Whenever people say, “Superman is boring because he’s too strong” it sucks to hear. Because stories like this exist. That show that he can be just as human than the people he saves every day. Stories that feature almost no action, or anything. Just them doing the right thing. I admire that these stories manage to show just how great these characters can be without that. It’s sad we don’t get these more often. Especially in films.
See this video made me realize the reason the majority of comicbook casuals hate superman is because the essence of his character is about making humanity better . People dont want to be better they want to be the same shitty humans they always are its just easier that way. They understand characters like batman and spiderman cus its just easier... Sad.
Ironically, It takes a lot of skill to write Superman well. People think he’s an easy character to write because he’s OP and can beat anyone. But stories like this or All Star Superman; humanize him in a great way
people who say that dont understand his character and that with superman its not about the tangible things and the fighting and villians its more about how here you have this all powerful character with almost no equal however despite this he sees all the worlds hardships and struggles and feels almost powerless to stop these things and when a writer focuses on these aspects of his character you get stories like this beautifully written one
It’s nice to read a Superman story where it’s just Superman being Superman. There are too many stories these days that try to make him a anti hero or villain, which to me is just creatively bankrupt. Superman works best a fundamentally good person. He’s heroic not because of his all his power, but because of what he does with it. Instead of ruling the world or making money he spends his time helping people be it saving the world from supervillains or helping a kids cat out of a tree.
That's where the show superman and lois knocks it out of the park. He's truly a symbol that believes the best in everyone and leads the way in doing the right thing
But what if Superman made lots of money to primarily use it to create good jobs and fund STEM, The Arts & Humanitarian Programs? What if Superman ruled the world but we all still ruled our own lives?
@@jb.443 the world needs more than DC Comics “Glorified Fire Fighter” aka Superman. If that’s what you think a real Superman is, then you have a very low bar and standard of expectations. A superhero by definition must go above and beyond the call of duty to truly earn the name, title and respect. But DC Comics would have us believe that all it takes to be a superhero is to have so-called superpowers and use them to save people’s lives and fight bad guys. Shouldn’t all of that just be seen as the bare minimum? Isn’t it just the bare minimum of what awesome potential Superman truly has?
He's my favorite artist, and do at time read stories that aren't that great but because the art, I pick it up. But the art for this isn't what makes this story.
A lot of his art he bases on real people that he has has pose and does a photo to start or a sketch. In Kingdom Come his dad was the model for the Pastor that the Specter is showing the story.
Alex Ross is the modern version of Rockwell. "Depict humanity as it is, not how you see it." This story, like many of his other works, illuminates how good REAL foundational story telling can be and that comic books can tell story's that can reach across all age groups. It's very much like how Pixar used to be...
I definitely agree about Peace on Earth. It was fantastic. The others in this series are also very good. There's a hardcover collection of all the Dini/Ross DC books they made around this same time. Absolutely worth the money. The Captain Marvel one literally made me tear up.
@@bownight It’s called ‘The World’s Greatest Super-Heroes By Alex Ross And Paul Dini,’ which collects Superman: Peace on Earth, Batman: War on Crime, Shazam!: Power of Hope, Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth, Justice League: Secret Origins and Justice League: Liberty and Justice You can get it at a pretty inexpensive price online. I think it’s still $25-$30 from DC.
Should have been a man of steel 2 it would have further developed superman in to the boy scout but batman versus superman destroyed the entire franchise
That line pa Kent said about very plant deserves a chance to grow reminds me of batman fighting ghostmaker and them saying not everyone can be saved, but some people can and its hard to tell by seeing them on their worst day
@15:50 I am absolutely losing it at Superman’s belly rolls when he sits. It’s such a real and honest detail, so different than like in later comics might is clearly defined as a physical trait
Yep that’s the entire premise of the crypto-hero concept in judeic lore (edit ie the premise of Superman comics tho as usual ripping off Nietzsche). Basically- as much “can be done” in both the crypto and the “true” form. Best example of this would be something like Jon Stewart of the Daily Show birth name Jon Liebowitz. His “crypto” form became just as if not more powerful than his “true” form. Man did more for early twenty first century neo- liberalism being accepted by gentiles than any other single member of his group on the planet. Pretty interesting rabbit hole tbh.
These are the comics that folk responsible for Superman adaptations should be looking at for a true glimpse at the character's core instead of putting the "1000s Evil Superman" story. Alex Ross art is simply impeccable, as usual!
I didn't even know about this one. I let my nephews and son listen to this and they were legit bothered by the way the real world is. Crazy how comics reflect real life situations and hit so much harder.
speaking of alex ross, I just finished reading Kingdom Come. If anyone hasn’t, PLEASE check this story out. It was so beautifully tragic and its one of the best stories i’ve read yet.
