Superman for All Seasons
| Superman for All Seasons | |
|---|---|
Cover to Superman for All Seasons #1
Art by Tim Sale |
|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Limited series |
| Genre | |
| Publication date(s) | September – December 1998 |
| No. of issues | 4 |
| Main character(s) | Superman |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Jeph Loeb |
| Artist(s) | Tim Sale |
| Letterer(s) | Richard Starkings |
| Colorist(s) | Bjarne Hansen |
| Editor(s) | Joey Cavalieri |
| Collected editions | |
| Hardcover | ISBN |
Superman for All Seasons was a 4-issue comic book limited series written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale, and was originally published by DC Comics in 1998. This was made hot off the heels from their previous success, Batman: The Long Halloween, and as that Batman story dealt with holidays as the theme, this story's theme dealt with seasons. The artwork contains many influences from that of Norman Rockwell. The story also parallels the events from Superman's then-origin story John Byrne's The Man of Steel, though it can be read on its own.
Superman For All Seasons was conceived, like all of the Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale books from DC Comics and rival Marvel Comics, as a stand-alone, self-contained story that gave a sense of the character of Superman and his supporting cast. Not an origin, but picking up on who the character is and how he came to be.
As explained by Loeb, one of the things that he wanted to capture was the grandeur that is Superman, and that was to have double-page spreads with big sky shots. Sale and Bjarne Hansen were on the art and colors, and everyone was speechless once Loeb saw the pages, and when those same pages came in the DC office. One of the most powerful examples of this artistic choice is near the end of the first issue, featuring a double-page spread of Clark Kent and Pa Kent looking out at a radiant Kansas sunset from their farm as Clark prepares to leave home for Metropolis.
Perhaps the most important, and the key, to the series was the narration. Originally, Loeb never intended to have a narrator, but he did not want to do the story from Superman's point of view. As he explained; "I didn't feel comfortable being inside the head of an icon." So it was decided to allow other characters to narrate and give their individual points of view on Superman, with one narrator per volume. Pa Kent gives his life as a father to a super-powered son. While not knowing what lay ahead of Clark, has confidence that his son would be all right. This, in turn, came from Loeb himself as the father to his son, Sam Loeb. Narration by Lois Lane represents the impact of Superman's presence in Metropolis and comments on Superman as an idea. Lex Luthor explains how his rivalry with Superman is like a love story between him and Metropolis, and Lana Lang helps Clark reconcile his two identities as mild-mannered reporter and Superman.
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