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Nightwing and Flamebird #0
Superman: The Adventures of Nightwing and Flamebird
Explore the world of Krypton through the legendary adventures of Flamebird and Nightwing, two heroes who hail from Superman's doomed planet! These reprints from the SUPERMAN FAMILY series in the late 1970s shed a light on the heroes Superman looked up to as a child. And with a new Flamebird and Nightwing currently running through the DC Universe, there's no time like the present to catch up on the exploits of their namesakes!
Collecting SUPERMAN FAMILY #173, 183-194.
Collecting SUPERMAN FAMILY #173, 183-194.
- GenresGraphic NovelsSuperman
144 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 2009
39 people want to read
About the author
Paul Kupperberg
742 books53 followersPaul Kupperberg is a nearly 50-year veteran of the comic book industry as a writer and editor for DC Comics, Archie Comics, Marvel, Bongo Charlton, and many more. He is also the author of more than three dozen books of fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, as well as of short stories, articles, and essays for Crazy 8 Press, Heliosphere, Titan Books, Stone Arch Books, Rosen Publishing, Citadel Press, Pocket Books, TwoMorrows, and others.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 14, 2018
By day, Van-Zee and Ak-Var are scientists in the bottle city of Kandor. By night, they fight crime as Nightwing and Flamebird!
Nightwing and Flamebird, Kandorian analogues of Batman and Robin, are an interesting footnote in the Bronze Age Superman's history. I first learned about them in Who's Who as a kid but never had the opportunity to read their adventures until I stumbled upon this trade in a $5 bin at MightCon.
Nightwing and Flamebird started as the alternate identities of Superman and Jimmy Olsen when they visited Kandor. Eventually, they handed off the identities to Superman's identical cousin Van-Zee and reformed Kryptonian criminal Ak-Var. In this volume, they battle Braniac, giant germs, Kandorian seperatists, and Phantom Zone villains. Not bad for the Dynamic Duo of Kandor.
Paul Kupperberg handles the writing in the bulk of the tales and it's good bronze age fun, although the stories are fairly simplistic since they had to squeeze into a slot in Superman Family rather than being given book length adventures.
The book contains Superman Family 173, 183-194. I would have preferred more of Superman and Jimmy's adventures as Nightwing and Flamebird. #173 is the only one, although they team up with the second Nightwing and Flamebird in one of the other tales. Hell, they could have included the Batman and Robin team-up since it's what inspired Dick Grayson to take the Nightwing identity pre-Crisis.
Some of the stories were evidently part of crossovers and the connecting stories aren't provided, making for an unsatisfying read at times. Still, I can't complain that much since I only spent five bucks on it.
Superman: The Aventures of Nightwing and Flamebird is a fun Bronze Age read and a nice glimpse of a largely forgotten time in Superman's past. Three out of five stars.
Nightwing and Flamebird, Kandorian analogues of Batman and Robin, are an interesting footnote in the Bronze Age Superman's history. I first learned about them in Who's Who as a kid but never had the opportunity to read their adventures until I stumbled upon this trade in a $5 bin at MightCon.
Nightwing and Flamebird started as the alternate identities of Superman and Jimmy Olsen when they visited Kandor. Eventually, they handed off the identities to Superman's identical cousin Van-Zee and reformed Kryptonian criminal Ak-Var. In this volume, they battle Braniac, giant germs, Kandorian seperatists, and Phantom Zone villains. Not bad for the Dynamic Duo of Kandor.
Paul Kupperberg handles the writing in the bulk of the tales and it's good bronze age fun, although the stories are fairly simplistic since they had to squeeze into a slot in Superman Family rather than being given book length adventures.
The book contains Superman Family 173, 183-194. I would have preferred more of Superman and Jimmy's adventures as Nightwing and Flamebird. #173 is the only one, although they team up with the second Nightwing and Flamebird in one of the other tales. Hell, they could have included the Batman and Robin team-up since it's what inspired Dick Grayson to take the Nightwing identity pre-Crisis.
Some of the stories were evidently part of crossovers and the connecting stories aren't provided, making for an unsatisfying read at times. Still, I can't complain that much since I only spent five bucks on it.
