Superman for all Seasons
Loeb and Sale Deliver a Classic Tale of Superman's Formative Years
Dec 8, 2008
Superman, DC Comics' flagship character, has always been the quintessential American superhero. He wears two-thirds of the American flag colors in his costume and he always has a clean-cut image, certainly compared to superheroes like Batman.
His powers are nearly limitless, allowing him to save people in any situation. On the surface, the character of Superman doesn't have a lot of depth but every now and then, creators like Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, will come up with a story that shows he's human just like the rest of us. This is the point of Superman For All Seasons.
Plot and Theme
Superman For All Seasons has an interesting structure. The story has four parts, divided up by the seasons. Clark Kent goes back and forth from Smallville to Metropolis throughout and this juxtaposition creates and effective and interesting backdrop to understanding who Clark Kent is as a person.
In Smallville, Clark has to deal with his past and in some cases he tries to escape into it. Other times he is reminded of that old adage, "You can never go home again." In Metropolis, he often feels like a fish out of water. In a sense, throughout the whole story he is trying to find a sense of belonging somewhere. This is difficult because on top of everything, he's Superman and that means he's inherently different.
The Characters
Superman For All Seasons has all the classic characters readers have come to associate with Superman. There's Clark Kent's kindly parents Martha and Jonathan Kent, complete with homespun wisdom. There's Clark's childhood best friend Pete Ross, constantly frustrated with his inability to leave Smallville. There's Lana Lang, the almost-former-girlfriend of Clark's and one of the few residents of Smallville other than his parents to know he's Superman.
These and other secondary Smallville characters are depicted in a way that basically mirrors a Norman Rockwell painting. In Metropolis, there's Lois Lane, intrepid reporter who's world view is shattered by Superman's appearance. Jimmy Olson and Perry White are basically backdrops in this story with very few lines. There needs to be a villain and Lex Luthor provided that role with his constant machinations and ends-justify-the-means attitude. Like in Lex Luthor: Man of Steel, this story provides a good insight into why Lex hates Superman.
The Art
Tim Sale has a very unique artistic style. It has a classic feel but it's not dated. Superman is drawn muscle-bound and with an almost exaggerated square jaw. You get a sense of the largeness of him even as Clark Kent. Sometimes this isn't the case in Superman comics. It's effective because it illuminates the "otherness" that Clark tries to overcome throughout the story.
Neither the characters nor the background visuals are hyper-detailed and that gives the pages room to breathe. There's a sense of vastness, especially on the Kent farm and when Superman's flying over Metropolis. The coloring looks like watercolors and it very well may be. This softer touch helps to show that this story is more about human feelings than action, although there's plenty of that as well.
The Bottom Line
Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale have collaborated on a number of projects that show a different side to the early development of Superheroes but Superman For All Seasons is the best. This is because there have been periods where Superman has been written as infallible. The human side has been neglected more than with most superheroes. Even if Superman wasn't part of this, the story would be a great one about identity and place, something we all can relate to.
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