If that first page of Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely’s All Star Superman is justifiably famous for summing up Superman’s origin in four panels, this page from All Star Superman issue ten does the same for summing up in five panels who Superman is as a person:
For context, Superman is dying and this issue has him starting writing his will, while he is also busy trying to resolve as many crisises and disasters as possible while he still can. In the overall scheme of what’s at stake the life of one confused, scared girl may seem meaningless but Superman still takes the time to not just rescue her, but comfort her. He does so without knowning her, without anybody having asked him to save her, he does because he couldn’t help but overhear her doctor frantically calling her to not do anything drastic and took it upon himself to make sure she didn’t
All Star Superman is full of moments like this, showing how well Morrison and Quitely understood him. On a technical level, the layout of that page is just brilliant, one long panel on the left, four smaller panels next to it on the right, fully emphasising the height of the building Regan is standing on the ledge of.
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