Jerry Coleman (2)

"Showcase Presents: Superman (Volume 1)" is a chronologically-ordered collection of Superman stories from the late 1950's. There's no editorial explanation or prologue to explain why this particular period of Superman's history was collected into a series of graphic novels, nor is there any explanation as to how any of the comics fit into the larger Superman canon, or how the stories affected the development of the character of Superman. The collection itself doesn't tell a larger, single story, either. I'll take the reason for the anthology at face value - an introduction to Superman, as depicted in the late fifties. I don't think it is the best way to introduce people to the character of Superman, which I will elaborate upon.

In "Showcase Presents: Superman", the titular hero, Superman, deals with a variety of problems that all superheroes must face - keeping their secret identity a secret (because Clark Kent looks nothing like Superman; he's wearing glasses), dealing with an assortment of disasters that beset the world, all of which only a superhero can fix, and dealing with the idiotic and gullible villians and foes that try to tangle with Superman. If the world isn't on the verge of self-destruction, we get to see what might life might be like if the canon of Superman is changed in some fashion, either in the context of someone's dream, or in a storyline that is forgotten by the time the next adventure rolls around. It's all in a day's work for the Man of Steel.

As to the problems with this collection... it might be more adequate to ask what is actually done well. Or even competently. Many, if not most of the stories here are rather silly, and badly written, and the few stories that have an interesting idea are poorly delivered. There's nothing as sophisticated as character development.

From the opposite perspective, there's no suspense generated in seeing Superman best his problems, because there is no question that Superman will not manage to save the day. Indeed, Superman rarely experiences much that taxes his abilities at all. And, since there are only really a few different story-types, the book itself becomes quite repetitive quite quickly. Oh, and each story has a myriad of plot inconsistencies that must be accepted to make the story work.

While a short reading of this collection gives the impression of a a light and entertaining amusement, five hundred pages worth of the stuff is far, far too much - the same stories are repeated without doing anything interesting or innovative. And, even then, the stories stories are told rather badly, too. A book only for serious fans of Superman.… (mere)

This was a Christman gift from my son Ben, and I am actually quite touched by it. It shows a certain attentiveness to what I like to read, and it is quite likely that he checked my library to make sure I didn't already have it. That said, this is a collection of "Superman" comic book reprints from 1959 to 1963. This was probably the worst period of Superman's long history. The stories were outlandishly contrived, the writers had a rigidly defined concept of Superman's capabilities, but often had not a clue to using them in a believable way. The art was frequently stiff and boring, with different artists subscribing to a rigid concept also of Superman's appearance. And Superman has never been more of an old fogeyish type than portrayed here. It's as if Superman were channelling Ward Cleaver. However, I read these comics during a formative stage in my life, and they still have a strong tug on my psyche. I'm glad as heck that comics have grown up so much, but these older stories had a certain charm and naivity that I quite enjoy.… (mere)