Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #97 (1969)

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #97 (November, 1969)
"The Three Super Sirens!"
"The Mystery of Skull Island!"
by Henry Boltinoff & Irv Novick
Cover Price: $0.15

We have two titanic tales to discuss today.  Pour an extra cup Brew an extra pot of coffee, I think we may need it.

--

Our first story is "The Three Super Sirens", and focuses on the past loves of the Man of Steel.  We open on Perry White telling Lois and Clark to head out to Sunken Cove.  A sea monster had reportedly been spotted, and Perry wants coverage on what he believes to be a hoax.  It's funny, Perry White has met Superman... he lives in a fantastical world, yet feels this Sea Monster report must be a hoax.  It's always funny comparing the "line" insofar as how far one will suspend their disbelief in comic book situations.

Lois and Clark head out, only to find that, get this, there is in fact a sea monster.  Clark runs off to change into Superman.  I very seldom read books of this vintage, I was unaware that Clark was something of an overt coward.  I always thought he would disappear during a distraction to change into Superman... here, he just bolts... leaving a protesting Lois alone with the beast!

Superman returns to the scene and Lois advises him that the sea monster vanished.  Looking out into the water, Superman is shocked to see his former squeeze, the mermaid Lori Lemaris.  He recounts his past with Lori... how they met and fell in love.  I thinks about how Lori became ill, and how he brought her to a Water World to save her.  On that Water World, Lori fell in love with and married a man named Ronal.

Lori tells Superman that Ronal has since passed, and she realizes she's in love with him.  Superman falls under something of a trance, and lunges toward Lori... embracing and planting a kiss on her.  She vanishes a moment later.  Superman pops down to Atlantis to see if she'd returned home, however, cannot locate her.

The next day, Lois meets Professor Danton at the Daily Planet.  He is an inventor who was experimenting with synthetic quartz crystals, and is desperately seeking Superman.  Wouldn't you know it, the crystals transformed into a living and rampaging beast.

Lois confronts the Crystal Thing, and tries to take it's picture for the Planet (I guess Jimmy was unavailable to be the human decoy this day).  The Thing ensnares her in crystal, just in time for Superman to arrive on the scene.  Knowing how tough a substance quartz is, Superman knows his best bet to humanely deal with this beast is to trap it.  He proceeds to hollow out a mountain of coal, presses the coal into diamond, and lures the best inside.  When the Thing arrives, Superman slips past him and seals the entrance.

As the fracas cools down, Superman is greeted by another past love, Kryptonian actress Lyla Lerrol.  Superman had met (and fell in love with) her after breaking the time-barrier.  He wound up on a pre-exploded Krypton.  Superman recounts a toast he and Lyla shared with his parents Jor-El and Lara.  Their entanglement ended when Kal and Lyla were acting in a Kryptonian film, and one of the "prop" spaceships on set actually blasted him through space.  Lyla, like Lori before her vanishes.

That evening, Lois invites Superman to her apartment for a home-cooked meal... hmm, yeah... this isn't any Lois I know.  As they are about to dine, in through the window swoops Luma Lynai, yet another of Superman's past loves.  The man certainly got around back then.  Luma and Kal were part of the first computer dating service for superheroes.  Superman wanted to marry "someone super" so he wouldn't have to worry about harm befalling her.  His cousin Supergirl made him a profile on supers-mingle.com, and found him the lovely Luma.

Luma was a super, however, it was only due to the orange sun of her home planet.  When Superman brought her to our solar system, he discovered that our yellow sun brought her great pain.  In the present, Luma tells Superman she's found an "antidote" and can now live on Earth with him.  She, as is the pattern, vanishes.  Superman gives chase in attempt to solve the mystery... or make-out some more.

Lois, now alone in her apartment, is ambushed by three Durlans... the Chameleon Girls, who have been impersonating the many loves of Superman.  They tie her up and leave.  She easily maneuvers out of her bindings, and notices that the Chameleon Girls are quite sloppy... they'd left their space radio behind.

