Back Issue #148

December 2023

No.148 $10.95

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Adam Strange DC Super-Stars of Space TM & © DC Comics.

IN THE BRONZE AGE!

Plus: Adam Strange by Bruning and Kubert From Beyond the Unknown • Fabulous World of Krypton Mongul villain history • The Omega Men

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Volume 1, Number 148 December 2023 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury

Comics’ Bronze Age and Beyond!

PUBLISHER John Morrow DESIGNER Rich Fowlks COVER ARTISTS Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson (Originally produced as the cover of DC Comics’ Strange Adventures #222, Jan.–Feb. 1970.

Art scan courtesy of Heritage Auctions.)

COVER COLORIST Glenn Whitmore COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg PROOFREADER David Baldy & friends SPECIAL THANKS Mike W. Barr Elliot S. Maggin Cary Bates Alissa Marmol-Cernat Richard Bruning Brian Martin DC Comics Shawn McManus Dave Gibbons David Michelinie Michael T. Gilbert Doug Moench Robert Luigi Novi Greenberger Jerry Ordway Dan Hagen Juan Ortiz Jack C. Harris Tom Powers Karl Heitmueller, Jr. Bob Rozakis Heritage Auctions Philip Schweier John Joshua Tod Smith Dan Jurgens Joe Staton Candace Kearney Laurie Sutton Todd Klein Peter J. Tomasi Adam Kubert Mark Waid Psul Kupperberg John Wells Paul Levitz Marv Wolfman

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IN MEMORIAM: Joe Giella and Steve Skeates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 BACK IN PRINT: From Beyond the Unknown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Re-presenting DC’s Silver Age sci-fi tales for a 1970s audience FLASHBACK: The Post–Silver Age Perils of Adam Strange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 The Earthman-turned-spaceman Zeta-Beamed through numerous Bronze Age books PRINCE STREET NEWS: Superheroes Are Dumb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Comics commentary by cartoonist Karl Heitmueller, Jr. BEYOND CAPES: The Fabulous World of Krypton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 This Bronze Age backup series explored the lore of Superman’s homeworld GREATEST STORIES NEVER TOLD: A Kryptonian Spinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 An unpublished ‘Fabulous World of Krypton’ backup BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: Mongul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 This intergalactic warlord is not afraid to get his hands dirty in combat FLASHBACK: The Omega Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 This ’80s alien super-team soared from guest-appearances to a spacefaring DC series PRO2PRO: Adam Strange of Two Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Writer Richard Bruning and colorist Adam Kubert discuss their Adam Strange miniseries BACK TALK: Reader Reactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 BACK ISSUE™ issue 148, December 2023 (ISSN 1932-6904) is published monthly (except Jan., March, May, and Nov.) by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Periodicals postage paid at Raleigh, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Back Issue, c/o TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614.

Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE, c/o Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief, 112 Fairmount Way, New Bern, NC 28562. Email: euryman@gmail.com. Eight-issue subscriptions: $97 Economy US, $147 International, $39 Digital. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Cover artwork by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson. Adam Strange TM & © DC Comics. All Rights Reserved. All editorial matter © 2023 TwoMorrows and Michael Eury, except Prince Street News © 2023 Karl Heitmueller, Jr. Printed in China.

FIRST PRINTING

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 1

IN MEMORIAM

Photo © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. Mystery in Space, Adam Strange, Batman and Robin, Justice League of America TM & © DC Comics. Spider-Man, Hulk, Medusa TM & © Marvel.

JOE GIELLA (1928–2023)

Illustrator, inker, and loving family man Joe Giella died March 21, 2023, at age 94. A School of Industrial Art graduate, Giella’s career in comics began in the mid-1940s. During the Silver and Bronze Ages he was a DC Comics mainstay, particularly under editor Julius Schwartz, often inking the work of Carmine Infantino (The Flash, Green Lantern, Adam Strange in Mystery in Space, Batman and Detective Comics) and Dick Dillin (Justice League of America, World’s Finest Comics). In the 1970s, his byline occasionally appeared in Marvel publications. A US Navy veteran, Giella also illustrated comic strips, including Batman and Mary Worth.

Photo © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. Aquaman, Plop!, Plastic Man TM & © DC Comics.

Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham TM & © Marvel.

