Showcase Presents: Superman Family, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

Otto Binder (Author), Curt Swan (Author)

Book Description

The value-priced format of black-and-white collections continues with this volume spotlighting Superman’s girlfriend Lois Lane and his pal Jimmy Olsen. Learn more about these two dynamic personalities in their solo stories as each braves danger for the latest scoop. These stories also introduce long-standing elements such as the Daily Planet’s Flying Newsroom and Jimmy’s penchant for disguises.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (March 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401207871
• ISBN-13: 978-1401207878
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #704,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent collection at a good price, March 19, 2006

By 

Modrnknght (Hollywood, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Showcase Presents: Superman Family, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

Normally, I prefer the color Archive editions of old DC comics, but I can see the sense in issuing these particular stories stories in black and white. Jimmy Olsen is fun to read but I would not want to be paying $50 for a hardcover collection of a few issues. So in this case it does make sense. And the reading lasts a long time. I have the Green Arrow Showcase and I read a story or two a day and it still takes weeks.

I would like to make a note about the previous review which said that there should be more characters in this collection, other than Jimmy Olsen. There WILL be a lot more Lois Lane in the next one because what DC is doing in the Superman Family Showcase is collecting the comics of Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane in chronological order. The Jimmy Olsen comic book series predated the Lois Lane comic books by a few years. They start with Jimmy Olsen #1 and work their way up issue by issue, month by month. So, that's why, near the end of the volume, when they reach the latter part of 1957, her individual comic issues began to appear, and that is where they start including her titles. The second volume of this should be about half Lois and half Jimmy stories but it will be determined by the dates the original comic books came out.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jimmy Olsen tales with a little Lois Lane thrown in, March 17, 2006

By 

M. Purvis "KitGuy" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Showcase Presents: Superman Family, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

The title "Superman Family" might lead one to expect this book to have stories divided evenly among the Silver Age Superman's supporting cast. This is not so. The book is 95% Jimmy Olsen stories, with but 1 Lois Lane-centered book reprinted, plus a 1944 Lois solo story. Don't get me wrong, it's still great fun Silver Age cheese, but people looking for more than Jimmy Olsen tales will be disappointed.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Insanity, April 14, 2006

By 

Jake Bell "Your Role Model" (Phx, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Showcase Presents: Superman Family, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

To really understand this book, you have to keep in mind these stories were written at a time when the government didn't regulate what chemicals went into drinking water, pregnant women were encouraged to smoke, and doctors regularly prescribed cocaine and heroin for medicinal purposes. From that frame of reference, everything makes perfect sense. Otherwise, this book is the most ridiculous collection of stories ever printed.

The attitude you bring to the reading will determine if you find them to be sublimely stupid or... well, stupidly stupid. Personally, I laughed out loud often enough that my coworkers started checking in for regular "What beyond idiocy thing did Jimmy do now?" updates.

While the title is "Superman Family," this is a "Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen" book, with just one Lois Lane issue, rougly 20 pages out of almost 600. I'm guessing A) future volumes will focus more on "Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane" without making DC create a different title and B) the marketing folks at DC understood no one in his right mind would buy "Showcase Presents Jimmy Olsen," and were probably correct.