Curt Swan and George Klein, Action #304

If you ever need proof that George Klein was Curt Swan’s best inker on the Superman books, this page from Action Comics #304 makes the case by itself. Swan gives Superman that clean, honest posture only he could draw, and Klein locks it in with confident, unfussy lines. Superman looks powerful, but also human — classic Klein.

The big panel, with Superman wrangling those oversized javelins, shows the team at full strength. Klein never fights Swan’s pencils; he elevates them, sharpening the right details and letting the rest fall away. The “S” shield is crisp, the cape moves like real fabric, and the crowd is clear without becoming clutter.
Then that bottom tier — Lana’s concern, Superman’s sheepish dignity — lands with just the right warmth.

Look, I love Murphy Anderson on Swan. Always have. Always will.

But Klein brings a slightly higher-octane secret sauce to those earlier Swan Superman family pages.
Glad I managed to snag this page.