This painting by pulp artist H.J. Ward, best known for his Spicy Detective covers, hung for years in the DC offices.
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This painting by pulp artist H.J. Ward, best known for his Spicy Detective covers, hung for years in the DC offices.
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In anticipation of resuming this project, I first want to bring all my previous posts together in this new thread.
NOV 23, 2024:
Recently I have been rereading DC Finest: Superman, The First Superhero at the rate of one story per day. Currently I am between Action Comics #16 and Superman #2. It looks pretty good. It's on slick paper, like a DC Archive, but softcover with the stories in the proper order and more of them. I was kind of expecting it to be on the same stock as the Golden Age Batman volume I own. I think I would have preferred that, but I'm getting used to it. No complaints.
DEC 2, 2024:
My reading of the "DC Finest" edition of Superman: The First Superhero proceeds apace. I just finished reading Action Comics #22-23. This story, a rare early two-parter, is significant because, in part one, Clark and Lois are sent on assignment by The Daily Star, and in part two they return to The Daily Planet. When I first read part one in 1974 (reprinted in DC Treasury Edition #C-31), I simply assumed the Planet bought out the Star while they were in Europe. IRL, the McClure Syndicate was shopping the Superman comic strip around. Many cities had a newspaper called The Star, and it was thought a rival newspaper might not pick it up for that reason, so the in-story newspaper became the less-common Daily Planet. Action Comics #23 is also significant as the first appearance of Lex Luthor.
The cover of DC Treasury Edition #C-31 was painted by pulp artist H.J. Ward and hung in Julis Schwartz's office for years.
DEC 6, 2024:
I finished reading the DC Finest edition of Superman: The First Superhero today. At this point, Lois Lane and [editor George] Taylor are pretty much one-dimensional characters. Lois in particular is little more than a female co-worker who utterly despises Clark Kent. I have come to think of this volume as "The Complete Adventures of the Golden Age Ultra-Humanite" as it comprises all of his/her appearances: Action Comics #13, 14, 17, 19, 20 and 21. [NOTE: Action Comics Archives Vol. 1 came close, but it's missing his/her final apearance.] Ultra typically dies at the end of each story, then is brought back without any real explanation of how he/she survived. I find it odd, from a 21st century perspective, that in Action Comics #20 the elderly male scientist had his mind transferred into the body of a beautiful, young female actress, apparently without a ripple of controversy. Heavens! Which public restroom will he/she use? The volume also contains the first three appearances of Lex Luthor (or just "Luthor" if you prefer): Action Comics #23, and Superman #4-5.
At this point I haven't yet decided whether to continue from this point into the Action Comics/Superman Archives, or move onto something completely different.
DEC 9, 2024:
I decided to move on to the Action Comcis/Superman Archives. My plan is to continue reading them, for as long as my purpose holds, in more-or-less chronological order, but I'm not going to be anal about it. For example, Action Comics Vol.2 overlaps with Superman Vol. 2, and my plan is to read Action Comics #26-36 first, then go back and read Superman #5-8 rather than try to read them in strict release date order. I forgot to mention last time that Action Comics #25 was the first mention of "Metropolis." The editor of the Daily Planet is still "Taylor" in Action Comics #30, and Perry White first appears in Action Comics #33 (although, like Luthor, he identified by his last name only. Lois Lane begins to take on a more prevalent role (rather than just "office bitch") in these stories. It's unclear as to when Superman begins actually flying rather than simply leaping in these stories; in one story he appears to be flying, then in the next he's back to definitely leaping again. (I'm not certain exactly what's happening on the Superman radio at exactly this point.) In #28 he says, "Up-- up--" for the first time (which is what he said on radio at first), and in #33 he utters the full phrase "Up-- up-- and away!" for the first time.
But the most striking change is in the art. The earliest issues were all drawn by Joe Schuster, but later issues are credited to "Joe Schuster and the Superman Studio" (which is probaly breakdowns by Scuster and inks by Paul Cassidy and Dennis Neville at this point). Schuster himself is probably concentrating the bulk of his artistic effort to the Superman comic strip. The most noteable change occurs with #28, however, when Jack Burnley takes over as artist for seven issues. (Burnley is, in my estimation, one of the better artists of the Golden Age.) One thing I noticed in context is the #29 has the first (and only so far in my reading) full page splash.
