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philipf's review
4.0
When I learned this collection would be published, I eagerly anticipated it. In the days before the Internet, and before comics reprints were terribly common, Hembeck was recapping classic stories and recounting the torments that silver age Superman put Lois and Jimmy through. And he did it with humor and a great, cartoony art style. I consider Fred Hembeck to be the godfather of the comics Internet.
So why did it take me several years to read this book? Most of the comics reprinted here were originally published in a larger format and are shrunk down here. Hembeck hand- lettered every strip here, and his lettering can be rather sloppy. Also, the paper stock in this book is pretty cheap, and the ink spreads. All of these combine to make reading this book more of a chore than it should be, particularly on the strips where he is especially wordy. There are a couple of pages that are simply illegible. Because of this, I would set the book aside for months at a time, extending the read-time.
So why did it take me several years to read this book? Most of the comics reprinted here were originally published in a larger format and are shrunk down here. Hembeck hand- lettered every strip here, and his lettering can be rather sloppy. Also, the paper stock in this book is pretty cheap, and the ink spreads. All of these combine to make reading this book more of a chore than it should be, particularly on the strips where he is especially wordy. There are a couple of pages that are simply illegible. Because of this, I would set the book aside for months at a time, extending the read-time.
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