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Showcase Presents: Superman Family #1
Showcase Presents: Superman Family, Vol. 1
Presents a collection of original black-and-white Superman comics, featuring tales of Superman, Lois Lane, and their friends.
576 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
3 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Otto Binder
395 books15 followersOtto 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.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 20, 2021
Sometimes it is nice to just go back to the simpler days of comics and have an enjoyable read with no dark overtones. This is a nice collection of those entertaining stories I remember reading as a kid. Recommended
August 9, 2013
A List of Things X-Ray Vision Can Apparently Do
*Determine there is poison in soda
*Melt the metal lock of a helmet to fuse it shut, without affecting anything (or anyone) else
*Set something specific on fire in the next room over, without burning the walls
*Melt and vaporize lead bullets mid-air
*Turn carbon steel into a rare crystalline form (i.e., fake diamonds) for a short period of time
*Crack mirrors
*Fuse several pounds' worth of individual diamonds into one large, pristine jewel
*See through various false wigs/beard/noses/etc. without setting things on fire
*See through people, cars, and other objects so as to make them completely invisible to Superman
*"X-rays are electronic by nature! So my x-ray beam into the inner works of [a 1950s answer-giving supercomputer] can set the right electronic tubes and relays working to give Jimmy an 'answer' to the [question Clark is rigging for Superman-reasons]."
...Yeah.
Metropolis is a city that seems to be built on the crazy antics of reporters, famous people who visit for no discernible reason, the charity work of Superman, and boatloads of middle-aged male crooks. And it makes you wonder about the rest of the world--I mean, the most powerful, invulnerable being lives in this city, which is frequented by bank robbers (there are freaking classes for them, like the "how to escape underground after a heist" class) and the occasional minor disaster--the rest of the world must be paradise.
When Supes smashes a giant meteor heading for the city, it turns out to be Kryptonite--Superman is fine, but goes to recover in a lead-lined box while the city's streets are strewn with the rock. The obvious solution? Jimmy, who gets kidnapped or otherwise targeted by Metropolis's healthy crook population on a daily basis, uses a helicopter to shout out instructions to the populace: "Attention, all below! Pick up any glowing pieces of kryptonite because they affect Superman! Bring them to the Daily Planet!"
I think my favorite story was one where Lois Lane, doing a special surprise "Jimmy Olson is Awesome" tribute story, unknowingly leads Jimmy to believe she's in love with him. They never go on a date, or talk romance, obviously, but in less than two days Jimmy knows there's only one thing to do:
*Determine there is poison in soda
*Melt the metal lock of a helmet to fuse it shut, without affecting anything (or anyone) else
*Set something specific on fire in the next room over, without burning the walls
*Melt and vaporize lead bullets mid-air
*Turn carbon steel into a rare crystalline form (i.e., fake diamonds) for a short period of time
*Crack mirrors
*Fuse several pounds' worth of individual diamonds into one large, pristine jewel
*See through various false wigs/beard/noses/etc. without setting things on fire
*See through people, cars, and other objects so as to make them completely invisible to Superman
*"X-rays are electronic by nature! So my x-ray beam into the inner works of [a 1950s answer-giving supercomputer] can set the right electronic tubes and relays working to give Jimmy an 'answer' to the [question Clark is rigging for Superman-reasons]."
...Yeah.
Metropolis is a city that seems to be built on the crazy antics of reporters, famous people who visit for no discernible reason, the charity work of Superman, and boatloads of middle-aged male crooks. And it makes you wonder about the rest of the world--I mean, the most powerful, invulnerable being lives in this city, which is frequented by bank robbers (there are freaking classes for them, like the "how to escape underground after a heist" class) and the occasional minor disaster--the rest of the world must be paradise.
When Supes smashes a giant meteor heading for the city, it turns out to be Kryptonite--Superman is fine, but goes to recover in a lead-lined box while the city's streets are strewn with the rock. The obvious solution? Jimmy, who gets kidnapped or otherwise targeted by Metropolis's healthy crook population on a daily basis, uses a helicopter to shout out instructions to the populace: "Attention, all below! Pick up any glowing pieces of kryptonite because they affect Superman! Bring them to the Daily Planet!"
