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Superman: One-Shots
Superman: Infinite City
Superman and Lois Lane stumble on a doorway in an abandoned town that leads to another world, Infinite City, where magic and science happily coexist, but one part of its inhabitants want to branch out to the world while others want to stay in their own dimension.
96 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 23, 2013
A criminal using advanced futuristic tech in Metropolis is stopped by Superman who, with Lois, tracks the weaponry to a remote truckstop in the desert. The plot thickens as the truckstop appears abandoned but, like the Mary Celeste, the food is still warm and the place looks like it was recently habited. A doorway out back teleports the two into a distant world where magic and science both co-exist and the mayor is a robot claiming to possess the consciousness of Jor-El, Superman's father!
Writer Mike Kennedy is best known for his work on futuristic comics like Star Wars, Aliens Vs Predator, and Aeon Flux, so it's no surprise to see his Superman take incorporating futuristic elements that make up Infinite City. It's also strange to see that in a Superman and Lois book, both characters are essentially put in a supporting role while a new cast of characters - all of whom only feature in this book - take centre stage. Expecting a Superman book and getting a story of boring, new one-off characters I didn't care about is why I wasn't very fond of Superman: Infinite City.
That and the weird story of the powerplays between different factions in Infinite City. It makes sense up to a point with one group trying to have portals that open up to Earth, while the other opposes it, and then it falls apart in the third act, becoming a convoluted confusion of plot threads I didn't care enough about to try and sort through. Carlos Meglia's art isn't bad but looks a lot like a Disney cartoon and relies too much on shiny computer graphics.
Superman: Infinite City is a pretty dull story that doesn't entertain much nor has much else going for it. If you're wondering why you've not heard of this Superman book, that's why.
Writer Mike Kennedy is best known for his work on futuristic comics like Star Wars, Aliens Vs Predator, and Aeon Flux, so it's no surprise to see his Superman take incorporating futuristic elements that make up Infinite City. It's also strange to see that in a Superman and Lois book, both characters are essentially put in a supporting role while a new cast of characters - all of whom only feature in this book - take centre stage. Expecting a Superman book and getting a story of boring, new one-off characters I didn't care about is why I wasn't very fond of Superman: Infinite City.
That and the weird story of the powerplays between different factions in Infinite City. It makes sense up to a point with one group trying to have portals that open up to Earth, while the other opposes it, and then it falls apart in the third act, becoming a convoluted confusion of plot threads I didn't care enough about to try and sort through. Carlos Meglia's art isn't bad but looks a lot like a Disney cartoon and relies too much on shiny computer graphics.
Superman: Infinite City is a pretty dull story that doesn't entertain much nor has much else going for it. If you're wondering why you've not heard of this Superman book, that's why.
October 23, 2014
I've read Superman in JLA but I'm pretty sure that I never read a standalone Superman comic. I just don't find him very exciting. He's too "all american". The art on this really sucked me in. Carlos Meglia is amazing. I LOVE his style. It's kind Roger Rabbitesque but add in a bunch of sci-fi elements, really cool weapons, robots and cool clothing. So I'll be looking for more of his stuff. It's just so cool that it seems it wouldn't be bad even if the story sucked.
As far as story goes this was fun and it added to the Superman legend. It got me wondering who makes those kinds of decisions? Who gets to change things up? Is this now part of the Superman canon or is it just a one shot/what if kinda thing?
Anyway it was good and it's beautiful so I'm really glad I bought it (since I don't buy many graphic novels).
As far as story goes this was fun and it added to the Superman legend. It got me wondering who makes those kinds of decisions? Who gets to change things up? Is this now part of the Superman canon or is it just a one shot/what if kinda thing?
Anyway it was good and it's beautiful so I'm really glad I bought it (since I don't buy many graphic novels).
October 22, 2012
I bought this very cheap a while back because I liked the way the art looked on the cover, and it was also very, very cheap. And while I did enjoy it, I'm withholding one star from an otherwise five-star review for two reasons.
