Originally Posted by
Johnny Thunders!
I like Superman back in the Golden Age but as I mentioned in another thread, it's tough for me to love the villains, especially when so many of them are grifters, swindlers, crooked big shots, and mobsters, they all seem anonymous. (I also think Jerry Siegel's best work is actually in the Silver Age. I oddly think the stories feel more personal then, even if they were dressed up in Mermaids and time travelers.)
Man, now I feel like I wasted my time on that other thread.
What's good about ne'er-do-wells that never break any actual laws--or at least can't be convicted--is they can keep coming back. And once the Code was in effect, every bad guy was supposed to be punished by the end of the story.
Crimes shall never be presented in such a way as to create sympathy for the criminal, to promote distrust of the forces of law and justice, or to inspire others with a desire to imitate criminals.
If crime is depicted it shall be as a sordid and unpleasant activity.
Policemen, judges, government officials, and respected institutions shall never be presented in such a way as to create disrespect for established authority.
Criminals shall not be presented so as to be rendered glamorous or to occupy a position which creates a desire for emulation.
In every instance good shall triumph over evil and the criminal punished for his misdeeds.
Scenes of excessive violence shall be prohibited. Scenes of brutal torture, excessive and unnecessary knife and gunplay, physical agony, the gory and gruesome crime shall be eliminated.
In the case of Lex Luthor, once he was made into a corporate boss, his hands were clean of any overt crimes and therefore he didn't need to go to prison. But quite frankly the going to prison was some of the best action for Luthor--see the beginning of "Hercules in the 20th Century" (ACTION COMICS 267) for an example of what I mean.
I feel like Jerry Siegel was never more happier than when he was having a laugh. His best stories always have some hilarious edge to them. I enjoyed stuff he did for the Legion and for the Mighty Crusaders before I ever knew he was the writer.