Superman 80th Anniversary Thread

[The Joker]

Jerry Ordway's Superman



1998 Wizard Magazine promotion for "Superman For All Seasons".

[thecolorsblend]

I find For All Seasons to be decent. Not great. But decent.

Still, it is a pivotal Superman story for many people. Plus, it was a gigantic influence on the first season of Smallville. Not for nothing did Gough and Millar seek out Jeph Loeb to lead the writers room in the second season of the show.

Big stuff came out of For All Seasons for sure.

[The Joker]

For some reason, the first thing that comes to mind with "For All Seasons" is the kid remarking about how cool Superman's costume is, and the splash page of Supes responding, "Thanks! My Mom made it for me."

Personally, I like what Loeb/Sale did with the series. It does have charm.

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Back in the early 2000's, DC Comics had a advertising campaign slogan that DC were "The Original Universe".

[The Joker]

1961 advert.

[The Joker]

Wizard Magazine takes a look at the DC Comics Superman line back in 1998, points out perceived problems, and how they would have fixed them.

[thecolorsblend]

Fair criticisms for the most part.

Honestly, I think the Superman creative teams were sort of stuck in a rut after the conclusion of Reign Of The Supermen in 1993. And it's not hard to see why.

When you kill off your main character and then bring him back from the dead, what's left? In a dramatic sense, you can't really top death.

Something else, I think they got addicted to the success and mainstream press that the whole Doomsday/Funeral For A Friend/Reign Of The Supermen trilogy brought them. So, they started telling stunts rather than stories hoping to reclaim the 1992/1993 glory days. The results of that were mixed. Yes, some of the stories and concepts coming out for Superman back then were solid. But a lot of them weren't. And fair or not, many of them were regarded as derivates of the trilogy.

Another thing to bear in mind is what appears to be Superman's natural lifecycle. Superman's participation in the Silver Age lasted roughly twelve years. His participation in the Bronze Age lasted fifteen years. By 1998, Post-Crisis Superman had been rolling along for twelve years. So, there's an argument that at the very least, it was time to bring in a completely new creative team and let them have a turn at bat by 1998. And that eventually did indeed happen. But my contention would be that it should've happened in 1994. 1996 at the absolute latest.

A problem that doesn't get remarked upon a whole lot these days is Superman's rogue's gallery. Specifically, how wonky it is. Superman's enemies need to pose a specific kind of threat. Ideally, an enemy of Superman threatens either Superman himself, Clark himself or the city of Metropolis as a whole. But beginning in the Nineties, some of Superman's rogues seem to take a few too many cues from Batman's rogues. Toyman is a good example. For as silly as that character has the potential to be, he can also pose a real threat. But in the Nineties, the Toyman was reimagined as a Norman Bates serial killer figure. He kidnapped and even murdered children. In my opinion, a character like that is *WAY* too balls out for a Superman comic book. Maybe I'm old fashioned. But I tend to think that even Superman's villains usually need to have a certain amount of wholesomeness to them. A serial killer who targets children is just plain over the line.

All of the above led to my emerging headcanon that started in the early 2000's, where I began thinking that maybe Superman really did die in Superman #75 from 1992 and he never really did come back from the dead. Because if the post-1993 storylines were as good as it gets when it comes to Superman, then maybe it's better for everyone that he sacrificed his life to save the world and then stayed dead after that.

If nothing else, I've always found it interesting that the most enjoyable Superman stuff that come out from 1993 until 2001 or so was stuff that existed outside the mainstream DC Comics continuity. Stuff like Kingdom Come, For All Seasons, Lois & Clark, STAS, Smallville, the animated Justice League, etc. That should tell you something right there.

...

Sorry, didn't meant to turn this into a rant.

[thecolorsblend]

I was debating starting a new thread for general comic book discussion. Stuff I (or you) (or whoever) has just finished reading that was enjoyable. Or at least fodder for discussion.

And I may yet do that if it seems like others might be interested.

But in the end, I figured this is probably the best thread at least for Superman-related discussion. And so, here are some thoughts about Superman v1 246, Danger -- Monster At Work, December 1971.

I guess I wanted to talk about this issue because it's sort of exemplary of the period. Superman tackles a genuine menace to Metropolis. Which is a big deal. But at the same time, this really is just another night on the job in Superman's weird life. This story probably isn't the weirdest thing that happened to Superman this entire week.

