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World's Finest Comics (1941) #215-216, 221-222, 224, 228, 230,
Superman/Batman: Saga of the Super Sons
Its the most famous fictional newspaper , and also home to the secret identity of the Man of Steel: The Daily Planet!Primed to whet fans appetites before 2006s Superman Returns movie, this collection spans every era of Superman's adventures focusing on tales revolving around the Daily Planet and its staff: Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White and more!
For the first time, the complete saga of the Super Sons is collected in one volume! Features stories from the pages of WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #215-216, 221-222, 224, 228, 230, 231, 233, 238, 242, 263 and ELSEWORLDS 80-PAGE GIANT #1!
For the first time, the complete saga of the Super Sons is collected in one volume! Features stories from the pages of WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #215-216, 221-222, 224, 228, 230, 231, 233, 238, 242, 263 and ELSEWORLDS 80-PAGE GIANT #1!
192 pages, Paperback
First published December 5, 2007
14 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Bob Haney
449 books13 followersRobert G. Haney was an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. He co-created the Teen Titans as well as characters such as Metamorpho, Eclipso, Cain, and the Super-Sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
May 24, 2019
Superman Junior and Batman Junior drive around the country on a motorcycle, taking on criminals and struggling to live up to their fathers' legacies.
Saga of the Super Sons collects World's Finest Comics #215, 216, 221, 222, 224, 228, 230, 231, 233, 238, 242, 263, and Elseworlds 80-Page Giant #1.
"What if Batman and Superman had sons that followed in their footsteps?" is the core concept of Saga of the Super-Sons. Unfortunately, the Super-Sons don't do anything that super in most of the stories.
Written by that Zany Bob Haney, the stories are kind of simplistic, some even silly, compared to what Marvel was doing during the same time period. The Super-Sons take on a lot of mundane criminals, as well as Lex Luthor and the occasional alien. I would say these stories would be part of DC's young adult line if they were published today. Haney's attempts at youth slang are kind of embarrassing. Dick Dillin, DC's workhorse at the time, provides the bulk of the art, although Curt Swan and Rich Buckler each take the helm on an issue. Dillin's art is reliable but nothing spectacular.
All that being said, the stories are passably entertaining, despite ridiculous plot twists out of the 1950s, like Batman faking his death to teach Dick and Bruce Junior a lesson. The Denny O'Neil-Rich Buckler story explains the previous tales away as a simulation in Superman's Fortress of Solitude, explaining something that didn't really need explaining. Even in the 1970s, I think the kids were smart enough to know the Super-Sons weren't part of continuity.
Saga of the Super-Sons is an entertaining yet disappointing story from the dying days of the Silver Age. 2 out of 5 stars.
Saga of the Super Sons collects World's Finest Comics #215, 216, 221, 222, 224, 228, 230, 231, 233, 238, 242, 263, and Elseworlds 80-Page Giant #1.
"What if Batman and Superman had sons that followed in their footsteps?" is the core concept of Saga of the Super-Sons. Unfortunately, the Super-Sons don't do anything that super in most of the stories.
Written by that Zany Bob Haney, the stories are kind of simplistic, some even silly, compared to what Marvel was doing during the same time period. The Super-Sons take on a lot of mundane criminals, as well as Lex Luthor and the occasional alien. I would say these stories would be part of DC's young adult line if they were published today. Haney's attempts at youth slang are kind of embarrassing. Dick Dillin, DC's workhorse at the time, provides the bulk of the art, although Curt Swan and Rich Buckler each take the helm on an issue. Dillin's art is reliable but nothing spectacular.
All that being said, the stories are passably entertaining, despite ridiculous plot twists out of the 1950s, like Batman faking his death to teach Dick and Bruce Junior a lesson. The Denny O'Neil-Rich Buckler story explains the previous tales away as a simulation in Superman's Fortress of Solitude, explaining something that didn't really need explaining. Even in the 1970s, I think the kids were smart enough to know the Super-Sons weren't part of continuity.
Saga of the Super-Sons is an entertaining yet disappointing story from the dying days of the Silver Age. 2 out of 5 stars.
