“It’s a bird . . . It’s a plane . . .”

June 1 marks the 77th anniversary of the debut of Superman, who first appeared in the June 1938 issue of Action Comics #1. Created by two Ohio teenagers, writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Superman wowed the comic book world and went on to star in various radio serials, television programs, films, video games, and even a Broadway musical.

Widely recognized as a cultural icon, Superman helped to establish and define the superhero genre. He’s also the reason my kids run around the front yard in capes pretending to fly.

As we celebrate heroes with this year’s summer reading themes, what better time to rediscover the original comic book superhero:

Superman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told Vols. 1 and 2
The Death of Superman by Dan Jurgens ... [et al.]
Super Boys: the Amazing Adventures of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster - the Creators of Superman by Brad Ricca
Superman: the High-flying History of America's Most Enduring Hero by Larry Tye.
Superman versus the Ku Klux Klan: the True Story of How the Iconic Superhero Battled the Men of Hate by Rick Bowers

Ellen Griffin Shade
Avondale Regional Branch Library