Super Boys: The Amazing Adventures of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster—the Creators of Superman

English professor Ricca nimbly narrates the adventures of two creative Cleveland, Ohio, teenagers who, in the 1930s, combined their youthful passions to create the story of the world’s greatest superhero. Siegel spent his early years reading pulp magazines and writing his own fantastical imitations; Shuster learned to draw by tracing funnies in the paper. When Shuster moved into Siegel’s neighborhood, they discovered a common love of comics, detective fiction, science fiction, and fantasy, and started working together on various projects. After high school, Siegel launched his own local magazine, Science Fiction. In an unassuming 1932 story, the pair featured a depression-hardened character who discovers he has “strange mental powers” like telepathy and acute vision after ingesting a “fragment of a meteor.” Ricca’s compulsively readable tale reveals the real-life model for Lois Lane, the elements on which Superman’s costume are based, and the model for Superman himself (Johnny Weissmuller, who played Tarzan). At the center of the story, of course, is Siegel and Shuster’s decision to sell the Superman rights to Action Comics for a pittance—a choice they lamented the rest of their lives. The pair endured poverty, bad marriages, bad health, and a lack of recognition for their work. Ricca’s comprehensive biography reveals the turmoil and creative genius that led to our most enduring superhero, the Man of Steel. Agent: Scott Mendel, Mendel Media Group. (June)