Superman in the Forties

Superman in the #40s

by Jerry Siegel

The latest in DC's decade-by-decade celebration of the best stories featuring the Man of Steel collects stories from ACTION COMICS #1, 2, 14, 23, 64, 93, 107, SUPERMAN #1, 23, 40, 53, 58, 61, SUPERBOY #5, the Superman daily newspaper strip, Look magazine and WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #37, covering his 1938 debut through the 1940s!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superman, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes, Science Fiction

189 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

About the author

Jerome "Jerry" Siegel, who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S. Fine, was the American co-creator of Superman (along with Joe Shuster), the first of the great comic book superheroes and one of the most recognizable icons of the 20th century.
He and Shuster were inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1993.

Reviews

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mission 2026: Binge reviewing all previous Reads, I was too slothful to review back when I read them

Reading Superman in the Forties is like opening a time capsule full of moral urgency and cultural optimism. These stories are raw, direct, and unapologetically didactic. Superman doesn’t debate; he intervenes. He fights slumlords, war profiteers, corrupt officials. The enemies are clear, the values unmistakable.

What surprised me was how politically alive these stories feel. Superman is less a cosmic savior than a social corrective. He exists to shame systems that fail the vulnerable. The simplicity isn’t naïveté—it’s conviction. These stories believe that injustice can be confronted head-on.

The art and pacing are dated, undeniably so. But emotionally, the clarity is refreshing. There is no irony, no self-conscious mythmaking. Superman acts because action is necessary. Reading these stories now feels like encountering a forgotten version of moral confidence.

They reminded me that Superman began not as an abstraction, but as an argument: that power should side with the powerless. That argument still resonates, even through the sepia tones of history.

Most recommended.

[Ryan Matera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just beginning with Superman, this was a cool intro for the casual fan.

Love the more grounded powers and pulp feel of the early adventures especially, and looking forward to that when I start the 'First Superhero' DC Finest volume. But first I'm going to make my way through the other decade books, then I'll circle back to the rest of the golden age stuff.

[Phillip Cash · Rating 2 out of 5]

This decade-themed collection of Superman stories is presented out of order, so through it, we don't really get to see the evolution of Superman from (relatively) low-powered Great Depression-era working class hero who stands up for the common people, to godlike hero who routinely saves the Earth from the brink of destruction and existential threats (he wouldn't fully settle into that role until the 50s, but in the late 40s, he's closer to that role than he is to his original characterization). Or at least, we don't see it happen in a straight line. I assume this was done to make the book feel like it had more variety, so similar stories weren't printed back-to-back-to-back.

Superman, Champion of the Oppressed and War in San Monte (originally published Jun. - Jul. 1938 in Action Comics #1-2)

May as well lump these two stories together since they came out back-to-back, were printed back-to-back in the collection, and the first ends on a cliffhanger. They also make "Superman in the Forties" a technically incorrect title, since they're from 1938.

Anyway, they feature not only a lesser-powered version of Superman than most people are used to, but also a much more aggressive Superman--and are the genesis of superhero comics. Superman gets an innocent person off of death row, goes after some war-profiteering politicians and lobbyists, and goes after a wife-beater.

A crude version of Superman's origin is told, with an orphanage and no farm. His powers are explained, and the first couple of times I read this story, it got by me that his impenetrable skin is first shown through a page-turn reveal. That must have been cool for the kids who got to read this as a new release.

The art is pretty sloppy, but that's the case for most Golden Age comics. The trope of Clark being unable to get any play from Lois is established early already, in the first couple of stories. 3/5

Lois Lane Loves Clark Kent (originally published May 1949 in Superman #58)

A very silly story about how Lois is down bad for Superman and must force herself to try to like Clark instead. No idea why this was included. 2/5

Untitled (originally published June 1939 in Superman #1)

Not a comic, but rather a text story, and a thoroughly mediocre one at that. I see no reason to have included this other than to be able to market the book as True Literature™. 2/5

The Origin of Superman (originally published Aug. 1948 in Superman #53)

An updated take on the origin, although still a very basic one, and one that includes an orphanage. The shocking part is that both of the Kents die (!). 3/5

Superman Returns to Krypton! (originally published Nov. 1949 in Superman #61)

Yet another story that involves Superman's origin. I question the logic of including so many of those in one book, but this one at least involves Superman going on an actual adventure to learn of his past, instead of just telling how he came to be. It's a decent story, but it doesn't do much to push back on the idea that comics are a sub-literate form of entertainment, since it uses the incorrect forms of both it's/its and who's/whose. 3/5

Superboy Meets Supergirl! (originally published Nov. 1949 in Superboy #5)

The first Superboy story in the collection, who was, at the time, just a younger version of Kal/Clark, and not a separate character. It also features the first ever "Supergirl," which wasn't Kara.

