Over the weekend I had the pleasure of reading Superman/Batman 26, written by Sam Loeb. The story itself is great, but to really understand it you have to know the story behind the story, which, sadly, isn’t very clearly explained within its pages. I had to learn about it through comics news sites, which I don’t think are frequented by even that many of the readers of the book.
Sam Loeb was the son of Jeph Loeb, a comics writer who wrote the first 25 issues of Superman/Batman. Sam died of cancer last year at 17 after a three-year battle with the disease. His dad worked on Smallville, so Sam got a chance to meet a lot of TV people as well as comics people, including Joss Whedon, who invited him to write a backup story for Tales of the Vampire 5.
Superman/Batman 26 is an issue that Sam plotted but wasn’t able to finish before he died. It had originally been intended to be a stand-alone issue written by Sam and drawn by Pat Lee. When Sam died, the comics industry decided to finish the book for him, with 26 creators working to finish the script and draw all the artwork. In addition, they set up a scholarship fund, and on August 5 at the WizardWorld Chicago convention will be auctioning off all the original artwork to benefit the cause. The art for each page can be seen on The Sam Loeb College Scholarship Fund page.
Whedon, one of the 26 creators who worked to finish the story, writes about Sam:
In case I haven’t brayed this often enough: I gave Sam Loeb his start in comics. Yeah, I know talent when I see it. Sam had the same wit, the same disarming swagger, and after a few rounds of chemo, the same amount of hair as his father. I said to myself, “I’ve got these vampire tales - if Drew Goddard can write one, a shaved monkey could!” After several less-than-successful attempts to shave monkeys, I thought of Sam. Of course! “Here’s someone you can use and then spit out in the gutter like so many writers before him.” Leave it to Sam to bail before I could get to the spitting part. But he gave me a fine vampire tale, and he gave us Superman/Batman #26. Because make no mistake, Sam had this story wired. When Jeph told me what I was to write, my comment was, So I’m basically adding a ‘the’. Where do you want it? The story resonated so well and was all structured up - and I can’t be the first person to point out that it could be a story about Sam and the 26. Or the 25 + me, as I like to think of it. ‘Cause my “the” placement is impeccable. It’ll be the “the” heard round the world. I like to think that Sam would approve.
But I also like to think that Sam wouldn’t get frikkin’ cancer, so I’m living in a dreamworld of candy canes and tastefully shaved monkeys. You know what? Fuck cancer. Sam should be finishing this story, as a prelude to hundreds of others. Oh maybe Sam would’ve chosen a different career than his father’s, but no way. Sam was one of us from the start. Always around with the big funny-book wigs, always comfortable, at ease but never entitled, never obnoxious like his fath - like Drew Goddard. I want this book to sell, so we can raise some money and get that much closer to a frikkin’ cure, but also so Sam can have a Top Ten book and lord it over all those “alive” writers who don’t sell as well. Sam, this “the“‘s for you.
The issue is wonderful. It tells a simple team-up adventure of Robin and Superboy, who’ve been sent by their mentors to track down The Toyman. Sam wrote the plot before the Infinite Crisis series finished, in which Superboy dies. The story has been changed to work as a flashback, with Robin telling a story of one of many great memories he has with his late friend. The death of Superboy in the intervening time between Sam’s death and the book’s release is purely coincidental, but the resonance it brings puts us right there with Robin’s grief. Sam didn’t mean to write his own eulogy, but the end is just heartbreaking.
In addition to the main story, written by Sam, the book features a backup story written by his father, Jeph, and illustrated by Tim Sale, set in the time period of their famous Superman for All Seasons book. At the end of this entry you can read the inked version.
The Fourth Rail’s review of Superman/Batman 26 matches my impressions of the book:
This special issue has been promoted a great deal in recent months, and for good reason. Written by the late son of comics and TV writer Jeph Loeb, it celebrates a life taken too soon. But the question is: is the story itself any good? The answer is a definite yes. Loeb’s Superboy/Robin story fits in nicely with the ending of Infinite Crisis, but more importantly, it has a strong sense of fun. Even better is that the very nature of the plot lends itself to illustration by a variety of artists. Furthermore, the participation of multiple scripters isn’t the least bit apparent. The issue closes with a poignant short Superman story from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale that’s in keeping with their Superman For All Seasons work but incorporates a far more personal subject. I honestly don’t know how someone can craft such a touching, personal story so soon after such a loss, and I commend not only Jeph Loeb for doing so but Sam Loeb’s many friends for contributing to this delightfully entertaining, traditional, super-hero romp.
For more information about the book, its inception, and the scholarship fund, see Newsarama’s coverage of the book and its release:
- Jeph Loeb on Sam’s Story
- Superman/Batman #26 Creators Tell Their Sam Story
- Jeph Loeb on Superboy & Sam’s Story
Newsarama has also released the inked pages of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s backup Sam’s Story under a Creative Commons license, which I republish here. Please read it and, if you like it, pick up a copy of the issue to read the main story, and see the backup with colors.