The art really is wonderful (the artist, Carlos Meglia, died in 2008 from a heart attack at the age of fifty; this book was published in 2005), but it's actually a little cramped in this format. I think this book would have been more beautiful in a larger size, because there's an incredible wealth of color and detail squeezed in here, and there were several points where the art would have benefitted from a little more breathing room.
There's a similar problem with the writing, which is my second reason: the premise is clever, but it's also relatively complex. It's almost like a Reader's Digest condensation (ask your parents--they might dimly recall what I'm talking about) of a longer story, maybe a four- or six-issue miniseries.
Those are minor quibbles, to be sure. I'd still say this is a worthwhile read. Also, it's a fun time for younger readers too. It's not too "dark" or "adult," so I would be happy to share this with a child of, say, ten or eleven. And I honestly think we need more kid-friendly comics.
The art really is wonderful (the artist, Carlos Meglia, died in 2008 from a heart attack at the age of fifty; this book was published in 2005), but it's actually a little cramped in this format. I think this book would have been more beautiful in a larger size, because there's an incredible wealth of color and detail squeezed in here, and there were several points where the art would have benefitted from a little more breathing room.
There's a similar problem with the writing, which is my second reason: the premise is clever, but it's also relatively complex. It's almost like a Reader's Digest condensation (ask your parents--they might dimly recall what I'm talking about) of a longer story, maybe a four- or six-issue miniseries.
Those are minor quibbles, to be sure. I'd still say this is a worthwhile read. Also, it's a fun time for younger readers too. It's not too "dark" or "adult," so I would be happy to share this with a child of, say, ten or eleven. And I honestly think we need more kid-friendly comics.
August 23, 2019
It's not re-inventing the wheel, but it is terrific fun. Superman and Lois go to a parallel world, where they find two factions in conflict. Lois winds up captive of one side, while Superman is a guest of the other side.
I like that the creators left some question about which side was right. The revelation that the "founder" of the society was a robot with Jor-El's consciousness imprinted on it could've been tacky (Jor-El was trying to access a pocket dimension, where the populace of Krypton could hide, but ran out of time and only his personality-encoded robot survived), but they made it work pretty well. Superman's conflict is good, and the relationship between "Jor-El" and his new "son" was strong.
Carlos Meglia's art is probably very divisive. He's EXTREMELY cartoony, but a very strong page designer and storyteller. I had to get used to the style, but I enjoyed it.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Reread this for the first time in a long time and I thought it held up pretty well. I might knock a star off my initial rating, but this one is definitely going to survive my recent spate of "should I keep my copy of this or not?" rereadings.
I like that the creators left some question about which side was right. The revelation that the "founder" of the society was a robot with Jor-El's consciousness imprinted on it could've been tacky (Jor-El was trying to access a pocket dimension, where the populace of Krypton could hide, but ran out of time and only his personality-encoded robot survived), but they made it work pretty well. Superman's conflict is good, and the relationship between "Jor-El" and his new "son" was strong.
Carlos Meglia's art is probably very divisive. He's EXTREMELY cartoony, but a very strong page designer and storyteller. I had to get used to the style, but I enjoyed it.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Reread this for the first time in a long time and I thought it held up pretty well. I might knock a star off my initial rating, but this one is definitely going to survive my recent spate of "should I keep my copy of this or not?" rereadings.
October 25, 2022
"Superman Infinite City" is a fun book that is recommended with several reservations and caveats. The book starts with a strong concept and is illustrated in a strikingly whimsical manner. However, the actual story is confusing and character development is rudimentary at best. The story itself is resolved fairly quickly and one cannot help feeling that there could be more to Infinite City than is presented. Additionally, the art work is often hard to comprehend and would benefit from a larger format.
March 5, 2024
No. No, no, NO!
Been a bit since I’ve tackled some western comics, here’s to the kick-off!
My internal processes were telling me I couldn’t go wrong with a Superman story and it would be a nice visit back into a totally different hemisphere of media after I’ve been splurging through manga like there’s no tomorrow. Unfortunately, I read the man of tomorrow today and Infinite City was one hell of a start.
