It's no secret I really like Superman. I'm actually really drawn to the Silver and Golden Age stories. They can often be wacky and absurd but that's part of the charm. In the 40s, not only were there regular comic book adventures, Superman also appeared in the newspapers. IDW Publishing has released collections of the daily strips before but now we get to see the Sunday comics.
This oversized hardcover release contains the Sunday comics from 1943-1946. If you watched the video at the top of the page, you already have an idea what's inside. These strips were by Jerry Siegel and DC Comics with art by Wayne Boring and Jack Burnley. (There has been some debate as to whether or not the stories were actually written by Siegel).
IDW has partnered with DC to release these never before reprinted adventures. This first volume contains the strips between May 9, 1943 through August 4, 1946. This obviously contains the WWII-era story, "Superman's Service to Servicemen."
It's an interesting angle on Superman. It's been mentioned that DC couldn't simply ignore the fact that a war was going on while putting out new stories. At the same time, how to have Superman act in them was the tricky part. Rather than simply dive into the action against the "enemy," Superman helped out soldiers and their loved ones. This doesn't mean there isn't any action involved.
As a reporter, Clark Kent does get involved as well.
One of the great things about this release is the format. It's a beautiful book. You saw in the video how the size compares to a regular comic. The dimensions of the book are 9.25" x 12" and the colors really pop off the pages. You'll almost forget you're reading comics from so long ago.
It's not just stories taking place during the war. There are others as well. After the war, his origin was shown in more detail (starting on November 25, 1945). His origin had been told at different points but each time, more information was added and here, you get to see Jor-El on Krypton and his plea to the Science Council.
Along with his origin, we see Baby Clark after the Kents find him and take him to an orphanage, in the hopes of being able to adopt him. After this we also get to see Clark's first trip to Metropolis to become a reporter.
The adventures continue after this with a trip out in space, which also includes Lois Lane.
The book contains nearly 200 pages and has a list price of $49.99. While it's worth it for hardcore or even casual Superman fans, it's possible you can also find it online for a little less.
These are the types of books I truly love. They are a piece of history. It's amazing to take yourself back to a different time and check out what the comics were like. It's now on sale and would really make a great addition to your collection.
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