At the Daily Planet, Superman notices his paramours have assembled atop the building.  Under a trance, Superman approaches the women... promising to go with them.

Lois arrives, and in a moment of hopeful insanity, throws herself from the top of the building.  Superman breaks free from the trance, and plunges down to save Lois.  As they return to the roof, the witness the Durlan Police arriving to arrest the 'Girls.  Lois contacted them with the space radio.  A satisfied Lois basks in the fact that she was able to break Superman free of the trance of his former loves, and knows she still has a chance of becoming Mrs. Superman.

--

Our second story is reminiscent of several old black-and-white two-reel shorts I've seen.  It's something of a murder mystery that takes place at a spooky old mansion.  Perry has arranged it so Lois and Clark will work for horror-actor Carlos Floyd as his maid and butler respectively.

Floyd claims that his wife has fallen gravely ill and is bed-ridden, although we know better than that... clearly, the poor woman's dead.  Lois' intuition kicks in and she feels something is amiss.  Floyd uses everything from a dictaphone, to phony women's arms to keep up the rouse that his wife is still alive.  He even dons lipstick before drinking so as to give the impression that a woman had drank from the glass.

Lois truly takes the starring role during this one.  Clark is in the background for much of it, sneaking away to super-power his way through chores without being spotted.  Lois discovers a mannequin resembling Mrs. Floyd in a closet, and decides to set Mr. Floyd up.

Mr. Floyd would take his deathly ill bed-ridden wife out to... sunbathe each afternoon.  He would rub sun-tan lotion on her back, while she laid there... you see, she laid there because she's a mannequin.  Yeah...

Later, Lois empties the bottle of sun-tan lotion to see how Floyd would react.  Just as she suspected, he did not notice... he wasn't really smearing sun-tan lotion all over a mannequin, after all.

The next evening after sharing her suspicions with Clark, Lois sneaks upstairs and dons the mannequin's blonde wig.  This is the night of a grand ball and movie viewing at the Floyd estate.  A man approaches, threatening to kill her.  This is the man who actually killed Mrs. Floyd back in England... mistakenly believing she was still among the living, he's returned to finish the job.

Once more, Lois falls from a high place... and wouldn'tcha know it, Superman swoops (wooshes) in to save her.  It turns out that the mannequin was wired to a concealed camera that would snap an infrared picture when someone approached.

It turns out that it was Sidney Willis, the former lawyer of Mrs. Floyd who committed the murder.  He was somehow the beneficiary in  her will, and killed her to pay off his gambling debts.  The entire ball and movie viewing was set up to trap the killer into returning to the scene.

Job well done, Lois hugs Superman as he winks to the camera... and we are out.

--

Well, these were certainly stories.

It's issues like this that I have a special difficulty really "reviewing" (if anything I do here at the blog can truly be called a "review", that is).  It's a relic.  There's a certain amount of comics dissonance here... I did not enjoy it, but I had fun reading it... if that makes any sense at all.  Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane is an odd time-capsule of a book, and is interesting to behold if viewed that way.

This is Lois' title... yet it's still a super hero book.  I would figure that a Lois Lane book would focus more on her investigative journalism, or perhaps feature more personal stories... granted, I am viewing this through the prism of 2016 comics sensibilities.  The fact that this series had such staying power puzzles me as well.  This is the 97th issue of this title.  Flagship titles don't make it that far these days... and a book with Lois Lane in the title did.  Such different and fascinating times.

The stories featured in this issue were fairly shallow.  The writing was good, if not convenient (which is no indictment on quality... simply a sign of the times) and the art was very good.  This book comes from a time wherein creative teams did not receive credit for their work.  This issue has no "creator credits".  I did a bit of research, and the consensus is that these stories were written by Henry Boltinoff and drawn by Irv Novick.  I concede that this may not in actuality be the case, if I learn any different I will make the appropriate changes.

