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The Superman Chronicles #4
The Superman Chronicles, Vol. 4
Experience the history of Superman with this series that reprints the early adventures of the Man of Tomorrow in chronological order. This third volume features classic tales from early 1940s written and illustrated by Superman co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, featuring early appearances by Perry White, Lois Lane and others.
Contains Superman appearances in: Action Comics #26-#31 and Superman #6-#7.
Contains Superman appearances in: Action Comics #26-#31 and Superman #6-#7.
192 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2008
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About the author
Jerry Siegel
620 books81 followersJerome "Jerry" Siegel, who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S. Fine, was the American co-creator of Superman (along with Joe Shuster), the first of the great comic book superheroes and one of the most recognizable icons of the 20th century.
He and Shuster were inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1993.
He and Shuster were inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1993.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 30, 2018
This volume had the December 1941 issue and it was very cool.
May 24, 2017
Thrilling. He is still largely unknown so we have a lot of panels where he stands almost smugly urging the frightened criminals to do their worst. The criminals are nearly all base, corrupt scammers. There is a surreal Arab gang with a powerful orb but that is the only super criminal. Otherwise he is cleaning up a corrupt city ala Batman. He is a ball of energy, dashing here and there in bright sculptural panels. Art is great.
April 28, 2021
possibly read in 2015, but definitely read
November 18, 2023
Politically incorrect cheesy Golden Age goodness!
October 23, 2014
This is the fourth Volume of Superman stories following all of Superman's Adventures in Chronological order, collecting adventures from Action Comics 26-31 and Superman #6 and 7 all from the second half of 1940.
At this point, it really feels like Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, and other artists working on Superman had truly found their stride. The art is certainly improved from the more crude style Superman began with and there are some truly nice drawings of Superman's daring feats.
The stories are all enjoyable, even though most aren't all that unusual but that's okay. It's Superman acting as champion of the oppressed, taking on all comers including racketeers, robbers, and political corruption. The book portrays a lot of civic corruption in Metropolis which lends some sympathy to Superman's heavy handed methods. However, Superman is often able to generate a truce with the law in order to solve a case. Siegel and Shuster originally planned to write Superman exclusively as a newspaper strip and several of these comics read like that.
Highlights of this book include:
Action Comics #26: Superman takes on a phony doctor who is cheating child polio patients with quack treatments. The comics served to support President Roosevelt's campaign on behalf of Polio victims.
Action Comics #28 is a mystery story where the most likely suspect in a series of robberies is a circus strongman who clashes with Superman and who also earns the attention of Lois Lane.
Superman #6 features two great stories, one in which Lois Lane is framed for murder and the other where Superman investigates strange goings on in the South American country of San Caluma where a crook uncovers his identity. The last story also gives you an idea of how much the Superman mythos had developed at this point as it involved Clark Kent giving Lois Lane blood for a transfusion.
Action Comics #30 is probably the weirdest and most wonderful story in the book but I love how cleverly inventive it is. It's snowing in August but there's a logical explanations and it involves Arabs kidnapping a blonde so they can take over a lost city in the Sahara desert with the aid of deadly yellow globes. Superman actually gets knocked and Zolar is as close as we get to a supervillain in this book. It's a great read even though the final plot twist makes no sense even in this story.
Superman #7 has an example of how there was no continuity during the golden age of comics. The first story in the comic has a crusading (albeit egotistical) Metropolis prosecuting attorney targeting the mob and being targeted behind them, the third has a completely different character in the same job who is corrupt.
However, the highlights of the book are the second and fourth stories. "The Exploding Citizens" is a well-written story of an absolutely insane plot involving people blowing up in "Gay City" and Clark Kent and Lois Lane going to investigate. The motive of the perpetrators is just jaw-dropping.
The last story features Clark Kent and Lois Lane going undercover to catch a gang of robbers. Lois dyes her blonde and Clark Kent removes his glasses. I love the art of Lois as a blonde and the story works beautifully.
The last story in the book from Action Comics #31, "In the Grip of Morpheus" is another great tale as Clark Kent and Lois Lane drive into a town where everyone has been put to sleep and Clark tries to find the truth. This features some memorable art with the best being when Superman is hit with an atomic ray gun.
Overall, this collection is a joy and gives great insight into how America fell in love with Superman.
At this point, it really feels like Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, and other artists working on Superman had truly found their stride. The art is certainly improved from the more crude style Superman began with and there are some truly nice drawings of Superman's daring feats.
The stories are all enjoyable, even though most aren't all that unusual but that's okay. It's Superman acting as champion of the oppressed, taking on all comers including racketeers, robbers, and political corruption. The book portrays a lot of civic corruption in Metropolis which lends some sympathy to Superman's heavy handed methods. However, Superman is often able to generate a truce with the law in order to solve a case. Siegel and Shuster originally planned to write Superman exclusively as a newspaper strip and several of these comics read like that.
Highlights of this book include:
Action Comics #26: Superman takes on a phony doctor who is cheating child polio patients with quack treatments. The comics served to support President Roosevelt's campaign on behalf of Polio victims.
Action Comics #28 is a mystery story where the most likely suspect in a series of robberies is a circus strongman who clashes with Superman and who also earns the attention of Lois Lane.
Superman #6 features two great stories, one in which Lois Lane is framed for murder and the other where Superman investigates strange goings on in the South American country of San Caluma where a crook uncovers his identity. The last story also gives you an idea of how much the Superman mythos had developed at this point as it involved Clark Kent giving Lois Lane blood for a transfusion.
Action Comics #30 is probably the weirdest and most wonderful story in the book but I love how cleverly inventive it is. It's snowing in August but there's a logical explanations and it involves Arabs kidnapping a blonde so they can take over a lost city in the Sahara desert with the aid of deadly yellow globes. Superman actually gets knocked and Zolar is as close as we get to a supervillain in this book. It's a great read even though the final plot twist makes no sense even in this story.
Superman #7 has an example of how there was no continuity during the golden age of comics. The first story in the comic has a crusading (albeit egotistical) Metropolis prosecuting attorney targeting the mob and being targeted behind them, the third has a completely different character in the same job who is corrupt.
However, the highlights of the book are the second and fourth stories. "The Exploding Citizens" is a well-written story of an absolutely insane plot involving people blowing up in "Gay City" and Clark Kent and Lois Lane going to investigate. The motive of the perpetrators is just jaw-dropping.
The last story features Clark Kent and Lois Lane going undercover to catch a gang of robbers. Lois dyes her blonde and Clark Kent removes his glasses. I love the art of Lois as a blonde and the story works beautifully.
The last story in the book from Action Comics #31, "In the Grip of Morpheus" is another great tale as Clark Kent and Lois Lane drive into a town where everyone has been put to sleep and Clark tries to find the truth. This features some memorable art with the best being when Superman is hit with an atomic ray gun.
Overall, this collection is a joy and gives great insight into how America fell in love with Superman.
December 8, 2024
I love these old stories so much more now than I did in my 20s, when I bought these. They’re written at a different pace for a different audience, and they just work. I almost wish they were more modernized in terms of how interconnected comics are while still embracing the old school Golden Age form of story.
July 29, 2011
Damned good one! The art for Action Comics is really top notch, and makes BATMAN from this period look really piss poor. The stories are quite good to. Even the generic gangster tales are fun, with Superman continuing to be a bit of a prick.
July 28, 2012
2-15-2011
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews