Superman: The Atomic Age Sundays Volume 1 by Alvin Schwartz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This volume of Superman stories from 1949-53, while written before the Silver Age of Comics, reflect many of the sensibilities and types of stories that would become dominant in Superman's world in the 1950s.

The stories are fantastic fun, with Superman travelling back in time to King Arthur, Clark Kent starring in a film, and Clark Kent being hit by a ray that's supposed to give him superpowers so he has to pretend they gave him superpowers even though he already had them, Lois quits the Planet to become a Private Eye's assistant, and Superman has to save a publicity-prone man from losing his inheritance by appearing in the paper. The stories are all very light and fun.

The only big Superman rogue to appear in this book is Mister Mxyzptlk, a villain perfect for the tone of this book. I will confess that I do miss the occasional touches of seriousness that added a certain earnestness to the Superman comics of the prior era, but there's no deny that these comics are very fun and Wayne Boring's art looks wonderful.

Overall, for those who are fans of the lighter side of Superman, this is a great read.



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