DEC 16, 2024: SUPERMAN ARCHIVES v2:
My reading of "Superman from the Beginning" (as I would have titled a thread had I started one) proceeds at a modest pace. Superman: The First Superhero went through Superman #5, and Superman Archives v2 reprints #5-8. Of the four stories from #6, one of them has a full-page splash; from #7 on they became pretty much a permanent fixture. Perry white's first name has yet to be mentioned, but #6 identifies the publisher of the Daily Planet to be one Mr. Mason. Lois Lane receives a transfusion from Superman in one of the stories from #6 and does not gain super-powers (as she certaionly would have a decade or two later). Although she is routinely shown going on assignments with Clark, she is still referred to consistantly as the Planet's "sob sister." It is during this run of issues that the terms "Man of Steel" and "Man of Tomorrow" come into use. A single story in #8 refers to Superman as the "Man of Tomorrow" three times in four consecutive panels!
Each issue of Superman contains four 13-page stories, and each issue of Action Comics one. #5 was the last quarterly issue, which means that, in a given year, Siegal & Schuster were responsible for 36 stories, or 468 pages. Plus over 300 dailies and 52 Sunday comic strips, plus promotional art as well. No wonder they needed their own studio!
DEC 31, 2024: SUPERMAN ARCHIVES v3
Superman Archives v3 reprints Superman #9-12. The introduction is by Jack Burnley, even though none of his work is on display in the volume itself. I think that was a good call because he provided some good insight into the production of the stories that are in this volume. (The "Shuster Studio" at this time consisted of Paul Cassidy, Watne Boring, Leo Nowak and Dennis Neville.) Last time I concluded that, once the full-page splashes arrived they were her to stay, but they're gone again this issue. (That must have been a "Burnley thing" initially). I am beginning to regret my decision not to duplicate any archives in omnibus editions, because I'm not reading the early appearances of Superman (from Action Comics, Superman and World's Finest) in strict chronological order. Also, these early archival volumes are not very good about providing credits, or even tables of contents with publication dates. For example, it is difficult to determine when, exactly, he started flying rather than leaping. Throughout most of this volume I think he's leaping. Sometimes he seems to be defying gravity, but then he's shown later not being able to. In my head canon, the Golden Age Superman developed the power to fly gradually over time. It's difficult to argue that he's not flying in the third story of #12 ("But in mid-flight, Superman changes his mind and arches back"), but time will tell if that remains consistent.
Lois and Clark go on dates occasionally, and in #12 they even vacation together. Police Sgt. Casey is a frequently recurring character. In perhaps the earliest "LL" (other than Lois Lane), Lamson Laboratories (complete with "LL" logo) appears is #9. Clark almost always beats Lois to the scoop in the stories in this volume. Lois Lane is revealed to live with her mother in #10. #11 is the first issue in which she begins to entertain the notion that Clark Kent might be Superman. Superman twice uses the power to "contort his face" to disguise himself. In one story, he reveals his identity to a character (who later dies). Luthor appears for the fourth and fifth time (possibly; not reading these in strict order, remember) in #10 and #12. In #10 he adopts the persona of "The Voice" for most of the story, but when his identity is revealed he is bald for the first time.
JAN 12, 2025: ACTION COMICS ARCHIVES v3
Action Comics Archives v3 reprints Action Comics #37-52. The highly informative introduction by Michael Uslan provides sales figures for early issues of Superman and Action Comics, proving why Action deserves the title "World's Largest Seilling Comic Magazine" which began appearing on covers starting with #22. It is at some point during this run that Superman begins flying rather than leaping, although it's difficult to ascertain exactly when that happened. Clark Kent and Lois Lane consistently refer to Perry White not as "Perry" or "Mr. White" or even "Chief," but simply as "White." Also, Jimmy Olsen (arguably) makes his first appearance. Here are some other things I found noteable.
