"All-Star Superman" continues to shine

A relatively small haul at the comic-book store yesterday. At the top of my reading pile: “All-Star Superman” No. 5.

I continue to love this book, Grant Morrison’s semi-throwback to the Silver Age, but through the filter of his bizarre imagination. This one should have been titled “All-Star Clark Kent,” since Supes doesn’t show. The story revolves around Clark’s visit to prison to interview Lex Luthor, who’s on death row, and explores Luthor’s hatred for the Man of Steel. You’d think a super-genius like Lex could see behind the glasses and the fumbling facade and see that Clark is Superman. Oh well.

Anyway, it got me thinking about how I hadn’t seen an issue of “All-Star Batman and Robin” in a while. According to Newsarama, the fifth issue of that series, first solicited for last April and then for July, is now set for November.

Keep in mind that “All-Star Batman” launched last summer, while “All-Star Superman” started in November. That makes “All-Star Batman” not monthly, not bimonthly, but quarterly. The latest issue of Wizard magazine, also out yesterday, has an interview with artist Jim Lee, who shoulders the blame for the delays.