Superman: Our Worlds at War

[another_version]

I've always wanted to pick up this tpb, but when I was about to order it on Amazon I stopped myself after seeing the reviews, on Amazon and multiple other sites. Is it really as incohernt as they say, is it worth $13, or should I stay clear of this "event"?

[Flash's Lightning]

I've always wanted to pick up this tpb, but when I was about to order it on Amazon I stopped myself after seeing the reviews, on Amazon and multiple other sites. Is it really as incohernt as they say, is it worth $13, or should I stay clear of this "event"?

It's been a while since I read through this, so let me see if I can remember enough to help you out.

I do remember it was supposed to be a huge earth shaking event that fizzled out and caused no lasting changes whatsoever. However, that said, there were some very cool moments in it. Don't read below here if you don't want spoilers!!!!


-Superman flies into the sun in a well-drawn scene.
-Lex Luthor actually is a hell of a leader of the world during the crisis.
-Hippolyta and Aquaman are killed, though their deaths are kind of uneventful really, not handled great.

Strangely enough, two of my favorite Superman issues occurred just after OWAW.

Superman doesn't clean up the mess, saying it's up to the people of earth.

And in another issue, Superman reaches out his hand to enemies giving them a once in a lifetime chance to come to the side of good and help clean up, in honor of what his father taught him. That issue gets to me for some reason.

[Sean Whitmore]

And in another issue, Superman reaches out his hand to enemies giving them a once in a lifetime chance to come to the side of good and help clean up, in honor of what his father taught him. That issues gets to me for some reason.

Joe Kelly, a generally inconsistent writer, kicked ass on Superman.


SEAN

[Flash's Lightning]

Joe Kelly, a generally inconsistent writer, kicked ass on Superman.

SEAN

Thank you! Do you know the issue number?

[Joe Acro]

I do remember it was supposed to be a huge earth shaking event that fizzled out and caused no lasting changes whatsoever. However, that said, there were some very cool moments in it. Don't read below here if you don't want spoilers!!!!

-Superman flies into the sun in a well-drawn scene.
-Lex Luthor actually is a hell of a leader of the world during the crisis.
-Hippolyta and Aquaman are killed, though their deaths are kind of uneventful really, not handled great.
Ah, but you're forgetting.

Maxima died in OWAW, and has not yet returned.

[DonC]

Check your local library. They might have a copy.

[Mat001]

Ah, but you're forgetting.

Maxima died in OWAW, and has not yet returned.

Yet. Kurt Busiek, I think, had said that he thought about or was planning to bring her back.

[Super Buddies Forever]

OWAW always seemed unnecessary to me. It had been a couple of years since a big DCU event or a huge Superman story, so they decided to pull some cliched alien invasion plot out of the mothballs.

OWAW was also responsible for screwing up Guy Gardner for a few years before Johns just ignored whatever happened to him and brought him back in Rebirth.

[CYOTI]

Johns pretty much retconned the entire Vuldarian period not just the OWAW stuff.

[Mat001]

He didn't exactly retcon it. That all still happened to Guy. His alien half was purged from his system when he became a GL again.

OWAW always seemed unnecessary to me. It had been a couple of years since a big DCU event or a huge Superman story, so they decided to pull some cliched alien invasion plot out of the mothballs.

Not really. OWAW was the payoff to all the stuff that the creative team at the time had been building since they started their run. It became a DCU event since the story affected the DCU as a whole.

[FanboyStranger]

The only individual issue I can remember liking throughout the whole mess was the JSA one-shot, which featured a huge gathering of all JSA associated characters who led an assault one of Imperiex' ships. In contrast with most of the other books, no one died, and at the end, Alan Scott (I think) suppliments this information with the line, "We're the JSA. We're professionals."

[_OM_]

Johns pretty much retconned the entire Vuldarian period not just the OWAW stuff.

...And all of us Guy Gardner fans are in debt to him for it. While the Vuldarian concept wasn't bad, it should have been used on a new character and some other way should have been found to let Guy keep his yellow ring.

[CYOTI]

...And all of us Guy Gardner fans are in debt to him for it. While the Vuldarian concept wasn't bad, it should have been used on a new character and some other way should have been found to let Guy keep his yellow ring. It was the 90s when DC suddenly decided that alien rings that made anything are outdated. Gritty heroes with strange aliens powers such as the New Blood were the "in thing".

[Flash's Lightning]

Ah, but you're forgetting.

Maxima died in OWAW, and has not yet returned.

True, but really...

They never knew what to do with her anyway. She was inconsistent, would go from hero to villain more times than Namor. The writer's really didn't know what to do with her. The only way to really salvage the character is if someone would have a really really good take on the character and stopped making her so wishy washy.

IMHO.

[GHalecki]

I never really got the whole time travel side of the story. I just seemed completely superfluous. If they left out every mention of it in the whole story not one interesting panel would have been missed.

And the JSA book was the single outstanding moment of the entire event.

Not that the whole thing was bad, it just wasn't fantastic overall. I think it would be worth dropping the $13 bucks on for sure.

[Mat001]

I think I recall reading that the time travel was designed to make changes into Superman lore, similar to "Zero Hour", but then it didn't happen and so the new Big Bang did not change history.

[Joe Acro]

I recently learned that, interestingly, Daxam was supposedly destroyed during OWAW.

I guess that was rectified in the wake of Infinite Crisis.

[Sean Whitmore]

I never really got the whole time travel side of the story. I just seemed completely superfluous. If they left out every mention of it in the whole story not one interesting panel would have been missed.

You're not talking about the bit at the end?

Cause that was fairly important.


SEAN

[Eumenides]

The only individual issue I can remember liking throughout the whole mess was the JSA one-shot, which featured a huge gathering of all JSA associated characters who led an assault one of Imperiex' ships. In contrast with most of the other books, no one died, and at the end, Alan Scott (I think) suppliments this information with the line, "We're the JSA. We're professionals."

That's the one issue from the crossover I still enjoy rereading. It was a well-crafted superhero story with many good character moments. It was full of nice interactions between the older and younger heroes, and introduced me to some classic characters I knew nothing about.

By the way, I think it's Sand that says that at the end; it's a pretty cool line in the context, but not as cool as Luthor's startled look.

[hondobrode]

I would definitely say it's worth $ 13. I guess I'm one of the few that really liked it. It felt like a really worthy villain in Imperiex. Would like to see more of the characters.

OWAW wasn't the best, but it was enjoyable and lots of fun at the time.

[dumbstruck]

I think it's worth getting too. It's a fun, action packed super hero story.

[WorstThingUS]

Joe Kelly, a generally inconsistent writer, kicked ass on Superman.


SEAN

I second that.

If you can find it cheap, it's a fun read.