I read the graphic novel and it's actually pretty good. I didn't like everything, but I thought they handled several things very well. I'm of two minds regarding how they depicted Clark's decision to become Superman. On one hand I like a Superman who is simply good and wants to give back, but on the other I have to agree that the novel's depiction of Clark just wanting to "fit in" and have a normal life was more realistic. And he was still "good". He still had those values, but he wanted to make sure his mom was taken care of and there's nothing wrong with being "selfish" in that he just wanted to be happy himself. In the end the "goodness" of his nature wins out though because he can't just stand by and do nothing and let people be hurt. And really, I kind of liked that. He becomes Superman not because he wants to be a hero, but simply because something has to be done and only he can do it and he doesn't duck the responsibility or whine about it.
Throughout the book I thought they tried to be true to his core values and I even liked how they depicted his decision to get a job at The Planet.
I wasn't real thrilled with Lois and Jimmy though. Not that there was anything wrong with them, just that they seemed a bit flat as characters and weren't used effectively. All in all though it was a good read.
