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Superman: The Action Comics Archives #2
Superman: The Action Comics Archives, Vol. 2
Collects the classic adventures of the Man of Steel as he battles to protect the innocent against criminals, crooked cops, and villains including the Domino, Lex Luthor, and the Puzzler.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1998
About the author
Jerry Siegel
607 books76 followersJerome "Jerry" Siegel, who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S. Fine, was the American co-creator of Superman (along with Joe Shuster), the first of the great comic book superheroes and one of the most recognizable icons of the 20th century.
He and Shuster were inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1993.
He and Shuster were inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1993.
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March 20, 2023
(Warning right from the start: This is a really long post. If you don’t like long posts, please just move along.) 🙂
Just finished reading Superman: The Action Comics Archives Volume 2 (1998). Reprints the Superman stories from Action Comics #21-36 (February 1940-May 1941; actual release dates December 1939-March 1941).
Creators (as credited in this volume): Writer: Jerry Siegel. Artists: “Joe Shuster and the Superman Studio*”, Jack Burnley. Covers artists: Joe Shuster, Wayne Boring, Fred Ray.
(*Grand Comics Database identities some of these artists as being Paul Cassidy, Paul Lauretta, Dennis Neville, and Wayne Boring, and gives Paul Cassidy and Leo Nowak as inkers on Joe Shuster’s covers.)
First, a recap on the DC Archives (if you don’t care about this, skip down about six paragraphs): The DC Archives (a.k.a., “DC Archive Editions”), was DC’s first real attempt at high quality reprint collection books covering long consecutive runs of issues. It started with “Superman Archives” Volume 1 in 1989 and ran until 2014 (the final volume being “Superman: The Man of Tomorrow” Volume 4). The Archives line was subsequently replaced by the DC Omnibus line, which went back and rereleased much of the material from the Archives (the “golden age” Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman stories in a much more convenient way than the Archives) and carried the reprints on past where the Archives left off.
One of the decisions the creators of the Archives line had to come to right from the start was in how to release the late 1930s and 1940s Superman and Batman stories as those were going to be their first two releases. Instead of character specific lines that would include *all* of Superman’s (or Batman’s) stories from the various titles he appeared in, they instead decided to release *title* specific Archives lines.
So, the first “Superman Archives” (Volume 1, 1989) contained all of the Superman stories from “Superman” #1-4 (1939-1940). The second released, “Superman Archives” Volume 2 (1990), “Superman” #5-8 (1940). The third, “Superman Archives” Volume 3 (1991), “Superman” #9-12 (1941). And the fourth, “Superman Archives” Volume 4 (1994), “Superman” #13-16 (1941-1942).
It wasn’t until after releasing “Superman Archives” Volume 4 that DC finally released the first volume reprinting the Superman stories from “Action Comics” (despite “Action” being the first title Superman actually appeared in and being the only *monthly* “Superman” comic book at the time), releasing “Superman: The Action Comics Archives” Volume 1 in 1997, reprinting the Superman stories from “Action Comics” #1 and #7-20 (1938-1939). (The stories from “Action” #1-6 were already included in “Superman Archives” Volume 1 as they had been reused in the early issues of the “Superman” quarterly comic book).
(It would be even much longer before we got the 1939-1944 Superman stories from “World’s Finest Comics”. In 2004, we got the first couple Superman stories from the 1939 and 1940 “New York Worlds Fair Comics” in “DC Comics Rarities Archives” Volume 1, and ���Superman: The World’s Finest Comics Archives” Volume 1 (also 2004), which also reprinted those “New York World’s Fair” stories plus those in “World’s Finest Comics” #1-15 (1941-1944). (And, yes, the first issue of “World’s Finest Comics” was actually titled “World’s Best Comics”.))
So, yes, very confusing to most people, I know. And cumbersome even for those of us who have all of the Archives and who want to read the stories in the order they originally came out in, having to jump back and forth between the various volumes. (The reprints lines that followed—“The Superman Chronicles” trade paperbacks, “Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus” hardbacks, and the “Superman: The Golden Age” trade paperbacks—all saved their readers this hassle by resorting and releasing all of the Superman stories in original release order.)
So, all of that said, again, the volume I just finished reading is “Superman: The Action Comics Archives” Volume 2 (1998).
Full disclosure, I read most of this book (covering “Action Comics” #21-30)—along with the other Superman Archives and also Superman newspaper strips books—from December 2020 to February 2021. I then put the Superman reading aside for other more pressing stuff (probably mostly public library books with actual due back dates, which is usually why things I actually own get put on the back burner). I then read “Action” #31-32 in June 2021. Then didn’t get back to it again (“Action” #33-36) until just now (March 2023).
