Superman: The Amazing Transformations of Jimmy Olsen

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen (1954) #22, 28, 31, 32-33, 41-42, 44, 49

by Otto Binder, Robert Bernstein, Jerry Siegel

Cub reporter Jimmy Olsen stars in this light-hearted volume collecting some of his most memorable adventures from the late 1950s and 1960s, all of which guest-star Superman While investigating crime for The Daily Planet, Jimmy undergoes one startling transformation after another, gaining temporary superpowers as Elastic Lad and becoming a Giant Turtle Man, The Wolf-Man of Metropolis, The Human Porcupine and much more

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Superheroes, Comic Book, Adventure, Anthologies

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 4, 2007

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

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

Years ago, I browsed Superdickery constantly, and wanted to actually read some of the totally crazy Jimmy Olsen comics. What I stumbled across was a collection of Jack Kirby's run on Jimmy Olsen. What I wish I had found was this: a collection of perfect Silver Age zaniness that shows everything that was both great and terrible about DC back in the day. This book is nearly 200 pages of Jimmy Olsen getting turned into all sorts of nonsense, from the Elastic Lad (Mister Fantastic with a less goofy name and none of the cleverness) to a kaiju to a genie somehow. The stories are often formulaic, and expose just how stupid both Superman and Jimmy are. Superman has found a collection of random nonsense in space, under the ocean, or wherever, and brings it to Jimmy so he can write it up for the Planet. Jimmy inevitably breaks or touches or eats something he shouldn't, thereby gaining superpowers that at first seem helpful but turn out to be a total pain. Often he ends up causing trouble that Superman has to solve, and eventually things turn out okay until next time. There are some fun moments, such as the return of Titano (my favorite underutilized Silver Age ape) and Jimmy and Supergirl kissing without realizing it. There's sadly a lot of the same sexism that occurs in Lois Lane comics, though here it regards Jimmy's relationship with her sister Lucy. Towards the end of the collection there are some later stories that actually build on Jimmy's tendency to transform. In one, he's kidnapped by an evil alien and tormented by duplicates of his various alternate forms; in another story, Jimmy faces the Planet of 1,000 Olsens, which is just as amazingly ridiculous as it sounds. The collection is rounded out by a story where Jimmy and Superman play at being Batman and Robin in Kandor, which is a nice deviation from Jimmy getting random nonsense powers. This is overall a fun collection, though I can't rate it too highly since a lot of the stories are kinda dumb and the plots are a bit too repetitive. I feel like they probably could've pulled in a few wacky transformations that don't follow the generic formula. Still, this was a fun distraction and forms an interesting contrast with modern, significantly more serious comics.

[Al McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Jimmy Olsen. Being Superman's Pal isn't easy. This trade paperback collects the times Jimmy's brain went super, when he became a ginger Gulliver, transformed into Elastic Lad, became a Jupiter boy, threw fire, grew limbs, became a genie, a Wolf-Man, a Fat Boy, and of course, The Giant Turtle Man. Can't forget that one. What else? Princess Ilona from the Sunev galaxy falls in love with him and he becomes a freak. Mrs, Gzptlsnz, Mr. Mxyzptlk's girlfriend, gets a crush on him and turns him into a human porcupine. As one does. Oh, and the world of doomed Olsens, where they all menace him for some reason. Bizarro Jimmy! Titano! Guest-starring Superman, Lois, Lucy Lane, Lana Lang, Perry White, the Legion of Super-heroes, almost all of them drawn by the incomparable Curt Swan!
Essential reading.

[Jim N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absurd, ridiculous stories from the silver age of comics that are wildly entertaining because of their silly nature. This was one of the most enjoyable, entertaining comics collections I’ve read in a long time.

[Guido]

Las 1001 transformaciones de Jimmy Olsen. Listado de personajes pendiente.

[Carmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jimmy Olsen is my hero.

Here is a collection of some of his most outrageous transformations.

My favorite transformation is when he turned into Giant Turtle Boy.
though really besides being giant and green he was hardly "turtle' like in any way.

For those who don't know Jimmy Olsen is Superman's Pal. He had his own comic in which he went on wacky adventures and tried to score with a bunch of chicks (they liked his bowtie) but really what can you do with this character? so writers had him transform into a bunch of crazy stuff.

[Zack! Empire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, I really wish comics would stop taking themselves so damn serious, and start having fun again. This collection just goes to show how the comics industry has really lost something by trying so hard to be taken seriously as a medium. People might say these stories are childish and even stupid, but I would say they are incredibly fun and inventive.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm keeping this book in the toilet. Jimmy Olsen is a certified idiot, I don't know how Superman puts up with him. He can't stop drinking potions and getting in trouble! Oh my God. Jimmy Olsen is much like... me.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun, a bunch of Superman stories featuring Jimmy Olsen changing into bizarre creatures. On the outside it looks like a graphic novel but inside it is good old fashioned comic book! Very retro!

[John Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the craziest stuff ever written! Despite the bad press comics have gotten for being a "serious" literary genre, this proves why they're fun in the first place.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't take this seriously and you'll have a grand old time.

[Josh Newhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pure fun, dumb, a bit dated but would make a great Saturday morning TV show!