DC Silver Age Classics was a series put out by the company 25 years ago reprinting key issues from DC's history. It was an interesting 10 issues that DC chose, including the Showcase 4 (first silver age Flash), Showcase #22 (first silver age Green Lantern), Brave and Bold #28 (first JLA), and others.
One of the ten was Action Comics #252!
The book is a complete reprint of the issue including the Superman solo story introducing Metallo, a Congorilla story, and the first appearance of Supergirl, the eight page story at the end of the issue. So interesting that Supergirl's origin and the set-up for her back up series was done so quickly. These days her origin took 6 issues!
The story is reprinted in many many places so no need to cover it again.
But the issue did include a small column called 'Classic Comments', a brief write-up about the importance of the issues.
I don't know if this column by Kim 'Howard' Johnson is great but I thought I would share.
For one, even in 1992, I don't know if Supergirl would be the second female super-hero that people would name. As much as I think Supergirl is up there in the pantheon, I don't know if the general public knew about Supergirl then. Would she be the quick second choice? Maybe ...
And Howard's statement that maybe part of Supergirl's appeal is her being a cute young girl was probably true back in 1959.
Howard does a good job of quickly recapping not only this Supergirl's origin but the 'dry run' of Supergirl from back in Superman #123.
Her career and adventures are truncated to one paragraph, jumping from Midvale orphan to death in the Crisis 3 sentences.
Still, this issue might be the closest I get to actually holding Action Comics #252 in my hand. So I am glad to have it in my collection.
2 comments:
Lets not forget the Supergirl movie was pretty ubiquitous on cable and network TV even after the character had been killed off and expelled from DCU continuity...something like that helps a character's overall name recognition in positive ways IMHO.
JF
Having first come across Totem Supergirl in reprints, it was years before I learned she wasn't a ginger wearing green!
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