IN MEMORIAM

STEVE SKEATES (1943–2023) Writer Steve Skeates died on March 30, 2023, at age 80. After a brief stint on Marvel’s editorial staff in the mid-1960s, Skeates began writing for several publishers including Marvel (Kid Colt Outlaw, Two Gun Kid) and Tower (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Undersea Agent). He was a frequent contributor to Charlton Comics, adept at horror (The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves), adventure (Hercules), and licensed properties (Abbott and Costello). When Charlton editor Dick Giordano jumped to DC in the late 1960s, he brought along Skeates to revolutionize Aquaman and Teen Titans. Skeates is fondly remembered for his humor comics, including stories for Plop!, Plastic Man, Underdog, and Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham.

by D a n

Hagen

TM

Fueled by Shell (left) Joe Kubert’s cover to From Beyond the Unknown #1 (Oct.–Nov. 1969). Editor Julius Schwartz’s new reprint title re-presented stories from DC’s Schwartz-edited sci-fi library, including (right) Strange Adventures #118 (July 1960), where “The Turtle-Men of Space!” first appeared. Cover by Sid Greene.

TM & © DC Comics.

In DC Comics’ 25-issue run of From Beyond the Unknown, children’s dreams of the 1950s and early 1960s were transplanted into the troubled sleep of the 1970s.

In July 1969, when the first issue of From Beyond the Unknown (FBTU) appeared on newsstands with an October–November cover date, it sat there alongside Strange Adventures (SA) #220, a title already in its fourth issue of reprinting the early Silver Age adventures of DC’s spaceman hero, Adam Strange—who had originally appeared in Mystery in Space (MIS), not Strange Adventures.

Sales were presumably satisfactory enough to justify adding a new title devoted solely to science-fiction reprints.

At the time, publishers were tentatively attempting to expand in genres beyond superheroes, which were in danger of seeming passé now that the Batman TV show had burned itself out.

That same month, Marvel published the first issue of Chamber of Darkness, a new horror title. The month before, Marvel had added the horror title Tower of Shadows. And three months before, DC had introduced Nightmaster in Showcase #83,

venturing into the sword-and-sorcery genre newly popularized by paperback reprints of Robert E. Howard’s Conan and JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

Published from 1969 to 1973, FBTU’s reprints were largely drawn from Mystery in Space and what I consider to be the golden era of Strange Adventures—roughly from the 20-40megacyle-beeping arrival of the Russian Sputnik satellite in 1957 to the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas in 1963. Then came the escalation of the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968.

Riots had erupted in 100 cities, and the police and antiwar demonstrators clashed violently at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. American deaths in Vietnam had climbed from five in 1960 to 16,899 in the year 1968 alone.

So the America of 1970 was an appreciably darker place than the America of 1960—despite the nuclear cloud that had hung over the former (civilization had nearly come to an end in the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962). And even an innocuous reprint comic book subtly reflected that change.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 3

COVER STORIES

Prints of Darkness (left) Artist Murphy Anderson offers a bird’s-eye view of the “Giants of the Cosmic Ray!” cover of FBTU #2 (Dec. 1969–Jan. 1970). (right) Artists Gil Kane and Joe Giella’s cover for the story’s original publication in Strange Adventures #82 (July 1957).

TM & © DC Comics.

a penny apiece in clear plastic bags during the “The vast majority of the [editor Julius “Julie”] decade, until the Vietnam War eroded their Schwartz covers were what might be called popularity).

Massage those interests for a while in your ‘situational,’ showing an interesting plot point from the story to intrigue the reader,” observed subconscious, and you might come up with the Mike W. Barr in TwoMorrows’ Silver Age Sci-Fi idea that turtles are armored, and military tanks are armored, so why not a gigantic turtle Companion. “Covers emphasizing action… carrying alien military invaders? had been a staple of comics since Sid Greene’s gigantic Trojan Horse the medium’s inception, but had turtle on the Strange Adventures largely fallen by the wayside cover, stretching its neck toward due to DC’s dominance of the a fighter jet, almost appears to industry until resurrected by Stan be laughing in delight. But Joe Lee with the advent of Marvel Kubert’s FBTU #1’s giant turtle Comics in the 1960s.” looms in the foreground, towering The FBTU covers remained over the human soldiers and looking situational, but were now slightly as if he might well eat them. more sinister in keeping with the If Murphy Anderson’s cover times. for FBTU #2 (Dec. 1969–Jan. Take, for example, the cover 1970) seems similar to Gil Kane’s of From Beyond the Unknown’s murphy anderson original cover spotlighting the first issue. © DC Comics. story “Giants of the Cosmic Ray!” The cover story is “The TurtleMen from Space” by writer Gardner Fox and (SA #82, July 1957), that’s probably because artist Mike Sekowsky, originally from SA #118 there was no need to rework the idea, which was already sinister enough.