@@matiaspena3165 I think Rob may have done it, but honestly these stories go back to the roots of superheroes and are so amazingly done! Words can't even begin to describe
I've been periodically asking him to remaster it for 2 years and counting now. For some crazy reason, very few UA-camrs have covered it... Rob did it a long time ago but I'd love to see it remastered in his improved style
@@thephilosopher7173 Rob did a video on it but it was 5 year-ago Rob. His voice was flat and he didn't bring the current level of Rob to his video. I'd love if he remade it.
I swear I clapped so hard at the end my hands hurt, this is the best story ever to be written in comics, this right here THIS is what explains whata true hero is and idgf if someone says otherwise
I went to the same College that Ross did. Having seen his art in the halls and meeting the teachers who taught him. There was no way he wasn't coming out of there with powerful art like this.
You nailed it Rob. This is one of the best books period. The art is amazing and your observations are astute. I'd forgotten about these books. You would make me very happy if you did the rest of these books.
As a writer,this inspires me to write similar stories that change hearts and minds one person at a time. It really makes us see that mankind really is it's own worst nightmare...bu even then there is still hope so long as even one person is willing to reach out. Fear the day when humanity loses its humanity completely.
Fantastic Comic. This in just 1 chapter shows why Superman deserves to be one of the greats, and is an inspiration for millions. Thanks Comics Explained, I would never have read this otherwise.
I read this comic many years ago and it was one of the most moving comics I had read because of how right it is. That and it really pushed home the messages of changing hearts like Jesus taught us. Superman is doing all that he can to fix the issue on the surface that is leading to suffering (ie hunger), and does all that he can to personally assist, but for all the good he does it will never fix the underlying problems of the human heart to just give everything. Hunger will exist, suffering will continue, but there is a way. Not everyone can follow it, but enough will that it will change things for the better when we as individuals see our fellow human beings universally as equals and that we each are our brother's keeper.
This story is amazing. You have to know that this story has probably influenced quite a lot of people. That's the point of the story. It is supposed to inspire us to do better. That's what's so damn great about Superman. You love to see it.
My friend had this comic and I read it and after reading it I finally understood why superman was such a special character and I started to like him too
Clearly this is THE BEST Superman story. Its so raw, and the message is the most profound of any Superhero story. Alex Ross' art on top of that. God Damn!
Alex Ross made a Batman book like this. It came off as sad. It showed a scarred , injured, bruised old fighter. I loved it but it was emotional! Made me think of my Dad, made my students think of his hurt and pain mostly.
I remember a Supes comic from the 70s where he fought this same sort of moral dilemma. He came upon a conflict between migrant farmers and landowners in California. A fight starts and he flies in to break it up. Both sides are yelling and begging him take their side. Supes had been thinking about his actions and they affected humanity. He basically tells them that they needed to work their issues out themselves and flies away. Basically, we all have to be Superman. Its almost like the writers knew Superman couldn't solve real world problems because we couldn't solve the problems of that time period ourselves. And sadly, its the same way today.
I have this comic book/graphic novel. And every time I read it, it makes me cry. It's so humanizing that truly touches in your very soul. I am glad you Covered this Story Rob.
That's why smallville series is one of my favourite superman series, it defines superman as superman. Superman and lois have its potential, hopefully they don't messed up
Kingdom Come is the greatest Graphic novel ever made. Enough can't be said about the story, plot, themes, pacing, etc. But its the greatest to me because of the artwork. The artwork really delivers everything that writer was trying to convey as matter of fact I think it took it even further.
This story touched two topics: "war on poverty" and "regime change". Both are hot potatoes. I don't think a comic book story could address the complexity of both of them. However I appreciate Paul Dini and Alex Ross at the time had the courage to discuss them.
Agreed. I had some questions about the distribution and economics of Superman's actions, like how much grain did he ship? One freight liner? A dozen? How many cities would that actually feed? Regardless, I'm sure the United States could foot the bill. It's barely a drop in the bucket. And the charity seemed limited to a couple of days before humanity's uglier impulses won out. And while I'm certain that the articles he wrote as Clark Kent were stirring and informative... Hah i don't know, the comic seemed to articulate the struggle and seeming futility of attempting to fix existential problems like 'eliminate poverty' or 'end all crime/evil' and 'bring about world peace'. No need for me to parrot the author's speculations. Still, like everyone else i was enchanted by the art and thought it encapsulated complex topics with nuance, showing potential solutions and the adversity that would rise up to meet them.
Title's not even clickbait, THIS is the story I tell people to read when they complain about Superman being a stuffy, uninteresting Gary-Stu. Paired with Alex Ross's art, it's my favorite superhero story of all time. I wasn't even a Superman fan when I read it either.
Its a little worrying superman got to that age without knowing that food insecurity, poverty and corporate greed are the actual supervillains the world faces....
