About Superman archives - your thoughts please...

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Author	Topic: About Superman archives - your thoughts please...
friend Member	posted March 19, 2003 09:18 AM Hi, With the knowledge that Superman 6 is in the works, this "Supermaniac" has restarted reading all the archives (once more)with Superman volume 1. I was wondering what you guys think when you read these and every panel Superman is different - boots, emblem, physiology of the character, powers, location of job and name, ect... Comments? Friend. ------------------ http://www.freewebs.com/salamie63/index.htm IP: Logged
CMCINTYRE3600 Member	posted March 19, 2003 09:40 AM I love it. It's great to see this character evolving, always in flux. I've noticed things finally start to settle down about half way through vol 2, but he never stops evolving. It's just at that point that he even starts to stabalize. But he's seen arguably flying in one panel, and falling in the next. It's everything I love about the Archives, and honestly it's one of my favorite Archive lines so far. I'm only up to vol 3 right now, but I'm enjoying every minute of it. Chris IP: Logged
srca1941 Member	posted March 19, 2003 11:13 AM I've only read the stories from Action Comics 1-6 so far (and am impatiantly waiting for Action Archives vol.1 in the mail to continue), but I'm loving it. Plastic Man, GA Green Lantern, Batman, etc. may have better/more consistant stories and art, but Superman has something that I just can't put my finger on. A quality that always leaves me wanting more! Like I said, I can't wait for Action vol.1 to arrive so I can keep reading these in the order of publication! -Steve ------------------ Visit "The Golden Years" http://www.goldenyears.cjb.net My "Future Archives" Page: http://www.dcarchives.cjb.net IP: Logged
friend Member	posted March 19, 2003 12:17 PM I think the reason(s) of Superman evolving so fast and the other characters being more consistent is due to the fact (which is a blessing and also a curse) that he was first. Siegal & Shuster kept having to put "rules" for the character. The other characters who came up after him (batman one year or so later) had a "road" paved for them (secret identity, ect...). The authors of other heroes, probably having read Superman studied what was good and bad... Another great thing I've seen is that some of Superman's early feats have been reproduced on film!!! I don't have the page but you can see in one story the man of steel pushing boulders to stop a flood like in Superman: the movie. It's like, even though some things have changed, the character (with the law later on) repeated many of his tactics to counter evil... Friend. ------------------ http://www.freewebs.com/salamie63/index.htm IP: Logged
James Friel Member	posted March 19, 2003 12:35 PM quote: Originally posted by friend: Hi, ...I was wondering what you guys think when you read these and every panel Superman is different - boots, emblem, physiology of the character, powers, location of job and name, ect... What they said. Siegel & Shuster were very young when they did the early work, and they invented the genre as they went along. It took years to get published, and some of it was cut up and re-pasted (quite possibly with other, newer material interpolated). No wonder it reads like a patchwork. Then when Superman was finally published, he was an overnight hit, and the demand for more material was sudden and strong, so they had to work fast. Quick and dirty always produces inconsistencies. IP: Logged
friend Member	posted March 19, 2003 12:46 PM Wow, I didn't know about that one (they pasted and interpoled new material) - you learn everyday... ------------------ http://www.freewebs.com/salamie63/index.htm IP: Logged
James Friel Member	posted March 19, 2003 12:49 PM quote: Originally posted by friend: Wow, I didn't know about that one (they pasted and interpoled new material) - you learn everyday... I don't know that they interpolated new material--that's conjecture on my part, but since it was originally intended as a newspaper strip, and had to be re-pated for comic book pages, the storytelling must have been affected. IP: Logged
friend Member	posted March 19, 2003 12:51 PM ...it makes a lot of sense though...great comment! ------------------ http://www.freewebs.com/salamie63/index.htm IP: Logged
whoswhoz Member	posted March 19, 2003 09:47 PM quote: Originally posted by friend: Wow, I didn't know about that one (they pasted and interpoled new material) - you learn everyday... The story in Action #1 was originally done as a newspaper strip. It was cut up and repasted to meet the deadline. Everything after that is new. However, all the stories in Superman #2 are reprints from the daily newspaper strip. Two of the stories in #3 are newspaper strip reprints and the other two are from Action 5 and 6. #4 is the first "new issue". By this point Shuster had set up a shop, which explains the rapid changes and art discontinuities. There are as many as 4 artists working on one story, including Wayne Boring, Paul Cassidy, Dennis Neville and Paul Lauretta. Things settle down by issue 11 when Leo Nowak and John Sikela begin splitting the art chores. And everything is pretty stable until after the war starts. Superman Archives 6 is a real art mish mash and also features the first stories that are not written by Jerry Siegel. Art is by Shuster, Nowak, Sikela, Ed Dobrotka, Pete Riss, George Roussos, Jack Burnley and other unidentified parties. I've wanted this one for years. IP: Logged
