Review by Win Wiacek
This third and final hardcover collection reproduces the daily Superman newspaper strip from November 25th 1963 to its end on April 9th 1966.
More frequently here, Jerry Siegel adapts scripts prior to their publication as comics. The introduction offers a much-needed appreciation of his unique gifts and contributions, while all art is by Wayne Boring at the peak of his illustrative powers.
‘The Great Baroni’ opens the selection, revealing how the Caped Kryptonian helps an ageing stage conjuror regain his confidence, followed by a popularly demanded sequel to a tale where the Man of Tomorrow lost his memory and powers but fell in love. ‘The Man Who Stole Superman’s Secret Life’ took the strip from 1963 into 1964.
Next is the impossible come true as ‘Lex Luthor, Daily Planet Editor’ reveals the criminal genius fleeing to 1906 to run a prestigious San Francisco newspaper, then Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane begin ‘The Death March’. It’s a historical recreation that turns agonisingly real after boss Perry White seemingly has a breakdown.
When a robotic Superman double is unearthed, our inquisitive hero travels back in time to find oppressed people and a very familiar inventor in ‘The Superman of 800 Years Ago’. ‘Superman’s Sacrifice’ was the 150th daily strip, as the Man of Steel is blackmailed by alien gambling addicts wagering whether Superman will kill an innocent. If he doesn’t they will obliterate Earth. It’s followed by the Man of Tomorrow voyaging to another solar system just as its power-bestowing yellow becomes red. Deprived of his mighty powers our hero must survive a primitive world, light-years from home.
In ‘Lois Lane’s Love Trap’ Lois and Clark travel to the rural backwoods to play doctor and cupid for diffident lovers, after which ‘Clark Kent’s Incredible Delusions’ have a visitor to the Daily Planet casually reveal he is secretly Superman. He has the powers and costume and Clark cannot summon his own abilities.
A deranged actor trapped in a gangster role kidnaps Lois and her journalistic rival, determined to prove her companion is a mobster in smart gangster caper ‘The “Untouchable” Clark Kent’, while ‘The Coward of Steel’ has aliens ambush the hero with a fear ray.
1965 opens with Lois undercover in ‘The Fingergirl of Death’, followed by a similar situation in ‘Clark Kent in the Big House’, covertly infiltrating a prison. There’s more of the same in ‘The Goofy Superman’. This time though, Red Kryptonite briefly makes Clark certifiably insane. Different kryptonite causes extremely selective amnesia in ‘When Superman Lost His Memory’ a variation on a strip from Vol. 2 when the mystified Man of Steel has to track down his own forgotten alter ego.
‘Superman’s Hands of Doom’ details the plans of big-shot crook Mr. Gimmick who tries to turn Superman into an atomic booby trap, after which a scheming new reporter uses dirty tricks to make her mark at the Planet in ‘The Super Scoops of Morna Vine’. In ‘The New Lives of Superman’ Clark has to find another secret identity and hilariously tries out being a butler and disc jockey.
‘Lois Lane’s Anti-Superman Campaign’ features bizarre stunts in a Senatorial race and ‘Superman’s Achilles Heel’ offers a slick conundrum as the Man of Might wears a steel box on his hand after losing his invulnerability in one small area.
‘The Two Ghosts of Superman’ precedes an era ending with another mystery before final strip ‘From Riches to Rags’ has Superman compulsively acting out a number of embarrassing roles.
If you love the era or just crave simpler stories from less angst-wracked times these yarns are great comics reading.