This is why I love Superman a lot and is my number 1 favorite hero and character He does these things and has the patience of the universe with him, Even when things fails, He still tries to instill hope and inspires people. Like on that one story where Killer Frost was still a normal human, All her colleagues and professors said She will fail the exam because she's a failure, But the moment She saw superman flew above her like your normal Metropolis Occurence, It gave her hope and inspires her to bring her best to pass the exam to which she did, When Superman flew over her she went " Well, If a Man can fly then I can definitely pass this Board Exam". It's the little things like that, that makes me love Superman's Character Honestly, If I were Superman, I can't even do what he does, For example at 13:00, I would have went full Injustice God Among us on that Vietnamese Warlord the moment He fired those bullets to those innocent people. What more at 14:50 .... I would have used my own power to destroy Tyrants overnight like what Injustice Superman did
This is a great story, I stand by that idea that we as humans are our worst enemies, it sucks because we can do great things, but unless we focus on improving ourselves like being sustainable and treating each other better we will almost certainly bring about our own end. I think basically everyone is good on the inside but a small amount of bad can ruin everything. I love how comics reflect our reality, I saw alot of that in falcon and winter soldier, it reflected the racial tension we have in the u.s. that's why the comic and superhero genre is so important.
Sir Rob, I'm a recent arrival to your channel but I've binged a LOT of your videos and I loves them all! But without question my favorites are the ones that basically include a deep-dive into philosophy and the ideas of just simple human kindness. I agree that this is one of the fewgreatest comic stories ever, and your narration is even better. Thank you!
A standalone Superman movie based on this book would be peak but it's going to be extremely difficult to capture Alex Ross's aesthetic especially in animation
This was a great story. But my personal favorite Superman story was, in fact, called "The Superman Story" (World's Finest Comics #37, 1948). A group of reporters follows Superman around for a day, competing for an award for writing the best Superman story. But the award is won by a photographer who never took a single picture of Superman. Instead, he captured the emotions on the faces of the people Superman helped; proving that the real Superman story isn't about the powers he has, but how he chooses to use them.
Ross, what an artist. Times haven't changed YET. Great story, like you said. Fir those that buy comics looking for action, this gives a peel away view of Superman. Even down to the nostalgic look.
Comics like these prove that we shouldn't remove politics from comics like many say. In fact, comics are a great way to spread positive messages and encourage people to change the world, to challenge corruption and the establishment. Superman was born as a man of the people to protect them from those elite who would exploit, kill, and abuse them, and it's nice to see some writers bring that back.
Definitely not a sad one in the long run. A heavy one. But it still ended in hope. Superman's greatest gift to humanity was his ability to inspire. If even just one person was inspired by his pure heart, if even one person's life was made slightly better because of his good deeds, then his mission was worth it.
What if Ra's al Ghul got the Ten Rings What if the Scarlet Witch got the Helmet of Fate What if Darkseid got the Cosmic Cube What if Deadpool got the Mask What if Darkseid fought The Avengers. What if Thanos got the Anti-Life Equation What if Shang-Chi was the Iron Fist What if Superman landed in Asguard What if the Batman Who Laughs invaded the Marvel Universe
What if Superman landed in Asguard? Rob, you've got to make this story. I've never even thought of this, but the things that could happen in the Marvel Univers! Common.
I just finished reading All Star Superman as a homework for Art Uni, I really liked it and it's one of the, if not the, best Superman comicbook of all time by many readers. Personally i find Superman: Peace on Earth my favourite, being All Star Superman up there for sure.
"If God is all good, he can not be all powerful, and if he's all powerful he can not be all good!" This entire comic book is in Both MOS & BVS 🤔 but since people (main stream audience) don't really read comics they missed it.
It's literally the opposite of that, in this comic Pa Kent teaches Clark that even if humanity is flawed they still deserve a chance bc it's worth fighting for, in MOS Pa Kent scolds Clark for saving the kids suggesting he should have let them die instead for his own interest, in BvS Ma Kent literally tells Clark humanity isn't worth saving and that he should stop helping them bc he doesn't owe them anything, Snyder dehumanized Superman in an attempt to make an edgy and contrived Jesus parallelism, where POE got it right Snyder got it completely wrong Stop
@@pats3212 oh for God's sake 🙄 pa Kent literally said "maybe" about the kids. He wants to protect the secret at all costs...because if not, you're going to have some people who worship him while others demonize him. Would you want your child to go through that?? Martha told him that because all the crap he's being blamed for...Supes doesn't owe the world anything, he does because he chooses to. Screw it, Snyder & other Directors should just dumb down their movies to be like MCU movies 🙄 & definitely not use stories from comics a lot of people don't know exist 👍✌
This story contains my all time favorite Superman quote:
"I look upon my powers as a gift. Not mine alone. But for anyone who needs them. "
And that's what makes Superman the greatest superhero of all time.
