It's comforting that the story ends in winter because of the mythical fortress of solitude mentioned and the peace it's supposed to provide. I also really enjoyed the seasonal-themed chapters and how Clark/Superman never narrates. (I never noticed all those alliterative Ls before.) The classic characters are all present: Jonathan and Martha Kent, Lana Lang, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olsen. It's about the super-man himself, not his villains and feats, and how he maintains and finds balance between a personal and super life. Although nothing groundbreaking happens in terms of story, the restraint and maturity and realism, the lack of giant explosions and space wars, is what makes this so enjoyable. And Superman is written true to his Golden Age self, pure-hearted and saving the day. Clark himself is so very likable and human: naive, erroneous, shy, lost. I yearned for the down home and loving parents that are Jonathan and Martha Kent and all the corny platitudes they say. The writing is tender, nostalgic, and simple. Jeph Loeb tells the tale of Superman's coming of age and coming into his own, skipping Kryptonian lore and going right to Kansas. While this isn't the first Superman retelling, it's certainly one of the greatest. This is in my top two with All Star Superman. Why did I wait so many years to read this? Seriously.
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