DC Comics features many superheroes who have gone on to become some of the most popular characters in the whole medium, but Superman is someone whose notoriety is hard to top. Superman is a hero who has been fundamental through each stage of DC’s history, whether it’s during major crossover events or through personal growth.
The comics have found unique ways to approach the character from different angles or shine a light on unexpected chapters from his past. Superman: The Secret Years is a four-issue miniseries released in 1984 and 1985 that looks at Clark’s time in college, but it also does a whole lot more than that.
10 Frank Miller Is The Cover Artist
Superman: The Secret Years has a very visually appealing art style, but it’s nothing that rocks the boat from what the norm was for Superman comics during the ‘80s. A very interesting detail is that the cover artist for the miniseries is Frank Miller, who is a talented writer and artist in his own right and responsible for works like Sin City and The Dark Knight Returns. Miller’s look for Superman on these covers is still quite similar to what’s present in the comics, but it does have a bit of Miller’s angular touches.
9 Clark Operates As Superboy During The Series
The aim of Superman: The Secret Years is to look into a chapter of Clark’s life that managed to get overlooked in other Superman storylines. The audience knows where Clark and the rest of these characters are headed, so it can’t pull off any major changes to the larger universe. To this degree, it’s established that Clark actually operates as Superboy during The Secret Years, due to his age. It’s only after he defeats Luthor in the final issue that he decides to switch over to Superman, which plays out differently than how it does in Superman #125.
8 They Wanted To Make It 12 Issues, Not 4
Superman: The Secret Years doesn’t feature the most pivotal storylines for Superman or those around him, but it does succeed in showing the many diverse sides of Clark Kent. It almost gains a Spider-Man quality as Clark balances university with crimefighting and his romantic & personal relationships.
Bob Rozakis’ original vision for Superman: The Secret Years was for it to be 12 issues, which would not only allow this material to breathe, but also cover more ground and tell a bigger story. Rozakis was only given permission for a four-issue miniseries, but he still gets to explore what he wanted.
7 It Features Lex Luthor In Reform School
A lot of the time Superman's origins are played parallel to Lex Luthor's struggles and that idea is briefly explored in Superman: The Secret Years. Luthor only has significance in the first and last issues, but they still highlight a more anarchic and reckless version of Luthor. Luthor is introduced by escaping from Soames Reform School, only to steal nearly $50,000 and face a ten-year prison sentence. The final issue features Luthor's prison break and feels more on brand for the character, but this unexpected look into a younger Lex Luthor is an unexpected perk in The Secret Years.
6 Clark Dates A Mermaid
Superman has had some notable love interests over the years that range from the usual suspects like Lois Lane to fellow superheroes like Wonder Woman. Superman: The Secret Years explores a college romance for Clark that takes a very surprising turn. Clark begins to date Lori Lemaris and it initially feels like a very tender dynamic. Clark soon learns that Lori actually has her own secret and that she’s a mermaid and from Atlantis, no less. Clark's relationship with Lori takes him to Atlantis & back and it features some sweet moments.
5 Clark Graduates Magna Cum Laude From Metropolis University
DC has found the potential for superheroes in college, whether it’s flashbacks to the past or a new breed of heroes that are of a younger demographic. Not every character is a good fit for school, but Clark takes to it in a way that feels a little unnatural. Clark is smart, but he’s not exactly a genius, yet he graduates Magna Cum Laude from Metropolis University.
Additionally, Clark is quite occupied with his double life and the moments where he’s shown to be studying are few and far between. His accolades are a bit of a shock.
4 It Features His Interview At The Daily Planet
Superman: The Secret Years focuses on Clark’s achievements during his time in college, but in the final issue it does connect to and briefly overlap with some of the more significant moments from Clark’s post-college life. One of the concluding moments in the miniseries features Clark’s interview with Daily Planet editor, Perry White, as he gets his iconic job. This interview previously played out in Superman #133, but it feels like a justified bookend to this story.
3 Clark Had A Friend Whose Death Inspires Him
Superman: The Secret Years sometimes gets lost in the certain milestones from Clark’s life that it covers, but part of the fun is how it looks at Clark’s transition from Smallville to Metropolis. Clark is a little overwhelmed when he first arrives and he meets a valuable friend in Billy Cramer, who’s also from Smallville. Clark and Billy really connect and he even reveals his secret identity to his new friend. Unfortunately, Billy and his family perish in a fire, which Clark holds himself responsible for, but it becomes a crucial catalyst for Clark’s development moving forward.
2 It Introduces And Retires Superman’s Signal Whistle
Superman is already so powerful that the advent of additional super abilities often feels gratuitous. Not all of these powers stick around and Superman: The Secret Years features an unusual piece of hardware for Superman that’s abandoned by the end of the miniseries. Clark gives his new friend, Billy Cramer, a special whistle that he will hear whenever it gets blown. It functions as a personal Bat Signal of sorts for Superman. Tragically, the one time that Billy does use it is when Clark is preoccupied with a larger disaster and he can’t get to his friend in time.
1 Several Daily Planet Employees Are Named After DC Artists
Superman: The Secret Years is focused on Clark Kent's time before he joins the Daily Planet, but the newspaper company still gets featured throughout the four-issue miniseries as they respond to Superboy's antics. This look into the past of the Daily Planet features familiar faces, but it also contains three employees named LeRose, Eiber, and Vesik, who are all named after acclaimed artists who worked with DC. It's a nice way to throw some respect to some of the previous talent who have helped bring Superman to life and acted as inspirations.