About Heroes

All-Star Superman #3 Review
Writer- Grant Morrison
Artist- Frank Quietly
Digitally Inked and Colored- Jamie Grant

The best issue from an almost flawless series. The flaw is the wait. From my point of view that is the only flaw with this book that I see, by the no.3 it says MAY…of 2005?! But in this day and age is it really al that unusual to see a late book? This ALL-STAR line’s other flagship book Batman And Robin the Boy Wonder is just as late, but the difference is I have way more complaints about that book then this one, like I said I have only the one complaint so far. But seriously, with Quasada, Turner and Smith breaking the records for longest period between issues I can look the other way when a book blows me away like this has. So there is my one gripe.

I said before that this issue was the best so far, I think what I like so much about it is the way Morrison dives right into the gloriously odd All-Star 21st century world. The first issue saw a few things that were well done and queer to the eye, the second issue where Superman pokes around in his Fortress of Solitude and toying around with even more oddities was hilariously over the top and fun. This issue boasts even more of the same, but with the added bonus of Samson and Atlas, characters I gave less then a shit about until Morrison got his hands on them. The dialogue between the trio of heroes was whimsical and phantasmal (I’m using big words because Morrison does it). You can see that there is a clear idea going on for this series, I honestly think that Superman will actually kick the bucket at the end of this series. It’s the little things that progress the book but keep it far enough away from the ending, while at the same time making the issues interesting, that makes me anticipate the next issue even if it may not be until August that I get one. The reason I can wait is because I wont feel cheated, I wont think that the issue is unnecessary and should just move along in the plot, like say other All-Star books.

Morrison works at many levels. Actually, that statement works at many levels too! Morrison does a great job of doing plot versus story and then stories inside of stories. Here is an example: The Plot as I see it: Superman has a limited time on earth and he is making the best of it while he can, like Queen Latifah in that movie where she has a week to live (or one of the other fifty of those type of movies). The story is of how Superman coups with the news and tries to finally make a move in his life, with Lois and other issues (just Lois so far, but 3 hints at many more things to come). The story in the story is with Samson and Atlas, their “contest” and the Subterranousars, which the word play alone boggles my little feeble imagination. So do I think that Morrison can tell a 12-part story well? Absolutely. Does this book have my support? Absolutely. I’m in it for the long hall, hey at least the main characters of the book aren’t stuck in a car for two issues!

I know Frank Quietly isn’t some people’s number one choice but whenever I hear that I ask people why? The response I get is that it is weird, creepy, and the girls are not attractive. My response to the latter remark is the second picture posted of the new Bite Club series called Bite Club: Vampire Crime Unit. One word, Hot! You say otherwise either check to see if your privates are still there or maybe you prefer other stimulation, like guys, not that there is anything wrong with that. Anyway, my point is clear, Quietly sure can draw a woman I would like to… anyway! I think that for this book his style of fantasy meets weird science fair project gone wrong works great. Morrison and Quietly just get each other and they mesh well. The only problem as I understand it is his desire to achieve perfection, which isn’t all that bad really. It is Quietly that keeps the book from shipping on time, but fuck man stop putting a fucking date on it! If you tell me it will be out, but that you have no idea when, but that Quietly is working on it, and he’s not working on anything else, then that’s fine. But don’t tell me all that shit and then tell me that it should be out in (fill in bullshit here) Jaime Grant I think brings a lot to the table as an inker, the blend and subtle work really brings out Quietly’s better features, as well as giving depth and texture to the paint, which is another amazing attribute. So all in all what do I give the book? A solid A I wish I could go the little key next to the backspace but the time problem is still there, I made my suggestion, so now what DC?

So now that you read that little review your wondering what else I’ve written under here, right? Or no wait your really wondering, “Gee Chris is there anything else this dynamic duo has worked on before?” Then I’ll answer, “Yes there is, glad you asked (then when your back is turned I’ll call you a one eyes Nancy-boy with peanut butter in his butt crack for using the expression ‘gee,’ in a non-thug/gangster way, and then kick you)!” My suggestion, beside Morrison’s entire New X-Men run is Morrison and Quietly’s WE3! This is a great book, I just lent it to a friend and though he doesn’t usually like that style or that premise he really enjoyed the three-issue story. The plot is about three cybernetically enhanced pets, a dog, cat, and rabbit, have escaped their government detention and are on the loose. The story is about three pets that have lost their way and only want to return to something that resembles to warmth of home. You might be asking, “how can I feel sympathy and sadness and a connection to three terminator/RoboCop style pets?” My answer would be, to wait for you to drink something and then slap you in the back of the head to make you spit up your spit juice you one-eyed Nancy! Then I would tell you to shut up and go try something that’s not a bunch of Girly men in tights. WE3 delivers, a solid A also (sorry original issues were still late, damn you Quietly and your perfectionist nature!