This is the four-hundredth post at
Warrior27, and that number immediately conjures up memories of one of my
favorite single issues of a comic book ever – the 1984 anniversary edition of
Superman 400. It’s a super-sized issue
(it’s 64 pages & cost $2.00!) filled with superstar talent, and it is one
of the comics I would bring to that metaphorical desert isle, if I were ever
relegated to such a fate.
Let’s start with that cover – a
beautiful painting that feels more like a movie poster than a comic cover. In a collage of images readers are given the
story of Superman, with the Man of Steel front and center. It was years before I discovered this was
drawn by Howard Chaykin, whose work I have come to admire greatly. His style is almost subsumed by his painting,
but if you look closely enough, and know what you’re looking for, it becomes
obvious this is a Chaykin piece (the signature hidden in the top stripe of the
American flag also gives it away). Then,
on the inside cover, we are treated to a quick introduction to the wonder of
Superman and the importance of this character by legendary author Ray Bradbury,
whose works of science fiction and fantasy transcended genre to become literary
classics, in a manner parallel to how Superman, as a character, transcended the
“gutters” of comic book publishing to become a worldwide icon. Fitting.
The issue itself is divided between
pin-ups and short stories. With a lone
exception, these are all written by longtime Superman scribe, Elliot S! Maggin,
and all of them relate legends that have cropped up around Superman in the
future. The variety in tone and point of
view for these tales is impressive and far-ranging, and readers would be
forgiven for not realizing they all came from the same typewriter. And every one – every single story – is
great, in its way.
After an introductory three pages
drawn beautifully by Joe Orlando, the first story proper is drawn by Al
Williamson. Set in 2199 on the lunar
city of Armstrong City, we follow a futuristic snake oil salesman, regaling a
group of locals with his tale of being rescued by Superman and the secret
recipe the Kryptonian offered him, which became his “Superman Nectar.” It’s a fun tale that mixes a wild west
setting – Armstrong City is modeled off the frontier towns of the American old
west – with hovercars and other science fictional elements. Though the narrative is fun, the real star
here is Williamson, who, not being anchored to actors’ likenesses as with his
contemporaneous Star Wars work, really shines with his traditional, but
beautiful, renderings.
Next, we have Frank Miller drawing
a story about scientists who have discovered the true identity of
Superman. They use the unearthed video
footage of the 1950s Superman television show starring George Reeves. In that show, it’s revealed that Superman is
actually Clark Kent – coupled with the inclusion of Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen,
Perry White, and others in the TV show, the scientists extrapolate the truth
and offer it to this world of the future.
Again, it’s a fun story that plays on the broader Superman mythos and
gives readers an interesting take on the character that wouldn’t normally be
included in the regular comic.
The next story is one of my
favorites – a dystopian tale of repression.
The future Metropolis is held under thrall by the Metropolis Militia, working
for the rich to keep the masses under its militaristic thumb. This tale follows a homeless man as Christmas
nears. Cold, hungry, with nothing but
the clothes on his back, he slips into the old library building to get warm and
find a place to sleep. Looking for a
blanket, he finds a Superman suit and puts it on. On his discovery by a guard, he is
immediately fired upon … and the suit deflects the blasts. This leads the
homeless man to rush outside and show the rest of the downtrodden how to
resist. He shouts into the night,
“Resist! Resist!” until the militia
realize it’s the suit protecting him and fire at his head, disintegrating the
man.
But his cries of resistance shudder
over the crowd gathered in front of the library. They push back against the militia, using
their numbers to roll over the armed guards, and the dreams of freedom and
peace that Superman inspired centuries past are born again. This story was drawn by Marshall Rogers &
Terry Austin, and their work is stunning.
Whereas I remember feeling that Rogers’s art for the Silver Surfer
relaunch, which would come a few years after, was tired and uninspired, the
work on these handful of pages is fantastic.
Following this, we get a story
drawn by Wendy Pini, whose “mainstream” comic work is few and far between. Set in space, on the off-world campus of
Brandeis University, we follow a small group of students as they watch a video
lecture, wherein two professors attempt to explain who Superman was. The debate devolves into a silly argument
about which one of them is correct – one claiming the super-suit they are
examining was used by an empowered female, while the other believes it was a
“masculine product of the popular imagination.”
The students eventually turn off the video, as the vitriol between the
two professors reaches an extreme level, and Maggin nicely sums up the theme of
this short narrative with his final captions.
Michael Kaluta’s delicate linework
brings the next story to life, which is a premonitive tale about a virtual
reality “theater.” Two boys in this far
future world run into each other as they enter the theater, where they are
going to role-play a Superman story through pairs of special goggles. It’s an immersive experience, with one boy
playing Superman, with his own imagined powers rather than those with which
people are familiar, and the other playing the victim. In the end, the day is saved. And then it’s time for the boys to switch
roles. Another really fun story elevated
by Kaluta’s beautiful art.