That and all star Superman
This comic shows why i always laugh at people who say Superman is boring 🤡 lmao 😂
Whenever people say, “Superman is boring because he’s too strong” it sucks to hear. Because stories like this exist. That show that he can be just as human than the people he saves every day. Stories that feature almost no action, or anything. Just them doing the right thing. I admire that these stories manage to show just how great these characters can be without that. It’s sad we don’t get these more often. Especially in films.
See this video made me realize the reason the majority of comicbook casuals hate superman is because the essence of his character is about making humanity better . People dont want to be better they want to be the same shitty humans they always are its just easier that way. They understand characters like batman and spiderman cus its just easier...
Sad.
Ironically, It takes a lot of skill to write Superman well. People think he’s an easy character to write because he’s OP and can beat anyone.
But stories like this or All Star Superman; humanize him in a great way
People who say that don't understand him at all
@@amuroray9115 yeah that was always his concept is to be human but people missed it
people who say that dont understand his character and that with superman its not about the tangible things and the fighting and villians its more about how here you have this all powerful character with almost no equal however despite this he sees all the worlds hardships and struggles and feels almost powerless to stop these things and when a writer focuses on these aspects of his character you get stories like this beautifully written one
It’s nice to read a Superman story where it’s just Superman being Superman. There are too many stories these days that try to make him a anti hero or villain, which to me is just creatively bankrupt. Superman works best a fundamentally good person. He’s heroic not because of his all his power, but because of what he does with it. Instead of ruling the world or making money he spends his time helping people be it saving the world from supervillains or helping a kids cat out of a tree.
Agreed
That's where the show superman and lois knocks it out of the park. He's truly a symbol that believes the best in everyone and leads the way in doing the right thing
But what if Superman made lots of money to primarily use it to create good jobs and fund STEM, The Arts & Humanitarian Programs?
What if Superman ruled the world but we all still ruled our own lives?
@@superbrian7997then he wouldn’t be Superman.
@@jb.443 the world needs more than DC Comics “Glorified Fire Fighter” aka Superman. If that’s what you think a real Superman is, then you have a very low bar and standard of expectations.
A superhero by definition must go above and beyond the call of duty to truly earn the name, title and respect. But DC Comics would have us believe that all it takes to be a superhero is to have so-called superpowers and use them to save people’s lives and fight bad guys.
Shouldn’t all of that just be seen as the bare minimum? Isn’t it just the bare minimum of what awesome potential Superman truly has?
I mean Alex Ross' art makes anything look like the greatest comicbook ever
Right? He's the gold standard for sure.
He’s over here drawing the Mona Lisa for every issue
Are you saying "Peace on Earth" isn't the best superman story?
He's my favorite artist, and do at time read stories that aren't that great but because the art, I pick it up. But the art for this isn't what makes this story.
@@billyhall2551 It's very good....I think might know a few better Superman books
Superman will always be number one. First ever superhero.
Batman.
I love Batman, he's my favorite superhero, but Superman is the greatest superhero ever.
This comic shows why i always laugh at people who say Superman is boring 🤡 lmao 😂
Rob you weren't kidding. This is the best superman story I've ever read. Never thought a superman comic would make me tear up this much
I found All-Star Superman was a really good read as well. I haven't read Peace on Earth yet, so hopefully Rob elucidates the issue sufficiently.
"Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth" is not a Superman story but also by Alex Ross and Paul Dini and is also very touching and emotional.
All star is the best superman story imo
@@Wise_Son bro that one made me cry like a bitch.
As a kid, I used to see his art and be comepletly convinced it was photography
I don't blame anyone who does the first time I saw his art I literally thought the same
A lot of his art he bases on real people that he has has pose and does a photo to start or a sketch.
In Kingdom Come his dad was the model for the Pastor that the Specter is showing the story.
He really makes you believe they're real
This comic shows why i always laugh at people who say Superman is boring 🤡 lmao 😂
Alex Ross is the modern version of Rockwell. "Depict humanity as it is, not how you see it."
This story, like many of his other works, illuminates how good REAL foundational story telling can be and that comic books can tell story's that can reach across all age groups.
It's very much like how Pixar used to be...
That explains why I love his art so much. Girl with shiner is one of my favourite Rockwell paintings lol
Daily Planet: *Superman's mission falls short.*
That got me in the feels bro.
This comic shows why i always laugh at people who say Superman is boring 🤡 lmao 😂
Some art school teacher decades ago: You can't paint like Norman Rockwell AND be a comic book artist at the same time.
Alex Ross: Hold my beer.