So, technically, it took me from December 2020 to March 2023 to read this one volume. At the same time, this will go down in my GoodReads tallies as a book read in 2023 (when in reality I only read the last 42 pages of it in 2023). Oh well.
Ok, ok, back to the book itself. I have to admit, I’ve always had a preference for Superman’s stories in “Action Comics” over his other titles. Why? It’s hard to say. When I first started reading comics in the late 1970s and 1980s, the Superman stories in “Action Comics” were pretty much identical in style to in ones in the “Superman” title. Maybe it was because I knew “Action Comics” came first. Then, again, maybe it was because early on I was able to put together a much longer run of consecutive back issues of “Action Comics” in my collection than I could of “Superman”.
Whatever the case, in regards to these Golden Age issues of “Action Comics”, Superman was clearly the lead feature. Just one Superman story per monthly issue of “Action Comics”, followed by a bunch of other non Superman stories. (It actually took them over a year to make Superman the permanent cover feature (starting with “Action Comics” #19, December 1939), but he always had the lead off spot when one opened the comic book up.)
During the time period covered in this volume, 1940 to 1941 cover dates (late 1939 to 1941 in regards to when they actually came out), one can see the transition from the rough, squat, bulky Superman drawn by original artist Joe Shuster, to cleaner (“slicker”) art by those working uncredited in his art studio and by my personal favorite Superman artist of this period, Jack Burnley. Burnley was the very first artist DC (then under the company name of Detective Comics) hired to draw Superman stories outside of Shuster’s studio. Burnley has a much more fluid, graceful style to his figures. For the first time Superman appears to be actually flying in the way that we all think of rather than “leaping” or seemingly running in the air. And Burnley’s Lois Lane (and other damsels in distress) are beautiful, more similar to those you’d see in the Flash Gordon newspaper strips of the time.
Sadly, Burnley didn’t draw that many Superman stories during this period (he only draws seven of the sixteen stories in this volume, “Action Comics” #28-34). He was soon after this chosen to be the first artist on the Starman feature in “Adventure Comics”.
(Burnley was also the very first artist to draw the characters of Superman and Batman—and Robin, too—together, on the cover of the 1940 “New York World’s Fair Comics”, which was also the first comic to feature separate Superman and Batman stories in the same issue.)
Other than Jack Burnley’s art, what I like best about this volume is that pretty clear progression one can see in how Superman and his stories were drawn over basically the second year of his existence (the one real advantage of splitting up the “Action Comics” Superman stories from by this time bi-monthly “Superman” series ones). If one wants merely an *overview* of Superman’s earliest years, one could get pretty much that just from the “Action Comics” and “World’s Finest” Archives series.
The stories themselves might be a bit difficult to read through, especially a lot of them in one setting, as they can be quite repetitive. Superman versus racketeers, gangsters, war profiteers (at the time these stories came out Pearl Harbor hadn’t happened yet and the United States was still a neutral party in the growing war in Europe), and the occasional evil scientists. One of which being Lex Luthor, who first appeared in “Action Comics” #23 (April 1940) and quickly became Superman’s second recurring villain after the Ultra-Humanite (who appeared first but was gone after only six appearances from 1939-1940). Luthor would quickly start turning up not only in the “Action Comics” and “Superman” comic books but also in the Superman newspaper strip (although he’s only in one story in this Archives volume).
So, while I enjoyed this volume very much (giving it five out of five stars on GoodReads), I do not recommend it as a “read straight through, cover to cover” book. Instead, it works much better (as do most golden age comic book reprint collections) as a book one might read a few stories every now and then.
I should probably also talk about the gradual development of the Superman mythos over the course of the stories in this volume. At the start of it, Clark Kent and Lois Lane still work for “The Daily Star” newspaper and their boss is editor George Taylor. By the end, a year later, it is Perry White and “The Daily Planet”.
Of course, these changed happened with no explanation and didn’t necessarily first happen in these stories in this volume. Some elements changed for the first time in the Superman comic book, and others in the Superman newspaper strip.
I can say for certain that the changes didn’t happen at the same time for both the comics and the strips.
Here’s what I *believe* is correct:
The newspaper Clark and Lois work for first called “The Daily Star” in the comic books: “Action Comics” #1 (cover date June 1938; on sale date April 18, 1938) until “Superman” #4 (Spring 1940; on sale date February 14, 1940) and “Action Comics” #23 (April 1940; on sale date February 23, 1940). (Notable exceptions: Clark Kent said to work for “The Evening News” in “Action Comics” #3 and #4.) Newspaper first called “The Daily Planet” in the comic books in “Action Comics” #23.
