Showcase 10 (September-October 1957)

The third Lois Lane story this issue–by Otto Binder, Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye–finally provides something to talk about. The two previous stories (with Binder writing one, Jerry Coleman another) are more sitcom. Well, except the Coleman one, but I’ll come back to it.

The third story features Lois getting superpowers from some Kryptonian gadgets Jor-El sent to Earth in a second rocket. They remained undiscovered until Superman was an adult. So Lois is racing around, saving people and having some problems since she’s not super-observant or indestructible. Binder never specifies Superman’s concern–it comes off as sexist, since there’s no explanations. He certainly never tries to train her. Not a super-mean Superman, but a selfish one.

Coleman’s story about Lois going blind is the issue’s best. Unlike Binder, he doesn’t portray either character as petty or moronic.

Boring and Kaye’s art is, well, boring.

Showcase 9 (July-August 1957)

Three Lois Lane stories and there’s no clear winner or loser. Otto Binder writes the second two, Jerry Coleman handles the first one. Even though the Coleman one features Lois and Lana Lang teaming up to figure out who Superman likes more, the second two probably show Lois as more of a twit. At least in the first one, there’s some problem solving.

The art–mostly from Al Pastino–is exhausting. The barrel-chested Superman, for example. One would think, for a girls’ comic, there’d be some emphasis on fashion and style. But no. Plastinos super-bland.

Maybe if Binder’s stories were funny it would help, but Superman’s such a bore, there’s nary an attempt.

The final story has Lois dreaming she’s married to Superman. Of his two, it has the most potential but Binder doesn’t even get imaginative in dreams.

It’s an exhausting waste of time, but not brainpower.

Superman (1939) #242

S242

The Pseudo-Superman story comes to its close with Superman choosing to be de-powered. It’s a strange move, since he’s still really, really powerful. Maybe not Silver Age powerful, but he hadn’t really been doing those feats during the rest of the issues… it’s a little confusing. It’s an effective scene, but it doesn’t hold up under much scrutiny.

Similarly, Superman’s decision to fight Pseudo-Superman to the death… again, shouldn’t he have tried to work something out with him.

It’s a good close though. O’Neil fits tons of story in–most of the issue focuses on these two bums slash crooks who “kidnap” an inter-dimensional being and use it to beat up Superman and terrorize the world in general. Some great art on those pages.

The beating up Superman scene is particularly rough to read, since it’s all so vicious.

The final scene’s a little anticlimactic though.