Enter Bizarro - Dueling Pencils (and Plotlines)

Superboy #68 (October 1958)
"The Boy of Steel Versus the Thing of Steel"
Otto Binder-George Papp

The Man of Steel #5 (December 1986)

"The Mirror, Crack'd"

John Byrne-Byrne/Dick Giordano

Doug: Yup -- half a century old, am I. I know I'm joining a club populated by many of our Bronze Age Babies, and I trust you'll treat me kindly in this land of AARP. Now if I could only remember what issue I'm supposed to review today...

Funny that I'm joking about being forgetful; well, maybe it's not even forgetful. I think it was William many a'moon ago (when we solicited ideas for posts) who queried what we had collected on our shelves but had never read. I can attest to owning The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told, but have not read all of the tales contained therein -- and quite honestly have not cracked the book in perhaps 20 years. Figuring it had been awhile since I reviewed a Superman yarn (I've been really heavy on the Bat-side of DC lately, but that's the lion's share of what I have from those folks), I thought I'd check the table of contents of the "Greatest" trade. Now I've remarked several times that I've always been a Superboy guy, never Superman (well, not never). So when I saw Superboy #68 sitting there, and it was the 1st appearance of Bizarro to boot, I knew I was going to review it. But after I read it, I was like "Hey, wait a minute..." So I dug up our BAB review of Man of Steel #5, and darned if Anonymous (one of the most common baby names of the mid-60s) didn't comment:

Anonymous said...

Two things:
(1) at the time of the miniseries, Byrne stated that the purpose of the Bizarro story was to show Superman's first encounter with a super powered foe;
(2) the blindness thing is a call back to the first Bizarro story - where something similar happened. Bizarro died - and when he blew up, he cured a blind person (though I don't think it was Lucy Lane).

So there you have it -- cart planted squarely in front of horse. But you know that's not fair, so howzabout we take a look at these two stories, told almost 30 years apart, and see how similar they are? For those keeping score at home, I am going to blend in thoughts about Man of Steel #5 from mine and Karen's original review of that  publication.

The Creations: In Superboy #68, our young Kryptonian has visited a Professor Dalton, who is about to conduct a very important experiment. Dalton thinks he has invented a "Duplicator Ray" that will be able to exactly reproduce any material. His first attempt is on radium -- because after all, the 1950s was all about radioactivity. The radium that's created is a dud -- no radiation whatsoever. Dalton then turns his ray on a jewel, but it proceeds to melt like ice. Frustrated, he declares himself a failure. Ever empathetic, all Superboy can utter is, "Too bad, Professor! Well, I'll be on my way!" (at this point, please do yourself a favor and head on over to superdickery.com for more bad manners (and etc.) from Superboy, Superman, and a host of other comics bores). You know, it would serve Superboy right if that ray got turned on him and made an indestructible duplicate of him. Yeah -- that would fix smart-mouthed Superboy! And so it happened. But the duplicate, who we are repeatedly assured is some form of non-life (nevermind that it feels, thinks, has emotions, et al.), is soon out of the lab and on the loose and heading straight for mischief.

Skip ahead approximately 30 years and...

Lex enters a large laboratory where a Dr. Teng, dissident Chinese scientist, labors over a large sarcophagus. We learn that Luthor had his offices layered with cameras and untold diagnostic equipment that captured every iota of information about Superman while he was on the premises. The doctor then used that data to program his technology to create an exact duplicate of the Man of Steel. One problem, however: The equipment was infallible for any sort of terran lifeform. It's at this moment that Lex deduces that Superman could very likely be an alien. The professor unveils his creation, cautioning Luthor that it has been a failure. The sarcophagus is opened and out steps an entranced doppelganger of Superman... who then immediately collapses on the floor, and begins to crystallize. Luthor, enraged, grabs his hired hand and offers that he truly hopes he has not wasted his $100 million investment.  But just as quickly, he orders the creature removed -- Luthor is going home to Metropolis.