My biggest takeaways from this issue are that a) Lois Lane likes to fall off of high things, and b) Superman is a hopeless romantic who harbors a marriage fetish.  In this issue alone we observe three separate scenes in which Superman discusses or flat out proposes marriage to different women.

It's interesting that at a time wherein these books were overtly aimed at children, nobody was afraid of alienating their audience by having Superman consider marriage.  No one appeared worried that being of marrying age, and with marrying interest, Superman's relatability would be harmed.  Again, different times... guess this is before making excuses for market shrinkage was an industry requirement.

This issue is a solid C.  Not worth tracking down at a premium... if you come across it in the cheap-o's (like I did), I suppose you can do far worse.

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Interesting Ads:

This is a neat one... promoting the first ever episode of Sesame Street

These ads will never not be creepy...

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Goodies:

At first glance, I swore they were talking about "LANA" spelled backwards...
and thought things were about to get real...

[Bin Beat] Early Morning Hunts

No rest for the weary this weekend.  Early morning appointments hindered our ability to sleep in... inconvenient perhaps, yet a comic book hunter can see any untimely outing as an opportunity to hit the bins.

Our appointment was on the other side of town, putting us not too far off from one of our normal used-book haunts (Bookman's).  This was something of a novelty, as our timing kind of messed with the dynamics of the visit.  The store is usually rather bustling throughout the weekend, however, at this early hour it was almost as though I had the comic section to myself.

Saturday, 3/5/16 Bookman's finds

I was very tempted to scoop up the run on All-Star Squadron they had... however, I was far too overwhelmed... didn't even know where to start, and didn't want to walk out spending too much.  I was content with my findings, I don't normally see Green Lantern Corps Quarterly in the wild.  Superman: American Alien #3 is one that I somehow neglected when filling out my DCBS order a few months back, so I was happy to grab that (at $1.60, no less).  The "big" find of the day was likely the goofy Superman Meets the Quik Bunny promotional issue.  I had never heard of it before, and once I saw it... I knew I had to have it.  At 40-cents, I couldn't resist.

Sunday morning saw us in the neighborhood of one of our local Half-Price Books.  I wasn't going to drop in, as HPB has coupons running all this coming week.  I figure I'll be popping in a couple of times throughout the sale.  I'm glad I stopped in, as they just tossed another bunch of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero's into the quarter-bin.  Again, at the early hour there weren't any lookie-loos (you know, the people who walk over to the comics... rustle through them like they know what they're looking for... and two seconds later, walk away).  I was glad to have this section to myself as well.

Sunday, 3/6/16 Half-Price Books finds

Along with the Joe's, I grabbed a couple old Image's, Secret Origins #1, and an issue from the Angel and the Ape mini-series.  I just can't resist the allure of a quarter-bin... I probably need help.

There was a fella who bellied up to the bins when I was on my way out... He actually went to the "collectibles" section of the store and grabbed an Overstreet Price Guide from around the turn of the century (it had an Alex Ross cover homage of Fantastic Four #1)... evidently, he was looking to make a big score.  Poor guy didn't even realize like half the books in those bins weren't even out when that guide was published... Sadly, this is not the first time I've experienced this phenomenon.  There are folks out there who think they're gonna get rich at the bins... still.  Oh well... no harm, no foul I guess.

Pretty decent weekend of finds.  Plenty more to squeeze into the to-read pile(s).  While I'm posting, here are the past two-weeks worth of DCBS orders... one huge week, one little one.

That's about all.  Good luck at the bins, and if your neck of the woods has a Half-Price Books... here are this week's coupons.  Hope they can be of help!

Thanks for reading.

Superman Meets the Quik Bunny (1987)

Superman Meets the Quik Bunny (1987)
"Quik Thinking"
Writer - Mike Carlin
Layout Art - Carmine Infantino
Finished Art - Dick Giordano
Letterer - John Costanza
Colorist - Liz Berube
Editor - Joey Cavalieri
Exec. Editor - Joe Orlando
Special Thanks - Bob Rozakis

I figure I'd wrap up Superman's Birthday week on a lighter note with this silly tale.  Superman Meets the Quik Bunny was a promotional comic by Nestle Food Corporation and DC Comics.  Superman is no stranger to these odd giveaway issues... I believe I have a Radio Shack promo where Superman meets the "Whiz Kids" kicking around somewhere in the library.

