“Up in the sky! Look! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!” In 1941, these immortal words echoed throughout thousands of packed movie theaters. Fleischer Studios’ Academy Award-nominated Superman animated shorts saw the silver screen debut of America’s favorite comic book and radio hero. And in color, no less! These seventeen shorts popularized several beloved Superman tropes and played a pivotal role in fleshing out the fledgling character. But even for all their influence, a heated debate still rages about their actual place in The Man of Tomorrow’s canon. In DC Comics’ Superman #25, a series of flashbacks look back at some of Superman’s early exploits, and finally put to rest eighty years of conjecture.
An alien species known as the Synmar look on from their home world as the planet Krypton explodes. In the midst of the carnage, they notice a solitary space ship containing a baby jetting away from the disaster. They immediately calculate its trajectory, and discover that the lone rocket will land on a distant planet called Earth. At first, this seems of no consequence. It isn’t until the Synmar discover that Earth rotates around a yellow sun that they find cause for concern. Earth’s yellow sun will imbue this Kryptonian with god-like powers allowing him to rise up and conquer the primitive planet. What if Synmar is next? This Kryptonian must be observed, and a contingency plan must be put in place.
In Superman #25, Brian Michael Bendis and Ivan Reis create a compelling new antagonist while simultaneously taking long-time readers on a nostalgic journey through Superman’s past. The explosion of Krypton, Clark’s adolescence at Smallville High, and his early heroic exploits transition to current events such as his secret-identity reveal and the federal investigation of The Daily Planet. Superman #25 provides fulfilling flashbacks for devoted fans while serving as a jumping off point for anyone just getting acquainted with the Man of Steel.
The photos above feature stills from the 1941 cartoon on the left and panels of Superman #25 on the right. So the question remains: are the Max Fleischer animated shorts outside continuity? Or are they relegated to some dark corner of the multiverse such as Earth-F? The flashbacks in Superman #25 hold the key to settling this cartoon conundrum.
As the Synmar train their own champion to combat Superman, they keep a vigilant eye on Earth and the Man of Tomorrow’s daring deeds. A series of images splash across the Synmar view screen including Superman shielding Lois from a river of molten metal and another of him punching a mechanical monster square in the jaw. These frames look strangely familiar. A side-by-side comparison reveals that the Synmar are witnessing scenes from Superman’s second Max Fleischer animated short, “The Mechanical Monsters." Brian Michael Bendis and Ivan Reis have finally confirmed that Superman’s first motion picture appearances are indeed comic book canon.
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