(July 1960).

Both covers feature puzzled authorities examBoys in 1960 often had pet turtles in little plastic water dishes that sported a plastic palm ining a spaceship that bears a gigantic handprint tree, and even more frequently owned green and sits next to a monstrous three-toed footprint. plastic “Army Men” (sold in bulk for as little as The Anderson cover makes the humans appear

4 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

What in Grodd’s Name??

Where there’s editor Julie Schwartz, you’ll find gorilla covers! (top) Murph monkeys around with FBTU #5’s (June–July 1970) cover. (bottom left) It’s Planet of the Apes-meets-Land of the Giants on Kubert’s cover to issue #14 (Dec. 1971– Jan. 1972). (bottom right) Nick Cardy’s gorilla on FBTU #23’s (July–Aug. 1973) cover enjoys curling up with a good book… or three!

TM & © DC Comics.

even tinier and more vulnerable, though (incidentally, the issue included a text profile of Anderson).

In 1964, that very cover idea would be explored at length in the penultimate Twilight Zone episode, “The Fear.” Mark Richman and Hazel Court starred as a state trooper and a fashion editor at a lonely mountain cabin who were up against what appeared to be an invasion by alien giants.

Between 1960 and 1970, science fiction became science fact in the most spectacular way possible.

On July 20, 1969, humanity became an extraterrestrial species.

And in the 4th FBTU issue (Apr.–May 1970), short on letters of comment, Schwartz took the opportunity to reprint part of a letters page from Mystery in Space #57 (Feb. 1960) that speculated on the date of a Moon landing.

Schwartz had noted at that time that Dr. Herbert York of the Advanced Research Projects Agency, US Navy Capt. R. C. Truax, and famed aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun all essentially predicted a Moon landing within a decade. Schwartz’s pride in their scientific accuracy was apparent.

In 1968, the film Planet of the Apes had been a huge commercial and critical success, ultimately spawning a franchise and a renewed career in science fiction for its star, Charlton Heston. So it was undoubtedly no coincidence that FBTU #5 (June–July 1970) featured an Anderson cover showing a police officer who reveals a master criminal named Mr. X to be an intelligent, gloating gorilla in disguise.

That heralded a reprint of the Edmond Hamilton/ Sy Barry story “The Gorilla Who Challenged the World” (SA #55, Apr. 1955).

The FBTU issue appeared on newsstands in April 1970, a mere month before the release of Beneath the Planet of the Apes starring James Franciscus and Heston.

The Planet of the Apes craze was particularly fortuitous for DC Comics, which had reams of super-gorilla stories ready for republication in its files [followed by Jack Kirby’s Planet of the Apes–inspired series, Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth—ed.].

The 14th issue (Dec. 1971–Jan. 1972) would coverfeature “The Human Pet of Gorilla Land!,” a John Broome/Carmine Infantino story from Strange Adventures #108 (Sept. 1959). And the 23rd issue would cover-feature “Secret of the Man-Ape!,” an Otto Binder/Infantino story about a simian spy, from SA #75 (Dec. 1956).

The sixth FBTU issue (Aug.–Sept. 1970) featured a variation on the theme of humans being dominated by intelligent animals.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 5

‘Stories to Stagger the Imagination’ (left) Here’s a Neal Adams cover that some BI readers might be seeing for the first time. From issue #6 (Aug.–Sept.

1970). (right) Joe Kubert steps in for another cover as From Beyond the Unknown gains a new logo and expanded page count with issue #7 (Oct.–Nov. 1970).

TM & © DC Comics.

A striking Neal Adams cover showed praying mantises riding human athletes like horses in “The Amazing Human Race!”

The Broome/Greene story from SA #85 (Oct. 1957) featured a scientist who, having invented a device to translate the thoughts of animals into images, learns that praying mantises plan to enslave humanity.

Those Silver Age menaces were outsized and outré, but the attitude that overcame them was a sunlit, can-do American optimism, the brotherhood of man stuff—arguably admirable, but already seeming a bit creaky by 1969.

The clean lines and lyrical stylization of the art by Anderson, Kane, Greene, and Infantino reinforced that un-shadowed atmosphere. Even a post-nuclear war dystopia like the “Atomic Knights” series seemed to have its cheerful aspects, such as friendly giant riding Dalmatians.