Close Encounters of the Bizarro Kind: Bizarro, being duplicated from Superboy, is somewhat aware of Superboy's life and surroundings. As such, he shows up at the Kents', the Kents' neighbors' home, and in various places around Smallville. Overall, he scares people. He is one goofy-looking dude. But there's a real innocence about him, child-like. He wants to fit in, and most of all to be loved. But everyone seems afraid of him and often runs the other way. As Bizarro sits alone on the curb crying, he's approached by a pretty teenaged girl who asks him what's wrong. She tells him that he seems kindly enough, a gentle soul. Bizarro is about to bust, and he flies away to tell a farm family who had humored him earlier. And then we learn that the girl is blind.

In the John Byrne version...

In Metropolis, we get to see Lois Lane's apartment and meet her sister Lucy. We learn immediately that some sort of tragic accident has recently befallen Lucy and her sight has been lost. Lois tries to encourage her, but Lucy is obviously depressed. Byrne depicts the sullen Lucy seated alone, head in hand. Cut away to the streets, where an ambulance careens out of control. A blown tire brings the vehicle to an abrupt stop, but since it is carrying a patient the situation is even more dire. Suddenly a familiar pair of red boots lands and hoists the vehicle.  It is very soon spirited to the closest hospital. As the crew emerges to thank Superman, a look of surprised horror crosses their faces. We see the Man of Steel's foggy reflection in the ambulance window, but cannot make out what must have spooked the EMTs.

Back at Lois' highrise, Lucy has moved onto the balcony and is poised to leap. She asks to herself that Lois forgive her, and pushes away. She doesn't fall far before blue-clothed arms reach out and scoop her away from her desired death. Taken back to the balcony, she's gently set down. She asks if her benefactor is Superman, but he says nothing. She feels him fly away, and is puzzled as to why he wouldn't speak. Cut away then to the Daily Planet, where Lois has arrived to work. After some banter, Jimmy (still sportin' that bowtie) asks if anyone has heard about the break-in at a men's store next door. Seems the perp busted thousands of dollars of plate glass to swipe a $100 suit, and left alone a jewelry store right next door! Clark uses his telescopic vision to peer down into the lobby and notices an odd duck wearing a sport coat over what looks to be a red cape. In a really nifty panel, Byrne gives us the first Superman quick-change and the Man of Steel emerges in the lobby to question this weirdo. Trouble is, when the guy turns around, he's an ashen duplicate of -- Superman! 

Attempted Destruction: Wow - the 1950s must have been pretty reckless. Superboy tries to subdue Bizarro by flying into space in a leaden suit of armor to retrieve a Kryptonite asteroid which he uses in an attempt to murder Bizarro (unless you believe that the creature was inanimate, as is continually suggested). When that fails, actually afflicting Superboy due to a counter-attack by Bizarro, the Teen of Steel asks his army buddies to bring out the conventional weapons. Seriously -- tanks, mortar shells, flamethrowers, you name it. With no positive results, Superboy suggests he be allowed to drop an A-bomb on Bizarro. You read that right. Remember in Kingdom Come when Kansas was obliterated? Superboy drops an atomic bomb on his doppelganger, who catches it and hurls it to the moon.  I'm not making this up. With nowhere else to turn, Superboy engages Bizarro directly.

But in Metropolis...

(Continued from above) The new guy on the block doesn't talk much, but he does pack a wallop! Superman is sent reeling out of the building, landing in the middle of a city bus. He urges the passengers to stay put and heads back out to confront his assailant. We get a good look at the guy, who is fully garbed in a navy blue (not royal blue) Superman suit and what looks to be Clark Kent's wardrobe! Superman soon finds that this imposter possesses all of his powers, including his vast strength. When Lois comes on the scene, Superman decides it would be beneficial to rid his enemy of the civvies. As Superman takes a shot, Lois comes closer -- close enough that she draws the creature's attention. He grasps her wrist and flies her away.

Lois decides that she'll try to talk to the "guy". But when she does, he turns his full attention to her, and kisses her! In a nice piece of writing, Byrne has Lois think, "I don't believe it! Five years I've been dreaming of being kissed by Superman..." Anyway, the creature lands on the same balcony to which he'd deposited Lucy earlier in the story. She is still outside, and can see Lois and "Superman" approaching! Lucy approaches the doppelganger, but as she moves to touch his face, the real Superman arrives. He tries to move the ladies to safety, but is pummeled by his duplicate. They engage, and Superman is hurled straight down into the street. He notices that some sort of powder has rubbed off on his fist and sleeve. Looking at it with his telescopic vision, he notes that it is inorganic -- the creature isn't alive. "Our ugly friend is some kind of android -- an artificial being -- just one step ahead of a robot!"

 
Endgame: Spent for suggestions, Superboy heads back to Smallville to see if there isn't something he can think of that he can use to get rid of Bizarro. The creature follows him back to town, but as Bizarro arrives he falls from the sky -- as if under the influence of Kryptonite. But having exhausted that as an option, Superboy races to find the substance that has affected Bizarro. Flying by Professor Dalton's lab, he sees a custodian emptying the remnants of Dalton's Duplicator Ray machine and notices that the parts emit a glow... hazardous waste? Pfah! Grabbing a huge piece, Superboy threatens to end Bizarro's existence; although Bizarro retorts and uses the word "kill". Bizarro, in typical Bizarro fashion, flies directly at the Teen of Steel.

In the Post-Crisis Superman revamp...
 
Superman rockets upward as the creature turns toward him. Suddenly it launches downward and the two meteors strike head on. Superman emerges apparently no worse for the wear, but the creature is nowhere to be found.

Eyesight to the Blind: As Bizarro impacted Superboy's metal plate, he exploded into dust particles. A distance away, Melissa felt the impact and was awash in waves of the dust particles. Suddenly her eyesight returned!

 And finally, in 1986...

Bizarro exploded into a huge cloud of dust and crystal particles. And it's those particles that apparently cured Lucy's blindness. Superman is complimented for taking the action that cured Lucy; however, the Man of Steel muses that he really didn't know it would work out that way... but the creature must have.

I feel the need to offer some additional thoughts on Superboy #68, as this comparative post will serve as the review of the story. It was certainly one of those Silver Age books that, with the right mindset, could be enjoyable. I'm sad to say, however, that my mind might not have been exactly positioned in that manner. The basics of the story were fine -- plot, art, etc. But oh the dialogue... I was reminded early and often why as a kid I loathed Superman comics. Generally speaking, Superboy comics tended to avoid the following, but all are in full use here: telescopic vision, super-strength, super-breath, heat vision, super-wits, super-hearing, super-force, super-ventriloquism, super-blows, super-judo... as well as super-vibration, super-impact, and super-inspiration. Whew! Otto Binder actually used every one of those terms in a 24-page story. And it wore me out.

I enjoyed the art, but again through the lens of the Silver Age. I don't know how much George Papp art I've ever seen, but this was pleasing to the eye and appropriate to the subject matter. Papp's art fit in with the "aw, shucks!" sense I get from stories of this vintage.

If you made the jump above to our Man of Steel review, you saw Karen and I comment on John Byrne's attitude toward Bizarro and how it seemed to preface what he'd do to the Vision a few years hence in the pages of West Coast Avengers. I felt in Byrne's treatment, and especially in Binder's script, that Bizarro was too easily discarded as some form of non-life. You ask me, the dude was alive. Also, and in closing because I've taken enough time out of your day, I'd add that Binder's scientific explanations throughout the Superboy tale are at once charming and "say what?!", but most of all pretty dumb.

But I'd read that story again -- it was addictive in a "why am I eating this" sort of way.

Building a Better Bizarro: The Man of Steel #5

The Man of Steel #5 (December 1986)

"The Mirror, Crack'd"

John Byrne-Byrne/Dick Giordano

Doug:  I liked this issue.  At the conclusion of next week's post, Karen and I will give our overall evaluation of the mini-series that revamped the Superman mythos, but I can tell you right now that for me this has been more "hit" than "miss".  John Byrne's art has been near-perfect throughout the series, and he'd for the most part been able to update the Super-universe while still offering that occasional nod and wink to the past.  And that's certainly evident right on the splash page, as we are greeted with the Lex Luthor "Super Powers" battlesuit -- I recall letting out an audible "What the?!" when I opened this, as I felt it was a cop-out... new Superman/new Lex Luthor my foot!  Ah, but the wily Canadian scribe had a trick for us on the very next page.

Karen: For the most part, I would agree that the art has been a highlight, although for whatever reason, I feel like Byrne's stuff may not have aged as well as some of his contemporaries, like George Perez.

