Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen: Who Killed Jimmy Olsen?

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #1-12

by Matt Fraction, Steve Lieber (Artist)

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen is a weird and wild trip throughout the DC Universe, with Silver Age energy and a distinctly modern sensibility courtesy of writer Matt Fraction and artist Steve Lieber!

Jimmy Olsen must die! Wait, we're getting ahead of ourselves. Jimmy Olsen lives! Superman's best friend and Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen tours the bizarre underbelly of the DC Universe in this new series featuring death, destruction, giant turtles, and more! It's a centuries-spanning whirlwind of weird that starts in Metropolis and ends in Gotham City.

Award-winning writer Matt Fraction (Sex Criminals, Hawkeye) makes his DC debut with Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, an irreverent, hijinks-filled journey across the weirdest and wildest corners of the DCU, illustrated by Eisner Award-winning artist Steve Lieber.

Collects Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #1-12.

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

313 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 13, 2020

About the author

"How he got started in comics: In 1983, when Fraction was 7 years old and growing up in Kansas City, Mo., he became fascinated by the U.S. invasion of Grenada and created his own newspaper to explain the event. "I've always been story-driven, telling stories with pictures and words," he said.

Education and first job: Fraction never graduated from college. He stopped half a semester short of an art degree at Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri in 1998 to take a job as a Web designer and managing editor of a magazine about Internet culture.

"My mother was not happy about that," he said.

But that gig led Fraction and his co-workers to split off and launch MK12, a boutique graphic design and production firm in Kansas City that created the opening credits for the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace."

Big break: While writing and directing live-action shoots at MK12, Fraction spent his spare time writing comics and pitching his books each year to publishers at Comic-Con. Two books sold: "The Last of the Independents," published in 2003 by AiT/Planet Lar, and "Casanova," published in 2006 by Image Comics.

Fraction traveled extensively on commercial shoots. Then his wife got pregnant. So Fraction did what any rational man in his position would do -- he quit his job at MK12 to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time comic book writer.

Say what? "It was terrifying," said Fraction, who now lives in Portland, Ore. "I was married. We had a house. We had a baby coming. And I just quit my job."

Marvel hired Fraction in June 2006, thanks largely to the success of his other two comics. "I got very lucky," he half-joked. "If it hadn't worked out, I would have had to move back in with my parents.

- 2009. Alex Pham. Los Angeles Times.

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone wants to kill Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen - but who and why? To find out, Jimmy Olsen must fake his own death and puzzle it out on the sly!

As a fan of his work, I was really happy when I heard Matt Fraction was finally joining DC - what characters would he write? I didn’t think Jimmy Olsen was even a title on the table so that was a shocker when that turned out to be the one! But it makes sense - Fraction’s buddy Bendis was overseeing the Superman line so this would sorta tie into that, plus Fraction and artist Steve Lieber are both hilarious wags who’ve produced some of the funniest comics of the last ten years between them: Hawkeye, Superior Foes of Spider-Man, Sex Crimz, and The Fix.

To that they can add Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen: Who Killed Jimmy Olsen? which is a genuinely funny book that has no business being anywhere near as brilliant as it turned out to be. In the script’s own words, this is a “maxiseries of background gags and throwaway characters” - how could it be any good?

Basically by being a DC version of Arrested Development, one of the best TV shows ever made (the first three seasons anyway). I suppose that means I’m calling this book derivative in style and tone, which might be a criticism, but it takes a helluva lot of skill and talent to make anything as good as that show and Fraction and Lieber have both in spades.

I should also mention that I’ve never read any other Jimmy Olsen books before so I don’t know if it’s been established elsewhere that the Olsen family is rich and Jimmy has several siblings, or whether Fraction created all that to better sell his Arrested Development-style story (I’m leaning towards the latter because it’s too perfect). I loved all the (probably) new additions though from his obnoxious brother Julian (kinda like Gob Bluth) to the bizarre Porcadillo (Tobias Funke-y).