March 8, 2017
wtf! this is atrocious, but; it's so fuck funny! the hipster dialogue is hilarious, and there is so much crazy, awful, awful, dated stuff. where to start?
we never see the mother's faces (the moms call their husbands 'mr kent' &'mr wayne')
all the characters pretend to be dead at some point (sometimes more than once!) so the sons and dads are forever weeping at a funeral then 'you're alive! ha! ha! ha!' mirth all round
the town run entirely by 'chicks'! Turns out that its a female alien so ugly she wants to punish all men! when finally caught her punishment? to stare in a mirror at her own ugly face for all eternity ('noooooooo!!!!!!!)
best of all is the ghostly picture of Batman and Superman seniors so close they could be cuddling saying 'no son its too dangerous' & 'they can't hear us Batman, they must make their own choices now'. They look like two dads like ‘Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin’ - now that would be something, Batman marries Superman and the Super Sons are their offspring!
we never see the mother's faces (the moms call their husbands 'mr kent' &'mr wayne')
all the characters pretend to be dead at some point (sometimes more than once!) so the sons and dads are forever weeping at a funeral then 'you're alive! ha! ha! ha!' mirth all round
the town run entirely by 'chicks'! Turns out that its a female alien so ugly she wants to punish all men! when finally caught her punishment? to stare in a mirror at her own ugly face for all eternity ('noooooooo!!!!!!!)
best of all is the ghostly picture of Batman and Superman seniors so close they could be cuddling saying 'no son its too dangerous' & 'they can't hear us Batman, they must make their own choices now'. They look like two dads like ‘Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin’ - now that would be something, Batman marries Superman and the Super Sons are their offspring!
July 8, 2024
Look mate, if you can't enjoy some good old fashioned 70s cheese, I genuinely don't know what to tell you. I'm sorry you hate fun? The series is a blast of Silver Age weirdness punctuated with the creeping darkness and cultural commentary of the Bronze Age, and it doesn't need to be more than that. Sometimes it's the Twilight Zone, sometimes it makes physics cry, and sometimes people get surprise eaten by a crudely drawn whale. It's a gas.
November 7, 2024
When you hear "Super Sons" you probably think of Damian Wayne and Jon Kent, but they are not the stars of this collection. Back in the 1970s, World's Finest ran a series of adventures chronicling the exploits of "Clark Kent Jr" and "Bruce Wayne Jr," written by Bob Haney, which are collected here. These stories are hilarious and delightful . . .
Until the very end, when writer Denny O'Neil puts a stop to the tales in a very bizarre and, frankly, overly dark fashion.
But back to the good stuff: in these stories, Batman and Superman don't want their sons to be crimefighters; they just want them to go to college. But Clark Jr and Bruce Jr are rebels, who drive around on Bruce's motorcycle, while Bruce Jr calls Clark Jr "baby" and "tiger," and they look for mysteries to solve. Love it.
Their adventures are full of Bronze Age zaniness. Their first mission doesn't even accomplish anything, because Superman and Batman have such little confidence in the boys that Superman sends them into an alternate timeline, where their actions do not affect the real world. The relationship between fathers and sons is so bad, that at one point they even go to a special retreat to help them connect with one another (and for a brief moment, consider switching fathers. As though that's a thing.)
There are definitely some problematic elements to some of these stories (they are from the 1970s) but overall, they are lighthearted and fun. Bruce Jr and Clark Jr may share the names and appearances of their famous fathers, but they are their own characters - and they've got that groovy 70's slang! - and I really liked them. I was left wishing there was more.
Until the very end, when writer Denny O'Neil puts a stop to the tales in a very bizarre and, frankly, overly dark fashion.
But back to the good stuff: in these stories, Batman and Superman don't want their sons to be crimefighters; they just want them to go to college. But Clark Jr and Bruce Jr are rebels, who drive around on Bruce's motorcycle, while Bruce Jr calls Clark Jr "baby" and "tiger," and they look for mysteries to solve. Love it.
Their adventures are full of Bronze Age zaniness. Their first mission doesn't even accomplish anything, because Superman and Batman have such little confidence in the boys that Superman sends them into an alternate timeline, where their actions do not affect the real world. The relationship between fathers and sons is so bad, that at one point they even go to a special retreat to help them connect with one another (and for a brief moment, consider switching fathers. As though that's a thing.)
There are definitely some problematic elements to some of these stories (they are from the 1970s) but overall, they are lighthearted and fun. Bruce Jr and Clark Jr may share the names and appearances of their famous fathers, but they are their own characters - and they've got that groovy 70's slang! - and I really liked them. I was left wishing there was more.
