Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2013 1:04:32 GMT -5
Superman: The Unauthorized Biography by Glen Weldon
Yet another history-of book for the character, at least the fifth or sixth I've read. This one is merely history re-written from the Superman character biographies that came before it, some that covered a broad range of topics (Larry Tye's "Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Superhero" focused on comics, behind-the-scenes with the writers and artists, radio, TV, movies, etc.) and some that devoted themselves purely to one iteration of the character (Richard Bowers' "Superman versus the Ku Klux Klan: The True Story of How the Iconic Superhero Battled the Men of Hate", about the radio show's stance against bigotry in the 1940s).
The bibliography is telling enough, in how it includes all these other books and borrows freely to the point of telling the reader what kind of information aided him best in this book. It's really nothing more than hitting the highlights. (He even has a section for the websites from which he pilfered information, and sadly Superman Cinema didn't rate for him.)
Of course, the big giveaway that this book is a cover-the-bases one is the fact that there is no new interviews or insights from the folks involved with the character in any form. Nothing from actors, writers, directors, producers, artists, zip, zilch, nada.
I'm not quite sure why this book was even an undertaking. For once, the "unauthorized" part of the title should give you a clue that it was produced with zero help or input from DC. Seriously, the publisher didn't even bother to secure photos from DC for a mid-book glossy layout.
It's really just another cash-in on Superman's 75th anniversary, as the book was published this year. It barely covers The New 52, but as of printing, "Man of Steel" hadn't hit theaters.
By the way, he does give a fairly accurate guess at the new movie's fate, and I'll paraphrase: like "Superman Returns" the new film won't be a hit or a failure—it will fall somewhere in between. I'd say he nailed it.
However, unlike a more straight-forward approach like Tye's, perhaps a fan should enjoy the book for Weldon's snarky insights into comic-book story lines that fail horribly (remember the Grounded debacle from a few years ago?), puns, jokes, and jabs at Jon Peters. It's history with a flavor of commentary, and yet it's not heavy analysis like Grant Morrison's "Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human."
But, it's not a bad book. Not worth full price for a hardcover, but worth a borrow from your local library.
Yet another history-of book for the character, at least the fifth or sixth I've read. This one is merely history re-written from the Superman character biographies that came before it, some that covered a broad range of topics (Larry Tye's "Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Superhero" focused on comics, behind-the-scenes with the writers and artists, radio, TV, movies, etc.) and some that devoted themselves purely to one iteration of the character (Richard Bowers' "Superman versus the Ku Klux Klan: The True Story of How the Iconic Superhero Battled the Men of Hate", about the radio show's stance against bigotry in the 1940s).
The bibliography is telling enough, in how it includes all these other books and borrows freely to the point of telling the reader what kind of information aided him best in this book. It's really nothing more than hitting the highlights. (He even has a section for the websites from which he pilfered information, and sadly Superman Cinema didn't rate for him.)
Of course, the big giveaway that this book is a cover-the-bases one is the fact that there is no new interviews or insights from the folks involved with the character in any form. Nothing from actors, writers, directors, producers, artists, zip, zilch, nada.
I'm not quite sure why this book was even an undertaking. For once, the "unauthorized" part of the title should give you a clue that it was produced with zero help or input from DC. Seriously, the publisher didn't even bother to secure photos from DC for a mid-book glossy layout.
It's really just another cash-in on Superman's 75th anniversary, as the book was published this year. It barely covers The New 52, but as of printing, "Man of Steel" hadn't hit theaters.
By the way, he does give a fairly accurate guess at the new movie's fate, and I'll paraphrase: like "Superman Returns" the new film won't be a hit or a failure—it will fall somewhere in between. I'd say he nailed it.
However, unlike a more straight-forward approach like Tye's, perhaps a fan should enjoy the book for Weldon's snarky insights into comic-book story lines that fail horribly (remember the Grounded debacle from a few years ago?), puns, jokes, and jabs at Jon Peters. It's history with a flavor of commentary, and yet it's not heavy analysis like Grant Morrison's "Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human."
But, it's not a bad book. Not worth full price for a hardcover, but worth a borrow from your local library.
