DC Direct Showcase: Curt Swan Superman

Curt Swan's Superman

So I'm back with my second blog post for my own countdown to the Man Of Steel movie. In this entry, I'll be doing a review of perhaps the definitive Superman representation of the Silver Age and the Bronze Age of Superman comics. 

Super Lion?

Superman writers in the Silver and Bronze Age took a more fantastical approach to Superman as they incorporated outrageous elements in their stories. With the Golden Age stories establishing Superman as a more grounded hero, the Silver Age stories dwelled on the extreme scientific approach to Superman. Superman was powered up to the point that it seemed nothing could harm him. Writers also expanded Superman's cast by coming up with his Kryptonian cousin Supergirl, and even the Super Pets. Superman stories in this period bordered on extreme scientific ideas to downright ridiculous. But despite these directions, readers continue to read the Superman comic books because these crazy ideas were plain fun to read (even though it boggles the mind to no end). A lot of elements from his Krytponian origins were also touched upon on his stories. As Superman became more and more unstoppable, different colored Kryptonites were introduced in the stories. This gave the writers different ideas on how to slow down Superman.

Super Ant?

So how crazy was the Silver Age? Pictured above and the photo on the right are two of the  transformations that Superman underwent because of the Red Kryptonite. I never had a copy of the stories featuring both of these transformations but from what I know, these aren't the only transformations that Superman underwent. Even Superman's friends were not spared from acquiring "super" powers. Since Superman's growing powers were too much for any mere villainous mortal could handle, writers didn't have any more recourse but to come up with over the top aliens, pranksters, war mongering invaders, and would be world conquerors. Comic book continuity were also put to a stop as writers began resorting to imaginary stories just to keep the Superman stories coming without straining away too much from the original premise of Superman. One of them is the story about the Future Superman called Ultra-Superman (pictured below) who hails from the year 100,000. The Superman origin story was also given a more detailed take. It retained the basic origin story about Superman as a baby was rocketed by his parents (Jor El and Lara) from a dying planet called Krypton. He arrived on Earth and was found by an old loving couple (Jonathan and Martha Kent) and was raised as their own son and named as Clark Kent. The writers added the story that Superman started his adventures as Superboy during his younger years. This move opened up the creation of the Legion of Superheroes, a group of adolescent super heroes who came back in time to recruit Superman but erroneously ended up going further back in time and decided to recruit Superboy instead.

Ultra-Superman

This time period also introduced the reader to the art of Curt Swan. Curt Swan helmed the Superman art chores for more than 30 years, encompassing the Silver Age and Bronze Age period as his Superman became that generation's definitive Superman. Curt Swan's art featured a more barrel chested Superman which reflected very well with the stories that he was involved in. But it was not his art of a bulked up Superman that endeared him to DC and the Superman fans. Swan masterfully created a Superman that had an identifiable range of emotions, making his Superman real like with the way he evokes his emotions. Readers raved about how his art bring out Superman's emotions to the readers. When Superman is sad, the readers can actually feel Superman's sadness by just looking at how Swan evokes that emotions through the way he drew Superman's facial expressions and body language. Swan also broke the the barriers between Superman and the readers. From time to time, Swan would draw Superman winking at the reader, making it seem that Superman is actually communicating with the real world. Most Superman Adventures that were illustrated by Swan brings the reader into the comic book itself as his art on Superman makes Superman involve the readers in his adventures.

Kryptonite Nevermore HC

As the Silver Age Superman stories went out of hand, the Superman books underwent an editorial change. Relaunched and under the stewardship of the new editor Julius Schwartz, Superman's overblown powers were trimmed down to bring Superman closer back to Earth. This brought about the Bronze Age of Superman comics. This depowering kicked off in the storyline Superman Kryptonite Nevermore which was written by Dennis O'Neil with art chores provided by Curt Swan. Through the years, Curt Swan's illustrations became more sophisticated, with Kryptonite Nevermore providing the perfect launching point of his more realistic illustration of Superman. The story arc dwell on the destruction of all Kryptonites as Superman became invulnerable to it's radiative effects. As the story progressed, Superman's powers were sapped by a mysterious Sand-Superman, leaving him in a de-powered state. The major villain, the Sand-Superman pretty much reminds us of the third installment of the Christopher Reeve Superman movies where Superman/Clark Kent faced a sadistic version of himself. The story arc can be fairly summarized as The Man in Superman versus the Super Powers of Superman. This story successfully brought Superman back to the street level almost as similar as to his adventures during the Golden Age. Of course battling natural disasters and strange creatures were still in abundance. But alas this "Down-to-Earth" Superman would not last as the writers after Dennis O' Neil decided to go back to the more outrageous Superman of the Silver Age. But despite the turn of events, O' Neil was able to give the newer readers a glimpse of the Superman that up to this day is the most popular and more generally accepted. This version would later inspire another relaunch for Superman in the Modern Age.       

