Equal parts heart-wrenching and horrifying, this superhero deconstruction is both a gripping tale for graphic novel enthusiasts and a perfect starting point for those new to the medium. Veitch tackles the daunting task of examining the alchemy of ideas that simply must exist in order to make their way into the collective human experience. In doing so, he presents the painful cautionary story of two na ve young men who create a superhero named "True-Man," only to see the creation lead to their own artistic and spiritual ruin. Veitch offers a warped view of the real story of Superman's creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, adding a dark, violent examination of what a real superbaby from another planet might be like. The narrative's driving force is this unnatural entity, whose attributes are godlike yet devastating (in one sequence, the military struggles to put this nightmarish creature to use as an ultimate weapon, adding a startling wrinkle to the tragedy of Hiroshima). Meanwhile, the Siegel and Shuster surrogates suffer indignities of both a creative and financial nature at the hands of an all-too-human monster: their publisher. Veitch's art is powerful and even occasionally gruesome. With its depth of both art and storytelling, this is a comics counterpoint to The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay: it's strong stuff that looks into the history of comics in America and finds an abyss. (May) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