I think my favorite story was one where Lois Lane, doing a special surprise "Jimmy Olson is Awesome" tribute story, unknowingly leads Jimmy to believe she's in love with him. They never go on a date, or talk romance, obviously, but in less than two days Jimmy knows there's only one thing to do:
"You don't have to say it, love! I know...you love me! And I...uh...well...will you marry me?" It was the only gentlemanly thing to do! I couldn't keep poor Lois dangling any longer!Also, there's a whole lot of lead and radioactive materials floating around for ordinary citizens to play with. That might explain a lot the the storylines, actually.
August 21, 2013
If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. For my money, these comic stories from the 1950s, and others from the early to mid-1960s are just superb and unequaled in the comic book world. What an excellent combination of story and art. There's no better way for me to finish my day than to read one (or more) of these stories. And, as strange as it may sound, I can relate to the characters! I'm willing to suspend belief and feel that there really could be a "super" man, or another hero (or heroine) who has extraordinary powers. Why? Because the way that they are drawn, for one reason. Yes, Superman is muscular, but he is not the pumped-up, muscles-on-muscles characters that I see in more modern comics. (And, by they way, to me these ARE "comics", not "grapic novels".) I can buy into Clark Kent becoming Superman, and Jimmy Olsen is just a regular good old cub reporter who happens to be friends with Superman. I don't need to read end-times, world-is-on-the-brink-of-destruction stories, with characters full of angst, guilt, and enough other mental issues to keep a team of psychiatrists and psychologists busy for 10 years. Besides, these were the stories I grew up reading, so a lot of notalgia is involved in my review. But if I want to feel miserable and read about rage, revenge, personal conflicts, etc., I'll pick up today's newspaper, or turn on CNN!
November 7, 2013
More entertaining than any movie you could take your kid to see, and a more cost effective use of your entertainment dollar.
November 18, 2017
Not a bad collection.
Basically this is the works of several writers throughout most of the mid 1950's. Got to say its nice reading plenty of these light-hearted stories back when comic books were still for kids. Silly but fun, I can definitely see that they wanted kids who had fun with Jimmy Olsen from the George Reeves TV show to consider this collection as a sort of spin-off.
Jimmy with temporary superpowers, learning about being a reporter and of course adventures with his pal Superman.
Not as great as some other Superman stories. They are also really repetitive. Do like that Lois Lane story, shows why Lois never got married with Superman until much later.
Nice collection. D+
Basically this is the works of several writers throughout most of the mid 1950's. Got to say its nice reading plenty of these light-hearted stories back when comic books were still for kids. Silly but fun, I can definitely see that they wanted kids who had fun with Jimmy Olsen from the George Reeves TV show to consider this collection as a sort of spin-off.
Jimmy with temporary superpowers, learning about being a reporter and of course adventures with his pal Superman.
Not as great as some other Superman stories. They are also really repetitive. Do like that Lois Lane story, shows why Lois never got married with Superman until much later.
Nice collection. D+
September 22, 2020
These are the first 22 issues I believe of the Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen comic from the 1950s. Also includes the first solo Lois Lane story from 1944 as well as her solo stories from Showcase issue 9.
These are the epitome of Silver Age DC Comics. Campy and silly but still entertaining. However, the Curt Swan art is a high point. One of the best Superman artists ever.
The stories are all comedic with plots that could have come straight from a sitcom. And some of them I think I have seen in sitcoms. The schemes in these stories have to be read to be believed, but these stories are from when comics were fun and Batman smiled all the time.
Not really my cup of tea but still a fun read. Plus, the Curt Swan art alone is worth it.
These are the epitome of Silver Age DC Comics. Campy and silly but still entertaining. However, the Curt Swan art is a high point. One of the best Superman artists ever.
