Superman: the Bronze Age thread

[Atomic Man]

The story before The Loser and New Champion, in Action #451, is a favorite. I saw Seinfeld live last year and gave him a copy of that one.

It's a similar story to The Starry Eyed Siren of Space, from Superman #243. That to me is the true start of the Bronze age. Dorfman should get some credit for his later years, but by rejecting the O'Neil finale, Bates and company set a standard for the next fifteen years of stories.



It was cool but well, I'm biased towards the Intergang of my youth. Edge without them and pervy old vinnie doesn't do a huge amount for me.

But I do like WGBS as much as I like the Planet, it's just that they intentionally tend to put more work into the classic status quo than they put into the newer.

You met Seinfeld? What were the circumstances and do you know how much of a fan/collector he is today? I've often wondered if he has a massive private collection and whether or not he still reads comics. Seems only his car collection gets any press.

[Kuwagaton]

I can't really say met, he did a show in my town last year. It was super packed and went over well, so as a ton of people were outside management suddenly decided to have some of the people attend the encore show instead. Really bizarre. So the meet and greet was cancelled, and I basically handed over my comic for a quick nod. Oh well, it was a good set.

Two others I've randomly given people are Superman #417, where he's a Martian secret weapon, and AC #455. The super power junkbot is one of my favorite things in the sense that it conveys just how fun a good writer can make an average idea.

[Jokerz79]

Watching some Ruby Spears Superman.

[Adekis]

Ruby Spears Superman is good stuff. It's out of the Bronze Age in terms of strict comic book timeline, but in terms of its aesthetic it's definitely got some Bronze going on. Heck, the back of the DVD box has a drawing of Superman flying through the hulls of spaceships that's straight up ripped from Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, so there's definitely something going on there!

[Jokerz79]

Ruby Spears Superman is good stuff. It's out of the Bronze Age in terms of strict comic book timeline, but in terms of its aesthetic it's definitely got some Bronze going on. Heck, the back of the DVD box has a drawing of Superman flying through the hulls of spaceships that's straight up ripped from Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, so there's definitely something going on there!

It's definitely a middle ground of the former Bronze Age and emerging Post Crisis era which was just starting. The story elements of the show like Lex was post crisis mixed with Gene Hackman's Luthor down to Miss Jessica Morganberry but Superman's personality but Bronze Age IMO.,

[Jon-El]

Also, Captain Marvel I suppose, which is why I love the Earth-S / Earth-1 relationship between Big Blue and Big Red- when he's got a world to himself, Cap can be his world's Superman instead of Superman's world's Captain Marvel, which is less than being Superman's world's Flash or Martian Manhunter, frankly.

I've always thought Captain Marvel worked best with his own universe. I remember in COIE when he's the representative of his Earth. Just put the character on an equal footing with Superman to me.

IMG_9176.jpg

Bronze Age is my absolute favorite DC era. I loved comics for years after it but that version of Superman is definitive to me. It showed what capable writers could do with the character. There could be O'Neil's slightly less powerful Superman, the wonder of the Maggin stories, the classic Bates interpretation, the work Conway & Pasko which featured more threatening villains , and the arrogant version done by Starlin. All that without rebooting the character. Silver age ideas were used or ignored but never completely discarded.

Plus, Superman & Batman were best friends. What's not to like?

[Kuwagaton]

Captain Marvel made for a really good guest star back then. My favorite of those stories might be teaming with Earth 1 and 2 to take on Sivana. It actually would be nice if they got back to make him a more respected character.

[signalman112]

1st SUPERMAN comic I ever bought was #330. Spellbinder was the villain.

http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Superman_Vol_1_330

[Kuwagaton]

Hopefully I don't jam this thread by myself, but this Irma bearing down on Florida has given me some nervous time to kill.

Action Comics #509: "The Great Space-Travel Hoax!" and "The Computers That Saved Metropolis!"

And in mere seconds, the Superman special delivery is completed!...
Superman: "when I x-rayed what was left of the omega booster's navigational system... I memorized the mathematical coordinates of its projected orbit around Mars! So by using super strength to duplicate the thrust and momentum factors -- I sent it into the precise orbit originally programmed by Houston ground control!"

This is a valuable issue in the sense that they pack it with a 28 page bonus for nothing. This was 40 cents almost immediately before the comics added Air Wave and charged 50 cents. Both stories were written by Cary Bates.

