The product of two teenage boys from cleveland, ohio, jerry siegel and joe shuster, superman was an overnight sensation and forever transformed the fledgling comic book industry. Superman is dcs first superhero and one of the most popular and most iconic heroes, both in and out of universe comics origins. He is the worlds first super hero and a guiding light to all. Superman is perhaps the longestlived of the classic golden age superhero characters to remain in the public imagination, and, in addition to a 75year history of comic book publication, the character has also had a long career on the silver screen. The secret of superman s home starring superman and hatchet kaims, script by edmond.
It was drawn by superman comic book artist wayne boring around 1949, and it was stamped on a protective schoolbook cover one of which recently sold at. Dc comics a superhero who needs no introduction, its still worth noting that superman isnt just a comic book icon, hes the comic book icon. Nov 21, 2016 but lets take a look at the comic book history of hank henshaw cyborg superman. The history of comic books the comic book villain, dr. Brought to you by, the words largest superhero store. As the title suggests this book chronicles the history of superman from his predecessors comics stripsstories created by superman creators writer jerry siegel and cartoonist joe shuster that feature supermen in some fashion or another until the end of the golden age in 1955. The man of tomorrow debuts as a quarterly, allowing for a new superman comic to be published every week. His comic book career after superman was relatively unsuccessful, and by the mid1970s shuster had left the field completely due to partial blindness. Superman is an ongoing american comic book series featuring the dc comics superhero superman as its main protagonist. In this story, kryponite is colored red but in all subsequent. Remember, comics used to be about detective stories and mysteries and fanatasies and. I would like to point out to you one other crime comic book which we have found to be particularly injurious to the ethical development of children and those are the superman comic books. This page lists prices for the first 100 issues of superman s appearances in his solo series, which began in 1939.
According to wertham, comic books were giving kids wrong ideas about the laws of physics, because superman could fly. Did you know that superman was dreamed up right here in the buckeye state. The first thing you need to know is that henshaw was original created as a pastiche of reed richards. Geoff johns arc gives the proper lipservice to the twos extensive history while also crafting an actionpacked epic that works. Reeve, christopher christopher reeve in superman 1978, directed by richard donner. Here is an overview of supermans comic book career. Relive the adventures of kryptons favorite son inside and outside the comic book world in superman. Superman, a fictional comic book character, has spanned several decades and become a defining superhero archetype. A third superman book, superman unchained, was released in june 20 to coincide with the release of the new superman movie, man of steel.
The term silver age refers to a general time period in which the comic books. Superman, american comic book character created for dc comics by. Superman sparked the creation of an entire industry based around the exploits of masked avengers and caped vigilantes, and he remains one of the worlds most recognizable pop culture icons. That time alan moore delivered the saddest hello in comic. Gaines told siegel and shuster what additional content aside from the action reprints to create for this issue in a letter dated 19390327. The superman character described on this page was created by writer jerry siegel and artist joe shuster, high school students living in cleveland, ohio, in 1933. Pulps were small 10 cent books sold on the newsstands, usually filled with action heroes going to exotic places and having adventures. Superman biography and superman facts superherostuff. Unless youre from cleveland, you likely didnt know that the buckeye state is where the famous tv and comic book hero superman started. Superman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by dc comics, and is considered an american cultural icon.
Mar 26, 2015 johnny stops by to help corey look over a superman vs. Superman, american comic book character created for dc comics by writer jerry siegel and artist joe shuster. Dawn of justice will lay the groundwork for the arguably overdue cinematic debut of dc entertainments justice league an avengersesque collection of. The superman we all know, created by writer jerry siegel and artist joe. Jun 16, 2016 a supermanali comic book had to be not only an epic entertainment, but also an exploration of the ideals and actions that made superman and ali heroes around the globe, wrote jenette kahn. Check out our huge selection of superhero shirts and more. There are plenty of other superman comic books, but we will only list the goodies here. In their latest look at notable comic book quotes, csbg spotlights the. For eighty years, action comics has been superman s home. The character regularly appears in comic books published by dc comics, and has been adapted to a number of radio serials, movies, and television shows superman was born on the planet krypton and was given. Dc found this out when it developed a comic book in which supermans archenemy, lex luthor, launches an attack with what he calls an atomic. In this beautifully composed volume, les daniels collects rare and neverbeforeseen. Jerry siegel and joe shuster created the comic book character superman. Dc comics, american media and entertainment company whose iconic comicbased propertiessuch as batman, superman, wonder woman, the flash, green lantern, and aquamanrepresented some of the most enduring and recognizable characters in 20th and 21stcentury popular culture.
Superman s masters starring superman, ernest gadden, kid kole, and miss swift, script by alvin schwartz, art by al plastino. Most comic fans know that superman actually began life in action comics. See our superman comic books article for more details. Johnny stops by to help corey look over a superman vs. The superpowered kryptonian known as superman is one of dc comics most integral characters and, arguably, the most wellknown superhero in popular culture. Debuting in the wake of the great depression and just before world war ii, superman set the stage for the dc universe and all superhero comics to follow. Im alex grand and were dedicated to creating a multimedia experience to learning the intricacies of journalistic comic book history. It is written by scott snyder and drawn by jim lee. The death of superman for right or wrong is a landmark moment in comic book history. History of comics censorship, part 1 comic book legal. Dc is home to the worlds greatest super heroes, including superman, batman, wonder woman, green lantern.
