Monday, July 30, 2018

Action Comics (1938) Issue #2: Superman, The Charmer

Action Comics (1938) #2
Release Date: 15-June-1938 
DC Comics Logo (circa 2016)/Link to DC Comics Online
Publisher/
Copyright
Issue: #002

Copyright: DC Comics

Page Count: 13 pages + Cover

Story Title: "Revolution in San Monte (Part II of II)"

Creators:
Jerry Siegel: Words
Words
Joe Shuster: Pencils
Pencils
Joe Shuster: Inks
Inks
No Artist Listed: Colors
Colors
No Artist Listed: Letters
Letters
Vin Sullivan: Executive Editor
Edits
Cover Art
Cover Art
Leo O'Mealia: Cover Pencils
Cover Pencils
Leo O'Mealia: Cover Inks
Cover Inks
No Artist Listed: Cover Colors
Cover Colors
Summary:
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 (Emily 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.
Review:
Most Amusing Panels Prize: 

Action Comics (1938) #2 Page 10 Panel 8: Superman Laying on the Charm
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" in this panel from Action Comics (1938) #2.

Action Comics (1938) #2 Page 3 Panel 2: Lois' distinctive feminine touch
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...

Action Comics (1938) #2 Page 10 Panels 4-6: Superman's javelin practice
Up, up, and away!
Action Comics (1938) #2 Page 2 Panel 7: Supes menacing the bad guys
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.
Action Comics (1938) #2 Page 13 Panel 4: Solution for war = shaking hands and making up
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.
Characters:

Superman from Action Comics (1938) #2
Superman from
Action Comics (1938) #2
Clark Kent from Action Comics (1938) #2
Clark Kent from
Action Comics (1938) #2
Lois Lane from Action Comics (1938) #2
Lois Lane from
Action Comics (1938) #2
Emil Norvell from Action Comics (1938) #2
Emil Norvell from
Action Comics (1938) #2
Resources:

Action Comics (1938) #1 on comiXology
Action Comics (1938) on
comiXology
Action Comics (1938) #1 on Wikipedia
Action Comics (1938) #1
on Wikipedia
Action Comics (1938) #2 on dc.wikia.com database
Action Comics (1938) #2
on dc.wiki.com
Action Comics (1938) #2 on Comic Vine
Action Comics (1938) #2
on ComicVine

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