First up, Superman runs afoul of the Society of Space Skeptics, who mean to convince him that any account of leaving orbit is actually a government scam. I've always liked this story because it's not about Superman wanting to prove them wrong even though really, he needs them to be wrong. The skepticons were really free to go about their weird business even if people couldn't possibly believe them.

The insert story is what I guess you can call a commission from Radio shack. Superman takes up the sixth grade class of his friend Margaret to teach computer history from humble beginnings in 1945 to the miraculous, sublime, life giving TRS80. When Major Disaster chooses this same time to test out his kryptonite stash, Superman has to do some serious computing to save the day.

Well, these kids (starring one named Alec who is ah... too smart for his own good) are just a little while younger than my mom so it's funny thinking of what kind of stuff kids learned and thought about computers back then. The art was done by Jim Starlin and Dick Giordano in a very handsome "house style" along the lines of Adams and Andru.

[Jon-El]

Be safe in Florida!!!

Not only did I have that Radio Shack promo issue but I had a Trs-80 computer. Didn't do much with other than write some papers for school and play text games.

[The Frozen Reptile]

The Vandal Savage run around Action 540 with Abraxas corp was an interesting story to me.

But, and people who have read Superman Family will understand, how many times did we need to be reminded that Lois knew klurkor?

[Kuwagaton]

Bronze age was the beginning of tough Lois, and thankfully about the time they stopped referring to grown women as girls.


DC Comics Presents Superman : "The Phantom Quarterback!" and "Secret of the Phantom Quarterback!"

Superman: "all right, Lombard-- if you have you have all this energy to burn-- let's work it off without hurting people!! Come play on my cosmic treadmill"

So technically these aren't from that era, but the 2004 specials are a tribute to the great Julie Schwartz and this one is built from Superman #264. The cover is an Adam Hughes homage to the classic Nick Cardy cover reprinted in the back. The stories are based around that cover with little to no connection to the original story, aside from acknowledging that it is the debut of Steve Lombard as a character.

First up we have Cooke, Bone, and Stewart knocking out the art on a story scripted by Stan Lee. Lee is known as loud and proud, so I can only assume he doesn't typically give himself the credit for being able to write the likes of Superman because he was exclusive to the competition for like 60 years. As the biggest writer of the Silver Age, his skill at least holds up for one short story. Naturally, it's about an underdog who wants a woman with eyes for quarterback types like Superman. The tragic thing about Cooke always being typecast is that he was so freaking good when they put him on. This story is a small exercise in charm.

The second story comes by way of Levitz and Giffen, with Milgrom on inks. This deals with a separate take on Lombard. It feels like a strong update of a Bronze age style, just very slightly more grounded, and looks uniquely excellent.

The back page is a eulogy written by Alan Moore. A great, heartfelt surprise. I don't remember if all these tribute issues had the same back page or different guests, I'll check later.

Be safe in Florida!!!

Not only did I have that Radio Shack promo issue but I had a Trs-80 computer. Didn't do much with other than write some papers for school and play text games.

Yeah lol, that's what I figured with those things. And thanks, apparently my area is done although some streets are flooded.

[Man_of_Tomorrow]

I have started reading DC COMICS PRESENTS team ups.

Man these stories are good, they really should be collected.

[The I.A.D.C.]

I started reading comics right at the tail-end of the Bronze Age, Pre-Crisis era. I remember one bookstore in my hometown had back-issue bins with books for about a quarter or 50-cents. You could get a pretty good stack of reading material for 5 bucks. I devoured Bronze Age Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and JLA. Would love to see some of the Bronze Age stuff re-discovered and collected. Saw a Batman/Brave and Bold Omnibus recently, so maybe we'll get the DC Comic Presents team-ups soon. I have the Showcases, but would love to have them in color. Also hoping DC will expand their Superman (and Batman) (and Wonder Woman) Omnibus lines to the Silver and Bronze Ages - otherwise it's a better bet that Jesus may come back before we get to those stories.

[Johnny Thunders!]

Terra-Man, I know I talk about Terra-Man way too much but for me he is a true under appreciated character. I was just watching Guardians of the Gallery and for me Peter Quill is Terra Man with-out the Pancho, mustache, and some sit ups. I also see the same backstory for Jack Hawksmoor of the Authority.

For me, Terra Man is a terrific Superman enemy, and one of those mirror image characters. In my mind, he is like Clint Eastwood's Man with With No Name but able to withstand cold space, and even though Superman would knock him out with a pinkie, he still has the tools to take on Supes.