I happened to come across this issue just today in a cheap-o bins, and thought it would be a fun way to close out the week.  It is fun, no doubt... but, is it any good?  Let's find out...

--

The weather has gone haywire in Metropolis.  One moment there's sunshine, the next has storms so intense that flash floods break out.  Superman expresses concern as he rescues a young boy from a fire escape.

In the nearby Metropolis suburbs, a group of children and one brown rabbit are putting the finishing touches on their totally rad clubhouse... er, qlubhouse.  Here we meet the intrepid Quik Qlub, Ronnie, Patty, Miguel, and Maureen.  While taking a delicious Nestle Quik break, the foursome (plus the Quik Bunny) try and watch some cartoons.  To their dismay, the 'toons have been preempted due to the erratic weather news.  They see Superman successfully rescue the young boy from the opening page and worry that Superman won't be able to save the day this time.

The Quik Bunny quickly (er, quikly) calls them out, tells them that their worrying won't do Superman a lick of good... and prods them into actually helping him.  They don't feel as though they can help, after all they're "just kids".

"Just Kids??!" The Quik Bunny retorts.  These are not your garden variety paste-eating children... These are members of the Quik Qlub... and they each bring something unique to the proceedings.

There is not a single inch of planet Earth that Ronnie has not studied.  He knows literally everything about geography.  He is also a highly trained engineer who, in his spare time, works on airplanes at Ferris Aircraft.

Patty's school science club often gets called upon by NASA when their wi-fi goes out.  It is said that Patty is responsible for the creation of Velcro, sliced bread, and clip-on ties.  She may in fact be the New-52 Mr. Terrific's mother and ultimately responsible for the Brother Eye project.

Miguel is the result of a super spy program, sent in by a foreign super power in attempt to gain entrance into the most clandestine intelligence organization in the west... the Quik Qlub.  He unfortunately has a debilitating lisp rendering his communication skills somewhat moot.

If the Post-Flashpoint DC Universe needs an Oracle, I now know where they can find one...









Newly inspired, the Qlub members pounce into action.  The girls let the gang in on some special equipment they'd rigged for the club... qlub... when they transform the tree house into a helicopter... quik qopter, sorry.  Our heroes are now Metropolis bound.





In Metropolis we come to find out who is responsible for the Weather Wackiness... its, get this... the Weather Wizard.  After spotting Superman, the Wizard summons a bolt of lightning to hit the Man of Steel.  It is left to us (yes, us... me and you) to guide Superman out of the city so that the bolt of lightning will explode in the Atlantic Ocean, rather than in Metropolis.  I'm not sure that's how lightning works, but I suppose we can play along.  The book says to guide Superman with a pen or pencil... but I'm thinking a finger will work just fine.

Okay... that was a close one, you still with me?  Good.

The Quik Qlub observe the weather oddities from their qopter qlubhouse.  Turning to their computer for the weather info, the qlub-mates are surprised to find that due to a malfunction... the data is coming out all scrambled.  So much for Maureen's hacking skills.  We now turn to super spy Miguel to crack the code.  Only, Miguel cannot do it alone.  Who can Miguel call on for help?  Yeah, us again... let's see if we can't help Miguel slack off in his only Quik Qlub duty, shall we?

Well, that was a little tougher, truth be told... but I think we're on to something here.  We get barely a moment to bask in our job well done before that jerk Quik Bunny jumps in to hog all the glory.  He "breaks the news" that the Weather Wizard's behind all this... Thanks for nothing, rabbit.  We would have gotten it sooner or later.

The Qlub spies Superman being bombarded with freezing rain (which we learn is also known as, ice).  A block of said ice forms around the Man of Steel, and he begins to fall out of the sky... while the Weather Wizard escapes on a cloud.

