The Superman comic
strip ran in newspapers daily from 1939 to 1966, so IDW’s latest collection of
them comes close to the end of the run. As early a 1961, you can kind of sense
why a good thing had to wrap up as our hero engages in such inanities as an encounter
with a telepathic dinosaur from space who can transform into a rock and yet
another insulting storyline involving a character who suddenly becomes
overweight.
The silliness of such storylines at least hints that
Superman was still more about unfettered whimsy than punching bad guys in the
face, and that’s a good thing since the strip was always more interesting as a vehicle
for wackiness than as a conventional superhero yarn. A storyline in which Supes
is rapidly promoted through the army because of his unusual abilities is like a
supernatural episode of Sgt. Bilko.
One in which he reveals his longstanding love for a mermaid is both bizarre and
oddly affecting—an epic, interspecies love story. Another takes what may be the
weirdest turn of all when Lois Lane transforms into a bug-eyed alien with
superpowers. Daily Planet Chief Perry White develops superpowers too. Oh, there’s also the one where Superman transforms into a thing with a human body and the head of an ant.
Plus we see Superman face a series of bizarre challenges
from a colony of Amazon women, and Lois Lane believing that her love’s secret
identity is a Rod Serling stand-in! Yet these stories lean on some more tired
devices as once again Superman goes to great lengths to avoid marriage and Lois
once again falls victim to a slightly malicious prank. She just can’t get a
break in these stories.
Superman: The Silver
Age Sundays 1959 to 1963 contains a few clunker plotlines, but for the most
part it delivers the usual fun. And also as usual, it’s a beautifully designed,
full-color package from IDW.
