Superman en los cincuenta

Superman in the #50s

by Otto Binder, Robert Bernstein, Bill Finger

Comienza la línea de Archivos DC, dedicada a recoger obras y momentos históricos de la historia de DC. Esta recopilación de las historias de Superman creadas en los años cincuenta refleja el optimismo y la emoción de esa época, una década remota que vio a Superman aliarse con Robin, el Chico Maravilla, o batallar contra villanos como Bizarro (¡y señora!), y en la que se dieron los debuts de Supergirl, Krypto, Titano el Supersimio y demás entrañables historias.

Contiene: Material de Superman 65, 79, 80, 96, 97, 127, Action Comics 151, 242, 252, 254-255, World’s Finest Comics 68, 75, Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane 8, Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen 13, Adventure Comics 210 y Showcase 9

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superman, Superheroes, Fiction, Comic Book

344 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Otto Oscar Binder. Used these alternate names: Eando Binder (together with his brother Earl Binder -E and O Binder-), John Coleridge, Gordon A. Giles, Will Garth, Ian Francis Turek, Ione Frances Turek and Otto O. Binder.

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were fun and silly. I think these comics must be the source material for Superman's "big blue boy scout" reputation. I thought this collection did a nice job of grabbing a bunch of the main, representative stories from that era as well. If you like the style of comic where it's more like a short story and ends with each comic rather than a novel that spans multiple comics, then older Superman comics like these may be for you.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the WONDER WOMAN IN THE FIFTIES volume, SUPERMAN IN THE FIFTIES has a selection of stories that are always fun even if the reader has to suspend disbelief a little more than usual. Seriously, I'll believe a man can fly, but I have trouble believing Superman's as gullible (and bordering on downright stupid) as he's portrayed in a few of these stories.

This collection is a second, expanded edition of a volume originally released in the early 2000s. I wonder if the other "decade" volumes are forthcoming in expanded editions (and for Batman as well; Wonder Woman is a new addition).

[Charles Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A welcome collection

A welcome collection containing two stories that were derived from or used for two episodes of television’s “The Adventures of Superman.” There is also super family trivia and short biographies of major players in the Superman family legacy.

This book would have only been better if additional bibliographic citations had been included. For instance- the cover of the comic from which a story was derived along with date and number and complete artist and writer information.

But, no matter, this volume is a nice date specific collection and worthy of your collection.

[aLejandRø · Rating 4 out of 5]

La historias recopiladas en este volumen, muchas de ellas escritas por el gran Edmond Hamilton, se caracterizan por su originalidad e ingenio, y resultan aire fresco para quienes no nos sentimos cómodos con las tramas e historias que caracterizan al comic superheroico actual.

El libro se divide en 4 partes: historias clásicas, la familia (con la primera aparición del perrito y de la prima), los villanos (con el debut de Brainiac) y los amigos de Superman, con la presencia estelar de Batman.

Los dibujantes de la época (Swan, Boring, Plastino, etc), con sus diferencias, buscaban mantener un estilo homogéneo y sin estridencias, ofreciendo un arte ameno y muy disfrutable.

[Mohammad Aboomar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of really enjoyable and funny albeit silly stories. I mean, super-ventriloquism? Really? And not just in one story, mind you. In MANY!

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5


Very little crime is actually stopped, and even the alien invasions generally turn out to be quite tame, but the characters are endearing, faithful, stalwart, and brave.

The Fifties were an odd and interesting time for superheroes, and that is reflected in this collection. As silly as these stories can be though, they are still a lot of fun.

[Sarmad · Rating 2 out of 5]

NEVER reading a fucking comic from before the mid 70s ever again. “bUt tHeyRe FuN aNd SILly AnD GiVE iMpoRtAnt CoNTeXt” SHUT THE FUCK UPPPPPPPPPPPP IVE SEEN A NEIL BREEN FILM AND THAT WAS LESS FUCKING PAINFUL. Just watch the Fleischer cartoons.