The story is light on plot but heavy on fantastic jokes. It makes sense to cast Jimmy’s job anew as that of The Daily Planet’s digital content contributor, given what newspapers today are. More importantly, from that we get to see him use his connections to make videos of Superman trying on wigs and doing card magic, to Jimmy’s alter-ego Timmy Olsen, irresponsible blogger, causing havoc “ol-slapping” people.

Superman isn’t the only famous character here who’s funnier than they’ve ever been - Fraction’s piss-take of Batman, or “Bwoocey”, is superb, and the Jimmy Olsen pastiche of the Death of Superman storyline is inspired. Dex-Starr, the feline Red Lantern, slots in beautifully as an unexpected Olsen-sidekick, and Lois Lane is great as the no-nonsense hardass who shows up to jump-start the plot.

There are so many jokes, blink and you might miss a few. In Gorilla City, the “B” in “bookstore” is missing, Clark Kent breaks the fourth wall by winking at the reader and characters standing near him look at him like he’s crazy, and definitely don’t skip over the Daily Planet news stories - there’s some gems in there, like Fraction questioning what he’s doing writing this series!

I loved that Jimmy’s Gotham City landlord is a lunatic who calls curtains “coitins” and murder “moider”, and that Fraction’s names for Jimmy get more unhinged as the book progresses: Jimply, Jimphony, Jimmicle, Jimbledon and Jimchinninny Jimchinninny Jimjim Cheree James “Jimmy” Olsen are just a few, but there’s a lot more! And his many barmy outfits to match his many names are a hoot too. The jokes don’t work as well without an amazing visual artist and Steve Lieber delivers Fraction’s script in a way only someone as funny as he is can - you’ll know how good Lieber is if you’ve read Superior Foes/The Fix, and he’s a comedy genius all the way through this one too.

Not all the pieces work as well though. The great-grand-whatevers, Dr Mantel, and Detective James Corrigan III (not the Spectre) storylines weren’t that good, Janie Olsen is a bit of a flat character, and Lex is written to be dumber than he normally is to accommodate that ending, which is contrived.

Mostly though I really enjoyed Who Killed Jimmy Olsen? It’s very inventive, original, clever, unpredictable, and well-written and drawn by one helluva talented creative team. I’m not sure if Fraction’s sticking around for more books given that his pal Bendis seems to be on the outs with DC, or at least he is on the Superman books, and how much of his involvement was Bendis’ doing, but I hope there’s more in the works (I’d love to see him give Flash a shot, just to see if he could be the one writer to make me care about that character).

If you’ve enjoyed Fraction/Lieber’s previous comedic titles and/or like shows that have anarchic humour like Arrested Development and Rick and Morty, this one’s definitely worth checking out.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A completely irreverent ode to the silver age Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen, full of shenanigans. This did drag in a lot of places and probably would have worked better tightened up to 6 issues over 12. I don't think Fraction is as clever or funny as he seems to think he is. He's started to believe his own hype he earned from his Marvel work and his current work suffers from it. This was just OK.

***Read in single issues***

[Artemy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most fun I've had with a comic book in the last year or so.

[Sean Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly absurd. Lieber's art is fantastic.

This is pure mood reading--but, if you're in the mood, it's a delight.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who killed Jimmy Olsen? That's what Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen, is trying to find out...

When I saw the Hawkeye band was getting back together, I decided I'd be reading this. It was agony waiting for the trade.

This twelve issue miniseries is a loveletter to the Silver Age craziness of Jimmy Olsen, updated for the modern age. Jimmy Olsen wakes up married in Gorilla City and things spiral from there. Someone is gunning for Superman's Pal, but why? Jimmy's quest takes him to Gotham City and beyond with cameos and hilarity for most of the way.