And this story does a lot to reinforce my belief that Bronze Age Superman is quickly becoming the most underappreciated era of Superman's publishing history.

Page 01

First off, I just love the atmosphere of this whole story. Lots of rain and clouds. No, I wouldn't want every Superman story to be like this. But it's great for a novelty.

Page 05

More lovely atmosphere in panel 01.

Something else the Bronze Age did well was show occasional glimpses into Clark's private life. And there's quite a bit of that in this issue.

Page 07

This story also has a sort of preachy message about gun ownership. Now, I can understand where this might be a point of confusion for Europeans. But if you accept the premise that Metropolis is a surrogate for New York City (which I've never liked, personally), then you have to acknowledge that New York was facing a pretty serious crime problem in the Seventies. And it wouldn't get better any time soon.

It stands to reason that people would want to protect themselves. And this is why I think comics shouldn't get preachy. Because complex issues like this are hard to do justice while giving both sides a fair voice.

Also, some of this dialogue is pretty clunky, let's face it.

Page 09

That final panel there has always interested me. It looks the general background isn't drawn. If anything, it looks like a tweaked photograph that's been manipulated using whatever technology was available for such a thing back in the Seventies. Other comics occasionally did the same thing and I've always been curious about the technique behind this.

Page 12

This whole page shows Superman taking a creative approach to solving the problem. Yes, the blob is a threat to Metropolis. But at the same time, why not let it clean the sewers a bit before wrapping it up and taking it back to STAR Labs?

Page 14

Of course, nothing is ever that simple and the blob eventually makes its way to the surface. Superman isn't infallible after all.

Also, this page kind of makes me wonder how long "Metropolis Marvel" has been one of Superman's monikers. And if it wasn't meant to be a jab at the other comic book company.

Page 17

And now it's time to circle back to the neighborhood watch/vigilante group introduced earlier in the story. There was an accident and, naturally, private gunowners can't be trusted to use their weapons properly.

*sigh*

Anyway. The gun control thing doesn't bother me too much. #1, it's just Len Wein's opinion. And #2, this subplot does touch upon something relevant to society at the time (and now). But the one-sided presentation does a lot to damage Wein's own point.

Even so, this is a fun issue and, for some strange reason, I have a major soft spot for it.

As to the other, does anybody want a thread for discussing random back issues (or new issues) of something? Or am I the only one who has an interest in that?

[Silver Nemesis]

As to the other, does anybody want a thread for discussing random back issues (or new issues) of something? Or am I the only one who has an interest in that?

That's a good idea. Just the other day I was thinking about some old standalone Batman stories I'd like to highlight, but they're not really significant enough to justify separate threads. A general thread for fans to discuss lesser known issues would provide a venue for such posts.

Since this is a Batman site, it might be better to have a separate thread for highlighting standalone Batman issues and then another thread for non-Batman comics. Or they could all go in one place.

[thecolorsblend]

To put a bow around my other comment, sometimes you read ancient letter columns and see future comic pros in there. Superman #250 showcased the reactions to Superman #246. One respondent was Marty Pasko. And he didn't get into the story pretty much at all.

That's a good idea. Just the other day I was thinking about some old standalone Batman stories I'd like to highlight, but they're not really significant enough to justify separate threads. A general thread for fans to discuss lesser known issues would provide a venue for such posts.

Since this is a Batman site, it might be better to have a separate thread for highlighting standalone Batman issues and then another thread for non-Batman comics. Or they could all go in one place.

I wondered the same thing. But I didn't want to turn my comment into War & Peace.

Still, there's merit to the idea of a separate thread for Batman issues. Because as you say, this is a Batman site and he should always have a more prominent position.

Personally, I'm fine with having a thread dedicated to Batman comics and a separate thread for Everything Else. Worst case, the two separate threads could always be merged together later on if necessary.

[thecolorsblend]

I remember picking up Superman #51 (January 1991) off the comic book spinner rack (remember those?) when it was brand new at a bookstore.

This issue is auspicious for many reasons. One of them is that this issue inaugurated the famous Triangle Numbering System. See, there were three ongoing monthly Superman comics coming out at the time. And they were interwoven with each other. What happened in an issue of Action Comics would reverberate in The Adventures Of Superman and then get carried on in Superman. So, a common complaint among readers was the lack of an easy way to figure out which order the comics should be read in.

