Superman: Man of Tomorrow
Superman: Man of Tomorrow was released in 2020. It was meant to be the first DC animated movie that would start off a new batch of movies since Justice League: Apokalips War was the end of that run of the DCAMU. By the way, I still haven’t seen Apokalips War, and from what I’ve seen, I kinda don’t want to. Man of Tomorrow is another origin story that shows Superman in his early days in Metropolis. As he’s trying to figure out to protect the world, an alien named Lobo shows up on the scene and wrecks some havoc. Through this, a STAR Labs employee, Rudy Jones, is transformed into the Parasite. Also, Superman’s being followed by a mysterious alien named J’onn J’onnz.
I thought that this was a pretty good watch. While it does take bits and pieces of origin stories like American Alien, Earth One, and Smallville, it is its own take on Superman. It was cool to see Superman interact with the Martian Manhunter, and somehow, this story makes me like Lobo for a little bit. I also liked what they did with the Parasite. He’s one of Superman’s cooler villains, so seeing him get the spotlight was good. Of course, everything involving the Daily Planet and Lex Luthor (voiced by Zachary Quinto?) was good. The voice acting overall was also pretty good.
The animation took a while to get used to though. It’s not
bad, and the action does carry some weight, but it’s a little weird at points. I’ve
noticed this with the other movies like Long Halloween and that JSA movie. Metropolis
looked pretty cool and futuristic though. Also, Superman’s updated suit looked
good. I wasn’t a big fan of Parasite’s final form. I guess it makes sense
because his origin involved aliens, but dude was looking too much like a Xenomorph
to me. It does drag a little bit in some places, but it’s not that bad.
Overall, if you’re looking for another Superman origin, this one’s nice.
Superman for All Seasons
If you’re wondering, yes, this is a recent read. While I’ve
perused the story over the years, I’ve never sat down to read it until now. This
4 issue mini, released in 1998, was written by Jeph Loeb and drawn by the late
Tim Sale. It show’s Superman’s early years, which became a theme for this post.
It shows Clark’s life before he left Smallville
and his early time as Superman in Metropolis. We get to see what made Clark don
the suit and go save the world. Each issue is also narrated by the people most
important to Clark.
This story was pretty dang good. While Loeb gets some hate
for stuff these days, dude could write some good DC books. I also see yet
another inspiration for the show, Smallville, here. The story does a good job
of showing Clark grow into one of the greatest heroes. We also see that it’s
not a smooth ride since Superman ends up going through some tough times later
in the story. Loeb throws a lot of detail into Smallville with some of the
better moments of the book coming from there. Each issue uses the seasons to
get a point across and it works really well.
The artwork is awesome. Sale brought his A-game to the book.
He might not have been everyone’s choice
to draw Superman, but he works. He draws Superman as a powerhouse, but a kind
one. He’s a beefy boy, but that happens when you live on a farm. What action we
get is handled pretty well. While Superman doing his thing is a treat here, the
simple, quiet moments also shine here. The double page spreads are a treat.
Overall, this is one of the best stories out there.
…………………………………….
“Well”, as I say in a pretty preachy manner like I’m gonna
bring the gospel, I gotta go. These are two good stories that handle the character
really well. Check them out if you haven’t. You can go to HBO Max (for now,
that whole WB/Discovery fiasco is horrible) for Man of Tomorrow, and you can
find For All Seasons just about anywhere. I’ve gotta get ready for
the wedding. For now, Peace, God Bless, and be careful out there.