Superman: Under a Yellow Sun?

[CaptainAwesome]

I've heard of this book called Superman: Under a Yellow Sun lately, and I was wondering what it was exactly. On the cover it says "An Novel By Clark Kent", but as we all know he is a fictional character. So what is it? Is it a GN, or an actual novel, or what? Thanks for the help.:D

[Lorendiac]

I've heard of this book called Superman: Under a Yellow Sun lately, and I was wondering what it was exactly. On the cover it says "An Novel By Clark Kent", but as we all know he is a fictional character. So what is it? Is it a GN, or an actual novel, or what? Thanks for the help.:D

It's a graphic novel. It uses the old trick of having "a story within a story" and cutting back and forth between one story and the other.

The "framing" story, if we should call it that, is set in the world of "regular" Superman continuity. Clark Kent is trying to track down proof of nasty behavior on the part of zillionaire businessman Lex Luthor. (This is set back in the early days of the Post-Crisis Superman continuity, before Luthor "died" and came back in a cloned body posing as his own long-lost son.)

Around that same time, Clark is trying to hammer out a thriller novel about a man (who doesn't have superpowers) who is trying to fight the influence of an evil tycoon. So some of the pages of the story follow the adventures of his fictional hero. Those pages, too, are presented to us in comic book format, although Clark himself was apparently only writing a regular prose novel, trying to be the next Robert Ludlum or something :)

Things happening to Clark "in real life" obviously influence the novel -- for instance, the villain is clearly based on Lex Luthor. There's a humorous part toward the end where Lex bumps into Clark at a social function or something, and says (paraphrased from memory), "Kent! Loved your book! I kept some Swiss bankers waiting while I finished it! That [Whatever the name was] -- what a villain! How did you come up with him?"

Either Lex hadn't figured out the villain was based upon himself, or else he thought it was funny rather than insulting. I don't know which. :)

(I've heard that Frank Sinatra got very angry at Mario Puzo because of his belief that a certain character in the novel "The Godfather," an Italian-American singer who made good in Hollywood because of his Mafia connections, was a blatant and obnoxious personal attack upon Sinatra. Apparently Lex has a thicker skin than Frankie.)

Haven't read the silly thing in years, actually, but it was decent entertainment.

[CaptainAwesome]

Thanks a lot! That has been bugging me for a while. I think now I might go check it out, since I know what Im getting into. :D

[dancj]

I wouldn't bother if I were you - It's not that good

[stealthwise]

I've got an old copy lying around if someone wants it. All I'd ask is shipping, but I'll be honest, it wasn't that good.

[chriskenny]

I really liked that story. The characterization was pretty strong.

Chris

[doomworm]

I go back and reread that every few years. I can never remember the story when it starts out, and then by the time it ends I remember why I liked it.

[cactusmaac]

I thought it was great.

Some of the best Clark Kent characterisation I've read in a comic.