Superman: Sunday Classics 1939-1943

The first in a very long line of editions collecting the long running Superman comic strip of 1939-66. This volume has the first 3 years of the Sunday strips which comprised of a different story than that in the dailies.

I would love to eventually own all the these. But they're not cheap. Nor are all of them still in print. But when I can find them affordably, I'll snatch them up in a heartbeat. And no, unlike other series, I won't wait to read them until I have the complete in- order set!

This book reprints Superman's cosmic origin, following the Man of Steel through his first appearances in Metropolis. These early adventures have Superman battling giant robots, two-bit hoods, femme fatales and a half villain named Luthor.

Before the close of this volume, the United States and Superman enter the war effort against the Nazis and Imperial Japanese. Clark Kent and Lois Lane travel the nation covering the sale of war bonds and creation of new war machines only to stumble upon Nazi saboteurs! Good thing that the Man of Tomorrow is here to ensure freedom and democracy for today!

Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joel Shuster present their greatest creation in all of his art-deco glory. It's very much a product of its time. The men are all drawn to look like Jerome Kerr and the women are illustrated as the ever so sultry Veronica Lake and Dorothy Lamour. I love the 1930s style of the Superman logo. It's really classic stuff.

One thing that didn't transfer so we is the lettering. It's very pencil thin and tiny. Thus it's extremely hard to read. Seeing as these are nearly 80 year old reprints, the lettering is quite faded. You'd have thought that the editors of this omnibus would have doctored up the dialogue. But they didn't. Could it be that with so small a font any repair work would have damaged the artwork?

This is a great collection of early Superman comics. The art is breathtaking. But you need a magnifying glass to read these beauties. Aspirin too!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Superman: The Silver Age Dailies 1959-1961 (Volume 1)

  A part of the Library of American Comics series, this volume collects the complete 1959-61 run of Superman stories that appeared in newspapers nationwide. Most of the Superman stories that ran in the funny pages were recycled from comics that were published months earlier. For those who may collect the DC editions that reprint the stories from Action Comics and Superman, it's more than likely that you already have almost all of these tales in your collection. 
      Only the first story- Earth's Super-Idiot is an original adventure. Although some elements of the yarn were borrowed from a story printed in Superman #135 (The Trio of Steel.) I know for sure that I've read a couple of these adventures before such as the 'Superman of the Future' and 'The Mad Woman of Metropolis' in their original form.
      In order to build interest and assist readers who may have forgotten what happened the day prior, the last panel of one strip is often repeated in the first panel of the next. This repetition gets a little old but it's not the worst thing in the world. It still makes for a fun read of silver age fables starring the Man of Steel. 
       One thing that is a little confusing is the numbering of the stories. This is volume one of Superman: The Silver Age Dailies. Yet, the first epic is numbered at Episode 107. The publisher, IDW, is also reissuing the older tales from the Golden Age. But that numbering is starting at Episode 1. As there's only that first volume available, it may be a little while before IDW gets to Episode 106.
        The Silver Age Dailies, Volume 1 features artwork from some of the most legendary Superman artists of the era. Wayne Boring, Stan Kaye, and Curt Swan all craft some amazing images of the Man of Tomorrow along with Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, and Lois Lane. (In my opinion, the Curt Swan stories are the best drawn.) Every episode is written by Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel and some are quite good. But the allure and wonder of these Superman tales are all thanks in very large part to editor Mort Weisinger. 
         Weisinger would bring mock-ups of ideas to the kids in his neighborhood and let them decide the next adventure of the Man of Steel. The idea was a huge, if not a tad far-fetched success. However, it's one reason why the Silver Age sagas of the Last Son of Krypton are still popular with fans today.
          An enjoyable chronicle of Silver Age Superman in which I hope to obtain further volumes in the series. Being an oblong book and very heavy, it's a little unwieldy- especially when trying to read it in bed. I recommend a desk or recliner when reading.

     Worth Consuming!
  
      Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
       

Siegel and Shuster: Dateline 1930's #1

Sometime around 1937, right before National Periodicals picked up Superman to star in Action Comics, the duo of Siegel and Shuster created a tabloid comic for a Cleveland newspaper. It contained dozens of new comic strips, but never saw the light of day. That is until the early 80s, when Eclipse Comics printed it for the first time ever.

This book was intended to be the first of many weekly comics. So, expect lots of cliffhangers with unresolved plots. However, for it’s historical significance, it’s a treasured piece of comic history. Imagine if this had become a weekly piece of a small potatoes Cleveland rag. There might have never been a Superman. The Superhero may have never become the “flavor or the month” for publishers. The comics industry might look very different or have never existed at all. The possibilities are endless and frightening.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.