Before comic writers in the 1980s re-imagined what superheroes would do, Robert Mayer laid the ideas at their feet. Superfolks was published in 1977 (brought back in print in 2005) and is an essential stopping point between Harvey Kurtzman’s Super Duper Man in the 1950s and the superheroes of the 1980s.

Superfolks starts off with David Brinkley, home by himself, discovering that he has super powers. He is Everyman (or Overman or Indigo), a Superman character, who had lost his powers over the years. All the other superheroes have retired or been killed and villains are taking over the city. Some of the villains he fights against are analogs of Superman villains (Logar-Luthor, Univac-Brainiac, Pxyzsyzygy-Mxyzptlk) as well as his friends (Lorna Doone-Lana Lang, Peggy Poole-Lois Lane). The plot involves the government bringing Brinkley out of retirement to kill him as part of the disarmament treaty.

The book is a satirical book that pokes fun at politics, sex, 70’s society and, of course, superheroes. Make sure you are up to date on your 70s references before reading otherwise you’re going to miss half the jokes. The plot itself is fairly irrelevant. It’s a standard superhero fights bad guys with a couple plot twists.

The real reason to read this book (especially if you are a big Alan Moore fan as I am) is the links to Alan Moore comics. The beginning of Superfolks with a character, who had forgotten his powers, regaining them is extremely similar to Miracleman (and the Nietzsche quote from Thus Spake Zarathusta is used if both works). Other links are easily found in Watchmen and Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow (and were documented by Grant Morrison in a 1990 issue of Speakeasy).

Kurt Busiek (Marvelsand Astro City) was also a big fan and mentioned Superfolks in the intro to the first Astro City collection in the mid 1990s. Then in 2001, a limited edition of Superfolks was released, followed by a larger re-release in 2003. And that’s when people started seeing for themselves what the fuss was about. Before it had been a rumor, a mystery, a well-thumbed through book found in a used book store and handed from person to person. But now with the release, everyone should read it. Not only is it a good story, but it is an important link in understanding the evolution of comic characters in the 1980s.

Without Robert Mayer, there might not have been an Alan Moore or a Grant Morrison or a Kurt Busiek in comics. And his debt should not be forgotten. Read this book.