Superman: American Alien - Max Landis

Superman: American Alien - Max Landis

Collecting all seven issues, this book adapts, retells, and modernizes the Superman mythos.  But as the jacket states, this is not a Superman story.  It's the story of Clark Kent, an alien wondering who he is.  Meeting Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen and Lex Luthor, fighting the Parasite — these are not the point of the stories, but merely events that help Clark discover what he should be.  I love how Landis implied that the whole town of Smallville knows Clark is Superman and keeps it to themselves, I love the Lois Lane romance (although it's extremely compressed), I love the retelling of the Deathstroke meeting on the yacht.  Just brilliant mythmaking.  [5]

Silver - Stephan Franck

Silver - Stephan Franck

1. Of Treasures and Thieves, Book 1: James Finnegan, con man and master thief, finds he and his gang are out of luck when after a daring escape, he loses the key to their loot.  Desperate, he looks through the old journals of Jonathan Harker and learns two unbelievable things.  First, there exists a massive silver hoard called the silver dragon, worth millions.  And second, vampires exist and this hoard is in the possession of Drakh-Kahn, king of the vampires.  With the help of a sword-wielding Van Helsing granddaughter, a future-telling child, and an old ham actor, Finnegan goes for the big score, undead blood rituals and monsters be damned.  This is an exciting and fun adventure, with writing that evokes Brian Azzarello and black and white art that evokes Sin City.  Franck pays proper homage to Stoker's work, while letting Finnegan be a modern, devil-may-care hero.  This collection has six issues, stopping at a cliffhanger just as the long con gets rolling.  [4]