And it wasn’t just superheroes that could repel those interplanetary invasions that seemed to arrive every week or two.

With a little courage, a cool head, and a reasonably intelligent layman’s scientific knowledge, about anybody could do it. Think what a reassuring idea that was to a child of the early 1960s.

These protagonists largely predated the BBC’s Doctor Who, which began in 1963, but were contemporaries of his predecessor, the cool, clever, catastrophe-thwarting Prof.

Bernard Quatermass. He fended off alien menaces through several British serials and films.

Let’s take, for example, “The Giant from Beyond!,” FBTU #7’s reprinting of a Gardner Fox/Mike Sekowsky story from SA #101 (Feb. 1959).

This is another case of a story selected, I suspect, because the original Kane cover idea was already horrific enough. Both covers feature the legs of a green giant sending an urban population into a panic. The Joe Kubert FBTU cover just throws in a stomped convertible for good measure.

When an invulnerable giant descends an extra-dimensional beanstalk, intrepid Air Force Captain Craig Johnson destroys the giant’s home base by diverting “electrolistic lightning” and finally kills the beanstalk by smothering it.

That issue began with an original story by Anderson and writer Denny O’Neil set in the near future of 1999 and featuring Commander Glenn Merritt.

A new series character? No, according to the Grand Comic Database. This was a repurposing of a story about Mattel’s astronaut action figure Major Matt Mason intended for a publication that never appeared. The American public’s fascination with astronauts had peaked with the Moon landing, then quickly declined. [Editor’s note: For the story of Major Matt Mason, see our sister magazine, RetroFan, issue #5, available at www.twomorrows.com.]

BIGGER AND BETTER

With the seventh issue of From Beyond the Unknown, the price increased from 15 cents to a quarter, and the page count went up from 36 to 68. Finding science-fiction reprint material was, after all, no problem for DC, which ultimately published 244 issues of Strange Adventures and 110 issues of Mystery in Space (and when that run ended in 1966, another seven issues were published in the 1980s).

Gray Morrow’s cover for FBTU #8 (Dec. 1970–Jan. 1971) featured yet another homage to Planet of the Apes. The cover story for “Station Mars on the Air!” dated from Mystery in Space #25 (Apr.–May 1955), and Anderson’s original featured anatine/reptilian aliens broadcasting from a devastated Manhattan. However, Morrow’s cover replaced the collapsed Empire State Building with a ruined Statue of Liberty.

FBTU #10’s cover (Apr.–May 1971) featured a fantasy that was as delightful when rendered by Anderson as it had been when Infantino drew it for SA #56 (May 1955). “The Fish-Men of Earth!” featured men, women, and children swimming through the air as if it were an ocean after aliens render Earth’s atmosphere super-dense.

On both covers, a boy exclaims, “Whee! This is fun.”

In that same issue, the Broome/Greene story “Tomorrow’s Hero” (from SA #112, Jan. 1960) does in fact anticipate future

6 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

HEADS UP, EARTHLINGS! On June 24, 1947, pilot Kenneth A. Arnold saw something while flying past Mt. Rainier in his Call-Air A-2 private plane.

Whatever they were, these nine shiny flying objects appeared to be traveling at an estimated 1,200 miles per hour, and looked like “saucers.”

Many similar sightings followed around the world, and by 1952, the United States Air Force had begun calling these phenomena unidentified flying objects, i.e., UFOs. They became a familiar sight in 1950s’ science-fiction films like The Day the Earth Stood Still, This Island Earth, and Earth vs. the Flying Saucers. On the small screen in 1967 and 1968, Roy Thinnes starred in The Invaders [see RetroFan #18—ed.], playing an architect who accidentally discovers a secret plot to infiltrate and conquer Earth by aliens who arrive in flying saucers and imitate human beings.

Real or unreal, flying saucers were great fun and the subject of many a comic-book story. During the summer of 1976, DC reprinted several of them under the title Strange Flying Saucer Adventures in Super DC Giant #27.

One of my favorites was the Gardner Fox/Gil Kane tale “Earth Hero Number One!” from Strange Adventures #148 (Jan. 1963). In it, young students in a 2956 classheroics by featuring a mutant protagonist who battles irresistible alien conquerors called—wait for it—the Borg.

