Here we are with the first three pages of Superman 180, October, 1965 (I was nine years old at the time). Our first story is "Clark Kent's Great Superman Hunt!" According to the DC wiki, this tale, illustrated by Al Plastino, was penned by Leo Dorfman.
This fine splash page lays it all out for us. Clark Kent is on TV and triangulating Superman's flights to narrow down the hero's locale. In the splash page, as throughout the story, his Pal, Jimmy Olsen, also stands in for us, the reader. Why is Kent, one of the Man of Steel's closest pals, back-stabbing Superman this way?
Our tale begins with an often-repeated opening scene, set in Perry's office. Clark and Jimmy are there; Lois, we're told, is on a foreign assignment (not to Qurac, I hope!). How can the staff increase circulation? Give away statuettes of our Super-Friends?
It's Clark the idea man who comes up with the winner. Investigate Superman's secret identity. Go on TV with it. Involve the public. That's the ticket!
Now let's see how Clark will go about such a thing. As shown on the splash page, he's asking TV viewers and Daily Planet readers to send in where, and when, they saw Superman fly overhead in Metropolis.
As you can see, it's a pretty clever idea, morality aside. Something tells me that this mysterious gangland czar is going to be seen again in this story.
When I see the call letters on the TV camera, "CWZ," I wonder why Plastino and Dorfman didn;t use the already established WMET-TV name. Oh, well. Down, Fan-Boy!
Wait a minute!?! Why would Clark (who is Superman) want to expose his own alter-ego's identity!?! We'll have to see why, next time.
