Tag: 456

A Look Back at Superman #350 (1980)

A Look Back at Superman #350 (1980)

carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 20th century pop culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1980 to take a close look at one of the many tales published through the original Superman monthly series (first launched in 1939).

Before Crisis on Infinite Earths happened, the DC Comics multiverse had a lot of superhero stories that had outlandish fantasy elements. For example, Action Comics #454 showed Superman eating tons of food in order to survive. In Action Comics #456, the battles between Superman and The Shark had lots of outlandish looking forms of action. In short, the old multiverse and its tropes are looking fun to revisit.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Superman , published in 1980 by DC Comics with a story written by Gerry Conway and drawn by Curt Swan.  

The cover.

Early story

The story begins when Superman makes his move to prevent a punctured hot air balloon transport from crashing. It turns out the balloon was part of the promotion of a reunion event at Metropolis University and Superman really went there to attend it in his civilian identity as Clark Kent. Also attending the event is his long-time friend and colleague Lana Lang.

As the old professor Lemuel B. Tolkein – former superior of Clark and his classmates – speaks during the reunion, several attendees – including people Clark personally knew – begin to disappear into thin air. The remaining attendees and guests begin to panic…

Quality

Superman uses his special abilities to solve problems here.

I really like this story. Without spoiling the plot, I can say that this tale written by Conway is actually a mystery that happens to take place during Clark Kent’s reunion with many people from his past. As there is no good-versus-evil concept, the story is solidly focused on mysterious happenings that challenge Superman’s ability to solve problems. Even though he already has many super powers, the Man of Steel still got challenged a lot by the disappearances of people and things.

Apart from the story, I also enjoyed Conway’s approach on developing Clark Kent/Superman, Lana Lang and Lois Lane. Seeing Clark reconnecting with people from his past at Metropolis University was a refreshing portrayal and it also sheds light on how he handled himself during his collegiate years. As for Lois Lane, she was portrayed to be hostile towards Clark with regards to journalistic competition between them, and yet she still has tenderness towards Superman deep inside.

Conclusion

Superman quickly changes into his Clark Kent identity to attend the reunion.

Superman (1980) is enjoyable and the elements of the pre-Crisis multiverse of DC Comics added depth to it. The story is relaxing to follow and it managed to surprise me and keep me engaged until the very end. I am convinced to follow the next issue.

Overall, Superman (1980) is recommended.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

A Look Back at Action Comics #456 (1976)

A Look Back at Action Comics #456 (1976)

carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1970s arts and culture enthusiasts, DC Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1976 to take a close look at a part of the DC Comics universe through a tale of the Action Comics monthly series.

If you know your entertainment history, you should be aware that Steven Spielberg’s Jaws made a tremendous impact on millions of people who saw the film in cinemas in the mid-1970s. The massive success of the movie caused some people to become afraid of sharks which in turn convinced them to avoid swimming alone at sea. Over at DC Comics, it just so happens that they have a super villain who is actually a highly evolved shark called The Shark (Karshon).

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Action Comics , published in 1976 by DC Comics with a story written by Cary Bates and illustrated by Curt Swan.

The cover inspired by Steven Spielberg’s Jaws.

Early story

The story begins inside the Metropolis Aquarium where Captain Strong, young boy Jayson, young girl Jill and others closely watch a tiger shark swimming. What the viewers do not realize is that the tiger shark they are watching is a super shark (The Shark) whose evolution jumped by eons as a result of a freak nuclear accident from the previous years.

The Shark is a highly evolved mutant (half-fish and half-human) endowed with fantastic mental powers. The Shark previously encountered Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) who caused him to devolve back to his primitive form as a tiger shark.

At the aquarium, The Shark moves closely towards Captain Strong and Jayson with strong glass separating them. Suddenly, Jayson is turned into a pool of jelly on the floor and The Shark uses its power to form a large stream of water to break the way out of the Metropolis Aquarium and into the air.

Meanwhile, Lois Lane and Clark Kent are riding the metro-island ferry. A giant water sprout emerges near them…  

Quality

The struggle between Superman and The Shark starts.

While it was clear that DC Comics took a creative stab on people’s awareness of the movie Jaws, the Bates-Swan duo came up with a rather fantastic way of having Superman deal with The Shark. For one thing, the creators efficiently came up with exposition to keep readers informed about who The Shark is, why he exists and what his background was within the DC Comics shared universe. Next, the creators managed to make The Shark an actual threat to the people of Metropolis which serves as an efficient build-up for the inevitable conflict with Superman. The good news here is that Bates-Swan combined efforts turned out to be gripping and believable.

When compared to the many battles Superman had against the other powerful villains, the traditional collateral damage is pretty light in this story. This is because the creators used science fiction concepts and a little bit of real-world science to explain The Shark’s powers, how the water streams used by him got formed and why he has key advantages over Superman. These creative methods more than made up for the lack of hard action and there are explanations that made sense just before the story ends.

This comic book also contains a short, standalone Black Canary tale that ultimate served as added amusement that is not related with the Superman story at all. It should interest fans of Green Arrow.

Conclusion

The Shark’s menacing face and power overwhelms Lois Lane.

Do not let the Jaws-inspired cover art fool you. Action Comics (1976) is actually an entertaining read thanks to the combined efforts of the Bates-Swan team. The Shark was a believable threat and the story was well written. To say that this comic book was just a cheap way of exploiting the popularity of Jaws by coming up with shark-related tale of Superman is not true. This old tale is a fun ride free from the politicized science and woke garbage that dominate modern-day entertainment.

Overall, Action Comics (1976) is recommended.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco