Review: Superman Treasury 2025: Hero for All #1
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Art: Bruno Redondo with Caio Filipe and Dan Jurgens & Brett Breeding
Colors: Adriano Lucas
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
Summary
After fairly quickly dispatching some attacking aliens, the Man of Steel figures that it shouldn’t be so easy…and he’s right as Superman faces off against his own past…or is it his OWN past?
Positives
Back in the 1970’s, DC Comics (and Marvel, for that matter) published large “treasury” sized comics, also known as tabloid editions. Sometimes these huge comics were reprints and sometimes they were original stories, and sometimes they were both. Recently, DC has been producing some facsimiles of these books. Superman Treasury 2025: Hero for All #1 is such a treasury edition, but it’s not a facsimile, it’s a new story with some flashback’s drawn by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding that work perfectly in the scope of the tale…don’t worry, it will all make sense!
The first thing that must be mentioned is Dan Jurgens’ decision to set this story in the past when Jon Kent was still a kid, pre-Bendis, pre-aging up, pre-irrelevancy. This alone makes this comic glorious! It’s clear that Dan Jurgens has a fondness for the young Jon Kent. Not only is he Jon’s creator, but this is also the second time that Jurgens has revisited Jon’s younger days since DC Comics allowed Brian Michael Bendis to ruin him. Jurgens is an experienced Superman writer and was in the midst of crafting some great stories in Action Comics when he was unceremoniously removed from the character in favor of the aforementioned Bendis which inaugurated unprecedented damage to the character from which the Man of Steel is still recovering. (For the record, Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason were ousted from Superman, as well).
Superman: Hero for All does a lot to help rehabilitate the Superman franchise. Jurgens knows the voice, he understands the character and he is able to shape the relationships and dynamics between the character. This isn’t just Lois, Clark and Jon. Ma and Pa are there, the Justice League is involved, Jimmy, Perry…. Jurgens generates a timeless quality despite it taking place at a specific time in the lives of these characters. It’s not weighed down by any current status quo shenanigans, despite feeling that it is in continuity. It’s not hard to place this into the pre-Bendis, “Rebirth” timeline of these characters.
Positives Cont’d
Bruno Redondo spent a few years on Nightwing, and he brings the same effort and execution to Superman: Hero for All. The large format allows Redondo’s art to impress. There are numerous moments in which Redondo captures the power and grandeur of the Man of Steel as well as sly nods to the past and Superman’s appearance’s in other media. Adrano Lucas again pairs perfectly with Redondo. It’s hard to imagine a better looking comic. This art team proved themselves on Nightwing, and this book cements it. There’s enough detail and background elements that one would do well to sit down and just absorb it over multiple readings or just art examination like I did with the treasury editions when I was a little boy in the ’70’s. Jurgens provides a flashback sequence which connects the dots for he reader on who some of these characters are as well as touching on Superman’s history.
This quick history lesson, and indeed all of Superman Treasury 2025: Hero for All is really an exploration of Superman’s character. Jurgens nails it and makes you believe. He makes you want more of this. Superman comics don’t feel like this often enough. Jurgens is able to make it feel modern and timeless all at the same time. Acknowledging the important points in his past while ignoring the missteps made with the character at the point of Bendis’ arrival at DC Comics is critical to making this work. Superman’s been a mess since Bendis. The current status quo for the Superman family is a mess currently, and Jurgens not only exposes that here, but provide a way to rectify it going forward should DC wisely choose to do so.
Negatives
There’s really no negative here, and there’s not much more the creative team could do to make it better. Damn near a perfect Superman comic.
Verdict
Superman Treasury 2025: Hero for All is a triumph and one of the best Superman stories I’ve read in years. There’s a real question implied here: Why isn’t Dan Jurgens writing Superman in the main comics right now? This comic is outstanding. The art by Redondo is GLORIOUS, and Jurgens’ s sequence is equally exciting as well as nostalgic. Jurgens presents all the important ideals and substance of Superman’s character in an entertaining way while also touching on important moments in his past that have made him the hero and MAN he is. Working in Maxima and the young Jon Kent is a brilliant approach. It shows a depth of understanding and connection that is just not present in the main Superman title (although Mark Waid is doing a fantastic job on Action Comics!). You can’t beat this comic. It really is a Superman story for the ages. It’s statement is so powerful it calls for a realignment of the main Superman title under Jurgens in this exact space. Paired with Waid’s Action Comics it could easily take Superman back to the top!
Perfection is tough, this should be 9.75/10, but with limits on the score it’s a … 5/5! Eisner’s anyone?
