Hats off to one of the best Superman comics

Today is the release of the final issue of "All Star Superman" and I will have to say goodbye to another one of the finer examples of comics storytelling in the last decade.

This Superman comic should not be confused with the other title bearing the "All-Star" title by Frank Miller and Jim Lee, "All-Star Batman and Robin The Boy Wonder." Both books harbor big-name talents on the writing and art side.

And that's where the similarities end.

Writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely are known to us from their other works and prior ones (Check out "WE3"). Initially, I was skeptical not of the talents involved in this book, but of picking up a Superman title. Over the years there have been many attempts to better interpret the man of steel in the pages of the character's regular ongoing comics but they eventually left me cold.

My shortlist of bright lights in the Superman tunnel were discussed by me here a few weeks ago and I suggested my favorites among the works were "Superman: Red Son" and "Superman: Birthright." I also mentioned "All Star Superman" as well.

The difficulty in telling a story about a character like Superman, a guy who can shatter boulders with his pinkie finger, and giving him a task that challenges him and his humanity is tough for the writers who take on the job. The key with Superman had been found, in my opinion, in the works mentioned above by writers who challenged Superman by taking him out of his invulnerable comfort zone and letting that experience fuel the story.

Over these twelve issues in "All Star Superman" Morrison gives Superman a short time to live and amazing tasks to accomplish before his life ends. The journey had been as funny as Jimmy Olsen becoming a sensationalist newspaper columnist-star, to touching as Superman ignores his own ills to cure the ones of terminal children.

This is not a slash and burn on the work of comic writers handling Superman in current continuity, because I know they have put up some good stuff here and there, but it had never been enough to keep me consistently buying Superman books until "All-Star."

Hats off to the creators for giving Superman - a character some believe to be outdated - a lot more to say.

My suggestion: Whether by individual issues or the inevitable trade edition, read "All Star Superman."