The stories are all comedic with plots that could have come straight from a sitcom. And some of them I think I have seen in sitcoms. The schemes in these stories have to be read to be believed, but these stories are from when comics were fun and Batman smiled all the time.
Not really my cup of tea but still a fun read. Plus, the Curt Swan art alone is worth it.
September 23, 2018
A collection of Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane stories from 1954 to 1957. Because they are printed in chronological order Jimmy tends to dominate this volume with just 4 stories about Lois. One of these is the very first Lois Lane story from 1944. The stories may seem a bit inconsequential compared to today's stories , but are great nostalgia for those who remember this era. Great value but I would have love to read them in colour.
January 26, 2014
There is a consistent logic here in the "Superman Family" universe. Superman is a combination of Ruben Bolling's Godman and a Fletcher Hanks hero and a square. In almost every episode either Jimmy Olsen gains superpowers or is tricked by Superman into believing he had superpowers. In many episodes one of them thinks "Why isn't the other being my pal? "
Their "pal"ship is awfully close and a little strange. It has kind of a master-servant thing. It has some quasi-romantic overtones.
One thing consistently wrong in almost every story is Superman's X-Ray vision. Had anyone ever seen an x-ray? Superman uses it to look at people's faces under greasepaint, to look at structural defects inside metal, and . . . to program a computer? (!!!!)
Olsen is a generally disrespected "cub" reporter even though he regularly solves mysteries, breaks up criminal gangs, and performs front-page feats of general derringdo. His real problem appears to be that he is sometimes bad at spelling. Sometimes.
The whole universe is really strange. In the X-Men universe about one out of 20 people and about 90% of interesting people have some kind of superpower. Here, it's really Superman against a bunch of white middle aged guys who go by two names, each no longer than two syllables. There are some aliens with powers but they are almost always off-camera. Other than that, it's just that Jimmy sometimes also gets powers.
These stories are almost irredeemably broken. I think the general goofiness helps save them. I'm not sure what else, but it works OK and leads to a lot of chuckles.
For more, see the once infamous http://www.superdickery.com/
Their "pal"ship is awfully close and a little strange. It has kind of a master-servant thing. It has some quasi-romantic overtones.
One thing consistently wrong in almost every story is Superman's X-Ray vision. Had anyone ever seen an x-ray? Superman uses it to look at people's faces under greasepaint, to look at structural defects inside metal, and . . . to program a computer? (!!!!)
Olsen is a generally disrespected "cub" reporter even though he regularly solves mysteries, breaks up criminal gangs, and performs front-page feats of general derringdo. His real problem appears to be that he is sometimes bad at spelling. Sometimes.
The whole universe is really strange. In the X-Men universe about one out of 20 people and about 90% of interesting people have some kind of superpower. Here, it's really Superman against a bunch of white middle aged guys who go by two names, each no longer than two syllables. There are some aliens with powers but they are almost always off-camera. Other than that, it's just that Jimmy sometimes also gets powers.
These stories are almost irredeemably broken. I think the general goofiness helps save them. I'm not sure what else, but it works OK and leads to a lot of chuckles.
For more, see the once infamous http://www.superdickery.com/
November 30, 2007
DC has entered the low-cost reprinting biz with Showcase editions, allowing fanboys and fangirls everywhere to read old comics at the affordable price of, well, free in my case because I get them from the library.
This time out we have the Superman Family, collecting Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen issues 1-22, plus Showcase 9, and a Lois Lane solo story from the 40s.
I have to admit, the 1950s Superman stories do not, as a whole, hold up all that well. It's so hard to keep Supes down in these since he's overly powerful, and thus the plots tend to hang by a thread. There is also the constant "find out he's Clark Kent, then find out he's not" plots that were all over the place in the Superman Showcase collection. Maybe that was okay when these came out bi-monthly, but in a collection, they're a bit played out.
