Recommended Bronze Age Superman Arcs

[suemorphplus209]

So I decided to start this thread because I have heard some people saying some interesting observations about Bronze Age Superman over the last few months? What are some good Superman/Superboy arcs from the late 70s/early 80s that I can go browsing for? I am not familiar with that time period being somewhat of a young-un so I am not sure what exactly to go looking for?

[Jim Kelly]

Talking just about the '70s. These are the ones I recall right off the bat.

ACTON COMICS 385 - 387 -- Immortal Superman
SUPERMAN 233 - 242 (not counting 239) -- Sand Superman Saga
SUPERMAN 296 - 299 -- Who Took the Super Out of Superman?
SUPERMAN 311 - 314 -- Amalak Aversion (not really a title, just my pun), part of the much longer Pasko run, which is one big long arc.

I'll add more later when I have the time, if others don't before then.

[Kuwagaton]

Jim Kelly hit the big ones. It wasn't really a thing before say, Post Crisis, to have stories that went on issue after issue. Trades weren't really things apparently. But there were some neat two and three parters I can think of if it helps.

Some of the opponents, like Master Jailer, Vartox, and Terra Man tended to take consecutive issues, for what it's worth.

Action Comics #544 split into Luthor and Brainiac stories in Superman #385 and 386, and Action #545 and #546.

[suemorphplus209]

Jim Kelly hit the big ones. It wasn't really a thing before say, Post Crisis, to have stories that went on issue after issue. Trades weren't really things. But there were some neat two and three parters I can think of if it helps.

That would be awesome, because, as I said in the OP, Bronze Age seems to get praised a lot on these boards as a past era.

[Johnny Thunders!]

Superman 295-310 works for me. You get a big Fable Superman Story, you get smash ups, you get obscure Phantom Zoners and you get Bizarro. Maggin, Bates, I think you get the Cadillac of Superman runs. Curt Swan, fully at home. I love all the Terra Man stories.

[Ascended]

Superman 295-310 works for me. You get a big Fable Superman Story, you get smash ups, you get obscure Phantom Zoners and you get Bizarro. Maggin, Bates, I think you get the Cadillac of Superman runs. Curt Swan, fully at home. I love all the Terra Man stories.

I love this line right here. That's right on the nose perfect.

My hat off to you, good sir!

[Kuwagaton]

Trying to think... Action Comics #465-466, 472-473, 481-483, 489-491, 528-530, and Superman #390-392, 394-395 are longer stories that I enjoyed from the late seventies to mid eighties. Some of those might still come up in an uncomfortable price range, though.

The best thing I think is checking out trades, because finding back issues that don't look like they've been left on a patio can get pricey and is a tough sell when you're not too sure about what you're getting. In addition, many trades with Bronze Age stories will also throw in some neat stories from other times. They can be found for low prices on book selling sites more often than not. The Best of DC digests are fantastic compilations... which can be frustrating because it's a lousy format.

Superman: Past and Future
Superman #295 - "Costume, Costume -- Who's Got the Costume?"
Superman #300 - "Superman, 2001!"
DC Comics Presents Annual #2 - "The Last Secret Identity!"

Superman in the Seventies
Adventures of Superman: Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez
Adventures of Superman: Gil Kane
Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore

Are entirely comprised of Bronze Age stories and contain a fair chunk of the comics mentioned here.

Superman: Phantom Zone
A four issue mini series plus DC Comics Presents #97

Superman 295-310 works for me.

I saw the desert island comics you mentioned and wanted to say #292-302 is hands down my favorite stretch, where literally any story ("Who Took...?" as one, of course) can fit into my top ten anything.

And while Superman #416 and 417 aren't related, they totally rule when it comes to stories Maggin got to do at the end of the Bronze Age.

[Jim Kelly]

In SUPERMAN No. 295 (January '76), "Costume, Costume--Who's Got the Costume?" ties in with an earlier Jack Kirby story from KAMANDI, THE LAST BOY ON EARTH No. 29 (May '75), "Mighty One"--in which Superman's costume figures prominently. The Kirby story was just a fun romp--I don't think he meant it to fit in any kind of continuity. SUPERMAN 295, however, tries to take all continuity and make sense of it. It reminds me of those Weisinger era stories, where all kinds of ridiculous stuff would happen and it would turn out that it was Saturn Girl in disguise or some such. KAMANDI 29, SUPERMAN 295, the Atomic Knights and Hercules figured into an article that Paul Levitz wrote for AMAZING WORLD OF DC COMICS, where he tried to work out an Earth After Disaster timeline.

