This story contains my all time favorite Superman quote: "I look upon my powers as a gift. Not mine alone. But for anyone who needs them. "

It’s nice to read a Superman story where it’s just Superman being Superman. There are too many stories these days that try to make him a anti hero or villain, which to me is just creatively bankrupt. Superman works best a fundamentally good person. He’s heroic not because of his all his power, but because of what he does with it. Instead of ruling the world or making money he spends his time helping people be it saving the world from supervillains or helping a kids cat out of a tree.

@amuroray9115

Жыл бұрын

Agreed

@danielhughes5932

11 ай бұрын

That's where the show superman and lois knocks it out of the park. He's truly a symbol that believes the best in everyone and leads the way in doing the right thing

@endershepard7117

9 ай бұрын

But what if Superman made lots of money to primarily use it to create good jobs and fund STEM, The Arts & Humanitarian Programs? What if Superman ruled the world but we all still ruled our own lives?

@spideyh7111

5 ай бұрын

@@endershepard7117then he wouldn’t be Superman.

@endershepard7117

5 ай бұрын

@@spideyh7111 the world needs more than DC Comics “Glorified Fire Fighter” aka Superman. If that’s what you think a real Superman is, then you have a very low bar and standard of expectations. A superhero by definition must go above and beyond the call of duty to truly earn the name, title and respect. But DC Comics would have us believe that all it takes to be a superhero is to have so-called superpowers and use them to save people’s lives and fight bad guys. Shouldn’t all of that just be seen as the bare minimum? Isn’t it just the bare minimum of what awesome potential Superman truly has?

Whenever people say, “Superman is boring because he’s too strong” it sucks to hear. Because stories like this exist. That show that he can be just as human than the people he saves every day. Stories that feature almost no action, or anything. Just them doing the right thing. I admire that these stories manage to show just how great these characters can be without that. It’s sad we don’t get these more often. Especially in films.

@thewolf01x95

2 жыл бұрын

See this video made me realize the reason the majority of comicbook casuals hate superman is because the essence of his character is about making humanity better . People dont want to be better they want to be the same shitty humans they always are its just easier that way. They understand characters like batman and spiderman cus its just easier... Sad.

@amuroray9115

2 жыл бұрын

Ironically, It takes a lot of skill to write Superman well. People think he’s an easy character to write because he’s OP and can beat anyone. But stories like this or All Star Superman; humanize him in a great way

@elewoo7131

2 жыл бұрын

People who say that don't understand him at all

@elewoo7131

2 жыл бұрын

@@amuroray9115 yeah that was always his concept is to be human but people missed it

@TheSupermandoomsday1

2 жыл бұрын

people who say that dont understand his character and that with superman its not about the tangible things and the fighting and villians its more about how here you have this all powerful character with almost no equal however despite this he sees all the worlds hardships and struggles and feels almost powerless to stop these things and when a writer focuses on these aspects of his character you get stories like this beautifully written one

I mean Alex Ross' art makes anything look like the greatest comicbook ever

@gregwessendorf

2 жыл бұрын

Right? He's the gold standard for sure.

@majinriley9776

2 жыл бұрын

He’s over here drawing the Mona Lisa for every issue

@billyhall2551

2 жыл бұрын

Are you saying "Peace on Earth" isn't the best superman story?

@Badchocobo

2 жыл бұрын

He's my favorite artist, and do at time read stories that aren't that great but because the art, I pick it up. But the art for this isn't what makes this story.

@johnnymultitasking7689

2 жыл бұрын

@@billyhall2551 It's very good....I think might know a few better Superman books

Rob you weren't kidding. This is the best superman story I've ever read. Never thought a superman comic would make me tear up this much

@michaelstapley4878

2 жыл бұрын

I found All-Star Superman was a really good read as well. I haven't read Peace on Earth yet, so hopefully Rob elucidates the issue sufficiently.

@AngusJo

2 жыл бұрын

"Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth" is not a Superman story but also by Alex Ross and Paul Dini and is also very touching and emotional.

@elewoo7131

2 жыл бұрын

All star is the best superman story imo

@unevenstreets1182

2 жыл бұрын

@@Wise_Son bro that one made me cry like a bitch.