I've seen this touted as the best book DC has put out in years. For me, that honor still goes to the Flintstones but this was still an easy four star read. For one thing, for a book this densely written, it still dragged in places. For another, the disjointed structure was fairly unnecessary. Apart from one comment about the nature of time from Professor Keenbean (not his real name), the time jumps took me out of the story rather than make me hunger for what was happening next.

Still, it was a pretty fun read. I enjoyed Metamorpho's role as well as Jimmy's prank war with Batman and callbacks to a lot of old Jimmy Olsen stuff. Plus Enemy Ape!

While it didn't quite live up to the hype for me, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen falls somewhere in between All Star Superman and The Flintsones in the pantheon of great DC books of the last 20 years. Four out of five bowties.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

So wacky it hurts. So long it bores.

I was actually a fan of the Jimmy Olsen "Mr. Action" segments in the old Superman Family comic book back in the day and am familiar with Jimmy's cornier adventures from previous decades, so I would consider myself part of the target audience for this homage/parody/nostalgic indulgence. And while it might have been fun for a giant special or short limited series, a 12-issue maxi-series drives the joke into the ground like a ten-minute Saturday Night Live sketch.

It took me two or three hours to read the whole thing, and while I enjoyed the Easter eggs and many Silver Age references, that is more time than anyone should have to spend with Jimmy Olsen.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun.

That's pretty much the word I would use. A little too much talking just for the sake of talking but that is who Jimmy Olsen is. I'll say this, it was charming and fun to read 90% of the time. I also enjoyed most of the jokes. Batman is lol-tastic in this. If want something lighthearted and fun pick this one up and give it a go. A 3 out of 5.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know, I know, put your pitchforks down...There's enough Jimmy Olsen packed into this for a thousand life times. The more it progresses, the more stale it becomes. Fraction has this certain style of storytelling which is less tolerable in big, unconstrained doses. There's enjoyment to be had (many people like this book and I am absolutely in the minority here), but I found it to be completely directionless and underwhelming, and something that absolutely overstays its welcome.

[Diz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a chore to read. Matt Fraction's Jimmy Olson doesn't come off as charming or endearing, which would have helped readers through the nonsense plots that this story is filled with. Rather, Jimmy Olsen, as written in this book, is an irritating character to spend time with--particularly considering that this has 300 pages+ of dense text to get through. I'll be wary the next time Matt Fraction tries his hand at writing comedy.

[Clint · Rating 1 out of 5]

First comic in memory I’ve DNF-ed. I made it almost halfway through its 300+ densely captioned pages and realized I was miserable and couldn’t imagine reading slightly more than I already had, despite the obvious imagination and passion Fraction shows for this corner of DC comics history.

The biggest problem I had with this is how wildly inscrutable it is for a story that primarily seems interested in being silly fun. I can only assume it’s a deeply informed parody of the original midcentury Jimmy Olsen series, but there’s no effort made to bring in readers who aren’t nostalgic for a bunch of kids comics from 60 years ago. The individual stories here tend to only be 2-3 pages, with painfully dense intro text boxes for each one that refuse to ever consider if “brevity is the soul of wit,” and then a handful of pages later it jumps non-linearly to another story without any obvious connecting thread. Eventually those connections start being hinted at, but not in any way that felt satisfying or suggested the non-linearity added anything worthwhile. I assume the short format and dense intros mimic the original series, but its manic madcap style reminded me of the now-derided Family Guy type of reference humor more than the esoteric wit Fraction seems to imagine it is.

And still, all that could be salvaged if the writing was actually funny. But it’s not; it’s so concerned with trying to be clever that it forgets to be funny. That might work for readers who go into this book with their own deep emotional attachment and knowledge of this old niche of DC comics, but this book doesn’t offer it if you don’t bring it with you.

