RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Comic Books Jimmy Olsen: "One of the greatest characters in comics history"?

Over a lifetime of reading comics, Senior Writer Chris Sims has developed an inexhaustible arsenal of facts and opinions. That's why each and every week, we turn to you, to put his comics culture knowledge to the test as he responds to your reader questions!


Q: Why do you consider Jimmy Olsen one of the best characters in comics history? That might have sounded kind of derisive or snarky, but I'm genuinely curious to hear your take on the character.
-- @jameymcdermott

A: If you've been reading this column for a while, you've probably seen me mention that the three greatest comic book characters of all time are Spider-Man, Batman and Jimmy Olsen. Most people tend to at least see where I'm coming from with the first two, but that third choice tends to raise a few eyebrows. I stand by it, though: Jimmy Olsen is one of the greats.

Why? Because he's the kind of character that could only exist in super-hero comic books, and embodies the ideas behind that universe in a way no other character does.That might seem a little counterintuitive when you consider that comics aren't Jimmy's native medium. For those of you who aren't aware, Jimmy Olsen is basically his generation's Harley Quinn, but without the legions of cosplaying SuicideGirl fans: He first appeared on the Adventures of Superman radio show as a minor character with an annoying catchphrase ("Super-Duper!") so that Superman could have the occasional conversation with someone who wasn't Lois Lane, and proved to be popular enough among fans that he made the transition back into the comics.

That's where he really became his own character, especially once he got his own series in 1954. The very existence of that comic is one of my favorite things about Superman, because there was a time when that dude was so popular that a guy was able to get a comic that lasted 163 issues -- more, if you count its transition into Superman Family in 1974 -- just by virtue of being Superman's Pal. And it makes perfect sense that it would, too, because Jimmy Olsen is one of the most perfect wish-fulfillment characters in comics history.

The most perfect, of course, is Billy Batson, the little kid that says a magic word and turns into a super-powered grown-up who still thinks like a little kid and has a talking tiger for a best friend -- whose bright orange hair, green jacket, red bowtie and tendency to be written into wacky adventures by Otto Binder might seem a little familiar. But while Captain Marvel was a literalized power fantasy for kids, Jimmy Olsen takes a completely different route to wish-fulfillment: He's the original Mary Sue.

Jimmy's basically a kid -- he's usually referred to as a teenager, even though he has his own apartment and no parents to speak of until around 1969, when you find out his dad is Silver Age Indiana Jones -- but he's got a cool, grown-up job and he's so awesome that Superman is his best friend! Not Batman, not Wonder Woman, not those jerks in the Legion of Super-Heroes, but Jimmy Olsen, a regular kid just like you.

It's something that I think a lot of people can intrinsically relate to. Everyone has a desire for approval from the people they respect, and when you're a kid, those people tend to be the authority figures in your life. Parents, teachers, older brothers and sisters, those are the people who you want to look at you and say "hey, good job," and it's very easy for Superman to become a fictional surrogate for that role. Not only is he the most powerful person in the world, but he's also the actual best from a moral standpoint, someone who only uses his powers for the benefit of others. He's the ultimate authority figure.

I'm pretty sure that's why he spent so much time back in the Silver Age pulling those elaborate pranks on Jimmy and Lois in order to teach them lessons about relatively minor character flaws. If you look at it from the standpoint of someone for whom rearranging planets is as easy as walking down the street, it makes a little more sense than the idea that he's just some weird alien sadist. They're practical lessons meant as moral instruction, delivered in a memorable way on a scale on par with what he's able to do, and sometimes that means forcing your best friend to marry a gorilla.

[cover image of Jimmy Olsen marrying a gorilla ].