Comic Statues & Busts: Lex Luthor from DC Figures

Superman has been called many things, from the defender of truth, justice and the American way to the Big Blue Boy Scout. In LEX LUTHOR: MAN OF STEEL, he is called something he has never been called before: a threat to all humanity. Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo--the acclaimed team who brought you the best-selling JOKER--deliver a bold story in which readers get a glimpse into the mind of Superman's longtime foe. MAN OF STEEL reveals why Luthor chooses to be the proverbial thorn in the Man of Steel's side: to save humanity from an untrustworthy alien being.

I don't get to read a lot of Brian's, but when I do I'm always surprised why I don't. He takes the hard projects in the industry and creates masterpieces. Evidence with the Joker novel and other super hero books, he is the best dialogue writer in thr business. His words just flow and it feels natural. Lex Luthor is an enigma and we get to see a side of him that isn't tarnished but all too true for the character- he's pure evil. Read this book if you want to get inside Lex in a way not many others have portrayed him.

I've never really liked superman as a character, though there are a lot of good Superman stories (All-Star, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow, For All Seasons). In fact most of the stories in The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told (vol. 1) are some of the best stuff that came out of DC, pre-Neal Adams and Denny O'Neil.

But despite the good stories, Superman as a character, has from the beginning, been a smug jerk who is drunk with pride. In Supes most popular title from the 80s, John Byrne's Man of Steel, he even belittles his Krypton lineage in order to embrace the American way. THE LAST OF HIS KIND (up to that point) AND HE FORSAKES THE MEMORY OF HIS DEAD PEOPLE!? This omnipotent alien protector is not right in the head. And so this book goes.

Superman's portrayal in this book follows the same vein as Dark Knight Returns and Hush, which I love to see. Lex Luthor is the Machiavellian protagonist, while Superman is the god-like antagonist. Batman even steps into the compromising gray area in order to get back at Superman. This one really has you rooting for the "bad guys."

Even better than the outstanding writing and story, is Lee Bermejo's art. Everything is dark, realistic, and beautiful. I've never seen a better drawn Batman in my life (drawn even better than Bermejo's own work on Batman).

Basically, if you hate Superman, this book was written for you. And if you love Superman, this book was written for you too. You can't go wrong.

writing: [8/10]
art: [9/10]
color: [8/10]

Lex Luthor and Superman go hand-in-hand. This book tells the story of daily Metropolis on-goings through the eyes of Lex instead of Superman. We see how he justifies his hatred, his crimes, his evil, really. But we also see an honorable man. The conflicting emotions and thoughts are what makes Lex a great villain. At the end of the day Lex simply wants what's best for people as a whole...or so he says.

There have been many versions of Lex Luthor throughout the years; scientist, businessman, over the top, genius. He has been adapted and changed throughout the ages, with various successes and failures peppered in between.

I think though, that the Lex Luthor of Lex Luthor: Man of Steel gives you one of the greatest, if not the best, ways to look at the character.

The Lex Luthor of this story is a beautifully complex man. He sees Superman, not a possible savior, but as a dangerous alien who might turn on humanity any day. However, the way this is presented is truly unique and striking.

Every Lex Luthor I have seen has hated Superman yes, loathed him, or was jealous of the world's adoration of him. The reason for his hate has been from his own ego, his own quest for power, or hatred based on past actions between the two. This is the first time I found the enmity based on feelings for the world, not himself. This Lex despises Superman because he shows man's limitations, stops the world from advancing and becoming greater. And what's chilling is, in a way, the reader feels he's right. I won't go completely into detail about how and why because I'm sure new readers don't want an adventure spoiled for them.

Something I've heard complaints about for this book is the lack of explanation. Certain things occur and happen without a full backstory or step by step analysis. To me, that is a strength here. The first time I read the story, I loved it, but I had questions. I read it again. Things popped out at me that I had never noticed the first time, words suddenly had double meanings and hit harder than before, enough to shock me. The parts of the book that I had been unsure of were no more, because I was able to understand and draw my own conclusions. It's a blessing when a book let's you think instead of hammering the answer into your skull on its own.

The unexplained scenarios of this tale do not hamper the story. Full explanations would have taken away from it.

Another thing that must be touched on is the art. It is, truly, stunning. The style is one of which I have never seen before this artist, and I found it many different things at once. Beautiful, somehow realistic, horrifying. It's a privilege to look at honestly. Superman is drawn in such a way that I found myself afraid to imagine such a creature, as Lex, with his mindset, must be when he sees him flying through Metropolis. It added so much to what would have been an already fabulous plot.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone, any place, comic readers or not. It shows us a version of Lex that we can come to fear for his paranoia, respect for his sacrifice, pity for his unseen ego, and ache for his passion. We see Superman through different eyes, a very different Man of Steel. The text strikes a chord, proposing lessons and ideas that apply to much more than only Superman.