June 30, 2017
This book collects the appearance of the Super Sons, the imagined sons of Batman and Superman who appeared in a dozen stories in World’s Finest comics back in the 1970s before making a nostalgic return for Elseworld’s 80-page Giant in 1990.
The book doesn’t include an introduction (which is a shame) because it’s hard to tell what the writers were going for. Did they always intend for this to be a joke or were they trying to be hip and relevant in the 1970s and merely failed hilariously. Whatever, the case, the Super Sons provide a wacky and fun series of adventures that find them fighting crime while trying to deal with their fathers that don’t understand them: Batman and Superman.
There’s all sorts of fun and wacky stuff such as when Batman, Jr. and Superman, Jr. get a jury to order their fathers confined for showboating or when the Super fathers and sons check in to a new age retreat center. In another comic, Superman, Jr. and Batman, Jr. find a town made up of an entirely of women that’s being controlled by an alien using women’s lib for her own schemes.
To be honest, this book is stupid, but it’s gloriously stupid with stories that appear hilariously bizarre and goofy even if the writers thought they were trying to be serious. If you like 1970s comic book cheese, this is a book for you.
The book doesn’t include an introduction (which is a shame) because it’s hard to tell what the writers were going for. Did they always intend for this to be a joke or were they trying to be hip and relevant in the 1970s and merely failed hilariously. Whatever, the case, the Super Sons provide a wacky and fun series of adventures that find them fighting crime while trying to deal with their fathers that don’t understand them: Batman and Superman.
There’s all sorts of fun and wacky stuff such as when Batman, Jr. and Superman, Jr. get a jury to order their fathers confined for showboating or when the Super fathers and sons check in to a new age retreat center. In another comic, Superman, Jr. and Batman, Jr. find a town made up of an entirely of women that’s being controlled by an alien using women’s lib for her own schemes.
To be honest, this book is stupid, but it’s gloriously stupid with stories that appear hilariously bizarre and goofy even if the writers thought they were trying to be serious. If you like 1970s comic book cheese, this is a book for you.
November 18, 2024
Zany Bob Haney fun. Don't think too much, because the stories are inane, but they're kinda fun. Solid art (Curt Swan, Rich Buckler and Kieron Dwyer also contribute), and a whole boatload of homoerotic subtext (actually, nothing subtextual about Batman always clinging to Superman's back while Supes Jr. flies them places, nor how Superman holds Batman's buttocks to keep the junior Dark Knight dry while swimming through a swamp).
There's one really odd Denny O'Neil story that has to - in true Denny O'Neil mid-70s fashion - bring a total downer on the proceedings, but the rest are simplistic, good-natured fun.
+++++++++
Fifteen years after last reading this book, after many adventures of Jon and Damian, I had an itch to revisit the adventures of Clark Jr. and Bruce Jr. I still enjoy Bob Haney's hip dialogue affectations and the way the boys refer to each other as "tiger" and such. It's such goofy fun. Some of it doesn't age terribly well, and Denny O'Neil's "explanation" for the Super Sons is such a needless downer. I'm glad Haney got to come back, twenty years later, with one more story in an "Elseworlds 80-Page Giant" to reinstate the boys.
I wonder if I'm the only person itching now for a Jon-and Damian meet Clark-Jr.-and-Bruce-Jr. cross-time caper!
There's one really odd Denny O'Neil story that has to - in true Denny O'Neil mid-70s fashion - bring a total downer on the proceedings, but the rest are simplistic, good-natured fun.
+++++++++
Fifteen years after last reading this book, after many adventures of Jon and Damian, I had an itch to revisit the adventures of Clark Jr. and Bruce Jr. I still enjoy Bob Haney's hip dialogue affectations and the way the boys refer to each other as "tiger" and such. It's such goofy fun. Some of it doesn't age terribly well, and Denny O'Neil's "explanation" for the Super Sons is such a needless downer. I'm glad Haney got to come back, twenty years later, with one more story in an "Elseworlds 80-Page Giant" to reinstate the boys.
I wonder if I'm the only person itching now for a Jon-and Damian meet Clark-Jr.-and-Bruce-Jr. cross-time caper!
