Supergirl Archives, Volumes One and Two covers Action Comics #252-285 (1959-1961)
The Silver Age Supergirl covers Action Comics #286-376 (1962-1969)
Both the archives and the omnibuses focus on Supergirl's solo feature in Action Comics, but Supergirl made guest appearances in other DC comics across the "Superman" family of titles between 1959 and 1961. The "DC Finest" edition roughly equates to the Supergirl solo stories published in the two archive editions (through #288) plus the guest appearances.
Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #40 (October 1959)
Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #14 (January 1960)
Superboy #80 (April 1960)
Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #46 (July 1960)
Superman #139 (August 1960)
Superman #140 (October 1960)
Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #20 (October 1960)
Action Comics #270* (November 1960)
Adventure Comics #278 (November 1960)
Action Comics #273* (February 1961)
Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #51 (March 1961)
Superman #144 (April 1961)
Action Comics #276* (May 1961)
Action Comics #281* (October 1961)
Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #57 (December 1961)
*Both main and back-up stories.
Replies
SUPERMAN'S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #40 - "Jimmy Olsen, Supergirl's Pal!"
"As readers of Action Comics know, Supergirl has recently come to Earth posessing all the super powers of her cousin Superman! For certain reasons, the very existance of the Girl of Steel is being kept secret from the world! But one day, Supergirl decides to reveal herself to Superman's trusted pal, Jimmy Olsen! What happens then will utterly amaze you as the cub reporter becomes... Jimmy Olsen, Supergirl's Pal!"
This is Supergirl's first guest appearance in another title, and her sixth story ever. In it, Jimmy runs afoul of a con man running a fake sideshow. Jimmy threatens to expose him and the con man threatens Jimmy's life. Then, Jimmy accidently blinds himself (as one does). Superman is unavailable, but he has arranged for Supergirl to cover for him, which includes responding to Jimmy's emergency watch signal. (Zee! Zee! Zee!) Supergirl catches up to him just as the con man is shoving Jimmy off a bridge. She decides, because Jimmy is superman's pal, that it would be okay to reveal her identity to him, so she swoops in to save him. Once safely on the ground, she relates her orgin story to him but, skeptical, he doesn't believe her. He thinks that she is a confederate of the con man playing a hoax on him. Supergirl is worried that, if he doesn't believe she's really who she says she is, that he won't activate his signal watch the next time the con man tries to kill him. So she sets about trying to prove to the temporarily blinded Jimmy that she's Supergirl. She performs seven different super-feats, but Jimmy is always able to think of a way she might have faked it. Just then, Superman returns from his mission and Supergirl uses a puff of her super breath to activate the emergency watch, drawing superman to the spot. Superman apprehends the con man (who is also a killer, BTW), and Jimmy relates the story of how he tried to trick him into believing there is a "Supergirl." (We don't find out what Superman has to say to Kara about this.)
SUPERMAN'S GIRLFRIEND, LOIS LANE #14 - "Lois Lane's Secret Romance!"
"It's no fun to be in love in vain... and no one knows this better than Lois Lane! For years she has been yearning to become Mrs. Superman, but the Man of Steel has not obligingly proposed. One day, Lois unknowingly gets an ally, when Superman's cousin, Supergirl, decides to play cupid and lure Superman and Lois to the altar. To learn the unexpected, hilarious results, read on and discover what happens when Supergirl plans... Lois Lane's Secret Romance!"
Lois Lane pines for Superman. Supergirl observes from a distance and decides to play matchmaker in hope that they will get married and adopt her. (This is still early on, and a footnote explians that "Supergirl first appeared in the May, 1959 issue of Action Comics.") First, Supergirl decides to influence her cousin subliminally as Clark Kent drives through the countryside by altering all of the billboards along the route with Lois's face. By the time he takes a second look, she has blow off the paint with her super breath. I wouldn't think this ploy would work, but he does invite her out on a date that night about Perry White's pleasure schooner. She prepares dinner for him in the galley, but Supergirl uses her powers to make it better. The Supergirl sabotages the boat's witubng so they have to dine by candlelight. No sooner do they sit down to eat than Superman is called away to deal with a emergency, and by the time he returns the dibber is cold. Ruined!
Later, while the couple are standing on deck, Supergirl attempts to bloe her into his arms, but ends up blowing her overboard instead. Superman saves her, saying, "I was just about to propose, Lois, but... not now! Your accident made me rwalize that if I married you, I'd spend the rest of my life rescuing you from one peril after another!" then he flies off, leaving her to sail back to the harbor by herself.
Next Supergirl decides to make Lois jealous by sending her gifts from Batman and mimicking his handwriting. First she sends roses, but Superman is skeptical and checks Lois's pulse to verify that she is telling the truth and didn't put Batman up to it. Next, "Batman" sends her a Batwoman costume along with the note: "Marry me, and become my Bat-Queen, Dearest Lois!" But because Batman is his pal, Superman stands aside. D'oh! Supergirl's plan failed again.
Next she tires to hypnotize him in his sleep: "When you awaken, Superman, you will propose!" but that plan backfires as well. Because she didn't specify that he should propose to Lois, specifically, he proposes to every woman he meets. By the time he proposes to Lois, she has heard the coverage on the radio and turns him down! D'oh! Foiled again! Syuperman passes his odd behavior off as a publicity stunt for the upcoming movie King Solomon's 1000 Wives." Supergirl gives up at this point, and Superman reveals that he knew about each of her schemes the whole time. Supergirl vows to herself never to interfere with Superman's love life again.
So just to be clear, all the stories you're listing are guest appearances that don't appear in either of those other books? Even the ones in Action Comics, with the asterisks? What do the asterisks mean?
I've just got Supergirl Archives v1, so it sounds like I'll still get plenty of value for money with the DC Finest volume.
I've just got Supergirl Archives v1, so it sounds like I'll still get plenty of value for money with the DC Finest volume.
Here's what I wrote in Comics Guide for comics shipping week of Jan. 13, 2025:
This is a much more robust Maid of Steel collection than we've seen in anything but the Showcase Presents reprint series. Supergirl Archives Vol. 1 and Supergirl: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 1 reprint only the backup stories from Action Comics — issues #252-288 for Archives, and issues #252-307 for Omnibus. Showcase Presents: Supergirl Vol. 1 collects fewer Action Comics strips and has more guest appearances (Action Comics #252-281; Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #40, 44, 46, 51-52; Adventure Comics #278, Superboy #80; Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane #314; and Superman #123, 139, 140 and 144) but is in B&W.
I have most or all of these stories in various formats already, but having them all in one package sells me.
For my part in this discussion, I just received the Aquaman collection from Instocktrades. Still waiting for Supergirl.
So just to be clear, all the stories you're listing are guest appearances that don't appear in either of those other books?
Correct. I'm just filling in the stories not already covered in either of the previous discussions.
Even the ones in Action Comics, with the asterisks? What do the asterisks mean?
Oh, that was a note to myself that, in those issues of Action, Supergirl appeared in both the main and the back-up stories. When I got to Action Comics #260, for example, I verified that both stories had been covered in previous discussions, so I removed it from the "table of contents" of this thread.