Superman: The Aventures of Nightwing and Flamebird is a fun Bronze Age read and a nice glimpse of a largely forgotten time in Superman's past. Three out of five stars.
July 12, 2016
These are the kind of comics that we probably won't (can't) ever see again. Once upon a time, no one would question why Superman would bother putting on a different costume and taking on a whole new identity in the city of Kandor. The reason was very simple: it was cool to see Superman and Jimmy Olson as a Kryptonian Batman and Robin. These days that isn't enough for readers. They'd insist on a more "practical" story reason. To his credit, Cary Bates, the writer of the first story in this collection, does give a practical reason for Kal-El and Jimmy to hide their identities.
After that first story (just to be clear not the first and only Superman-as-Nightwing story) the writing chores go to Paul Kupperberg. Kupperberg gives us a different Nightwing and Flamebird team that doesn't depend on Superman taking a trip to Kandor.
The art is consistently good throughout the book until the last story, drawn by Marshall Rogers. Rogers has down some great work over the years, especially for Batman stories, so I can only guess that he might have been handed the script at the last minute and basically did a rush job.
That aside, this collection is immensely enjoyable and indispensable for any Superman historian's library.
After that first story (just to be clear not the first and only Superman-as-Nightwing story) the writing chores go to Paul Kupperberg. Kupperberg gives us a different Nightwing and Flamebird team that doesn't depend on Superman taking a trip to Kandor.
The art is consistently good throughout the book until the last story, drawn by Marshall Rogers. Rogers has down some great work over the years, especially for Batman stories, so I can only guess that he might have been handed the script at the last minute and basically did a rush job.
That aside, this collection is immensely enjoyable and indispensable for any Superman historian's library.
did-not-finish
May 25, 2023DNF at around p 75.
Collected reprint of comics from the 1970's. I just can't get excited about these heroes.
Collected reprint of comics from the 1970's. I just can't get excited about these heroes.
November 25, 2015
Pure late 70s fun by the able Paul Kupperberg. My mediocre rating has nothing to do with the creative team. It's about the reprint packaging. I was baffled that two stories were included that were part of large arcs, and none of the material that was not the "official" Nightwing/Flamebird entry was included. For "The Museum of Eternity," which was a 60-plus page novel, at least a summary of what went before and after was included. But for the "Crisis in Kandor" storyline, the reader is thrown into a "what the hell?" scenario that's never explained. Why are there giants wandering around? When did Ak-Var declare he was running for political office? When was Van-Zee's family taken hostage? Why are Superman and Jimmy in those costumes? Confused? You'll still be after this orphaned episode. Fortunately, I had read (and still had) the larger Superman Family issues these stories were pulled from.
I get that this was for cost, but I think it's a pretty thin book, and 75 more pages would have been nice. Also, the earliest Nightwing / Flamebird stories (not included) have been reprinted in other volumes, notable The Bottle City of Kandor collection, and this should be noted. The book was printed years ago, pre-New 52, to raise interested in the characters when Greg Rucka wrote a reboot series.
I get that this was for cost, but I think it's a pretty thin book, and 75 more pages would have been nice. Also, the earliest Nightwing / Flamebird stories (not included) have been reprinted in other volumes, notable The Bottle City of Kandor collection, and this should be noted. The book was printed years ago, pre-New 52, to raise interested in the characters when Greg Rucka wrote a reboot series.
March 28, 2015
Couldn't get into it at all.
April 1, 2016
When the bottle city of Kandor is in trouble and Superman isn't around, the refugee residents of Krypton depend on Nightwing and Flamebird. The Caped Crusaders of Kandor, in reality, Nightwing and Flamebird are scientist Van-Zee and Phantom Zone parole Ak-Var; whom Van-Zee takes under his wing as his lab assistant. But these heroes, according to the book jacket, are NOT the original Nightwing and Flamebird. In fact, Van-Zee and Ak-Var aren't even the second duos to take on the mantle!
The first Nightwing and Flamebird were Superman and his pal, Jimmy Olsen. They take on the mantle when during a misunderstanding, Superman finds himself a fugitive from the law and in order to find the real culprit takes on the role of Nightwing! (Superman #158, January 1963.) Then about a year later, in an imaginary story, Superman and Lois Lane's sons become the newest heroes of Kandor, when they find dad and Uncle Jimmy's costumes in the hidden Nightcave!
Yes, Nightwing and Flamebird have a Nightcave, a Nightmobile, and I'm sure they would've had a Night-signal if it was needed as a plot device. Oy, Vey!
I was really excited to find this book on clearance at my favorite LCS. But this isn't at all what I was expecting. First of all, the image on the cover is from the first appearance of Superman and Olsen as the heroes, which isn't included at all in this volume. Kal-El and Olsen's team do appear in two adventures as reprinted in the pages of Superman Family, but they are later adventures and one of which has them paired with the Van-Zee and Ak-Var Kandorian Dynamic Duo.
The Adventures of Nightwing and Flamebird were a super hot mess! Though written by the talented Paul Kupperburg, some of these adventures were very jumbled and convoluted. Just how many people is Superman related to in Kandor? Plus, some of these adventures can only fully enjoyed or understood if you read other tales published in the same issue of Superman Family. (Only one story bears a foreword and afterword as to the excitement that took place before and after!)
And don't get me started on contiunity errors! They abound in this book. For example, Van-Zee is married to an earth woman friend of Superman and well as Lois Lane's! Both were married way after Krypton was obliterated. Yet, in one story, they two reflect on their life on the doomed plantet when they were on their honeymoon! Can anyone explain this headscratcher? Or maybe mail me a No Prize? (Ooops, wrong publisher.)
I love the pre-Crisis Superman. If this volume included the Nightwing and Flamebird tales starring that Superman and that Olsen that I expected were within- I would be a huge fan of this book. But they don't and what little of them that do appear in this book isn't all that memorable.
This will not be a keeper in my collection!
The first Nightwing and Flamebird were Superman and his pal, Jimmy Olsen. They take on the mantle when during a misunderstanding, Superman finds himself a fugitive from the law and in order to find the real culprit takes on the role of Nightwing! (Superman #158, January 1963.) Then about a year later, in an imaginary story, Superman and Lois Lane's sons become the newest heroes of Kandor, when they find dad and Uncle Jimmy's costumes in the hidden Nightcave!
Yes, Nightwing and Flamebird have a Nightcave, a Nightmobile, and I'm sure they would've had a Night-signal if it was needed as a plot device. Oy, Vey!
I was really excited to find this book on clearance at my favorite LCS. But this isn't at all what I was expecting. First of all, the image on the cover is from the first appearance of Superman and Olsen as the heroes, which isn't included at all in this volume. Kal-El and Olsen's team do appear in two adventures as reprinted in the pages of Superman Family, but they are later adventures and one of which has them paired with the Van-Zee and Ak-Var Kandorian Dynamic Duo.
The Adventures of Nightwing and Flamebird were a super hot mess! Though written by the talented Paul Kupperburg, some of these adventures were very jumbled and convoluted. Just how many people is Superman related to in Kandor? Plus, some of these adventures can only fully enjoyed or understood if you read other tales published in the same issue of Superman Family. (Only one story bears a foreword and afterword as to the excitement that took place before and after!)
And don't get me started on contiunity errors! They abound in this book. For example, Van-Zee is married to an earth woman friend of Superman and well as Lois Lane's! Both were married way after Krypton was obliterated. Yet, in one story, they two reflect on their life on the doomed plantet when they were on their honeymoon! Can anyone explain this headscratcher? Or maybe mail me a No Prize? (Ooops, wrong publisher.)
I love the pre-Crisis Superman. If this volume included the Nightwing and Flamebird tales starring that Superman and that Olsen that I expected were within- I would be a huge fan of this book. But they don't and what little of them that do appear in this book isn't all that memorable.
This will not be a keeper in my collection!
November 19, 2009
If you like goofy pre-Crisis Superman, you'll probably like this.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews