Superman Vs. Atom Man
Smithsonian Historical Performances
From Radio Spirits
ISBN: 1-57019-096-8
5 audio cassettes - 7 ½ hours of play time
Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure
Reviewed by Rochelle Caviness - May 31, 2002
Superman is a perennial favorite with both young and old - after all, who can help but to fall in love with the indomitable man of steel who is always ready to fight the good fight. This collection is comprised of 38 episodes from the 1945 radio broadcast season that saw Superman pitted against Henry Miller, who was also know as Atom Man, the radioactive Nazi Spy with kryptonite flowing in his veins. In these radio episodes, Superman was played by Clayton "Bud" Collyer, and Atom Man was most fiendishly played by Mason Adams.
As with the Superman comic strip, the Superman episodes on radio mirrored modern life. We (the good guys) were at war with the Nazi's. Therefore, Superman (the ultimate good guy) must also battle this evil. In addition, by 1945, atomic energy was, at least in the scientific community, a common topic of conversation, and it had been, since the 1930's, a popular focal point in many science fiction stories. Consequently, having superman battle Atom Man, meshed in well with modern endeavors, and fears of the time. Atom Man is one of Superman's deadliest foes, and there are many instances in this series where it appears that Atom Man might actually defeat Superman.
Political and scientific undertones aside, Superman Vs. Atom Man is simply an old fashioned, gung-ho, action packed adventure series that will keep you on the edge of your seat! If you grew up seeing Superman on TV, one of the questions you must have always asked yourself is why no one could tell that Superman and Clark Kent where one in the same - after all, a simple pair of glasses is not much of a disguise. Well, here at last is one villain who sees through this preposterous disguise and uses this knowledge to his advantage as he endeavors to kill everyone in Metropolis.
These thrilling adventures of Superman have been digitally remastered, and the sound quality is superb. In addition, these tapes are accompanied by a 60-page booklet written by Anthony Tollin that provides a historical narrative of Superman's life, the development of the atom bomb, and it also includes a variety of photos from various Superman production. Best of all, this booklet contains an episode by episode guide to all the shows in this collection. This guide includes a listing of who played the various roles, a short description of each episode, and its original air date. The inclusion of this booklet greatly enhances an already superb collection.
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