Okay, where to begin.
Actually, it's more of a statements of the fact that Morrisons packs in more concepts,
Yeah, but they're all misused so all the grandiosity and imagination is sucked out of it.
Superman is revealed to be able to communicate with his far-future descendants, and the only thing it's used for is
a friggin' J-Lo joke?Superman has a Sun-Eater, the most terrible creature ever invented, which can render lifeless an entire galaxy, which once required a Legionnaire to perform the ultimate sacrifice...and he uses it as a PET for a brief sight-gag?
Ideas, or concepts, are totally worthless. I have ideas, you have ideas. Here, let me tell you one of mine: I once thought it would be really interesting if Max from HART TO HART got a job at the Daily Planet. Okay, it wouldn't really be Max, but it would be a guy like him: an older, gravel-voiced working-class guy that keeps Clark Kent and the rest in touch with the common man.
Ideas don't matter. What matters is how they're used. In some ways, Green Lantern had very few "ideas:" the Lantern Corps, the Guardians, the Weaponeers. And that's pretty much it. Compare that to the sprawling mess that was Weisenger Superman. It's not because they had a LOT of ideas, but how they were developed and used.
themes,
The most important Superman theme from Maggin to RED SON, that of Superman wondering if he does too much for mankind or if he is an alien interfering with man's destiny, is not only on display in the Busiek SUPERMAN, but is the Busiek run's CENTRAL CONFLICT.
Morrison did some lip-service in the first issue of his magazine about how Superman inspires mankind to great heights, but all that was forgotten after the first issue, and even then, it wasn't a part of the story. More like a distracting sideshow: "step right up! See your blue Zero-Gee giant here...."
and honest emotion
There was nothing more fake and artificial than that chaste Disney kiss at the end of issue 2.
Superman discovers he's dying. Imagine how gut-renching a situation that is, and none of that is explored. What if you learned YOU were dying? Superman is a can-do, never say die kind of guy, but he's not a robot.
in a single comic that Busiek has over a year of slow motion decompressed mediocrity.
Busiek introduces a mystery and it isn't solved in the first issue. It makes you excited to pick up a second one.
And that's a BAD thing...how?
Beautifully irrelvant strawman, by the way,
What strawman? That was my point: in a whole issue nothing freaking happened.
Seriously, what was the story? The conflict? Grant comes up with something totally artificial in the last few pages out of desperation with Lois wielding a Kryptonite laser. But the issue had NO conflict.
Let's compare what actually happens in ASS #2 to SUPERMAN #660:
ASS #2
Superman gives Lois a tour. (No conflict or mystery)
Lois goes crazy in the last five pages.
Cliffhanger where Lois gets powers.
SUPERMAN #660:
In the mystery of the Third Kryptonian, it is revealed Power Girl isn't the one.
Superman finds Sirocco in "our" timeline and foils terrorists.
But...it's revealed that Khyber is dead. How?
Subjekt-17 is revealed to be alive and living in Tibet.
Superman searches his soul and wonders if he is doing too much for mankind, his central conflict
...and that wasn't even one of the
busier issues.
But I wouldn't say ASS is decompressed. That would be a step-up, actually. It doesn't even have a story TO decompress.
hastily established,
Hastily established? The guy spent TWO issues detailing the threat Khyber posed. He showed us an alternate universe and expended effort and thought into creating the world.
Something I should add, Morrison is chronically unable to do with his alternate worlds.
Do me a favor: take out pen and paper and write down everything you know about Morrison's Antimatter Earth from his entire JLA story arc. Now, take a pad and paper out and write down everything you know after just the SECOND ISSUE ALONE of Busiek's "Syndicate Rules" arc.
Now, I can forgive little things like not mentioning Barracuda, but...not mentioning the favor principle? The very BASIS of how this entire world functions? Not even establishing the teensy-weensy but ever so important little detail that...oh yeah,
Ultraman and Superwoman are married? Their entire relationship made no sense until that detail was revealed.
Sad how in EIGHT ISSUES, Busiek utterly outshone and outdid everything Morrison accomplished in years on JLA.
and easily forgotten.
We can't know that for years to come, but we'll see.
I doubt Khyber will be forgotten. Truly grandiose villains are so uncommon it's not like comics can afford to misplace one or two here and there.
While we're speculating about which will be better remembered...when the sensationalism and hype dies, ASS will be left with a nonexistent story and wooden characters. Twenty, thirty years from now, I'll bet the Superman comics that will be talked about will be SUPERMAN and ACTION COMICS. Not just because they are of better quality, but because they "really" happened in real continuity. They can have significance and influence on later stories. CHALLENGE OF THE SUPERHEROES was forgotten, but people still buy TPBs of CRISIS.
Did you forget that All Star is a finite storyline? wutth a definite beginning middle and end?
...because if there's one thing that finite stories can't have, it's stories other than the main one in each issue!
And yes, I did forget it was a finite story, because the last issue came out sometime during Ancient Rome. To be fair, this isn't Morrison's fault, but still. It's a strike against the book.
Long term development? more Claremont-esque
Though Claremont could be ham-handed, there's nothing wrong with the technique of viewing an entire arc as one big story. Englehart did this, and Gerber did this too.
Last I checked, performing feats are a part and parcel of the Hero's Journey.
"Morrison doesn't suck! Because, look! Joseph Campbell!"I'll say one thing Busiek has over Morrison (unworthy to be mentioned in the same breath): Busiek has Superman be cosmic and mythic by just being who he is...whereas Morrison has to come up with ham-handed, unsubtle, illiterate references to Greek Mythology.
Busiek's ru had potentially, but it was quickly wasted inn the face of lazy uses of the kryptonite crutch,
Whaaaaaaaaaaat? Look above at all the reviews and commentary I've done for these issues. NOT A SINGLE FREAKIN' ONE has Kryptonite in it!
reaffirmation of the Peter Parker, super-farmboy persona,
baloney. Give me one example.
Because here, let me give you an example of him NOT being a Super-Forrest Gump: he's clearly defined as Superintelligent. The scene of him reading the book on the plane with microphysics, for instance.
long paced issues with virtualy nothing happening but long-winded speeches and narration
Again, baloney. Give me one example.
But I can come up with TWO pretty easy examples of comics where nothing happens but people talking: ASS: #2 (aka "Superman Travel Channel Edition") and the issue where Luthor walks around and gives an interview for a whole freakin issue.
Not to say the rest of ASS isn't wheezy and asthmatic, but those two are just the biggies.
All-Star stands apart
Oh, I agree it..."stands apart."