Superman #1
Cover Date: June, 1939
A rocket ship from the planet Krypton comes to earth carrying an infant. The Infant is found and eventually adopted by Ma (Mary) and Pa Kent and named Clark Kent who grows up to be Superman! Clark Kent looks to get a job at the Daily Star and is turned d ...
Issue Description
A rocket ship from the planet Krypton comes to earth carrying an infant. The Infant is found and eventually adopted by Ma (Mary) and Pa Kent and named Clark Kent who grows up to be Superman!
Clark Kent looks to get a job at the Daily Star and is turned down until he phones in a story about Superman stopping a lynching.
Superman convinces Bea Carroll to confess to the murder of Jack Kennedy.
The execution of Evelyn Curry is taking place at the Governor's mansion until Superman breaks in to stop it, Lois is kidnapped by Gangsters no thanks to Clark, and is then rescued by Superman in addition to Superman taking down a corrupt Washington Senator. (This portion was reprinted in this issue from Action Comic #2)
Lois and Clark go on a steamship called Baronta to San Monte in South America to cover an ongoing war that is going on there. Clark and a man named Norvell join the San Monte Army so that Superman can prove the war is being instigated by munition manufacturers. (This portion was also reprinted in this issue from Action Comic #2)
This issue also contains a scientific explanation of Superman's amazing Strength which is attributed to Earth's lighter gravity.
Clark Kent takes an assignment to cover the Blakely Mine which is rumored to have unsafe working conditions. Clark disguises himself as a miner and gets caught and taken to Blakely who is hosting guests for a dinner party. Blakely then moves the party to the mine to prove that it is safe. (This portion was reprinted in this issue from Action Comic #3)
Clark Kent learns that Dale University football coach hired professional thugs to play against Cordell in a big game (because he is trying to save his job). Superman then kidnaps a bench-warmer named Tommy Burke from Cordell and takes his place in the game to help stop the thugs. (This portion was reprinted in this issue from Action Comic #4)
After Superman gets away from Sergeant Blake by changing to Clark Kent, Clark blackmails the detective into allowing him a jailhouse interview with Biff Dugan which leads to Dugan escaping just to have Superman return him to his cell.
Superman (1939)
- Publisher
- DC Comics
Volume Description
Superman launched May 18, 1939 with its first issue (that doesn't actually have a #1 on the cover) and although it was a seasonal book for its first five issues, with its sixth it began a bimonthly publishing rate and kept up with said rate until its eighty-fifth. With its eighty-sixth issue Superman began it's mostly consistent monthly publishing rate which it continued using up until 1986 when the series ended at 423 issues, the last issue featuring Alan Moore's acclaimed story "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" After that, the title's numbering was continued through Adventures of Superman which lasted for several decades. It was in 2006 with #650 that the title returned to its original name, kicking off it's new era with the One Year Later storyline co-written by Geoff Johns and Kurt Busiek. After the arc, the series was written by Busiek from 654-675, with James Robinson taking the reigns in 677 and holding them tight until the milestone 700th issue where JMS took over with an arc entitled "Grounded" that would feature Superman walking across America. However, JMS left the book earlier then planned and new writer Chris Roberson worked off of JMS' original notes and plotline. Unfortunately, Roberson never got to prove himself with his own story on the book as with the launch of The New 52 in September 2011, after 72 years and 714 issues (including Adventures of Superman) Superman Vol. 1 came to an end with the final chapter of the Grounded story arc serving as the final issue of the series. Superman will survive as an ongoing series at DC, with the month following the release of Superman #714 serving as the launching point of the third ongoing Superman series in DC history with #1.
For Post Flashpoint volume 3, refer to Superman.General Notes
Superman #424-649 do not exist, however, the issues that took those numbers can be found on the Adventures of Superman page.
Another ongoing title from DC entitled Superman does exist and was published with its own numbering while Adventures of Superman was in print, thus even though this title began publication in the 30's and lasted until 2011, no two Superman titles were hitting shelves at the same time. The other Superman volume can be found here.
The main star of the series has of course been Superman but from #686-697 Mon-El was the star as Superman was away from Earth and the covers bore the banners "World Without Superman" for the first five and "World Against Superman" for the last six issues of this absence.
Collected EditionsSuperman Chronicles (Collects the earliest issues)Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus vol. 1 (#1-31)Showcase presents: Superman (late 50`s, early 60`s stories)Adventures of Superman: Gil Kane vol. 1 (#367, 372 & 375)Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? (#423, Action Comics #583)Up, Up and Away! (#650-653, Action Comics #837-840 )Camelot Falls Vol. 1 (#654-658)Camelot Falls Vol. 2 (#662-664 & 667, Superman Annual #13)Redemption (#659 & 666, Action Comics #848-849)3-2-1 Action (#665, Action Comics #852-854, Legends of the DC Universe #14)The Third Kryptonian (#668-670, Action Comics #847, Superman Annual #13)Shadows Linger (#671-675)The Coming of Atlas (#677-680)New Krypton Vol. 1 (#681, Action Comics #871, Adventure Comics Special Featuring The Guardian #1, Superman New Krypton Special #1, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen Special #1)New Krypton Vol. 2 (#682-683, Action Comics #872-873; Supergirl #35-36)Mon-El Vol. 1 (#684-690, Action Comics #874, Action Comics Annual #10)Codename Patriot (#691, Action Comics #880, Supergirl #44, Superman: World of New Krypto #6, Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen Special #2)Mon-El Vol. 2 (#692-697, Adventure Comics #11, Superman Annual #14, Superman: Secret Files 2009 #1)Nightwing and Flamebird Vol. 2 (#696, Action Comics #883-889, Adventure Comics #8-10)Last Stand of New Krypton Vol. 1 (#698, Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #1-2, Adventure Comics #8-9, Supergirl #51)Last Stand of New Krypton Vol. 2 (#699, Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #3, Adventure Comics #10-11, Supergirl #52)Superman: War of The Supermen (#700)Grounded Vol. 1 (#700-706)Grounded Vol. 2 (#707-711 & #713-714)Please first Sign In before leaving a review.