Doug:  I think this mini-series, along with the first 20 issues or so of his X-Men run, are among his best output.  The characters have some real mass to them, and the exaggerated elongation that in mind would plague him on the latter years of both X-Men and Fantastic Four is nowhere to be found. 

Doug:  It turns out that the super-suit was an invention of Lexcorps that had been created for NASA.  However, since there was a flaw in the construction that rendered any user mentally-impaired, it obviously wasn't mass-ordered.  Nonetheless, Superman was attacked by a "goon" (Supes' word, not mine.  Is that out-of-character?) and made short work of him.  He then flew to Hong Kong to confront Luthor about it.  Lex of course explains it all away, and we get the sense that not only is Lex incredibly rich and competitive, but he's the new DC Universe's Tony Stark.  Superman leaves dissatisfied, but with a continued warning to Luthor that sooner or later...  Lex then vacates his office, pressing a button on his desk to reveal a secret chamber.

Karen: Yeah, I got a laugh out of the whole powersuit thing. That was nicely handled, a real tip of the hat to the fans. 

Doug:  Lex enters a large laboratory where a Dr. Teng, dissident Chinese scientist, labors over a large sarcophagus.  We learn that Luthor had his offices layered with cameras and untold diagnostic equipment that captured every iota of information about Superman while he was on the premises.  The doctor then used that data to program his technology to create an exact duplicate of the Man of Steel.  One problem, however:  The equipment was infallible for any sort of terran lifeform.  It's at this moment that Lex deduces that Superman could very likely be an alien.  The professor unveils his creation, cautioning Luthor that it has been a failure.  The sarcophagus is opened and out steps an entranced doppelganger of Superman... who then immediately collapses on the floor, and begins to crystallize.  Luthor, enraged, grabs his hired hand and offers that he truly hopes he has not wasted his $100 million investment.  But just as quickly, he orders the creature removed -- Luthor is going home to Metropolis.

Karen: There's a lot of things going on here. Luthor learns of Superman's alien origin, and it's a sure bet he'll exploit it for all it's worth. It's also clear just how deep his obsession with the Man of Steel goes, to the point where he's creating his own version. He says he wants a Superman that works for him -is it all about control? Or would he have used this duplicate to frame the real Superman? There's plenty to work with here. I also wondered how technically savvy Luthor is in this new version. How much of the science does he get? Or is he merely the money man?

Doug:  Good questions; unfortunately we won't be finding out in this issue!  In Metropolis, we get to see Lois Lane's apartment and meet her sister Lucy.  We learn immediately that some sort of tragic accident has recently befallen Lucy and her sight has been lost.  Lois tries to encourage her, but Lucy is obviously depressed.  In another great all-white background panel, Byrne depicts the sullen Lucy, head in hand.  Cut away to the streets, where an ambulance careens out of control.  A blown tire brings the vehicle to an abrupt stop, but carrying a patient the situation is even more dire.  Suddenly a familiar pair of red boots lands and hoists the vehicle.  It is very soon spirited to the closest hospital.  As the crew emerges to thank Superman, a look of surprised horror crosses their faces.  We see the Man of Steel's foggy reflection in the ambulance window, but cannot make out what must have spooked the EMTs.

Karen: As someone who has read very few Superman comics, I wasn't sure of the significance of Lucy, or if she was also blind at some point in the old stories.Doug:  Back at Lois' highrise, Lucy has moved onto the balcony and is poised to leap.  She asks to herself that Lois forgive her, and pushes away.  She doesn't fall far before blue-clothed arms reach out and scoop her away from her desired death.  Taken back to the balcony, she's gently set down.  She asks if her benefactor is Superman, but he says nothing.  She feels him fly away, and is puzzled as to why he wouldn't speak.  Cut away then to the Daily Planet, where Lois has arrived to work.  After some banter, Jimmy (still sportin' that bowtie) asks if anyone has heard about the break-in at a men's store next door.  Seems the perp busted thousands of dollars of plate glass to swipe a $100 suit, and left alone a jewelry store right next door!  Clark uses his telescopic vision to peer down into the lobby and notices an odd duck wearing a sport coat over what looks to be a red cape.  In a really nifty panel, Byrne gives us the first Superman quick-change and the Man of Steel emerges in the lobby to question this weirdo.  Trouble is, when the guy turns around, he's an ashen duplicate of -- Superman!

