Jimmy Olsen 1

This Jimmy Olsen one-shot is a knitted-together set of scrapings, unwanted leftovers from DC’s back-up program last year. This run of ten-page back-ups in Action Comics was dumped mid-run when DC decided that people would rather pay $2.99 for less pages. Snappy, fun and hanging on the full, ridiculous history of Jimmy Olsen, these little stories are knitted into a really fun 70 page giant, which successfully manages to tell a new, contemporary, fun Jimmy Olsen story. Its the first time in a long while someone has figured out what to do with Jimmy Olsen, and that he is made for clever non-superpowered solutions to a superpowered world.

Does the world need a Jimmy Olsen any more? It’s pretty clear that DC don’t need him, he has been beaten and battered about since Jack Kirby teamed him up with the Hairies. The role of Superman’s Pal belongs firmly, it seems, to the fifties and sixties, the bow-tied preppie every-kid to stand in for everyone who knew they couldn’t be Superman. So while Lois was throwing herself out of windows to prove Clark was Superman, Jimmy used to stumble into no end of ridiculous adventures, usually with a Deus Ex Superman to help him out. But what need does Superman have of a Pal these days? He is married, he has his own best friend at home, not to mention a dog, a clone, a cousin, and his real actual best mate Batman back from the dead.

So Jimmy gets adventures with Star Labs genetic mutants, does some key but dull detective work during the death of Superman and generally is underused. DC has no call for his kind of goofy adventures in mainstream continuity, he can’t even be seen to be a decent cub photographer/journalist as the Daily Planet already has two best journalists. He pops up every now and then, possibly for copyright reasons (though I doubt Marvel are desperate for their own Turtle Boy miniseries), poorly serviced because he is not the kind of character you would invent any more.

This is of course what makes him thoroughly interesting to a writer who likes a challenge. Particularly if DC allow you to treat Jimmy like Grant Morrison recently treated Batman: he has a big history, let’s say “everything is true”. Writer Nick Spencer finds the right kind of tone for Jimmy’s internal monologue. Whilst it is rife with current pop culture references, that feels right for Jimmy – he is young, albeit with a bowtie. But the clever conceit to hang it all on is turning it into a romantic comedy. Jimmy has been dumped by his girlfriend Chloe (debut of the Smallville character) for being too passive now that Superman is off on his tedious J. Michael Strazynscki walk across America. Content to stay at home playing the Superman video game – in which he has some unflattering cameos – this Jimmy seems happy to rest on his laurels. Why have new adventures when you can talk about the old ones, like the time he became a gorilla? Clearly the plot has other ideas for him, and he ends up having some decidedly silver age adventures, with some definite Jimmy Olsen style solutions, whilst creating a satisfying arc for the romance. There are great ideas here, and as befits its backup status they are turned around quickly and cleverly. Just have a look at that Amanda Conner cover and say if there isn’t something on there that doesn’t look fun.

Amanda Conner is a good choice for cover artist, as her ease with comedy plays well to the books strengths. RB Silva, the interior artist, has a similar grasp of facial expressions, which are vital in a book like this. Silva shares some of Conner’s ease with action and talking, and has a decent and consistent flow which deals with Jimmy’s four hundred different reaction shots brilliantly. The art is in the Kevin Maguire school of superheroics, which suits this story perfectly.

What is nice about this Jimmy Olsen book is that there is little reason for it to exist, or even be any good. Instead it isn’t just a fun one-off, it actually makes a case for the character, and certainly makes a case for some more fun in Superman’s sometimes dour world. It may seem fashionable to laugh at the silly adventures Jimmy had in the early sixties, but this book celebrates the imagination in those books, and attempts to replicate them with some success. I would read a regular Jimmy Olsen book if it were like this, which is something I never thought I would say.