Patty's science skills produce a mechanical claw (qlaw?) from the qlub qopter that snatches Superman out of the sky before he hits the ground.  Superman thanks the kids, and very politely tells them to buzz off.

Miguel begins to redeem himself by telling Superman he picked up on a verbal cue that the Wizard gave during his escape... He said he would "capitalize", so clearly... he's going to Washington DC.  No reach there, right?  Superman takes the lad at his word and decides DC's the place.  The kids (qids?) decide to give chase just in case Big Blue needs a hand.  They decide the quik qopter would be far too slow, so with the push of a button, Patty transforms the qlubhouse into a hot air balloon... which, naturally would travel much more quickly (quikly) than a helicopter...

In Washington, DC Superman finds himself in a quandary wherein he must rely on his super-memory.

Due to winds resulting from a nearby tornado, six items have disappeared from the streets... it's up to us to help jog Superman's memory.

Okay, soaked in that scene?  Good.  Now, without looking back at it, let's list everything that's missing a moment later.  We're going with the honor system here...

Turns out the book was just humoring us... Superman did not need our help after all.  He quickly rounds up the debris on his own.  With this feat complete, Superman spies the Washington Monument about to be toppled by the Weather Wizard.

The Quik Qlub floats into the scene, and Patty has a theory that the Weather Wizard may be hiding in the eye of the tornado... Our eyes turn to Maureen who needs our help reconciling the Wiz' location via her useless computer... let's bail these kids out again...

I'm not sure what we're looking at here... is that a stick man?  A totem pole?  The abominable snowman from ski-free?  The Quik Qlub finds the Weather Wizard nonetheless.  Glory-hog, Quik Bunny takes what may prove to be his final gulp of delicious Nestle Quik and dives out of the qlubhouse to enter mortal qombat with our villain.  Turns out Nestle Quik is chock full of PED's, as our bunny is moving so fast that it appears that there are hundreds of him.  The bunny's distraction causes the tornado to dissipate, and Superman is able to re-affix the Washington Monument to its rightful location.  Weather Wizard bails once more on his trusty nimbus, claiming to be Egypt-bound.

Superman delivers the Quik Bunny back to the qlubhouse, and heads off Egypt-way... after once more politely telling the children to buzz off.  The Quik Bunny won't leave well enough alone and insists the qlubmates follow the Man of Steel.  Clearly a hot air balloon will take far too long to cross the Atlantic... Patty now needs our help for the qlubhouse's next form... the Quik Jet Plane.  Let's help the gang connect the dots...

The gang arrives in Egypt and much to their surprise, it is snowing.  They decide to land the jet and talk to one of the locals.  Miguel's communication skills are once more called upon... and pushed off onto us.  This kid's on my last nerve... okay, let's do this...

Okay, looks like we're headed for the pyramid.  What're the odds, right?  The gang takes flight and heads toward the old pyramid, arriving just in time to witness Superman romantically dancing with a mummy.  That might be awkward for some... but not the Qlub.

Fearing he is not the center of attention, the Quik Bunny cuts in and unravels Superman's dance partner.  The Man of Steel delivers the Bunny back to the qlubhouse yet again... and again, politely warns the gang that they are putting themselves in danger.

The Qlub Qids tell Superman that the Wizard is hiding within the pyramid... the fact that Superman was already here leads me to believe he must have already known that.  He humors young Miguel and starts dismantling the pyramid, brick by brick... until he is face to face with the Weather Wizard.

Thinking on his feet, the Wiz waves his wand and melts all of the snow into water... flooding the pyramid and nearly drowning the qlub.  While Superman tends to the children, the Wizard spies some hieroglyphics which tell him his next destination.  He bobbles the stone pictograph, breaking it.  No matter, he knows where he's headed... and since he announces his destination... we do too.  Psst... it's China, he's totally going to China.

