Superman: The Warworld Saga

Art wise we get a strong roster, Sampere and Federici are both phenomenal, but I wish the book had a bit more consistency. Now writing wise this is a fantastic piece. I think this is one of the best Superman stories of all time. More than anything else, this is the story that did something interesting with Superman and his status as a symbol of "hope". It had the courage to challenge Superman on every level - physically, mentally, morally - in ways most Superman writers are reluctant to do. Clark makes mistakes and messes up, but he never gives up, and that moved me in a way I rarely am moved reading superhero comics.Supes puts together an Authority team to go liberate slaves from Warworld - and Mongul beats him to a pulp and makes Supes and his allies slaves themselves. The people Superman came to liberate? They think he's a a fool, and have been outright brainwashed into loving their enslavers, rejecting his help. Midnighter tells him to his face that he sucks as a leader and demands to know why he values the Phaelosians more than the Authority. The Warzoons taunt him for refusing to kill by calling him the "Unblooded Sword", mocking him as being toothless. Yet Clark perseveres. He tells Middy that he doesn't value the Phaelosians more - he values them equally. Superman wouldn't abandon any member of the Authority and he refuses to abandon the Phaelosians. He fights in the gladiator pits but holds to his beliefs, wearing the Warzoon insult with pride until it becomes a mark of respect. After months he wins the Phaelosians over by sharing in their suffering and proving that he does care. Eventually he leads a full blown rebellion of Authority members, Phaelosians, and Warzoons to victory, taking the skills he's learned in the pits and putting them to use.It's a story where Superman is strong (he takes down a giant threatening his fellow slaves even though he is weaker than ever), smart (he figures out how to read the Warworld symbols which even the Bloodpriests can't do and answers the riddle that the Aspect of Olgrun poses), and principled (he gets the Fire of Olgrun by being willing to sacrifice himself even for someone he has just met). It's a Superman story that mixes in epic fantasy, horror, and scifi storytelling. It even leans into the Moses influence with Byla pointing out the similarities between Superman, and other heroes who were sent away as infants to escape genocides and raised as members of another culture, then returned to free their people from oppression. You get the blood of a dead god empowering people by turning them into monsters, Mongul crucifying a whole bunch of Phaelosians and using their bodies as signposts, necromancy, a religion based around enslavement and genocide, Warworld as this messed up counterpart to the Fortress of Solitude, corruption within the United Planets, this is one of the darkest Superman stories ever and it kicks butt! We've had multiple bad dark Superman stories in recent years, this is a refreshing reminder that yes, you can actually pull off that kind of story with Superman. I dearly love it and recommend this collection to anyone!

This comic compilation featuring Superman and other heros is very well written and full of action and twists in the plot. I love the artwork and the prose. Thanks again.

Well overall it was good, but it dragged a little too long for me . AM I the only one to remember a story from Jerry Ordway decades ago . One very similar Superman on Apocalipsis sans powers leading a revolution against st Darkside?

This story gives the best out of Superman in the modern Era. A seminal storyline for any Supes fan!

I don’t usually write negative reviews but I was an ACTION COMICS subscriber for over forty years and after reading Philip Kennedy Johnson’s efforts I cancelled my subscription. I felt no connection with the characters and it finally became something I couldn’t accept. The artwork is passable. If you want to see a current book that captures Superman’s character perfectly I refer you to Mark Ward’s BATMAN SUPERMAN WORLD’S FINEST.

This was so good. The BEST Superman story I have read in years and Phillip Kennedy Johnson is on fire. I wish DC had made this into an omnibus but I’ll take what I can get. Highly recommend

What a rollercoaster! An amazing saga of all times!

Not sure what all the hype was, didnt stand out as an amazing Superman story as it was hyped.