As a kid, I used to see his art and be comepletly convinced it was photography

@elewoo7131

2 жыл бұрын

I don't blame anyone who does the first time I saw his art I literally thought the same

Alex Ross is the modern version of Rockwell. "Depict humanity as it is, not how you see it." This story, like many of his other works, illuminates how good REAL foundational story telling can be and that comic books can tell story's that can reach across all age groups. It's very much like how Pixar used to be...

@skadooshly

Жыл бұрын

That explains why I love his art so much. Girl with shiner is one of my favourite Rockwell paintings lol

Superman will always be number one. First ever superhero.

Daily Planet: *Superman's mission falls short.* That got me in the feels bro.

That line pa Kent said about very plant deserves a chance to grow reminds me of batman fighting ghostmaker and them saying not everyone can be saved, but some people can and its hard to tell by seeing them on their worst day

The artwork with this comic book is amazing, it's sad I don't think Warner Bros would be able to make a Superman movie this deep and emotional 😩😭

@johnlawful2272

2 жыл бұрын

Should have been a man of steel 2 it would have further developed superman in to the boy scout but batman versus superman destroyed the entire franchise

@benjaminyoo3504

2 жыл бұрын

At least we have the animated series

@thedukeofchutney468

2 жыл бұрын

They won’t (because WB is run by Idiots who fundamentally do not understand who Superman is) but we can dream.

@rjpompa2678

2 жыл бұрын

@@johnlawful2272 debatable

@johnlawful2272

2 жыл бұрын

@@rjpompa2678 Martha is debatable?

I wonder how Alex Ross would´ve done the Death of Superman comic, imagine that.

@themadtitan7603

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, it would've more than made for that story admittedly being relatively light on actual writing.

@richardgilbert2897

2 жыл бұрын

Oh he would have put that as the definitive comic of all time! He is a master of what he does.

@johnlawful2272

2 жыл бұрын

@@richardgilbert2897 I want him to do a berserk piece

@theonewhoisbetterthanyou3570

2 жыл бұрын

That’s my favorite Superman comic, not the return.

@UnexpectedWonder

2 жыл бұрын

The Pure Violence and Raw Emotions...

I definitely agree about Peace on Earth. It was fantastic. The others in this series are also very good. There's a hardcover collection of all the Dini/Ross DC books they made around this same time. Absolutely worth the money. The Captain Marvel one literally made me tear up.

@bownight

2 жыл бұрын

What's the name of it so I can search and buy it

@CorbCorbin

2 жыл бұрын

@@bownight It’s called ‘The World’s Greatest Super-Heroes By Alex Ross And Paul Dini,’ which collects Superman: Peace on Earth, Batman: War on Crime, Shazam!: Power of Hope, Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth, Justice League: Secret Origins and Justice League: Liberty and Justice You can get it at a pretty inexpensive price online. I think it’s still $25-$30 from DC.

@joaopescusa

2 жыл бұрын

Power Of Hope?

@CorbCorbin

2 жыл бұрын

@@joaopescusa Yes. It was the third in that series.

@amuroray9115

2 жыл бұрын

Alex Ross’s legendary art + Paul Dini’s legendary writing = greatness

I’m a simple guy: I see Alex Ross art I click. No questions asked

@MindForgedManacle

2 жыл бұрын

Top tier instinct ☝️

@amuroray9115

2 жыл бұрын

Same

This is why I love Superman a lot and is my number 1 favorite hero and character He does these things and has the patience of the universe with him, Even when things fails, He still tries to instill hope and inspires people. Like on that one story where Killer Frost was still a normal human, All her colleagues and professors said She will fail the exam because she's a failure, But the moment She saw superman flew above her like your normal Metropolis Occurence, It gave her hope and inspires her to bring her best to pass the exam to which she did, When Superman flew over her she went " Well, If a Man can fly then I can definitely pass this Board Exam". It's the little things like that, that makes me love Superman's Character Honestly, If I were Superman, I can't even do what he does, For example at 13:00, I would have went full Injustice God Among us on that Vietnamese Warlord the moment He fired those bullets to those innocent people. What more at 14:50 .... I would have used my own power to destroy Tyrants overnight like what Injustice Superman did

I love this story and the artwork. Alex Ross will forever be immortalized.

There are situations where Clark Kent is far more powerful than Superman. The pen can be mightier than the sword.

@lv67890

11 ай бұрын

Clark would agree!

Some art school teacher decades ago: You can't paint like Norman Rockwell AND be a comic book artist at the same time. Alex Ross: Hold my beer.

