A Disappointment, but a Must Read for Baby Boomers
This is a truly lousy book, even for a Young Adult title. The dialog is stilted, the narration extremely repetitive, the plot and characters uninteresting and illogical. But it's a must read for baby boomers like myself who grew up modeling their lives after Superman. You know, save lives, be a good person, learn to fly. Many in the boomer years who entered either the various medical or police professions, and who became licensed pilots, did so, at least in part, because they admired Superman, Superboy, Supergirl, and Superdog and decided to be like them when we grew up. The cover is quite good, indicating that you actually can't judge a book by its cover.
Good read
I thought the book was very well written. I loved the way Kevin was able to tie together all the loose ends I'd seen in movies and read in books. I thought his explanation as to what actually destroyed Krypton was great.
MY GAWD IT SUCKED MY EYES OUT FROM ACROSS THE STORE!
The cover illustration here simply doesn't give the laser spandex cover thingy justice! This book literally sucked my eyes from my head from across an entire bookstore when I was back in the States recently. My GAWD, it's fantastic!
Drawn to it as I was (and to all of Kevin's books, many of which were there on the shelves, unsold), I picked it up and...I LITERALLY COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! It melded into the flesh of my hands and I HAD to read it.
THIS IS WITHOUT DOUBT KEVIN'S BEST INDIVIDUAL WORK YET! I would recommend it to anyone I met on the street!
The ultimate story of Krypton should be a timeless myth for the ages...
After having finished reading this novel the night before- and having slept upon it- I have mixed feelings. Is it a competently written adventure story that held my interest? Yes. Is it the definative story of Krypton? I do not believe so.
I have no real specific complaints about the story other than it didn't really grab me in the bigger than life mythical sense. This is part of the Superman mythos- it should bring chills to your blood as it transcends the ordinary world. What we have here is little more than a fast-moving historical novel that parallels the decay of Athens, or Rome, or Constantinople after their golden ages. Superman comes from a higher place to be an inspiration to us all- I want to read of the battles of Gods, not of all-too-recognizable petty human types.
Indeed, reality, or rather current events, seems to fill this story- from the impending environmental disasters that threaten the planet, to mourners gazing into the pit where Kandor used to be (ala the Twin Towers), to a politician that grabs power and wages war in the aftermath while an incompetent assembly dodders. Even the tsunami that hits Argo City reminds one of Katrina or the Indian Ocean disasters of recent memory. This provides a significant teaching allegory- but it isn't MYTH.
I won't address continuity with the various incarnations of Superman, from the comics, to the movies, to the animated efforts. The author picks and chooses from them all in an obvious compromise. It is logically consistent, but ultimately unsatisfying. Then again, perhaps I am just bummed out because there was no mention of Krypto...
I was asked for my honest opinion of this book- and I have given it.
The Last Days of Krypton
I will admit, the author spent a lot of time on the Zod story, but the whole story together is fascinating. There are so many different ways he hints at how the planet Krypton will meet its demise, but when it does, you can almost see it in your mind. I have been a Superman fan for over 20 years, and I could hardly put this book down. There are characters mentioned in Smallville, (although none of the versions of Superman I've read or seen don't all match up together, each version is told from the writer's or director's view). Altogether, I thought it was a good book, telling of the "Last Days of Krypton."