The first act of this story is fantastic, and the rest is pretty alright as well. Definitely the best of the collection so far, delightfully cheesy, and has a Silver Age feel to it even though the Silver Age was a long way off. 4/5

Superman Meets the Ultra-Humanite (originally published Jul. 1939 in Action Comics #14)

This is actually the second appearance by the Ultra-Humanite, Superman's first ever super-powered foe. It's not a particularly well-drawn story, even for the time. In one panel, Superman looks like he is slipping on banana peels. 2/5

Europe at War Part II (originally published Apr. 1940 in Action Comics #23)

We're dropped into the middle of a story with this one, and meet a ginger Lex Luthor. I didn't get much out of it. 2/5

The Terrible Toyman (originally published Sep. 1943 in Action Comics #64)

Some of the pages in this story could try out for being the wordiest that I have ever seen in comics. Toyman really isn't that interesting in his first appearance, unfortunately. 2/5

Journey into Ruin (originally published Apr. 1947 in Action Comics #107)

Bizarre pro-work morality tale that is passably entertaining, but I can't help but feel it betrays the spirit of the character as he was introduced in 1938. In one panel, Superman's trunks are colored blue by mistake, effectively erasing them, and it looks so wrong. I got a good laugh thinking about how some knuckleheads at DC editorial thought getting rid of them would be a good idea in the New 52 era. 2/5

The Mxyztplk-Susie Alliance (originally published May 1946 in Superman #40)

Amusing Mxyzptlk story featuring Lois Lane's niece Susie. Nothing special, but enjoyable. 3/5

America's Secret Weapon (originally published Aug. 1943 in Superman #23)

This one is a war-time propaganda tale. Not my favorite flavor of Superman story, not by a long stretch, but it was undeniably necessary to include one to give a full picture of the character in this decade. 2/5

Untitled (originally published Feb. 16-19, 1942 in daily newspapers)

Back in the Golden Age, comic strips generally had much higher production values than comic books... but not here. Both the art and the text are very smudged, and I had to go over the strips multiple times to decipher them. It's also odd that it seems more like a gag strip than an adventure serial. To get a better picture of this particular story, I'd need more of the strips than just these few, so it's going to go without a rating.

How Superman Would End the War (originally published Feb. 1940 in Look magazine)

The most interesting part about this very childish and simplistic story about Superman putting Hitler and Stalin in time-out was Stalin being presented as a villain. This confused me, since I knew that the U.S. and Soviet Union were WW2 allies. Well, this was published the year before that alliance began, and I only just learned today about the Nazi-Soviet Pact, and how that made Stalin be viewed as friendly with Hitler in the West. So this story taught me something, albeit indirectly. That's the only good thing I can say about it. 1/5

The Superman Story! (originally published Nov. 1948 in World's Finest #37)

The only World's Finest story in this collection, and it isn't a team-up with Batman. Instead, it's a day in the life of Superman. No supervillain (unless you count the slum lord at the end), just good deeds. Nothing special, but fun enough. 3/5

Christmas 'Round the World! (originally published Feb. 1946 in Action Comics #93)

A story highlighting various Christmas customs as practiced around the world... I have no idea how accurate the portrayals of the customs are, but the people are portrayed rather stereotypically. Nonetheless, the thought behind this was probably a noble one. Unfortunately, it's not a story that's very fun to read. 2/5

A Special Superman Bonus

Ending the book is a long-lost (until the publication of this book) seven panel strip by Siegel and Shuster. It's a good way to end things. Even though it's "just" a gag strip, it's well-done and effective. 3/5

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bizarre collection from Superman's early days that feature some comics from the end of the 30s and some from the end of the 40s. Grouped together thematically, it's fun to see the early days of Superman, but one has to wonder if there was a better way to package these.

[Your_Average_Magical_Girls_Fan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster are the Easy winners here. Supes taking on corporate warmongers, corruption issues, Hitler and Stalin themselves (the classic tale "How Superman would end the war) are as good as ever. Nice to see the introduction of the toyman and the first Super-girl as well as the first Krypton origin story as told by Bill Finger. Unfortunately, the latter quarter of this collection dwells on Superman as both piece of WW2 propaganda and Ultimate Boyscout, in stark contrast with how was originally intended by his creators and a chore as to the reading itself. It would have been better for DC to use a different approach to categorize these stories instead of throwing a bunch of them for the titular period and call the day.

