Superman: The World's Finest Comics - Archives, Volume 1 (DC Archive Editions)
Some of the Man of Steel's earliest exploits are in this lavish, pricey hardcover. Taken from the long-runningWorld's Finest Comics,they depict a character still in the hands of his originators. Siegel wrote most of them; artist Joe Shuster first drew and later supervised the artwork. Dating from 1939 to 1944, the 17 stories trace the development of comics' first superhero. Shuster's primitive art, which possesses quaint charm, was superceded by that of more accomplished artists, whose styles still were crude by contemporary standards. The mundane jewel thieves, blackmailers, and racketeers who were Superman's early quarries gave ground to superpowered foes like the robot Metalo and the Insect Master, who gave him a run for his money. Superman grew more powerful, too. At first he leapt vast distances rather than flew, and his strength was a fraction of what it became. Although one story has Superman fighting a black-market tire ring, wartime propaganda is surprisingly scant in these stories. These fascinating if unsophisticated artifacts display one of American culture's most enduring icons aborning.Gordon FlaggCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved