Superman in the Forties [Paperback]

Jerry Siegel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

Tracing the root of the world's fascination with Superman from his debut in 1938 and through the 1940s as his powers developed and his place in society changed, these stories have been culled from the comics, comic strips, and other rare sources.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4 Up–The first in a series of decade-themed volumes of Superman collections, The Forties provides a selection of vintage material. Along with reproductions of key cover art and essays about Supermans enemies, his contributions to the war effort, etc., readers are given access to a sampling of historical documents as the character, the format, and the popularity evolved with time. The collection begins with the earliest appearances from 1938, and then hops about, occasionally pausing over some entertaining curiosities and rarities: an early prose story has been reprinted here, along with some of the daily newspaper comics from 1942, and a tale featuring the first of a number of varied Supergirls that would appear. The color is often garish, and–along with the line work–seems to have lost some of the subtlety evidenced in photographic reproductions of the same material. It is bold and bright, but frequently lacks finesse, and comes across as flat or simplistic. The greatest loss is in the faces, which need to capture readers emotions and imaginations. The stories have a good variety of the fun and the drama of the era, before the character moved into the realm of science-fiction silliness.–Benjamin Russell, The Derryfield School, Manchester, NH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

This affordable selection of stories from the first 10 years of Superman's comic-book career shows the character changing so much during that time that only his unmistakable blue-and-red costume seems constant (actually, it, too, was modified). The 18 stories range from the Man of Steel's first appearance in Action Comics No. 1 to the first full-length recounting of his origin on the doomed planet Krypton (which occupied a mere two panels in his Action debut). Other milestones here include Superman's archfoe Lex Luthor's first bow and an early appearance by Mr. Mxyztplk, the mischievous imp from an extradimensional world. The earliest pieces, by Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, possess a rough vitality, as the then less-powerful hero--he could only leap vast distances, not fly, and his strength was relatively limited--confronted real-world mobsters and arms dealers. By decade's end, Superman's exploits more closely resembled those of today, which may be more sophisticated stories but lack much of the character's original, appealing innocence. These -sometimes-hokey tales remain naively charming. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401204570
• ISBN-13: 978-1401204570
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.5 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #501,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #62 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > History & Criticism
  • #83 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > History & Price Guides

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Collection of the Classic Version of Superman, October 29, 2005

By 

Robert A. Hughes (Merrimack, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Superman in the Forties (Paperback)

From Superman's very first appearance in Action Comics #1, this book takes you on a tour through the development of the legend that he came to be. On the way you get to see Superman championing the little guy by fighting off greedy capitalists, crazed mad scientists and Nazi saboteurs. You also see how Clark Kent avoided the draft. (You, see there was this eye exam....). The super villains are all there too: Toyman, Luthor, the Ultra Humanite, Mxyztplk, Susie Tompkins. (Susie Tompkins?!) Superman visits his home planet Krypton, runs into Kryptonite for the first time, fends off the advances of Lois Lane and meets the original Supergirl. The book also sports an enticing introduction that puts the Legend of Superman in its social context.

(By the way, this book has nothing to do with the "Hardcover Edition" listed on Amazon's webpage. That's a completely different collection of stories entirely.)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superman in the Forties, June 25, 2006

By 

Ace (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Superman in the Forties (Paperback)

If you are a fan of Superman, this is a must have in my opinion. This is the start of Superman and you can see how his powers have evolved. You will see the first story with Lex Luthor and he had a full head of hair.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An American Classic Gets Flying, October 19, 2008

By 

Bicycle Day - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Superman in the Forties (Paperback)

With 18 stories - starting with the classic Action Comics No. 1 - and a variety of other fantastic materials, the collection is a wonderful look into the beginning of an iconic figure in American pop culture.

The book chronicles "The Man of Steel" from the late 1930s into the next decade, with highlights being the introduction of an ongoing series of villains and how this character of truth and justice was used during World War II. The reproduction of cover art and the reprinting of newspaper comic strips are excellent additions.

This book is an excellent read for anyone interested in comics, pop culture and/or a legendary figure that set the stage for the creation of any number of super-heroes, villains and their story lines.