Episode #19: Happy Father's Day, Jonathan Kent!

On this first Father's Day for Superman Fan Podcast I knew I would have to share a special Superman story, The Miraculous Return of Jonathan Kent. It was published in two parts in the pages of Action Comics issues #507 (May 1980, first on sale: February 25, 1980) and #508 (June 1980, first on sale on March 24, 1980). The story was done by the following:
Cover: penciller: Ross Andru; inker: Dick Giordano
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Writer: Cary Bates
Penciller: Curt Swan
Inker: Frank Chiarmont
Colorist: Gene D'Angelo
Letter: (#507) Milt Snapinn, (#508) Ben Oda
The easiest way to read this story is to pick up the DC Comics trade paperback Superman In The Eighties (2006).
The story about Jonathan's visit to Metropolis, twenty years after he is supposed to have "died", (and of course death means nothing in comics) and why is a very compelling story. The minor, one shot villain is the weak point in the story. While he is a challenge for Superman to defeat, this "hippie" character is not only twenty years out of fashion, but is also characterized as if he is a 40 or 50 year old's idea of waht a '60's hippie was like. So if you don't take the villain plot seriously and concentrate on Jonathan Kent's story, it should be an enjoyable read.
That's the thing you get with Superman stories. As much as I love reading them from every decade, there are certainly many stories that even the staunch Superman fan that I am finds silly. The bad guy in this story is weak, while Jonathan Kent's story is fantastic.

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thanks for listening to Superman Fan Podcast, and as always, thanks to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.