Article originally written by Jordan Jennings
Superman: Our Worlds at War is a collection of the massive DC crossover Our Worlds At War that was originally published in the early 2000’s. It has numerous writers and artists, but the event was spearheaded by the notorious writer Jeph Loeb. Loeb’s works include Batman: Long Halloween, Spider-Man: Blue, the Onslaught event, Ultimates 3, Ultimatum, and the Red Hulk. Needless to say his portfolio is uneven. So what makes Our Worlds at War so great that I would recommend it to everyone? Find out after the jump.
Superman: Our Worlds at War, despite its title, is a company-wide event that spanned multiple titles over the course of a year. It’s only titled Superman: Our Worlds at War due to its primary focus on Superman and his internal moral struggle that he faces when he has to team up with Luthor and Darkseid in order to stop a cosmic villain, named Imperiex, and later Brainiac 13. Other characters that receive some page time in the form of subplots include the entire Young Justice team, Hippolyta, John Henry Irons (Steel), and Lex Luthor.
The reason I enjoy this event so much is that it dissects the character of Superman and shows what makes him a hero. When most writers at the time were focused on making Superman a grittier hero, Loeb makes Superman an ideal. Yet, Loeb manages to portray Superman as a human in a sense with him showing a wide array of emotions. This is a rare combination to find in Superman comics. Most writers don’t appear to be able to decide between ideal or human, but Loeb finds the ideal mix. Loeb also manages to evoke emotions from his reader (and not the usual rage that his recent writings seem to evoke) by using, oddly enough, war-related speeches, letters, and correspondence. He is aided by his talented artists (Ed McGuiness being the primary one) in illustrating images that make your eyes misty.
I am aware that I am giving Loeb a lot of the credit, but he was the mastermind behind the event and wrote the key issues. The other writers involved – Joe Casey, Mark Schultz, Joe Kelly, Peter David, Phil Jimenez, and Todd Dezago – put forth great work during this event.
Overall, Our Worlds At War is not a perfect event and there are some down points (I personally didn’t like the Wonder Women sections) but the big picture is fantastic. It reminds me greatly of a war epic. There is a build-up to the big fight and it’s satisfying. The comic also shows the effect of war with the death of Aquaman (didn’t really die but it sets up Obsidian Age, which is a great story) and General Lane (not sure how he came back), and the disappearance of Ma and Pa Kent. It finds the right mix of tragedy and comedy. It is one of the best events you will find on the market today and I recommend it.
Thanks for reading.
Note: Superman: Our Worlds at War is available in multiple formats. I recommend the massive showcase-sized book that collects the full event. The other format you can find Our Worlds At War in is a smaller format. The story is collected in 2 volumes, half the story to each volume. For economic reasons I suggest you pick up the larger format. It only runs for 25 USD and you get the complete event. The smaller volumes are 20 USD a piece and would cost 40 USD to buy the complete event.
