All-Star Superman Review: The Definitive Superman
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's definitive, humane Superman.
By Web Admin
Ask a room full of comics readers for the single best Superman story, and one title comes up more than any other: All-Star Superman. Written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Frank Quitely, published by DC Comics across twelve issues from 2005 to 2008, it distills seventy years of the character into one perfect, sunlit story about a dying god who spends his final days being kind. If you have ever thought Superman was boring — too powerful, too wholesome, too old-fashioned — this is the book that will change your mind. Here is our full review.
What is All-Star Superman?
All-Star Superman is a twelve-issue series written by Grant Morrison (Batman, The Invisibles, We3) with art by Frank Quitely and digital inks/colors by Jamie Grant. Released between 2005 and 2008, it’s collected in two volumes or a single complete edition of roughly 300 pages, usually priced around US$18–30. Crucially, it sits outside regular DC continuity — it’s a self-contained story that requires no prior reading whatsoever, which makes it one of the best possible entry points to the character.
The setup is elegant and devastating. After a rescue mission too close to the sun, Superman’s cells become saturated with solar radiation. He is, in effect, dying — his powers amplified to godlike levels even as his body begins to fail. The series follows the twelve labors he undertakes in the time he has left, as he sets his affairs in order and quietly says goodbye to the world he loves.
The story: twelve labors of a dying god
Morrison structures the book loosely around the myth of the twelve labors of Hercules, and each issue functions almost as a self-contained short story while advancing the whole. Superman finally tells Lois Lane the truth about who he is and gives her his powers for a day. He confronts a pair of astronauts turned super-beings. He cures a suicidal young woman with a single sentence. He engineers a legacy that will outlast him. And, inevitably, he faces Lex Luthor for the last time.
What’s remarkable is how much joy the book contains for a story about death. Morrison treats the entirety of Superman’s absurd Silver Age history — the bottle city of Kandor, the sun-eater, the time travel, the super-pets — not as embarrassing baggage but as a rich toy box, and plays with it all with obvious love. The result is a story that feels both mythic and intimate, cosmic and human.
Frank Quitely’s art
Frank Quitely is one of the finest artists in comics, and this is his masterpiece. His Superman is solid and gentle — a big, calm presence who fills a panel with reassurance rather than menace. Quitely’s storytelling is quietly experimental: he plays with panel timing, decompresses key moments to let them breathe, and stages action with a clarity that never sacrifices beauty. Jamie Grant’s luminous coloring bathes everything in warm, golden light, which is exactly right for a book about the sun and the man it powers.
There’s one page in particular — Superman gently talking a young woman off a ledge — that has become one of the most shared and beloved single pages in modern comics. It captures the book’s entire thesis in a few panels: that Superman’s real power isn’t strength, but compassion.
The themes: kindness as strength
The central idea of All-Star Superman is that the most powerful being on Earth chooses, over and over, to be gentle. Faced with his own mortality, Superman doesn’t rage or conquer; he helps, he forgives, and he prepares the world to carry on without him. Morrison’s Superman is explicitly a modern myth — a story humanity tells itself about the best version of what power could be.
Lex Luthor serves as the perfect counterweight: a man consumed by envy and ego who cannot understand why Superman “wastes” his gifts on ordinary people. Their final confrontation reframes their entire rivalry as a philosophical one — small, grasping self-interest against boundless generosity. It’s the clearest articulation of why Superman matters that any comic has ever managed.
Meet the cast
- Superman / Clark Kent — dying, godlike, and determined to leave the world better than he found it.
- Lois Lane — sharp, skeptical, and finally let in on the truth.
- Lex Luthor — the envious genius who gets a startling moment of clarity near the end.
- Jimmy Olsen — reinvented here as a fearless, endlessly resourceful adventurer.
Content and accessibility
All-Star Superman is one of the most all-ages-friendly great comics on this site. There’s no graphic violence, no explicit content, and nothing that would trouble a younger reader — its emotional weight comes from mortality and kindness rather than darkness. That said, its imaginative density and mythic structure reward attentive reading; younger kids may enjoy the surface adventure while adults catch the deeper resonances. It genuinely works for almost any age.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Widely considered the best Superman story ever written
- No continuity required — a perfect entry point
- Frank Quitely’s art is career-best
- Warm, joyful, and quietly profound
Cons
- Some Silver Age weirdness may puzzle newcomers
- Episodic structure feels loose to some readers
- You’ll want everything else to live up to it (nothing quite does)
How it compares to other essential Superman and DC books
If you’re building a Superman shelf, here’s how All-Star Superman sits alongside the other titles readers most often mention in the same breath.
| Book | Creators | Best for | Approx. price |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-Star Superman | Morrison & Quitely | The definitive Superman | ~US$18 |
| Superman: Red Son | Millar & others | “What if” high concept | ~US$18 |
| Kingdom Come | Waid & Ross | Painted future epic | ~US$20 |
| Superman for All Seasons | Loeb & Sale | Small-town origin mood | ~US$18 |
For the wider picture, see our guides to the best DC graphic novels and the best superhero comics of all time. It also earns a permanent spot on our best graphic novels list.
Which edition should you buy?
There are a few good ways to read it, depending on your budget and how much you love your bookshelf.
| Edition | Collects | Approx. price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete paperback | Issues #1–12 | ~US$18 | Most readers |
| Deluxe hardcover | Issues #1–12 + extras | ~US$30 | A durable shelf copy |
| Absolute All-Star Superman | Oversized slipcased HC | ~US$75 | Appreciating Quitely’s art |
Where to go next
Because it stands alone, All-Star Superman is the ideal first Superman comic — you can read it today with zero preparation. When you’re ready to explore the character’s ongoing adventures, our Superman reading order maps out the essential runs and where a beginner should dive in.
The verdict
All-Star Superman is as close to a perfect superhero comic as exists. It’s imaginative, humane, gorgeously drawn, and utterly complete in itself. It understands that Superman’s appeal was never about how hard he can punch, but about the fact that a being who could do anything chooses, again and again, to be kind. If you read one Superman story in your life, read this one. It sits at the top of our best DC graphic novels list, and near the very top of the best graphic novels overall.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to read anything before All-Star Superman?
Nothing at all. It sits outside regular continuity and is designed as a complete, self-contained story. It’s frequently recommended as the very first Superman comic anyone should read.
Is All-Star Superman connected to the movies?
Not directly, though it heavily influenced the 2011 animated film of the same name and elements of it have echoed through later adaptations. The comic predates and stands apart from any live-action film.
Is All-Star Superman appropriate for kids?
Yes — it’s one of the most all-ages-friendly great comics we recommend. There’s no graphic violence or explicit content, though its emotional and thematic depth also make it rewarding for adults.
Why is it called the best Superman story ever?
Because it captures the essence of the character better than any other single book: it frames Superman’s defining trait as compassion rather than power, and does so with imagination and craft that few comics match.
Next, see the aging-icons companion piece in our Kingdom Come review, or dive into the wider best superhero comics guide.
