When I collected comics as a kid, I had a ritual that was near and dear to me. Every Sunday after church, my family and another would meet at Art's Lunch for breakfast. Once there, the churlish waitress, Nellie, would toss our meals at us — acting very put out if we asked for an extra napkin, more water, or a fork (sometimes the place settings were missing items) — and we would enjoy the greasy delights found only in diners across the nation.
Once finished, I'd beg Dad for my allowance – a whopping 25 cents. With quarter in hand, my friends and I would excuse ourselves and walk up Main Street, turn on Lake Road, and go to the hole-in-the-wall bus station. "Station" is actually giving it more dignity than it deserved. It was barely the size of a walk-in closet. The single employee would watch us from behind his tiny counter as we attacked the spinner rack of DC Comics. This was our source, our holy shrine, our wondrous provider of superheroes, dreams, and entertainment.
With a quarter I could get two 12-cent comics and a piece of bubble gum. But every once in a while, there was a major decision to be made. On the spinner would be an 80-page Giant.
At that age, I had no idea what a reprint was. It would've been meaningless anyway. There were no comic book shops or back issue sales — there was only the bus station and the spinner rack, so every story in an 80-page Giant was brand-new to me.
They would always have a theme and I found them terribly intriguing. Themes like Lois Lane's schemes to marry Superman (Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane #86), or Jimmy Olsen's weird girlfriends (Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #122). Unfortunately, only one 80-page Giant survived my childhood. Fortunately, it was one of my favorites. I'd love to introduce it to you here.
Superman #222 was all about Superman's secret families. My childhood copy is coverless and beat up, but the stories are intact and that's all that ever mattered to me. It opens with the story of Superman's lost "brother." Things appear okay until Superman realizes that his big brother, Halk Kar (gosh, I love DC character names. They're always just alien enough to be exotic, yet pronounceable enough that little kids can read with confidence) isn't as powerful. This causes problems until the two finally figure out what really happened. The “brother” was actually from Thoron, a world near Krypton. The story has the typical convolutions needed to initially make Superman think Halk Kar is related and then the long explanation at the end to explain what really happened. This story originally appeared in Superman #80.
The second story in the comic is "The Sweetheart Superman Forgot!" This is one of those bittersweet stories of love and acceptance, and finding someone who cares about the person, not the powers. Exposed to red kryptonite, Superman loses both his powers and his memory. He changes into his street clothes, buries his costume, and begins a new life as an ordinary man. When love enters the picture, all seems perfect until tragedy strikes. I must have read this story 100 times when I was a kid. By far one of my favorite Superman stories ever. This one originally appeared in Superman #165.
Next are three stories about Superman's sons, Jor-El II and Kal-El II, whose superhero names are Nightwing and Flamebird. The aspect of these stories that always got to me was Jor-El II was super and Kal-El II was not. I would imagine what it would be like if I were the unsuper child in a superpowered family. How difficult that would be! In the stories, poor Kal-El II puts on a brave face, but is secretly envious of his brother's powers. Then Dad gets an idea. Put them in Kandor and they will be equals. The three-part series is a great read and all three can stand alone (but I advise reading them together as they introduce some interesting pathos into the book). They originally appeared in Superman #166.
Finally, there's the story of Superboy's sister. Found as a baby drifting at sea and clutching a mysterious note written by Jor-El and Lara in Kryptonian, the orphan finds her way to Superboy to claim her place as his sister. Like Superman's brother in the first story, things aren't quite what they seem. Naturally, she turns out not to be related at all. But it sure is fun while it lasted. This story originally appeared in Superboy #36!
As an adult, when I went in search of comics I'd read as a kid, 80-page Giants always ranked high on my list. Honestly, how was I to live the rest of my life without reading again about Lois Lane's biggest shockers (Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane #77) or Jimmy Olsen's weirdest adventures (Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #104)? It would be as difficult as eating breakfast in a diner without any utensils.
A former writer for DC Comics and TV’s Weird Science, Joanna Sandsmark is also the author of The Wisdom of Yo Meow Ma, A Girl’s Best Friend, 10 Spiritual Lessons You Can Learn From Your Cat, 10 Spiritual Lessons You Can Learn From Your Dog, and Explore Your Destiny With Runes. If you'd like to learn more, including a detailed bio and more information about Joanna's books please visit her website or visit her blog.
This is a guest article. The thoughts and opinions in this piece are those of their author and are not necessarily the thoughts of the Certified Collectibles Group.