This last story, "The Emperor of America", is noteable in light of current events. "This is a tale that could occure only after the war... many years hence! It's up to all of us to see it doesn't!"
JAN 28, 2025: SUPERMAN ARCHIVES v4
A couple of things struck me while reading this volume. First, as with Batman, colorful villains begins to emerge. Unlike Batman, few of Superman's are as successful as the Joker, the Penguin and Catwoman. Also like Batman, I have noticed a shift in story tone a year or so in. With Batman, the shift occurs with the introduction of Robin, but there's no such clear delineation with Superman; just a general change as the artwork becomes more "sophisticated." Finally, Superman has no aversion to killing criminals, or allowing them to be killed. The introduction to this volume is written by Leonard Maltin and, unsurprisingly, his commentary centers largely on the theatrical cartoons of Max & Dave Fleischer. This archive edition reprints Superman #13-16, and her are a few of the notes I jotted dowm as I read.
#13 introduces another costumed villain with a gimmick, The Light, but it ends up being Luthor in a hooded robe. Another story in the thirteenth issues introduces another costumed villain, The Archer, a character I first encountered this story reprinted in The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told (1987). The Daily Planet copyboy is named "Jimmy" in this issue, but his hair is blond (although it's red in TGSSET). Is this considered the first comic book appearance of Jimmy Olsen? (It is certainly the first story in which the office boy plays a large role.) I'm not sure because I'm reading the issues of Superman and Action Comics reprinted in the archives somewhat out of order. Years ago, I dumped them all in a speadsheet, so I could read them in release-date order if I wanted to; I just thought it would be too much trouble. I envy those who have these stories in omnibus format.
Superman killed two or three (it's unclear) spies in #13, and allowed a criminal to fall to his death in #14 when he could have easily saved him. He also meets a mermaid in #14, not Lori Lemaris, but Princess Kuellsa of the Undersea People. She and her entire race are wiped out in this story, never to be seen or mentioned again. Another villain in this story is The Lightning Master, who looks exactly like Lex Luthor but is not. superman executes this criminal, fittingly, by electrocution.
The office boy is identified as Jummy Olsen, first and last name, in #15. the villain is Evolution King, and Superman kills him as well. In #16 the motif of Clark Kent's smoking typewriter is used for the first time (although it's attributed to the "hot" story he's writing here). He later tosses a handgrenade at a getaway car killing at least one (possibly two) fleeing criminals. Another colorful villain: Mister Sinister.
FEB 9, 2025: SUPERMAN ARCHIVES v5
This volume reprints Superman #17-20 and features the work of Jerry siegel, Joe Shuster, Jack Burnley, Ed Dobrotka, Leo Mowak, Fred Ray and John Sikela.
The cover of Superman #17 (Superman roughing up Hitler and Hirohito) makes it clear that the United States had entered World War II. Previously, Superman occasionally fought against stand-ins, but now all bets are off (at least on the covers). Lois has questioned Clark's whereabouts during Superman's appearances from time to time before, but the first story in this issue is the first one specifically dedicated to that premise. She goes through a scrapbook she has kept of Superman's previous appearances, which provide flashbacks to actual stories. Also included in the scrapbook/flashback sequence is an early (the first?) use of a full-page "pin-up" panel within a story. The villain in the this story is the Talon.
The third story in this issues features the first appearance of the Fortress of Solitude (or at least a "fortress of solitude" since Superman refers to it as his "Secret Citadel"). Also, it is not in the Arctic, but in a remote mountain range. The final story is the first of many (many) comic book stories over the decades titled "When Titans Clash!" It is also noteable as Lex Luthor becomes one of three prominent Golden Age characters to be formally sentenced to die in the electric chair and actually electrocuted (the other two being Joker and Sub-Mariner).
Luthor returns in #18 with a heat ray built into a man-made meteor. Lois still writes the advice to the lovelorn column as "Miss Henkel." Perry White takes a vacation and put Lois in chargeof the Daily Planet. "The Snake" is latest in a long line of costumed and.or super-powered villains National threw against the wall (presumeably) in hope something would stick. (To be fair, though, many of these villains did not survive their first story.) Superman uses his "face contorting power" once again.
