{"id":33749,"date":"2025-09-06T08:00:41","date_gmt":"2025-09-06T08:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=33749"},"modified":"2025-09-05T16:55:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T16:55:10","slug":"superboy-a-celebration-of-75-years-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/09\/06\/superboy-a-celebration-of-75-years-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Superboy: A Celebration of 75 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nBy Jerry Siegel <\/strong>& Joe Shuster<\/strong>, Bill Finger<\/strong>, Otto Binder<\/strong>, Robert Bernstein<\/strong>, Jim Shooter<\/strong>, Paul Levitz<\/strong>, Gerry Conway<\/strong>, Elliot S! Maggin<\/strong>, Geoff Johns<\/strong>, Karl Kesel<\/strong>, Brian Michael Bendis<\/strong>, Peter J. Tomasi<\/strong>, Patrick Gleason<\/strong>, John Sikela<\/strong>, Curt Swan<\/strong>, Al Plastino<\/strong>, George Papp<\/strong>, James Sherman<\/strong>, Joe Staton<\/strong>, Phil Jimenez<\/strong>, Jerry Ordway<\/strong>, George P\u00e9rez<\/strong>, Ivan Reis<\/strong>, Tom Grummett<\/strong>, Dusty Abell<\/strong>, Matthew Clark<\/strong>, Francis Manapul<\/strong>, Viktor<\/strong> Bogdanovic<\/strong>, Jonathan Glapion<\/strong> & various (DC Comics)
\nISBN: 978-1-4012-9951-4 (HB\/Digital edition)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced in less enlightened times.<\/em><\/p>\n

Superman<\/strong> was the initiating spark that created the superhero genre. Without him we would have no modern gods to worship. However, within a decade of his launch, creators Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster had evolved a revised a concept nearly as powerful and persistent: the sheer delight of a child no adult could dominate or control…<\/p>\n

Ever-innovating DC\u2019s Universe has hosted many key entertainment concepts that have done much to bring about the vibrant comics industry of today. This stunning compilation – part of a series reintroducing and exploiting the comics pedigree of veteran DC icons and concepts – is available in hardback and digital formats and offers an all-too-brief sequence of snapshots detailing how one of the most beguiling came to be, and be and be again.<\/p>\n

Gathering material from More Fun Comics<\/strong> #101; Superboy<\/strong> #10, 89; Adventure Comics<\/strong> #210, 247, 271, 369-370; DC Comics Presents<\/strong> #87; Infinite Crisis<\/strong> #6; Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes<\/strong> #233, 259; Adventures of Superman<\/strong> #501; Superboy<\/strong> (volume 2) #59; Teen Titans<\/strong> (vol. 3) #24, Adventure Comics<\/strong> (vol. 2) #2; Young Justice<\/strong> (vol. 3) #3 and Superman<\/strong> (vol. 4) #6, 10-11, it reintroduces the many heroes – and villains – who have earned the soubriquet of the Boy of Steel,. Moreover, the landmark moments are all preceded by brief critical analyses by Karl Kesel, outlining the significant stages in their development.<\/p>\n

It begins with Part I – 1945-1961: A Boy and His Dog<\/strong>…<\/p>\n

After the Man of Tomorrow made his mark as Earth\u2019s premier champion, his originators took a long look and reasoned that a different tone could offer a fresh look. What would it be like for a fun-loving lad who could do literally anything?<\/p>\n

The answer came in More Fun Comics<\/strong> #101 (cover-dated January\/February 1945 but on sale from November 18th<\/sup> 1944) wherein Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster shared \u2018The Origin of Superboy!\u2019<\/em> This fleshed out fabled and fabulous doomed Krypton and baby Kal-El<\/em>\u2019s flight: thereby giving him accessible foster parents and a childhood full of fun and incident…
\n\"\"
\nThe experiment was a monster hit. The lad swiftly claimed the lead slot of Adventure Comics<\/strong> and – in 1949 – his own title, living a life locked 20 years behind his adult counterpart. Cover-dated October 1950, Superboy<\/strong> #10 originated \u2018The Girl in Superboy\u2019s Life\u2019<\/em>, with Bill Finger & John Sikela introducing Smallville newcomer Lana Lang<\/em>, who instantly sees resemblances between Clark Kent<\/em> and the Boy of Steel and sets out to confirm her suspicions…<\/p>\n

