacking, but I don't know if the identity is where I'd do it. I suppose it depends on the idea.

 

[bunk]

They should try reinventing his secret identity. That's exactly what I'm advocating. JMS injected more of a sci-fi element to the origin and opens the door to Superman having the technology to alter his appearance as Clark, or how other people see him as Clark with what could be relative ease. I'm glad to be able to read regular Superman comics and get the traditional secret identity, but this would have been an opportunity to try something new.

 

[Motown Marvel]

this thread needs a poll for rating the book.

 

[Drz]

This is a general Earth One thread, not simply a Superman one. Perhaps you could make a poll in the Superman subforum or something?

 

[Ultimate_Superman]

Well there was a Superman: Earth One thread here till some people felt the need to close it. Had it stayed open there was going to be a poll for the book.

 

[Tron Bonne]

I don't regret getting that thread closed at all. I don't see any need to have two threads that's essentially going to be discussing the exact same ****. Maybe if this and Batman: Earth One had been closer, but as if, nah.

And, really, what's the point of a poll? It's just going to reflect what we're all saying anyway.

 

[Drz]

Apparently Earth One Supes is selling like hot pancakes. Here's hoping for Wonder Woman Earth One being green lighted. GL getting Earth One treatment will be obvious.

 

[Tron Bonne]

It was pretty much a given to sell well. Big name writer + all new, all cool look + hardcore marketing = big surprise if not fairly successful. It'll take a few years to dry up

 

[Micah12345]

I read it and enjoyed it. My biggest criticism as well is that there aren't enough new ideas, at least not when compared to something like ultimate spider-man. That, and it can get a bit wordy at times, though that can be expected of JMS. I will definitely be picking up the next volume. Love the format, and it's clear these guys put a ton of work into it. I also really love the articles in the back.

 

[Mystirious]

I second that notion of making Batman Earth-1 a 60s, Adam West-inspired OGN Sounds awesome and very Silver Age. Just don't take the campiness overboard - I still can't believe that the 60s show was a parody of the comics instead of a ******-fest. Hrrm.

I think a really camp Adam West inspired Batman graphic novel would be

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Well there was a Superman: Earth One thread here till some people felt the need to close it. Had it stayed open there was going to be a poll for the book.

I can reopen that one, but then I'm going to close this one. The specific thread doesn't really matter, but the people who objected were right: it doesn't make sense to have people talking about the same thing in two different threads. I can also add a poll to this one if you want.

 

[Ultimate_Superman]

I can reopen that one, but then I'm going to close this one. The specific thread doesn't really matter, but the people who objected were right: it doesn't make sense to have people talking about the same thing in two different threads. I can also add a poll to this one if you want.

Don't go to sleep tonight. I'm going to cut you!!!

 

[obin_gam]

The story was OK. Nothing more, nothing less. The art on the other hand - fantastic! Specifically Superman's costume and especially the emblem! The most perfect rendering of the \S/ as of yet imo. The coloring of it was the icing on the cake. The red and golden-yellow makes it a striking thing and whenever it appears on the page my eyes were instantly drawn to it

 

[storyteller]

To me its not that its bad but that i've read the same story before and before and before. Secret Origins just covered all of this. I wish Earth One had started at a later point similar to All Star Superman. Dc has abused Superman's first outing to death. I find it funny how Batman hasn't really gotten much of a change. Sometimes the killer is found and sometimes he isn't but they have never released a secret origins for the Batman. Earth One Batman may be the first full reintroduction of a Batmans origin to first outing in a real long time.

 

[Ipodman]

Apparently this is a big deal... and especially that this is a Gn, so it gonna sell in bookstores that dont order single issue, they gonna have it too

 

[Tron Bonne]

Apparently this is a big deal... and especially that this is a Gn, so it gonna sell in bookstores that dont order single issue, they gonna have it too

I'm not sure what you mean here, most mainstream bookstores like BAM!, Borders, Barnes & Noble order GNs/Trade regularly, and usually have a small section of singles for the bigger name titles.