Superman: Kryptonite by Darwyn Cooke and Tim Sale

Superman has been protecting Metropolis for a few months now, and he still isn't quite sure of his abilities. He knows he's strong and can fly, but what might affect him, and what might be able to kill him? He isn't sure.

But when Superman came to Earth, he was not alone. A huge chunk of his home planet, Krypton, came with him, and it seems that either it is intelligent, or that there is something or someone trapped inside the Kryptonite, for it tells the story in this graphic novel.

While Clark is growing up on his farm in Iowa, the piece of Kryptonite falls in somewhere barren and cold. (Tibet? Manchuria? Can't tell.) It is taken into a monastery and knows peace and contentment, but it can feel Clark/Superman, and wishes to be close to him.

When the monastery is attacked by raiders, one of the raiders became fascinated with the stone, and took it away with him. When he set himself up as the rich and powerful ruler of a small country, he killed those who took a dislike to him, and was killed by his wife. She was shot by her own son, who inherited the stone. Now, the son is grown and has opened a casino in Metropolis, and is trying to set himself up as a Philanthropist.

But Perry White, the Editor of the Daily Planet, isn't accepting the "Philanthropist" part at face value, and he sets Lois Lane, Fimmy Olsen and Clark Kent to stake out and study both the casino and its owner. Lois goes in as a agent provocateur to interview the owner, Jason Gallo. But Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor is waiting to find out what can kill Superman also. What will happen when he finds out Superman's reaction to Kryptonite, and can Lois and Jimmy keep him safe? And will he ever find out who or what is trapped in that chunk of Kryptonite?

The author of this book, Darwyn Cook, explains that he wants his stories to stand the test of time, and with the constant revising of the DC timeline, that's hard to do. But he came up with a solution. Tell Classic Superman stories that don't rely on any timeline. And with this one, that is exactly what he's done.

This is a reworking and re-writing of the story that introduced Kryptonite to the Superman Universe. Interestingly enough, it was also the story that showed Superman's history and parents for the first time. But the way the original story went about showing that wasn't very convincing at all, and so they changed the story more than a bit to make an improved version that doesn't read like so much bullshittium. And it is contrasted with the story of the investigation that Clark and the others are doing, and his exploring of his powers with his earthly mother and father.

The storylines make the story a joy to read, but I wasn't as impressed with the artwork. Admittedly, it has a strong 30's or 40's feel, but it just felt rather cartoony compared to the story, which was more serious in tone and feel. On the whole, though it does add a "classic Superman" feel to the story, so despite my dislike of the art, I felt it did add something to the period feel of the piece. Of course, your mileage may vary when it comes to the artwork, so check it out for yourself before you buy. But definitely check it out. This is good stuff.