KryptoSuperDog Member	posted March 20, 2003 01:54 AM ...and you shall have it! And soon! I guess the announcement of this volume may set aside our speculation that they would put out a "Superman in World's Finest" volume this year. I dunno...anyone think we'll see two GA Supermans in one year? IP: Logged
James Friel Member	posted March 20, 2003 02:19 AM I don't. Especially not with both Supergirl and World's Finest impatiently waiting their turns too. IP: Logged
friend Member	posted March 20, 2003 06:49 AM I don't think either we'll see two different ga Superman - I wish we did though... But, if a movie is made (which is highly debatable) I predict (remember it was me) that the pace of production will increase... Friend. ------------------ http://www.freewebs.com/salamie63/index.htm IP: Logged
RIC Member	posted March 20, 2003 08:11 AM quote: Originally posted by whoswhoz: The story in Action #1 was originally done as a newspaper strip. It was cut up and repasted to meet the deadline. Everything after that is new. However, all the stories in Superman #2 are reprints from the daily newspaper strip. Two of the stories in #3 are newspaper strip reprints and the other two are from Action 5 and 6. #4 is the first "new issue". By this point Shuster had set up a shop, which explains the rapid changes and art discontinuities. There are as many as 4 artists working on one story, including Wayne Boring, Paul Cassidy, Dennis Neville and Paul Lauretta. Things settle down by issue 11 when Leo Nowak and John Sikela begin splitting the art chores. And everything is pretty stable until after the war starts. Superman Archives 6 is a real art mish mash and also features the first stories that are not written by Jerry Siegel. Art is by Shuster, Nowak, Sikela, Ed Dobrotka, Pete Riss, George Roussos, Jack Burnley and other unidentified parties. I've wanted this one for years. So, are the stories you mentioned above taken from the strips presented in the Kitchen Sink Superman Daily series? I haven't gotten around to reading past Superman volume 1, and Action volume 2, and haven't read the Daily books yet, either! I also find that raw energy, and that intangible fascination with these early Superman stories. It's like seeing the creators stretching out with new ideas for Superman's use of his powers, or Clark's relationship with Lois from one story to the next. It's very thrilling! IP: Logged
Pig Iron Member	posted March 20, 2003 10:48 AM When Sikela, etc..started taking over the art I feel that Supes started becoming one of my favorite Archives. Action 2-up, and Supes 3-up are becoming favorites of mine. I just love how Lois is always in trouble and falling out of planes and buildings. i never get tired of that. IP: Logged
friend Member	posted March 20, 2003 12:33 PM Lois falling off from ______________(fill in the blank). Doesn't get more classic than that... I think Lois should be in the Guinness record book for the number of times she was in dire danger... You know - someone write a book and list alphabetically the ways she almost died (in some issues she was more than once in danger...). Friend. ------------------ http://www.freewebs.com/salamie63/index.htm IP: Logged
CMCINTYRE3600 Member	posted March 20, 2003 01:05 PM While early Superman may seem pretty crude, there is an undenyable vigor. My girlfriend is an artist. A painter, actually. She has a number of shows coming up soon. She graduated from Mason Gross School of the Arts, one of the top Art colleges in the country. She teaches art at a small school to pre K through 12th graders. She also manages a small gallery. Suffice to say, she knows her art. And shen I first got Superman Archives vol 1, we were sitting on the couch and she looked over and noticed that there's a lot moremotion and fluidity in there than in any of my modern comics. She was really impressed with the art, and is actually reading that volume now. And she is not what I'd call a comic fan. She likes some Vertigo and Alex Ross, so I was surpised to see how much she got from these early Superman comics. Chris IP: Logged
whoswhoz Member	posted March 21, 2003 09:37 AM quote: Originally posted by RIC: So, are the stories you mentioned above taken from the strips presented in the Kitchen Sink Superman Daily series? I haven't gotten around to reading past Superman volume 1, and Action volume 2, and haven't read the Daily books yet, either! Yes, they're also in the Dailies book. The Dailies book has the best origin of Superman by the way- the first really complete version, with Jor-L and Lora and the science council and everything. The first comic book origin that had that stuff was the Superboy story in More Fun 101. IP: Logged
stoter1 Member	posted March 21, 2003 10:05 AM quote: Originally posted by Pig Iron: When Sikela, etc..started taking over the art I feel that Supes started becoming one of my favorite Archives. Action 2-up, and Supes 3-up are becoming favorites of mine. I just love how Lois is always in trouble and falling out of planes and buildings. i never get tired of that. Superman Archive 3 is by far my favorite, which is ironic, because I paid only 15 bucks for it, whcih is the least I have ever paid for an archive. I anxiously awai Superman V. 6, whcih has now officially been solicited. IP: Logged
friend Member	posted March 21, 2003 12:50 PM Some years ago, I'd buy some used comics. Once I had a chance to buy a Superman used archive. I stepped aside. No way for these. I want them brand new, in the plastic with the smell of inked paper... They're not just great stories, they're great just to look at in a library... Friend. ------------------ http://www.freewebs.com/salamie63/index.htm IP: Logged

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