The Further Adventures of Superman

This was a collection of mostly disappointing Superman stories. Odd how "Lois and Clark" and even the old "Adventures of Superman" could come up with vastly more entertaining stories, and this collection (by fairly good authors) could barely keep me interested enough to read the short stories in one sitting without dozing off.

The Riddle of Superman's Mask" by Will Murray. It was a pretty good story wherein Superman battles a Gorgon (and is featured on the cover of the collection).

"Apparitions" by Diane Duane. I remember liking her writing when she was writing Star Trek books, but this story was terrible. Superman didn't even need to be in it. He accomplished nothing. He helped no one. He was irrelevant to the unfolding story - which was show more about a UFO that had a message. It delivered its message and left. Superman's role? To observe and fail to do anything.

"Lucifer over Lancaster," by Elizabeth Hand and Paul Witcover. I didn't care for this one. It was dull, and Superman seemed to figure out the solution by accident. He didn't really save anyone... it just didn't seem like a Superman story.

"Dateline: Metropolis" by Karen Haber, a pretty good story, focusing on Lois trying to get a story, with appearances by Clark Kent. Superman was in the background, which made for an effective story. This was probably the best story in the collection.

"Mine Enemy Grows Older," by Joe Cavalieri. I didn't care for this. There was no humanity here, no real story, and way too sci-fi for my taste.

"Forget Me Not" by Mark Weid, which was a decent showcase for Superman's character. I liked the Clark Kent scenes the best.

"Deja Vu All Over Again," by Edward Wellen. This story seemed to be set in the world of the Christopher Reeve movies. Superman here has more power than I like (he built a planet from asteroids), but that is just a fan preference and not a critical look at the story. I liked the Clark Kent material the best, though. Superman never really was in danger, but it was a fair story.

the mercifully short "Excerpt from the Diary of Dr. Morris Finkelstein," which was about Clark Kent getting a physical because he was drafted in WWII. It was wasted space and predictably cutsey.

"I Now Pronounce You Superman and Wife," by Henry Slesar. An interesting plot that hinges on the villain knowing Superman's secret identity (not established in the narrative), but it was a fairly effective story.

"The Warrior of the Final Dawn" by Garfield Reeves-Stevens, a fair story. Not great, but okay. Requires knowledge of Lex Luthor, as he is not even described in the story. That is an overall problem with the collection - none of the standard characters are really even described, yet all of them are, in a sense, unique to the author's vision. show less