A Request Regarding SUPERMAN FROM THE '30s to the '70s

[MichaelBailey]

Michael, I would have put up the link to the GCD several days earlier, but like you, I found it to be down all that time.

Although I love the Superman From the 30s to the 70s volume (and the Batman book; unfortunately I don't have the Shazam one), one thing disappointed me about it - the complete lack of Superman stories from the 1962-66 period, the high Summer of the Silver Age so far as Superman is concerned, in my opinion.

Since I got the book, I have nearly completed my run of the Action and Superman comics of that time, so it doesn't really worry me all that much now.

The Shazam volume is very difficult to locate.  I still need to track it down at some point when I have the time and, more importantly, the money.

It's funny that you mention the lack of late sixties stories because I noticed the same thing when I was putting the list together.  On one hand it looks like they were going for certain beats in Superman's history.  The first issue of Superman.  An early Luthor story.  Lois first suspecting Clark of being Superman.  Luthor, Prankster and Toyman teaming up.  The origin of Bizarro.  Superboy's "first" day out.  A time travel story.  Then there are other times where they get kind of lazy.  The stories from the '40s (sorry for the rhyme there) seem to be chosen out of a hat though there are certain themes that run through them.  In the '30s to the '70s volume the sixites take up too much time with Bizarro stories.

Still and all these were the first Superman comics I can remember reading so they'll always be special for that reason.

[MatterEaterLad]

I wonder if there was more than one printing of the 30s through the 70s?  I swear that my copy didn't include "Superman You're Dead...Dead...Dead" (but I had the comic) or "Duel of Doom"...

I agree that the 60s section had way too much Bizarro stuff, at least for me, though it was a definite direction for kids that liked those titles (not me)...

I did like the 40s stuff because it was so varied, kind of showed a character and how many different directions a new hero could go.

[MichaelBailey]

I wonder if there was more than one printing of the 30s through the 70s?  I swear that my copy didn't include "Superman You're Dead...Dead...Dead" (but I had the comic) or "Duel of Doom"...

I agree that the 60s section had way too much Bizarro stuff, at least for me, though it was a definite direction for kids that liked those titles (not me)...

I did like the 40s stuff because it was so varied, kind of showed a character and how many different directions a new hero could go.

That's weird.  I have only personally seen four five copies of the book and they all contained those issue.

Odd.  Very odd.

[Johnny Nevada]

I wonder if there was more than one printing of the 30s through the 70s?  I swear that my copy didn't include "Superman You're Dead...Dead...Dead" (but I had the comic) or "Duel of Doom"...

I agree that the 60s section had way too much Bizarro stuff, at least for me, though it was a definite direction for kids that liked those titles (not me)...

I did like the 40s stuff because it was so varied, kind of showed a character and how many different directions a new hero could go.

That's weird.  I have only personally seen four five copies of the book and they all contained those issue.

Odd.  Very odd.

Recently, thanks to the local libraries, I checked out copies of "Superman From the 30s to the 80s" and "Shazam From the 30s to the 70s" (the Superman book seemed in a bit better shape than the Shazam one). The Superman book has "You're Dead...Dead...Dead" in it; didn't see "Duel of Doom" from flipping through it initially; the only 80's story in the volume is the "Miraculous Return of Jonathan Kent" story from 1980 (the one with "Starshine" the hippie who orders everyone over 30 to leave Metropolis...). Otherwise, the stories seemed to be the same as those in the 30s-to-70s volume...

Was interesting to finally read a few of the 40s and 70s "Shazam" stories (including the story in "Shazam" #1 on how the Fawcett cast was trapped in suspended animation for 20 years; wonder how Sterling Morris got his job back at WHIZ if he was 20 years "out of date" knowledge-wise/would've been declared dead and his job long since taken over, or such)...

[dmat]

I've managed to dig out my copy (thank you eBay!).  It's hardcover and copyrighted 1971.  Both "Superman... You're Dead... Dead... Dead!" and "Duel of Doom" are inside (p. 362 and p. 376 respectively).  On a side note, I enjoyed the first imaginary story on p. 150 a lot.  Lois and Clark visit a theatre and get to watch a Superman cartoon - which looks very familiar.  Clark's main worry?  Lois could find out his secret identity by watching the film!

[MatterEaterLad]

I liked that story too, almost like an Earth Prime story...

[Super Monkey]

You can read it here in full color: https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/tales3/cartoonhero/