To be at least a little fair, I did glance at the cover and riffle through several pages to see if the art was to my liking. Nothing clicked, but nothing unclicked so I thought, “Why the hell not at least it looks different enough”. And the art never really bothered me until some of the females started looking like Jessica Rabbit and were falling for pathetically uncharismatic males as if they rolled nat 20s in DnD all-comic long.
I just got done praising Shaman King which is a manga that was written and drawn by Hiroyuki Takei. Not to sully the name, this is for the point I’m trying to make here. If you have a writer and an illustrator shouldn’t that make for something superior? I understand that there are editors and assistants for solo artists, but the same goes for Mike Kennedy and Carlos Meglia. I don’t think they are 100% alone either, if nothing else they have each other to bounce off of.
So why? Why is this so convoluted? I’m not sure if I’m biting into something that has some work done prior or if it’s the start for more (as I type this I see in Goodreads where it mentions under the title that this looks to be Superman: One-Shots) comics dealing with the infinite City idea.
I found myself skimming (which I try my best to hardly ever do) and without speech bubbles the pictures were not much of a guide. They were nice to look at sometimes, and that’s all.
Y’know what? I’ll stop here. Zippin` it. If you feel the need, read and find out for yourself.
Been a bit since I’ve tackled some western comics, here’s to the kick-off!
My internal processes were telling me I couldn’t go wrong with a Superman story and it would be a nice visit back into a totally different hemisphere of media after I’ve been splurging through manga like there’s no tomorrow. Unfortunately, I read the man of tomorrow today and Infinite City was one hell of a start.
To be at least a little fair, I did glance at the cover and riffle through several pages to see if the art was to my liking. Nothing clicked, but nothing unclicked so I thought, “Why the hell not at least it looks different enough”. And the art never really bothered me until some of the females started looking like Jessica Rabbit and were falling for pathetically uncharismatic males as if they rolled nat 20s in DnD all-comic long.
I just got done praising Shaman King which is a manga that was written and drawn by Hiroyuki Takei. Not to sully the name, this is for the point I’m trying to make here. If you have a writer and an illustrator shouldn’t that make for something superior? I understand that there are editors and assistants for solo artists, but the same goes for Mike Kennedy and Carlos Meglia. I don’t think they are 100% alone either, if nothing else they have each other to bounce off of.
So why? Why is this so convoluted? I’m not sure if I’m biting into something that has some work done prior or if it’s the start for more (as I type this I see in Goodreads where it mentions under the title that this looks to be Superman: One-Shots) comics dealing with the infinite City idea.
I found myself skimming (which I try my best to hardly ever do) and without speech bubbles the pictures were not much of a guide. They were nice to look at sometimes, and that’s all.
Y’know what? I’ll stop here. Zippin` it. If you feel the need, read and find out for yourself.
April 19, 2024
Have you ever wanted a hyperstylized Don Bluth Superman comic?? Than look no further! The art is the big draw here, it's always fun to see artists outside of DC's typical house styles draw Superman and the chunky, exaggerated charactures are fantastic. The plot is pretty rudimentary, but everyone is written in character and as a lore nerd, I appreciate the deep cut references to Kryptonian society like The Eradicator and Black Zero. Endless City is also a really interesting concept and I'd love to see it and Superman's "Brother" revisited in a more expansive tale.
October 14, 2020
I am not typically a Superman fan, but this story certainly did not endear me to him.
Not much interesting happens, and the conflict presented is not very dramatic or action packed.
This is one you can skip.
Not much interesting happens, and the conflict presented is not very dramatic or action packed.
This is one you can skip.
August 15, 2018
I love the art style. It suits the tenor of the story, which is silly but quick. Don't expect much, enjoy the art, and you will be satisfied.
March 18, 2022
Very much enjoyed this alternative universe Superman tale. Quite imaginitive. Very stylized art that looked quite a bit like Roger Rabbit.
