Wizard Superman Tribute Edition

One of my latest side quests has been scouring the shops, conventions, and warehouses I go to and see if I can find the old comic magazines that were published, especially around creators and topics that I love. I read Back Issue currently for similar reasons.

These magazines are almost time capsules of a sort. Reading creators' ideas about upcoming titles and stories and then comparing to them now that they are in the rear view mirror. In particular, Comics Interview, Comics Journal,  and Amazing Heroes are my faves as they seemed to take the material and the discussions seriously.

At the summer end's Time Capsule warehouse sale, I found a box filled with them and grabbed a few. That included this "Superman Tribute Edition" from Wizard Magazine. Now Wizard has it's critics (and I might be one of them). The book was more hype and journalism but at the time ruled the roost as THE comic book magazine on the shelves. 

But I will admit this one was solid, a magazine that kept out right before Reign of the Superman hit the racks. It was still polybagged, complete with collector card. The cover is a die-cut, chromium enhanced fold-out by Jurgens and Breeding showing the Doomsday fight. 

The table of contents shows this was a mix of historical retrospectives (both pre-Crisis and post-Byrne), a mini sort-of who's who, and a very interesting article looking vaguely at the four 'Supermen' who made up the Reign. The creators can't go into too much detail as the books hadn't been released yet, so speak a bit veiled. Very interesting hearing them talk about these characters so entrenched now.

But I'll cover the Supergirl specific stuff in the book for this site (not that there is much).

In one of the opening chapters, we get a cursory review of Superman's history from inception to Crisis.

One thing discussed is Mort Weisinger's explosion to the Superman mythos, including the Fortress, the Legion, and Supergirl. Between Supergirl, Krypto, Kandor, and the Phantom Zone villains, the 'sole survivor' part of Superman was over and done with. (Heck, those 'barnacles' are what Byrne got rid of at the time.)

But you can see how Supergirl is almost an amusing addition for Wizard who only mention she as 'an attractive female version of Superman' and that is why she was accepted. These superficial looks are probably what led to the first Kara being thought about as expendable without looking at her history as just as valid.

This magazine came out right after Funeral for a Friend in which the Matrix Supergirl took over the title. I feel that arc was a turning point for the character which is mentioned below.

It is once again interesting to see that the first thing brought us is that she is a 'blond beauty'. And one of the few pics of any Supergirl in the book is this one of her sidled up to Lex.

Outside of the 'attractive female' comment, the only other place the original Supergirl is mentioned is in the Friends & Foes.  It covers her in the broadest strokes which is fine. At least she is mentioned despite being 'erased' by the Crisis. 

One thing that did irk me a little was the Crisis sentence. No modifier about dying. Not 'heroically' dying. Not 'saving the universe' which she did. Just 'dying'. The same could be say for Kid Psycho or the original Dove. 

(I might still be twitchy about the Crisis after all these years!)

They do cover Supergirl II, the Matrix Supergirl. 

Reading her history, they mercifully don't stress that she was psychotic in thinking she was Clark after a while and was a pawn of Brainiac in 'Panic in the Sky'. And they mention that she is having doubts about the romance with Lex.

As I have said, Funeral for a Friend and Reign of the Superman were where this Supergirl really becomes a true hero and not someone's pawn.

I had to include the chromium collector card simply because of how silly it is.

Check out Superman using his X-Ray vision to peek into (I asssume) Lois' apartment where she is tied up with a bomb next to her. But did he know that beforehand? Or was he being a peeping tom?

Too silly.

This was a great find in the warehouse.