Superman for All Seasons starts with an intense close up of the world-famous Superman symbol, then suddenly zooms out to a farm where a boy is looking for his pa. So in this edition of DC Showcase, let’s take a look at what makes this comic so special, and how could it influence James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy! Superman and his dog Shelby in Superman for All Seasons (DC Comics) From Smallville to Metropolis: The story of For All Seasons

Synthesizing the greatest elements from the history of Superman, For All Seasons immediately became one of the most definitive comics versions of the character, and would later inspire major adaptations like Smallville, Man of Steel, and Superman & Lois. Given the legacy of their hero, Loeb and Sale smartly play with reader expectations to add elements of surprise to such a well-known story. The comic is filled with homages to the history of the character in comics and beyond, including the Max Fleischer Superman cartoons and Superman the Movie, with light touches of the 90s animated series as well. Superman for All Seasons came out in 1998, on the heels of Superman: The Animated Series, and just before Smallville. For All Seasons was also nominated for three more Eisners: Best Limited Series, Best Writer, and Best Coloring. However, Sale’s only individual Eisner came from his work on Superman for All Seasons, as Best Penciller. Tim Sale shared all of his Eisner wins with Loeb for their work on Long Halloween and Dark Victory. In that time, Jeph Loeb won four Eisner Awards and was nominated for two more. Tim Sale and Jeph Loeb had a long comics career together, spanning over three decades. If you like Smallville, Superman & Lois, or Superman: The Animated Series, then Superman f or All Seasons is the ultimate comic for you. The result is that Superman for All Seasons presents not only one of the most heartfelt versions of Superman ever written, but also one of the best portrayals of his surrounding community. Loeb and Sale wanted to tell a story that balanced the heroics of Superman, the humanity of Clark Kent, and the core characters of his classic supporting cast. Rather than making a connected universe with the plan to crossover, the creators made the calculated decision to take the exact same character-focused approach to Superman as they did with Batman.

Superman for All Seasons is the incredible follow-up to Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale’s Batman: The Long Halloween.

Superman for all seasons deluxe edition