In the Superman newspaper strips: Newspaper called “The Daily Star” from the start of both strips (dailies started January 16, 1939, Sundays started November 5, 1939) until the November 13, 1939 daily strip and the December 10, 1939 Sunday strip, at which point both first mentioned it as “The Daily Planet”. (So, prior to the “Action Comics” #23 first comic book by a good three months.)
George Taylor as editor: In the comic books up to “Action Comics” #30 (cover date November 1940, on sale date September 20, 1940). First time called “White” in “Superman” #7 (cover date November-December 1940; on sale date September 6, 1940). His first appearance in “Action Comics” was in “Action” #33 (cover date February 1941; on sale date December 20, 1940).
(Editor “White” first appears *anywhere* on “The Adventures of Superman” radio show, February 1940 episode (“Clark Kent, Reporter”), predating the change in the comic books by seven months.)
The last George Taylor mention in the daily comic strip is (I think) in “The Death Ray” story sequence from May 23 to July 5, 1941. The first Perry White mention (I think) is April 6, 1942. (So, nearly a year later, and a year and a half after White’s first appearance by name in the comic books. Lots of daily strips in between July 5, 1941, and April 6, 1942, though, with the editor either not seen or simply called “Chief”.)
Last George Taylor mention in the Sunday newspaper strip is, well, I’m not sure. I gave up trying to find it. The first Perry White reference there is (again, I think) not until December 13, 1942. (Again, like in the daily strips, long periods where the editor wouldn’t appear at all and others where he’s just called “Chief”.)
In *this* volume the switch to The Daily Planet happens near the start of the book (“Action Comics” #23), and Perry White is mentioned by name for the first time near the end (“Action Comics” #33). Which is kind of cool that you get both in the same volume.
For those wondering, the specific stories in “Superman: The Action Comics Archives” Volume 2 can also be acquired in:
“The Superman Chronicles” Volume 3 (2007) (“Action” #21-25), Volume 4 (2008) (“Action” #26-31), Volume 5 (2008) (“Action” #32-36);
“Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus” Volume 1 (2013) (“Action” #1-31), Volume 2 (2016) (“Action” #32-36, and beyond that to #50);
“Superman: The Golden Age” (trade paperbacks) Volume 2 (2016) (“Action” #21-31; actually #20, too), Volume 3 (2017) (“Action” #32-36, and beyond to #40);
And also digitally on DC Universe Infinite (DC’s paid digital comics subscription service) and sold separately for Amazon Kindle.
Just finished reading Superman: The Action Comics Archives Volume 2 (1998). Reprints the Superman stories from Action Comics #21-36 (February 1940-May 1941; actual release dates December 1939-March 1941).
Creators (as credited in this volume): Writer: Jerry Siegel. Artists: “Joe Shuster and the Superman Studio*”, Jack Burnley. Covers artists: Joe Shuster, Wayne Boring, Fred Ray.
(*Grand Comics Database identities some of these artists as being Paul Cassidy, Paul Lauretta, Dennis Neville, and Wayne Boring, and gives Paul Cassidy and Leo Nowak as inkers on Joe Shuster’s covers.)
First, a recap on the DC Archives (if you don’t care about this, skip down about six paragraphs): The DC Archives (a.k.a., “DC Archive Editions”), was DC’s first real attempt at high quality reprint collection books covering long consecutive runs of issues. It started with “Superman Archives” Volume 1 in 1989 and ran until 2014 (the final volume being “Superman: The Man of Tomorrow” Volume 4). The Archives line was subsequently replaced by the DC Omnibus line, which went back and rereleased much of the material from the Archives (the “golden age” Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman stories in a much more convenient way than the Archives) and carried the reprints on past where the Archives left off.
One of the decisions the creators of the Archives line had to come to right from the start was in how to release the late 1930s and 1940s Superman and Batman stories as those were going to be their first two releases. Instead of character specific lines that would include *all* of Superman’s (or Batman’s) stories from the various titles he appeared in, they instead decided to release *title* specific Archives lines.
So, the first “Superman Archives” (Volume 1, 1989) contained all of the Superman stories from “Superman” #1-4 (1939-1940). The second released, “Superman Archives” Volume 2 (1990), “Superman” #5-8 (1940). The third, “Superman Archives” Volume 3 (1991), “Superman” #9-12 (1941). And the fourth, “Superman Archives” Volume 4 (1994), “Superman” #13-16 (1941-1942).
It wasn’t until after releasing “Superman Archives” Volume 4 that DC finally released the first volume reprinting the Superman stories from “Action Comics” (despite “Action” being the first title Superman actually appeared in and being the only *monthly* “Superman” comic book at the time), releasing “Superman: The Action Comics Archives” Volume 1 in 1997, reprinting the Superman stories from “Action Comics” #1 and #7-20 (1938-1939). (The stories from “Action” #1-6 were already included in “Superman Archives” Volume 1 as they had been reused in the early issues of the “Superman” quarterly comic book).
(It would be even much longer before we got the 1939-1944 Superman stories from “World’s Finest Comics”. In 2004, we got the first couple Superman stories from the 1939 and 1940 “New York Worlds Fair Comics” in “DC Comics Rarities Archives” Volume 1, and ���Superman: The World’s Finest Comics Archives” Volume 1 (also 2004), which also reprinted those “New York World’s Fair” stories plus those in “World’s Finest Comics” #1-15 (1941-1944). (And, yes, the first issue of “World’s Finest Comics” was actually titled “World’s Best Comics”.))
So, yes, very confusing to most people, I know. And cumbersome even for those of us who have all of the Archives and who want to read the stories in the order they originally came out in, having to jump back and forth between the various volumes. (The reprints lines that followed—“The Superman Chronicles” trade paperbacks, “Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus” hardbacks, and the “Superman: The Golden Age” trade paperbacks—all saved their readers this hassle by resorting and releasing all of the Superman stories in original release order.)
So, all of that said, again, the volume I just finished reading is “Superman: The Action Comics Archives” Volume 2 (1998).
Full disclosure, I read most of this book (covering “Action Comics” #21-30)—along with the other Superman Archives and also Superman newspaper strips books—from December 2020 to February 2021. I then put the Superman reading aside for other more pressing stuff (probably mostly public library books with actual due back dates, which is usually why things I actually own get put on the back burner). I then read “Action” #31-32 in June 2021. Then didn’t get back to it again (“Action” #33-36) until just now (March 2023).
So, technically, it took me from December 2020 to March 2023 to read this one volume. At the same time, this will go down in my GoodReads tallies as a book read in 2023 (when in reality I only read the last 42 pages of it in 2023). Oh well.
Ok, ok, back to the book itself. I have to admit, I’ve always had a preference for Superman’s stories in “Action Comics” over his other titles. Why? It’s hard to say. When I first started reading comics in the late 1970s and 1980s, the Superman stories in “Action Comics” were pretty much identical in style to in ones in the “Superman” title. Maybe it was because I knew “Action Comics” came first. Then, again, maybe it was because early on I was able to put together a much longer run of consecutive back issues of “Action Comics” in my collection than I could of “Superman”.
Whatever the case, in regards to these Golden Age issues of “Action Comics”, Superman was clearly the lead feature. Just one Superman story per monthly issue of “Action Comics”, followed by a bunch of other non Superman stories. (It actually took them over a year to make Superman the permanent cover feature (starting with “Action Comics” #19, December 1939), but he always had the lead off spot when one opened the comic book up.)
During the time period covered in this volume, 1940 to 1941 cover dates (late 1939 to 1941 in regards to when they actually came out), one can see the transition from the rough, squat, bulky Superman drawn by original artist Joe Shuster, to cleaner (“slicker”) art by those working uncredited in his art studio and by my personal favorite Superman artist of this period, Jack Burnley. Burnley was the very first artist DC (then under the company name of Detective Comics) hired to draw Superman stories outside of Shuster’s studio. Burnley has a much more fluid, graceful style to his figures. For the first time Superman appears to be actually flying in the way that we all think of rather than “leaping” or seemingly running in the air. And Burnley’s Lois Lane (and other damsels in distress) are beautiful, more similar to those you’d see in the Flash Gordon newspaper strips of the time.
Sadly, Burnley didn’t draw that many Superman stories during this period (he only draws seven of the sixteen stories in this volume, “Action Comics” #28-34). He was soon after this chosen to be the first artist on the Starman feature in “Adventure Comics”.
(Burnley was also the very first artist to draw the characters of Superman and Batman—and Robin, too—together, on the cover of the 1940 “New York World’s Fair Comics”, which was also the first comic to feature separate Superman and Batman stories in the same issue.)
Other than Jack Burnley’s art, what I like best about this volume is that pretty clear progression one can see in how Superman and his stories were drawn over basically the second year of his existence (the one real advantage of splitting up the “Action Comics” Superman stories from by this time bi-monthly “Superman” series ones). If one wants merely an *overview* of Superman’s earliest years, one could get pretty much that just from the “Action Comics” and “World’s Finest” Archives series.
