Trapped on Bizarro world, Superman’s only true ally is an imperfect copy of the imperfect copy of himself, Zibarro. Zibarro is the only voice of reason and intelligence on a world of backward creatures. As the world sinks lower and lower into the Underverse, Superman continues to lose his powers and struggles to find a way home. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely continue their “all-star” exploration of Superman and no exploration would be complete without a Bizarro story.
Superman is used to dealing with the Bizarros. Once you get used to their backward logic (“up” is down and “right” is wrong,) Bizarro and his people are a fairly logical race. You just need to know how to work them. Superman telling the Bizarros that he wants to stay forever on their planet is enough to encourage them to build him a rocket. But the Bizarros are simple creatures so their rocket leaves a bit to be desired– like a decent propulsion unit.
Zibarro is a new twist on the Bizarro story. A truly tragic creature, he’s the imperfect copy of Bizarro, an intelligent, mannered, caring creature on a world that defies logic. He writes poety and is rejected by his own kind. And he is sad when Superman is reduced to speaking to the Bizarro’s in their own idiom. “I can’t bear to hear you talking like that,” he tells Superman after Superman begins a sentence with “me am.”
Zibarro’s greatest tragedy is that he isn’t Superman; that he can’t be rocketed away from his homeworld no matter how much he wants to. Both Zibarro and Superman are strangers in a strange world but Superman fits into his adopted world. Zibarro is rejected by his own kind, even by a Bizarro version of Jor-El. Zibarro may be one of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s greatest creations (well, at least coming in close behind the animals in We3) because he’s just such a pathetic and mousy version of Superman.
All-Star Superman has been exploring the Superman mythos by reflecting Superman in the villains, opponents and counterparts he’s had so far. Whether it’s Lex Luthor, Samson or the futuristic Supermen, we see Superman for what he is through the reflections of what he is and isn’t in other. Normally in a Bizarro story, we’d see that through Bizarro himself, the imperfect copy of the perfect man. Zibarro, as an imperfect copy of Bizarro, should naturally be Superman but though a twist of fate, he becomes an even more imperfect version of the man of steel, wallowing in self pity and loathing of the “humanity” around him.
Morrison fills this issue with some wonderful and subtle humor as well. After Superman attempts to show the Bizarros what a wheel can accomplish, Bizarro grabs it and declares “Superman am genius” which means in their speak that Superman is dumb. Zibarro, while tragic, is also sadly funny in his pathetic attempts at writing and in getting Superman to take Zibarro with him. It’s an uncomfortable humor but still funny anyway.
All-Star Superman #8
“Us Do Opposite”
Written by: Grant Morrison
Penciled by: Frank Quitely
Digitally inked and colored by: Jamie Grant
Lettered by: Phil Balsman
[tags]All-Star Superman, Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, DC Comics[/tags]