March 2006, big Month for Superman

[TELLE]

SUPERMAN IN THE EIGHTIES TP
Written and illustrated by various
Cover by John Byrne
Don’t miss this collection of tales from the ‘80s, reprinted from ACTION COMICS #507-508, 554, 595, 600 (select stories), 644, SUPERMAN #408, DC COMICS PRESENTS #29, and ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #430!

I'm glad DC is publishing an "eighties" TPB, and I'm glad it's got some pre-reboot material.  But I looked up each of these stories - and all I can say is - what an.. odd - selection..  I suppose it's appropriate to have a Mongul story in there - but wasn't that part of a multi-part storyline?  And two Marv Wolfmans seems a bit much.

I liked the multi-part Wolfman-penned Vandal Savage epic from the 80s.  Maybe because I never finished the ending.  The story is very similar to Busiek's Avenger's reboot, among others.  At a time when most Superman stories in my experience were still single-issue tales.

An 80s TB with Bronze Age material is a welcome compromise.  The Byrne cover trumps it though --a bit hard to take for us here.

I wonder what would be the choice of readers here for the best pre-Crisis 80s stories of Superman?

[Super Monkey]

I wonder what would be the choice of readers here for the best pre-Crisis 80s stories of Superman?

Ok, here is my list, please note that some of these have been reprinted before, but that never stop the fine folks at DC before

I will start with the comic series Superman, I will later post tales from the other titles.


"The Debut of Superman III!" by Cary Bates and Curt Swan from Superman No. 354 Dec 1980 8 pages

"The Dying Day of Lois and Lana!" by Cary Bates and Curt Swan from Superman No. 363 Sep 1981 17 pages

"The Bizarrobuster Is Loose!" by Cary Bates and Curt Swan from Superman No. 379 Jan 1983 23 pages

"The Power and the People!" by Elliot S! Maggin and Curt Swan from
Superman No. 395 May 1984 23 pages

"The Living Legends of Superman Part 4" by Elliot S! Maggin and Frank Miller Superman No. 400 Oct 1984  4 pages

"Jor-El: Superman!" by E. Nelson Bridwell and Wayne Boring
Superman No. 402 Dec 1984 8 pages

"The Last Earth-Prime Story"  by Elliot S! Maggin and Curt Swan from
Superman No. 411 Sep 1985 23 pages

"The Einstein Connection" by Elliot S! Maggin and Curt Swan from
Superman No. 416 Feb 1986 16 pages

"The Ghost of Superman Future "  by Elliot S! Maggin and Curt Swan from
Superman No. 416 Feb 1986 8 pages

"What Ever Happened To the Man of Tomorrow?" by Alan Moore and Curt Swan Superman No. 423 Sep 1986 24 pages

[Super Monkey]

More:

"The Beast-Man That Shouted "Hate" at the Heart of the U.N.!"
DC Comics Presents No. 34 Jun 1981 25 pages

"Luthor Unleashed!" by Cary Bates and Curt Swan
Action Comics No. 544 Jun 1983 28 pages

"The Mark of Bizarro!"
DC Comics Presents No. 71 July 1984 23 pages

"Give Me Power... Give Me Your World!" with Art by Jack Kriby and Alex Toth!
DC Comics Presents No. 84 Aug 1985 24 pages

"The Jungle Line" by Alan Moore and Rick Veitch
DC Comics Presents No. 85 Sep 1985 23 pages

"Year of the Comet" and "The Origin of Superboy-Prime!" by Elliot S! Maggin and Curt Swan
DC Comics Presents No. 87 Nov 1985 40 pages

"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" by Alan Moore and Curt Swan
Action Comics No. 583 Sep 1986 24 pages

[TELLE]

Like I said before, someone who works at DC Direct really loves this site
The set consists of four different 6" scale versions of Superman, including the Jim Lee Superman, John Byrne Superman, First Appearance Superman and Robot Superman!

