[Superman Fan Club] and friends, this time around, 2020 reading #12, we sweep across the Silver and Bronze Age years to gather up Super gems of the past…no, not different colored Kryptonite, Superman stories!!!
ACTION COMICS (1938-) #324Click Here for Action 324 “THE BLACK MAGIC OF SUPERGIRL!” Er um…let the cover say it all…and let the theological discussions begin!
DC COMICS PRESENTS (1978-) #10Click Here for DC Comics Presents 10 Superman and Sgt. Rock! World War II…and Easy Company gets a new recruit–a soldier of steel!
Superman (1939-) #305Click Here for Superman 305 The original Toyman Winslow Schott decides to reclaim his title and makes a deal with Superman’s imperfect duplicate Bizarro!
SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND LOIS LANE (1958-1973) #4 (released July 1958) Click Here for SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND LOIS LANE 4 “THE SUPER-COURTSHIP OF LOIS LANE.” Trying to be helpful, Jimmy uses a doctored tape of Clark’s voice to hypnotize him into proposing to Lois, but when Lois refuses Clark, he tries again as Superman.
SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN (1954-) #4 (released March 1955) Click Here for SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN 4 Jimmy and Jumbo Jones use the Daily Planet’s flying newsroom to rescue a runaway airplane.
I’ve read the Rock story. A solid story for both Rock and Superman. More on that later. While I’m partial to 70s Superman, the Action cover with Superglooks touch to beat.
The Fire Falls of Krypton has been added to my bucket list. They are a must see.
However, a six foot stiletto beaked cuckoo-bird Birds are monsters.
I feel like Old Testament Superman is an unmerciful mensch. Poor Py-Ron, he was TRYING to do the right thing. I feel bad for him; but I don’t feel bad for Lois. The older I get, the more dislikable I find her. She would not be invited on my trip to the fire falls. Jimmy would be first on the list. He seems like a swell pal. That move on the awning was inspired. Maybe he’s been hanging out in Gotham.
I’m glad you enjoyed some of our selections this time around, @jenoutmind !
I am hearing that you can get a really good discounted room in the Phantom Zone this winter, at least I think that’s what all those emails I’ve been getting from the travel agencies have been referring to… Which is crazy because that’s got to be the safest place to be at this point.
The Fire Falls of Krypton seems like a really romantic place to get radiation poisoning.
As always, really enjoyed the Supergirl story, as devilish as she got, its kinda cut.
I also liked the first two stories of Lois Lane, normally silliness, but the third one had just one too many insane things. Yes, give everyone real weapons for authenticity that makes sense.
-Rock, that’s a good Superman and Sgt Rock Story
-Toyman, again very solid '70s Superman story with a nice guest appearance at the end.
It’s nice we have at least a sampling of Marty Pasko’s 70s Superman run. I hate to leave us with cliff hangers from the Bronze age like this one, but these are rare issues on this site.
Was worried about Pasko as a writer because his Saga of the Swamp Thing is unreadably bad. And I’m someone who tries not to be too harsh in my criticism, but it really is. This story though I thoroughly enjoyed.
Ok, in the spirit of Thanksgiving leftovers, here’s one more fond look at this set of Super stories:
Action #323 released April 1965- around the same time I was frequently sitting in the hallway outside the 5th grade classroom for things like sneaking in my comics by punching three holes in them so they went in my notebooks but mainly because I was a smart alec who always had a quip…
This story, “Clark Kent in the Big House” shows so much about the culture of that time in the mid-60s and what was “trending” pre internet, with a pinch of our not so great leanings as humans on this poor planet.
Clark allows himself to be framed for a crime so he can go “inside” and get a crook to tell him where a fortune is hidden. His boss doesn’t question it, just automatically assumes it must all be true, even though Clark has shown who he really is morally over and over to Perry. I’m thinking that is the knee jerk reaction we all have, “guilty in the eyes of the public courtroom before being proven innocent.”
Superman here prefers to eat at an “everyman” greasy spoon joint rather than whisk to New Orleans or Paris for fine dining, or make his own feast with heat vision, gathering the best ingredients from around the world etc…very '60s, I assume the diner here was shaped like a rail car or prefab trailer…
I see what you mean; but Clark did admit guilt. It’s difficult, do you believe Clark is innocent because his moral compass is so strong; or do you believe he’s guilty because he admits it and has never given reason to doubt his word. Perry has probably seen it all and isn’t surprised by much anymore. I suppose that kind of cynicism doesn’t lend itself to curiosity or questions.
If the cops came into my studio and cuffed one of my most virtuous employees, who does not deny and more over confesses to the crime, would I question it?
I might now, after this reading
Something to definitely ponder.
Birds are monsters.
She would not be invited on my trip to the fire falls. Jimmy would be first on the list. He seems like a swell pal. That move on the awning was inspired. Maybe he’s been hanging out in Gotham.