Issue #19 adds "Funny Face" to the list of gimmicky villains that did not stick. Lois Lane learns Clark's secret, but [SPOILER] it ends up being a dream [END SPOILER]. The "lovelorn" column is apparently a feature Perry White dispenses as a "punishment" to reporters when they fall out of favor. "Matinee Idol" is a story that was later retroactively (and incorrectly) identified as DC's first "Imaginary Story." (There is a case to be made that it might be the company's first adaptation, though.)
In "Superman's Secret Revealed!" (#20), Lois Lane conspires with Carl, the Daily Planet's head pressman, to print up a few joke copies of the newspaper, proclaiming that Superman is Clark Kent, as a joke. But Carl had an attack of appendicitis as the paper was going to press, and several hundred thousand of the fraudulent paper were printed and distributed. When Perry White finds out, he fires Jack Young for letting it go to press, even though Young knew nothing about the joke. Lois is prepared to quit when Clark suggests doubling down on the story as a publicity stunt. (He cites "The Great Balloon Hoax" but the incident he actually describes is "The Great Moon Hoax.") At that point, Clark is required to "impersonate" Superman. Hijinks ensue. The story features cameos of his "rogues gallery": Luthor, the Prankster, the Puzzler, Adolf Hitler and an unidentified gangster.
"Destroyer from the Depths" introduces the another in the long line of forgettable villains, Wiley Fange, a sort of Nazi "aquaman" who controls mythical sea serpents with a whistle. The Leopard is similarly forgettable, and the issue ends with a rematch with the Puzzler. The third story features a one-off comic relief character who calls himself "Herman the Heroic." Interestingly, Herman's costume, with only slight cosmetic changes, eventually shows up at Marvel as Captain Hero.
FEB 23, 2025: SUPERMAN ARCHIVES v6
Sometimes I cannot recall whether or not I have read a particular "archive" volume, but this one was still in its cellophane shrink-wrap, so it's a fairly good bet that I have not. All of the comics in this volume (Superman #21-24) are cover-dated 1943. Prior to that year (since 1940), every issue of Action Comics displayed a banner proclaiming it to be the "World's Largest Selling Comic Magazine." But in 1943, Captain Marvel reported surpassed the Man of Steel in sales (a factoid that has been disputed in recent years). DC responded by quietly removing the banner and, I had always heard, changing the tone and covers of Action Comics and Superman to reflect Captain Marvel's much more humorous, light approach. I was expecting the stories in this volume to reflect that, but they don't really; they are pretty much the same as the ones leading up to 1943 (although I suspect that change will be coming soon).
The Prankster does make a reappearance, as do the "Squiffles" (gremlin-like creatures). Other costumed villains include Robin Hood (not to be confused with the Archer), and The Dude. Perry White is still strictly referred to as either "White" or "Editor White" (never "Perry" or "Chief"). Clark Kebt engages in phyysical heroics much more frequently that I would have suspected (although he usually feigns trepidation afterwards), and he and Lois are something of an item, going out on frequent dates. Superman continues to display "plastic features" (the ability to disguise his face) from time-to-time, and has developed a new power, to "broadcast" his voice over the radio. Jimmy Olsen appears in three separate (i.e., non-sequential) panels in one story, unnamed but recognizable.
"The Ghost of Superman" (#21) is the first of many (many) "Death of Superman" stories over the years. (This one ends up being a hoax.) "Perils of Poor Lois" can be considered DC's second "imaginary story" (although it was not referred to as such at the time). It is a melodrama set duiring "the gay '90s" but has a framing sequence set in the "real world." Before "Suicide Slum" there was "Roaring Kitchen."
MAR 9, 2025: ACTION COMICS ARCHIVES v4
Because of the respective frequency of Action Comics and Superman (monthly vs. bi-monthly) and the number of Superman stories per issue (one vs. four), Action Comics Archives v4 (reprinting #53-67) spans October 1942 through January 1944, whereas the entirety of Superman Archives v6 reprinted issues (#21-24) cover-dated 1943. Consequently, I am seeing more of the change I expected to see in Superman Archives v6 in Action Comics Archives v4. Although two of every three covers featured Superman fighting WWII, the stories inside were more fanciful and frivolous.