Yes!!! 😁😁😁
Emma Frost
Yyyesss Sir 👍
This comic shows why i always laugh at people who say Superman is boring 🤡 lmao 😂
I definitely agree about Peace on Earth. It was fantastic. The others in this series are also very good. There's a hardcover collection of all the Dini/Ross DC books they made around this same time. Absolutely worth the money. The Captain Marvel one literally made me tear up.
What's the name of it so I can search and buy it
@@bownight
It’s called ‘The World’s Greatest Super-Heroes By Alex Ross And Paul Dini,’ which collects Superman: Peace on Earth, Batman: War on Crime, Shazam!: Power of Hope, Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth, Justice League: Secret Origins and Justice League: Liberty and Justice
You can get it at a pretty inexpensive price online. I think it’s still $25-$30 from DC.
Power Of Hope?
@@joaopescusa
Yes. It was the third in that series.
Alex Ross’s legendary art + Paul Dini’s legendary writing = greatness
The artwork with this comic book is amazing, it's sad I don't think Warner Bros would be able to make a Superman movie this deep and emotional 😩😭
Should have been a man of steel 2 it would have further developed superman in to the boy scout but batman versus superman destroyed the entire franchise
At least we have the animated series
They won’t (because WB is run by Idiots who fundamentally do not understand who Superman is) but we can dream.
@@johnlawful2272 debatable
@@rjpompa2678 Martha is debatable?
I love this story and the artwork. Alex Ross will forever be immortalized.
That line pa Kent said about very plant deserves a chance to grow reminds me of batman fighting ghostmaker and them saying not everyone can be saved, but some people can and its hard to tell by seeing them on their worst day
I’m a simple guy: I see Alex Ross art I click. No questions asked
Top tier instinct ☝️
Same
@15:50 I am absolutely losing it at Superman’s belly rolls when he sits. It’s such a real and honest detail, so different than like in later comics might is clearly defined as a physical trait
There are situations where Clark Kent is far more powerful than Superman. The pen can be mightier than the sword.
Clark would agree!
Yep that’s the entire premise of the crypto-hero concept in judeic lore (edit ie the premise of Superman comics tho as usual ripping off Nietzsche).
Basically- as much “can be done” in both the crypto and the “true” form.
Best example of this would be something like Jon Stewart of the Daily Show birth name Jon Liebowitz. His “crypto” form became just as if not more powerful than his “true” form. Man did more for early twenty first century neo- liberalism being accepted by gentiles than any other single member of his group on the planet.
Pretty interesting rabbit hole tbh.
These are the comics that folk responsible for Superman adaptations should be looking at for a true glimpse at the character's core instead of putting the "1000s Evil Superman" story. Alex Ross art is simply impeccable, as usual!
I didn't even know about this one. I let my nephews and son listen to this and they were legit bothered by the way the real world is. Crazy how comics reflect real life situations and hit so much harder.
I wonder how Alex Ross would´ve done the Death of Superman comic, imagine that.
Yeah, it would've more than made for that story admittedly being relatively light on actual writing.
Oh he would have put that as the definitive comic of all time! He is a master of what he does.
@@richardgilbert2897 I want him to do a berserk piece
That’s my favorite Superman comic, not the return.
The Pure Violence and Raw Emotions...
speaking of alex ross, I just finished reading Kingdom Come. If anyone hasn’t, PLEASE check this story out. It was so beautifully tragic and its one of the best stories i’ve read yet.
Buddy. Telling comic book fans to read kingdom come is like telling plants to make air.
@@AlxndrXX well i’m still fairly new to comics so im recommending it to those who are as well
@@matiaspena3165 I think Rob may have done it, but honestly these stories go back to the roots of superheroes and are so amazingly done! Words can't even begin to describe
I've been periodically asking him to remaster it for 2 years and counting now. For some crazy reason, very few UA-camrs have covered it... Rob did it a long time ago but I'd love to see it remastered in his improved style
@@thephilosopher7173 Rob did a video on it but it was 5 year-ago Rob. His voice was flat and he didn't bring the current level of Rob to his video. I'd love if he remade it.
I would kill for a standalone Superman film like this... ugh
Wb is too afraid to do a live action version.
Best we can hope for is an animated movie
@@madddoggnogood1491 just imagine a superman animated movie based on Alex Ross's superman with a animation like the adventures of Tintin.
I swear I clapped so hard at the end my hands hurt, this is the best story ever to be written in comics, this right here THIS is what explains whata true hero is and idgf if someone says otherwise
You can tell that Rob is superhero comic fan by the way he has a new favorite comic every week
I went to the same College that Ross did. Having seen his art in the halls and meeting the teachers who taught him. There was no way he wasn't coming out of there with powerful art like this.
Also Fun Fact one of my teachers who was a classmate of his was in this story . She's Rebecca mason he captured her perfectly.
When Warner Bros reboots DC, I want the new DC films to be inspired by Alex Ross stories
You nailed it Rob. This is one of the best books period. The art is amazing and your observations are astute. I'd forgotten about these books. You would make me very happy if you did the rest of these books.