Despite battling crooks, monsters, aliens, scandal and the girl next door, Superboy enjoyed a charmed and wonderful life which only got better in Adventure Comics<\/strong> #210 (March 1955), as Otto Binder, Curt Swan & Sy Barry introduced \u2018The Super-Dog from Krypton!\u2019 <\/em>Although waywardly mischievous and dangerously playful, Krypto<\/strong> heralded a wave of survivors from the dead world and made the Kid From Krypton feel less lonely and unique. Every boy needs a dog…<\/p>\n

The next tale is a certified landmark. Adventure Comics<\/strong> #247 (April 1958) was at the cusp of the Silver Age costumed character revival, when Otto Binder & Al Plastino introduced a concept that would reshape comics fandom: \u2018The Legion of Super-Heroes!\u2019 <\/em>The many-handed mob of juvenile universe-savers debuted in a Superboy tale wherein three mysterious kids invited the Smallville Sensation to the future to join a team of metahuman champions inspired by his historic feats. The throwaway concept inflamed public imagination and after a slew of further appearances throughout Superman<\/strong> Family<\/strong> titles, the LSH<\/strong> eventually took over Superboy\u2019s lead spot in Adventure<\/strong> for their own far-flung, quirkily future-set escapades, with the Caped Kryptonian reduced to one of the crowd…<\/p>\n

Before then, though, Adventure Comics<\/strong> #271 (April 1960) revealed \u2018How Luthor Met Superboy!\u2019<\/em> as Siegel & Plastino united to depict how teenaged scientist Lex Luthor<\/em> and Superboy became fast friends, before the genius became deranged after a laboratory fire extinguished by the Boy of Steel caused Lex to lose his hair. Enraged beyond limit, the youthful inventor turned his talents to crime, evil and vengeance…<\/p>\n

Robert Bernstein & George Papp introduced \u2018Superboy\u2019s Big Brother!\u2019<\/em> in Superboy<\/strong> #89 (June 1961) in which an amnesiac, super-powered space traveller crashes in Smallville, speaking Kryptonese and carrying star-maps written by the Boy of Steel\u2019s long-dead father Jor-El<\/em>…<\/p>\n

Jubilant, baffled and suspicious in equal amounts, Superboy eventually, tragically discovers \u2018The Secret of Mon-El\u2019<\/em> by accidentally exposing the stranger to a lingering, inexorable death, before desperately providing critical life-support by depositing the dying alien in the Phantom Zone until a cure could be found.<\/p>\n

Anybody who regularly reads these reviews know how crotchety and hard-to-please I can be. Brace yourself…<\/p>\n

The following section – Part II – 1968-1980: The Space Age<\/strong> – concentrates on Superboy\u2019s Legion career. That\u2019s not the problem because those are great stories, well deserving of their own book, but they\u2019re wasted here while the Boy of Steel\u2019s adventures from this period are completely neglected. That\u2019s work by the likes of Frank Robbins, Binder, Jim Shooter, Curt Swan, Bob Brown, Wally Wood and others we don\u2019t get to see. Poor editorial decision, that…<\/p>\n

Calm again, so let\u2019s see how the Boy of Tomorrow fares one thousand years from now. During this period the youthful, generally fun-loving and carefree Club of Champions peaked; having only just evolved into a dedicated and driven dramatic action series starring a grittily realistic combat force in constant, galaxy-threatening peril. Although now an overwhelming force of valiant warriors ready and willing to pay the ultimate price for their courage and dedication, science itself, science fiction and costumed crusaders all increasingly struggled against a global resurgence in spiritual questioning and supernatural fiction…<\/p>\n

