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| (L to R) Superman 233, January 1971 & Superman 240, July 1971! |
Download Episode 393!
Denny O'Neil passed away on June 11, 2020. He was born on May 3, 1939. He was a comic book writer and editor who wrote for Charlton, DC and Marvel and was an editor at both Marvel and DC. When Julius Schwartz became editor of the SUPERMAN title after Mort Weisinger's retirement, he asked Denny O'Neil to become the new writer for the series. He only lasted for a year before asking editor Schwartz to take him off the title because he found it hard to relate to an omnipotent character. This episode will feature O'Neil's Superman stories.
During the 2011 MegaCon, I attended a panel that Denny O'Neil was on: EPISODE 117 PART IV: COMICS WRITERS ON THE ART OF WRITING! posted on March 29, 2011.
NOTE: if you're interested in other podcasts that discussed Denny O'Neil's comic book career, check out the following episodes:
- Collected Comics Library: EPISODE 530: REMEMBERING DENNY O'NEIL
- Comic Geek Speak: COMIC GEEK SPEAK PRESENTS CLASSIC GEEK SPEAK: AN INTERVIEW WITH DENNY O'NEIL from 2013.
- Word Balloon Podcast: EPISODE 27: DENNY O'NEIL MUST ANSWER THE QIESTION, from March 2006.
DENNIS O'NEIL - OUT FROM BATMAN'S SHADOW WITH HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOVEL, from January 23, 2018
COMICS; BATMAN IN THE O'NEIL STYLE, WITH GREG RUCKA, posted on July 2, 2020.
- (9:20) Denny O'Neil's first Superman story was SUPERMAN 233, January 1971, published on November 5, 1970. It contained 32 pages for the cover price of 15¢. The cover was drawn by Neal Adams. SUPERMAN BREAKS LOOSE was written by O'Neil, pencilled by Curt Swan, inked by Murphy Anderson and lettered by Ben Oda. This story was reprinted in SUPERMAN FROM THE 30'S TO THE 70'S, SUPERMAN IN THE SEVENTIES, MILLENNIUM EDITION SUPERMAN 233 (ME 58) (which is the edition of the story I have), SUPERMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD vol. II and SUPERMAN: KRYPTONITE NEVERMORE (which reprints SUPERMAN 233-238 and 240-242). The creative team remained the same for most of these issues, except where noted otherwise.
- (32:27) SUPERMAN 234, February 1971, was released on December 15, 1970. HOW TO TAME A WILD VOLCANO (15 pgs.), was lettered by John Costanza.
- SUPERMAN 235, March 1971, was published on January 12, 1971. The cover was pencilled by Carmine Infantino and inked by Neal Adams. THE SINISTER SCREAM OF THE DEVIL'S HARP was 22 pages long.
- SUPERMAN 236, April 1971, was released on February 9, 1971. PLANET OF THE ANGELS (15 pgs.), also lettered by John Costanza, was also reprinted in BEST OF DC 12 in 1981.
- SUPERMAN 237, May 1971, was published on March 16, 1971. ENEMY OF THE EARTH (22 pgs.), was also lettered by John Costanza.
- SUPERMAN 238, June 1971, was released on April 15, 1971. The cover was pencilled by Carmine Infantino and inked by Murphy Anderson. MENACE AT 1000 DEGREES (15 pgs.), was also lettered by John Costanza.
SUPERMAN 239, June/July 1971, was published on April 6, 1971. It was a 64 Page Giant for the cover price of 25¢. The .cover was pencilled by Curt Swan and inked by Murphy Anderson. This issue contained four stories of Superman's Greatest Battles.
- (48:29) SUPERMAN 240, July 1971, was released on May 13, 1971. The cover was pencilled by Carmine Infantino and inked by Neal Adams. TO SAVE A SUPERMAN (15 pgs.), was inked by Dick Giordano and inked by John Costanza.
- (1:04:47) SUPERMAN 241, August 1971, was published on June 15, 1971. It contained 48 pgs. for the cover price of a quarter. THE SHAPE OF FEAR was 22 pages long.
- SUPERMAN 242, September 1971, was released on July 13, 1971. It contained 48 pages for the cover price of 25¢. THE ULTIMATE BATTLE was 22 pages long. This story was the final part of the KRYPTONITE NEVERMORE storyline.
- SUPERMAN 244, November 1971, was published on September 16, 1971 (11 days before my 11th birthday). It contained 48 pages for the cover price of a quarter. The cover was pencilled by Curt Swan and inked by Murphy Anderson. THE ELECTRONIC GHOST OF METROPOLIS (24 pgs.), was lettered by John Costanza.
- SUPERMAN 247, January 1972, was released on November 11, 1971. It contained 48 pages for the cover price of 25¢. The cover was pencilled by Curt Swan and inked by Murphy Anderson. Denny O'Neil wrote the second of the issue's three stories. WHEN ON EARTH, the first installment of the series THE PRIVATE LIFE OF CLARK KENT. This story was pencilled by Curt Swan and inked by Murphy Anderson.
- SUPERMAN 253, June 1972, was published on April 13, 1972. This issue contained 48 pages for the cover price of a quarter. The cover was drawn by Nick Cardy. Denny O'Neil wrote the issue's first of three stories, THE KID WHO SAVED SUPERMAN, which was 22 pages long.
- SUPERMAN 254, July 1972, was released on May 11, 1972. This issue contained 32 pages for the cover price of 20¢. Denny O'Neil's final Superman story was titled, THE KID WHO STOLE SUPERMAN'S POWERS. This story was 15 pages long.
Next Episodes: SUPERMAN FAMILY COMIC BOOKS COVER DATED MARCH 1966: PART I: SUPERMAN'S PAL JIMMY OLSEN 91, PART II: ACTION COMICS 334 (80 Pg. Giant starring Supergirl), PART III: WORLD'S FINEST COMICS 156 & PART IV: ACTION COMICS 335!
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I well remember reading these comics as they were released back in 1971 -72. I was in high school at the time, and still happily reading comics at a time many (but not all) of my friends were losing the habit. My reaction at the time to "Superman Breaks Loose" (and the whole "Krytonite Nevermore" storyline) was excitement, since it presented a whole new set of changes, some big, some subtle, in the usual Silver Age status quo. The storyline really kept me interested and carried me along for this (then) very different look at Superman. I didn't know, and certainly couldn't tell at the time, that Denny O'Neil didn't want to write Superman and felt he didn't really "get" the character. I thought, as you said, that he seemed to get the essential character of Superman in most of his stories.
ReplyDeleteI do think, though, that his work on Batman was even better, and I imagine that's because he was more comfortable with the character of Batman, and who didn't love his work on the "Hard Traveling Heroes" storyline of Green Lantern and Green Arrow? For all these things and more, I know he will be long remembered and well loved.
I agree. He brought a maturity to Superman without losing silver age fans.
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