In a recent issue of his comic book series All-Star Superman, writer Grant Morrison encapsulated the Man of Steel's origin story in just eight words: "Doomed planet. Desperate scientists. Last hope. Kindly couple." Obviously, there were images accompanying those words — the rocket shooting off from Krypton, the Kents discovering baby Supes — but those words by themselves ... they pretty well do the trick. Elegant, simple, and in a sense, primal — the lost child brought up to defend truth, justice, and the American way on a world not his own.
There is, of course, far more to know about Superman's origins, should one be curious and/or incredibly bored. Thousands of comic book pages have been devoted to the subject over nearly seventy years. Depending on which of those pages you read or choose to believe, Krypton left behind Krypto the Super-Dog, Superman's cousin Supergirl, a city in a bottle named Kandor, and myriad other bits and pieces of pop culture ephemera.
Now tens of thousands of words in prose add to Krypton's history, in The Last Days of Krypton, a novel about the end of Superman's doomed planet by author Kevin J. Anderson.
As I read The Last Days of Krypton, I kept pondering a single question: it's obvious that a creative mind CAN come up with reams of sci-fi material surrounding a doomed planet and its last son, but SHOULD anyone want to read it?
In the case of this particular book, I'm not sure anyone should. Speaking just to the work itself, Anderson gamely attempts to give Krypton a fresh and vibrant life on the page, and he largely succeeds. The main problem is that there's far too much worldbuilding and far too little action. Maybe that's just a personal preference — there are plenty of fans of worldbuilding and character development — but Anderson seems to hesitate when it comes to jump-starting the book's action, lingering instead on Krypton's dense political structure and the inner lives of such recognizable comics characters as Superman's parents, Jor-El and Lara, and the Kryptonian baddie known simply as Zod. It's a dense read, which again may please some. Personally, I just became disengaged out of sheer restlesness; I found myself desperately wishing for something, anything to happen. Hell, blow up the damn planet already, if it'll get this thing moving.
Article comments
1 - Jerry
That was a horrible commentary. I'm reading the book now and so far I am very pleased with the story and character development. It is a fascinating read just for the simple fact that no one has ever attempted to give a complete and compelling back story to the Superman mythos. My take, so far so good. I highly recommend to any fan on whatever level you are.
2 - Matt
Jerry, if you sincerely believe that "no one has ever attempted to give a complete and compelling back story to the Superman mythos," I can point you in the direction of several comic book storylines and miniseries that do just that--not to mention the first twenty minutes of Superman: The Movie. Sorry you didn't like the review, and glad you're enjoying the book.
3 - IJ
Honestly, I have to disagree for the most part with your review of this book. Not so much with your opinion because everyone is different and therefore receives differently, but with your assertion that the book is too slow. I felt that Anderson's detailed description of Krypton and its political mood and the various people give the story a very rich feel. As the story progressed I stopped simply reading the story as a looker-on but began to feel that I was viewing the events as if I were there. This rarely occurs when I read a book, or watch a movie for that matter. And I am a very avid reader of all times of literature. And to be quite frank as the story progressed I also began to feel like I personally knew the people and to that end I actually felt the loss of Krypton and Jor- El, Lara, Zor-El etc. as the book drew to its foregone conclusion in the last chapter or so. Truth be told I actually shed a tear or two. That being said, I would also like to say that I do agree with you on the point that it does seem to be aimed at a very specific audience, and that anyone outside that aim probably wouldn't make it through the book.
4 - Greg
I found this book at a garage sale for a nickel and just finished reading it. Wish I'd never picked it up. How the iconic superhero came from such a feeble, inept, petty, planet I'll never understand. And now this image is stuck with me forever. What a horrible book.