The main architect of the transformation was teenaged sensation Jim Shooter, whose Legion of Super-Heroes<\/strong> scripts and layouts (generally finished and pencilled by the astoundingly talented and understated Curt Swan) made the series accessible to a generation of fans growing up with their heads in the Future. Ultimately, however, as tastes and fashions shifted, the series was unceremoniously ousted from its ancestral home and full-length adventures to become a truncated back-up feature in Action Comics<\/strong>. Typically, that shift occurred just as the stories were getting really, really good and truly mature…<\/p>\n

Here, tense suspense begins with Adventure Comics<\/strong> #369\u2019s (June 1968) and \u2018Mordru the Merciless!\u2019 <\/em>(Shooter, Swan & Jack Abel) as the Legion are attacked by their most powerful enemy, a nigh-omnipotent sorcerer the entire assemblage only narrowly defeated once before.<\/p>\n

A sneak attack shatters the team and only four escape, using a time bubble to flee to the remote and archaic time-period where Superboy lived. With him come Mon-El<\/em> (freed from the Phantom Zone after 1,000 years to become a Legion stalwart), Shadow Lass<\/em> and Duo Damsel<\/em> – the last remnants of a once-unbeatable team.<\/p>\n

Mordru\u2019s magic is stronger, though, and even the time-barrier cannot daunt him…<\/p>\n

Disguised as mere mortals, the fugitive Legionnaires\u2019 courage shines through. When petty gangsters take over Smallville, the teen heroes quash the parochial plunderers and opt to return to the 30th<\/sup> century and confront Mordru, only to discover he\u2019s found them first. The saga concludes in #370 with \u2018The Devil\u2019s Jury!\u2019<\/em> wherein the kids escape and hide in plain sight by temporarily wiping their own memories to thwart the Dark Lord\u2019s probes. Against appalling odds and with only Clark\u2019s best friend Pete Ross <\/em>and Insect Queen<\/em> Lana Lang to aid them, the heroes\u2019 doomed last stand only succeeds because Mordru\u2019s overbearing arrogance causes his own downfall. Then, when the exhausted fugitives got back to the future, they joyously learn Dream Girl<\/em> and benign sorceress White Witch<\/em> have undone the deluded Dark Lord\u2019s worst atrocities…<\/p>\n

Since that time the fortunes and popularity of the Legion have perpetually waxed and waned, with their future history tweaked and overwritten, retconned and rebooted over and over again to comply with editorial diktat and popular fashion. After disappearing from the newsstands, the team returned as Guests in Superboy<\/strong>, before eventually taking over the title. Deju Vu, much?
\n\"\"
\nNovember 1977\u2019s Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes<\/strong> #233 sees the Krypton Kid join his teammates to thwart \u2018The Infinite Man Who Conquered the Legion!\u2019<\/em>: an extra-long blockbuster battle by Paul Levitz, James Sherman & Bob Wiacek, after which issue #259 (January 1980) drops Superboy and the… <\/strong>to become Legion of Super-Heroes<\/strong> #259, subsequently ending an era. \u2018Psycho War!\u2019<\/em> by Gerry Conway, Joe Staton & Dave Hunt then sees the time-lost teen targeted by a deranged war veteran using futuristic trauma weapons, forcing his legion chums to mindwipe Kal-El and return him to his original time forever…<\/p>\n

In the mid-1980s, DC\u2019s editorial hierarchy felt their vast 50-year continuity was stopping them winning new readers. The solution was a colossal braided-mega series to streamline, redefine and even add new characters to the mix.<\/p>\n

The worlds-shattering, reality-altering bombast of Crisis on Infinite Earths <\/strong>resulted in such spectacular commercial success, those movers-&-shakers must have felt more than justified in revamping a number of their hoariest icons for their next 50 years of publishing. As well as Superman<\/strong>, Flash<\/strong>, & Wonder Woman<\/strong>, many moribund and directionless titles were reconsidered for a radical revision. It didn\u2019t all go to plan…<\/p>\n

