Issue: #002
Est. Pub. Date: 04-May-1938
Page Count: 13 + cover
Story Title: "Revolution in San Monte (Part II of II)"
Review:
In this resolution of the cliffhanger from Issue #1, Superman intimidates information out of a Washington lobbyist as to the source of the corruption that is marching America towards war:
The Munition Makers.
Supes then forces the bad guy (Emil Norvell) to join the army that is already at war so that he can see what the troops go through for his profits. The unreformed bad guy offers some goons money to get him out of his predicament (which they do), but he then betrays those very same goons by refusing to pay them.
Superman ends up rescuing Norvell from his pissed off henchmen and gets him onto the front lines. After more escape attempts, Norvell is finally "convinced" to stop his evil ways.
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| Superman = No Prince Charming |
After rescuing Lois from her craftily manufactured jeopardy/execution (involving a female spy planting evidence on Lois), Superman is downright clunky in his efforts to be a "man of mystery."
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| Kent’s not much of a charmer either... |
When Lois asks when she will see Superman again, he replies, "Who knows?...perhaps never!"
(Gotta love that exclamation mark at the end to drive the point home.)
Unfortunately, getting Lois in the position of needing to be rescued in the first place begins with the reason she is in the war zone with Clark: she has a "distinctive
feminine touch" that their editor apparently admires.
Superman is quite the bully, in fact, when it comes to menacing the bad guys. Not only does he throw a
torturer like a javelin...
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| Up, up, and awaaaay! |
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| Superman menacing the bad guy. |
He also threatens to "crush" the bad guy's (Emil Norvell's) neck and to "tear out" Emil's "cruel heart" with "his bare hands" if Emil does not comply with Superman's wishes.
Yeesh!
Granted, the bad guy is a munitions maker inciting America to war in order to make a profit off human misery, but still: Yeesh.
Last Notions:
I find these pre-WWII issues interesting in their political perspective. Knowing that the war rumbling of the late 1930s will later erupt into a world war informs my reading of these comics from that time period.
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Just forget those dang profits
& make up! |
The acknowledgment in this issue that a large part of going to war involves profiteering and profits for the industries of war is interesting to find in a comic book ostensibly for kids.
The solution to this war (Superman bringing the leaders of the opposing sides together to "shake hands and make up."), however, is as simplistic as one might expect from a comic for children.
Creators:
The Heroes:
The Villains:
Resources:
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