This is why Superman is my favorite hero of all time.
Back when comics were both beautiful and inspiring.
Facts comics are amazing the modern ones are just so disappointing it's sad 😔
@@elewoo7131 i aggred. These days, comics are about powerhouse vs powerhouse house fights.
You're right, this *IS* the best Superman story ever written!!!
I love Alex Ross artwork it’s really awesome and very beautiful
As a writer,this inspires me to write similar stories that change hearts and minds one person at a time. It really makes us see that mankind really is it's own worst nightmare...bu even then there is still hope so long as even one person is willing to reach out. Fear the day when humanity loses its humanity completely.
Fantastic Comic.
This in just 1 chapter shows why Superman deserves to be one of the greats, and is an inspiration for millions.
Thanks Comics Explained, I would never have read this otherwise.
And this is why Superman is the Greatest Superhero & he's hated for it from all sides
I read this comic many years ago and it was one of the most moving comics I had read because of how right it is. That and it really pushed home the messages of changing hearts like Jesus taught us. Superman is doing all that he can to fix the issue on the surface that is leading to suffering (ie hunger), and does all that he can to personally assist, but for all the good he does it will never fix the underlying problems of the human heart to just give everything. Hunger will exist, suffering will continue, but there is a way. Not everyone can follow it, but enough will that it will change things for the better when we as individuals see our fellow human beings universally as equals and that we each are our brother's keeper.
Your absolutely right Rob. Probably the greatest Superman story I've read. Well played sir.
This story is amazing. You have to know that this story has probably influenced quite a lot of people. That's the point of the story. It is supposed to inspire us to do better. That's what's so damn great about Superman. You love to see it.
Superman for President!!! Super president!!!
My friend had this comic and I read it and after reading it I finally understood why superman was such a special character and I started to like him too
This story just destroys me every time I read it, and this video is no exception. God damn.
Clearly this is THE BEST Superman story. Its so raw, and the message is the most profound of any Superhero story. Alex Ross' art on top of that. God Damn!
Alex Ross is the Norman Rockwell of comix
Woah there budd, idk if you know the connotation of comix, but to be on the safe side, yeah he's amazing at comic art.
but without the spoons full of sugar and better composition for complicated page layouts!
@@thelatinoguyhonestly I don't have a clue 🤷♂️
@@grahamcrawford4773 truth!
Comics like these made them seem so real.. Like.. your history.. Almost like a docu-series
Omg photo realism is crazy looks epic
Check out "Marvels," also by Alex Ross. It's every bit as good as this story.
Also kingdom come
Alex Ross made a Batman book like this. It came off as sad. It showed a scarred , injured, bruised old fighter. I loved it but it was emotional!
Made me think of my Dad, made my students think of his hurt and pain mostly.
Any thoughts on:-
"All Star Superman"?
"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow"?
The final interaction with Lex makes All-Star Superman a personal favorite of mine
All Star is the best Superman story imho
@@timothyjohnson6284 How about issue 10?
Its a good elseworlds story. I think that, having read it numerous times, was Grant Morrison's best story to date.
I love the story and writing of all star Superman; but I HATE the artwork!
I remember a Supes comic from the 70s where he fought this same sort of moral dilemma. He came upon a conflict between migrant farmers and landowners in California. A fight starts and he flies in to break it up. Both sides are yelling and begging him take their side. Supes had been thinking about his actions and they affected humanity. He basically tells them that they needed to work their issues out themselves and flies away. Basically, we all have to be Superman. Its almost like the writers knew Superman couldn't solve real world problems because we couldn't solve the problems of that time period ourselves. And sadly, its the same way today.
I've never seen a comic drawn with so much talent. This is absolutely amazing art.
These type of stories are best. They remind me why Superman is the greatest!
"Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth" is also a really good story by Alex Ross and Paul Dini and is also very touching and emotional.
I have this comic book/graphic novel. And every time I read it, it makes me cry. It's so humanizing that truly touches in your very soul. I am glad you Covered this Story Rob.
Oh my god! The is art is so great it's almost unbelievable.
Its comforting in a way, to know that one as powerful as Superman can feel overwhelmed and helpless in the face of humanity's dark side.
That's why smallville series is one of my favourite superman series, it defines superman as superman. Superman and lois have its potential, hopefully they don't messed up
Kingdom Come is the greatest Graphic novel ever made. Enough can't be said about the story, plot, themes, pacing, etc.
But its the greatest to me because of the artwork. The artwork really delivers everything that writer was trying to convey as matter of fact I think it took it even further.