Karen: I have to say I was shocked by Lucy jumping out of the window. This was another sign that this Superman universe (and by extension, the DC Universe as a whole) would be very different from what we were used to. The reveal of Bizarro was a bit disappointing to me. I would have preferred the 'facet-faced' Bizarro.

Doug:  All I can say is that I'm glad this version doesn't have his name and a number written on some around-the-neck Flava Flav bling!  The new guy on the block doesn't talk much, but he does pack a whallop!  Superman is sent reeling out of the building, landing in the middle of a city bus.  He urges the passengers to stay put and heads back out to confront his assailant.  We get a good look at the guy, who is fully garbed in a navy blue (not royal blue) Superman suit and what looks to be Clark Kent's wardrobe!  Superman soon finds that this imposter possesses all of his powers, including his vast strength.  When Lois comes on the scene, Superman decides it would be beneficial to rid his enemy of the civvies.  As Superman takes a shot, Lois comes closer -- close enough that she draws the creature's attention.  He grasps her wrist and flies her away.

Karen: The fight between the two is exciting and well done. It had a nice cinematic feel to it. I like how Superman seems more worried about Lois figuring out his secret identity than anything else. 

Doug:  Lois decides that she'll try to talk to the "guy".  But when she does, he turns his full attention to her, and kisses her!  In an nice piece of writing, Byrne has Lois think, "I don't believe it!  Five years I've been dreaming of being kissed by Superman..."  So by this time Superman's 30 years old, and he's been superheroing for half a decade -- I suppose this allows much of the DC revamp to fall into place.  And Byrne did it without any awkward current events "anchors" that would hopelessly date the story -- just a nice touch.  Anyway, the creature lands on the same balcony to which he'd deposited Lucy earlier in the story.  She is still outside, and can see Lois and "Superman" approaching!  Lucy approaches the doppelganger, but as she moves to touch his face, the real Superman arrives.  He tries to move the ladies to safety, but is pummeled by his  duplicate.  They engage, and Superman is hurled straight down into the street.  He notices that some sort of powder has rubbed off on his fist and sleeve.  Looking at it with his telescopic vision, he notes that it is inorganic -- the creature isn't alive.  And, in a quote that would foreshadow Byrne's move to the Avengers West Coast in 1989, Superman says, as he charges skyward, "Our ugly friend is some kind of android -- an artificial being -- just one step ahead of a robot!"  Harumph...

Karen: Five years of activity seems like an awfully long time -why would he need to make it that long? And in all that time, Supes and Lois haven't kissed? Hmmm. But don't get me started on the "artificial being" stuff. Apparently Superman thinks anything that isn't organic is fair game for destruction. Just like Byrne I guess.

Doug:  Superman rockets upward as the creature turns toward him.  Suddenly it launches downward and the two meteors strike head on.  Superman emerges apparently no worse for the wear, but the creature is nowhere to be found, having exploded into a huge cloud of dust and crystal particles.  And it's those particles that apparently cured Lucy's blindness.  Superman is complimented for taking the action that cured Lucy; however, the Man of Steel muses that he really didn't know it would work out that way... but the creature must have.

Karen:Well, I'm not really sure how exposure to little bits of Bizarro's body would cure Lucy, but I guess we just have to roll with it. It's really not clear to me how the artificial Superman, who seems pretty oblivious, would have figured that out. This story was OK, but I'm not really sure why one issue of a six issue mini-series was used on a character that wasn't (at least originally) going to reappear. It seems like there are a number of Superman foes that would have been more interesting to bring in.

Doug:  I liked this story, as I said at the top.  I thought it was somewhat interesting, however, that the name "Bizarro" was never used, and was apparently a one-and-done character.  But I loved the fact that none of the goofiness that was the Bizarro universe showed up.  The homage to Luthor's supersuit was great -- early for that sort of thing, agreed -- but I'm sure those who were longtime fans found it to be a bone-thrown.  And Byrne's art just continues to be stellar.   I'm really enjoying this re-read as much as I did the first time through, 26 years ago!