The stories themselves might be a bit difficult to read through, especially a lot of them in one setting, as they can be quite repetitive. Superman versus racketeers, gangsters, war profiteers (at the time these stories came out Pearl Harbor hadn’t happened yet and the United States was still a neutral party in the growing war in Europe), and the occasional evil scientists. One of which being Lex Luthor, who first appeared in “Action Comics” #23 (April 1940) and quickly became Superman’s second recurring villain after the Ultra-Humanite (who appeared first but was gone after only six appearances from 1939-1940). Luthor would quickly start turning up not only in the “Action Comics” and “Superman” comic books but also in the Superman newspaper strip (although he’s only in one story in this Archives volume).
So, while I enjoyed this volume very much (giving it five out of five stars on GoodReads), I do not recommend it as a “read straight through, cover to cover” book. Instead, it works much better (as do most golden age comic book reprint collections) as a book one might read a few stories every now and then.
I should probably also talk about the gradual development of the Superman mythos over the course of the stories in this volume. At the start of it, Clark Kent and Lois Lane still work for “The Daily Star” newspaper and their boss is editor George Taylor. By the end, a year later, it is Perry White and “The Daily Planet”.
Of course, these changed happened with no explanation and didn’t necessarily first happen in these stories in this volume. Some elements changed for the first time in the Superman comic book, and others in the Superman newspaper strip.
I can say for certain that the changes didn’t happen at the same time for both the comics and the strips.
Here’s what I *believe* is correct:
The newspaper Clark and Lois work for first called “The Daily Star” in the comic books: “Action Comics” #1 (cover date June 1938; on sale date April 18, 1938) until “Superman” #4 (Spring 1940; on sale date February 14, 1940) and “Action Comics” #23 (April 1940; on sale date February 23, 1940). (Notable exceptions: Clark Kent said to work for “The Evening News” in “Action Comics” #3 and #4.) Newspaper first called “The Daily Planet” in the comic books in “Action Comics” #23.
In the Superman newspaper strips: Newspaper called “The Daily Star” from the start of both strips (dailies started January 16, 1939, Sundays started November 5, 1939) until the November 13, 1939 daily strip and the December 10, 1939 Sunday strip, at which point both first mentioned it as “The Daily Planet”. (So, prior to the “Action Comics” #23 first comic book by a good three months.)
George Taylor as editor: In the comic books up to “Action Comics” #30 (cover date November 1940, on sale date September 20, 1940). First time called “White” in “Superman” #7 (cover date November-December 1940; on sale date September 6, 1940). His first appearance in “Action Comics” was in “Action” #33 (cover date February 1941; on sale date December 20, 1940).
(Editor “White” first appears *anywhere* on “The Adventures of Superman” radio show, February 1940 episode (“Clark Kent, Reporter”), predating the change in the comic books by seven months.)
The last George Taylor mention in the daily comic strip is (I think) in “The Death Ray” story sequence from May 23 to July 5, 1941. The first Perry White mention (I think) is April 6, 1942. (So, nearly a year later, and a year and a half after White’s first appearance by name in the comic books. Lots of daily strips in between July 5, 1941, and April 6, 1942, though, with the editor either not seen or simply called “Chief”.)
Last George Taylor mention in the Sunday newspaper strip is, well, I’m not sure. I gave up trying to find it. The first Perry White reference there is (again, I think) not until December 13, 1942. (Again, like in the daily strips, long periods where the editor wouldn’t appear at all and others where he’s just called “Chief”.)
In *this* volume the switch to The Daily Planet happens near the start of the book (“Action Comics” #23), and Perry White is mentioned by name for the first time near the end (“Action Comics” #33). Which is kind of cool that you get both in the same volume.
For those wondering, the specific stories in “Superman: The Action Comics Archives” Volume 2 can also be acquired in:
“The Superman Chronicles” Volume 3 (2007) (“Action” #21-25), Volume 4 (2008) (“Action” #26-31), Volume 5 (2008) (“Action” #32-36);
“Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus” Volume 1 (2013) (“Action” #1-31), Volume 2 (2016) (“Action” #32-36, and beyond that to #50);
“Superman: The Golden Age” (trade paperbacks) Volume 2 (2016) (“Action” #21-31; actually #20, too), Volume 3 (2017) (“Action” #32-36, and beyond to #40);
And also digitally on DC Universe Infinite (DC’s paid digital comics subscription service) and sold separately for Amazon Kindle.
September 16, 2022
Turns out the older Superman stories area not really very good.
January 22, 2013
Pulpy, formulaic, but enthusiastic and fun. Plus, Joe Shuster remains my favorite Superman artist - the barrel-chested, squinty-eyed circus strongman is a great visual!
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