The background on a new Boy of Steel is covered in the essay and stories comprising Part III 1985-2006: Dark Reflection<\/strong>, opening with twinned tales from DC Comics Presents<\/strong> #87 (November 1985) by Elliot S! Maggin, Swan & Al Williamson. In \u2018Year of the Comet\u2019<\/em> Superman of Earth-1 meets and mentors teen Clark from an alternate world: one previously devoid of superheroes and alien invaders, after which \u2018The Origin of Superboy-Prime\u2019<\/em> exposes crucial differences that would make Earth Prime\u2019s Last Son of Krypton so memorable. Events culminated in \u2018Touchdown\u2019<\/em> by Geoff Johns, Phil Jimenez, Jerry Ordway, George P\u00e9rez, Ivan Reis, inkers Andy Lanning, Oclair Albert Marc Campos, Drew Geraci, Sean Parsons, Norm Rapmund & Art Thibert, from #6 of Infinite Crisis<\/strong> (May 2006). Teen Clark had evolved into Superboy-Prime<\/strong>: one of the most sadistic, unstoppable monsters in DCU history… but here he met his end battling another kid calling himself Superboy.<\/p>\n

That hero gets his own out-of-chronology section: Part IV 1993-2019: The New Kid <\/strong>detailing how he grew out of another different publishing landmark. Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths<\/strong>, Superman was stripped-down and pared back to basics, grittily re-imagined by John Byrne, and marvellously built upon by a succession of immensely talented comics craftsmen, resulted in some genuine comics classics. Most significant was a 3-pronged story-arc which saw the martyrdom, loss, replacement and inevitable resurrection of the World\u2019s Greatest Superhero in a stellar saga which broke all records and proved that a jaded general public still cared about the venerable, veteran icon of Truth, Justice and the American Way.<\/p>\n

The dramatic events also provided a spectacular springboard for a resurgent burst of new characters who revitalised and reinvigorated more than one ailing franchise over the next decade, all exploding from braided mega-saga \u201cReign of the Supermen\u201d which introduced a quartet of heroes each claiming the mantle of Superman (Don\u2019t panic: the Real Deal Man of Steel returned too!).
\n\"\"
\nThe final contender for the S-shield cropped up in Adventures of Superman<\/strong> #501. \u2018…When He Was a Boy!\u2019<\/em> (by Kesel, Tom Grummett & Doug Hazlewood) reveals the secret history of a brash, cocky kid wearing an adaptation of the Man of Tomorrow\u2019s outfit and claiming to be the deceased hero\u2019s clone, recently escaped from top secret bio-factory Cadmus. After alienating everybody at the Daily Planet, the horny, inexperienced juvenile latches onto ambitious young journalist Tana Moon<\/em> and falls under the spell of corrupt media mogul Vinnie Edge<\/em>. Soon the kid is fighting crime live on TV to boost ratings…<\/p>\n

Blending fast action with smart sassy humour, the clone Superboy was a breakout hit that ran for years, even infiltrating the established Superman Family. A key moment came in Superboy<\/strong> (volume 2) #59 by Kesel, Dusty Abell, Dexter Vines as a virtual \u2018Mission to Krypton\u2019 <\/em>results in the clone finally earning a family name as Kon-El<\/em> of the House of El…<\/p>\n

In the build-up to DC\u2019s Infinite Crisis<\/strong> crossover event, many long-running story-threads were pulled together ready for the big bang. Crafted by Geoff Johns, Matthew Clark & Art Thibert, \u2018The Insiders Part 1\u2019<\/em> (Teen Titans<\/strong> #24, July 2005) reveals how Kon-El\u2019s belief that he was Superman\u2019s clone is shattered after learning that half of his DNA comes courtesy of Luthor. Just as the traumatised kid is about to share the revelation with his Teen Titan team-mates, Lex activates deep psychological programming to override Superboy\u2019s consciousness and make him evil and murderous…<\/p>\n

