It's Like... Magic
Mr. Mxyzptlk conjures up a simpler more basic comic book story that's pretty fun. Louise Simonson has Superman in All Mx'd Up. Lois and Clark are enjoying one of the finest travelling carnivals around, when Mxyzptlk speeds up the rides and brings everything to life! His challenge is that Superman needs to be at least a dozen Supermen to save everybody. On a hunch, the Man of Tomorrow goes into the House of Mirrors and uses Mxy's magic against him by bringing eleven of his mirror images to life!
Paul Kupperberg and Rick Burchett bring the contemporary iteration of Hawkman into the all-ages universe. Katar Hol is impressed by Democracy and the Declaration of Independence. He is confronted with the challenge of gang recruiting a young boy. Hawkman helps the young boy and brings the gang to justice. This is a pretty heavy topic for an all-ages title, especially since this is a darker, more grim and gritty version of Hawkman. The focus is that Americans have freedom of choice; no one can take that freedom away from an individual. It's a great story lesson; a teachable moment.
This issue kind of pushes the boundaries of all-ages with Hawkman, features on the Batman: Knightfall storyline and an interview with the gruff Guy Gardner. It's an interesting combination.
Superman and Hawkman to run both ends of the spectrum; the lightness of fun and mischief, the seriousness of liberty that we ourselves tend to take for granted.
We are only as free as we choose to be.