Written by (See Below)
Art by (See Below)
Collection Cover Art by Alex Ross
SUMMARY:
In 2006, DC Comics published this 192-page compilation consisting of nine Superman tales from 1944 to 2005. The specific contents are:
- “The Mysterious Mr. Mxyztplk” (from Superman # 30 – September/October 1944). Writer: Jerry Siegel & Art by Ire Yarbrough. A hot Metropolis day finds the Man of Steel and the city befuddled by the chaotic first appearance of a magical imp from another dimension. Superman’s famous method of dispatching his unwanted companion is also established – yet, the question is: who gets the last laugh?
- “Superman’s Other Life, Parts I-III” (from Superman # 132 – October 1959). Writer: Otto Binder & Art by Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye. With Batman & Robin present, Superman observes through his Fortress of Solitude’s Super-Univac the destiny he would have lived, had Krypton not exploded.
- “Superman’s Return to Krypton, Parts I-III” (from Superman # 141 – November 1960). Writer: Jerry Siegel & Art by Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye. Encountering a bizarre threat in space, Superman is inadvertently propelled back through time to Krypton prior to his birth. Long predating Back to the Future, the Man of Steel becomes a close friend of his future parents. Meanwhile, he must adjust to a new adult life on his home planet.
- “The Team of Luthor and Brainiac!, Parts I-III” (from Superman # 167 – February 1964). Writers: Edmond Hamilton & Cary Bates, with Art by Curt Swan & George Klein. Two of Superman’s most dangerous arch-foes conspire to finally eliminate the Man of Steel. Their scheme includes a journey to the lost city of Kandor.
- “Superman Breaks Loose!” (from Superman # 233 – January 1971). Writer: Denny O’Neil & Art by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. Seeking to revitalize Superman, DC Comics upends several familiar elements of the Man of Steel’s daily existence in this Bronze Age tale.
- “The Legend from Earth Prime” (from Superman # 400 – October 1984). Occurring on Earth Prime, a futuristic TV news retrospective compares video imagery lifted from another dimension of George Reeves’ fake Superman to the real Superman.
- “The Secret Revealed” (from Superman {2nd Series} # 2 – February 1987). Writer/Artist: John Byrne & Inker: Terry Austin. In Smallville, Lex Luthor’s forces torture an abducted Lana Lang to discover Superman’s secret identity.
- “Life After Death” (from Adventures of Superman # 500 – June 1993). Writer: Jerry Ordway & Art by Tom Grummett and Doug Hazlewood. From a Metropolis ICU unit, a comatose Jonathan Kent’s spirit desperately tries to rescue his lost son from a dream-like enigma.
- “Narrative Interruptus Tertiarius” (from Adventures of Superman # 638 – May 2005). Writer: Greg Rucka & Art by Matthew Clark & Andy Lanning. Interrupting Lois & Clark’s private discussion re: parenthood, Mr. Mxyztplk presents them a poignant glimpse of one future possibility. Note: This standard-length tale utilizes four different artistic styles.
REVIEW:
Defining these tales as a second batch of the ‘greatest’ Superman stories, unsurprisingly, is a subjective sales pitch. These nine tales are occasionally intriguing (as far as searching for what exactly makes them ‘great’), but it’s still a mere sampling of DC’s thousands of Super-stories stretched out over nearly seventy years.
Of interest is appreciating the contrast in Mr. Mxyztplk’s evolution from his wacky Golden Age debut (stealing the show from Superman’s stilted personality) to a contemporary, pre-parenting counseling session with Mr. & Mrs. Superman — arguably, this volume’s concluding tale proves its best. Aside from the artwork offering four distinctive visual looks, the Fifth Dimension imp (of all possible choices) effectively acknowledges Lois & Clark’s potential as parents.
Greg Rucka’s scripting, in that regard, will likely appeal to a wider fanbase than that of the present-day Superman Family (with their son, Jon Kent), or, for that matter, the Superman & Lois TV series. As silly as elements of Rucka’s story deliberately are, his spelled-out message ages far better than anything the Silver Age had previously concocted: i.e. eye-rolling/page-filling 1950’s dreck where a domesticated Clark & Lois (or Lana) (or maybe Lori Lemaris, etc.) raise ‘super-children’ in various imaginary what-if scenarios.
Volume 2 also offers an odd yet good-spirited homage to TV’s first Superman, George Reeves, and a compelling display of Jonathan Kent’s sub-conscious willpower determined to resurrect Clark (after that fateful first showdown vs. Doomsday). Such stories are welcome reads, but, as diluted by similar DC stories over time, their degrees of greatness still remains debatable.
DC Comics, at a minimum, should be commended for refreshening this volume’s archived material to keep it all looking as vivid as possible. In that sense, for Supeman die-hards, Volume 2’s nostalgic value may be timeless, especially the allotment of rare Golden Age tales. For more casual readers, these stories should be fun to peruse, even if the content isn’t likely to make someone want more.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Though no cover reprints are included, a table-of-contents is provided. Former DC Comics editor Robert Greenberger pens a two-page introduction explaining how these selected tales represent Superman’s necessary evolution through changing times. Prior to Rucka’s story, there’s an unused cover image utilized as a full-page Superman pin-up. This page’s art squad consists of Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens, with coloring help from Richard & Tanya Horie
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
Note: Another DC collection title worth considering is The Daily Planet. Covering a similar gamut of time (i.e. mostly the Golden Age/Silver Age), Superman’s regular supporting cast joins him in the spotlight.
