Nice ep. I always feel that Superman's greatest power is his morality/worldview rather than all of Krypton derived powers. I think this is what so many of the film versions get wrong. I don't want to see him beating up guys in diners or putting semi trucks on top of telephone poles. I want to see him doing the right thing in the face of everyone else wanting him to take the shortcut, and him taking the flack because he can.
Nice Superman tie. I like the old version of Superman much more than the way they have portrayed him in the recent DC films. In my opinion, a less powerful, more ethical Superman comes across much better.
I always thought the Wayne Boring era exemplified the beginning of the silver age with Curt Swan being the iconic master of the period later It was the Fleischer cartoons that introduced him flying. Also the radio show introduced Kryptonite
Those Golden Age Superman comics are great. I love showing people a Superman who can't fly, and who yells at a guy he's saving from being hit by a train that he'll get them both killed if he doesn't let himself be saved. It's fun to watch Superman, like the early Batman and others, gradually be developed into the hero that everyone is familiar with in the comics and beyond. Great video; I look forward to your take on Silver Age Superman.
Great episode. It’s good to know the Golden Age reprints are out there. I have one volume of Silver Age Superman reprints in the Archive Edition titled Superman: The Man of Tomorrow - Volume 3. The lack of quality Silver Age reprints makes me glad that I still have the comic books I bought as a kid. I started buying DC comics with Superman 171, August 1964, and kept up the buying regimen for twenty years.
There is technically a gap in time between the golden age and the silver age. DC’s silver age begins with the introduction of Barry Allen as the Flash, which I believe happened in 1957 (maybe? going from memory). The golden age is generally described as ending shortly after the end of WWII. The labels aren’t as helpful for the characters who were continually published, like Superman and Batman.
Some people say that gap is the atomic age. Others say the the golden age ended with Showcase 4, the first appearance of the flash. But in my opinion, the silver age began with the comics code authority, because that was around the time when comic books started to contain more elements of science fiction, which they continued to do throughout the silver age.
It will be interesting to see what DC does after the next Golden Age Superman omnibus. Will there be a gap between issues when they publish a Silver Age Omnibus? Will they ever publish one?
Lee Falk's the Phantom predated Superman by a few years as the first costumed comic book superhero. Also if I'm not mistaken Superman gained the ability to fly from the radio show which was then carried over to the comic book.
I know The Phantom predated Superman but I thought he made his debut in the newspaper strips and only came to comic books later. Let me know if I’m wrong. I never read enough Phantom because his comics were pretty hard to find when I was younger. I really should pick up some of that stuff now. I have a good friend in Italy and The Phantom is his favorite character ever.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 He did make his debut in the comic strips first, but they started reprinting his stuff in comic book form starting in Ace Comics #7 which came out in 1936 I believe.
I'm pretty sure Superman first flew in the radio show and the comics adapted his powers to conform to the radio show. A lot of the things we associate with Superman came from the radio show.
I like the artwork in the early Superman stories. I get impatient with the stories themselves though...probably a matter of different times and over familiarity with the superhero stories.
You talked me into it. I never gave the golden age Superman much thought but your video convinced me to order it. Thanks for me spending money I didn’t need to…
Action #1 has Krypton, the rocket, the orphanage, growing up w/ powers; Superman #1 has the Kents and the beginning of Superman’s parents and environment being informative to him; the newspaper dailies have everything you need to know about Krypton and the Kryptonian parents, him beginning to help people, and it explains why he chooses to be a reporter. Btw, The explanation of why Superman becomes a reporter makes so much sense and it’s not brought up enough in the retellings. In his first outing as Superman, he was able to save some but was too late to save others. People died because he was too late, so he decided to become a reporter just so he would get updates about emergency situations first If it were all synchronized into one comic book, the first Superman origin would actually be the best - explaining everything you need but not adding details just to add novelty and value from previous incarnations. The only thing it doesn’t explain is how and why he gets and uses the costume
Yes, Michael, you are right about the origins of Kryptonite. It was written into the radio drama so as to give actor, Bud Colyer, who voiced Superman and Clark Kent, some time off.