[Adam Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This continues with a decade-by-decade look at the man of steel from Superman in the Forties.

The 1950s were an era of dominance-and survival for the Man of Steel. Rivals from the 1940s such as Captain America and Captain Marvel met with demise, leaving Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman the dominant super heroes.

The book is welcomed, because most of the 1950s has not received a comprehensive reprint with Superman Archives stopping in the mid-to-late 1940s and not picking up again until 1958. So the early 1950s stories are a particular treat in that way.

The late 1950s were important as it saw many key events in Superman's life (which are covered here). Among them: Superman has his first encounter with Brainiac and he finds Kandor, the Kryptonian Capitol City which Brianiac had shrunk in hopes of returning it to his own home world. Superman also meets Supergirl, Krypto, and the adult-versions of Bizarro and Lana Lang.

Some of the stories of the book seemed more "typical" than outstanding (exs: Superman gets amnesia and Jimmy Olson gets in trouble.) Some such as "The Three Supermen from Krypton" which featured evil Kryptonia survivors seemed a tad rushed by the limits of the comic book and I couldn't help but wishing that more time had been taken.

However, that can be forgiven when some of the great stories in this book are considered. My favorite s are the two part Bizarro arc from Action Comics #254 and #255 and Superman's Super Magic Show from Action Comics #151 which featured a great early supervillain team-up between the Prankster, Lex Luthor, and Mr. Mxyztplk who aimed to humiliate Superman. And of course, there's the heart-warming, "The Girl Who Didn't Believe in Superman" from Superman #96.

I'd give it 4.5 stars, but for Superman I'll round up.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love old DC comics, either original books (though pricey) or in these collection of reprints. The artwork is first rate - bright and fun. The stories are ridiculous, but that doesn't hamper my enjoyment. Pure nostalgia, and if approached with that in mind, these are an enjoyable way to spend a rainy afternoon.

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great overview of Superman's 1950s outings, which means that a lot of these stories are hilariously bad. Superman fights Bizarro, Luthor, and Brainiac, not to mention dealing with his "friends" such as Jimmy Olson and Krypto the Superdog, who as often try to hurt him as they help him. There are some neat ideas here, such as a story where three exiled Kryptonians come to Earth to try and rule it. This trio are all men who had been on the ruling Science Council but turned to evil, and I think I prefer that concept to the modern Zod and co. I also liked the story about Superman helping a little blind girl feel better about the world, even if I would've preferred her to learn to live with blindness rather than being cured. Of course, that's the fifties for you, and the story also has the nice touch of being the second time I've seen Silver Age Superman speed-read a library of medical textbooks to prepare for some surgery. Sadly, even the stories that introduce cool ideas and characters, like Krypto or Brainiac, tend to have bizarre logic holes and ridiculous plots. Also, on a somewhat more personal note, I've already read almost half of these stories in other collections of Silver Age zaniness, and I'd have rather had some of the stories that are mentioned but not shown, like the origins of Beppo the Super Ape or the story about Superman Jr that gives us the great back cover image of Superman cooling a pitcher of lemonade with his super breath. Plus, I thought the legitimately great story about Superman's mermaid girlfriend would be here, but sadly it's not (though it can be found in the more recent Superman 75th anniversary book). All in all, this is a good sampling of what the 50s brought to Superman - it's just that the 50s brought a lot of utter nonsense I've already read before.

[Doctor Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can't help, in reading these stories, remark on how comics (and popular culture in general) reflect what we want on our minds and how we want to feel about ourselves.

Superman today is intense. He fights apocalyptic battles, and he sometimes loses! There's a lot at stake -- everything, EVERYTHING, lies in the balance. Superman himself seems literaly beyond human. In order to live the life of challenges he faces, he must be beyond the concerns of everyday life -- he can't really share in the life that the rest of us live.

