Adventures Of Superman #463 - DC Comics

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN No. 463, February 1990

Whilst on the face of it a simple foot race between the Flash and Man of Steel might not seem enough to pad out this comic’s twenty-page plot, Dan Jurgens’ script for Issue Four Hundred and Sixty-Three of “Adventures Of Superman” certainly seems to give its audience plenty to think about as the two competitors complete a lap around the world. In fact, the American author uses the head-to-head contest to pen a genuinely fascinating insight into the heroes’ psyches, and show his readers what really makes the two Justice Leaguers tick; “Even though I have super human powers I’m not trained as a runner, and this is more physical work than flying to the moon!”

Foremost of these well-written ‘hooks’ is arguably the chip on Wally West’s shoulders that he is viewed by all those around him as being “not quite as fast as the original Flash”, Barry Allen. This ‘slight to his speed’ is repeatedly brought up throughout the twenty-five-thousand-mile marathon by a number of fellow onlooking metahumans, and persistently needles the founding member of the Teen Titans to the point where he himself actually begins to doubt whether he can defeat Clark Kent’s alter-ego in a fair sprint for the endpoint back in Metropolis.

Likewise, the Ortonville-born writer does a similarly successful job sowing reservations in Kal-El’s mind, predominantly due to the somewhat over-confident Kryptonian’s opponent somehow keeping up with him despite all the hurdles the winding ‘green carpet’ creates for the runners. This gradual decline in Superman’s ordinarily-high self-assurance makes for some truly hypnotising moments, most notably once Mister Mxyzptlk’s scheme progresses to the Soviet Union stretch, and dramatically takes Newstime magazine’s latest manager to both his physical and mental limits.

Ably assisting Jurgens’ pencils with his own finishes is Art Thibert, who together with this book’s lead storyteller, provides plenty of visual clues as to the increasingly weary condition of the pulse-pounding race’s contestants. These layouts prove especially telling as the competition reaches its conclusion, with both contenders clearly wearing their hearts upon their sleeves, as they desperately search for that final surge of energy to help them cross the goal line first.

Story & Pencils: Dan Jurgens, and Finishes: Art Thibert