The Silver Age Superman

The Action Figure: This Action Figure features a representation of those crazy stories as this figure comes with interchangeable heads and hands which would re-imagine the time period where Superman was transformed into different forms of animals or insects because of Red Kryptonite. What I love most of this figure is that it faithfully bears resemblance to Curt Swan's earlier Superman illustrations. Though his more realistic art of the later years looks quite good as well, I prefer this version because it represents the Silver Age and Bronze Age quite nicely since Swan's improved versions can be easily topped by the modern illustrations of the Modern Age artists. What is unbeatable in Swan's art works though is his mastery of drawing out emotive illustrations of Superman. This figure pretty much feature standard DC Direct articulations. It features a swivel neck which is also interchangeable, ball jointed shoulders, pivot elbows, swivel and interchangeable wrists, pivot hips, and pivot knees. The sculpt of this figure makes a great 3D incarnation of Curt Swan's illustrations. The barrel chests and the huge body sculpt screams Silver Age goodness. I do hope though that DC Collectibles would release a newer Curt Swan figure that would take it's sculpt from Curt Swan's last epic Superman story, "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?"     

Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

Defining Comic Book(s) in my collection featuring this figure: So I kinda was in a fix if which comic book should I be choosing as the defining story for Curt Swan's work. I don't own any Silver Age Superman comic books, but I do have a few (as in very few) Bronze Age comic books. Though this figure is based from the Silver Age Superman, I'm featuring a Bronze Age story since it is also illustrated by Curt Swan nevertheless. Eventually I kinda cheated as I sneaked in Kryptonite Nevermore in this post too, which makes two Curt Swan illustrated stories for this entry. Besides, it does help explain the transition from Silver Age to Bronze Age. On the other hand, "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" is perhaps (on a personal level) the most emotional Superman story in my comic book collection. Written by Alan Moore (of Watchmen fame) this two part story arc is the last Bronze Age Superman story before he faded into the light (literally), setting up the stage for the Modern Age relaunch of Superman. "Whatever Happened..." tells the tale of Superman last adventure before he disappeared from the general public forever. Superman squared off against his more prominent adversaries which in the end was revealed to be the machinations of the mischievous imp from the Fifth Dimention, Mr Mxyzptlk. Alan Moore crafted a very dark story which featured many deaths of both Superman's friends and foes. The way the story was written was very reminiscent of that period's (1986) dark and violent themes (see Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns). Allan Moore was also able to cram up all of Superman's significant moments of both the Silver Age and Bronze Age by incorporating in this story some of the defining moments of both periods. Curt Swan's illustrations in this comic book on the other hand broke down Superman's different emotions, illustrations that tugs the heart of longtime Superman fans.

The story began when a news reporter sought out a happily married Lois Lane during the eve of the 10th year anniversary of Superman's last adventure and his consequent disappearance. Lois tells Superman's last adventure as if it was just yesterday. Consecutive attacks on Superman and the subsequent tragedies that befell Superman's most prominent villains as well as the death of his childhood friend Pete Ross drove Superman to gather all of his closest friends (Lois, Lana, Jimmy, and Perry and his wife Alice) and brought them to his Fortress of Solitude for protection. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor is taken over by Brainiac as Brainiac executes his final assault on Superman on the fortress, picking along the Kryptonite Man and the Legion of Super-Villains to help them in their quest to destroy Superman. The combined might of the Super Villains' siege on the fortress claimed the lives of Lana Lang, Jimmy Olsen, and Krypto the Superdog. Leaving Superman broken and in deep curiosity as to how this turn of events happened. Mr Mxyzptlk eventually revealed himself but instead of being the "mischievous" imp, he appeared to become more evil. In a desperate attempt to stop the madness, Superman uses the Phantom Zone projector on Mr Mxyzptlk, causing the imp's death. With his vow to never take a life broken, Superman in penance decided to strip himself of his powers by using Gold Kryptonite on himself and wandered out into the arctic cold powerless. This was to be the last appearance of Superman as the public assumed that Superman without his powers would never survive the arctic wastelands. In the final panels of the story, it was revealed that Superman didn't die, but now as a mere mortal, he took on a different identity (Jordan Elliot). It is then revealed that he and Lois got married and lived happily ever after. The story ended with Curt Swan's fabled trademark, Jordan Elliot/Superman winking at the readers.   

This story arc nicely wrapped up Superman's Golden, Silver, and Modern Age adventures, paving the way for the Modern Age relaunch of Superman. This relaunch will be tackled on my next entry, John Byrne's Superman!