@UnexpectedWonder

2 жыл бұрын

Yes!!! 😁😁😁

@PaintedMoonBlue

2 жыл бұрын

Emma Frost

@isaiahbing2192

2 жыл бұрын

Yyyesss Sir 👍

I didn't even know about this one. I let my nephews and son listen to this and they were legit bothered by the way the real world is. Crazy how comics reflect real life situations and hit so much harder.

speaking of alex ross, I just finished reading Kingdom Come. If anyone hasn’t, PLEASE check this story out. It was so beautifully tragic and its one of the best stories i’ve read yet.

@AlxndrXX

2 жыл бұрын

Buddy. Telling comic book fans to read kingdom come is like telling plants to make air.

@matiaspena3165

2 жыл бұрын

@@AlxndrXX well i’m still fairly new to comics so im recommending it to those who are as well

@thephilosopher7173

2 жыл бұрын

@@matiaspena3165 I think Rob may have done it, but honestly these stories go back to the roots of superheroes and are so amazingly done! Words can't even begin to describe

@jr_xtreme8940

2 жыл бұрын

I've been periodically asking him to remaster it for 2 years and counting now. For some crazy reason, very few KZreadrs have covered it... Rob did it a long time ago but I'd love to see it remastered in his improved style

@joshguldin2095

2 жыл бұрын

@@thephilosopher7173 Rob did a video on it but it was 5 year-ago Rob. His voice was flat and he didn't bring the current level of Rob to his video. I'd love if he remade it.

These are the comics that folk responsible for Superman adaptations should be looking at for a true glimpse at the character's core instead of putting the "1000s Evil Superman" story. Alex Ross art is simply impeccable, as usual!

@15:50 I am absolutely losing it at Superman’s belly rolls when he sits. It’s such a real and honest detail, so different than like in later comics might is clearly defined as a physical trait

When Warner Bros reboots DC, I want the new DC films to be inspired by Alex Ross stories

I would kill for a standalone Superman film like this... ugh

@madddoggnogood1491

2 жыл бұрын

Wb is too afraid to do a live action version. Best we can hope for is an animated movie

@kaustubhpalkar792

2 жыл бұрын

@@madddoggnogood1491 just imagine a superman animated movie based on Alex Ross's superman with a animation like the adventures of Tintin.

I love Alex Ross artwork it’s really awesome and very beautiful

You nailed it Rob. This is one of the best books period. The art is amazing and your observations are astute. I'd forgotten about these books. You would make me very happy if you did the rest of these books.

You can tell that Rob is superhero comic fan by the way he has a new favorite comic every week

This is why Superman is my favorite hero of all time.

Alex Ross is the Norman Rockwell of comix

@thelatinoguy

2 жыл бұрын

Woah there budd, idk if you know the connotation of comix, but to be on the safe side, yeah he's amazing at comic art.

@grahamcrawford4773

2 жыл бұрын

but without the spoons full of sugar and better composition for complicated page layouts!

@collinsmith6565

2 жыл бұрын

@@thelatinoguyhonestly I don't have a clue 🤷‍♂️

@collinsmith6565

2 жыл бұрын

@@grahamcrawford4773 truth!

Omg photo realism is crazy looks epic

@BuildinWings

2 жыл бұрын

Check out "Marvels," also by Alex Ross. It's every bit as good as this story.

@dragonleo2009

2 жыл бұрын

Also kingdom come

I swear I clapped so hard at the end my hands hurt, this is the best story ever to be written in comics, this right here THIS is what explains whata true hero is and idgf if someone says otherwise

Back when comics were both beautiful and inspiring.

@elewoo7131

2 жыл бұрын

Facts comics are amazing the modern ones are just so disappointing it's sad 😔

@lxsagi9126

2 жыл бұрын

@@elewoo7131 i aggred. These days, comics are about powerhouse vs powerhouse house fights.

And this is why Superman is the Greatest Superhero & he's hated for it from all sides

This story just destroys me every time I read it, and this video is no exception. God damn.

@thephilosopher7173

2 жыл бұрын

Clearly this is THE BEST Superman story. Its so raw, and the message is the most profound of any Superhero story. Alex Ross' art on top of that. God Damn!

My friend had this comic and I read it and after reading it I finally understood why superman was such a special character and I started to like him too

Your absolutely right Rob. Probably the greatest Superman story I've read. Well played sir.

I went to the same College that Ross did. Having seen his art in the halls and meeting the teachers who taught him. There was no way he wasn't coming out of there with powerful art like this.

