Elseworld

Nazi imagery. Sexual enslavement. Inflicting pain for the sake of pleasure.

Nothing remotely associated to Superman, at least not the Superman most fans knew and loved, could be found in "Whom Gods Destroy."

Homo-erotica, bestiality, misogyny, bondage, sadomasochism -- all were available in this tidy tome. After the debauchery was finished, Superman, as if in some Puritan revisionist fantasy, ended up on the moon with Lois Lane and Lana Lang living out a platonic threesome lifestyle.

The Elseworld comics had reached a nadir of drunken excess and Superman had become the face on the barroom floor. No matter how any of these stories ended, the cruelty and ugly imagery leading up to the climax never justified the means. It was perhaps this excess and anti-Superman prose that led to a return of the more classic Elseworld format.

"The Son of Superman" marked a different approach to Elseworlds. Not only was it a hardback book, but along with the fast-paced storytelling and engaging characterization, it contained a great deal of humor, something not common to the genre

In this story, Jon, the son of Lois and Clark, comes into his super powers all at once at the age of 17 due to abnormal solar flare activity.

Discovering that his father Clark, missing for 15 years and presumed dead, was also Superman, Jon, donning a homemade costume, went on a mission to rescue his father. After the successful rescue, it didn't take long for Lois and Clark to get their groove back.

The romance had returned. Not the angst-laden soap opera variety that often plagued the books, but a breezy affectionate romantic style punctuated by humor. Nor was it just the rekindled romance of Lois and Clark.

"... it's good!"

Jon's nascent attempt at romance was also chronicled. He discovered what his father had learned long ago, sometimes being a superhero can really mess up your social life.

"The Son of Superman" even seemed to draw an audience not normally attracted to comic books. Perhaps being a hardback and having placement in other book outlets beyond comic shops attracted more attention, or online vendors had an impact. Whatever the reason, it did well despite its lofty price.