The boy Ral Grayson’s mutant power of superunderstanding enables him to build a device that ages him ten years in ten seconds. As an adult, he grasps the fact that the Borg are— shades of M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 film Signs!—vulnerable to water.

The early 1970s were marked by the emergence of bra-burning protests and Ms. Magazine, and FBTU #11 (June–July 1971) met that feminist challenge by publishing the retrograde Broome/Bob Oksner story “It’s a Woman’s World,” from MIS #8 (June–July 1952). In a future where women are in charge and men serve as menials, heroic rocket cadet Greg Dexter changes all that and puts men back on top.

The story’s republication prompted cultural blowback, even then. In the letters column, reader Matthew Graham of Granada Hills, California, called it a terrible story. “But, when you have the sheer intestinal fortitude to capitalize on its ‘relevance’ to women’s lib, it became deplorable,” Graham added. “Denial of the definite oppression

room learn that the attempted theft of Earth’s water by flying saucers had been thwarted in 1963 not by scientists or the military, but by a postal carrier. Their school turns out to be named for him, Calvin Jackson.

Another favorite was the Otto Binder/ Sid Greene story “The Man Who Grew Wings!” from SA #65 (Feb. 1956). Improbabilities are piled high when biologist Hal Worth repels a flying saucer invasion after he discovers that, happily and coincidentally, he can transform himself into a birdman that flies at 6,000 miles per hour.

“Why have these mysterious craft cruised over Earth for all these years since 1947?” he wonders. “I’ll utilize my flying powers to try and solve the mystery of the flying saucers!”

During the 1950s, several concepts that had once been used to springboard TM & © DC Comics. now-defunct 1940s’ superheroes were recycled for use as horror or science-fiction plots— flaming monsters that resembled the Human Torch, super-speedsters who were like the Flash, or, as here, winged beings who recalled Hawkman.

Five years later, in October 1981, DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #14 reprinted a dozen flying saucer stories under the title UFO Invaders behind a pleasantly paranoid Joe Kubert cover.

Astronaut with the Bends Original Murphy Anderson artwork from writer Denny O’Neil’s Glenn Merritt story from FBTU #7. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). (inset) The Merritt tale was a repurposed, unpublished Major Matt Mason comic shunted into FBTU after DC’s plans failed to publish a series based on Mattel’s space toy.

Glenn Merritt and From Beyond the Unknown TM & © DC Comics. Major Matt Mason® © Mattel.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 7

Don’t We Like Ike Anymore? (left) Let me make one thing perfectly clear: sitting US President Richard M. Nixon takes center stage on the Anderson cover to FBTU #17 (June–July 1972). (right) Issue #17’s “The Impossible World Named Earth!” featured President Dwight D. Eisenhower when originally published in Mystery in Space #30 (Feb.–Mar. 1956).

Cover by Gil Kane.

TM & © DC Comics.

of women is based only on a masculine superiority theory, i.e., all women are good for is doing menial housework, etc.” Reader Jay Stevens also criticized the decision to reprint the anachronistic story.

Editor Julie Schwartz was usually ahead of the game in presenting positive portrayals of career women, but perhaps he was simply being provocative in reprinting the story. Trying to generate reader interest in old science fiction stories could be a heavy lift at times, I imagine.

At the end of “It’s a Woman’s World,” Dexter lays down the law to his newly compliant girlfriend, “In our house, Stella—vacuuming will be your job.”

“Yes, dear, whatever you say,” Stella replies.

“We women ran things long enough, Greg! It’s time you men took over again!

Dream on, gents. That’s one scenario that is really “beyond the unknown.”

Since the 1940s, DC had periodically published stories intended to counter prejudice against people who have disabilities, and FBTU #13 offered the Fox/Greene tale “The Phantom Spaceman” (reprinted from MIS #79, Nov. 1962).

Ex-Commander Chapman had been forced to resign from the space fleet because of his disability. But on a luxury space cruise, when Arcturian aliens paralyze his fellow passengers with sound waves, Chapman is able to resist

8 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

because he’s deaf. Then his expert ability to read lips saves the day.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the early 1970s, the Berkeley Center for Independent Living was being founded by students with disabilities who were attending the University of California. That sparked a national movement that culminated in the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990.

With issue #14, the page count dropped to 52.

FBTU #15 (Feb.–Mar. 1972) featured another cover idea from the 1950s—a man stepping outside his front door into airless deep space— that remained striking in the 1970s. When Kane’s cover illustration for the Joe Millard/Infantino story in SA #95 (Aug. 1958) was revamped by Anderson, the most noticeable difference was that the startled businessman was no longer wearing a hat.

