The Highlight Reel: 22 Stories in a Single Bound

Usually my "clips" for the Highlight Reel are just that: small snapshots taken from a larger story. But this time around, I'll be featuring three entire stories for the Highlight Reel and...wait...where are you going?

Oh, yeah...maybe I should explain. You see, each of the three stories are only one page long, all of which were published in Superman Adventures #41 (2000). Written by Mark Millar and drawn by a variety of illustrators, the issue featured twenty-two "Day in the Life" vignettes of the animated Superman and his cast of characters. Ranging from the funny to the dramatic, each page was a study in storytelling efficiency...and (get this) each with a beginning, middle, and end (something unheard of in these decompressed times).  All twenty-two are fine little stories (try getting your hands on this issue), but here are three of my favorites (click on the pages for a larger view):

 

Comments

[De]

Loved "While You Were Sleeping." Looks like I'll be tracking this particular gem down. Thanks for the recommendation, Mark!

[Wes C]

Those were great!

I know I'll be hunting that issue down.
To be able to tell a coherent and enjoyable story in only one page/ 7 panels is truly an art all it's own.

I really enjoyed Kaz's "Underworld" for that reason.

2 questions:

1. Were the other issues of the "Superman Adventures" comic good overall?

2. Does Superman need to sleep?

Thanks!

[Mark Engblom]

"Were the other issues of the "Superman Adventures" comic good overall?"

The series started out quite good with scripts by Scott McCloud and art by Rick Burchett (one of the best artists to nail the DC animated style). After McCloud left, I think Mark Evanier did a few issues, then there was a run by Mark Millar that was probably the high point of the series (of which the above issue was part of). After that, the series went downhill rather sharply, with very uneven art and kinda dull stories. If you're looking for back issues, the first 30 or so issues are a pretty safe bet...especially if you were a fan of the old Superman animated series. This series was especially welcome during the mid-90's, since the comic book version of Superman was either the idiotic "Mullet Superman" or the even more idiotic "Electric Blue Superman", so this series was pretty much the only place I could get a recognizeable Superman.

"Does Superman need to sleep?"

In past decades, no...he physically didn't need sleep, but psychologically he needed the occasional REM/dreaming time. I think the same holds true today.

[ShadowWing Tronix]

I'm glad you included the Mxy gets spooked by Bats story. That was one of my faves. It was also neat that every few pages there was another Mxyzptlk story, with fun new ways to send him home.

And I also highly recommend the early Superman Adventures comics. They were a lot of fun and a number of good character focus stories, including the supporting cast like Jimmy and the TV reporter whose name I should bloody well remember. Supergirl even had a story all to herself (although there isn't supposed to be a Justice League yet for Supes to run off with*). I haven't read the series in a while, what with all the comics I have, but they were really good. Sadly it does go downhill near the end and I stopped getting it at that time, except for the finale.

(*my only problem with the Adventures series was that they would bring in elements of the main DC universe. In the 25th issue of The Batman Adventures, based on Batman the Animated Series, they used the mainU version of Supes and Luthor at the time, and then have to ignore a pretty good story when Superman: The Animated Series begins and we see Superman at the beginning of his career, and the Bruce Timm DCU's first team-up of Batman and Superman in the World's Finest story. It's biggest crime, in my opinion, was undoing Man-Bat's happy ending in the cartoon, though.)

[googum]

Boy, Millar used to be something...these weren't quite as great as the Parobeck Batman ones, but the ones I've seen were a darn sight better than just about all the regular Superman stuff of the time.