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| Images copyright DC COMICS |
Never let it be said that DC COMICS ever gave up on a good idea when they thought they had one. If meek and mild bespectacled newspaper reporter CLARK KENT was also secretly the mighty-muscled superpowered hero known as SUPERMAN, then how could both incarnations of his dual identity appear separately in the same place at the same time?
Regardless of how it was achieved, editors and writers recognized that readers couldn't fail to be intrigued if the concept was featured on the cover, and would be more likely to purchase the issue to solve the mystery. Cue a slew of covers showing Clark interacting with Supes when such a thing was impossible - or was it? Certainly not in the ever-whacky world of comicbooks it isn't. (Admittedly, three of the covers are symbolic, but they're clearly designed to 'hoodwink' the casual reader into buying the issue.)
The following covers are culled from my own collection and are by no means comprehensive. Doubtless there are quite a few others spanning the decades since Superman first appeared in all his four-colour glory.
Remember, the images can be enlarged by clicking on them, then enlarged to optimum size by clicking on them again.
3 comments:
terrific stuff. any more.
Covers that showed dual images of the hero sold better, according to Julius Schwartz's autobiography. Obviously a large part of it was the puzzle factor, as you point out.
Check out the Wonder Woman covers from around 1963 some time; it seems like every other issue has her battling herself.
Will do, thanks.
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