Customer Rating:  
Summary: Look! Up in the sky! It's "God-Man!"
Comment: I never paid much attention to Superman before Crisis on Infinite Earths. In my earlier years, I preferred the more humanized heroes from Marvel to the world-recognized icons from DC. Lately, I've been reading DC's Superman "decade collections" in order to find out more about the history of the Man of Steel. SUPERMAN IN THE SEVENTIES can best be described as a good, if somewhat overwhelming, choice.
This book is proof that, after more than 3 decades of almost no editorial restraint, Superman was approaching omnipotence. I really feel for the various writers whose work is represented in this book, as I'm sure it would be very difficult to write a character that has no limits. While I am not that big of a fan of the changes that resulted from COIE, SUPERMAN IN THE SEVENTIES convinces me that, in the case of Superman at least, the "big wipe" was necessary. The stories presented here show a Superman who is stuck in a loop, a never-ending display of increasingly unlimited powers: when you have a hero who can get himself out of any seemingly hopeless situation, you have to have villains who can make the next situation seem even MORE hopeless. Then, of course, the hero must come up with yet another amazing solution to that more hopeless situation, and on and on. Eventually, this leads to implausibility and outright ridiculousness (yes, even for a comic!). By the time I finished this collection, I knew exactly what the editors and writers at DC were thinking when they decided to pull the curtain in the mid-`80s.
Don't get me wrong: I don't hate the stories collected in SUPERMAN IN THE SEVENTIES. In fact, I enjoyed this book very much. The stories are both grandiose and crazy. Considering that, in general, comics were finally maturing somewhat in the `70s, I am fascinated that the Superman stories could retain such a `50s - `60s sense of wonder. These pages contain all kinds of over-the-top weirdness, such as Superman moving everyone on Earth into an alternate dimension to escape Lex Luthor's "galactic golem", and Lois Lane becoming a black woman for a day. The secret to enjoying this book is to remember just how powerful Superman was back in the day, and then seeing how the writer of each story does their best to make him interesting. Most of them do a great job, definitely making it a worthwhile read.
The only real complaint I have for the book is that too many of the stories begin or end abruptly. Multi-parters were not included in their entirety, so some of what takes the stories from "good" to "exceptional" is unfortunately left out.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A bit jumbled, but great nonetheless!
Comment: This book is a collection of wonderful Superman comics from the 1970s, the Superman that I grew up with. The comics were apparently selected to give a cross-section of Superman's activities in the 70s, and include comics from Superman #276 (6/74), DC Comics Presents #14 (10/79), Superman #248 (2/72), #271 (1/74), #249 (3/72), #286 (4/75), Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 (10/70), Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #106 (11/70), Superman #287 (5/75), #233 (1/71), #247 (1/72), #270 (12/73), and Action Comics #484 (6/78).OK, as you can tell from that list, the comics seem somewhat jumbled or randomized. And, as several of the stories were multi-issue, it is rather sad that you can't keep reading to find out how the Man of Steel overcomes the bad guy. But, in spite of all that, this book is really great! The stories included are all very interesting, and it is great to look back to the Superman of a different era. An added little bonus to this book is the introduction, which was written by Christopher Reeve, Hollywood's Superman, and a bit of a hero in his own right. This is a really good book, and I highly recommend it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Gives you a flavor of pre-Crisis Superman stories
Comment: As I've mentioned in my review for "Batman in the 70s", the problem faced by all such compilations is that everyone will have an opinion of what other stories should be included and what should have been left out. I feel that this is a decent collection of Superman stories in the 70s, as all the key artists and characters are represented here. The TPB contains classics like "Superman Breaks Free" which is Dennis O'Neil's attempt at revamping the Superman; Elloit S! Maggin's classic "Must there be a Superman?", somewhat overhyped but still an interesting story; a Jimmy Olsen story by Jack 'King' Kirby; a story about Krypto; and other stories featuring Lex Luthor, Brainiac etc. Of course, it would have been even better if the TPB collects more stories about the Fortress of Solitude, bottled city of Kandor etc. Some shortcomings of this collection: It would probably have been more fun to read some of the stories in the entire run (like Marvel Essentials) than on a single-issue basis as they are presented in this TPB. E.g. "Superman breaks free" is actually the first book of O'Neil's Sandman saga; the Jimmy Olsen story is the first of around 20 (?) issues which Kirby wrote. It is a shame that DC has decided not to reprint these classic runs anywhere, since it will cost a bomb for anyone to try to collect the original copies of these comics. Another omission that everyone complains is the story arc in Superman #296-299 "Who took the Super out of Superman?" In spite of all the shortcomings, I feel that this collection will give the reader a good sampling of pre-crisis superman stories. There are many classic moments in this TPB: Superman eating Kryptonite (!); Superman playing billards with planets; plus time-travel, aliens, inter-galactic travel all thrown in for good measure. In my opinoin, the biggest attraction of this TPB is the great artwork by Curt Swan, viewed by many fans as the greatest Superman artist of all time. Conclusion: Even though this TPB is not really the most ideal 70s collection possible, it will be a welcome addition to your collection, unless you are fortunate enough to own many original Superman comics from the 70s. Enjoy!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: This volume deserves the bad reviews you're seeing!
Comment: I thought the reviews for this book were harsh. Then I got the book. They're right on the money. I grew up reading the Superman of the 1970s. These are the stories that shaped my viewpoints of Superman, but this book is wanting. None of the great Superman chronicles I remember are here. "The Double or Nothing Life of Superman" is a series I just purchased on eBay. It should be included in this volume. I also recall an outstanding, well-written series in which, among other things, the Bottled City of Kandor was smashed, as Superman again had issues with his Kryptonian past. And the greatest Superman story of the 1970s, "Superman Vs. Spider-Man," while mentioned, is woefully missing. The Superman of the 1970s brought about characters like Steve Lombard, Morgan Edge, and a few others, who participated in some great tales. You'll find the characters here, but not the good stories. Really, save your money on this book. Go to eBay and try and win some of the actual issues themselves from the 1970s.
Customer Rating:
Summary: nothing much
Comment: I have to say I didn't expect much , but this is less then that , though some where good starters & some where good end, there is a lot to noticed in between, as if they wonted the bring you some samples of the superman version in the seventies but not at his best , you can say almost as if it was a low design time capsule that was buried too long for it sake .But of course my review are mush influenced by me being an old seventies superman fan and already have seen half of the stories in the comic book , and with that in mind 2 stars is the best I can give.
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