Showcase Presents: Superman, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

by Otto Binder (Author), Bill Finger (Author), Jerry Coleman (Author), Robert Bernstein (Author), Alvin Schwartz (Author), Jerry Siegel (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 3 Up–Twenty-nine Superman comics published between 1959 and 1963 are reprinted in this black-and-white omnibus edition. A perfect example of the tone of the collection is the opening tale, a jolly mystery that culminates in Batman throwing his old chum Superman a birthday party. For all of the hokey word balloons that spell out Superman's choked-back sobs of anguish at whatever bizarre circumstance he finds himself in, and despite Lois Lane's constant bold proclamations of her intent to marry the Man of Steel, the pages contain a massive catalogue of invention. Many of the stories consist of Superman's clever ways of convincing Lois that he's not Clark Kent, or persuading some criminal that he's now immune to kryptonite. The text is fraught with barefaced exposition, but the tricks, traps, puzzles, and quandaries that Superman constantly outsmarts are charming and should give readers a clear indication of what comics were like in an earlier age and how they captured the imaginations of young readers so well and so completely. The stories also provide a happy sampling of the first appearances of a number of Superman's notable supporting characters and beloved minutiae.–Benjamin Russell, The Derryfield School, Manchester, NH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description
DC Comics begins its line of low-priced, massive black-and-white collections. The Superman mythos begins to solidify in these 560 pages, from the introduction of the Fortress of Solitude to the arrival of the bottle City of Kandor . Additionally, new menaces such as Braniac and Metallo arrive to join Lex Luthor and the Phantom Zone prisoners in terrorizing the Man of Steel. This volume also includes the introduction of Supergirl.

Product Details

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401207588
• ISBN-13: 978-1401207588
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #414,922 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Nostalgia Buffs, January 22, 2006

By	Markh (Ames, IA) - See all my reviews

As other reviews of books in the Showcase Presents series have noted, this is DC's version of the Marvel Essentials series-- B&W reproductions of comics published decades ago. The comics in this particular edition were originally published between June '58 and Nov '59, when I was eight and nine years old and a voracious comics reader. Even now, I can actually remember reading some of the particular comics that are in this book, and while, to an adult, the stories here are simplistic and even sometimes silly, it was, for nostalgia purposes alone, a real delight to get to re-read them again for the inexpensive price of ten dollars. In fact I sort of feel sorry for children growing up now, who have to make do with comics that are kind of grim and sordid, in contrast to the clearly drawn, cheerful and good-hearted ones that existed back in the fifties and sixties.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspired goofiness, boundless entertainment!, February 4, 2006

By	Waylon Piercy "The Drunken Fist" (Petal, MS United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm only in my 20s, definitely not the traditional age for Silver Age fans, but I've loved these simplistic, often goofy stories for years. I buy quite a few modern comics, but I always make time for things like this. DC's Showcase line is a Godsend! In this volume, we have over 500 pages of classic Silver Age stories that are brimming with endless possibilities. This was in a time where creators weren't afraid to throw logic out the window if it made for a more entertaining story. Some of my favorite moments from this book include:
-Batman shopping for a birthday gift for Superman at the mall, in full costume!
-President Superman solving the budget deficit by filling Fort Knox with treasure he found in wrecked pirate ships on the ocean floor.
-Batman taking a week off from crimefighting so he can break into the Fortress of Solitude and play pranks on Superman.
-Superman scheming to eliminate the manifestation of his new power: a tiny version of himself that grows out of his hand, and steals his thunder!
-Superman becoming a lion.
-Superman using his super vision to see through the time barrier!

this book is filled with such craziness, from cover to cover. There's never a dull moment. And for less than $10, there's no reason not to check it out.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Fun Fun Fun!!!, May 26, 2008

By	WriteOneWriteNow - See all my reviews

I own several of the other Showcase Presents featuring more esoteric characters (Phantom Stranger, Jonah Hex, Enemy Ace, Metamorpho) so this is the first "mainstream" DC book I've bought, and I love, love, love it.

So much of the Silver Age can be tedious, but each story was so much fun that I could barely set this book down.

See the first appearance of Bizarro and Supergirl! Marvel at the lengths Lois Lane will go to marry Superman! Witness the embarrassment Clark Kent will endure to protect his secret identity!

Whoever selected these stories did a great job. One thing I would like to see added is some biographical information, particularly for unsung writers like Bill Finger. Perhaps that could come in an introduction, maybe written by a comics historian.

I'm going to buy copies for my elementary-school-age nephews (it can double as a coloring book) and collect more for myself.