The reader will feel a distinct and cruel irony that the creators of Superman, the most American of heroes, would fall victim to the evils of American capitalism. Nevertheless, Ricca never ceases to inject an element of affection and awe for "the boys" throughout, giving the reader plenty of sweet with the sour. ( )

The reader will feel a distinct and cruel irony that the creators of Superman, the most American of heroes, would fall victim to the evils of American capitalism. Nevertheless, Ricca never ceases to inject an element of affection and awe for "the boys" throughout, giving the reader plenty of sweet with the sour. ( )

An incredible amount of research went into this, and for that I am appreciative. This is a story that could stand on the merits of its own facts, but the author padded it with innuendo, supposition, and especially in the final chapter about the posthumous lawsuits by the Siegel and Shuster families, presented events out of order (sometimes by five years or more) in order to create a more engaging narrative. I would have preferred a chronological run-down of events. ( )

Brad Ricca grew up in Cleveland and, as a boy, found it incredible that Superman originated right there in the same city. Years later he dug deep into Superman's origins and wrote a super book, "Super Boys: The Amazing Adventures of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster -- the Creators of Superman."

Siegel, the writer, and Shuster, the artist, were ambitious teenagers, still students at Glenville High School, when they got the bug to develop a newspaper comic strip. After several failed attempts, they hit upon the idea for Superman. Even then, no syndicate showed any interest in it, but a new comic book publisher, Action Comics, saw the potential and offered $130 for the rights to Superman. Foolishly, Siegel and Shuster signed the contract. The publisher made millions, while the two creators had to settle for small incomes for actually producing the stories and drawings, which soon expanded to include the newspaper comic strip they had wanted all along, except that now they weren't paid for it. Eventually the two friends lost their jobs producing Superman and found themselves struggling just to survive. Legal battles to restore the rights to Superman have continued even after the deaths of both Siegel and Shuster.

Ricca finds numerous autobiographical references planted by Siegel in the Superman stories he wrote, such as the names of people he knew (Lois Lane was named for Lois Amster, a girl he admired in high school) and allusions to the death of his father in a robbery at his clothing store.

Not until relatively late in life did the two men win recognition as Superman's creators, even if it never made them rich.

There are ironies in Ricca's story. The two kids who invented the greatest of the superheroes were themselves bullied by publishers and lawyers for their entire lives. Superman is dedicated to bringing justice to the oppressed, yet in the real Superman story, it is the oppressors who win. ( )

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster are the co-creators of the mild mannered reporter who works for the Daily Planet and when there's a need, dresses in patriotic tights and capes to save his beloved Metropolis or the rest of the world. Depending on the situation, he's known as Clark Kent, Kal-El, or, Superman — or, if he's being teased — Smallville. Super Boys, by Brad Ricca, is an extensive biography of the men behind the Man of Steel.

Superman has in his creation become part of the American mythos (as many of the comic book heroes have). With each retelling, his story evolves, but, as Ricca shows through his research, there are still numerous breadcrumbs leading back to events from his creators' lives and the times in which they lived.

That said, the book does start out slowly. It follows in the old biography tradition of including lengthy bits about both men's parents and other relatives. Sure, some of that is needed to give a contextual starting point, but after a few pages in, I felt the need to skim. Researchers though, might find these passages more useful than I did.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the Superman comics (or the other adaptations and wants to learn more about the comics). It would also be a nice complement to a library with a graphic novel collection. ( )