Still, from a comic historian perspective, these are kinda fun. Jimmy actually gets to be a hero more often than not, and the best stories are the ones he gets to help Superman in, rather than vice versa. Plus, it's 90% Curt Swan art, and Curt's style is just so pretty that just reading them for the artwork alone is worth it.
One thing I like about these is that Jimmy is treated as being every bit as much of a reporter as Clark and Lois. That's something that post-Crisis screwed up, and I wish it hadn't. It's a lot cooler to have Jimmy out on his own rather than tripping over Lois and Clark's toes all the time.
Trebby's Take: Definitely worth it for comic fans everywhere, but not as good as some of the other old comics I've read.
This time out we have the Superman Family, collecting Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen issues 1-22, plus Showcase 9, and a Lois Lane solo story from the 40s.
I have to admit, the 1950s Superman stories do not, as a whole, hold up all that well. It's so hard to keep Supes down in these since he's overly powerful, and thus the plots tend to hang by a thread. There is also the constant "find out he's Clark Kent, then find out he's not" plots that were all over the place in the Superman Showcase collection. Maybe that was okay when these came out bi-monthly, but in a collection, they're a bit played out.
Still, from a comic historian perspective, these are kinda fun. Jimmy actually gets to be a hero more often than not, and the best stories are the ones he gets to help Superman in, rather than vice versa. Plus, it's 90% Curt Swan art, and Curt's style is just so pretty that just reading them for the artwork alone is worth it.
One thing I like about these is that Jimmy is treated as being every bit as much of a reporter as Clark and Lois. That's something that post-Crisis screwed up, and I wish it hadn't. It's a lot cooler to have Jimmy out on his own rather than tripping over Lois and Clark's toes all the time.
Trebby's Take: Definitely worth it for comic fans everywhere, but not as good as some of the other old comics I've read.
April 20, 2013
Enjoyed it thoroughly. Jimmy's exclamations of "Super-Duper" do trail off later, thankfully. But I have to say, even given that there are only four Lois Lane stories against Jimmy's 66, I think I enjoy Lois's stories more. At least, I think so for the silver age Lois and Jimmy. Lois MEANS to get into trouble, where as Jimmy usually just stumbles over it. These stories are all 1950s vintage (with the exception of the first Lois solo story from the 1940s) and so are lacking a lot of the more fantastic (and fun) elements that the 1960s brought: Supergirl, The Legion, the Super-pets and the bottle city of Kandor. I liked the Superman family best when it was drenched with the SF aspects of his Kryptonian heritage.
January 22, 2011
This is quintessential Silver Age zaniness.
Every story has Jimmy Olsen turning into a monster or becoming invisible or getting tricked by his "pal" Superman for a convoluted reason.
Although the stories are all rather short, they are so stupid I found it hard to read more than one at a time.
I got this comic to share and read with my daughter but it seemed the second she touched it, the binding separated from the pages. Later the bindingless book split down the middle. Fracking cheap ass book. Now I can't let her read it on her own or it will fall apart even more!
Every story has Jimmy Olsen turning into a monster or becoming invisible or getting tricked by his "pal" Superman for a convoluted reason.
Although the stories are all rather short, they are so stupid I found it hard to read more than one at a time.
I got this comic to share and read with my daughter but it seemed the second she touched it, the binding separated from the pages. Later the bindingless book split down the middle. Fracking cheap ass book. Now I can't let her read it on her own or it will fall apart even more!
January 22, 2013
This is mostly stories from the first twenty-odd (in more than one sense) issues of the Jimmy Olsen comic book, mostly written by Otto Binder and drawn by Curt Swan. Many are quite silly, and they are ruthlessly formulaic (it's hard to believe this is the same guy who wrote the classic Captain Marvel comics), but they are occasionally amusing, in a sort of hybrid absurd/surreal way. And Swan's art is always nice to look at.
November 1, 2009
Unless you have a special interest in Jimmy Olsen's early days I can't recommend this. It's a lot of Jimmy does something to get in trouble -> Superman pulls him out of it. Or the other way around.
February 23, 2013
More wacky fifties comics fun!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews