The Last Days of Krypton by Kevin J. Anderson

“Kneel Before Zod!” - General Zod (Superman II)

We are all familiar with the story of Superman. The last son of Krypton falls from the sky and is raised in Kansas only to gain super powers and become Earth’s defender of truth and justice. Superman is one of the 20th century’s most popular and traditional messiah/Christ figures.

Kevin J. Anderson’s The Last Days of Krypton takes us back before the birth of Kal-El and the destruction of Krypton. The novel focuses on the lives of a super scientist, Jor-El, and a high level government bureaucrat, Commissioner Zod during the final year or so of the planet Krypton. Both have high hopes for the future of their planet that will help their fates to cross for both the good and ill of the planet. Krypton is a self-proclaimed paradise, yet its development has stagnated due to isolationism and an entrenched distrust of change. We all know before the first page that the planet is doomed (or else there would be no Superman). What follows is a tragic political drama that is a fairly gripping read, because while we know how the story ends, we don’t know how the characters get there.

That being said, I would recommend this book for advanced readers, or those who are really into Superman and comic books. A lot of my enthusiasm for this book is based a lot upon me geeking out about Superman. So if you have ever heard of the Bottle City of Kandor, or know where Supergirl is from, then you HAVE to read this book!

Posted under a librarian reads, review