Posts Tagged ‘Superboy’
Superboy (1949) 27
Continuing with National Hobo Week is the Golden Age Superboy.
With a cover date of August, 1953, Superboy 27 romances the bindlestiff lifestyle. The third and final story of the issue, Clark Kent and adoptive parents have a verbal disagreement finalized with the youth running away from home in the appropriately titled Clark Kent, Runaway!
Also offered for your reading pleasure are The Pied Piper of Smallville and The Movie Star of Tomorrow.
The Pied Piper is a formulaic tale of a clarinetist who mesmerizes the youth of Smallville. Movie Star is a time travel tale whisking Superboy to the future to save Tinsletown.
Superboy did not appear until 1944, but Jerry Siegel pitched the idea of a super-powered prankster as early as 1938. Another attempt was made in 1940, but again fell on deaf ears.
Superboy debuted in More Fun Comics issue 101 in 1944. Joe Shuster was the artist, but Siegel was unable to provide scripting due to his stint in the Army during World War II.
Siegel filed suit against DC Comics and was awarded the initial decision. However, that was overturned and Siegel was forced to agree Superboy was the sole property of National (DC) Comics.
Not until 2006 did the District Court for the Central District of California issue a ruling that the Siegel heirs were rightful owners of the Superboy character and related indicia. Yet, Time Warner was granted continued ownership of the trademark meaning neither could benefit from the property solely.
National Hobo Week is celebrated the second week of August to coincide with the National Hobo Convention held the second weekend of the month in Britt, Iowa.
Hobos set up a camp, also known as a hobo jungle, for the convention and peddle their wares as well as offer entertainment.
The convention is the largest gathering of hobos in the national. A king and queen are even chosen.
Superboy (1949) 27
Superboy (1949) 36
Only one day before turkey day.
Today we – and Curt Swan – have Superboy serving up a full issue of entertainment and treats. Other than the cover, this issue has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but let’s pretend. It is cover dated October 1954.
Superboy (1949) 36
First up is The Superboy Souvenirs! The boy of steel approves the sale of keepsakes from his exploits. Later he learns the trophies are forgeries and shuts the business down.
Lana Lang moves in with Ma and Pa Kent when it is believed her parents have died on a trip to Africa. Her nosey nature throws a monkey wrench in Superboy’s exploits. Superboy’s Sister! was later reprinted in Superman (1939) 222.
A mystery man threatens to expose Clark Kent to be Superboy in The Man Who Knew Superboy’s Identity! The blackmail is finally foiled. A reprint of the story can be found in Adventure Comics (1938) 328.
Also included in the issue are Bebe and Varsity Vic gag strips, school public service announcement, a text story entitled S.O.S. – Crew Ditching and a one-page Superboy’s Workshop for the Tricky Returning Can/Piggy Bank.
With this one under your belt, loosen it back up and get ready for the big day tomorrow. We’re serving up JSA (1999) 54.
Young Justice (1998) 3
Another in a string of Happy Halloween reminders to Four Color readers. Today we’ve tapped Young Justice to herald the holiday.
Young Justice began as a bridge between Teen Titan teams. Originally the group consisted of Superboy, Robin and Impulse first tossed together in the GirlFrenzy one-shot. They next teamed in the World Without Grown-Ups mini-series before earning an ongoing title in 1998.
Young Justice (1998) 3
Red Tornado became their “guardian” and were later joined by Wonder Girl, Secret and Arrowette.
Young Justice ended as it began, serving the greater good of the Teen Titans. Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day was a three-issue mini leading into a new Teen Titans cartoon. Though billed as a maturation process for the characters, licensing proved too lucrative for art.
Issue three worked as an early example of what would come. Peter David and Todd Nauck crafted a Halloween tale that has little to do with October 31, but everything to do with the title.
Mr. Mxyzptlk makes a guest appearance in The Issue Before the One Where the Girls Show Up. Young Justice has agreed to host a Hallow-Teen Party. The fourth-dimension’s most notorious resident works on his thesis of three-dimensional primitive life forms only to be unwittingly shocked back to his former state of prankster.
This is a priceless bit of late 1990’s fun courtesy of Mr. David. The dialog is witty and relevant, right down to the Hason reference by Impulse.
As mentioned above, all good things must end and the series was cancelled by issue 55.