That doesn't stop our resident geography expert, Ronnie (remember him?) from taking the time to identify some of the countries on that fallen pulverized pictograph.  Ronnie takes a cue from... well, everyone else on the team and asks us for help.  This is an open-book task, we are in fact allowed to refer to an encyclopedia.  As luck would have it, my local supermarket just got in the "M" volume... so I should be good to go.

With these four countries shown, the gang makes special notice that China is missing.  Stands to reason... we've got (spoiler alert) England, Italy, France, and India... clearly, China is next in that sequence... right?  Okay, no matter... we know we're China-bound... after all the Weather Wizard told us he was headed there just a page ago.


The Qlub, not knowing when they're not wanted... head off to China.  Once there they find themselves in the midst of a terrible hail storm.  The Quik Jet Plane cannot stay in the air.  A quick atlas-check from Ronnie shows they are right above the Yangtze River... it's time for the Quik Qlubhouse's final form... the Quik Boat.

Once order is regained, the gang relies on Miguel to translate some Chinese coming over the radio to see if they can locate Superman.  Miguel, for once, does not ask for our assistance.  He learns that Superman was spotted by the Great Wall of China.  Ronnie, with his head still in his atlas, says he can navigate the ship through the Yangtze and to the Great Wall.  He, however, does ask for our assistance... Anyone ever drive a boat?

Whew... nearly bit it there.

Okay, here we are.  The Great Wall of China.  Superman is not only trying to protect one of the Wonders of the World, he is also trying to protect the inhabitants of the city as well.  There's no way he can do both and still stop the Weather Wizard... all appears to be lost, until the Bunny gets his Quik fix.

The Quik goes straight to the Bunny's head and he is suddenly just overflowing with ideas.  The gang is going to build a decoy Quik Bunny (out of the Qlub's Qollection of Scrap Metal) to get the attention of the Weather Wizard.  When I first turned and saw this page, I excitedly thought they had build some sort of mecha-Quik Bunny... imagine my disappointment.

The Wiz fires off a lightning bolt at the decoy, which reflects back and takes the villain out.  Superman snags the Wiz, while Quik Bunny grabs the Weather Wand.  The day is saved... and all that's left to do is...

Well, just what in the hell is going on in there...

Oh... whew, just a Nestle Quik drinking contest.  I'd like to think that Superman let the Bunny win here.  Thanks for the calories, we are out,

--

Okay... Not a whole lot to "review" here.  It's a silly throwaway issue that was far more fun to write about than it was to read.  This was an extended Nestle Quik advertisement with Superman as a guest-star... as such, and I hate using this phrase... it is what it is.

The writing is silly and hokey, but that's what one would expect in reading a story wherein Superman meets a cartoon bunny mascot shilling chocolate milk powder... the art is fine.  Nothing standing out as phenomenally great or offensively bad.

If I received this book back in 1987, I would have been seven years old, and I probably would have loved it.  The story is fun and silly for a kid, and the activity portions ain't all that bad either.  Before today I'd never seen or even heard of this book.  Coming across it in the bins made me raise my eyebrows, and overall I'm glad I picked it up and gave it a read.

Certainly not a recommendation, but it is one of them fun offbeat oddities that I dig having in the collection.

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No ads this time around (besides, ya know... the entire thing) but there were some coloring sheets included... Adults playing with coloring books are a "thing" now, right?  Well, enjoy...

Superman (vol.2) #75 (1993)

Superman (vol.2) #75 (January, 1993)
"Doomsday!"
Words & Pictures - Dan Jurgens
Finished Art - Brett Breeding
Letters - John Costanza
Colors - Glenn Whitmore
Assistant - Jennifer Frank
Editor - Mike Carlin
Cover Prices: $2.50 (Deluxe) / $1.25 (Newsstand)

It always comes back to Superman #75, doesn't it?  No matter what era or vintage of the Man of Steel one discusses, the conversation invariably returns to Superman #75.  I will dispense with the "vol.2's" as I believe everyone knows when you say Superman #75 which issue we're talking about.  This single issue is likely one of (if not, the) most important to be released during my collecting career.  I am currently in my mid-thirties, and cannot for the life of me think of a more significant release... on a narrative, personal, and cultural level.