So if you’re an older comic reader, or just one who’s really familiar and deeply nostalgic for Silver Age DC comics, this may be a 5 star book for you. It absolutely isn’t for me, though. It’s a shame, because King’s Mister Miracle showed it’s possible to write a story that breathes new life into a very similar niche of DC history in an approachable and emotionally-compelling way for all sorts of readers.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter how good superheroes are, if they have a supporting cast that is as compelling as its protagonist, there are stories that you can tell about them. Superman has one of the best supporting cast as some of which even had their own comic during the Silver Age of Comics, including Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. During the current era of Brian Michael Bendis writing Superman and Action Comics, these two aforementioned characters got their own twelve-issue series. So what did I think Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber?

The Daily Planet’s ace photographer and vlogger may be making money for the publisher, Olsen’s hijinks in his profession has some repercussions, from the collateral damage inflicted on Metropolis to him being estranged by his big brother Julian. When Olsen becomes a target for assassination, he fakes his own death and forms a new life for himself whilst he investigates who is trying to kill him.

What was great about the Silver Age of Superman comics was how it expands the mythos of the Man of Steel and his world that the multiple titles were always introducing these outlandish sci-fi concepts and in the original Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, it contained stories often of a humorous nature. Making his DC debut, Matt Fraction embraces the outlandish nature of those early comics, as well as modernising its surroundings with Olsen acting like a manic vlogger poking fun at the many things of the DC universe.

Considering the comedic tone, the story that Fraction tells is very dense with the timeline jumping back and forth, whether it is the beginning of Metropolis through the ancestry of both the Olsens and the Luthors, or the Rashomon-styled perspectives of a number of scenes. Originally published as monthly issues, reading the whole thing as a single trade makes it an easier read, though you do have to read a bit to understand its rhythm.

Known for his acclaimed Hawkeye run with artist David Aja, Fraction is at his best when he’s writing a funny if unconventional narrative on well-established superhero mythos. With Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, he has fun in just mocking the likes of Batman, who is constantly being referred to as Bruce Wayne despite maintaining a secret identity, as well as proclaiming himself to be hilarious, given his cold persona. There are some great nods to DC’s media history, whether it is Clark Kent’s fourth wall-breaking wink or the Batmobile from Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman movie. It even features a badass Eve Teschmacher as a recurring character.

With its frantic storytelling that can go from Gorilla City to cosmic aliens, artist Steve Lieber nails the multi-layered comedy that is nearly in every page as his cartoonish style allows for a lot of expressiveness with the characters’ faces and body language, with the eponymous Olsen who is always changing in every issue. With so much happening on every page, Lieber is a master of panel layouts, including sequences involving news and vlogging that evokes the panelling of The Dark Knight Returns.

Dense though it can be, Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber present a highly enjoyable read filled with comedy, whilst having a lot of heart about family and friendship, reminding us that Superman’s world sheds a positive light.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only just recently got the final issue of this (I somehow missed it on its release?), so this is gong to have to have a proper read through now that it’s all done. But that said, this is a really fun book. It’s good to see Fraction back on a Big Two book and doing his own thing. Lieber’s art style is perfect for the kind of comic and story he wants to do. While it doesn’t seem to have had the impact that his Hawkeye did, it almost feels like a distant cousin to that book.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Golly, what a hoot! Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen provided the most laughs from a comic book since...gosh, maybe ever. The style of humor is directly up my alley: exaggerated replications of old timey language via an omniscient narrator who occasional breaks the fourth wall because, gee, he's just as confused as you!

If you're looking for clarity or coherence in your read, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen is not for you. To be clear: the lack of clarity and coherence is by design. Jimmy Olsen leads a weird little life and Matt Fraction is interested in plumbing the depths of that weirdness. And even in its incoherence, there's a sense of rules and limits at play, and a certain degree of forward thinking. Fraction has gamed Olsen's "murder" out into a 12 issue maxi-series that is nothing if not "maxi".

The solution to the "murder" is ultimately presented and the villain receives his comeuppance, rest assured. In the meantime, Jimmy gets married, has a nervous breakdown in Gotham, flies a spaceship, and is turned into a turtle. Batman tells a joke and Lex Luthor gets one-upped. Superman plays only a small part in the affair - again, by design.

I don't know, man, it's hard to praise this book appropriately. It's a handful and it probably could have been slimmed down several issues. But I loved its overabundance. I both wanted it to end, to come to some kind of resolution, but I also never wanted it to stop. Oh oh oh, and Steve Lieber's art is perfect. The expressions! The details! The blood-puking cat! I'm in love.

[Valéria. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strašne smutné, že tento skvost je tak prehliadaný, lebo si definitívne zaslúži viac pozornosti. Skvele napísané, zábavné (nepamätám si kedy som sa naposledy nahlas smiala pri komikse tak moc a úprimne), zaujímavé, Batman je tu neskutočne boží. Kresba je druhé plus. Za mňa jedna z najlepších vecí čo kedy vyšli, nie len v rámci DC ale celkovo.

[Óscar Trobo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primer tebeo que leo de Matt Fraction y no sabía muy bien qué esperar. Me costó un poco entrar y al final se me hizo algo reiterativo, pero tiene todo una parte central muy divertida y con momentos brillantes, tanto por el guión como por el dibujo de Steve Lieber.

Llaman la atención sobre todo la estructura en historias cortas introducidas con textos al estilo de la Silver Age y los momentos en que se explica la infancia de los Olsen imitando el estilo del cómic humorístico clásico.

Además para un lector como yo, que hace décadas que no es habitual del universo DC, se agradece que se pueda seguir la historia sin conocer todas las referencias. Como dicen en una nota el pie “Léelo en Superman núm. xx o simplemente créenos.”

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple Recipe.
Take 'Arrested Development' (if it were a comic) as your blueprint. Eliminate the blue material. Plot it around typical Superman tropes. Sprinkle liberally with entertainment references. Avoid all social and political materials like the plague they are.
All said and done?
Best limited run of the year.

[Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished issue #12 and I honestly am not really entirely sure what just happened. It all sorta makes sense in the final issue, but did it really need 12 issues to get there? The art was pretty good - Steve Lieber, the story was okay - Matt Fraction. It's a shaggy Jimmy Olsen story I guess. I like the fact that Miss Tesmacher makes an appearance. They should have more Miss Tesmacher scene stealing in the DC-verse. If the story was graphed for quality it would look like a spavined horse. Good to start then woefully dips down to bad in the middle issues which I almost stopped buying them, not only did I not know what was going on I was bored and didn't really care. Then towards the end I started paying attention again, the story was getting my attention, all the different threads were coalescing in a comprehensible whole but not a woe-what-just-happened revelation. It's okay. It ain't a mind-blower although it tries to be. It's okay comix fun, most of the time.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matt Fraction's attempt to "Hawkeye" Jimmy Olsen is a lot of fun, but it only occasionally rises up to the level of its predecessor.

Don't get me wrong, I love the experimentalism of this comic: the fact that each issue is composed of small stories from a variety of point of views, in a variety of time frames. The different tones and attitudes of the different "comics" is terrific. But too often, the skewed timeframes seem random, rather than used for good effect, and too rarely does the comic really shine.

The result is a comic that's very readable, and a lot of fun, but also one that clearly aspires to even more, and doesn't quite get there.

[Pochodnia fandomu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiedy ta seria zaczęła wychodzić, nawet nie miałam zamiaru jej zaczynać. Jednak widząc parę kadrów jednak się zainteresowałam i nie żałuję, bo Fraction dostarczył mi takiej rozrywki, jakiej dawno nie miałam!
Jeśli lubicie The Superior Foes of Spider-Man, to ten tytuł przypadnie wam do gustu.

[Linus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you ever wanted to know about Jimmy Olsen but were afraid to ask. Plus Superman. And a blood-vomiting space-cat. And the secret history of Metropolis. And Metamorpho?

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet lord, I love Matt Fraction.

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s fun and all, I got it, but the disjointed construction and short zany stories get old after a while. Twelve issues are one third too long. A more concentated plot would have been just as fun; funnier even.

