SUPERMAN

Cribbing freely from the classic TV show and the 1978 movie as well as episodes from decades of comics, the Man of Steel tersely describes his origins and strongly declares his intention to “fight a never-ending battle for truth and justice.” As in Batman: The Story of the Dark Knight (2008), Cosentino pairs punchy commentary in a “handlettered” type to large, digitally painted cartoon panels featuring either scenes of the mighty-muscled superhero in action or portraits of sidekicks and select supervillains. Both Superman’s two creators and a cameo of Alfred E. Neuman get proper credit in the acknowledgements, but the many other artists and writers whose work the author/illustrator references or out-and-out copies here pass unmentioned. Furthermore, the text that he hasn’t lifted has awkward turns of phrase, from Superman’s search for “ways to better help Earth and its people” to “No matter what size foes I must face….” While it’s certainly never too soon to introduce children to the first and still greatest of the modern costumed crime-fighters, he, and they, deserve better than this knockoff. (Picture book. 4-6)