4 out of 5

This is handsome, slim collection of 3 pretty great Superman tales (1 2-parter, so 4 issues collected) that didn’t have to be written by Alan Moore – meaning this isn’t Moore in deconstructionist mode but rather in comic pop mode, evidence of his love for the medium being the only reason he’s been capable of picking it apart in places – but if Moore’s name make this credible for non-hero-book readers to take a gander, then so be it.  But by the same token, taking a step back from The Presence of Moore and reading these tales for what they are, the two part titular story certainly has its place in history and is an excellently framed tribute to Mr. Blue and Red, but it may not be the best Superman story ever outside of its context, especially when compared against the collection’s closer, ‘For the Man Who Has Everything.’

Let’s give a little lip service to the collection itself.  While this is a pricey collection for no extras (save a reprint of a foreword from a previous edition, creator bios and one Gibbons pin-up) at $14.99, I wish trades had gone in this slimmer direction.  Omnibus’ and big ass library editions and your tried and true 6-issue-arc TPB are all nice for different reasons, but there’s something about these slimmer prestige style books that make them easier to dig into.  Perhaps its the sense of it being ‘complete’ and yet portable that makes it more desirable to crack the cover than a made-for-trade volume 1 of something, I don’t know.  But I also think this is less intimidating to a new reader, which is always a plus in my eyes; anything that can push people beyond the standard acceptable comic fare and into hero books is a good thing.  The color reproductions on this were pretty damned gorgeous too, though the pages are magazine-thin (and without the glossier anti-rip feel of some of the big two’s major books), and you get a great Bolland cover that’s ‘after’ one of the interior ones.  The foreword is actually a good read, giving some history on why this story was important and why the people involved mattered, and the creator bios in the back are cool ’cause they give lip service to everyone involved, equal amounts of space.

On to the stories.

The two part ‘Whatever Happened to…‘  The Final Crisis-required ‘end’ of Superman, with Moore rather viciously deconstructing Supes then-present (y’know, the norm: kills his friends, makes him commit – in Superman’s mind – the ultimate sin) while framing it all in this kind of classic, Silver Age tone that makes the whole thing feel, appropriately, like a tribute to the character instead of any kind of huge statement.  It has some flaws, especially compressed down to only two issues, but it’s also extremely enjoyable, and helps to remind us that there’s a part of Alan that likes comic books after all, even if he feels the need to slaughter the more extraneous parts of them.

‘The Jungle Line’ is my least favorite story here, and not really a notable one.  Rich Veitch’s art looks amazing for a couple pages, but then Al Williamson’s hand must’ve gotten tired, ’cause every other page has a rushed look to it thereafter, which doesn’t blend well with Veitch’s looser figures.  And really, this just feels like a reason for Alan to get Swamp Thing in the mix; otherwise, the story itself – Supes gets infected with mold from Krypton – feels average, and maybe is only a cute inclusion because of how it ties into both the ‘death’ element of story one and the plant element of…

‘For the Man Who Has Everything.‘  Definitely one of my favorite Superman stories, and perhaps a top ten single issue big hero book.  It’s Superman’s birthday, and when Batman and Wonder Woman stop by the fortress with their gifts, they find something affixed to Superman’s chest which has him transfixed… and flashes into the mind of Kal-El show us that he’s trapped in a dream, where Krypton never exploded… where he’s married, with two children…  But is this ‘everything’ he ever wanted?  This is a smart little compact bit on so many levels, but most awesome is how Robin works into it.  Easily scripted as a cast-off extra based on the first few pages, he steals the show later on.  Gibbons’ art is perfect, and I’m noticing lettering more often… which he did for the issue and which is superb.

1 great tale, 1 important and fun tale, and 1 not-bad-but-so-so, bound in a great looking, slim-but-expensive package, explained in a many hyphenated review.