July 26, 2016
Mike Kennedy and Carlos Meglia take Superman on a fantasy journey in their Infinite City graphic novel. After saving Metropolis from a lunatic with deadly technology, Lois Lane and Clark Kent trace the origins of the event to a deserted diner in California. When Lois steps through a door in the back room, she finds herself in a futuristic hub known as the Infinite City. Superman's attempts to follow her reveal a world run by a robotic copy of his long-deceased father, patrolled by a genetically-enhanced "brother," and under siege from political strife and corruption. Determined to rescue Lois, Superman must discover how to get both of them back to Earth without dooming the City in the process. Mike Kennedy creates a fantastic romp through a futuristic world, capturing the oddball elements of early Superman tales with his modern version. The plot does hit some pacing bumps, whether taking too long in some areas or feeling like pages have been skipped in others. While the inclusion of Kryptonian elements were also entertaining, more time devoted to the City and its wonders might have enhanced the pathos. Carlos Meglia provides art duties, rendered in a dynamic and cartoonish style. Classic characters pop with their unique new renditions, but the newer inclusions often feel cluttered or muddled amid the lavish backgrounds. Superman fans will enjoy visiting the Infinite City, but more casual readers will prefer a postcard instead.
August 12, 2016
2.5 stars
Apparently launching his infant son to Earth in a rocket was Jor-El's Plan B; according to this beautifully, if often confusingly, illustrated comic, the initial plan for the preservation of Krypton involved the creation of a pocket universe called "Infinite City" which would act as a repository of all things Kryptonian.
Apparently launching his infant son to Earth in a rocket was Jor-El's Plan B; according to this beautifully, if often confusingly, illustrated comic, the initial plan for the preservation of Krypton involved the creation of a pocket universe called "Infinite City" which would act as a repository of all things Kryptonian.
February 27, 2015
Superman: Infinite City is a short, standalone Superman graphic novel that is not connected or mentioned in any of the Superman story arcs or continuities.
While the idea behind this graphic novel is great and pretty interesting, the execution is not, it features a good twist or two, but ultimately it is too short, not that interesting, and a bit anticlimactic.
The art is great and really unique, and the coloring is especially good.
Overall, a short read that is not that good storywise, but looks great.
While the idea behind this graphic novel is great and pretty interesting, the execution is not, it features a good twist or two, but ultimately it is too short, not that interesting, and a bit anticlimactic.
The art is great and really unique, and the coloring is especially good.
Overall, a short read that is not that good storywise, but looks great.
December 6, 2012
This book was at war with itself. The plot is interesting and the artwork is masterfully done/ some of the writing is unclear and sometimes the artwork fails to communicate anything at all. Sometimes panels go by with pretty colors, and from the exclamation marks around and about one gets the impression that something has happened, but has no clue what it was. The art, though beautiful, falls into the trap of working on cliche after cliche. I could go on, but I'll stop.
April 13, 2015
Compared to the Superman stories I"m used to, the art here was angular and, for lack of a better word, 'cartoony'; what it reminded me of in many ways was work like disney's Treasure Planet combined with the DCAU like Justice League Unlimited. The story is pretty standalone and doesn't need much familiarity with the broader superman continuity, but at the same time felt a little rushed to have much emotional resonance.
November 25, 2009
I wasn't particularly moved by this. The art was pretty, but the overexaggeration of everything was a little overwhelming. I did like that what it took to make Clark realize the Lois-imposter was a double was her inability to interrogate a man with a story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2013
Artwork was interesting and different, and the basic story seemed sound, but it was kinda confusing. Liked It for the art and the basic premise. Probably more of a 3 star, but hey, I'm feeling generous.
Shelved as 'graphic-novels'
March 31, 2014
August 1, 2007
Borrowed this one from the public library as well.
See my short note on the book:
[http://gypsylibrarian.blogspot.com/20...]
See my short note on the book:
[http://gypsylibrarian.blogspot.com/20...]
June 17, 2011
Loved the art the story was extremely weak.
June 13, 2012
The artwork in this was stunning. It was also nice to see a somewhat fresh take on the kryptonian apocalypse etc. would definitely recommend!
February 10, 2015
2.5 stars, really. Underwhelming story with interesting art.
April 2, 2012
Loved the artwork, very alive and liquid in its nature.
March 28, 2013
was an ok read. Superman has a clone brother,and his father's a robot. too weird.
January 23, 2016
I'd give it 3.5 or so. Kennedy created a believable world.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews