2009 Book 38: Last Son of Krypton
Superman: Last Son of Krypton by Elliot S! Maggin, isbn 0446823198, 238 pages, Warner Books, $2.25
I read both this and Maggin's sequel (Miracle Monday) back in the day, and wrote him a fan letter which he graciously answered, which started a few years worth of correspondence. These are still two of the best Superman (or, in fact, any superhero) novels I've ever read, and I have fond memories of both.
I'm on a bit of a Superman kick right now, it seems, so I decided to reread the Maggin books this week.
Within the first few chapters of "Last Son," I was back in the late 70s Superman world I loved.
In Metropolis, Clark Kent is the anchor of the WGBS Nightly News. A 23 year old Jimmy Olsen in bad leisure suits does double duty as photojournalist and on-air reporter. Lois is the top Daily Planet reporter and meets Clark for lunch frequently (although Lana Lang was in Metropolis and was a rival of Lois' for Clark's attentions at this point, she's not really mentioned). Sportscaster Steve Lombard is in full jerk form. Morgan Edge and Perry White have cameos, and gossip columnist Rona Bartlett is mentioned.
Two pieces of the story I particularly loved. First, the "real" (for me anyway) Lex Luthor, criminal mastermind. None of this super-businessman stuff: the full-on, borderline insane genius who everyone acknowledges COULD be a bastion of the scientific community if he went straight. He's got secret lairs, multiple identities, and a huge chip on his shoulder that he doesn't have to hide to protect his public persona. Second, the inclusion of Clark's full-on history as Superboy, including his high school friendship with transfer student Lex, his crush on Lana and friendship with blond, bland Pete Ross, and the classic scene in which Lex accidentally sets fire to a lab Superboy has built for him, resulting in Superboy's super-breath dousing Lex with chemicals that cause all of his hair to fall out. Lex of course then goes bad and blames it on the Boy of Steel. All of this, and an interesting twist on how the Kents came across Kal-El's rocket that day in Kansas, are background to the main story, which has to do with an ancient interstellar prophecy.
The writing is a bit flowery and "existential" in some spots (typical of Maggin's work at the time), and some of the dialogue creaks along, but as a story about the Last Son of Krypton learning his destiny the book works. It is definitely "of its' time."
In terms of the dialogue, the mix of character voices in my head was sort of funny: I could hear Bob Collyer (the original cartoon voice) as Superman, but Lex's dialogue all read like something Gene Hackman's version would say, while Lois, in her few scenes, came across like Teri Hatcher and Jimmy sounded like Tommy Bond. In terms of picturing the action, in my head it all looked like classic Curt Swan and Kurt Schaffenberger art.
Last Son of Krypton is definitely recommended as a sample of what Superman was like before DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths allowed John Byrne to gut the character's most interesting facets.
I read both this and Maggin's sequel (Miracle Monday) back in the day, and wrote him a fan letter which he graciously answered, which started a few years worth of correspondence. These are still two of the best Superman (or, in fact, any superhero) novels I've ever read, and I have fond memories of both.
I'm on a bit of a Superman kick right now, it seems, so I decided to reread the Maggin books this week.
Within the first few chapters of "Last Son," I was back in the late 70s Superman world I loved.
In Metropolis, Clark Kent is the anchor of the WGBS Nightly News. A 23 year old Jimmy Olsen in bad leisure suits does double duty as photojournalist and on-air reporter. Lois is the top Daily Planet reporter and meets Clark for lunch frequently (although Lana Lang was in Metropolis and was a rival of Lois' for Clark's attentions at this point, she's not really mentioned). Sportscaster Steve Lombard is in full jerk form. Morgan Edge and Perry White have cameos, and gossip columnist Rona Bartlett is mentioned.
Two pieces of the story I particularly loved. First, the "real" (for me anyway) Lex Luthor, criminal mastermind. None of this super-businessman stuff: the full-on, borderline insane genius who everyone acknowledges COULD be a bastion of the scientific community if he went straight. He's got secret lairs, multiple identities, and a huge chip on his shoulder that he doesn't have to hide to protect his public persona. Second, the inclusion of Clark's full-on history as Superboy, including his high school friendship with transfer student Lex, his crush on Lana and friendship with blond, bland Pete Ross, and the classic scene in which Lex accidentally sets fire to a lab Superboy has built for him, resulting in Superboy's super-breath dousing Lex with chemicals that cause all of his hair to fall out. Lex of course then goes bad and blames it on the Boy of Steel. All of this, and an interesting twist on how the Kents came across Kal-El's rocket that day in Kansas, are background to the main story, which has to do with an ancient interstellar prophecy.
The writing is a bit flowery and "existential" in some spots (typical of Maggin's work at the time), and some of the dialogue creaks along, but as a story about the Last Son of Krypton learning his destiny the book works. It is definitely "of its' time."
In terms of the dialogue, the mix of character voices in my head was sort of funny: I could hear Bob Collyer (the original cartoon voice) as Superman, but Lex's dialogue all read like something Gene Hackman's version would say, while Lois, in her few scenes, came across like Teri Hatcher and Jimmy sounded like Tommy Bond. In terms of picturing the action, in my head it all looked like classic Curt Swan and Kurt Schaffenberger art.
Last Son of Krypton is definitely recommended as a sample of what Superman was like before DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths allowed John Byrne to gut the character's most interesting facets.