Also I continue to regret owning these in "archive" rather than "omnibus" format. Young folks today don't appreciate how good they have it. Back in my day, if you wanted to read Superman stories sequentially, you had to buy two sets of books (three including Superman in World's Finest, which I haven't even gotten to yet), load all the stories into a spreadsheet and move between and among multiple volumes. These days, all you have to do is buy an "omnibus" edition and all that work is done for you. Now get off my lawn!
Powers: In addition to his "plastic features" (which are still on display), issue #62 has him vibrate his molocules through a solid object for what has to be the first time.
Villains: Nite Owl, Captain Ironfist, Dr. Menace, Adonis, Professor Praline. Most of these are highly forgettable, but this volume also includes the first appearance of the Toyman and the second of the Prankster. (Because I am reading these comics somewhat out of order, I have already read the third appearance of the Prankster.)
Lois's niece Susie appears for the first time in #59, then makes her first appearance for the second time in in #68, "Superman Meets Susie." In both versions, she is the daughter of Lois's (unnamed) married sister, but in her second first appearance, she is reinvented as a teller of tall tales. (Her first first appearance was, in part, a dream.)
"Lois Lane - Superwoman" (from #60) is a wholly different story from the one of the same title which appeared in the Superman From the '30s to the '70s hardcover. In this one, Superwoman wears a sleeveless blue top, blue skirt and blue leggings. Oddly, she also wears red trunks. I have always eschewed the "underwear on the outside" theory, but trunks over leggings under a skirt is like a man wearing both a belt and suspenders.
"There'll Always be a Superman" postulates that Superman will survive, basically unchanged, until 2143 (at least).
"A Goof Named Tiny Rufe" is a "Li'l Abner spoof.
Each of these 12 or 13 page stories takes me at least 20 minutes to read. Unlike the "decompressed" storytelling so prevalent today (I can often read an entire comic in five minutes), I really feel as if I'm getting my money's worth with these Golden Age stories.
MAR 23, 2025: SUPERMAN IN WORLD'S FINEST ARCHIVES v1
I neglected to mention last time that Action Comics Archives v4 was perhaps my favorite individual volume so far. By that time, October 1942 through January 1944, the "Superman" concept had really gelled and, despite the fact some of the stories took a turn from the serious to the silly, there were more winners than clunkers. But because of Action Comics and World's Finest's relative frequency (monthly vs. quarterly), the WF archive covers five years of development (1939 through 1944) and is even more eclectic. I had forgotten just how much Lois Lane hated Clark Kent in the earliest of the early years. By Action Comics #68 (the last story reprinted in AC v4), the couple dated frequently and marriage was even discussed (well, Clark discussed it). But in "Superman at the World's Fair" from New York World's Fair Comics, Lois's voice drips with contempt and she can barely contain her loathing and disgust for him.
Villains: The Rainmaker, the Unknown X, Metalo,insect Master, the Skeptic, the Lynx, and a whole passel of random, one-off gansters.
It continues to strike me how lame Superman's (dare-I-call-it-a) "rogues gallery" remains in the early years. The "Unknown X" is the leader of an obvious group of Nazi stand-ins who all wear "X" armbands that resemble a swastika. (Is it just me or does anyone else see a modern day parallel between this story and another "X" who gives the Nazi salute?)
Still on display are Superman's "plastic features," and in one story he is able to perform a delicate surgical procedure.
It is often remarked how little of a "Boy Scout" Superman is in these early adventures in comparison to the character he would become, but one scene in particular exemplifies that. In order to extract information from a criminal, Superman dangles him above the propeller of a plane in flight. After he gets the info he's looking for, he sets the thug on top of the plane and just leaves him there! "Hey! What about me?" You can't leave me here!" "That's your problem!"
