Now here is a fun custom bind! I’m not a big Marv Wolfman guy. Thats not to say he is a bad creator. Not at all. Creepy? Sure. Most times extremely dull? Absolutely. I think he has done some perfectly serviceable and important comics over the years that people love and deserves his place at the table but I really hadnt come across any of his work that hit me personally. Tomb of Dracula was maybe the only book of his I’ve ever read where I really felt like I was enjoying myself while I read it. That is until I read the Split Superman Saga. I go way more in depth with that story and why it rules so much here. Now I had found MY Wolfman story. I ended up continuing to read his whole run on Action Comics during this early 80’s Pre-Crisis time period and ended up really loving it, warts and all. This stuff, to me, is the man’s best work.
So what’s in this book? Well, I tried to keep it to just Wolfman written Superman stories from the era or issues that were related or carried the story along. Here is my bind mapping in order:
Action Comics #525-536
New Teen Titans #24
Action Comics #537-#554
Action Comics #556
DC Comics Presents #77-#78
Superman #422
DC Retroactive 1980s: Superman
Superman #352
As you can see in the below House Ad at the time I used for my back cover, there was a real conscious push for change back then. A real status quo shakeup
Theres a lot of really fun, exciting, unique stuff in here from a time when DC wanted to change the direction of the Superman books. It doesnt last long and Crisis rears its head right near the end of all this but its a wonderful little snapshot of an era. Lois and Clark are broken up. Lana and Clark are together in Metropolis. Daily Planet shaekups. Clark as a news anchor. Brainiac and Luthor get huge character changing revamps. Just a lot of good material here.
The highlights include:
Action #544-546 – Wolfman and Gil Kane update the Luthor Brainiac team and throw them up against Big Blue and a whole host of DC Superheroes in this Anniversary tale. An alltimer!
The Forgotten Heroes – Action Comics #552-553 DC Comics Presents #77-78 Superman teams up with a makeshift team of forgotten DC Heroes consisting of Animal Man, Dolphin, Rip Hunter, Cave Carson, Congo Bill & Congorilla, Dane Dorrance, Immortal Man and Rick Flag.
Action Comics #554: An alltime issue of Superman where we are in an alternate timeline with no Superman to defend humanity against conquering aliens. Two boys imagine Superman into existence to help defend them. So good.
Superman #422: Look at that Brian Bolland cover!!
All in all this is a strange mix of stories in an era Ive come to really appreciate. Its stuff that just brings me so much joy and adds to my love of Superman so much. I recommend everyone search out some of this material.
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