For FTBU #17 (June–July 1972), Anderson updated Kane’s comic cover from MIS #30 (Feb.– Mar. 1956). The joke is that aliens find the idea of an American president to be weird and delusional, whether it’s “Izen-Hower” or “Nee-Xon.” Two months after this issue appeared on newsstands, “Nee-Xon’s” burglars would break into the Democratic National Committee’s offices in the Watergate complex. American cynicism, which already had plenty of fuel, was about to get some more. [Editor’s note: And you can read all about Watergate in the pages of RetroFan #19!]

Calling Kaluta and Cardy! (top) From Beyond the Unknown covers by the remarkable Michael Wm. Kaluta, for issues #18 (Aug.–Sept. 1972) and 19. By this point, DC’s sci-fi series “Star Rovers” was being reprinted in the title. (bottom) Original Nick Cardy art to the final issue of From Beyond the Unknown, #25 (Nov.–Dec. 1973).

Courtesy of Heritage.

TM & © DC Comics.

With issue #18, the page count dropped back to 36 but the price was now 20 cents. FTBU began reprinting the MIS Fox/ Greene “Star Rovers” stories, which featured friendly rivals Rick Purvis, Karel Sorensen, and Homer Glint exploring various planet-hopping mysteries.

“The Star Rovers series exists as nine wonderfully crafted, beautifully drawn stories whose roots, purpose and pleasures lay in a different age,” observed Barr. “Rereading them is like rereading a letter from a lost love; you know you can’t go back, but it was wonderful to have been there and then.”

The same might have been said for almost all the material in From Beyond the Unknown.

The Nick Cardy cover of FBTU #24 (Sept.–Oct. 1973), which featured a demonic flying entity coming through an artist’s window, was a harbinger of things to come. The Binder/Bill Ely story “The Cartoon That Came to Life” hadn’t appeared in Strange Adventures or Mystery in Space, but in the first issue of the spooky title Tales of the Unexpected in 1956.

The 25th and last issue of FBTU hit the newsstands in August 1973. Sunny science fiction was supplanted by shadowy horror at DC, which now published not only House of Mystery and House of Secrets but Black Magic, Ghosts, The Phantom Stranger, Secrets of the Sinister House, Unexpected, Weird Mystery Tales, Weird War Tales, and The Witching Hour.

After all, 1973 was the year of The Exorcist, a movie that remained the top-grossing supernatural horror film for the next quarter of a century.

DAN HAGEN, a writer who’s a former central Illinois newspaper editor and university journalism instructor, has won numerous awards from the Associated Press, United Press International, the Southern Illinois Editorial Association, and the Illinois Press Association, as well as the Golden Dozen Award for Editorial Writing from the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors. He’s written articles for several magazines in the US and Great Britain, as well as for Marvel Comics and NPR.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 9

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Adam Strange was dead, Julius Schwartz concluded, at least in terms of being an ongoing character.

It was time to tie things up and move on.

Born on Earth, Adam was an archaeologist who had been struck by a communication beacon-turned-teleporter called a “Zeta-Beam” [“Zeta Beam” in some later texts] back in 1958. Swept 25 trillion miles away to the planet Rann in the Alpha Centauri star system, the blond young man quickly established himself as the hero of a fragmented civilization still struggling to recover from a nuclear war a millennium in its past. Locales ran the gamut from the scientific advancement of Ranagar and the primitive superstition of Yardana.

The Zeta-Beam wore off, but julius schwartz its inventor Sardath had fired a lot of them at Earth and Adam was determined to catch every one. Adam had fallen in love with Sardath’s daughter Alanna, and a little thing like 4.5 light years wasn’t going to stand in his way. Nor was the language barrier, thanks to a translation device called a Menticizer.

by J o For five years, boy met girl under the green skies hn Wells of Rann, and all was good. Well, aside from dealing with things like Tornado Tyrants and ray-guns in the sky or fading away during a lovers’ embrace.

THE SILVER AGE WAS HIS GOLDEN AGE

“Science dictated that you could only see Alpha Centauri from below the equator,” Julius “Julie” Schwartz explained in his biography Man of Two Worlds (2000), “so we always had to get Adam down there to hook up with [a Zeta-Beam]. It couldn’t be in Hollywood or New York. I remember we set one down in Rio during Carnival and another in the South Pacific.”

