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Mild Mannered Reviews - Classic Pre-Crisis Superman Comics

Jimmy Olsen #141

Jimmy Olsen #141

Cover date: September 1971

"Will the Real Don Rickles Panic?!?"

Writer/Penciller: Jack Kirby
Inker: Vince Colletta
Superman and Jimmy Olsen Heads: Murphy Anderson
Cover Artist: Jack Kirby and Neal Adams

Reviewed by: Charlie Niemeyer

Click to enlarge


Clark Kent is still in the UFO, which is flying through the strange other-universal galaxy. Suddenly, Clark notices what appears to be a beam of light flying through space. As he sees that it is actually a man inside the light, he notices that it is heading straight for the UFO.

In Metropolis, Guardian tells Jimmy and Goody to head to the WGBS building to get help while he goes after Inter-Gang to try to get an antidote against the Pyro-Granulate. At the WGBS building, Don Rickles has arrived and is immediately mobbed by the employees, only to be saved by Morgan Edge and Miss Conway. They lead Rickles into Edge's office, and the men begin haggling over a contract.

Back in the other-universe, the man of light actually flies into the UFO (without damaging the ship) and introduces himself as Lightray. He tells Clark that that the ship is heading to Apokolips and offers to save him. Clark has heard of Apokolips, and its master Darkseid, from some strange kids he met on Earth (See Forever People #1). When Lightray points out that some of Darkseid's para-demons are heading towards the ship, Clark quickly accepts Lightray's offer of help.

On Earth, Jimmy and Goody are on a bus to WGBS when the other riders begin to become annoyed by Goody's inability to shut up. This upsets Goody and his anger causes smoke to come out of his pores. Jimmy calms him down as we cut to Guardian, who has used the rooftops to catch up to, and overtake, Inter-Gang's mobile HQ. He enters through an air vent on the roof and deflects blaster fire with his shield. Mannheim brings in more troops to fight Guardian.

At Morgan Edge's office, Goody and Jimmy interrupt the contract talks to ask for help. As Edge calls for the bomb squad, Don and Goody finally meet, and Goody begins driving Don crazy. Suddenly, both Jimmy and Goody begin to burst into flame, which does not hurt them, but does make them weak. Edge sends Don into another room for safety, just as Guardian bursts in through a window. He quickly goes to Edge's office and gives Jimmy and Goody the antidote, explaining that he had already taken it, which it why he wasn't aflame. He them tells everyone that Mannheim and his men have been arrested and that this little adventure seems to be over. Don, who seems to be cracking up at this point, comes back in to take a seat now that things are back to normal, but is suddenly rocked by a boom-tube opening behind him. It is Clark, who has been sent home via boom-tube by Lightray.

Clark and Jimmy decide to use this opportunity to talk to Edge about what has been going on, but suddenly the bomb squad breaks into the office. After Edge explains that they are no longer needed, they turn to leave, but Don Rickles shouts that he's the bomb and tells them to take him away as he makes ticking sounds.

5Story - 5: Okay, first of all, before I talk about this issue I want to point out that I realize that I skipped an issue, but issue #140 was a Giant issue, that reprinted old Silver-Age stories, most of which involved Superman and Jimmy as Nightwing and Flamebird in Kandor. No part of Kirby's story in Jimmy Olsen has been skipped, I promise.

As for this issue, I loved it. I liked the pacing, the character interactions, Guardian finally getting into some solo action and showing what he can do (even though we don't actually see most of it). Also, we get to see Superman meet Lightray for the first time, which was cool.

I didn't even mind the lack of the Newsboys, especially since they'd been getting a little whiny lately. However, they weren't even mentioned, so we can only imagine what has happened to them since the end of the last part of this story.

4Art - 4: Kirby's art was great again this issue. However, after all this time of seeing DNAliens and 4-Armed Terrors, this is really the first time we've seen these characters in the "real" world, and unfortunately a lot of it looked like I was reading a 60s Marvel book, especially with the bus scene. Not just because of the fact that it is Kirby's art, but after the previous issues having a somewhat 70s experimental, psychedelic, look to them, the people on this, between their hair styles and clothing, look like refugees from an old issue of Fantastic Four.

4Cover Art - 4: Neal Adams returns to help Jack Kirby with the cover again, and I must say it's not bad. I like the colors, there is some background (if you consider flames background), and there is actual action. Unfortunately, Guardian looks bored, Goody's costume is colored wrong again, and the blurb (Rushing towards the greatest climax ever seen in comics) is a bit of a lie. It was entertaining, but I wouldn't say the greatest.

Pre-Crisis Superman Comic Book Reviews

1938-1949

1950-1959

  • Superman #76 (May/June 1952) - “The Mightiest Team in the World”
  • Superman #80 (January/February 1953) - “Superman's Lost Brother”
  • Superman 3D (1953) - “The Man Who Stole the Sun”, “Origin of Superman” and “The Man Who Bossed Superman”
  • Superman #87 (February 1954) - “The Prankster's Greatest Role”
  • Superman #88 (March 1954) - “The Terrible Trio”
  • Superman #89 (May 1954) - “Captain Kent the Terrible”, “Superman of Skid Row”, and “One Hour to Doom!”
  • Superman #91 (August 1954) - “The Superman Stamp” and “Great Caesar's Ghost”
  • World's Finest #88 (May/June 1957) - “Superman and Batman's Greatest Foes”
  • Superman #115 (August 1957) - “The Midget Superman!”
  • Superboy #65 (May/June 1958) - “The Amazing Adventures of Krypto Mouse”
  • Action Comics #242 (July 1958) - “The Super-Duel in Space”
  • Superman #123 (August 1958) - “The Girl of Steel”
  • Superman #127 (February 1959) - “Titano the Super Ape”
  • Action Comics #252 (May 1959) - “The Menace of Metallo” and “The Supergirl From Krypton”
  • Superman #129 (May 1959) - “The Girl in Superman's Past”
  • Superman #130 (July 1959) - “The Curse of Kryptonite!”, “The Super-Servant of Crime!”, and “The Town that Hated Superman!”
  • Jimmy Olsen #40 (October 1959) - “Jimmy Olsen, Supergirl's Pal”

1960-1969

1970-1979

1980-1986

Compilation Volumes

Miscellaneous

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