In the latest edition of Comics to Read Before You Die, Jessie Robertson looks at Superman for All Seasons…
Issues: Superman: For All Seasons #1-4 (Sept- Dec 1998)
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artwork: Tim Sale
Colors: Bjarne Hansen
Superman, at his core, represents what’s best in all of us, the common man, just with the means to take action. He’s faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, he can change the course of mighty rivers and much , much more. He is an American symbol of doing the right thing, obeying the law and giving bad guys their comeuppance. As time has went on, comics turning more and more radical, nobody wanting plain black and white heroes, Superman had to change and become more gritty. Superman was the greatest hero ever, there was nothing he couldn’t do, but to readers who wanted more depth from their stories and their heroes to overcome odds, that became boring. To write the character of Superman has become increasingly harder and harder over the years and people’s taste towards him have changed drastically since the time George Reeves played him on TV. If you want to read a meaningful, insightful heartwarming Superman story, this is one to read. If you’re looking for action, look elsewhere.
The book is divided into seasons, with each season having its own separate narrator. Let’s tackle them individually:
Spring:
The book begins with pictures from a photo album of the Kents, watching Clark grow up, all in black and white, very Rockwell-esque landscapes and settings. The artwork in this book says a lot to me; Sale draws Clark with arched eyebrows and squinted eyes as if he’s looking at the world anew on every page and panel. He has a square jaw and arms and biceps so large his hands look deformed. He gives off an appearance of a big naive teddy bear, not sure what to make of the world he finds himself in but willing to embrace it. Jonathan Kent narrates this section as Clark becomes more and more aware he has gifts until his Ma and Pa give him the straight and narrow. How would a normal person react, how would you react to news like this? Clark is scared, and quiet. His Pa is concerned. Only Martha exudes confidence; she has faith in the way they had raised him and the person he is.
The artwork continues to amaze; there are two amazing full spread panels in this book; Clark standing up to a tornado that’s ripping through Smallville is like David and Goliath; later on, as Clark leaves Smallville for the big city, he stands a few feet from his Pa, just watching the big bright sky and it’s breathtaking. Clark wrestles that tornado and it’s the strangest coming of age moment ever. At this point, Clark tells his parents something very poignant, after saving a resident from being sucked into the vortex; he says, “I could have done more.” And there is the heartbeat at the center of Clark Kent.
Summer:
Clark arrives in Metropolis and Superman is born. Lois Lane, his co-worker, narrates this tale as we get inside her head, as she ponders about Superman.
“He can do anything and he decides to do what? Be a hero? Why?”
It’s the question that gets to the root of the selflessness that has defined this character for years. Most men (and women) with ultimate power, would only use it for self-gain, or the gain of a few. But the guts of Clark Kent, the DNA of him is not selfish; he only thinks about what more he can do to help. We get to meet Lex Luthor, who is the darling of Metropolis, and we get this nice quote: ” Jimmy and I figured it out one late night; Lex Luthor makes $150 a second; which means if he saw a $100 bill on the street, it wouldn’t be worth his time to bend over and pick it up.” I love that description because without saying anything at all about him, it tells you so much about his character.
We get to see the pressures and burdens of being Superman weight on Clark; Lois even mentions a discussion her and Clark had about him where Clark surmises that Superman must have a “Fortress of Solitude” he goes to regroup; a nice nod to the location featured in so many comics and movies. But here, he’s not talking about a literal place, he’s describing his feelings and state of mind. Clark’s powers bring him great responsibility and he feels that responsibility, heavy on his shoulders. Even after escaping the big city lights of Metropolis to return home to Smallville to find that piece of himself he’d been missing, he realizes he doesn’t feel like he fits in there either. This is part of the larger alien motif of Superman, him being from a different planet and never quite feeling like he fits in anywhere.
Fall:
This time , we get the words of Lex Luthor to guide us through and he speaks about his love story with the city of Metropolis, which is where he feels most at home. Luthor is a man who relishes when he has power and feels no responsibility towards helping anyone but himself, which puts him in direct contrast with Superman, which is what makes them such great antagonists. He realizes Superman is the new darling of Metropolis and he immediately turns all attention to removing this threat. Luthor is put in jail (for shady dealings) but only for a day and Lois remarks that shaming Luthor was the worst thing Superman could have done. He puts a plan in motion to use a noted geneticist whom Superman saved to release an airborne toxin that has affected the whole city. Superman goes to Luthor for help and he gives him the antidote and the geneticist (who is so obsessed with Superman, she has given herself a super-name, Toxin) They spread the antidote and revive the city but in the process, Toxin dies from overexposure. Luthor immediately jumps on this to call Superman’s heritage and mysterious appearance to now shame him into leaving Metropolis. We find out Luthor’s upbringing was again, in complete opposite of Clarks’, he was beaten, repeatedly but never gave his father the satisfaction of seeing him break.
The only measure both men can find in common is what power brings you; alone. Luthor having had power longer is already well aware of it and knows how to cope with it, Clark still discovering everything he can do, does not realize that even with power, no matter how you wield it, you can still remain alone with it if it’s too great.
Winter:
Clark returns home to Smallville after a funny bit where Lois Lane and Lana Lang (our new narrator) both put it together that Clark is Superman. Only Lana has real evidence and Lois’ reporter mind refuses to let herself believe such a far-fetched theory. This chapter is the most personal and shows the soft natured side of Clark Kent. Lana and Clark both grew up single children, as best friends their whole lives; Lana states that she fully intended she would marry him, give him lots of children and live out their days together. But before Clark left Smallville, he took her flying and completely shattered all her illusions of her life. We find out she left Smallville herself, traveled the world, on no certain course or mission , only to remove herself from the perfect life she envisioned that she could not have. Back in town, she and Clark are delighted to see each other and run into their running buddy, Pete Ross, who had never left Smallville. Pete gets upset with both of them, because they both left and came back, by choice, when he’s never even had the choice of leaving himself. Lana reminds herself that Pete was always sweet on her, and by the end of her tale, tells herself to give him a chance; this is her way of acknowledging as an adult that she cannot keep Clark, or more importantly Superman to herself. But when a flood comes through town, Clark is ready to act and Lana gives him the boost he needs to believe in himself again after Luthor tricked him into thinking he caused Toxin’s death. She remarks in the narration that Clark has shoulders that could carry the weight of the world; but what if they can’t? She is echoing the same thought Clark has been asking himself all this time, which again shows, he’s not alone and not all that different. She cements this idea by giving a comparison as Superman saves the world, a nurse heals a wound, a pastor gives comfort, a parent hugs a child; there are heroes everywhere.
Superman for All Seasons is a slow-paced story that never accelerates and leaves anyone behind. The story does such a great job of showing you Superman through the clear lenses of four different people in his life and how they can all relate to some part of who he is, even if they don’t know it or see it. This is not an origin story, it’s more of a filling in the gaps story to get Superman to the icon that everyone knows and loves and along the way, it shows what most people love about Superman and connect to with him: his human side.
Next time, we go to fairy tale land…
Jessie Robertson
