{"id":34309,"date":"2025-11-20T09:00:59","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T09:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=34309"},"modified":"2025-11-19T18:19:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T18:19:12","slug":"dcs-greatest-imaginary-stories-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/11\/20\/dcs-greatest-imaginary-stories-3\/","title":{"rendered":"DC\u2019s Greatest Imaginary Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Otto Binder<\/strong>, Bill Finger<\/strong>, Jerry Siegel<\/strong>, John Broome<\/strong>, Leo Dorfman<\/strong>, Edmond Hamilton<\/strong>, Jim Shooter<\/strong>, C.C. Beck<\/strong>, Dick Sprang<\/strong>, Kurt Schaffenberger<\/strong>, Curt Swan<\/strong>, Carmine Infantino<\/strong>, Bob Kane<\/strong> & various (DC Comics)
\nISBN: 978-1-4012-0534-8 (TPB)<\/p>\n

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

Win\u2019s Christmas Gift Recommendation: Purely Addictive Comics Madness… 9\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alan Moore\u2019s infamous epigram notwithstanding, not all comics tales are \u201cImaginary Stories\u201d.<\/p>\n

When DC Editor Mort Weisinger was expanding the Superman <\/strong>continuity and building the legend, he realised that each new tale was an event that added to a nigh-sacred canon: that what was written and drawn mattered to the readers. But, as a big concept guy, he wasn\u2019t going to let that aggregated \u201chistory\u201d stifle a good idea, nor would he allow his eager yet sophisticated audience to endure clich\u00e9d deus ex machina<\/em> cop-outs to mar the sheer enjoyment of a captivating concept. The mantra known to every baby-boomer fan was \u201cNot a Dream! Not a Hoax! Not a Robot!\u201d boldly emblazoned on covers depicting scenes that couldn\u2019t possibly be true… as a way of exploring non-continuity deviations, plots and scenarios devised at a time when editors believed entertainment trumped consistency and knew that every comic read was somebody\u2019s first… or potentially last.<\/p>\n

This jolly little compilation – long overdue for revival and expansion – celebrates the time when whimsy and imagination were king but somewhat stretches the point by leading with a fanciful tale of the World\u2019s Mightiest Mortal. Courtesy of Otto Binder & CC Beck, \u2018Captain Marvel and the Atomic War\u2019 <\/em>(Captain Marvel Adventures<\/strong> #66, October 1946) actually hoaxes the public through a demonstration of how the world might end in the new era of Nuclear Proliferation.<\/p>\n

\u2018The Second Life of Batman\u2019<\/em> (Bill Finger, Dick Sprang & Charles Paris in Batman<\/strong> #127, October 1959) doesn\u2019t really fit the strict definition either, but the tale of a device that predicts how Bruce Wayne<\/em>\u2019s life would have run if his parents had not been killed is superb and engaging all the same. In contrast, \u2018Mr. and Mrs. Clark (Superman) Kent!\u2019<\/em> (Jerry Siegel & brilliant Kurt Schaffenberger) was the first of an occasional series that began in Superman\u2019s Girlfriend Lois Lane<\/strong> #19 (August 1960). Far more apropos, it depicts the laughter and tears that might<\/em><\/strong> result if the plucky news-hen secretly marries the Man of Steel.
\n\"\"
\nFrom an era uncomfortably parochial and patronising to women, there\u2019s actually plenty of genuine heart and understanding in this tale and a minimum of snide sniping about \u201csilly, empty-headed girls\u201d…<\/p>\n

Eventually the concepts became so bold that Imaginary Stories could command book-length status. \u2018Lex Luthor, Hero!\u2019<\/em> (Superman<\/strong> #149, November 1961) by Siegel, Curt Swan & Sheldon Moldoff details the mad scientist\u2019s greatest master-plan and ultimate victory in a tale as powerful now as it ever was. In many ways this is what the whole concept was made for! No prizes for guessing what \u2018Jimmy Olsen Marries Supergirl!\u2019 <\/em>(Superman\u2019s Pal Jimmy Olsen<\/strong> #57, December 1961) is about, but the story is truly a charming delight, beautifully realized by Siegel, Swan & Stan Kaye.<\/p>\n