I think most comics enthusiasts, my age range and above have a Superman #75 story, though I'll concede that I may be projecting.  At the risk of going completely overboard, this issue is one of those "Remember where you were when..." instances usually saved for seminal and world-changing events.  I would feel silly (bordering on ridiculous) comparing it to what people felt following the assassination of John F. Kennedy or anything, but the Death of Superman is one of those things I will always remember on an incredibly deep level.

Going into this story line, as I've recounted on this blog... I was not a Superman fan, much less collector.  This event is what first drew my eyes to the Man of Steel.  I was an X-Men fan... those were my books.  I didn't even venture into non-X Marvel books, a DC book would be out of the question.  Even with that said, I knew I had to get on board for this story... not for some idea that these books would be worth a substantial amount of money... not for bragging rights... no... I had to get in, because I knew we were about to witness history.

As I've detailed in other discussion posts, my local comic shop offered a paid-subscription for the entirety of this story line.  A subscription that I could not afford to drop all at once (cover price plus $20.00).  Leading up to the release of Superman #75, I actually lost sleep... fearing I would not be able to buy it.  I really want to say this released on a Friday.  I am oddly cloudy on that, but I really want to say it was a Friday.  I begged and pleaded to stay home from school that day.  My local shop opened at noon, and I knew that if I waited until after school to stop in, I would have zero chance at finding this issue.

My mother was cool... although she wouldn't let me stay home that day, she told me that she would go to the shop for me early in the day and grab the issue for me.  Before school the morning of release, I remember having my poor mother study the Previews catalog.  Showing her both versions of the book she unwittingly agreed to procure for me.  I feel like a goofball thinking about that now... but, in November of 1992, there was likely nothing more important to me than getting my hands on this book.

With a lump in my throat and a belly full of butterflies, off to school I went.  Thirty-eight hours later (ok, maybe a slight exaggeration), I returned home... to be greeted by, the newsstand edition of Superman #75.  You know when you're a kid, and try as you might... you can't hide your disappointment?  I'd like to think this was not one of those instances... but I'm likely dead wrong.

I was happy to have it, no doubt.  I would be able to read and experience the story, which... after all is what it's all about.  I thanked my mother (who stood in line for over an hour in our utility-closet sized comic shop), without even asking about the deluxe "black bagged" version, and headed up to my bedroom to see how the story turned out.

As I entered my bedroom, I found that my sneaky mother had left not only the "black bagged" Superman #75, but Justice League America #70 on my bed.  Before I could run back downstairs to thank her again, she laughed and yelled "You're welcome!" up at me.  What a day!

That night, which is more fuel for me thinking this was a Friday... we went to the flea market across the street from the Sun Vet mall in Holbrook, NY... which I wanna say was only open Friday through Sunday.  Regardless, we went there and looked around as we would do from time to time.  On this night, however, it appeared as though every vendor was suddenly selling comic book.  Yeah, "comic book" singular, Superman #75.  The cheapest option inside that flea market was $25.00 for the newsstand edition.  This was release day!  I saw copies of the "black bagged" version for over $100.00.  Again... the book had not yet been out for 24 hours!  What a crazy time to be into comics.

This book remains the only one that my mother will ask me about from time to time.  She'll ask how much its currently worth, and even ask if I remember her having to stand in line to get it for me.

Yeah, Ma... I remember.  I'll always remember.

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This is a full-length fight scene.  This book is comprised entirely of full-page splashes, minus the final awe-inspiring three-page spread.  We open on Superman and Doomsday in titanic struggle.  Superman is joined in battle by hovering soldiers wearing Cadmus shock cannons, which can take out a tank... though are ineffective against Doomsday.

Doomsday throws the Man of Steel into the soldiers and the nearby onlooking Daily Planet helicopters.  Superman nabs the chopper containing Lois and Jimmy, and brings them down safely.  Lois pleads with Superman to go for help.  Doomsday, who is currently shrugging off cannon fire appears unstoppable.  Superman refuses to bring in back up, as Doomsday has hurt too many innocent people already.  This is his fight... and his city, Superman will stop Doomsday.