The man of steel is the ultimate symbol of truth, justice, and hope. Superman, american comic strip superhero created for dc comics by writer jerry siegel and artist joe shuster. Superman was created by jerry siegel and joe shuster. Although affecting the history of some superheroes, zero hour didnt significantly alter superman s history since the 1986 reboot. Superman also helps find the justice league of america, marking one of the first panlabel crossover teams in comic book history. Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive the man of steel fights a neverending battle for truth, justice, and the american way. Created by jerry siegel and joe shuster, superman is possibly the most recognizable comic book. The superpowered trilogy that captured the worlds greatest superhero triumvirate of all time is now available in paperback. Superman has sold more comic books over his publication history than any other american superhero character. Soon enough, superman became one of the most renowned superheroes in the world. Get the best deals on death of superman when you shop the. They arose in children phantasies of sadistic joy in seeing other people punished over and over again while you yourself remain immune.
The history of silver age comic books cosmic comics. Because of the success of this title, other comic characters are also given a chance with their own titles. Here, we revisit the key moments from the titles issues. Superman appears in the dc comics and dark horse comics miniseries superman vs. The first are undoubtedly the new york worlds fair comics of 1939 and 1940. These files will help new and old readers understand whats happening to the man of steel. Yet, as superman, the complete history shows, the man of steel has also made a lasting impact in comic strips, film, toys, tv, radio, and even on broadway. Up until this point, all comic books had a variety of characters and stories in them. Superman, is the one who explodes onto the scene and transforms comic books into a cultural force. He was the very first hero to get a comic book fully devoted to telling his adventures. Superman is also billed as a champion of the oppressed.
When superman fought xenophobia in a 1949 comic mental floss. In 1938 dc published the first superman story in action comics no. This is an excellent piece of social and cultural history that traces the comic book hero, superman, from his origins during the depression to his place in movies and tv in the 21st century. The complete history the life and times of the man. The best of supermans many comic book origin stories ign. In the summer of 1939, superman continued to show his success. The massive commercial success of that character was responsible for creating the costumed superhero genre, which has been a mainstay for the comic book industry ever since. History of superman comics features details about superman and his history in the comic books from improvements in color printer ink to different style lettering and art from 1933 to present day. The 100 most influential pages in comic book history.
A brief comic book history of the worlds finest super bros. Joe shuster canadian comic book creator hall of fame, 2005. History of the superman comic books and character critics rant. Since ashcan comic books were handdrawn, unfinished versions of early comic books for legal purposes they were supposed to be thrown out in the ashcan. Mar 28, 2020 few people know that ohio is the birthplace of superman, the original comic book hero. New events that shape the comics industry are always happening. Right off the bat, we get several familiar aspects of the character. The first and oldest of these is action comics, which began in april 1938.
Dc is home to the worlds greatest super heroes, including superman, batman, wonder woman, green lantern, the flash, aquaman and more. The book is wellwritten and meticulously researched and is a real delight to read. Superman is an ongoing american comic book series featuring the dc comics superhero. I think of him, since it was two jewish kids who created him, as the ultimate diaspora jew, says larry tye, author of a history of superman. Mar 29, 2020 that time alan moore delivered the saddest hello in comic book history. They arose in children phantasies of sadistic joy in seeing other people. Sixty years of the worlds favorite comic book heroes by les daniels 1995 the great superman comic book collection includes comments by e.
Superman, batman, spiderman, the hulk, and countless other comic book. Muhammad ali comic book in this scene from mystery caller. Fredric werthham was the scariest thing to ever happen to comic books. Daytoday, clark kent is a mildmannered reporter who writes for the daily planet, but as superman, he fights for truth, justice, and the american way at least thats what he used to say. That time alan moore delivered the saddest hello in. Dc comics, american media and entertainment company whose iconic comic based propertiessuch as batman, superman, wonder woman, the flash, green lantern, and aquamanrepresented some of the most enduring and recognizable characters in 20th and 21stcentury popular culture. While the foundations of todays industry started in the 1920s, the events of today are shaping the industry of tomorrow. From his blue uniform to his flowing red cape to the s shield on his chest, superman is one of the most immediately recognizable and beloved dc super heroes of all time. That time alan moore delivered the saddest hello in comic book history. He was the worlds first comic book superhero, and he remains among the most popular fictional characters in history. In the new 52, dcs relaunch of its entire comic book line, superman is still from krypton, was still raised on a farm in the american midwest, is still named clark kent and is still a. Feb 20, 2020 superman, american comic book character created for dc comics by writer jerry siegel and artist joe shuster. Here is an overview of supermans comic book career, since writer jerry siegel 19141996 and artist joe shuster 19141992 invented him. The first superman character created by jerry siegel and joe shuster was not a hero, but a villain.
When you are browsing the racks at your local comic book store and happen upon silver age comic books for sale, you may wonder just what it is that makes them silver. Superman biography, history and facts about superman. Supermans young cousin supergirl kara zorel, who had survived kryptons death. Feb 02, 2018 over supermans 80year history, some of the finest comics creators have explored his origin and added their own touches to his vast legacy. The relaunch of superman comic books returned the character to the mainstream, again in the forefront of dcs titles. Shuster was involved in a number of legal battles over ownership of the superman character. Welcome to comic book historians, an online fanzine.
Most copies are worth much less, but the good news is, if you have one of these truly rare comic books, then youre certainly sitting on a prized asset that any comic book collector would be envious of. Pbs superheroestruth, justice and the american way 20. In 1939, dc comics agreed to publish superman as a storyline in action comics. A history by gambit1024 april 25, 2012 23 comments the most recognizable comics characters in the world. He also charged that comic books were implementing and reenforcing homosexual thoughts because robin was drawn with bare legs, that were often wide open, and that robin seemed devoted and attached to only batman. The superman comics series would run for hundreds of issues, but only two or three ashcan copies of superman comics exist. Jerry siegel and joe shuster, soon to be known for creating superman, began working on new fun in october 1935.