Superman in the fifties lived in a much more comfortable, stable world, and his own life was much more continuous with ours. In these stories, he discovers that he is not alone -- his long last pal, Krypto, shows up, and he discovers his cousin, Supergirl. He has girlfriends -- Lana Lang and Lois Lane compete for his attention (without a lot of the psychological anxiety that Superman will face in the future over his inability to live a normal life and raise a normal family).

The villains, like Lex Luthor, aren't even purely evil -- they have their limits. Bizarro is not evil at all, just . . . dumb and amusing so long as Superman can repair any damage he does.

It's a little bit trivial to point out how comics reflect cultural reality, but . . . they do. It's fun to revisit the fifties here -- i suspect it's not so much an innocent age as one in which the story we told ourselves about ourselves (as in our Superman comics) was focused where we wanted it to be focused -- family, friends, the pleasures of everyday life.

But, putting aside all the sociology and pretenses of cultural history, these stories are just fun to read. It's not the Superman we know now, it's just different, a change of pace, fun.

[Nate]

Reviewing the expanded edition published in 2021.

I've learned from experience that binging comics written before 1970 is a surefire way to turn your brain to mush, so I read just one or two stories a day from this collection over the past three weeks. And it definitely helped, because I enjoyed this for all its hokeyness. But Superman is one character for whom hokeyness is appropriate, even necessary. You've got plenty of that here.

The book is split into four categories: Classic Tales, Superman Family, Villains, and Superman's Pals. On balance, I liked the Villains and Superman's Pals stories the best, largely because Superman's supporting cast is strong, but also because these ones are a little more memorable. In this collection are the debuts of Krypto, Supergirl, Brainiac, and Bizarro. The two-art Bizarro story is brilliant in its wackiness; most Bizarro stories haven't changed the formula since this one! We also get two Superman/Batman adventures from World's Finest, which I've read in a different collection. Plus a few Jimmy Olsen stories. Fun.

I've read a decent amount of Silver Age superhero comics, and I'd say these are par the course for the era (1950s, pre-Marvel). The art is in that bright and bold house style (though brightness is enhanced by reprinting), the characters have virtually no distinguishable personalities, the writing spells out exactly what's happening on any given panel, plots are ridiculous, and Superman always saves the day. So if you like Superman and can tolerate Silver Age writing, this is worth checking out for historical value. Just don't read it all in one big gulp.

Informative creator bios are included at the end of the book.

[Ángel Javier · Rating 4 out of 5]

¡Lois Lane sale con el «Superman feo»! ¡Luthor engaña a Superman con caretas de feria! ¡Tres súper malos malosos de Kriptón que no son Zod, Ursa y el feo, y de los que nunca más se supo! ¡El hermano mayor de Superman! ¡Y el pequeño (que, por cierto, no es sino el ínclito Jimmy Olsen)! ¡Todo esto y mucho más en este fantástico volumen con el cual viajaremos a la mejor de las épocas posibles en los cómics de súpers en general y en los de Superman en particular, la Edad de Plata, en la que todo es absurdo, ridículo y tremendamente divertido! No hay que pensar ni por un segundo, solo disfrutar de la cantidad de tonterías por viñeta que estos auténticos genios del tebeo logran introducir en esta antología imprescindible para los que piensan, como yo, que todo tiempo pasado fue mejor. Y, por supuesto, en la parte gráfica tenemos el clasicismo atemporal de Al Plastino, Kurt Schaffenberger y, por supuesto, del artista por excelencia de Superman, el gran Curt Swan. No se lo pierdan: creerán que un hombre (aunque sea de Kriptón) puede... hacer el gilipollas durante más de 300 páginas.

[Antonio Ballesteros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una lectura mucho más interesante de lo que muchos podrían esperar hoy en día. El dibujo, propio de la "Edad Dorada" de DC, me ha sorprendido para bien: es bastante más trabajado, expresivo y narrativo de lo que suele creerse cuando se mira con ojos actuales. Hay un oficio y una claridad visual que se disfrutan mucho.

