Book Reviews
Book Reviews - Movie Novelizations
Superman IV
Writer: B. B. HillerStory by: Christopher Reeve, Lawrence Konner, and Mark Rosenthal
Screenplay by: Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal
Published by: Point and Scholastic Inc. (July 1987)
Reviewed by: Aaron Thall
Clark Kent is in Smallville, preparing the farm for sale. With his parents long gone and his spaceship hidden, he's ready to move on. However, his ship reveals a long buried secret, a legacy from Jor-El.
Meanwhile, Lex Luthor escapes prison with the help of his nephew. But Clark Kent is too busy dealing with the recent sale of the Daily Planet to an unscrupulous publisher that values sensationalism over quality. Worse, the man's daughter has designs on Clark.
A young boy's request that Superman rid the world of nuclear weapons soon leads Superman to do just that, after much soul searching. However, Lex Luthor has stolen a strand of Superman's hair, to create his own super being called Nuclear Man.
And then, before the world, Nuclear Man apparently kills the Man of Steel...
Story - 2: Let's face it, the fourth Superman movie was admittedly very weak tea compared to the first two. This novel, unfortunately, is a tenatiously accurate novel, adding no new scenes nor fleshing out events more. Each chapter is but a few pages, and the entire novel is the shortest superhero book I've ever read (even beating out the notoriously tiny "Spider-Man: Carnage in New York" and it's sequel, "Goblin's Revenge"). Its lack of length and depth hurts the story tremendously, and the entire story is far too preachy for its own good.
Add to that the fact that Superman KILLS the original Nuclear Man without hesitation, and you have a novel on shaky ground.
Really, only the subplot involving the Daily Planet's sale lets this book get even the 2 rating.
Cover Art - 4: Superman standing before the American flag on the Moon. Straight from the movie. Iconic, cool, and the best image from an otherwise unforgettable affair. Of course, I could have done without the added image of Superman holding up and showing off his 50th birthday cake.
Book Reviews
Comic Book Novelizations: Movie Novelizations: Non-Fiction/Reference Books:- The Gospel According to the World's Greatest Superhero
- The Man From Krypton
- The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes - Volume 3: Superman
- Superman on Film, Television, Radio and Broadway
- Beyond Lois Lane
- The DC Comics Action Figure Archive
- Superman vs. Hollywood
- Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman
- Flights of Fantasy: The Unauthorized but True Story of Radio & TV's Adventures of Superman by Michael J. Hayde
- Our Hero: Superman on Earth by Tom De Haven
- Superman On Earth: Reflections of a Fan by Gary D. Robinson
- DC Super Heroes: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book by Matthew Reinhart
- The True Adventures of the World's Greatest Stuntman by Vic Armstrong
- The Ages of Superman: Essays on the Man of Steel in Changing Times
- Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Hero by Larry Tye
- Superman is an Arab by Joumana Haddad
- Superman is Jewish? by Harry Brod
- 100 Things Superman Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die by Joseph McCabe
- Superman: The Persistence of an American Icon by Ian Gordon
- DC: Women of Action by Shea Fontana
- Is Superman Circumcised?: The Complete Jewish History of the World's Greatest Hero by Roy Schwartz
- Adapting Superman: Essays on the Transmedia Man of Steel by John Darowski (Editor)
- Superman: Last Son of Krypton
- Superman: Miracle Monday
- The Further Adventures of Superman
- It's Superman! by Tom De Haven
- DC Universe: Last Sons
- DC Universe: Trail of Time
- Last Days of Krypton by Kevin J. Anderson
- Enemies & Allies by Kevin J. Anderson
- DC Super-Pets! by Picture Window Books
- Dear Justice League by Michael Northrop
- Dear Super-Villains by Michael Northrop
- Fallout (Lois Lane) by Gwenda Bond
- Double Down (Lois Lane) by Gwenda Bond
- Triple Threat (Lois Lane) by Gwenda Bond
- Superman: Dawnbreaker by Matt De La Pena
- Super Sons: Escape to Landis by author Ridley Pearson and illustrator Ileana Gonzales
- House of El - Book One: Shadow Threat by author Claudia Gray and illustrator Eric Zawadzki
- House of El - Book Two: The Enemy Delusion by author Claudia Gray and illustrator Eric Zawadzki
- Smallville: Strange Visitors
- Smallville: Dragon
- Smallville: Hauntings
- Smallville: Whodunnit
- Smallville: Shadows
- Smallville: Silence
- Smallville: Curse
- Smallville: City
- Smallville: Arrival
- Smallville: See No Evil
- Smallville: Flight
- Smallville: Animal Rage
- Smallville: Speed
- Smallville: Buried Secrets
- Smallville: Greed
- Smallville: Temptation
- Smallville: Sparks
- JLA: Batman - The Stone King
- JLA: Wonder Woman - Mythos
- JLA: The Flash - Stop Motion
- JLA: JLA - Exterminators
- JLA: Green Lantern - Hero's Quest
- JLA: Superman - The Never-Ending Battle
- Superman Returns: Strange Visitor
- Superman Returns: Novelization
- Superman Returns: Coming Home
- Superman Returns: Earthquake in Metropolis!
- Superman Returns: I am Superman!
- Superman Returns: Be A Hero!
- Superman Returns: Thank You, Superman!
- Superman Returns: The Movie Storybook
- Superman Returns: The Visual Guide
- Superman Returns: The Official Movie Guide