Once more stretching a point \u2018The Origin of Flash\u2019s Masked Identity!\u2019<\/em> (John Broome, Carmine Infantino & Joe Giella in The Flash<\/strong># 128, May 1962) although highly entertaining, is more an enthusiastic day-dream than alternate reality and, I suspect, is added to bring variety to the mix – as is the intriguing \u2018Batman\u2019s New Secret Identity\u2019<\/em> (Batman<\/strong> #151, November 1961, by Finger, Bob Kane & Paris).<\/p>\n

\u2018The Amazing Story of Superman-Red and Superman-Blue!\u2019 <\/em>(Superman<\/strong> #162, July 1963) is possibly the most influential tale of this entire subgenre. Written by Leo Dorfman with art from Swan & George Klein, this startling utopian classic was so well-received that decades later it still influences and flavours Superman continuity. The plot involves the Action Ace being divided into two equal wonder men who promptly solve all universal problems and even the love rivalry between Lois Lane and Lana Lang<\/em>!<\/p>\n

Siegel & Schaffenberger\u2019s \u2018The Three Wives of Superman!\u2019<\/em> is an enchanting tragedy of missed chances from SGLL <\/strong>#51 (August 1964) clearing the palate for \u2018The Fantastic Story of Superman\u2019s Sons\u2019<\/em> (by Edmond Hamilton, Swan & Klein in Superman<\/strong> #166, November 1964): a solid thriller built on a tragic premise (what if only one of Superman\u2019s children inherited his powers?), and this bright and breezy book closes with the stirring, hard-hitting \u2018Superman and Batman… Brothers!\u2019<\/em>, wherein orphaned Bruce Wayne is adopted by the Kents, but cannot escape a destiny of tragedy and darkness. Written by Jim Shooter, with art from Swan & Klein for World\u2019s Finest Comics<\/strong> #172 (cover-dated December 1967) this moody thriller in many ways signalled the end of carefree days and the beginning of a grittier, more cohesive DC universe for a less whimsical, fan-based audience.<\/p>\n

This collection is a glorious slice of fancy, augmented by an informative introduction from columnist Craig Shutt, bolstered with mini-cover reproductions of many tales that tragically never made it into the collection, but I do have one minor quibble: No other type of tale was more dependent on an eye-catching, conceptually intriguing cover, so why couldn\u2019t those belonging to these collected classics have been included here, too?<\/p>\n

Surely, it\u2019s time for a re-issue in either print or digital format with all those arresting covers included. Yes, it is… and don\u2019t call me Shirley.
\n\u00a9 1946, 1959-1964, 1967, 2005 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n

Today in 1900 Chester Gould<\/strong> was born. No help from me here, deduct who he was.<\/p>\n

Happy birthday British arts icon Rian Hughes<\/strong>, arrived today in 1963, joined three years after by Jill Thompson <\/strong>and Guy Davis<\/strong>. Them also you should seek out here or in their own books…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Otto Binder, Bill Finger, Jerry Siegel, John Broome, Leo Dorfman, Edmond Hamilton, Jim Shooter, C.C. Beck, Dick Sprang, Kurt Schaffenberger, Curt Swan, Carmine Infantino, Bob Kane & various (DC Comics) ISBN: 978-1-4012-0534-8 (TPB) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced in less enlightened times. Win\u2019s Christmas Gift Recommendation: Purely Addictive Comics Madness… 9\/10 Alan Moore\u2019s … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “DC\u2019s Greatest Imaginary Stories”<\/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":[280,10,383,91,344,311,345,148,107,131,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-animal-antics","category-batman","category-carmine-infantino","category-flash","category-jimmy-olsen","category-legion-of-super-pets","category-lois-lane","category-romance","category-science-fiction","category-shazam","category-superman"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-8Vn","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34309","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=34309"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34312,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34309\/revisions\/34312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}