Each Friday, we'll be letting a different DC.com writer share what they'll be reading over the weekend and why you might want to check it out. Here's this week's suggestion for a perfect Weekend Escape!
It’s easy to spot a super-villain by the costumes they wear or the powers they possess. It’s scarier when they’re rich. Wealth signifies power, and few people in Metropolis are more powerful than the brilliant self-made business magnate, Lex Luthor. But how many of those living in the City of Tomorrow truly know the man behind the money? When one takes a close look at his background, frightening things begin to emerge. And when you start to look into the abyss of man’s yearning for power, it isn’t long before the abyss looks back at you. Such is the scenario for a tabloid reporter, one of DC’s most beloved heroes and the biggest criminal cover-up in all of DC history. Let’s guardedly crack open the never-to-be-published Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography.
THE PREMISE:
Reporter Peter Sands is out of luck. His bills are past due, he owes money in child support, no respected publication wants to hire him and he stinks of vomit and alcohol (and it’s not even lunchtime). Luckily for him, book publisher focused on celebrities calls him up wanting something juicy on a top Metropolis citizen. On a whim, Sands picks Lex Luthor, the billionaire CEO of LexCorp.
After doing some initial digging, Sands—a decent reporter underneath the rubble of alcoholism—begins finding holes in Luthor’s public biography. He starts looking into people who knew the super-genius in his early years and dark revelations start to come into focus. Sands is on the right track for a killer story about the real Lex Luthor, but soon enough, he begins getting violent warnings for him to back off the story. In fear for his life, Sands decides to turn to the one man he knows Luthor has no power over, but can he get to Superman before his time runs out?
LET’S TALK TALENT:
Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography is a mystery, biography, villain origin story and superhero story all rolled into one. Everything is masterfully rendered by the late New Titans artist, Eduardo Barreto. His terrific employment of heavy inks and shadows splash against bright, harsh lights to maximize a pure film noir storytelling effect. Influences of Eisner, Adams and Miller abound throughout this book, which has almost no appearances of Superman. Instead, the art focuses on the subtle facial expressions and body language of Clark Kent, who’s caught in the middle of this mystery.
As for the scripting, the late James D. Hudnall pens an intense page-turner in what was his first work for DC. Clearly at home with down-to-earth, realistic storytelling, Hudnall keeps the book grounded. Peter Sands’ investigation and footwork drive the narrative, with his increasingly panicked realizations on what he’s up against giving this suspense thriller a pounding heart.
While Superman stories are often known for their high-flying adventure, Hudnall and Barreto recall the early 1940s pulp adventures from not only the Siegel and Shuster days of the Man of Steel, but the Fleischer Bros. animated shorts and the George Reeves Superman TV series. This gives the book a back-to-basics approach as the themes of corruptive power frame Luthor as the perfect foil to Superman—someone who has all the control in the world and uses it to amass even more.
A FEW REASONS TO READ:
- Hudnall and Barreto’s strengths really come through in how this book—while centering on Lex Luthor and featuring Clark Kent—is mainly sustained by entirely new characters. We see all sides of Metropolis and its citizens, and the influence Luthor’s had on the populace from all walks of life.
- Actions speak louder than words, and through Peter Sands we see just how dark and depraved Lex’s actions over the course of his life have been, again through the remnants of the people who knew him best. While there are some casualties, the real horrors emerge in the faces of those Luthor has affected through crueler means. It’s a far scarier way of getting to know the man.
- Similarly, we see how Clark Kent operates when everyone other than us doesn’t know he’s Superman. He’s true blue, too good to be true and hopelessly caught up in the web of Luthor’s influence. Clark’s involvement in the story is ultimately tangential, but still not beyond the reach of Luthor’s malevolent whims. Understanding that he’s really Superman doubles our understanding of the two men’s iconic relationship.
WHY IT’S WORTH YOUR TIME:
Luthor’s about to be back in the spotlight in a big way with this week’s Superman: Lex Luthor Special and James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film. In the past, he’s been characterized as an obsessive, at times insane maniac whose goals and intentions are known only to him. Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography makes clear exactly who this man is and how dangerous he is to the city he purports to love. His obsession with power began long before Superman came to town, and it only exacerbated the scope of his viciousness when the Man of Steel arrived. Reading this one-shot will give you a defining take on Metropolis’ favorite son, showing once and for all how the most seemingly human of DC’s super-villains may be the most monstrous of all.
Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography by James D. Hudnall and Eduardo Barreto with Adam Kubert is available in bookstores, comic shops and libraries as a part of the Superman: President Luthor graphic novel collection. It can also be read in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.
Donovan Morgan Grant writes about comics, graphic novels and superhero history for DC.com. Follow him on Bluesky at @donomark and X at @donoDMG1.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Donovan Morgan Grant and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