March 25, 2008
Super cheesy stories from the 70s but it brought back wonderful memories. I loved the Super Sons stories in World's Finest and it was nice having them all in one volume. Great fun for fans of Bronze Age DC wackiness.
February 12, 2016
Before DC comics started doing the Elsewheres books they ran a series of stories in the comic World's Finest about the sons of Superman and Batman. Nice stories to read and good art. recommended
June 15, 2023
Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent
Capes And Gloves And Rock-'n'-roll with this compilation of 1970s stories. These odd-ball tales were told way before Damian Wayne and Jon Kent. A hypothetical scenario (or an 'Elseworld') where Superman and Batman were married with sons who wanted to follow in their fathers' footsteps.
Saga of the Supersons. The Seniors create a training ground to see if their offsprings can fight crime. 5/10
A Little Town with Big Secrets. Neat little mystery for the Sons to get embroiled in. 7/10
Cry Not for my Forsaken Sons. Intriguing story about judging on first appearances. 7/10
Evil in Paradise. Basic morality tale, are humans genetically good or bad? The Super Sons take opposing view as an Eden-like tribe is discovered. 7/10
The Shocking Switch of the Supersons. At a retreat the Sons are encouraged to switch Dads to appreciate what they have. 7/10
Crown for a New Batman. Batman is dead. Who will take on the role, Junior or Robin? 8/10
The Girl Whom Time Forgot. Love story with children of rivals. 5/10
Hero is a Dirty Name. The Dads are imprisoned by the Sons for using their powers. The Sons go on to do the same. 4/10
World Without Men. Very dated, probably even in the 1970s. The Sons arrive at a town populated by women. Aghast at women being mechanics etc... But once the Sons identify the who and why it's a standard story. 5/10
The Angel with a Dirty Name. Luthor's daughter uses the Super Sons to aid Luthor's prison escape. 8/10
Town of the Timeless Killers. A ghost town populated with gunslingers over 100 years old. Good to see the Sons using their wits. 7/10
Final Secret of the Super Sons. A sad, inevitable tale. Good story with heart, but not the explanation I'd have wanted 7/10
Superman Jr is No More. An identity crisis for Superman Jr. 5/10
Overall: it is clearly of its time. The cringey language included. But these are enjoyable stories of superheroics. 7/10
Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent
Capes And Gloves And Rock-'n'-roll with this compilation of 1970s stories. These odd-ball tales were told way before Damian Wayne and Jon Kent. A hypothetical scenario (or an 'Elseworld') where Superman and Batman were married with sons who wanted to follow in their fathers' footsteps.
Saga of the Supersons. The Seniors create a training ground to see if their offsprings can fight crime. 5/10
A Little Town with Big Secrets. Neat little mystery for the Sons to get embroiled in. 7/10
Cry Not for my Forsaken Sons. Intriguing story about judging on first appearances. 7/10
Evil in Paradise. Basic morality tale, are humans genetically good or bad? The Super Sons take opposing view as an Eden-like tribe is discovered. 7/10
The Shocking Switch of the Supersons. At a retreat the Sons are encouraged to switch Dads to appreciate what they have. 7/10
Crown for a New Batman. Batman is dead. Who will take on the role, Junior or Robin? 8/10
The Girl Whom Time Forgot. Love story with children of rivals. 5/10
Hero is a Dirty Name. The Dads are imprisoned by the Sons for using their powers. The Sons go on to do the same. 4/10
World Without Men. Very dated, probably even in the 1970s. The Sons arrive at a town populated by women. Aghast at women being mechanics etc... But once the Sons identify the who and why it's a standard story. 5/10
The Angel with a Dirty Name. Luthor's daughter uses the Super Sons to aid Luthor's prison escape. 8/10
Town of the Timeless Killers. A ghost town populated with gunslingers over 100 years old. Good to see the Sons using their wits. 7/10
Final Secret of the Super Sons. A sad, inevitable tale. Good story with heart, but not the explanation I'd have wanted 7/10
Superman Jr is No More. An identity crisis for Superman Jr. 5/10
Overall: it is clearly of its time. The cringey language included. But these are enjoyable stories of superheroics. 7/10
Scoring: 0 bad; 1-3 poor; 4-6 average; 7-9 good; 10 excellent
January 15, 2019
I saw in pinterest some pictures for John and Damian and wanted to read that comic. So, went to the famous site and wrote (Super Sons) in the search box expecting to read about the duo. I was confused with this one showing up in the beginning. Batman has a son?! and a wife too!? It's not like him at all. And the (sons) seem like the heroes themselves, no changes whatsoever. Even their names, how can you name your son the same name as yours and add (jr) to it?! I just didn't click with the style, art and story.
