Back Issue Review: Superman #247

Last week I reviewed Superman #25, the first chapter in the Synmar plot which marks the end of the Brian Michael Bendis run on the character. In that pilot, we see a race of aliens called the Synmar who seem to live in judgment over the universe. In fact, there is a brief discussion about stopping Kal-El's rocket before the baby Kryptonian can become some sort of monster.

The idea of some alien race sitting in judgment over Kal-El certainly stirred up memories of 'The Trial of Superman' storyline from the diamond era. But it also made me pull out Superman #247 in which the Guardians of the Universe wonder if they should curtail Superman's actions. They sort of sit in judgment over him as they try to impart a hard lesson.

"Must there be a Superman?" is one of the more famous Superman stories and certainly is a 'must reprint' in any Bronze Age or Seventies Superman collection. And it is an interesting thought exercise. What should Superman do? And what shouldn't he do? 

 

Perhaps most interesting is that the Guardians of the Universe espouse a very Luthorian view of Superman in this book. Luthor always screams that Superman is holding humanity back. Here the Guardians say much the same thing.

 

And the narrative boxes are also somewhat novel told in the second person, as if you the reader is Superman. 

 

On to the book.

We start with an impressive splash page of Superman standing before a council of Guardians delaring him guilty of crimes against humanity. It is a sort of feint. We never really get this scene in the story. But it certainly is a draw. There is a sort of Zod standing before the Science Council feel here. Odd to see Superman in this villain stance.

Written by Superman legend Elliot S. Maggin with art by the also legendary Swanderson team of Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson, the story certainly starts with a bang.

We actually start the story in deep space.

 

Superman is called into action to stop a massive ball of spores in deep space from hitting any inhabited planets. The spores would multiply and eradicate all life present.

 

This won't be easy. Superman is in a galaxy dotted with red suns making him less super than usual. But using some ingenuity and pre-Crisis power levels, he literally creates a new planet -atmosphere and all - for the spores to have to themselves. 

No wonder people sometimes think Superman is hard to write. In the span of three panels back then he creates a new world. Heck, it took God seven days!

It is also interesting to read this story knowing that it takes place about a year after Denny O'Neil's 'Kryptonite Nevermore' arc which decreased Superman's power significantly. He's not exactly depowered here.

To be fair, the effort wipes out Superman so much he needs to be rescued.

I like the fact that it is Katma Tui who rescues Superman. She brings him to the Central Power Battery where he can rest and recover.

When awake and alert, Superman hears the Guardians mention how the Man of Steel's presence on Earth has led to 'cultural lag'. He is surprised.

Now in what has to be considered a lousy turn, the Guardians decide that they shouldn't talk openly to Superman about their concerns. Instead the right way to handle this is to be passive aggressive. 

Classic Oan nonsense. This is Superman. Talk to him!

Instead they show him a flashback from an early JLA story where the League has to save a planet which has overpolluted their environment. (Anti-pollution stories were a nice hot topic back then. And I wonder if Kalyarnians is a sort of smudged version of Californians?)

In that story, Superman says the people of that planet need to stand up for themselves and fix things. They shouldn't count on others.

With this memory now in the front of his mind, Superman heads back to Earth. The Guardians hope that they have given Superman food for thought about how his handling of Earth is the opposite of what he told the Kalyarnians.

His flight takes him over a fruit farm where a young Hispanic boy is being beaten by the owner of the orchard!

Superman steps in.

He then gets the lowdown.

The pickers were going to strike against the owner so they could  get better working conditions. However the workers caved when the owner said he'd fire them. All that is except Miguel, the young worker being struck, who stuck to his guns.

Superman is rather irked by the whole thing. He is upset that the other workers were just standing there watching Miguel get hurt. He is also upset at the owner for manhandling the boy.

Just what is Superman supposed to do here? Does he have to intercede in everything he witnesses? Is this the level of problem he should deal with? Or should he save himself for bigger things?

Heading to Miguel's house, Superman sees that Miguel lives in a dilapidated shanty town.

Immediately, the townspeople ask Superman to rebuild their entire town. 'Where are you going to start?' is a terrible thing to start the conversation with. It prompts Superman to again wonder if he should be stepping into every similar situation. What line does he draw?

And Superman seems absolutely miffed in that second panel; great art by Swanderson. And that last panel where he says 'nothing at all' is pretty dramatic.

So what do people think?

But this is a comic book. So some incredible events happen ...

An earthquake occurs right then and there. It levels the town. And Superman has to step in.

Heck, if he could create a planet earlier, he certainly can stop an earthquake. Burrowing under, he stablilizes the tectonic plates.

And then, almost going against what he just said, he completely rebuilds the town with spiffier looking homes.

But he has a final word.

He needs these people to stand up on their own. They need to be like Miguel and seize their own destiny. Yes, he will help them against things like earthquakes, things they can't handle. But in terms of their work life and their domiciles, they need to stand on their own.

I believe in an honest day's wage for an honest day's work. And I think Superman is better suited fighting Mongul than stopping farm labor issues. But I do think that Superman can be a model of selflessness and helping.

And yet, it is hard for Superman to not help.

He said those words. But he immediately runs off to help a sinking cruise ship. 

The Guardians are still watching though wondering if anything will change.

So should this be as famous an issue as it is? Should Superman curtail what he is doing for us? Is he forcing 'cultural lag'? And how is this different from what Luthor says?

I don't know if anything truly changed after this story. But it is a wonderful thought exercise about Superman and so I can understand why it is so famous. 

And the art is smooth as silk sheets.

Overall grade: B+

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