Also, in issue #6 he fights Metalo (not the one you're thinking of), a "robot" who turns out to be an inventor in a suit of flying armor. In two panels only, the armor has exaust ports, which "explains" how he flies (he also wears a cape), but his strength is explained by a strength serum. (Too bad he didn't invent transistors to "power" his arnor, the way Tony Stark later would.) Superman essentially "kills" him by punching him into a pool of molten lava, although readers know he survived.
Jimmy Olsen makes his most significant appearance yet (five consecutive panels in which he is named, is recognizable, and contributes to the plot) in #6. He has not had this much exposure in any of the issues of Action Comics or Superman I have read yet. He has yet to be featured in a story or to play a major role.
I seem to enjoy the Superman stories in Action Comics and World's Finest more than those in Superman itself. Perhaps that is because Action and World's Finest have only one Superman story per issue and it more-or-less has to be good, whereas Superman can rely on quantity over quality.
APR 10, 2025: SUPERMAN ARCHIVES v7
The stories in this volume (from Superman #25-29) appeared between late 1943 and the summer of 1944, but Jerry Siegel wrote only two of them and Joe Shuster drew only one. Siegel had been drafted in 1943. Shuster's poor eyesight kept him out of the service, but he still supervised the art staff. Most of the stories in this volume were writen by either Don Cameron or Bill Finger, and drawn by either Ed Dobrotka or Ira Yarbrough. I find (and have found) the early Superman to be better-written than the average Golden Age far. For one thing, it's far less plot-driven than most GA stories, with the central idea or "hook" clearly delineated in the narration of the splash page's opening text box.
In "I Sustain the Wings," Clack Kent is allowed to undergo aviation cadet training at Yale University. A footnote refers to the story in which Clark Kent was rejected from serving in the Army for faulty vision. (He had inadvertently used his x-ray vision to read the eye-chart in the next room.) I am familiar with that story, but I don't think I have ever read it. I certainly have not read it during the course of this current read-through of DC archives. I suspect that the stroy in question appears in Action Comics Archives v5, which runs more-or-less concurrently with this one, and which I have not read yet. Here's a good bit of trivia: Clark Kent earns an (unofficial) lieutenant's commission in the Army Air Corps in this story.
"Hi-Jack -- Jackal of Crime" is another one of those lame, one-off villains. Oftentimes, a character with a name which pulls "double duty" (such as "Robin," which evokes both Robin Hood as well as the red-breasted bird) are memorable, but not so with Hi-Jack, whose name evokes four things (the crime, the animal, money and the playing card). The symbol he wears on his chest if the Jack of Spades, and headgear is spade-shaped. I must admit this story did trick me into assuming that Hi-Jack new the new Daily Planet reporter, Jack Height. (it actually turns out to be [SPOILER] a banker named "Jack Jackson" [END SPOILER].
A villain named "Wolfingham" makes his second appearance; either he is not very memorable or I am, again, reading these stories out of order. Similarly, the "Professor" makes his second (?) appearance. Lois Lane's solo back-up feature begins in #28. One story concentrates on finding a pre-Kryptonite weakness for Superman. There is a bit of continuity in this one, and it also clarifies how Hi-Jack was able to stun Superman with electricity ("He knocked me out temporarily because his lightniong bolt was lucky enough to strike the base of my brain!"). Police officer Casey has not been mentioned in a whiole (in the order I'm reading the stories), and seems to have been replaced by two cops named Moonan and Carmody.
In "The Super Stunt Man" Superman once again uses his power to manipulate his face to assume a disguise. I wish I had kept better track of how many times he used this particular power. At first I thought it would turn out to be something he used once, maybe twice, before it was dropped.
Villains: Hi-Jack, the "Jackal of Crime"; the Quicksilver Kid (actually the god Mercury); the Toyman; the Prankster; Mr. Blob (a.k.a. the Tycoon of Crime), a sort of (businessman) Luthor/Kingpin hybrid, but more "jolly" looking; the god Hercules also appears, but the story ends up being a tall tale told in the Liars' Club.
