SUPERMAN ’78
Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back
RELEASED OUT NOW! Publisher DC Comics
Writer Robert Venditti
Artist Wilfredo Torres
Forty-four years on, there still hasn’t been an on-screen version of the Man of Steel that’s equalled Christopher Reeve’s wonderfully earnest portrayal in 1978’s Superman: The Movie. Now DC is giving us a nostalgic trip back in time with a six-issue miniseries that picks up the action from the first two classic Superman movies (wisely ignoring the two that followed).
When a mysterious robot crashlands in Metropolis, Superman soon discovers it’s just the harbinger of Brainiac, a superintelligent alien out to catalogue and control all life. Kal-el’s presence as a Kryptonian on Earth means Brainiac views him as a threat, and with the whole planet in danger, Superman’s only hope may lie with Lex Luthor…
Four issues in, this is a well-crafted romp that’s doing a much more focused job of capturing its source material than the recent Batman ’89 comic. Writer Robert Venditti goes out of his way to tap into the fast-paced dialogue, characterisation and massive heart of the original Superman movies (even down to the flawless take on the Gene Hackman version of Luthor). He also delivers a compelling central conflict for the Man of Steel, and balances the action with some enjoyably goofy humour.
It’s a pity the visuals don’t always meet the same standard, with Wilfredo Torres’s art occasionally feeling a little too loose. However, despite these small flaws, Superman ’78 remains a heartfelt and entertaining tribute that’s a must-read for any fans of the original movies. Saxon Bullock
Before he was replaced by Richard Lester, Richard Donner was planning to have “a little bit of Brainiac” in Superman III.
This picks up the action from the first two classic Superman movies