November 7, 2020
More crazy Batman -- and Superman -- fun with Bob Haney as the Super Sons are introduced. Clark Kent, Jr. and Bruce Wayne, Jr. are featured in a collection containing all their zany adventures. My favorite may be "Final Secret of the Super Sons," written by Denny O'Neil, as it gives an explanation for the stories at a time when DC continuity was being tightened.
January 24, 2026
As fun, and corny, as I remembered.
When I was a kid, I first read the super sons stories. They were goofy, especially with the son's lingo and attitudes, but still fun to read. Glad I found the compilation on kindle.
When I was a kid, I first read the super sons stories. They were goofy, especially with the son's lingo and attitudes, but still fun to read. Glad I found the compilation on kindle.
June 20, 2017
Good for a dose of nostalgia, but these stories have not aged well. The premise has promise and the hipster dialogue is amusing, but the titular characters are flat and the adventures dull.
September 27, 2019
This book is wild and whacky. Something only the 70’s and Bob Haney could’ve come up with.
January 2, 2020
Loco stories! If this is what was called camp (ridiculously bad that it's funny) then I'm glad it went out of fashion!
May 10, 2020
I loved these alternate history stories of the sons of Batman and Superman when I was a kid and rereading them some 30 odd years later was a kick!
October 9, 2020
Has not aged well.
December 23, 2020
Saga of the Super Sons was fun to read. It was quite different to what I was expecting and the writing style was weird but funny.
April 6, 2021
Some fun Bob Haney 70’s goofy DC stuff. If you like his Brave & The Bold, you’ll like this.
April 23, 2022
Goofball lunacy in the classic Bob Haney style, but surprisingly bloodthirsty. I love how Superman JR carries Batman Jr around on one hand.
August 28, 2024
A fantastic collection. Bob Haney was a superb writer. Some really interesting story lines with the super sons. Wonderful artwork. Highly Recommended.
November 7, 2024
I read this before but had to do a re-read for nostalgia.
April 29, 2025
A collection of comics from the 1960s featuring Superman Jnr and Batman Jnr. A bit of fun.
February 6, 2008
As a kid, I loved Superman Jr. and Batman Jr. ("sons" of Superman and Batman, duh!), the titular heroes of the stories. Written by Bob Haney (with the best stories drawn by Dick Dillin), the Super Sons sporadically appeared in World's Finest comics (starting in 1973 and running sporadically until '76). They were obviously a misguided attempt to bring "relevance" (a big 70s term) to the Superman/Batman universe -- without getting as hard-core or political as the now-classic Denny O'Neil/Neal Adams Green Lantern/Green Arrow comics.
Even though the Super Sons exist completely outside normal continuity, DC refused to declare that their adventures were "imaginary stories"; a distinction I've always found hilarious -- as opposed to the "real" adventures of the superhero in question?! In fact, Haney/Dillin always make a point of obscuring the sons' mothers' identities, which leads to a number of stories where the kids get in arguments with their parents, with the moms' faces always turned from the viewer or engulfed in shadow!
The stories in this book usually involve the junior heroes riding around out West, Easy Rider-style, on a souped-up chopper or dune buggy, defying their parents' wishes that they just settle down to "normal" lives. They tend to follow a similar pattern: the boys get in a "generation-gap" argument with their dad and storm off together. They fall into some misadventure, jump to a number of conclusions, make some dumb mistakes, and are eventually bailed out of trouble by their stronger, wiser dads. (In fact, they make a big point that Superman Jr.'s powers are only half those of his dad's, seeing as how he has a mortal mother.) It's pretty clear what the editorial tone of these stories are: give kids room to rebel -- a little -- but make sure they understand who's boss in the end.
In my favorite story of the collection, "The Shocking Switch of the Super-Sons," Bruce Jr. and Clark Jr. swap dads for a time, and then all four visit an encounter camp to "discover" themselves! The dialogue throughout all the stories is a hilarious pastiche of hipster/black dialect: Clark Jr. and Bruce Jr. never go more than a panel without proclaiming something "crazy" or "far out," or calling each other "baby," not to mention any nearby females "chicks" or "dolls." It's classic stuff.
The collection sort of comes out of left-field; I wonder what compels DC to release it now? I can't imagine that there's a huge audience for the book, outside of those with an ironic sense of nostalgia like myself. The book is nicely produced, with a beautiful Nick Cardy cover (was he was one of the all-time great cover artists, or what?!), and the addition of a couple of oddball Super Sons stories from the 80s & 90s (including one written by Bob Haney shortly before his death), as well as a cover gallery. But the one thing the book really needs is a foreword or introduction. The stories are just too weird to escape comment!
Even though the Super Sons exist completely outside normal continuity, DC refused to declare that their adventures were "imaginary stories"; a distinction I've always found hilarious -- as opposed to the "real" adventures of the superhero in question?! In fact, Haney/Dillin always make a point of obscuring the sons' mothers' identities, which leads to a number of stories where the kids get in arguments with their parents, with the moms' faces always turned from the viewer or engulfed in shadow!
The stories in this book usually involve the junior heroes riding around out West, Easy Rider-style, on a souped-up chopper or dune buggy, defying their parents' wishes that they just settle down to "normal" lives. They tend to follow a similar pattern: the boys get in a "generation-gap" argument with their dad and storm off together. They fall into some misadventure, jump to a number of conclusions, make some dumb mistakes, and are eventually bailed out of trouble by their stronger, wiser dads. (In fact, they make a big point that Superman Jr.'s powers are only half those of his dad's, seeing as how he has a mortal mother.) It's pretty clear what the editorial tone of these stories are: give kids room to rebel -- a little -- but make sure they understand who's boss in the end.
In my favorite story of the collection, "The Shocking Switch of the Super-Sons," Bruce Jr. and Clark Jr. swap dads for a time, and then all four visit an encounter camp to "discover" themselves! The dialogue throughout all the stories is a hilarious pastiche of hipster/black dialect: Clark Jr. and Bruce Jr. never go more than a panel without proclaiming something "crazy" or "far out," or calling each other "baby," not to mention any nearby females "chicks" or "dolls." It's classic stuff.
The collection sort of comes out of left-field; I wonder what compels DC to release it now? I can't imagine that there's a huge audience for the book, outside of those with an ironic sense of nostalgia like myself. The book is nicely produced, with a beautiful Nick Cardy cover (was he was one of the all-time great cover artists, or what?!), and the addition of a couple of oddball Super Sons stories from the 80s & 90s (including one written by Bob Haney shortly before his death), as well as a cover gallery. But the one thing the book really needs is a foreword or introduction. The stories are just too weird to escape comment!
March 1, 2017
Zany Haney!
January 14, 2014
First I just want to point out that the description of this book provided by Goodreads is wrong. I'm assuming that was from a Superman only collection of some kind, not this book.
This is the collected stories of Superman Jr. and Batman Jr.. Wanting to carry on the work of their famous fathers the two boys put on costumes and travel around looking for people to help. It's kind of a silly premise, and the delivery is weird. I mean, Superman's sons name is also Clark Kent, and Batman's son is also named Bruce Wayne. Both kids also wear costume's that are exactly the same as their fathers. You think they could have put a bit more thought into it than that.
The book is fun though in a silver age silliness kind of way. I think if you don't take the stories too seriously, and you are willing to let the logic slide a bit, you could have a good time reading these. If you think Haney was a bad writer you should see him do what are essential Batman/Superman team up stories where they don't fight any villains. And the story is still exciting.
The art by Dick Dillin is great. I think he is a really underpraised artist. His work almost has the feel of a romance artist working in a superhero book.
This is the collected stories of Superman Jr. and Batman Jr.. Wanting to carry on the work of their famous fathers the two boys put on costumes and travel around looking for people to help. It's kind of a silly premise, and the delivery is weird. I mean, Superman's sons name is also Clark Kent, and Batman's son is also named Bruce Wayne. Both kids also wear costume's that are exactly the same as their fathers. You think they could have put a bit more thought into it than that.
The book is fun though in a silver age silliness kind of way. I think if you don't take the stories too seriously, and you are willing to let the logic slide a bit, you could have a good time reading these. If you think Haney was a bad writer you should see him do what are essential Batman/Superman team up stories where they don't fight any villains. And the story is still exciting.
The art by Dick Dillin is great. I think he is a really underpraised artist. His work almost has the feel of a romance artist working in a superhero book.
September 26, 2022
Oh wow, this was hilarious! Hilariously bad! This is a collection of backup stories from old school "Worlds Finest" I don't know if this was supposed to be a bunch of funny or serious stories, but they did not age well. The dialog is dated, not sure if they were going for hipster or hippy or TV Cool. The stories are a product of their age I guess, the only people of color are "primitives" without clothes. Having everyone say Batman Junior or Superman Junior all the time got old real quick. Bruce and Clark Sr. are both serious asses to their kids - not to mention Superman Sr. is seriously overpowered!
Despite complaints some of the stories are well written and have actual plots and story arcs that are resolved. If you don't count the town they found in a force field protected time bubble that they just left behind unmarked or the weird choice of Barstow as a ghost town. The art is solid.
This is not the modern Supersons Damien and Jon. But could be read as a what if they got zero training until they were adults. Actually, I have an idea if DC has the cash.
Despite complaints some of the stories are well written and have actual plots and story arcs that are resolved. If you don't count the town they found in a force field protected time bubble that they just left behind unmarked or the weird choice of Barstow as a ghost town. The art is solid.
This is not the modern Supersons Damien and Jon. But could be read as a what if they got zero training until they were adults. Actually, I have an idea if DC has the cash.
July 1, 2008
The stories collected in this no-frills trade are from one of the trippiest ideas DC ever had. It's the 70s, so Superman and Batman have been around for ages. What would happen if they had sons, also named Clark and Bruce, who wanted to be super-heroes even though their parents for some reason forbid them -- as Superman, Jr., and Batman, Jr. Silver Age DC comics, especially the Superman ones, had a lot of crazy stories, with a hero "teaching someone a lesson" in some ridiculous way. (Faking their death, funeral and all, just to prove a point, for example.) At least a couple of these depicted this classic comic book father-son dynamic for dramatic effect.
The dialogue is also a bit painful. I have no idea if this is how hipster kids talked at the time or if it was a constant fever dream of writer Bob Haney (known for his far out Teen Titans stories around the same era).
The dialogue is also a bit painful. I have no idea if this is how hipster kids talked at the time or if it was a constant fever dream of writer Bob Haney (known for his far out Teen Titans stories around the same era).
December 31, 2011
A reprinted collection of stories from Worlds Finest starring Batman Jr. and Superman Jr. in "imaginary tales." If that sounds completely lame ... well, yeah.
These are stories from the early 70's, complete with "hipster" dialogue, outlandish clothing and ridiculous stereotypes that you hope we've outgrown. I first read them when I was 10 or so and for whatever reason, they have a nostalgic hook in my brain.
Scripts by Bob Haney. Art by Dick Dillon (who I remember from a long run on Justice League of America). Guest appearances by Flash, Aquaman and Green Arrow.
Except for the slice of time that they capture - there's not a lot to recommend. Unless, like me, you read them as a kid and they still have some strange fascination for you.
These are stories from the early 70's, complete with "hipster" dialogue, outlandish clothing and ridiculous stereotypes that you hope we've outgrown. I first read them when I was 10 or so and for whatever reason, they have a nostalgic hook in my brain.
Scripts by Bob Haney. Art by Dick Dillon (who I remember from a long run on Justice League of America). Guest appearances by Flash, Aquaman and Green Arrow.
Except for the slice of time that they capture - there's not a lot to recommend. Unless, like me, you read them as a kid and they still have some strange fascination for you.
April 28, 2014
Makes up for a quite decent read, especially if you are used to DC's silver age stories. Given the circumstances and their limited space the stories work generally well but tend to be quite normal and pedestrian. The super-sons characters are quite general and tedious and the stories follow the classic "teenagers vs adults" theme DC particularly adored wherever minors were included (this rings true to a larger extend for the Teen Titans book, at least here it works decently). The best part of the book is the surprise ending, it was darker than I thought it would be and presented a rather nice aspect on the psychology of the two father-figures of Batman and Superman, elevating the whole experience a notch higher.
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