Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen: Who Killed Jimmy Olsen? with Anthony Desiato

We’re back with another episode of Trade School! This time, we’re talking about Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen: Who Killed Jimmy Olsen?! Our host this week is Anthony Desiato, host of Digging for Kryptonite and Another Exciting Episode in the Adventures of Superman!

Check out Anthony's stuff: https://www.flatsquirrelproductions.com/

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Edited by Case Aiken

Scored by Bret Eagleston

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Outline

️ Introduction to Certain Point of View's Trade School & Host Introduction (00:00 - 00:00)

Anthony Desiato introduces the show and himself, and sets the context for the episode focused on a comic book trade paperback.

Spotlight on 'Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen: Who Killed Jimmy Olsen?' Maxi Series by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber (00:00 - 01:34)

Underrated series, originally released 2019-2020, collected in softcover and deluxe edition hardcover issued August 2025.
Story premise: Jimmy Olsen’s tour through the DC universe trying to find who is trying to kill him.

Key Story Moments and Character Dynamics (01:34 - 04:22)

Memorable rooftop Daily Planet scene between Superman and Jimmy Olsen highlighting their friendship and Jimmy’s value to Superman.
Revealed deep backstory tying Jimmy Olsen and the Olsen family as founding, wealthy figures in Metropolis.

️ Artistic and Creative Team Analysis (04:22 - 05:48)

Steve Lieber’s art praised for the blend of cartoonish style with emotional expression, complementing Matt Fraction’s script.
Series is self-contained, created during Brian Michael Bendis’s tenure on Superman books; Bendis helped bring Matt Fraction onboard.

Jimmy Olsen’s Role and Character Exploration (05:48 - 07:08)

Series explores Jimmy’s friendship with Superman as well as his independent adventures.
Recommended to readers for its depth and complexity despite being dense and non-linear.

Closing and Call to Action (07:08 - 07:10)

Encouragement to enjoy the series and explore Superman mythology via Anthony’s podcast and Certainpov.com.

Transcription

00:00
Welcome to Certain Point of View's Trade School, where each episode a different host talks about a comic book trade paperback that they loved and why they love it. Hey, everybody. This is Anthony desiato from the podcast Digging for Kryptonite, A Superman Fan Journey. And for this edition of Trade School, I'm going to spotlight the 20192020 Maxi Series Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen. Who Killed Jimmy Olsen? By Matt Fraction and Steve Lieberman. This is such an underrated gem of a series. I did not read it as it was originally coming out and was really kicking myself when I finally got around to it and discovered just how funny and clever this story was. So if you are in a similar position, there's no time like the present to rectify. Not reading this and all 12 issues are available on the DC app.

00:51
The story was collected in a softcover edition and in August 2025, DC put out a deluxe edition hardcover. So there are a number of different ways to experience this work. The story is essentially Jimmy Olsen's tour through the DC universe, and as the title suggests, he is seeking to determine who's trying to kill him. And the best way that I can describe this maxi series in terms of its sensibilities is that it's kind of the perfect cross between the humor of the late great Fox sitcom Arrested Development and the time bending films of Quentin Tarantino with their non linear narrative, as the story does jump back and forth. And it's sort of like this really fun puzzle for you to put together.

01:38
I don't want to spoil much about the story or really anything, but one of the moments that I have to single out because it really kind of crystallized something very fundamental to me, which is there's a moment relatively early on the rooftop of the Daily Planet between Superman and Jimmy Olsen. And Superman is helping Jimmy put together videos for social media, essentially. And Jimmy has his line where he's like, I'm sure you have better things to do, and Superman stops and he's like, you know, some nights goofing around with you is the only fun I get to have. And it was just one of those things. If you ever sort of wonder, well, what is the value that Jimmy Olsen brings to the equation? I felt like that moment really captured it.

02:24
There's not a ton of Superman in the story at all, but that moment was huge for me and went such a long way. Another critical aspect that really sets the story apart is the backstory that we are given for Jimmy and the entire Olsen clan essentially we find out that the Olsons were one of the founding families of Metropolis and are vastly wealthy. So this accomplishes a number of things. It ties Jimmy to the city in a much deeper way. Now, as someone who grew up in Lower Westchester, New York, I did always like the notion of Jimmy being from Yonkers, because that was a city I spent a lot of time in myself.

03:05
But tying him deeper to the roots of Metropolis, I think works really nicely, because one of the things that it does is that it puts the Olsen and the Luthers in opposition to each other and it creates this whole new Olsen Luther dynamic, which I thought was terrific. Also, because Jimmy is wealthy and he has this whole Olsen fortune behind him, he doesn't need to work at the Daily Planet for money. He really does it for the love. And one of the bits that I thought was so great is that as much of a knucklehead as Jimmy can be at times, and as much money and property damage as some of his stunts cause, we find out that his content is essentially the sole money maker at the moment at the Daily Planet.

03:58
So, like I said, there are a lot of bits like that I think just add a lot of texture and nuance to the proceedings and really made for a very fun read. I mentioned the creative team on art. We have Steve Lieber and the art on this is absolutely incredible. It's a perfect blend, I think, between a slightly more cartoony look, yet at the same time really captures the emotion and the expressions. It serves the story beautifully and I feel like was a really nice complement to Matt Fraction's scripts and really brought those to life in a fantastic way. It is totally self contained. This did come out during the period of time at DC when Brian Michael Bendis was still leading the charge on the Superman books and really kind of carving out his own corner of the dcu.

04:45
And if I'm not mistaken, he was instrumental in getting Matt Fraction on board to do this. Interestingly, there were a couple of lines in the original single issues of the miniseries that lightly referenced what was going on in the Bendis books, but those have been changed for the collected edition. So when I say this is self contained, I mean it. You can really just read this unto itself. And there's something to be said for that, particularly maybe if you wouldn't normally naturally be inclined to read a Superman story or Jimmy Olsen story. And that's sort of the. The last note that I want to bring up, which is about Jimmy Olsen himself.

05:25
On my podcast, we spent a lot of time talking about this character and what role he serves as a friend to Clark and or Superman and just sort of in the books generally. And what I love about this so much is that it really hits the sweet spot for me where yes, you see that moment that I referenced before about this friendship and what value he brings to Superman and that whole dynamic. But throughout the story, Jimmy's got his own stuff going on his own adventures and I love that. I love that kind of larger life for him. So that's my pick. Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen, who killed Jimmy Olsen. I really hope that you enjoy it if you end up going for it, and I do recommend taking your time with it.

06:09
It's not Watchmen, but it's a meal of a story and it's rather dense at times. And like I said, you are juggling this non linear narrative and jumping back and forth and it might take you a second to sort of settle into the rhythm of it, but once you do, it's a tremendously rewarding experience. So I hope you enjoy. Thank you and happy reading. Digging for Kryptonite is a weekly podcast series hosted by yours truly, Anthony DeSiotto, examining Superman's vast mythology across time and media. If you have a favorite story, creator or adaptation, chances are we've covered it over the past 200 episodes. I've interviewed creators including Mark Waid, Dan Jurgens, Jeph Loeb, Joe Kelly, and many more. Whether you're a lifelong superman fan like me or you're new to the character, we have you covered.

06:58
Subscribe to Digging for Kryptonite wherever you get podcasts. And remember, it's about what you do. It's about action. Certainpov. Com.

Case AikenOctober 29, 2025Comment