(Collected Editions is a listing of the various trade paperbacks, hardcovers, omnibuses, etc. that are in my Superman collection. The goal is to not only inventory my collection of trades, hardcovers, etc. but also to display said collection and produce something resembling a resource for other Superman readers, collectors and fans.)
Nuts and Bolts
- Released on June 24, 1998
- Original Price $14.95
- 304 pages
- Cover by Jerry Ordway
Contents
- Superman in Exile from Superman (Vol. 2) #28
- Dangerous Ground from Adventures of Superman #451
- If This Be My Fate from Superman (Vol. 2) #29
- Hell Beyond from Adventures of Superman #452
- Alone! from Superman (Vol. 2) #30
- Apparitions from Adventures of Superman #453
- “Wayfarer” from Adventures of Superman #454
- Memories of Krypton’s Past from Action Comics Annual #2
- Gladiator from Superman (Vol. 2) #32
- Heritage from Adventures of Superman #455
- Two Destinies! from Superman (Vol. 2) #33
- Redemption! from Adventures of Superman #456
- Superman on Earth from Action Comics #643
Notes
- It is hard for me to be objective about this story because it is pretty much responsible for me becoming a regular reader of Superman and in a more indirect way it is responsible for me creating this blog.
- This is a very well put together trade, at least as far as paper quality and all that. The paper isn’t glossy but it’s a good stock and the recoloring done is bright and crisp.
- I also love the cover by Jerry Ordway. Superman has such a sad look on his face and the Earth is far in the background. It absolutely nails the mood of the piece with Superman being isolated from those he loves for an extended period of time.
- I bought this trade when it first came out and I read it immediately. That was a weird experience and felt…off somehow. This stems from originally reading the story as it came out in single issue form when I was 12 and then 13 years old. At that age time still crawled along so the weeks between the issues coming out seemed like an eternity and made Exile feel like it went on for years instead of the six or so months it actually took to come out.
- The only negative things I have to say about this trade are what was left out. I understand there were forces beyond anyone’s control at work and that this came out at a time when trades were far from common but at the same time were not as omnipresent as they are today. So I get why cuts were made for the sake of space and making the book look like a profitable item.
- However…
- The parts they cut out were, to me, essential to the story. I know in my head that the portions excised didn’t have anything to do with what was going on in space with Superman but as a fan of the era and all of the characters I thought the chapters and issue they left out were important parts of Exile as a story.
- The “deleted scenes” were:
- Hostile Takeover: a four part story that ran as the back up stories in Superman (Vol. 2) issues 30 and 31 and Adventures of Superman issues 453 and 454. These back ups told us what Lex Luthor was doing while Superman was off planet. They played heavily into the one issue that was completely eliminated from the collection which was…
- Superman (Vol. 2) #31: Mr. Mxyzptlk comes to town and Superman isn’t there so he and Lex square off. It’s a fun issue and was where Mxy learned to lie. This issue would have ramifications down the line, especially during Krisis of the Krimson Kryptonite.
- The reason I am a little put out that these stories were cut out of the trade is that they showed the effect Superman’s absence had on Lex Luthor. For years Lex’s energies were primarily targeted towards destroying the Man of Steel and now that Superman is gone Lex is left feeling empty.
- To be fair the story deals, as the title suggests, with hostile takeovers and business wranglings but I thought it was a nice insight into Lex as a character.
- Despite that I love that this trade is out there, though sadly out of print. I am hoping that DC will reissue it at some point with the missing material as they have done with Batman: Knightfall and Batman: No Man’s Land.