Oh I forgot, I consider it a superman story
Alex Ross's superman has set a standard for how superman looks in my mind that no actor has been able to meet, not even reeves
Yet Superman peace on Earth is a masterpiece and so is Shazam the power of hope. Alex Ross is a master artist
Now this is a story that the WB/DC could adopt into a film.😊👍
@@applejuice3500 Good point, I was thinking perhaps an animated film. DC seems to be doing pretty well in that department.
FINALLY! Been waiting forever for you to do this. The collection really captures the essence of DC's heroes
This story touched two topics: "war on poverty" and "regime change". Both are hot potatoes. I don't think a comic book story could address the complexity of both of them. However I appreciate Paul Dini and Alex Ross at the time had the courage to discuss them.
Agreed. I had some questions about the distribution and economics of Superman's actions, like how much grain did he ship? One freight liner? A dozen? How many cities would that actually feed? Regardless, I'm sure the United States could foot the bill. It's barely a drop in the bucket.
And the charity seemed limited to a couple of days before humanity's uglier impulses won out. And while I'm certain that the articles he wrote as Clark Kent were stirring and informative... Hah i don't know, the comic seemed to articulate the struggle and seeming futility of attempting to fix existential problems like 'eliminate poverty' or 'end all crime/evil' and 'bring about world peace'. No need for me to parrot the author's speculations.
Still, like everyone else i was enchanted by the art and thought it encapsulated complex topics with nuance, showing potential solutions and the adversity that would rise up to meet them.
This is what I have been waiting for a long time. A "Best of [insert Hero/Villian] Story" series.
I wish there could be one of Cyclops. That man needs a positive story bout him ffs.
Nah, Scott and Logan simped hard for Gene and must suffer the consequences of thirsting for an Egirl
Scott is trash
We definitely need more stories like these! This was incredible!
Title's not even clickbait, THIS is the story I tell people to read when they complain about Superman being a stuffy, uninteresting Gary-Stu. Paired with Alex Ross's art, it's my favorite superhero story of all time. I wasn't even a Superman fan when I read it either.
I’m gonna be honest with you rob, listening to you explain this comic and looking at this artwork, I cried
Its a little worrying superman got to that age without knowing that food insecurity, poverty and corporate greed are the actual supervillains the world faces....
I can't fathom how long and how much detail it takes for him to draw each page. Such talent 👏. I always and forever love Alex Ross art.
This is why I love Superman a lot and is my number 1 favorite hero and character
He does these things and has the patience of the universe with him, Even when things fails, He still tries to instill hope and inspires people. Like on that one story where Killer Frost was still a normal human, All her colleagues and professors said She will fail the exam because she's a failure, But the moment She saw superman flew above her like your normal Metropolis Occurence, It gave her hope and inspires her to bring her best to pass the exam to which she did, When Superman flew over her she went " Well, If a Man can fly then I can definitely pass this Board Exam". It's the little things like that, that makes me love Superman's Character
Honestly, If I were Superman, I can't even do what he does, For example at 13:00, I would have went full Injustice God Among us on that Vietnamese Warlord the moment He fired those bullets to those innocent people. What more at 14:50 .... I would have used my own power to destroy Tyrants overnight like what Injustice Superman did
This is a great story, I stand by that idea that we as humans are our worst enemies, it sucks because we can do great things, but unless we focus on improving ourselves like being sustainable and treating each other better we will almost certainly bring about our own end. I think basically everyone is good on the inside but a small amount of bad can ruin everything. I love how comics reflect our reality, I saw alot of that in falcon and winter soldier, it reflected the racial tension we have in the u.s. that's why the comic and superhero genre is so important.
Sir Rob, I'm a recent arrival to your channel but I've binged a LOT of your videos and I loves them all! But without question my favorites are the ones that basically include a deep-dive into philosophy and the ideas of just simple human kindness. I agree that this is one of the fewgreatest comic stories ever, and your narration is even better. Thank you!
The same basic message someone gave 2000 years ago and his book has been out for quite awhile 🤔
It's almost as if a quest for morality is an instrisic human virtue
A standalone Superman movie based on this book would be peak but it's going to be extremely difficult to capture Alex Ross's aesthetic especially in animation
The Evil that lies in the Hearts of Men.
As a comic book reader and fan of superman since I was a kid I wonder how humanity could take on the lessons of these characters
For the love of all things funny, please Rob grace us with another RunDown episode
One of the best Superman stories I have ever read🥺
Superman is the greatest hero ever period.
Not even close imo.
This was a great story. But my personal favorite Superman story was, in fact, called "The Superman Story" (World's Finest Comics #37, 1948).
A group of reporters follows Superman around for a day, competing for an award for writing the best Superman story. But the award is won by a photographer who never took a single picture of Superman. Instead, he captured the emotions on the faces of the people Superman helped; proving that the real Superman story isn't about the powers he has, but how he chooses to use them.
I would love for you to cover 'Superman:Up In The Sky'
It's so good.