@mazoku112

2 жыл бұрын

Also Fun Fact one of my teachers who was a classmate of his was in this story . She's Rebecca mason he captured her perfectly.

Oh my god! The is art is so great it's almost unbelievable.

You're right, this *IS* the best Superman story ever written!!!

Any thoughts on:- "All Star Superman"? "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow"?

@timothyjohnson6284

2 жыл бұрын

The final interaction with Lex makes All-Star Superman a personal favorite of mine

@loststoryproductions

2 жыл бұрын

All Star is the best Superman story imho

@Metalisalearning77

2 жыл бұрын

@@timothyjohnson6284 How about issue 10?

@richardgilbert2897

2 жыл бұрын

Its a good elseworlds story. I think that, having read it numerous times, was Grant Morrison's best story to date.

@thedukeofchutney468

2 жыл бұрын

I love the story and writing of all star Superman; but I HATE the artwork!

Comics like these made them seem so real.. Like.. your history.. Almost like a docu-series

Now this is a story that the WB/DC could adopt into a film.😊👍

@Brownstone2004

2 жыл бұрын

@@applejuice3500 Good point, I was thinking perhaps an animated film. DC seems to be doing pretty well in that department.

This story touched two topics: "war on poverty" and "regime change". Both are hot potatoes. I don't think a comic book story could address the complexity of both of them. However I appreciate Paul Dini and Alex Ross at the time had the courage to discuss them.

@bradleymay5350

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed. I had some questions about the distribution and economics of Superman's actions, like how much grain did he ship? One freight liner? A dozen? How many cities would that actually feed? Regardless, I'm sure the United States could foot the bill. It's barely a drop in the bucket. And the charity seemed limited to a couple of days before humanity's uglier impulses won out. And while I'm certain that the articles he wrote as Clark Kent were stirring and informative... Hah i don't know, the comic seemed to articulate the struggle and seeming futility of attempting to fix existential problems like 'eliminate poverty' or 'end all crime/evil' and 'bring about world peace'. No need for me to parrot the author's speculations. Still, like everyone else i was enchanted by the art and thought it encapsulated complex topics with nuance, showing potential solutions and the adversity that would rise up to meet them.

As a writer,this inspires me to write similar stories that change hearts and minds one person at a time. It really makes us see that mankind really is it's own worst nightmare...bu even then there is still hope so long as even one person is willing to reach out. Fear the day when humanity loses its humanity completely.

This story is amazing. You have to know that this story has probably influenced quite a lot of people. That's the point of the story. It is supposed to inspire us to do better. That's what's so damn great about Superman. You love to see it.

@isaiahbing2192

2 жыл бұрын

Superman for President!!! Super president!!!

The same basic message someone gave 2000 years ago and his book has been out for quite awhile 🤔

@pats3212

2 жыл бұрын

It's almost as if a quest for morality is an instrisic human virtue

I read this comic many years ago and it was one of the most moving comics I had read because of how right it is. That and it really pushed home the messages of changing hearts like Jesus taught us. Superman is doing all that he can to fix the issue on the surface that is leading to suffering (ie hunger), and does all that he can to personally assist, but for all the good he does it will never fix the underlying problems of the human heart to just give everything. Hunger will exist, suffering will continue, but there is a way. Not everyone can follow it, but enough will that it will change things for the better when we as individuals see our fellow human beings universally as equals and that we each are our brother's keeper.

This right here, this is Superman.

Alex Ross's superman has set a standard for how superman looks in my mind that no actor has been able to meet, not even reeves

"Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth" is also a really good story by Alex Ross and Paul Dini and is also very touching and emotional.

I wish there could be one of Cyclops. That man needs a positive story bout him ffs.

@VindicatorsPledge

2 жыл бұрын

Nah, Scott and Logan simped hard for Gene and must suffer the consequences of thirsting for an Egirl

@elewoo7131

2 жыл бұрын

Scott is trash

Kingdom Come is the greatest Graphic novel ever made. Enough can't be said about the story, plot, themes, pacing, etc. But its the greatest to me because of the artwork. The artwork really delivers everything that writer was trying to convey as matter of fact I think it took it even further.

@lorduvaltv274

2 жыл бұрын

Oh I forgot, I consider it a superman story

FINALLY! Been waiting forever for you to do this. The collection really captures the essence of DC's heroes

Fantastic Comic. This in just 1 chapter shows why Superman deserves to be one of the greats, and is an inspiration for millions. Thanks Comics Explained, I would never have read this otherwise.