Lois and Clark share what will prove to be their final kiss, and Superman leaps back into the fracas.  Doomsday quickly drives Superman into the ground, and sets his sights on more destruction.  His immediate line of sight includes Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.

Superman punches through the rubble and goes back on offense, blasting Doomsday with his heat vision.  One awesome detail throughout this fight is the nearly constant appearance of Superman's torn cape.  It appears in many panels, including this one, in which Superman is actually stepping on it.

The next several pages feature the two going punch for punch.  Barely conscious, Superman breaks off one of Doomsday's bony protrusions, which proves to hurt the beast.  With renewed confidence, Superman continues to pummel the monster, Doomsday is now stepping on the torn cape.  The two hit each other so hard nearby windows are shattering, it is quite the awesome scene, really adding to the scope of just how much power is being expended in this melee.  Each blow results in shock waves that can felt by onlookers, the battle leaves behind it an enormous crater.

With one last punch, Superman and Doomsday both fall to the ground.  Superman has been in danger before, however, those who know and care about him know that this time it's different.

In Lois' arms, Superman last words are, "Doomsday... is he... is he..."  Lois reassures him that he saved them all.  With that, Superman slumps into lifelessness.  For this is the day-- that a Superman died.

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Now, what can I say that hasn't already been said a million times?  It's always intimidating for me to opine on these milestone issues, as it's already been done many times over, and very likely much more eloquently and with more insight.  It's Superman #75... that's pretty much all you need to know.

My first time reading this, I felt almost a sick feeling in my stomach.  I hesitated with each turn of the page, even though I anxiously anticipated what was to come.  This issue had long been "spoiled" for us comics enthusiasts, yet that did not change the way in which I reacted as I read through it.  Like, we knew they were killing Superman, but... they couldn't kill Superman... could they?  Such conflicting emotions all throughout this issue, masterfully (is there a word stronger than masterfully?  If so, substitute that) crafted by Dan Jurgens.

I have never been so moved emotionally reading a comic book (or any book, really).  As I stated, I was not someone who could be called a "fan" of the character at this time... yet, I knew what Superman stood for.  I knew he was the "good" in all of us, the light in the darkness, and all that.  It affected me then, as it affects me now.  I remember being moved to almost tears as a child (and not that silly "Internet" man-tears either... real tears).  Hell, I'm sitting here like an idiot with welled-up eyes now (and my dogs are looking at me like I'm insane).  No, it's not allergies... and there's no "dust" in my eye.  This is a powerful, powerful issue... with a painful (yet oddly beautiful) ending.

Everything from the amazing iconic cover, to every word and picture included within... I can't think of an adjective powerful enough to clearly state how I feel.  I hate throwing out "perfect" or "brilliant", because by now the Internet has done a good enough job of making those words meaningless... but this may be as close to that as we're going to see.

Because of this story line, Dan Jurgens will forever be my Superman writer/artist/creator.

Recommended?  Whattayouthink?

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I was commenting on Comic Reviews by Walt earlier this month, and it seems as though there's something of an unwritten law for 90's comic book enthusiasts.  If you see a copy of Superman #75 in a cheap-o bin... any version, any printing... you pick it up.  This is true for him, and is true for me as well.  This book is that special.

This book is so special, that even now twenty-odd years later, I am still unable to tear into that black bag.  It just wouldn't feel right... even though I have a few sealed copies, and the monetary value is no longer there... I just can't do it.  It feels like something of a comics enthusiast's mortal sin to break that seal.

Luckily for me, while visiting a local Half-Price Books several years back, I came across an already opened deluxe version of Superman #75... with all the goodies included... for a buck.  I was finally able to eat my cake... and have it too.

Daily Planet Newspaper Clipping

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Interesting Ads: (the "I almost can't believe there are ads" edition)