Back Issue Box: Superman #315

I recently completed my coverage of Superman #311-314 on the site, taking a deep dive into a convoluted story that focused on Superman's code against killing and had some tremendous Supergirl moments.

And while I have the recent Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes movie sitting on my blu-ray to review as well as the Scholastic Backstories novelette to review, I thought I would just finish up this coverage with a bit of an epilogue from Superman #315. And I will end with a question for the audience.

I will start by saying that I will not be reviewing the bulk of the issue despite this winner of a cover showing Superman being defeated by Clark Kent (!!) who has become Black Rock. But it is a bananas story by writer Marty Pasko who was really leaning into his creation of SKULL, a nefarious super-science criminal conglomerate! Instead I'll focus on the first couple of pages which wrap up the fate of Nam-Ek who played such a huge role in the prior arc. 

The art is again by Curt Swan with inks by Dan Adkins. Swan was THE Superman artist in the Bronze Age and he brings his style and solid art foundation to the book. But it is Adkins who brings a real polish to the art here. I wonder if we should have some sort of poll of best Swan inkers (although perhaps we should say 'after Murphy Anderson'). 

But let's take a last look at poor Nam-Ek, the ever-healing, immortal, stench-bedeviled, Rondor mutate.

Back Issue Box: Superman #314

I have been having fun the last couple of weeks reviewing a four-part Superman story from 1977, involving Superman and Supergirl fighting the vengeful space pirate Amalak. The central plot point of the story is Amalak trying to trick Superman into killing. By forcing the Man of Steel to break his ethical code, Amalak knows Superman will be psychologically broken and will retire. Today I cover the finale in Superman #314. 

Writer Marty Pasko has weaved an intricate plot involving a space plague, the return of the Kryptonian criminal Nam-Ek, and a stray dog/alien vector as both the source of the epidemic and a lynch pin to Amalak's plot. Each of these four issues only has 17 pages of plot but Pasko packs it to the brim with twists and turns. All that despite using recap pages to keep readers up to snuff. I have loved the way Pasko has inserted Supergirl into the mix and treated her properly. In this issue, I love his handle of DC lore.

The art is again by Curt Swan and inker Dan Adkins. It is an good mix of fisticuffs between plot points. Swan gets to stretch out a bit, moving from fist fights to Kaiju battles. Adkins gives the work a sort of Schaffenberger slickness, something unusual to how I picture Swan in my head.  But it is pretty slick.

Add to all that some Lois and Clark drama on the last page and you have a winner!

On to the book!

Back Issue Box: Superman #313

Superman #313 was released in 1977, the third part in an intriguing four part story with a central theme of Superman's code against killing. A four parter was a rarity back in those days. Folks weren't writing for the trade. The spinner rack was often hit-or-miss. Things were mostly one and done.

Writer Marty Pasko does a lot in this story, bringing in a little known Silver Age villain, bringing in his own Kryptonian creation Nam-Ek, touching on the real life 'Legionnaires disease' outbreak, and even ratcheting up some tension between Clark and Lois. Heck, even Supergirl has a role here. But the real meat is how important Superman's code against killing was back then (and should continue to be). Superman is brought to the brink of despair and madness as personal ethos is put to the test. 

The art is by Curt Swan, the de facto artist of Superman back in the day. But the inking is by Dan Adkins. It is a smoother Swan but feels off. There is almost a Kurt Schaffenberger feel to the art here. It gives Supergirl a familiar feel but it still feels somewhat off. Not as strange as Frank Springer's inks. But not what I picture in my mind when someone says Curt Swan. And such an interesting cover with Superman tossing an alien around, threatening to kill it. Quite the art duo on this captivating piece, Dick Dillin inked by Neal Adams!

So get ready to dive into part three of Amalak and his machinations. (You can read the reviews of part one and part two here.)