The Superman Family #196

DC’s ‘Family’ group of titles were always a must buy if I came across one, especially before they went to all-new material. When you are 10 years old, there is very little difference between reprints from a decade ago and new stuff. Besides, the reprints often had the better art.

The Superman Family went to all-new material in 1977, with the launch of DC’s line of 80-page (with ads) Dollar Comics. By 1979, that page count had dropped to 68 pages with no ads.

So more actual pages per buck!

The new format stories were mostly pedestrian tales of Superman’s supporting cast, with some fantastic Neal Adam’s covers on the earlier issues. This issue’s cover is by the team of Jose Garcia Lopez and Dick Giordano, and is OK. I always find Giordano’s inks too polished, and prefer Lopez’ pencils when they are dirtied up a little (unless he is inking himself).

Inside, we get:

Superboy by Cary Bates and Joe (uh oh!) Staton, in which Pa Kent gets over his feelings of inadequacy with the help of some worms during an earthquake. Not as bad as it might sound, and Pa’s speech at the end reminded me a little of Jonathan Kent in Man of Steel. That might not be to everyone’s taste.

Lois Lane by Gerry Conway and Bob Oksner, in which Lois investigates a heath farm. Actually not bad at all, until the bonkers reveal at the end that the place is staffed by androids.

The Private Life of Clark Kent by Cary Burkett and Kurt Schaffenberger, a story in which Clark disco dances to prevent a bomb going off. I have nothing else to add.

Mr and Mrs Superman by Cary Bates and Kurt Schaffenberger, an always enjoyable strip showing the early years of marriage between the Earth-Two Superman and Lois Lane during the 1950s. In this one, Clark Kent becomes the Editor-in-Chief at the Daily Star, and it’s quite cleverly done.

Supergirl by Jack C. Harris and Don Heck, in which, uh, something happens for reasons too convoluted to matter.

And lastly, but by no means the least, Jimmy Olsen by Gerry Conway and John Calnan, in which this happens…

Looking good, Mr Olsen!

Yep, Jimmy has taken to wearing a pearl choker with his sports jacket. Not only that, but it keeps on mysteriously disappearing from panel to panel, page to page. This story is inked by Vince Colletta; I have no doubt that he is responsible in some small way for Jimmy’s latest dive into his impressive 'disguise trunk’.

Bee-Boy awrded this comic 3 stings out of 5