SUPERMAN No. 296 (February '76), "Who Took the Super Out of Superman?" begins the four-parter where Kal-El tries to decide whether to be Clark or Superman. This story sort of develops out of some goings on with Clark's neighbours, who were featured in various stories--especially in the Private Life of Clark Kent stories. It's a bit of a spoiler, but one of Clark's neighbours is [Professor] X, who is mentioned but not seen in SUPERMAN No. 254 (July '72), "The Baby Who Walked Through Walls" by Len Wein & Neal Adams. I think it was meant as a joke by Wein and Adams--referring to Professor Xavier from the X-MEN in a DC book (was Prof. X dead at that time?). Anyway, Cary Bates used the character again in his own TPLOCK short story, "Who is Mr. X?" in SUPERMAN No. 258 (November '72).

The four-parter in SUPERMAN 296 - 299 had Clark and Lois getting awfully close. Bates and Maggin co-wrote this story and they made it pretty clear that Clark slept with Lois. She stays overnight and arrives at work in the same clothes she had on the day before--which Steve Lombard remarks on. Julie Schwartz thought this was a bit too obvious for the Comics Code and insisted on a few changes--but the original version was reprinted in THE GREAT SUPERMAN COLLECTION (very hard to get this book--I've tried with no luck).

Knocking heads with editor Schwartz began to get on Maggin's nerves, which soon caused him to quit working for Schwartz and that lasted for about five years.

Heating up Lois and Clark's relationship was not without its consequences, either, as this is a running thread from SUPERMAN 301 -310, before it's put front and centre in the Amalak four-parter in SUPERMAN 311 - 314. And even though this brings the romance to something of an uneasy conclusion, there's more development of Lois and Superman's relationship by Martin Pasko. He also brings in several new characters or develops established ones. And it's during his run that Lana Lang returns to Metropolis (after years abroad), to co-anchor the evening news with Clark. Pasko does a lot with Lana--who is more like the old Lois Lane from the '60s comics. While Lois gets to be the enlightend woman who is no longer out to hook Superman, Lana makes a fool of herself over Clark and Superman, both of whom she grew up with in Smallville. My sympathies were with the lovely red-head as she tries to reconnect with her old hometown friends. Lana in turn gets caught up with the Master Jalier--Carl "Moosie" Draper, the dumpy kid from Smallville that Lana ignored, now grown up.

Denny O'Neil seems to always do something in his stories to limit Superman's powers. That was the case with the Sand Superman in SUPERMAN No. 233 (January '71) - SUPERMAN No. 242 (September '71). As I say, 239 was a Giant reprint comic, so it doesn't count--but neither does SUPERMAN No. 236, "Planet of the Angels," as nothing really connects this story with the others in that run. Then, in the first Private Life of Clark Kent story, SUPERMAN No. 247 (January '72), "When On Earth," O'Neil uses psychology to limit Superman, as the Man of Steel chooses to work as Clark on a human level. This story makes a nice companion with the lead story--the very first Superman story by Elliot Maggin, "Must There Be a Superman?" which also uses a psychological motive to limit Superman, rather than an exterior device like the Sand Superman.

O'Neil then introduces another limitation with Billy Anders--"The Kid Who Saved Superman" in SUPERMAN No. 253 (June '72) and "The Kid Who Stole Superman's Powers" in SUPERMAN No. 254 (July '72). The idea is similar to Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. Billy is on crutches like Freddy Freeman and he has a psychic link (thanks to a lynx) with Superman. And the Man of Steel becomes dependent on Billy for his super-powers. Cary Bates picks up the story of Billy in SUPERMAN No. 259 (December '72), "The Kid Who Knocked Out Superman." After that, Superman doesn't seem to need Billy for his super-powers, but Billy puts in one more appearance in ACTION COMICS No. 421 (February '73), but his function is mainly to introduce "The Fantastic Feats of Captain Strong."

Captain Strong is the Earth-One version of Popeye--the original, arf arf, Superman. Captain Strong was a beloved character and would show up a few times in the Superman books. He's also sort of the pre-Crisis equivalent of Bibbo.

Denny O'Neil wasn't done limiting Superman's powers. Once O'Neil is no longer a regular writer on SUPERMAN and WORLD'S FINEST COMICS, his involvement with Superman is pretty limited, yet when he co-wrties "Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali," in ALL NEW COLLECTORS' EDITION C-56 (1978), the Man of Steel is again disadvantaged. This time, he's forced to fight Muhammad Ali under a red sun--thus the Man of Tomorrow has no super-powers.

[Johnny Thunders!]

Trying to think... Action Comics #465-466, 472-473, 481-483, 489-491, 528-530, and Superman #390-392, 394-395 are longer stories that I enjoyed from the late seventies to mid eighties. Some of those might still come up in an uncomfortable price range, though.

The best thing I think is checking out trades, because finding back issues that don't look like they've been left on a patio can get pricey and is a tough sell when you're not too sure about what you're getting. In addition, many trades with Bronze Age stories will also throw in some neat stories from other times. They can be found for low prices on book selling sites more often than not. The Best of DC digests are fantastic compilations... which can be frustrating because it's a lousy format.

Superman: Past and Future
Superman #295 - "Costume, Costume -- Who's Got the Costume?"
Superman #300 - "Superman, 2001!"
DC Comics Presents Annual #2 - "The Last Secret Identity!"

Superman in the Seventies
Adventures of Superman: Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez
Adventures of Superman: Gil Kane
Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore

Are entirely comprised of Bronze Age stories and contain a fair chunk of the comics mentioned here.

Superman: Phantom Zone
A four issue mini series plus DC Comics Presents #97




I saw the desert island comics you mentioned and wanted to say #292-302 is hands down my favorite stretch, where literally any story ("Who Took...?" as one, of course) can fit into my top ten anything.

And while Superman #416 and 417 aren't related, they totally rule when it comes to stories Maggin got to do at the end of the Bronze Age.

Superman in the 70s might be my favorite Superman trade ever. The whole series from the 40s to the 80s is excellent. I love 416 and 417 too. It almost feels like Maggin knows he's on the way out and he is just throwing story ideas out to show how big the Superman story could be. Superman 400 is must read for that reason! I picked up a couple of those late Bronze Age issues and they remind me of the Spirit or the Sandman, Superman plays host to these great stories that don't center on any strict continuity.

The Vs. trades are good Superman Bronze Age samplers, vs. Braniac, vs. SHAZAM, vs. Mongul. Superman Past and Future is great. I would pick up the Kryptonite Nevermore book, the Garcia Lopez, and Gil Kane books. Phantom Zone by Steve Gerber is awesome. I would totally watch a Tales from krypton tv show! Some of the stories are way out of context and the reprint quality can be spotty. Kryptonite Nevermore/ Sand Superman saga is really blurry. They need to do some Bronze Age quality trades and hardcovers.


The Superman in the 80s trade has "The Miraculous Return of Jonathan Kent." It's a great story but it kind of relies on a love for the movie On Golden Pond with Henry Fonda. Oh and of course the Superman vs. Spiderman books, plus Superman vs. Ali!

[Jim Kelly]

I never bought the NEVERMORE collection, because it used scans and I have all the original issues--which look much better. I could do my own scans if I wanted.

But maybe now, I wouldn't be so particular. I read a lot of scans of public domain comics on Comic Book Plus--and there are other publishers that have put out decent collections using scans. Also, now, looking back at all my DC ARCHIVES--I'm not sure I'm a fan of the reconstructions they did. You can't have everything. So maybe NEVERMORE is acceptable. At least it's not what Neal Adams did to his own work when he reconstructed that for DC.

My collection was rather spotty in the early '80s--I didn't always have the time or the money to keep buying all those comics. However, I've since filled in most of the holes I had in my SUPERMAN and ACTION COMICS runs (now I just have to find the time to read them). And most of those issues were easy to get for not more than what you would pay for a lot of new comics. So I'd recommend buying those in bulk.

[manofsteel1979]

I can't recommend the aforementioned Phantom Zone mini and its DC Comics presents follow up issue highly enough. Seriously if you think the Pre 1986 stuff was silly or kiddified, that mini will make you look at the silver/ bronze age mythos in a new way.its glorious.

