Superman: The Adventures of Nightwing and Flamebird

 

   When the bottle city of Kandor is in trouble and Superman isn't around, the refugee residents of Krypton depend on Nightwing and Flamebird. The Caped Crusaders of Kandor, in reality, Nightwing and Flamebird are scientist Van-Zee and Phantom Zone parole Ak-Var; whom Van-Zee takes under his wing as his lab assistant. But these heroes, according to the book jacket, are NOT the original Nightwing and Flamebird. In fact, Van-Zee and Ak-Var aren't even the second duos to take on the mantle!

    The first Nightwing and Flamebird were Superman and his pal, Jimmy Olsen. They take on the mantle when during a misunderstanding, Superman finds himself a fugitive from the law and in order to find the real culprit takes on the role of Nightwing! (Superman #158, January 1963.) Then about a year later, in an imaginary story, Superman and Lois Lane's sons become the newest heroes of Kandor, when they find dad and Uncle Jimmy's costumes in the hidden Nightcave!

   Yes, Nightwing and Flamebird have a Nightcave, a Nightmobile, and I'm sure they would've had a Night-signal if it was needed as a plot device. Oy, Vey!

   I was really excited to find this book on clearance at my favorite LCS. But this isn't at all what I was expecting. First of all, the image on the cover is from the first appearance of Superman and Olsen as the heroes, which isn't included at all in this volume. Kal-El and Olsen's team do appear in two adventures as reprinted in the pages of Superman Family, but they are later adventures and one of which has them paired with the Van-Zee and Ak-Var Kandorian Dynamic Duo.

   The Adventures of Nightwing and Flamebird were a super hot mess! Though written by the talented Paul Kupperburg, some of these adventures were very jumbled and convoluted. Just how many people is Superman related to in Kandor? Plus, some of these adventures can only fully enjoyed or understood if you read other tales published in the same issue of Superman Family. (Only one story bears a foreword and afterword as to the excitement that took place before and after!)

   And don't get me started on continuity errors! They abound in this book. For example, Van-Zee is married to an earth woman friend of Superman and well as Lois Lane's! Both were married way after Krypton was obliterated. Yet, in one story, they two reflect on their life on the doomed plantet when they were on their honeymoon! Can anyone explain this head scratcher? Or maybe mail me a No Prize? (Ooops, wrong publisher.)

   I love the pre-Crisis Superman. If this volume included the Nightwing and Flamebird tales starring that Superman and that Olsen that I expected were within- I would be a huge fan of this book. But they don't and what little of them that do appear in this book isn't all that memorable. 

    This will not be a keeper in my collection!

   Not Worth Consuming

   Rating: 2 out of 10 stars.