APR 28, 2025: ACTION COMICS ARCHIVES v5
This volume comprises issues #69-85, cover-dated February 1944 through June 1945.
In #69, his inabilty to see through lead is established, apparently for the first time (at least in comics; whether or not that weakness had already been displayed on radio I do not know). In #70, he uses ventriloqism for the first (?) time. Although Jimmy Olsen has appeared many times as a background character by this point, #71 is the first time he has been featured as a main character in a story. A statue of Superman is erected in #72. #73 introduces Detective-Inspector Hogan, perhaps replacing Officer Casey.
Trivia: Clark Kent collects clocks. At the end of the story it is the simultaneous chiming of his collection that interrupts a kiss (on the lips!) from Lois. I have been surprised, reading these early stories, how often Clark and Lois go out on dates. They are a regular item! Lois does not take them seriously, however Clark does.
Powers: Ventriloquism, invisibility (through super-speed, used twice), application of accupressure to relieve a brain injury.
Villains: The Prankster (twice), the Thinker, Wilbur Wolfingham (2ⁿᵈ appearance), Mr. Mxyztplk (2ⁿᵈ appearance), the Water sprite, Hocus & Pocus, the Toyman.
This will be the last volume of Action Comics Archives I will be reading before switching over to the Superman Omnibus series. Action Comics Archives v5 ends with #85, and the first issue of Action to be reprinted in Superman Omnibus v5 is #86.
MAY 12, 2025: SUPERMAN ARCHIVES v8
This volume comprises issues #30-35 (Sep/Oct 1944 through Jul/Aug 1945), but I will be covering only through #33.
The "Lois Lane, Girl Reporter" back-up series continues in #30-35. One thing I was surprised to discover while reading these Golden Age Superman stories from the beginning is that, early on, more often than not it was Clark Kent who beat Lois Lane to a scoop. In the last couple of years, however, that tide is turning. I would also like to mention that these Golden Age Lois Lane solo stories are much more serious than the Silver Age ones from her own solo title.
Villains: Lex Luthor makes his return in #31, but he's a bit off model AFAIAC (with "crazy eyes"), the Toyman returns in #32, and Mr. Mxyztplk makes his third appearance in #33.
There are two more issues in this volume, but at this point I switch from archives to the omnibus series.
MAY 15, 2025: SUPERMAN in WORLD'S FINEST ARCHIVES v2
Well, that didn't take very long. (That's what happens when you read only three out of 17 stories.) This volume comprises issues #16-32 (Winrer 1945 through Jan/Feb 1948), but read only #16-18 because this archive overlaps with the Golden Age Superman Omnibus Vol. 5. In these stories, Superman acts more as humanity's helper than its protector, often helping in the less flamboyant guise of Clark Kent. Wilbur Wolfingham makes another appearance in #16. I have nothing to say about #17, and the most interesting thing about #18 is that artist Ed Dobrotka depicted Clark Kent in a checkered sportcoat with a bow tie.
When I return to this topic, I will start a "Superman from the Beginning" thread of its own.
This past weekend I watched several first season episodes of The Adventures of Superman and was quite surprised by the Man of Steels cold blooded attitude toward the bad guys. In the episode titled "The Stolen Costume" a small time crook breaking into Clark Kents apartment discovers that Kent is Superman. The burglar conveniently dies after being wounded by a pursuing police officer but not before passing his knowledge of Supermans dual identity onto a gangster and his female companion. Supermans solution for dealing with the couple is to strand them on a mountaintop in an unnamed but very cold, inhospitable enviornment. The Man of Steel flies off promising to return with supplies for the couple. Unwilling to accept the situation the couple attempts to climb down the mountain. They soon fall to their deaths and the episode wraps up with a wink and a nod from Clark that everything is just swell once again. The cold blooded attitude toward the criminal couple reflects the Man of Steels approach to problem solving from his early comic book days. Of course the TV show like his comic book adventures would soon move him toward a softer stand on wrong doers.