These type of stories are best. They remind me why Superman is the greatest!

We definitely need more stories like these! This was incredible!

That's why smallville series is one of my favourite superman series, it defines superman as superman. Superman and lois have its potential, hopefully they don't messed up

Sir Rob, I'm a recent arrival to your channel but I've binged a LOT of your videos and I loves them all! But without question my favorites are the ones that basically include a deep-dive into philosophy and the ideas of just simple human kindness. I agree that this is one of the fewgreatest comic stories ever, and your narration is even better. Thank you!

I have this comic book/graphic novel. And every time I read it, it makes me cry. It's so humanizing that truly touches in your very soul. I am glad you Covered this Story Rob.

I've never seen a comic drawn with so much talent. This is absolutely amazing art.

Yet Superman peace on Earth is a masterpiece and so is Shazam the power of hope. Alex Ross is a master artist

Man that was great! Yeah we need to see more comic's like this Rob

Fantastic breakdown! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👍🏾

Its a little worrying superman got to that age without knowing that food insecurity, poverty and corporate greed are the actual supervillains the world faces....

Comics like these prove that we shouldn't remove politics from comics like many say. In fact, comics are a great way to spread positive messages and encourage people to change the world, to challenge corruption and the establishment. Superman was born as a man of the people to protect them from those elite who would exploit, kill, and abuse them, and it's nice to see some writers bring that back.

rob i swear i was gonna ask you to cover this yesterday!! thank you!

I’m gonna be honest with you rob, listening to you explain this comic and looking at this artwork, I cried

Dude, I love your channel man.

Very interested in seeing more of these

Love seeing these Superman and DC videos!

I can't fathom how long and how much detail it takes for him to draw each page. Such talent 👏. I always and forever love Alex Ross art.

This is very touching! More and more of these please if not all of them. Thanks for a great video

This was amazing. I wish there were more stories like this.

Please make more of this it actually made my day

Title's not even clickbait, THIS is the story I tell people to read when they complain about Superman being a stuffy, uninteresting Gary-Stu. Paired with Alex Ross's art, it's my favorite superhero story of all time. I wasn't even a Superman fan when I read it either.

As a comic book reader and fan of superman since I was a kid I wonder how humanity could take on the lessons of these characters

lovely coverage Rob, keep them coming!

This is a great story, I stand by that idea that we as humans are our worst enemies, it sucks because we can do great things, but unless we focus on improving ourselves like being sustainable and treating each other better we will almost certainly bring about our own end. I think basically everyone is good on the inside but a small amount of bad can ruin everything. I love how comics reflect our reality, I saw alot of that in falcon and winter soldier, it reflected the racial tension we have in the u.s. that's why the comic and superhero genre is so important.

Thank you Rob. I needed that story.

This is what I have been waiting for a long time. A "Best of [insert Hero/Villian] Story" series.

epic story Rob! thank you

Ross, what an artist. Times haven't changed YET. Great story, like you said. Fir those that buy comics looking for action, this gives a peel away view of Superman. Even down to the nostalgic look.

bro bout to hit 2 mil, where the party at my guy?!?!

Awesome commentary 🤘🏼😊

I love your videos and I recommend them to my friends.

Bro. I love how you give us these stories bro. You are gr8

this was SUPER i would love to see more stories like this!

This is a great story and great video explaining this story

Yes please Rob! This is so awesome!

For the love of all things funny, please Rob grace us with another RunDown episode

I appreciate this video a lot, very appropriate for the times we're living :) And Alex Ross' art is simply mesmerizing, I never saw it before. Absolutely amazing.

This is a truly beautiful story and i would love to see more of these

Great story good cover Rob! Needed an inspirational story of never giving up today.

Rob, please 🙏 do more of these stories. It got my son to pick up some of my old superman comics

Love the Jazz at the beginning of this video. And I love this story. it honestly moved me to tears. thanks for the birthday gift! 35 years old today!

Definitely do more of these

Been a legit superman fan as far back as I can remember, still learning stuff about him. That's the best part!

The Absolute Collection of these is timeless. Some of the best ever written.

Awesome Art, Awesome Story. Thanks for sharing.

I remember reading these Alex Ross stories in the library years ago and this one hit me in the feels.