The Last Days of Krypton

The Last Days of Krypton.
By Kevin J. Anderson.
Novel

It is a little known secret that I know more about Superman then most other types of Sci-fi. I don't have a collection of comics or action figures. But I do have more then one superman shirts, one normal and one black, and all 6 of the live action movies in hi-def.
I do wear Clark Kent glasses, that's just a coincidence. (or is it?) I did once jump a building in a single bound, it was in Canada. You probably didn't hear about it, I wouldn't look it up either because no one who could write was there.
"The Last Days of Krypton" takes place a year before Kal-El's birth and his inevitable trip to Earth. Disaster after disaster strikes Krypton leaving the state commissioner Zod the only elected official left alive. Through Zod's trickery and egotism he tries to take over the planet tricking millions Jor-El amongst them. This book paints every character in a new light. Zod is seen at first as a savior then an over protective parent figure then extremely paranoid but never the mega villain he becomes.
Jor-El finds and prevents a series of natural disasters. Each time the threat is great and the time to prevent it less and less. The technology and inventions that he creates are used unknowingly as weapons to keep down rebellion against Zod. By the end of the story Jor-El is seen as the boy who cried wolf for his made up disasters to make Zod weapons and not as the upstanding scientist he has always been written as.
There is not much action in this book. It is very political a major of it is discussion by the government or about the government. It is interesting how Jor-El runs his city state and how the ruling council works if you like reading about the government of ancient Rome with modern technology.
I missed a ah-hah moment where some unknown fact was revealed or the story tied into more events on Earth or in Superman's life. There really wasn't much to tie into the superman mythos that I really wanted.


2 1/2 of 5

Taylor