Hence, the triangle number on the cover to guide readers. And I have to say, I found it very convenient.

Another reason this issue is special is because it's the first appearance of Mr. Z. Now, Mr. Z isn't a massively important Superman baddie. But the nature of his introduction certainly raises a lot of questions. Mr. Z has clearly met Superman before. As far as Mr. Z is concerned, Superman #51 isn't their first meeting. But Superman sure can't remember ever encountering Mr. Z before. So, what gives?

If I'm being honest, this is probably the only thing that makes Mr. Z even remotely interesting. Because he never amounted to very much as a character. But this is still a fun story. I get the impression that Ordway originally wanted Mr. Z to be Vandal Savage. But the nature of office politics required him to create a mostly original character. And tbh, I think that's better anyway. Maybe I'm just an old fart. But I always thought of Savage as a JSA villain more than anything else. So, by all means, make a (mostly) new character and call him Mr. Z. That works for me just fine.

And a great cover!

Even when I was a little kid, this cover demanded that I read the issue and figure out what's even going on with this.

But Jerry Ordway, the auteur behind this issue, takes his time in getting into all that. First, there's a nuclear meltdown that Superman has to deal with.

Page 01

One of the reasons that I always loved Ordway's Superman in general is because his interpretation of the character is that Superman is LARGE AND IN CHARGE. But another cool aspect of this issue in particular is the amount of shadow and blackness. It creates a sort of foreboding atmosphere... which isn't something you want to see in every single Superman story that comes along. But it's definitely a welcome change of pace every once in a while.

To tangent for a moment, I always sort of regarded Ordway's Superman to be an interesting amalgamation of Wayne Boring and Curt Swan. Boring's barrel-chested powerhouse combined with Swan's nack for grace and expressiveness. Certain artists seem like they were genetically engineered to draw certain characters. And when it comes to Superman, I would say Ordway belongs on that list.

Page 04

After Superman gets the nuclear meltdown under some kind of control, he takes a minute to give the facility director a safety lecture. I just adore the Adam West flavor of this little moment.

Since the Superman titles were so deeply intertwined with each other at the time, subplots could be explored in a much deeper fashion. For example, Lex Luthor died in a previous issue of Action Comics. His death has resulted in a lot of problems around Lexcorp and Metropolis.

It's meant to be a twist that this nuclear meltdown was occurring right there in the middle of everything in downtown Metropolis.

Page 13

After assuming the guise of Clark and returning to the Daily Planet for some more subplot dumping (Perry is taking a leave of absence), Mr. Z telepathically contacts him. The act of touching Mr. Z's mind is enough to floor even him. So, he knows it's time to switch to Superman and fly to the museum.

It's worth noting that while Lois and Clark were definitely an item during this era, she didn't yet know that Clark was Superman. That was to be revealed to her in the VERY near future at the time. But not quite yet.

Page 15


Page 16


Page 17


Page 18

Anyway, Superman no sooner arrives at the museum than Mr. Z pounces, imprisoning Superman's soul inside his mysterious jewel. While inside the jewel, Superman meets many other souls from history. European kings from the Middle Ages, ancient Romans, American frontiersmen, a sort of obvious stand-in for Rasputin, etc.

All of it is enough to make you wonder just who the heck Mr. Z is and how long he's been alive if he's met and imprisoned all these people.

In any case, the jewel isn't quite powerful enough to contain Superman's alien essence. So, Superman eventually figures out a way to destroy the jewel, freeing himself and his fellow captives in the process.

The blast also kills Mr. Z. But does it?

Page 22

All in all, this issue whetted my appetite to learn about this strange Mr. Z person and find out what the deal is with his relationship with Superman. But that's a story for another time. The explanation is both as simple and complex as you might expect.

Also as a side note, I tend to favor one-and-done Superman stories. Yeah, I like the big, sweeping, epic stuff as much as the next guy. But I always thought there was something cool and magical about putting a massive character like Superman into short run stories that span a single day.

I get the impression that "Mister Z!" takes place over maybe three or four hours tops.

All in all, this issue is a blast and I think it's great if you're looking for a fun, low-calorie Superman story.