I have read many comics, from those proclaimed to be the greatest, to those that are pushed to the back of the shelf. I can truthfully say this is the best comic I have ever read, one of the best books I have ever read in my life. I hope everyone who has the chance to pick it up will, because it would be a shame not to.

"Lex Luthor" is a brilliant look into the psyche of Superman's #1 enemy. Unfortunately, Brian Azzarello's script is just as confusing as it is brilliant: There's a duel between Superman and Batman that takes place with little explanation, and Lex's creation of his own superhero is mostly unexplained. As other reviewers have noted, is his creation a cyborg? A robot? A genetically-modified human? There are many plot elements that aren't resolved over the course of the book's five issues. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter: The dialogue and characterization add up to the best rendition of Lex Luthor ever committed to paper.

With incredible attention to detail, Mattel's Retro-Action DC Super Heroes line captures the look and feel of classic soft-body figures from the '70s and '80s. More than recreations, these are updates based on the old style and, in some cases, improve on iconic features for some of your favorite DC Comics characters.

The Man of Steel faces off against his smartest and deadliest foe, Lex Luthor, just in time for their rematch in the upcoming blockbuster film Superman Returns. DC is proud to present several of the best comics stories featuring one of the most famous rivalries ever. Discover the various incarnations of Luthor – from mad scientist to Machiavellian industrialist to President of the United States – as he fuels his hatred and jealousy towards Superman into an unending war!

The editors of this collection really picked some of the best stories for Luthor's characterization, explaining what makes the Man of Steel's arch-nemesis tick.

Luthor's Silver Age origin story, "How Luthor Met Superboy" (by Jerry Siegel himself) is clearly a product of its era, but it's still very good--and it lays the groundwork for all of the cool stuff Elliot S! Maggin would later do with the ruined friendship between the characters in stories like "The Luthor Nobody Knows" and "The Einstein Connection." It's a pity that the sequel to "The Einstein Connection," called "The Ghost of Superman Future" isn't also included, but I guess you can't have everything.

The classic "The Showdown Between Luthor and Superman" introduces the planet Lexor, whose inhabitants hail Luthor as a hero. Its tragic sequel from decades later, "Luthor Unleashed," tells of Lexor's ultimate fate--and also introduces Lex's suit of power armor.

I've never been a fan of the post-Crisis "evil businessman" version of Luthor--he's a radically different character who should have simply been given a different name and introduced as a separate villain, rather than supplanting the classic supergenius Lex--but I have to admit that the editors picked good samples of him at his rotten best, even if they are pretty dark for my Silver Age tastes. "Metropolis 900 Miles" paints him as a complete monster, toying with people's lives for his own sick amusement. "Checkmate" explains the post-Crisis version's backstory and how he got to be the way he is; it takes what I think is usually the best approach with a villain, to make the audience understand and even pity him a little while never losing track of how horrible his actions are.

Rounding out the story is Luthor's Golden Age first appearance by Jerry Siegel; an early Silver Age story where Luthor steals the world's great monuments (hey, Luthor doesn't think small!); the first post-Crisis appearance of Luthor; and a biography of the post-Crisis Luthor leading up to his presidential administration (yes, Lex was President at one point!).

The only one I didn't care for is "The Army of Living Kryptonite Men," a Silver Age story that's a little too goofy even for my tastes.

Overall, I give this book a definite thumbs-up.

I was expecting to have to deal with the "first apperance" story; that's par for the course in these compilation albums and I was ready for the poor writing of the 1930s, what reasly surprised me was the haphazzard way that the stories for this collection were picked. There wasn't much of a rhyme or reason. Unless they were going for "the most boring Luthor Stories Ever Told".
No mention of the alternate Lex Luthor who is a superhero.
An incompleate reprint of Lex becoming a bussinessman in the 80s.
None of the great team up stories with Brainiac.
However you will find way too many of the camp Superboy stories and the juvenile origin of the Lex Luthor feud with Superman.
If Lex is a sociopath bent on world domination I saw no evidence of it here and if I was new to comics and had no other reference poin than this book I would (eroneously) think "wow, what a boring character this Lex Luthor is".

This two-pack includes requested re-releases Lex Luthor and Supergirl. Save the world (and your collection) with these ever-popular heroes! From Mattel and the DC Universe, this exciting batch of 7-inch scale action figures features brilliant colors, tons of detail, and plenty of articulation. Don't miss out on this exceptional assortment!