Books : Superman: Miracle Monday

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Rating:

- Super Reader
This one was as good as Last Son of Krypton, even if in a different way. The characterisations of Luthor and Superman were done in the same way, even if, due to the nature of the antagonist here, there was not the same amount of byplay between the two old foes. The plot centres around a time travelling post graduate history student, coming back to find out the events surrounding what they call Miracle Monday.

Rating:

- THE Definitive Superman
Forget what Byrne and the others have done for/to Superman. THIS is the real Superman and Lex Luthor. In this, Lex Luthor is not a maniacally-laughing, hand-wringing super-villain trying to "take over the world." He's a man with emotions and motivations--in other words, he's believable. In this novel, and Maggin's other great novel Superman: Last Son of Krypton, both characters are real people with real emotions and you will grow to love them both in different ways. Pick this book up and I promise you will not be disappointed in the versions of Superman and Lex you find here.

Rating:

- This is why Superman has endured so long.
Since the popularity of Kingdom Come, a lot has been made of 'that' version of Superman. His influence is felt throughout Superman comics and on the Smallville TV show on the WB. But even the story's creators, Mark Waid and Alex Ross, acknowledge the debt they owe to Elliot S! Maggin. While Chris Reeve was making us believe a man could fly in the cinemas, Maggin was turning out these masterpieces of writing based on, of all things, comic book characters. In this, the second of his two novels (check out Last Son of Krypton also!) Superman must undergo a truly neverending battle, as C. W. Saturn, Hell's agent on Earth, harries the hero twenty-four seven: upending buildings, causing plagues of frogs, exposing Supes' secret identity, and for a big finish (and this is just a terrifying moment) setting off every nuclear weapon on the planet simultaneously, which, by the way, is handled MUCH better than the anti-nuke issue in Superman 4. Maybe they should have read this thing. Superman must circle the globe over and over again trying to head off the fiend's multiple menaces. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor is carrying on in one of the subplots with the style and humor that make Maggin's interpretation of these characters the best ever. This book is a real companion piece to the first, but can be enjoyed alone. People who prefer a little more darkness to their superheroes can also get something from this. Particularly disconcerting is the flashback to when Pa Kent realizes that his adopted son's absolute power could make him a champion of all mankind - or Earth's greatest tyrant. The scene where Jonathan Kent is diggng for the buried fragment of Kryptonite and Superboy comes out of the ground to confront him is chilling to the bone. To those who only see the Pre-Crisis Superman as the child-oriented humerous comics of the 50's and 60's, this book would be a real eye-opener, and maybe broaden a few horizons back to a time when the larger than life affectations of comic book characters were treated thoughtfully and used to tell mature and entertaining stories, rather than today's tendency to lock them away from sight like a mad relative in a period romance. Check this one out.

Rating:

- Do yourself a favor
...and find the only two books (that I know of) that Mr. Maggin wrote in this series. I remember reading them nearly twenty years ago and loved them then.

Time has only made me appreciate the writing even more. Not only are the characters drawn with a finer hand than in the movies, but you really get a feel of the heroic dimensions of Superman. The personalities, the history, the sheer scope of what it means to be a superman are all made as realistic as you could imagine.

The synopsis has been written about in earlier reviews. I'll just say that of the two, I preferred Miracle Monday somewhat more because of the intergalactic scope. But the first book was great as well.

If only there had been more in the series. These books are on my shelf of "oldies but goodies" and I when I'm looking for a great read, Mr. Maggin's books never fail.

Rating:

- I still remember this book since I first read it
This was one of the best prose adaptions of Superman. I haven t even read it in years but I remeber it fondly. I really wish todays comic writers would all read it and focus on quality not quantity. If you are interested in Superman as a comics fan or for his mainstream sell this book is a great read (although some things about Mork and Mindy date it a bit).

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