From November 2009, \u2018The Boy of Steel Part Two\u2019<\/em> (Adventure Comics<\/strong> vol 2 #2, by Johns & Francis Manapul) offers a gentler moment as Kon-El, now living in Smallville as Conner Kent<\/em>, enjoys a potentially romantic interlude with team mate Wonder Girl<\/strong> before jumping to May 2019 and \u2018Seven Crises Part Three\u2019<\/em> from Young Justice<\/strong> volume 3 #3, by Brian Michael Bendis, Patrick Gleason, Viktor Bogdanovic & Jonathan Glapion. Having skipped two universe-altering events (Flashpoint<\/strong> and Rebirth<\/strong>) the formerly erased-from-continuity Impulse<\/strong> has found old friend Conner living in a mystic realm as part of his quest to put his old band back together. It\u2019s fast, furious, heart-warming and hilarious. You should really get all of this tale in its own compilation – Young Justice: Gemworld<\/strong> – even before I review it next year…<\/p>\n

Wrapping up this saunter in Super-kids\u2019 shoes is the freshest take on the concept in decades. Part V 2016 and Beyond: Like Father, Like Son <\/strong>offers a too short glimpse at Jon Kent<\/em>, the child of Superman and Lois Lane<\/strong>, inserted into mainstream continuity after the New 52<\/strong> Superman died. If this is making your brain hurt, don\u2019t fret. It\u2019s only unnecessary background for some truly exemplary comics yarns…<\/p>\n

Superman<\/strong> (volume 4) #6, 10, 11 are by Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, Mark Morales & Christian Alamy, and firstly depict the \u2018Son of Superman\u2019<\/em> helping Dad defeat evil Kryptonian mechanoid The Eradicator<\/em> before settling into outrageous action comedy beside, with and frequently against Damian Wayne<\/em>: son of Bruce<\/em> and the latest, most psychotic Robin<\/strong> yet. \u2018In the Name of the Father: World\u2019s Smallest Parts One and Two\u2019<\/em> pits the junior odd couple against aliens, monsters and girls, but mostly each other. It\u2019s unmissable stuff and you should expect me to wax delirious about the new Super Sons<\/strong> in the New Year…
\n\"\"
\nAdding immeasurably to the wonderment is a superb gallery of covers by Swan with Stan Kaye & Abel, Neal Adams, Mike Grell, Dick Giordano, Eduardo Barreto, Jim Lee & Sandra Hope, Grummett, Kesel & Hazlewood, Mike McKone & Marlo Alquiza, Manapul, Doug Mahnke & Wil Quintana & Gleason with Alejandro Sanchez, Gray & John Kalisz.<\/p>\n

Superboy <\/strong>has a long, proud history of shaking things up and providing off-kilter fun to offset the general angst level of superhero storytelling. Even with my petty caveats, this compelling primer of snapshots is staggeringly entertaining and a monolithic testament to the inestimable value of a strong core concept matured over decades of innovation.
\n\u00a9 1960, 1964, 1969, 1977, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1997, 2000, 2006, 2005, 2011, 2018, 2020 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n

Today in 1945 Go Nagai<\/strong> was born. You can meet him in our truly ancient review of Mazinger<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In 1956 Alex Raymond<\/strong> died today. We covered Flash Gordon on the Planet Mongo volume 1: Sundays 1934-1937<\/a><\/strong> recently, but this master also triumphed with Secret Agent X-9<\/strong>, Jungle Jim<\/strong>, Blondie<\/strong> and Rip Kirby<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, Bill Finger, Otto Binder, Robert Bernstein, Jim Shooter, Paul Levitz, Gerry Conway, Elliot S! Maggin, Geoff Johns, Karl Kesel, Brian Michael Bendis, Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, John Sikela, Curt Swan, Al Plastino, George Papp, James Sherman, Joe Staton, Phil Jimenez, Jerry Ordway, George P\u00e9rez, Ivan Reis, Tom Grummett, … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Superboy: A Celebration of 75 Years”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10,76,290,373,345,127,172,316,310,121,9,11,112],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-batman","category-dc-superhero","category-dinosaurs","category-krypto","category-lois-lane","category-nostalgia","category-robin","category-super-sons","category-superboy","category-supergirl-graphic-novels","category-superman","category-teen-titans","category-young-justice"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-8Ml","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33749"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33755,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33749\/revisions\/33755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}