The penultimate story takes place
in the year 5902, and is my favorite of the whole issue. Illustrated by Klaus Janson, his exceptional
skill at delineating body language and facial expressions is something
wonderful to behold. In this far flung
tale, humankind has moved beyond war and famine and injustice, and every year
celebrates Superman’s legacy with Miracle Monday, a day when all families come
together for a special meal where each member adds food from their plates to
the empty one reserved for Superman, against his eventual return. On this particular night, with this
particular family, Superman is actually thrown through time and lands outside
their home. Disoriented, he finds his
way to their door, where the family assists him. Only one of them realizes Superman’s true
identity but keeps it secret from the rest of his family. And, thankful for that and for the bright
future he has now experienced, Superman returns every year – unseen by this
family – to partake of their generosity and empties the plate, to the delight
of all present. Yes, it hews a bit close
to the Christ tale for me – something I did not see when I first read it – but
I still enjoy the magic and beauty evident in this short story.
Finally, we reach the one piece not
written by Maggin. Jim Steranko writes,
draws, letters, and colors the final story in this wonderful tome – “The Exile
at the Edge of Eternity.” Told through
captions and beautiful double-page spreads, this is the story of the end of
humanity. The last ancestor of Superman,
whose DNA has intermingled with humanity for millennia, makes the ultimate
sacrifice, focusing all the energies of the rest of humankind into ten beings
in order to halt the death of the universe.
The unleashing of this energy, through the expiration of these ten
beings, leaves the architect of this plan a mere mortal, who is now the last
man alive in the cosmos. But it also
spurs new growth and renewed life on Earth, and as this tale ends, a new Eve
emerges from these energies, presaging a new beginning for humankind.
Then, there are the pinups
scattered throughout. These are phenomenal, adding to the already stacked deck
of creators who contributed to this landmark issue. You saw the listing of talent on the front
cover. But if you’ve forgotten, there
are some fabulous images from some of the very best ever to delineate a figure
in these four-color wonders – people like Berni Wrightson, whose moody inks bring
to life power of the Man of Steel, or Walter Simonson, whose distinct and
strong linework showcases an exultant Superman astride a huge S-shield, held
aloft by all of his supporting cast, or John Byrne, who was THE superstar artist of the day and
would go on to revamp Kal-El two years later for the character’s fiftieth
anniversary, or Jerry Robinson, the golden age artist known for his signature
work on Batman, who has the dynamic duo swinging in for a Superman statue
dedication ceremony, where a mayor looking very much like Ed Koch presides over
a crowd filled with real-life celebrities and comic book characters alike, or
Jack Davis, legendary Mad Magazine artist with his distinct rendition of Clark
Kent’s quick-change into his heroic alter-ego, complete with an impatient elderly
woman waiting to use the phone booth.
Brian Bolland lends a hyper-detailed rendition of Clark revealing his costume
beneath a business suit, while Leonard Starr wishes Superman the best in the
next 400 issues with a classic rendition of the Man of Steel flying Annie and
her dog through the air, and Mike Grell offers up a stylish image of Clark Kent
and Superman side by side, smiling out at the readership, with a golden
S-shield behind them.
If the above murderer’s row of
artists sounds great, consider the fact that they are part of the undercard as
four true giants of the medium also contributed to this landmark issue – Steve
Ditko, co-creator of Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, and the Creeper, among many other
characters, and the only artist who could match in production and quality
another contributor to this issue, Jack Kirby, co-creator of the Marvel
Universe, as well as the New Gods, Kamandi, the Demon, and myriad other notable
characters; there is also Will Eisner, creator of the Spirit and one of those
credited with the creation and eventual popularization of the graphic novel
format, and Moebius, Jean Giraud, the French comic artist whose Arzach,
Lieutenant Blueberrry, and various other creations showcased his supple and
beautiful linework.
All of these talents came together
to make this an artistic feast for any and all fans of the comic medium. My favorite pinup, though, of all these
heavyweight ink-slingers has to be the simplest image, which came from Bill
Sienkiewicz. In the back of the book, he
offers up a final farewell for the Man of Steel’s 400th issue, as we
are treated to Superman flying away from us, at super-speed, with Sienkiewicz’s
signature style elevating this far beyond the simple premise from which it was
begat. Just beautiful.
The smartest thing DC comics did,
in preparing this special issue, was to allow the writers and artists to craft
stories untethered by continuity. Given
free reign, while not beholden to anything but the primary essence of Superman,
imbues each of these tales with a timeless quality. And designing these narratives as legends set
in a future where Superman has been woven into the mythic tapestry of humanity,
adds weight to this heroic icon while also reaffirming truths about the ideals
and mores for which Superman stands.
These two aspects – the timelessness and legendary quality of the stories
– are what allow for frequent re-reads of this book that never disappoint.
So, for this 400th post,
one of my all-time favorite comics.
Superman 400. Check it out. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
-chris
