Sam's Story
In such an alternative universe, perhaps a young writer with the familiar last name of Loeb - in this case Sam - follows up his first published work in Dark Horse’s Tales of The Vampires #5 with a one-shot issue of Superman/Batman #26. On the strength of that work he is assigned his first limited series, and then eventually an ongoing series. Perhaps in short order the comics industry finds its next Eisner winner, familiar name to the pages of Wizard and Newsarama, and fan-favorite panelist at the San Diego Comic-Con. But that’s just an “alternative timeline”. In June of 2005, seventeen year-old Sam Loeb, son of comic book writer Jeph Loeb, died after a three-year battle with cancer. By all accounts Sam lived a remarkable life for such a young man, touching the lives of just about everyone he came in contact with. And in April, DC Comics and a host of superstar creators are giving comic book readers a small glimpse into who Sam was and what he might have been, as 26 of the biggest names in comics lend a hand to finish a special story Sam wasn’t able to complete before his passing. Superman/Batman #26 isn’t just a glimpse at the kind of comic book writer Sam Loeb may have become, but the way so many people who knew him have rallied around this special project, for those of us who didn’t know him it serves as a glimpse at the person he was, the mark he left, and at the limitless potential that the world lost with his passing. ... This is a very personal story that I wrote about Clark's friendship with a boy named Sam who gets cancer in the Junior Year at Smallville High. Paul Levitz wrote me the most amazing note after my Sam died and suggested that I try to use what had happened to create something - anything. Paul told me a story about a writer/artist who is one of my heroes who had lost a child and somehow found a way to channel that into a story that others could enjoy. I didn’t immediately know how to react, but then something struck me. Ten days after Sam died, I wrote "Sam's Story". Tim Sale illustrated it perfectly. Richard Starkings lettered it perfectly. Like “Prom Night” that was in Tim Sale's Solo book and the two-page “When Clark Met Bruce” that's in Public Enemies, these are all stories from the Superman For All Seasons era and done in that style.       |
A unique feature of this medium of comic books is how often we like to explore “alternative timelines” - variant "dimensions" and "universes" that deviate due to a singular event, causing ripple effects that change the entire world.