Superman #43

There's a wonderfully domestic charm to this 1946 DC issue, as Superman — cape billowing behind him — leans in and uses his freeze breath to blow out the candles on a birthday cake, much to the wide-eyed astonishment of an elderly woman standing beside the table. A green parrot perches on a nearby chair, a tabby cat looks on from underfoot, and a portrait of a mustachioed gentleman hangs on the wall above, completing this delightfully cozy scene rendered by cover penciler Wayne Boring and inker Stan Kaye. Inside, writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster (inked by George Roussos) serve up "The Inventions of Hector Thwistle!" — a title that promises plenty of offbeat, good-humored fun for a dime.