THE GOLDEN AGE SUPERMAN OMNIBUS - Vol. 5:
For all intents and purposes, this volume contains the last of the post-war Superman stories Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster worked on together. According to Paul Levitz: "In the years that followed, there would be only around a dozen mre Siegel scriptsthat popped up, and only two more Shuster art jobs." I don't plan to identify them story by story, but other writers include Don Cameron, Whitney Ellsworth, Bill Finger, Joe Samachson and Alvin Schwartz. Other artists include Jack buenley, Sam Citron, Ed Dobrotka, Stan Kaye, Win Mortimer, Charles Paris, Pete Riss, George Roussos, John Sikela, Jon Small, Dick Sprang and Ira Yarbrough. The era in which Wayne Boring, Al Plastino and Curt Swan are viewed as the definitive Superman artists is still in the future. The issues are all from 1945/1946, and as the war winds down, the stories become increasingly child-oriented.
SUPERMAN #34:
ACTION COMICS #86 - "The Enchanted Mountain!" - Superman will go on fighting WWII for a bit, but mainly on the covers. The story, subtitled "A Tayle of Sorcery," is actually an early version of what would one day come to be known as an Elseworlds: "We don't say it ever really happened -- and we don't say it didn't..."
ACTION COMICS #87 - "Danger Highway!" - This story's hook: cross-country trucking. But it's also a human interest story about a driver who is reluctant to use a sidearm to protect his cargo. Is he in league with the hijackers?
SUPERMAN #35:
WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #19 - "The Battle of the Zodiac" - This story's "hook" is obviously the zodiac (that and Greek mythology). Actually, Lois Lane is put under hypnosis by an con-man astrologer. I wonder how today's crop of writers would handle themed "done-in-one" stories...? I hadn't been looking forward to reading the stories in this volume, but now I'm beginning to come around to appreciate them for what they are. Actually, they are quite imaginative.
ACTION COMICS #88 - "The Adventures of the Stingy Men!" - Like it says on the cover: "Another adventure featuring those zany magicians by accident -- Hocus and Pocus" (a.k.a. Doc and Flannelhead).
ACTION COMICS #89 - "The King of Color!" - This is a very unscientific story based on an actual scientific principle: that the frequency of radiation, or atomic motion, determines a color.
SUPERMAN #36:
ACTION COMICS #90 - "Rookery for River Rats" - The "amphi-bandits" hide out in a dilapidated mansion with a secret, underwater entrance.
ACTION COMICS #91 - "The Ghost Drum" - Superman solves the mystery of ships disappearing on the Great Lakes.
SUPERMAN #37:
WORLD'S FINEST #20: "The Toyman: Super-Scientist" - Another Toyman story. Eh.
ACTION COMICS #92: "The Average American" - In an attempt to boost circulation, the Daily Planet runs a contest to find the "Average American" and offers a cash prize. Lois submits Clark's name, but a gangster has also entered, and sets in action a scheme to increase his own odds of winning.
IIRC, conman J. Wilbur Wolfingham appeared in around ten stories in the 40s, making him one of DC's more important Golden Age villains!
Wilbur the con man? He had an Earth-One counterpart, even if he only had two appearances. Superman #341 (1979) and Action Comics #573 (1985).
His appearance in Superman #341 is a great use of the character. What it is not is an introduction to Wilbur; despite being the first appearance of the Earth-One version of Wilbur, we are told outright that Clark and Superman have met him before.
That is not atypical of that time period. While some characters travelled outright from Earth-Two to Earth-One (the Fiddler, for one) for no particular reason, many others simply drifted into ambiguous territory, existing both in Earth-One and Earth-Two according to immediate plot convenience until some reason arose to establish that such was not the case. A similar phenomenon is in effect now for more recent characters as well. I find myself increasingly uncertain on whether (for instance) the current Green Arrow and Green Lantern participated in the "Hard Travelling Heroes" stories despite those having happened _way_ before Crisis and Green Arrow having been effectively rebooted in the New 52 and (to the best of my knowledge) not having been rebooted again since.
Maybe this sort of nebulous continuity is now unavoidable.
ACTION COMICS #93: "Christmas 'Round the World!"
Superman reunites refugees separated from their families during the war. A 16-page story (most are 12).