Created by Schwartz and writer Gardner Fox for 1958’s Showcase #17–19, the Adam Strange series concept was broadly based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ pulp adventures of John Carter on Mars, although Fox insisted the parallel had been unconscious. Adam’s sharp red and white costume was designed by Murphy Anderson, and the initial stories drawn by Mike Sekowsky.

Beam Me Up, Julie!

Strange Adventures #217’s (Mar.–Apr. 1969) logo was altered to promote DC’s sci-fi hero as editor Julius “Julie” Schwartz attempted to boost Adam Strange’s visibility for the burgeoning Bronze Age! Cover art by Neal Adams. Unless otherwise noted, all scans accompanying this article are courtesy of John Wells.

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 11

It wasn’t until Adam was awarded an ongoing series in Mystery in Space (MIS) #53 (June 1959) that Carmine Infantino began penciling the feature and everything clicked into place. The cartoonist’s sense of design and futurism defined the series for generations. The rich, luxurious inking of Murphy Anderson—a frequent contributor to the strip—brought Infantino’s pencils to a higher plane and made most fans swoon.

The art was only part of the reason that Adam Strange became a critical favorite in the early 1960s.

Although not known for his characterization, Fox invested Adam and Alanna’s relationship with genuine sweetness and a degree of mutual support that stood in contrast to most superhero romances of the era.

Alanna loved adventures and exploration every bit as much as her boyfriend.

Schwartz and Fox also eschewed the cliché brutal, shoot-first mentality in favor of making Adam a “thinking man’s hero,” someone who typically employed a scientific principle in solving the latest threat—alien or native—to Rann.

His heroism utterly unknown on Earth, Adam nonetheless made the acquaintance of the Justice League of America (in 1962’s MIS #75 and 1963’s JLA #24). He also became fast friends with Hawkman and Hawkgirl, who briefly had their own feature in Mystery in Space #87–90 that culminated with a spectacular team-up.

The archaeologist and the museum curators had much in common even beyond larger-than-life heroics.

In 1964, Schwartz, Fox, and Infantino were assigned to overhaul Batman, leaving Adam (effective with MIS #92) at the mercy of editor Jack Schiff, writer Dave Wood, and artist Lee Elias. Dumbed down and stripped of his signature finned hood, Adam lingered for a year before ceding his spot to Ultra the MultiAlien in Mystery in Space #103.

Regretting that the character had gone out with a whimper, Schwartz and Fox put their heads together in 1966. Joined by artist Murphy Anderson, they brought Adam back for a last hurrah, a team-up in Hawkman #18 where Sardath negated the Zeta-energy in Adam’s body and enabled him to stay on Rann permanently.

There was a downside, of course: “You can no longer return to Earth without suffering instant death.” Adam took the news in stride, quickly scheduling a wedding to Alanna. The procession was interrupted by the evil Man-Hawks, but readers were left to assume that the couple lived happily ever after.

Silver Age Spacemen (top left) Carmine Infantino’s art enlivened the early Adam Strange adventures. Cover to MIS #60 (June 1960). Inks by Joe Giella. (top right) Adam occasionally joined forces with the Winged Wonder, including Hawkman #18 (Feb.–Mar. 1967). Cover by Murphy Anderson. (bottom) Michael T. Gilbert’s delicious salute to Adam and DC’s Silver Age sci-fi pantheon in a fantasy cover commission from the collection of John Joshua. Color version courtesy of Michael T. Gilbert.

Adam Strange and all characters TM & © DC Comics.

12 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

Adam Strange Returns A titanic trio of talent—writer Denny O’Neil, penciler Gil Kane, and inker Murphy Anderson—present Adam’s return to new stories in Strange Adventures #222 (Jan.–Feb. 1970), the title’s first Bronze Age issue.

Original art page courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). (inset) The comic’s cover, whose art was repurposed for this issue’s BI cover.

TM & © DC Comics.

BLAST-OFF FROM EARTH— DESTINATION RANN

Imagine Schwartz’s surprise when he was once again assigned to edit the adventures of Adam Strange, effective with January 1969’s Strange Adventures (SA) #217 (cover-dated Mar.–Apr. 1969).

Although DC management had abruptly killed the book’s “Deadman” feature, they were reluctant to cancel such a long-running title. Instead, they handed it back to its original editor, who was charged with continuing it as a reprint book filled with SF stories from 1950–1963. The headliner, whose name could be neatly integrated into the book’s logo, was Adam Strange.

