DC: Superman, selected and introduced by Jenette Khan (graphic novel review).
The ‘DC: Superman’ collection comes with a scale replica copy of Superman #1 (1939), although not seen with an advance download. There’s an intriguing letter from 1934 by Jerry Siegel to Russell Keaton, a successful newspaper cartoonist, trying to sell the concept of Superman. A foreword by writer Marjorie Liu tells us how Superman affected her life. Then there’s a long introduction by highly esteemed former DC publisher Jenette Khan, who chose the material included here. In the old western ‘Gunfight At The OK Corral,’ starring Kirk Douglas, the song at the beginning tells you the entire plot of the film. Khan does the same with her introduction, so skip it until you read the stories.
Action Comics #36 (May 1941) is ‘Fifth Columnists’ by writer Jerry Siegel, artists Wayne Boring and Joe Shuster, with cover artist Fred Ray. This story, published seven months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, which brought the USA into World War II, is about saboteurs working for Nation X. Their front organisation is Volunteers for Peace, a movement against rearmament. The comic book industry was brimming with Jewish creators who understandably supported American involvement in the fight against Nazi Germany.
Superman #30 (October 1944) is ‘The Mysterious Mr. Mxyztplk!’ by writer Jerry Siegel, artists Ira Yarbrough and Stan Kaye, with cover artist Jack Burnley. A humorous little man in a brown suit and green bow tie is struck by a truck; however, he is not deceased. He steals the ambulance that comes to save him and drives it up the sheer face of a building into the sky, where it explodes. Mischievous Mr. Mxzyptlk causes a lot of trouble for Superman. The solution is rather too easy.
Superman # 96 (March 1955) is ‘The Girl Who Didn’t Believe In Superman!’ by writer Bill Finger, artists Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye, with cover artist Al Plastino. At first, this story was slightly annoying, with the blind girl finding “rational’ explanations for all of Superman’s stunts, but it turned out to be a nice, heartwarming tale.
Superman #149 (November 1961) is ‘The Death Of Superman’ by writer Jerry Siegel, artists Curt Swan and George Klein, with cover artists Curt Swan and George Klein. This is an imaginary tale in which Lex Luthor becomes nice and wants to cure cancer, so Gangland feels betrayed and tries to assassinate him. Only Superman can keep him safe. It’s okay. Since all stories are ‘imaginary tales,’ I find the concept of imaginary tales that didn’t really happen even in the fictional context quite silly.
In these earlier issues, the art is stodgy and competent rather than stylish, but it does the job of storytelling with sparse efficiency. DC Comics had a sort of “house style,” epitomised by Murphy Anderson, that was neat, tidy, and clean. One should not belittle competence. Some later comic book artists were superb stylists but didn’t draw very well. There’s a satisfying balance, largely achieved in these later stories.
Superman #400 (October 1984) is ‘The Living Legends Of Superman—Chapter Four’ by writer Elliot S. Maggin, artist Marshall Rodgers, and Terry Austin with cover artists Howard Chaykin and Frank Miller. This odd story is set in Metropolis in 2491, a future in which space exploration has made a few unthinkably wealthy, and they keep the vast majority ‘poverty-stricken, downtrodden, and, above all, quiet.’ In the basement of an old museum, Konrad Glumm, a downtrodden individual, seeks warmth and discovers a Superman costume in a box. As it’s warm, he puts it on. The events that follow are inspirational but perhaps unlikely. See the news.
Action Comics #583 (September 1986) is ‘Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow?’ by writer Alan Moore, artists Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson, with cover artists Curt Swan, Murphy Anderson, and Anthony Tollin. This is part two of an imaginary story that began in Superman #243. Lois Lane recalls when Superman’s foes all ganged up on him, and he took his friends to the Fortress of Solitude for safety. There’s plenty of action and a witty ending, as you might expect from Alan Moore.
Superman Vol. 2 # 2 (February 1987) is ‘The Secret Revealed’ by writer John Byrne, artists John Byrne, Terry Austin, and Keith Williams, with cover artist John Byrne. Maintaining the secrecy of your secret identity is crucial for a superhero, particularly in the era of computers where extensive data analysis is possible. Lex Luthor, particularly ruthless here, investigates the connection between Clark Kent and Superman. His lack of empathy and imagination proves to be a major flaw in the clever conclusion.
Superman Annual #2 (August 1988) is ‘Love’s Labours …’ by writer Roger Stern, artists Ron Frenz and Brett Breeding, with cover artist Ron Frenz. The issue is moderately interesting due to its inclusion of Jack Kirby’s tough cop character Terrible Turpin, but it is otherwise uninteresting. Turpin learns how times have changed. Superman does not feature at all.
The Adventures Of Superman #462 (January 1990) is ‘Homeless For The Holidays’ by writer Roger Stern, artists Dan Jurgens and Art Thibert, with cover artists Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding, and Tom Ziuko. This is a poignant Christmas story that highlights the negative aspects of homelessness. Message story.
Superman #75 (January 1993) is ‘Doomsday!’ by writer Dan Jurgens, artists Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding, with cover artists Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding. This issue is filled with action and drama, with each panel serving as a full-page splash. Superman fights a mighty bad guy monster of mysterious origin, desperately trying to limit damage to Metropolis. The ending will be a surprise if you haven’t read it, and it’s not imaginary.
‘Peace On Earth’ (January 1999) by writer Paul Dini and artist Alex Ross. The art by Alex Ross is breathtakingly beautiful as he brings his photo-realism to Superman. It’s another Christmas story with a message as Superman takes a thin, cold, hungry girl to a charity, then uses his powers to tackle world hunger. Not everyone is grateful. World hunger is a terrible problem, but it is further complicated by the corrupt nature of those in positions of power. See the news.
I enjoyed this book. This wide-ranging collection shows the scope of Superman stories over four decades of the twentieth century. Four, not six, because it skipped the twenty years from 1961 to 1984 when, presumably, no Superman tales of note were published. Superman is culturally important because he launched the superhero genre, which took over American comic books for several decades and even conquered Hollywood. Although it’s a moot point whether old comics deserve to be gathered into luxury hardback editions, they certainly should be preserved for future generations, and this is as good a way as any. People sometimes refer to Superman as ‘the big boy scout’. There are far worse things to be, and maybe the moral soundness of these stories had some impact on growing youth once upon a time. It’s Superman’s virtues that will make America great again.
Eamonn Murphy
March 2025
(pub: The Folio Society, 2025.312 pages graphic novel in slipcase plus 64 page Superman # 1 reprint. Price: £70.00 (UK))
check out website: www.foliosociety.com/uk/dc-superman.html