Drown your sorrows with some sugary treats and remember the good times that included several specials to compliment the regular series.
World’s Finest (1941) 215
As if Superman and Batman didn’t have enough problems, Bob Haney and Dick Dillin saddled the superheroes with sons in World’s Finest 215.
World’s Finest (1941) 215
The junior superheroes were near clones of their fathers down to their uniforms. The two appeared off and on in World’s Finest until issue 263 when Denny O’Neil revealed they were computer simulations created by Batman and Superman.
The concept would later be revisited in an Elseworlds book in 1999, then shelved until 2011 when the New 52 came about with Chris Kent and Damian Wayne living on Earth-16.
DC unveiled yet another incarnation in 2017. The super sons would go by Jonathan Kent, Superboy, a product of Clark Kent’s union to Lois Lane; and Damian Wayne, Robin, the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul.
The series went 16 issues with one annual.
In August of 2018 a 12-issue mini was launched, helmed by Peter Tomasi with Carlo Barberi and Art Thibert handling art chores.
What does all of this have to do with Four Color Holidays? Just that today, April 23, is National Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day.
Enjoy the time you have with your children.
Adventure Comics (1938) 113
Superboy and the citizens of Smallville (though not named) turn the tables on Santa Claus in “The 33rd Christmas.”
When a local man hits hard times his past good deeds deliver a future for him and his wife.
The homespun holiday tale, dated February 1947, is as American as a Norman Rockwell painting.
DC Special Series 21
DC Special Series 21
A shining star leads Jonah Hex, Batman, the crew from the House of Mystery, Sgt. Rock and Superboy and the Legion of Super Heroes through five holiday-themed stories.
This issue is probably most notable for showcasing Frank Miller’s first Batman work: Santa Claus: Wanted Dead or Alive! The story is penned by Denny O’Neil.
House of Mystery features three, two-page stories told by Cain, the three Witches from The Witching Hour and Destiny from Secrets of Haunted House.
Jonah Hex shows a softer side to his crusty bounty hunter persona in The Fawn and the Star.
Sgt. Rock and Easy Co. fight their way through Italy with the Top Kick even offering an anti-smoking PSA.
Finally Superboy visits with his friends in Star Light, Star Bright…Farthest Star I See Tonight. The Boy of Steel and select Legionaries embark on a journey to find the legendary star of Bethlehem.
Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day (2003)
For those about to embark upon the remainder of your lives, happy National Graduation Tassel Day.
May 17 is the day. Across the nation a parade of graduates will be commemorating today, or a day like this soon enough, taking their tassel and moving it right to left in a symbolic recognition of their academic achievements.
Those earning graduate degrees will mirror that motion, moving tassels from left to right.
We will symbolize the day with a three issue, mini series published July to August 2003, Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day.
The trilogy was important for several reasons; not the least of which were the deaths of Donna Troy and Omen. It also meant the end of both title books allowing for new Teen Titans and Outsiders books to begin.
While never officially offered as a reason for cancellation, it’s long been rumored Young Justice was given the axe to make way for a new Teen Titans title to compliment the then new Teen Titans animated series on Cartoon Network.
Unlike the above-mentioned story, most graduations are a time of celebration. Nearly four-million high school seniors graduated last year. That same number are expected to graduate from college in the coming year.
About 66.2 percent of those high school students will attend college. The most popular college majors are Business, Health Professions, Social Sciences and History, Engineering, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Psychology, Communication and Journalism, Visual and Performing Arts, Computer and Information Sciences and Education.
About 136,000 of those high school graduates will enlist in the armed forces.
The Titans began as the Teen Titans in 1964. Over time they changed team members and affiliations. Marv Wolfman and George Perez launched the uber popular The New Teen Titans in 1980 which became Team Titans then the Teen Titans again in 1996 followed by the Titans of this story arc.
The Titans returned in 2008 and were rechristened once more for the New 52 and five years later for DC Rebirth and are currently under the Infinite Frontier banner.
Young Justice was formed in 1998 with members Superboy, Robin and Impulse. They would be joined by Wonder Girl, Secret and Arrowette.
The title would be relaunched in 2011 in an unrelated series as a literary version of the animated show. The comic book would conclude with issue 25, a month before the cartoon ceased to air.