The Golden age Superman is so dark It includes topics like Suicide cases, child abuse, a husband beating his wife, people trying to kill an Innocent person.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 It’s a bit of a minefield with Superman, there’s just so much out there. Well in terms of graphic novels/collections. The absolute Alan Moore fan boy that I’am, I really should pick up his Superman stories. If you’ve got recommendations for graphic novels I’d be grateful!
Flight would have arrived around 1943. It came at the same time as the Fleicher cartoons. here's a theory that it was done because it looked more impressive on the screen than hopping would have done.
I'd like to see someone make bootleg copies of all the DC Gold, Silver, Bronze and Lead Oxide age editions. Then DC might pull their finger out and re-print/re-issue them. I didnt know about Superman's lack of powers in the early days. 🙄🙄
I always thought it would be harder to write a good Superman story than a good Batman (pulls out a gadget) one... I hated the Death of Superman idea...I was wondering about Showcase......
Hi Michael. I just watched your five month old video and I wanted to let you know that there are other options to the black and white Showcase book you showed in the video. There are three full colour Superman: Man of Tomorrow Archives books which cover Action Comics 241-268 and Superman 122-139. Your Showcase begins at the same place because these issues are considered to be the beginning of Superman’s Silver Age even though they begin in 1958.
Nice ep. I always feel that Superman's greatest power is his morality/worldview rather than all of Krypton derived powers. I think this is what so many of the film versions get wrong. I don't want to see him beating up guys in diners or putting semi trucks on top of telephone poles. I want to see him doing the right thing in the face of everyone else wanting him to take the shortcut, and him taking the flack because he can.
It’s weird how the films have had such a hard time with Superman after the first couple movies.
That necktie!
Nice Superman tie. I like the old version of Superman much more than the way they have portrayed him in the recent DC films. In my opinion, a less powerful, more ethical Superman comes across much better.
I agree with you about the more recent movies. I’m not sure why it’s so hard to get Superman right nowadays.
Superman first flew in an issue of the newspaper Triumph in August 1939, and this was then popularized by the Superman radio program.
I Did not know that. I always assumed he flew from the beginning. That's interesting! Lol
Thanks!
He was originally a Scifi character but dc turn him into a cash cow
I always thought the Wayne Boring era exemplified the beginning of the silver age with Curt Swan being the iconic master of the period later
It was the Fleischer cartoons that introduced him flying.
Also the radio show introduced Kryptonite
I think you are right about Boring and Swan.
It's still my favourite Run of all time
Jerry Sigeal and Shuster are still one of my Creators of all time
Those Golden Age Superman comics are great. I love showing people a Superman who can't fly, and who yells at a guy he's saving from being hit by a train that he'll get them both killed if he doesn't let himself be saved. It's fun to watch Superman, like the early Batman and others, gradually be developed into the hero that everyone is familiar with in the comics and beyond. Great video; I look forward to your take on Silver Age Superman.
Great episode. It’s good to know the Golden Age reprints are out there. I have one volume of Silver Age Superman reprints in the Archive Edition titled Superman: The Man of Tomorrow - Volume 3.
The lack of quality Silver Age reprints makes me glad that I still have the comic books I bought as a kid. I started buying DC comics with Superman 171, August 1964, and kept up the buying regimen for twenty years.
Oh man, your comic book collection must be amazing.
There is technically a gap in time between the golden age and the silver age. DC’s silver age begins with the introduction of Barry Allen as the Flash, which I believe happened in 1957 (maybe? going from memory). The golden age is generally described as ending shortly after the end of WWII. The labels aren’t as helpful for the characters who were continually published, like Superman and Batman.
Some people say that gap is the atomic age. Others say the the golden age ended with Showcase 4, the first appearance of the flash. But in my opinion, the silver age began with the comics code authority, because that was around the time when comic books started to contain more elements of science fiction, which they continued to do throughout the silver age.
It will be interesting to see what DC does after the next Golden Age Superman omnibus. Will there be a gap between issues when they publish a Silver Age Omnibus? Will they ever publish one?
Have you read Sandman by Neil Gaiman?? It's pretty much my favorite comic. A masterpiece.
I read most of Sandman issue by issue as they came out. I really need to reread that again because it’s been a long time.
Lee Falk's the Phantom predated Superman by a few years as the first costumed comic book superhero. Also if I'm not mistaken Superman gained the ability to fly from the radio show which was then carried over to the comic book.
I know The Phantom predated Superman but I thought he made his debut in the newspaper strips and only came to comic books later. Let me know if I’m wrong. I never read enough Phantom because his comics were pretty hard to find when I was younger. I really should pick up some of that stuff now. I have a good friend in Italy and The Phantom is his favorite character ever.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 He did make his debut in the comic strips first, but they started reprinting his stuff in comic book form starting in Ace Comics #7 which came out in 1936 I believe.
I'm pretty sure Superman first flew in the radio show and the comics adapted his powers to conform to the radio show. A lot of the things we associate with Superman came from the radio show.
I really need to listen to that radio show.
I like the artwork in the early Superman stories. I get impatient with the stories themselves though...probably a matter of different times and over familiarity with the superhero stories.
You talked me into it. I never gave the golden age Superman much thought but your video convinced me to order it. Thanks for me spending money I didn’t need to…
Strip Superman of his costume and put him on Mars and viola you got John Carter!
A lot of John Carter in the Golden Age Superman!
Action #1 has Krypton, the rocket, the orphanage, growing up w/ powers; Superman #1 has the Kents and the beginning of Superman’s parents and environment being informative to him; the newspaper dailies have everything you need to know about Krypton and the Kryptonian parents, him beginning to help people, and it explains why he chooses to be a reporter.
Btw, The explanation of why Superman becomes a reporter makes so much sense and it’s not brought up enough in the retellings. In his first outing as Superman, he was able to save some but was too late to save others. People died because he was too late, so he decided to become a reporter just so he would get updates about emergency situations first
If it were all synchronized into one comic book, the first Superman origin would actually be the best - explaining everything you need but not adding details just to add novelty and value from previous incarnations. The only thing it doesn’t explain is how and why he gets and uses the costume
Yes, Michael, you are right about the origins of Kryptonite. It was written into the radio drama so as to give actor, Bud Colyer, who voiced Superman and Clark Kent, some time off.
That’s really interesting! I didn’t know that was the reason.
Golden Age Superman was awesome. I have the first omnibus and love it. The fifth one is good as well.
The Golden age Superman is so dark It includes topics like Suicide cases, child abuse, a husband beating his wife, people trying to kill an Innocent person.
Did you not discuss how Superman was a straight up copy of pulp author Phillip Wylie's "Gladiator"?
I didn’t mention Gladiator, that’s true. I actually have not read that book yet. Steve did mention it in his video.
Great discussion as always.
Thank you so much!
Great video! I’ve been looking to get some Superman collections so I might as well start at the start.
It’s an interesting place to start, that’s for sure.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 It’s a bit of a minefield with Superman, there’s just so much out there. Well in terms of graphic novels/collections. The absolute Alan Moore fan boy that I’am, I really should pick up his Superman stories. If you’ve got recommendations for graphic novels I’d be grateful!
Flight would have arrived around 1943. It came at the same time as the Fleicher cartoons. here's a theory that it was done because it looked more impressive on the screen than hopping would have done.
Good theory!
I'd like to see someone make bootleg copies of all the DC Gold, Silver, Bronze and Lead Oxide age editions. Then DC might pull their finger out and re-print/re-issue them. I didnt know about Superman's lack of powers in the early days. 🙄🙄
I would take a bootleg silver age Superman at this point.
I always thought it would be harder to write a good Superman story than a good Batman (pulls out a gadget) one... I hated the Death of Superman idea...I was wondering about Showcase......
Well, nowadays they are having a tough time writing Batman also!
Hi Michael. I just watched your five month old video and I wanted to let you know that there are other options to the black and white Showcase book you showed in the video. There are three full colour Superman: Man of Tomorrow Archives books which cover Action Comics 241-268 and Superman 122-139. Your Showcase begins at the same place because these issues are considered to be the beginning of Superman’s Silver Age even though they begin in 1958.
I remember the Man of Tomorrow books but I didn’t know what was in them. Thanks for letting me know!
Do you have a Captain America tie? That would be cool!
I need to get a Captain America tie!
I don't believe in Superman or any comic characters except Snoopy. He is real.
Well…yeah. Does someone think Snoopy isn’t real!?
I like Golden age more than silver age orany other iteration as I think this is the he was I tented to be.