Las historias, obviamente muy hijas de su tiempo, ganan mucho cuando se leen desde el contexto histórico en el que fueron publicadas. Reflejan perfectamente a esa América de los años 50 que se veía a sí misma como defensora del mundo libre, un discurso que encaja casi de forma natural con la figura de Superman como símbolo absoluto de orden, optimismo y autoridad moral.

Además, tiene ese encanto extra de descubrir el origen de elementos clásicos del mito del personaje. Por fin entiendo por qué, en la sala de recuerdos de Superman, hay una ciudad de Krypton conservada en un recipiente de cristal 😄. Solo por ese tipo de revelaciones ya merece la pena.

[Bill Coffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an impressive collection of stories from the decade that laid much of the groundwork for Superman's modern mythology. If you're not a fan of Superman, then this hefty tome might make for arduous reading, since the narrative is from the Fifties, after all, when a lot of comics writing simply wasn't that great. But for Superman fans, this book does provide a bit of wondrous archaeology, where so much of what Superman has become got its start in an extended period of intense creativity to which all superhero comics owe a debt.

[Shevek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am gladly surprised with this. Aside from the fact that here we have the first appearances of big characters like Supergirl or Krypto, the truth is that the stories read quite well. I mean, they read much more fluid than any Marvel comic released ten years after. There is less text and the graphic narrative is clear and dynamic. Plus, some issues like the one with the monkey are absolutely crazy! The two-part story where the final version of Bizarro is first shown is also very remarkable. Looking forward to read the next volume (60s).

[Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are a die-hard Superman fan or curious about his roots, give it a shot. But if you're like me and were interested in compelling and heroic storytelling more inline with how I actually think of superman then maybe give this one a pass. I jumped in for the nostalgia, but there are probably better starting points before '86. Still gonna explore the 60s and 70s, though, regardless of how this collection played out.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fifties were a time of change for 'Superman'. Going from the radio to the television made it much easier for children to believe in the Man of Steel and the comics had to invent more challenges to stay ahead of the game.

Some of the stories are great, some are good and some are distinctly average, but all are creative and innovative. The artwork is changing and the characters become more believable, even in the sillier stories.

[Robert Kimberlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great selection of fifties stories. Lex Luthor was awesome in these stories, especially Superman’s New Uniform and Kryptonite Man. Superman’s Big Brother, The First Superman of Krypton, The Story of Superman, Junior and Superman’s Lost Parents were my favorites. Some nice twists at the end of some of those. Highly Recommended!

[Michael P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most, not all, of these stories are seminal Superman tales in the fifties, such as the first Lois Lane story in SHOWCASE, the first time Superman meets Bizarro (Superboy met him earlier), and the first Krypto story. The problem, sadly, is that these stories are not very good.

[Nicolas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy revisiting this goofy era. I particularly liked the Superman/Robin team up.

[Steven Heywood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun stuff from the fifties.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️❤️

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best and sadly pretty much only collection of Silver Age Superman available.

[L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm enjoying these collections as the writers set the stage for how the culture and the comics influenced each other.

[Ryan Haupt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories are simple and wacky to the point of laugh out loud absurdity, but usually still very fun if you're in the right mood. The art, mostly by Curt Swan, was more crisp and clean than I expected going into it which made the entire experience that much more enjoyable. As sad as it is in one sense to see the social crusader that Superman was in the 40's become the comedic slapstick silly superhero of the 50's, it's still a fun romp through a different era of American history through the lens of comics.

[Stan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silly but fun. I can't imagine anyone - let alone the core audience of 12 and under boys - be into the stories revolving around Lois and Superman marrying. But, I guess the 50's were kinda weird ...

[Mark Luongo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember when Theresa and Ann had a big box of all types of comics like this...

[Mr. Lovely · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good selection of classic superman tales from this time period