Good stories this week! My favourite is probably Superman’s New Power just because of all the cute nonsense. But the others were pretty good too, so it was really close!
Lois Lane’s Super Dream
Hey look! The first appearance of Power Girl! …sorta.
-I can’t believe Lois risked her life climbing on ledges to get a one-week-early peek at a SCIENCE FAIR. It must be a really REALLY slow news week for Metropolis.
-Clark Kent as a “superhero” is probably one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while. I mean, that warning light hat thing? Going full ostrich when he’s scared? The perpetual look of worry on his face?! The guy flew all the way to a jungle to squeeze out rubber from trees to make a giant life-preserver instead of… you know… just lifting up the boat wtf. I want a whole series of zany Power Man adventures!
-Speaking of the life-preserver though, I think Lois was 100% in the wrong. She destroyed an ENTIRE ecosystem to keep the boat from sinking. That’s just as ridiculously inefficient as the life-preserver! I mean, all those dead pond dwellers? Waterfowl nesting grounds ruined?! You might be upsetting a bird’s entire migration pattern! I am a birder so this UPSETS ME.
As someone that recently bought a house during the crazy price increases, this panel makes me oof. $20,000 it’s not even fair.
Clark Kent’s College Days
I can only imagine the stuff Supes did in college. You never really hear much detail about his college days. His stories always seem to go from kid to adult with nothing really in between.
-So… yes… can we mention the award-winning scientist that specializes in CHEMISTRY being somehow duped by Superman into believing that 14 small helium balloons could lift an average college freshman into the air? YEP.
-Also why is said professor going full villain mode for literally no reason? Waving around kryptonite and making threats wtf? Sure he says he just “wanted to solve a riddle” and he wouldn’t reveal Supe’s identity to anyone, but dang.
Superman’s New Power
Spoiler Alert: No actual rainbows involved!
-I kinda wish Superman got to keep the ability to shoot tiny dudes out of his hands. Such a fun power. Also tiny Supes IS cute, even if he says calling it cute is nonsense. CUTE NONSENSE.
-I love how the cover is all happy and has Superman shooting out rainbows, but the actual story? NO RAINBOWS. You get Superman purposely sending a tiny dude out to his death just because he’s jealous, and then only later wondering if said tiny dude was actually a sapient being. And that is a pretty dark storyline. Opposite of rainbows, I would say.
Clark Kent Goes to Reform School
-I’m kinda iffy about reform schools. I mean I agree with them on principle, some kids can just be brats sometimes and need a good wakeup call. But back then they’d be throwing kids in these schools just for acting “different” which led to a lot of them being filled with children with special needs. Lots of autistic kids were sent there and mentally tortured because no matter how much the school attempted to make them act “normal”, they literally could not act that way. Of course, you also had LGBT people tossed in there, and I feel like conversion camps kind of arose from reform schools, so that’s a whole messed up thing.
-That kid Hank was a brat and needed a good wakeup call. Glad he got one.
The Charge of the Sea-Soldiers
-Am I reading this right?! This guy is literally saying that he’s DESALINATING AN ENTIRE GULF and Aquaman is initially okay with this?! He is KING OF THE OCEAN and he doesn’t immediately realize this is gonna mess everything that lives there up? The fish! The birds! Why! You really are a shell-head, Aquaman…
This comic brought to you by Fruit Stripe gum! Enjoy delicious fruit flavor even though it only lasts for five seconds!
As for the artwork, this one’s kind of a toughy. I really enjoy them both! I guess maybe I enjoy Curt Swan’s art a little more since Jim Mooney’s can get a little janky in places. But at the same time I’ve thought Mooney’s faces can be drawn pretty good but it’s always a hit or miss.
(Also I cleaned up the rainbow hands picture for use in future fun photoshops! Cleaned up version with no background)