They love this site but 1/2 the set is Iron Age?  A case of lip-service if ever there was one!

Super Monkey: thanks for that great 80s list.  Some meaty stuff there as well as some oddball stuff.  Can't argue with the art either.

Your list really hilights the separate nature of the late-Bronze Age: not a lot of Silver-Age style Family tales, an emphasis on Maggin's myth-building (Luthor, Einstein), and no radical changes (like the early-Bronze power reduction, Kryptonite cure, etc).

[ShinDangaioh]

If I was to choose stories:

The Superman story that had the Parasite drain the emotional support from people worldwide to try to get Superman to quit being a super-hero.  Superman beat that plan by looking at a picture of the Kents.

The three part story in DC Comics Presents that featured Mongul and War World and its aftermath.  I think it went Martian Manhunter, Supergirl, and Spectre.  I have the second two, so it's the first one I'm not sure about.

The three-parter where Supergirl and the Kandorians come up with the idea to convice Superman he's an Earthling.

The two parter that focussed on enlarging Kandor

The Sword of Superman(I know.  It's here on the site)

[Super Monkey]

The two parter that focussed on enlarging Kandor

The Sword of Superman(I know.  It's here on the site)

Two great picks, I couldn't find the issue with that Kandor story, what issue was that one? It was a good one, I am glad it happen before the reboot.

I didn't look at the annuals for more story, but I really like that Sword story, talk about epic!

There were a lot more Elliot S! Maggin and Cary Bates tales that one can add and no one would complain

Superman was still a great, great comic during the 80's, action comics however sucked for the most part and was stuck with the big bad wolf writing it. DCCP was always hit and miss, really great or really bad.

I am sure there are more stuff like Superboy and Supergirl stories that can be included, as well.

[TELLE]

I am sure there are more stuff like Superboy and Supergirl stories that can be included, as well.

Yes it's true --I now enjoy reading those Superboy stories when I pick up an issue from the 80s. I haven't read enough to have favourites though.

[Great Rao]

And most surprising of all, a "Superman Through The Ages" action figure multi-pack!

Rao, are you getting a cut of this one?  :lol:

No, not until a "Superman Through the Ages!" comic book comes out. (just kidding!)

I agree with Telle that it's a bit strange that an action figure set called "Superman Through the Ages" skips over 50 years of Superman history - but I do think it's totally cool that DC used the name.  Thanks guys!

This got me thinking about some of the things I'd actually like to see in an STTA comic book:  Superman stories in all his incarnations from 1934 to 2965!

Yes, some pre-1938 stories with that funky 1934 sandle and shield costume, and everything up to more Klar Ken T5477 stories!  Perhaps we could see Klar pass on the Superman mantle to his successor.

I'd love to see new 1930s Golden Age Superman stories done in a Siegel and Shuster style;

And imagine, say, Alan Moore doing a 1950s era Sci-Fi Superman tale illustrated in a Wayne Boring style. I'm not sure whether Alan is currently writing comics or claiming that he's given them up forever (he seems to continuously oscilliate between these two states), but I'm certain that either way this would be an irresistible temptation for him.

Or seeing Elliot Maggin wrap up all those threads of his - Superman leaving Earth at the end of his career, etc.  What were his early years in his self-imposed exile like?  What was his ultimate destiny? Maggin might have more he'd like to say, and this could be a good vehicle for it.

Kyle Baker Superbaby and/or Letitia Lerner stories.

George Reeves 1950s TV-era-and-continuity Superman adventures by Mike Curtis (author of By George and Strange Visitor from Another Planet) and Randy Garrett (Secret Planet).  What might the series have been like if it had continued?

I'm sure there are plenty of other highly talented writers and artists who would just love to play around in that huge, sweeping Silver Age continuity, and all of Superman's other eras to boot.  The possibilities are endless.

And maybe we'd even finally get to see a good Super Monkey story!