Broooo!
It's Awesome
Ross, what an artist. Times haven't changed YET. Great story, like you said. Fir those that buy comics looking for action, this gives a peel away view of Superman. Even down to the nostalgic look.
bro bout to hit 2 mil, where the party at my guy?!?!
Comics like these prove that we shouldn't remove politics from comics like many say. In fact, comics are a great way to spread positive messages and encourage people to change the world, to challenge corruption and the establishment. Superman was born as a man of the people to protect them from those elite who would exploit, kill, and abuse them, and it's nice to see some writers bring that back.
Folks wonder why people like myself are Fans of Kal-El...This is a Prime example as to why.
Been a legit superman fan as far back as I can remember, still learning stuff about him. That's the best part!
Alex Ross and Neil Gaiman make a comic: What would happen?
Definitely not a sad one in the long run. A heavy one. But it still ended in hope. Superman's greatest gift to humanity was his ability to inspire. If even just one person was inspired by his pure heart, if even one person's life was made slightly better because of his good deeds, then his mission was worth it.
Rob could you PLEASEEEEE make a video on the milk man Superman he’s extremely powerful and there’s next to no content on him.
**Superman casually creating a water spout with a tornado**
Character Explanation: Mammoth Mogul(Archie Sonic)
Character Explanation: Durge(Star Wars)
Love the Jazz at the beginning of this video. And I love this story. it honestly moved me to tears. thanks for the birthday gift! 35 years old today!
Please do these at some point:
Marvels
All-Star Superman
Beyond Omega Level: The Mask (Dark Horse)
What Happened To The Man of Tomorrow?
If Marvels gets done then Ruins needs to be done too
@@deadpool3982 Ruins has been done. Just look up Comics Explained: Ruins. He has not done Marvels yet
@@MidnightPhantom fair one. Figured if he hadn’t done Marvels he wouldn’t have done Ruins...especially as Ruins is Marvels dark reflection.
This right here, this is Superman.
What if Ra's al Ghul got the Ten Rings
What if the Scarlet Witch got the Helmet of Fate
What if Darkseid got the Cosmic Cube
What if Deadpool got the Mask
What if Darkseid fought The Avengers.
What if Thanos got the Anti-Life Equation
What if Shang-Chi was the Iron Fist
What if Superman landed in Asguard
What if the Batman Who Laughs invaded the Marvel Universe
What if Superman landed in Asguard? Rob, you've got to make this story. I've never even thought of this, but the things that could happen in the Marvel Univers! Common.
11:30 if only superman had some kind of ice power to put the fire out
Who the hell disliked this video being up less than 13 minutes of a 19 minutes video.
Why does comics seems to be the only thing that can really portrait Superman as he should the truest symbol of ☮️
Ahhh yes, back when the entertainment industry still cared about the fans
I just finished reading All Star Superman as a homework for Art Uni, I really liked it and it's one of the, if not the, best Superman comicbook of all time by many readers. Personally i find Superman: Peace on Earth my favourite, being All Star Superman up there for sure.
2:27 You're mispronouncing reverence. The accent is on the 1st syllable and the E is short, not long. REV-er-ence. You also mispronounced respite.
Who cares
You misspelled RationallySkeptical.
They're supposed to be a space in between them. There fixed it.
The Absolute Collection of these is timeless. Some of the best ever written.
"If God is all good, he can not be all powerful, and if he's all powerful he can not be all good!"
This entire comic book is in Both MOS & BVS 🤔 but since people (main stream audience) don't really read comics they missed it.
and this proves that's not true one can be both all powerful and good
@@Amokra study the part with the evil dictator...thats where the all powerful, all good part comes into play.
@@ActionFigureWorld ah I was thinking more of Superman :) but I get what your saying
It's literally the opposite of that, in this comic Pa Kent teaches Clark that even if humanity is flawed they still deserve a chance bc it's worth fighting for, in MOS Pa Kent scolds Clark for saving the kids suggesting he should have let them die instead for his own interest, in BvS Ma Kent literally tells Clark humanity isn't worth saving and that he should stop helping them bc he doesn't owe them anything, Snyder dehumanized Superman in an attempt to make an edgy and contrived Jesus parallelism, where POE got it right Snyder got it completely wrong
Stop
@@pats3212 oh for God's sake 🙄 pa Kent literally said "maybe" about the kids. He wants to protect the secret at all costs...because if not, you're going to have some people who worship him while others demonize him. Would you want your child to go through that??
Martha told him that because all the crap he's being blamed for...Supes doesn't owe the world anything, he does because he chooses to.
Screw it, Snyder & other Directors should just dumb down their movies to be like MCU movies 🙄 & definitely not use stories from comics a lot of people don't know exist 👍✌
The realistic art work is absolutely beautiful it's why I love alot of dc back stories