Matt D. Wilson
Super Woman: A Celebration of Lois Lane
Lois Lane, who debuted alongside Superman in May 1938's Action Comics #1, wasn't just the first superhero love interest. At her best, Lois serves as proof that people who don't wear spandex and don't have superpowers can be heroes by doing their jobs well.
Of course, she has also had superpowers on multiple occasions. Over the last eight decades or so, Lois has done just about everything a comic book character can do. And yet she's never gone stale. Quite the opposite. Lois has proven as adaptable and eternally relevant as any superhero.
The Ghost Who Walks: An Anniversary Celebration of The Phantom
Cartoonist Lee Falk debuted costumed hero The Phantom in his own newspaper strip on this day in 1936, two full years before Superman debuted in Action Comics #1. He isn't considered the first superhero, but Falk's pulp creation would establish quite a few tropes that would become hallmarks of the genre for decades to come. And like Superman, The Phantom has endured, with comic stories and re-imaginings continuing to this day.