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matt Fraction has written a very funny and non-linear story. The artwork is very well done and seems to be an ode to the older style of comics. I really liked it and it works very well for this quirky story.

Someone killed Jimmy Olsen. It's up to Jimmy Olsen (he's not dead) to find out who. He suspects Lex Luthor, but it will turn out that the list of potential suspects is longer than you think. A story that jumps back and forth between time periods, it's a rather non-traditional story, and not everyone will like it. I appreciated the humor, which doesn't always hit but works for the most part.

The cast of characters will range from Luthor to Batman and Superman and the case will give us a great background story of the Olsen family and the Luthor family as it relates to their influence in Metropolis. I was not aware of Olsen's family background, so it was an interesting read.

So a strange, non-linear story that is a humor-filled murder mystery done as an ode to an older style of comics. As I said it is not for everyone, but I certainly enjoyed it. Cool artwork, interesting story, and quite good humor all make for a cool GN from Matt Fraction. I certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a humorous and unique story.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 3 out of 5]

O Amigo do Superman: Jimmy Olsen - Quem Matou Jimmy Olsen?, de Matt Fraction e Steve Lieber ganhou o prêmio Eisner do ano passado de melhor série curta. Isso já é um chamariz bem interessante para o quadrinho. Se juntar isso a Matt Fraction, que trouxe inovação nos quadrinhos ao desenvolver as histórias da Gavião Arqueiro e o traço característico de Steve Lieber de vários quadrinhos noir bem sucedidos temos uma receita para o sucesso. É... mas a mim não me fisgou tanto assim. Os próprios autores conceituam a série como uma história cômica em que passeiam diversos personagens coadjuavantes desimportantes. Acho que fui com muita sede ao pote esperando algo ao estilo Gavião Arqueiro. Com certeza os autores desse quadrinho estavam se divertindo muito quando o fizeram, mas será que eles conseguem trazer toda essa diversão através do nonsense para o leitor? Tenho minhas dúvidas. Como agravante a Panini resolveu trazer essas histórias em capa dura, com as doze edições compiladas, num preço nada acessível. Assim, se me perguntarem: vale a pena? Bom, acho que não por esse preço. Se fossem duas edições separadas, talvez minha experiên$$ia fosse outra.

[Caleb Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious intentional mess of a book. Loved all the gags, and the plot twists and turns were so much fun on this Rollercoaster of a book.

[Evan Willford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious non-linear murder mystery comedy romp (no other word actually captures it). Excellent pencils and ink and really funny writing. The early scenes were funny even without context but watching them weave everything together made them even better in hindsight.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this very confusing and gave up.

[John Hartford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure joy in comic form.

This collected edition lived up to the hype and then some. I've always been a big fan of Matt Fraction, especially Sex Criminals, and this book was him writing on a whole new level. Or maybe he just replaced sex jokes with DC Comics jokes.

There is so much that could be said about this book but ultimately I'll just say pick it up for the Batman scenes alone. It's a hilarious romp that just keeps giving.

Also Steve Lieber absolutely nails the art in this book. He brings so much to each issue that I'm sure he is taking a well earned break.

Just pick it up because you won't put it down.

RIP Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen.

[Christian Zamora-Dahmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matt Fraction made Jimmy Olsen interesting.
For a character that has really annoyed me over the years, this seemed like new turn for a character that actually lead him back to his origins. I don’t know if it makes sense, but it made me appreciate way more Jimmy, and the non-sense where he comes from.
The narrative was a bit all over the place, but it was fun to follow. It did drag a bit too long, though. 12 issues on this same plot seemed a bit of a stretch and I think I would have lost interest if I had tried to follow it on a monthly basis. But as a set, it works just nicely.

[Dan Trudeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty much what I expected it to be, and exactly the book I needed it to be. It's genuinely funny without feeling forced, as many books like this do.