It’s a Bird…

    (Vertigo, 2004)
™ and © DC Comics, Inc.

It’s a Bird… is an amazing, semi-autobiographical work, the likes of which may never before have been seen from a mainstream publisher.

Steve has a problem. He’s a writer who has been offered Superman. This thrills his friends and family, but Steve is unmoved; he has no affinity for the character. Readers may find it hard to sympathize with that particular dilemma, but don’t worry. It gets worse.

Steve first met Superman in the hospital while his grandmother was dying of a terrible disease. Make that a terrible genetic disease. As in hereditary. To top it off, Steve’s father is missing. Suddenly, we don’t envy his Superman offer quite so much. (We haven’t even mentioned girlfriend Lisa yet!)

While he searches for his father and struggles to come to grips with Huntington’s Disease, he deconstructs Superman. The alien, the power, the color scheme, secret identities, fortresses of solitude, and other aspects of the myth are analyzed, as Steve tries to understand the character and give it relevance to his own existence.

Don’t overlook the multitalented Kristiansen’s skill in painting this work in a moody and evocative style. As accomplished as the art in the main tale is, when Steve digresses into Supermanalia, those portions are depicted in fittingly different styles.

If there’s any shortcoming, it’s DC’s obsession with these thin, $24.95 hardcovers. They’re generally excellent, but they do add up. And they’re shrink-wrapped, which prevents one from even previewing them before purchase. Have a heart, DC!

— Jack Abramowitz
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#1


Cover Price: $17.95
1 copy available for $5.53 		Steven SeagleTeddy Kristiansen
#1 - 2nd printing


Cover Price: $17.99
1 copy available for $25.00 		Steven SeagleTeddy Kristiansen