Collectible Time: LIFE's Superman (The Comics, The Films, The Cape/The Man of Steel at 85)

I reviewed amedia360's The Story of Superman magazine in April; now, LIFE has released its own edition, Superman: The Comics, The Films, The Cape (The Man of Steel at 85), which emphasizes the significant phases of Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster's brainchild, with extra-special attention to Richard Donner's 1978 Superman: The Movie, with Christopher Reeve as DC's titular hero and Margot Kidder as his spunky galfriend, Lois Lane. 

In addition to the Donner blockbuster, Superman II - IV are reviewed, along with Bryan Singer's homage, Superman Returns, with Brandon Routh; the radio show; the animated incarnations; the cliffhangers with Kirk Alyn; The Adventures of Superman with George Reeves; Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman with Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher; Superman & Lois with Tyler Hoechlin and Bitsie Tulloch; Jeannot Swarc's Supergirl with Helen Slater and Faye Dunaway; the Broadway musical, It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman with Bob Holiday; and Zack Snyder's somber, cinematic retelling with Henry Cavill as The Man of Steel, along with Batman v Superman and the Justice League offshoots. Unfortunately, the Superboy series, led by John Newton and Gerard Christopher, gets the cold shoulder, but at least Smallville and its headliner, Tom Welling, are spotlighted. 

The supporting performers who made (and yet make) the aforementioned adaptations so memorable are referenced, too: Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty, Valerie Perrine, Marc McClure, Glenn Ford, Marlon Brando, Tommy Bond, Jack Larson, Jackie Cooper, John Hamilton, Phyliss Coates, Noelle Neill, Terence Stamp, Sarah Douglas, Jack O'Halloran, Richard Pryor, Robert Vaughn, Mark Pillow, Mariel Hemingway, Amy Adams, John Shea, Lyle Talbot, Michael Rosenbaum, Annette O'Toole, Kristin Kreuk, Erica Durance and many more!

As a appealing buffer, the issue delves into classic, comic storylines, which helped shape Superman into a perennial icon. 

And as a further treat, the edition bursts with stunning stills, comic-book covers, posters and behind-the-scenes outtakes (particularly from Superman: The Movie and The Adventures of Superman), certain to leave fans in utter delight. 

LIFE's Superman: The Comics, The Films, The Cape is a gratifying collectible for both Earthlings and Kryptonians alike. Purchase it at your local supermarket or drugstore before supplies go up, up and away!