And even though it isn't really Bronze age, SUPERMAN #400 is an epic on it's own and ties in with Elliot Maggin' s superb MiRACLE MONDAY prose novel.

ACTION #500 is also my favorite version of the Pre Crisis Supes life story as of 1979.

[Jim Kelly]

I don't know what's "Bronze Age" really. It all bleeds together. I think that the job of a lot of writers like Maggin, Bates, Pakso, Gerber--and Alan Moore if he'd had more of a chance--was to show us how good the "Silver Age" (Weisinger era) really had been--that there's lots of good stuff there they could mine.

In THE PHANTOM ZONE, Gerber shows us that the Charlie Kweeskill story in SUPERMAN No. 157 (November '62) was a pretty cool story and shouldn't be forgotten.

In ACTION COMICS No. 544, Bates uses Edmond Hamilton's Lexor to push Luthor's agenda for revenge--and also provide some Lexorian armour that can be sold in the Super-Powers action figure line. In the same issue, Wolfman is really re-purposing the origin for Brainiac in SUPERMAN No. 167 (February '64), where we first found out that Brainiac is an android (also for product line interests)--which just happened to include the second appearance of Lexor and the first story where Luthor's planet is given that name.

Moore's "For the Man Who has Everything" in SUPERMAN ANNUAL No. 11 (1985) raided Weisinger era continuity for its story--most importantly the Jerry Siegel classic, "Superman's Return to Krypton," in SUPERMAN No. 141 (November '60).

[Kuwagaton]

To me the Crisis is a certain end of Bronze, but it's hard to find a beginning. It's easy to use Kryptonite Nevermore but I feel like the elements were already around by then. I want to analyze more of the comics pre 1973 and figure it out at some point.

[Jim Kelly]

They do change the conditions for Superboy at around the beginning of 1971. After that point, Superboy is supposed to take place about 15 years before the present--but I don't think that's really used as a hard and fast rule. Before that point, Superboy was supposedly set in the '20s or '30s--but then again, a lot of those stories seemed to be in the present. Later when Mike Grell is drawing Superboy, he hardly looks like he's in the 1950s--with his long sideburns, he seems to be in the '70s.

Complicating things, Mort Weisinger cut back on his workload slowly, between 1967 and 1971. So Murray Boltinoff takes over SUPERBOY and then ACTION COMICS. Mike Sekowsky takes over ADVENTURE COMICS. E. Nelson Bridwell is the story editor in reality on the Weisinger comics. The editors keep changing in the early '70s, so Schwartz doesn't really become the group editor until later in the '70s. And he's never involved with any Legion books.

If continuity shifts a bit in the early '70s, I put this down to the events in ACTION COMICS No. 385 - 387 which came out just as the '70s were beginning. Superman has retconned his own history by the end of that three-parter. It's notable that Superman wouldn't have found himself in this pickle if the POTUS didn't ask him not to time travel under his own power--the government was doing some kind of research. Curious. Since this President (who only appears in shadow) would have been Richard Nixon--one wonders if Tricky Dick wasn't in cahoots with the Time Trapper.

But really, there was no drastic shift in continuity. Mainly what happened is Bridwell consulted on all the Super books and he imposed greater control over continuity. Stories that were just too ridiculous were mostly ignored and some rules of the mythology were nailed down.

[Ascended]

To me the Crisis is a certain end of Bronze, but it's hard to find a beginning. It's easy to use Kryptonite Nevermore but I feel like the elements were already around by then. I want to analyze more of the comics pre 1973 and figure it out at some point.

Honestly man, Im not 100% sure that there even *is* a Bronze Age. I think what we consider the Bronze Age is, at least somewhat arguably, just a more mature and I dare say intelligent evolution of the Silver Age.

Comic book Ages are a weird thing. You got your Golden Age, which I think is pretty clear cut 1938-1956. And I think you could argue pretty easily that Crisis on Infinite Earths is the definitive end of that Age (call it Bronze if you want, I still half-think it might still really be the Silver Age) but after that? Iron Age, Dark Age, there's tons of names out there that no one can really agree on; and to me they feel more like fads than a proper Age.

Some of you are far more educated about this sort of thing than I am. What're your thoughts?