Question about Busiek/Pacheco Superman?

[TransformersFan]

When did this team start on Superman? Issue 654, Right? I believe it was collected into the "Camelot Falls" HC. Im a big of these two, especially their work with Marvels Avengers Forever series.

As a new reader to DC, would I be very confused by jumping into this series? Obviously I would start with Camelot Falls and work my up to the current issues.

Any advice would help.

Thanks.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

You shouldn't have any problems getting up to speed. Busiek always takes great pains to make his stories very new reader friendly.

I can't remember the issue number though, sorry. It'd probably be cheaper just to pick up the TPB anyway...

[Scrubz]

Busiek/Pacheco started with issue 654. The Camelot Falls trade contains issues 654-658, its a good read but the story line is not finished. The lastest Superman issue 662 picks up with the story line and its supposed to be a 5 issue storyline, but DC's website has issue 664 being the last chapter. Busiek's other Superman trades Up, Up and Away, and Back In Action are quite good with art by Pete Woods and Renato Guedes. Superman issues 659-661 read like issues of Busiek's Astro City and are less than spectacular, I'd skip them.

[umbc8]

You might want to try out the "Up, Up & Away" TPB too. While not necessarily required reading, it was written by both Busiek and Johns & sets up the status quo for the rest of the Busiek run.

[Harding Prime]

I agree, starting at Up, Up, and Away is the best course. It is pretty much the latest revamp in the Superman Saga, and the next major arc is Camelot Falls. That and I really liked Up, Up, and Away.

[karasu]

Busiek's stories are effin amazing.

[Carter Hall]

I've been loving the Busiek/Pacheco run up to this point and I can't wait to see what happens next. I definitely have been following it with much interest.

I do have one gripe though, one which I've seen in the second half of the Camelot Falls arc. I've noticed that Busiek's title is now integrating elements from the "Last Son of Krypton" story from Action Comics. I read the first few issues of that particular arc and wasn't impressed. I loved the Superman movies and Superman Returns, but I don't want Clark Kent halfway through Busiek's story to all of a sudden be drawn like Brandon Routh, nor do I care about the supposed kid from Krypton, which is another lame attempt at integrating the movies into the comic book. Also, it's not that I had a problem with the movie look and Johns/Donner plotline in itself, but I hated that it was added into the second arc of the Camelot Falls arc, when an artistic look had already been established. It feels really choppy (I have a feeling DC editorial had a hand in this...).

But again, this is a minor gripe and it's definitely not keeping me from enjoying the story, as (other than this) this book is firing on all cylinders right now. Busiek really understands the character, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

[Harding Prime]

I've been loving the Busiek/Pacheco run up to this point and I can't wait to see what happens next. I definitely have been following it with much interest.

I do have one gripe though, one which I've seen in the second half of the Camelot Falls arc. I've noticed that Busiek's title is now integrating elements from the "Last Son of Krypton" story from Action Comics. I read the first few issues of that particular arc and wasn't impressed.

See, that is a big difference that me and you have, because I love the fact that he integrated just a small part of that story into Superman. I makes it feel that the two are flowing together, because though they might be two different story arcs going on, they are still telling the story of one man, and I feel we don't get enough integration in stories that showcase the same character(s). It brings a calmess to me, lol.

[Carter Hall]

See, that is a big difference that me and you have, because I love the fact that he integrated just a small part of that story into Superman. I makes it feel that the two are flowing together, because though they might be two different story arcs going on, they are still telling the story of one man, and I feel we don't get enough integration in stories that showcase the same character(s). It brings a calmess to me, lol.

Oh don't get me wrong, I LOVE titles about the same character crossing over with one another. I've even said in previous posts how I loved that comics did that in the 90s. It does flow better, and it feels like different chapters of the same story. Cool stuff, no doubt.

I just don't like it in THIS case because I don't like the Last Son arc. It felt so different from Busiek's Superman that it felt like an Elseworlds to me. If you called it an Elseworlds, I'd love the story. But by integrating it into Busiek's story, it's trying to make Last Son of Krypton (which in itself feels like an attempt to make the movies part of the canon of the comic book) part of the main continuity. The two stories are night and day. If they had similar looks, and just dealt with Superman in two different stories- like say, the recent Fabian Nicieza "Redemption" story in Action Comics- then I'd love it. But for me right now Camelot Falls and Last Son just clash.

[karasu]

I have to agree. I'm not fond of the Last Son thing at all.