Superman Masterpiece Edition: The Golden Age of America's First Super Hero [Hardcover]

Les Daniels (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1999

Superman first landed on the planet Earth in 1938. An inveterate champion of the downtrodden and oppressed, his principles and virtues reflected the imaginations of his two teenage creators and the Depression-era world in which they lived. The Superman Masterpiece Edition is a spectacular tribute to the rise of the worlds first, greatest, and most-loved super hero. This ultra-deluxe package features an exclusive statue of Superman; an accurately sized, color reprint of the first issue of Supermans own comic book from 1939; and a lavishly illustrated, color hardcover book by best-selling author Les Daniels detailing Supermans Golden Age. This supremely collectible commemoration offers a nostalgic view of the '30s, '40s, and '50s, when the Man of Steel captured the worlds imagination.

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Four-color comics have come of age, and Superman--every boy's hero circa 1938--is now a middle-aged, American cultural icon. To celebrate Superman's halcyon days, the Superman Masterpiece Edition, with its balance of whimsy and class, is the perfect toy for grownup boys. The box is super-size (one and a half feet square) and seals shut with a velcro flap. Outside it's decorated with classic Superman pop art, and inside are three separate tributes to the The Man of Steel. First is a full-color reproduction of the Superman #1, complete with ads for crystal radios, 9-in-1 opera glasses, and the magic nose flute. Next comes Les Daniels's lavishly illustrated volume, Superman: The Golden Age, tracing our hero through the years 1938-1955. The book features rare and never-before-seen images of pre-Superman artwork and story drafts by Siegel and Shuster. It also includes stills from cartoons and early movies. But the real treasure here is the polyresin figure--exclusive to this set. The statue is, frankly, one of the best pieces of Superman art you'll ever find: a tribute to Shuster's original Superman artwork rendered by comics master Alex Ross (of Kingdom Come fame) and painted by Chris Ware (creator of the cult classic Acme Novelty Library). The statue is a tasteful piece of Americana that will likely find a home atop your local version of the Daily Planet (e.g., a CD tower or bookcase). --Patrick O'Kelley

Review

Superman and Wonder Woman and all related characters, names and indicia are trademarks of DC Comics 1999

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (May 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811821110
• ISBN-13: 978-0811821117
• Product Dimensions: 13.5 x 13.2 x 4.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,423,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good packaging, but box needs more truth up front., June 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Superman Masterpiece Edition: The Golden Age of America's First Super Hero (Hardcover)

I like the way it is packaged but it would be better if they mentioned that the book by Les Daniels is a condensed version of his Superman: The Complete History. From whay I can see in side by side comparisons, the Golden Age history is word for word from the first book (they did include a complete comic story that wasn't in the first one, however). Also, they state that the Superman #1 reprint is accurate size. I have my doubts. I own Superman #24 from a few years later, obviously, and it is about 1/2 inch larger in dimensions on the top and side. The statue is nice, though. I feel the package is worth it at Amazon's discount price but not full retail.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read for Superman fans!, June 2, 1999

By 

Delmo Walters Jr.([e-mail]) (The Bronx, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Superman Masterpiece Edition: The Golden Age of America's First Super Hero (Hardcover)

If you already have "Superman:The Complete History", by Les Daniels, then you've already read "Superman:The Golden Age" since it's written by the same author & covers the same ground(CH covers 1933-today, while GA covers 1933-55)but, the statue by Ross, DeVito, & Ware makes this worth the purchase, whether you have the book or not.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A bit better than the Batman release, December 26, 2002

By 

Babytoxie (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Superman Masterpiece Edition: The Golden Age of America's First Super Hero (Hardcover)

Very similar to the Batman Masterpiece Edition, this is a beautiful, but oversized and pricey, package. It consists of a large reinforced cardboard box containing a softcover reprint of Superman #1 and an abbreviated hardcover version of Les Daniels' Superman: The Complete History. Where the Batman Masterpiece contains a 9" Mego-style Batman figure, the Superman Masterpiece contains a superb 7" sculpture of Superman, designed by Alex Ross, reflecting his first appearance in Action Comics. Actually, the statue could be a maquette for the Fleischer Superman cartoons. It's really impressive! The box lid opens like a book, and the arrangement of the items within is very nice, giving them maximum visibility. This display, however, causes the box to be about twice the size of what it needs to be. Because of its large size and abundance of empty space, I guess Chronicle thought they could get away with it being priced so high. The Superman statue is so well-done, however, that I'll give it an extra star over the Batman Masterpiece. I even bought a second one so that I could display the statue.