Books : Superman: Miracle Monday

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- Forget Zod, this should have been Superman II!
An excellent story with excellent characters and excellent action-the Man of Steel confronts an actual demon from Hell! It dosen't get any better (or worse!) than that. This story should have been the base to Superman II, rather than the three Kryptonian criminals!

Rating:

- A wonderful romp through the Silver-Age Superman's world!
This book and it's companion "Superman: Last Son of Krypton" provide the most destinctive take on the popular hero in his prime. Released along with the second movie, this book was largely ignored by the comics industry, but gobbled up as a bestseller on the stands. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and wish he would write more!

Rating:

- Well worth the trouble of a used book search!
Few readers got to see this book (and its predecessor, "Superman: Last Son of Krypton") when they were released. (See any interview with Elliot S! Maggin for his opinions on why.) But every person I know who has read them remembers them fondly. I treasure my copies, and will loan them only to trusted friends who know how to treat a book. They're that good.

The story tells how a minor demon is assigned his biggest task: corrupting the incorruptible Man of Steel. The plot is complicated further by the visit of an historian from the future who knows Superman will fight his greatest battle soon, but doesn't know what it will be. What follows is a classic tale of how a hero is bedeviled and tested and isolated, and how he triumphs. And I'm sorry if you consider that spoiling the ending, but of course he triumphs. He is Superman, after all.

Along the way, Maggin explores ideas in far more depth than the comic book format allows. And more, he explores epic themes: good vs. evil, of course -- but also the many faces of temptation, the nature of hatred and friendship, the importance of privacy and identity, the hope of redemption, and how each of us has a place and a role to play in the scheme of the world. Pretty heady stuff for an art form snubbed by "serious" critics. I guess metaphor eludes their lofty sensibilities...

Some of the jokes in this book will make more sense if you have read Last "Son of Krypton". So do a used book search for both. But don't expect MY copies in any used book store soon.

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