[JD · Rating 2 out of 5]

The earliest stories are hilarious, but in a bad way. I always assumed Superman on the issue 1 cover was saving someone by lifting that car, not getting his own back for a guy calling him/Clark a weakling... what a hero. The war propaganda ones are better, but at best are interesting as history pieces. Otherwise, there are one or two genuinely good stories in this collection, and several more bad ones. The Christmas one is atrocious and has the creepiest ending. A really odd collection, and placed here is no sensible order.

[Rami Abuhamra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superman in the Forties is a great collection the best Superman comics from the 40s. You can learn a lot about Superman, back in the forties. My favorites are the comics that explain Superman's origin story. It was a lot of fun reading this.
I recommend this to any Superman fan. Or just a fan of comic books in general.

[John Cornelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining comics of the Man of Steel!

[Adam Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume contains 192 pages of Golden Age awesomeness. To begin with, we get the first two Superman Stories from action comics in the 1930s. In them. Superman saved an innocent woman from execution, stopped a wife beating, and saves Lois from a psycho kidnapper. And that was just in the first ten pages. Next up is preventing a war.

We get a peak at Superman, both as a rough and tumble no nonsense Superhero whose rough interrogation methods would make Jack Bauer winces to the still strong, but also wiser and gentler role model we knew in the 1940s and 50s.

Along the way, we get to see Superman's first tangle with the Ultra-Humanite, Lex Luthor, and the Toyman, as well as an early encounter with Mr. Mxtztplk. All these characters are vastly different from their modern counterpart with Mxtztplk being more mischievous than truly a danger to the Man of Steel. We also get to see the first appearance of Krytonite in the comic books (after it'd been all over the radio series for two years). In the comics, it appeared as a gem on a phony swami's hat.

As Superman progressed, his writers gained humility. When Jerry Siegel began writing Superman at age 24, all war was the cause of manipulators, and Superman could end and avoid was in a single issue. When confronted with a real life conflict, Siegel imagined a year before Pearl Harbor that Superman could end the war in Europe in two pages by dragging Hitler before the League of Nations. Experience brought humility. However, when America entered the war, the writers knew they couldn't just have Superman end it. Thus Superman focused more on helping others with compassion and intelligence rather than using brute force all the time. (Though he could still use that when called for.)

Throughout the book, Superman cared about the concerns of ordinary Americans, from taking on warmongers and spies to giving what for to a crooked patent attorney, Superman was focused on helping out people in need. This book contains stories of that genuine American hero.

As a patriot, I loved the war story, "America's Secret Weapon," and the final story, "Christmas 'Round the World" was beautifully moving.

While DC has taken to releasing its Archive Collections (Hardback) and Chronicles (Paperback) chronicling the adventures of the Man of Steel, this book is more of a best of compilation from the 1930s and 40s. Its perfect for someone who wants a little Superman as he was meant to be in their library or who wants to see some of the more interesting stories of the era. In addition, the current Chronicles Collection is only up to 1942, so many of the stories in hear from 1944 and after won't be in Trade paperback for years.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice collection with samples from the different stages Superman passed thru and different media.

This collection includes such gems as:

The first two stories from the thirties.
The first meeting of Kryptonite in the comic.
An origin of Superman.
A few newspaper strips.
A short comic from Look magazine how Superman would stop World War II.
A short prose story from Superman 1.
Mr. Myzlptlk in his purple suit.
The Ultra-Humanite.
The first Luthor story.
The Toyman.

Not all the stories are classics, but there are enough gems to make this collection work your time.

[Jean-Pierre Vidrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is basically what it should be: a good overview of the kinds of Superman stories typical of the era. Gangsters, lovelorn tales, war efforts, and even a charming Christmas story are all here and are as different from each other as can be. My favorites by far were the Siegel and Shuster originals. There's a raw energy to them that Superman comics have never really been able to recapture. The text pieces interspersed throughout the collection give some welcome background information on the comics as the decade progressed and the character evolved.

[Victor Orozco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. A very good set of comics. I have to admit its very nice seeing a very good set of stories without a grand set of villains. I also enjoy seeing Superman do more for the people than you usually see nowadays.

Got to admit the stories where they expand upon his origin story are great. The line "Krypton is Doomed" has become famous. Its also interesting to see how Superman dealt with his presence during the time of war.

Sentimental times but brave times never the less. C+

[Stan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting trip back into time - back when Superman actually couldn't fly and was actually interesting. The art is kind of spotty, and a lot of the comics are from the last possible year in the forties, but it's all still an enjoyable grab bag.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of Superman comics but unfortunately they're not chronological. However, the table of contents has the printing dates so you can read them in order allowing you to see the progression of the character during the decade.

[Mark Luongo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going to read them all! Our school library has them from the 1940s to the 1980s.

[Jack S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool! I really liked seeing the Man of Steel's beginnings, Without Lex Luthor or anyone like that.