Superman: Space Age

Superman: Space Age by Mark Russell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

With the threats of Braniac and the Anti-Monitor looming in the background, Superman learns what it means to be a hero and what it means to be human...

When I read Mark Russell was teaming up with Michael Allred on a Superman book, I had extremely high hopes. This book surpassed them.

Mike Allred knocks it out of the park with his Silver Age influenced art. I love the way he draws Superman, Lois, Batman, even Pariah and Braniac. He also does a good job of making characters like Lex Luthor age over the course of the series.

Mark Russell writes a great Superman, definitely leaning into the man part of the equation. His Superman is very human and even his powers can't stop what's coming. The best Superman stories focus on the man rather than the powers and this one does that nicely.

I love that Russell and Allred don't even pretend to be beholden to any existing continuity. Their story starts in the 1960s and ends with the end of the world. Some characters' origins have been tweaked to fit the new timeline. I'm not a huge fan of The Flash but I'd read a Russell and ALlred Flash story after this. My favorite part is Lex Luthor, though. Instead of being a megalomaniac, he's just a sociopathic businessman taking advantage of a system that doesn't make any sense. He felt all too real to me.

Does Superman: Space Age stand up against All-Star Superman? Yes, yes it does. Five out of five stars.

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