Superman: Last Son

Superman: Last Son by: Richard Donner, Geoff Johns
Memory erased and trapped in the miniaturized bottle city of Kandor, Superman lives the life of Kal-El, a man with no powers who is simply trying to live up to the expectations of his family name. Things in Kandor are hardly utopian. The city is rife with alien prejudice, fascism, and fanatical dedication to the idea of Superman as the fabled Protector. But Kal-El is out of action--until he discovers he is being manipulated by someone close to him. When his memories come crashing back, he must save not only Kandor but also Metropolis. On the surface, this appears to be a straightforward Superman story, but the underlying treatment of such issues as misplaced deification, human rights, and terrorism give the story depth. The art, pencil as well as color work, is slick, dynamic, and full of movement. For Superman novices, there's a concise recap of the mythos and a helpful cast of characters, and Joe Kelly's foreword, which lends insight into how the story came about, is a great bonus. Even readers older than the target audience will enjoy the heroics.