Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Review: Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #1

By Philip Schweier
July 17, 2019 - 06:37

They say anyone who remembers the 1960s wasn’t really there. Everyone was on drugs, from the suburban housewife mellowed out on Quaaludes to the college drop-out groovin’ to the Grateful Dead. It’s no wonder it was a fertile creative time in comics, including the wonderfully bizarre adventures of Superman’s pal, Jimmy Olsen.

Those days are back, in the wonderfully surreal adventures of everybody’s favorite photo-journalist. Not that the storyline is drug-fueled, but it is wildly inventive, with more than a few winks (literally) to the sillier aspects of Superman lore. So if you’re looking for Man of Steel level reality, this is not the book for you.

In my opinion, Jimmy Olsen has always been one of the more versatile characters of the DCU. The problem is that too often, writers regard him as a comedic sidekick. For all his faults, he has courage and enthusiasm, and that is helpful in filling the intellectual gaps.

Artist Steve Lieber does an admirable job of presenting a Jimmy Olsen that is both contemporary yet familiar. At times, he’s still dressed up in a bow tie while being dressed down by Perry White. But he’s also a spikey-haired carrot top moving through the grittier side of the DCU.

This 12-issue series – one of many currently being published – has the most entertainment potential at this time. Don’t miss it if you can.

Rating: 10/10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12