Appropriately, it and issue #218 started off by reprinting Adam’s first two appearances from Showcase #17. Schwartz perhaps didn’t want to waste time getting to the more celebrated Infantino, so he skipped over the other Showcase issues and re-ran Mystery in Space #53 in Strange Adventures #219. Moving forward, the book also skipped MIS #54, 56–58, 60, 61, and 66 before settling in for an uninterrupted run with SA #227 (reprinting MIS #67).

The clamor for new Adam Strange stories started immediately, and Schwartz obliged with “an untold tale” written by Denny O’Neil in SA #222 (Jan.–Feb. 1970), on sale in November 1969.

Illustrated by Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson, “Beyond the Wall of Death” was a good-looking piece that lacked the scientific elements associated with the series. Instead, the plot replayed the legend of the Trojan Horse as Adam and a group of Rannians worked to free damsel-in-distress Alanna from a barbarian tribe. The tale’s most uncharacteristic moment came when Adam (in reference to the kidnappers) snarled, “Nuts! Let’s wipe ’em out!” So much for the thinking man’s hero.

Writing as Sergius O’Shaugnessy in issue #225’s letters column, O’Neil declared, “I would never write stories like those currently being reprinted in Strange Adventures [but] I certainly enjoy reading them. To strain a metaphor, they are part of that legion of psyche-sculptors which formed my head; like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon and the guys on the radio from 4 to 6 daily, they stimulated my sense of the mysterious, the beyond—in a word, wonder.”

Elsewhere, Adam’s presence in Strange Adventures inspired editor Murray Boltinoff and writer Bob Haney to feature him alongside Batman in The Brave and the Bold (B&B) #90 (June–July 1970). The

premise had a solar flare affecting the Zeta-Beam, temporarily bouncing Adam into Earth’s future, where he tore off a fragment of a newspaper reporting the Caped Crusader’s death. After Adam shared his discovery, an unnerved Batman briefly took refuge on Rann before deciding to accept whatever was to come.

Fans took issue with a multitude of details, starting with the fact that Adam’s role in the story was more catalyst than guest-star. The wonky use of the Zeta-Beam drew criticism, as did the fact that Adam was using it at all, since he’d permanently relocated to Rann. Nor, despite a caption to the contrary, was Rann in another galaxy. (It was in our own.) Finally, the normally bald, bespectacled Sardath was depicted by artists Ross Andru and Mike Esposito as having long hair and no glasses. Haney used half of B&B #92’s letters column to defend himself.

Schwartz hoped for better success by having Gardner Fox himself write another new Adam DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 13

Strange story (with Murphy Anderson on art) for SA #226 (Sept.–Oct. 1970). “The Magic-Master of Rann” told the story of a scientist who attempted to endow everyone on Rann with enhanced mental abilities only to have an alien entity corrupt his efforts. Referred to as “a picture-story” by Schwartz, the eight-pager was essentially told in prose with Anderson’s artwork integrated throughout.

It wasn’t a bad story, but the presentation stirred controversy. After running a second picturestory (unconnected to Adam) in issue #227, Schwartz regretfully reported in SA #228 that the experiment had been a failure: “Reader reaction was so mixed that we’ve eliminated the feature.”

Then there was the matter of Strange Adventures’ covers. At the outset, Adam was featured on most of them with art by the likes of Neal Adams, Joe Kubert, and Murphy Anderson.

Sales indicated that the issues featuring bold science-fiction images sold better, however, so

Adam’s presence was reduced to a small slug on the left side of each cover.

In an act of defiance, in September 1971 Adam did a flyover in the background of The Flash #210’s cover. In Flash #214’s letters column, Schwartz credited the cameo to Murphy Anderson (working from a Carmine Infantino layout). “To make the cover more representative of the future,” the editor detailed, “Murphy ‘roughed’ in a rocketeer— and before Murph even realized it, the figure had materialized into Adam Strange! Hopefully, a forthcoming issue of The Flash will explain—convincingly—what Adam Strange is doing in 2971!”

STRANGE ADVENTURES NO MORE

In December 1971, Justice League of America #96 posed another question, asking why the Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkman had materialized on Rann. It turned out that a Zeta-Beam had intersected with a JLA teleporter ray while it was transporting the three heroes and made a mess of things. Superman raced across the galaxy to help his fellow members defeat a “cosmic vampire” called Starbreaker from draining the planet’s life-force, but Adam didn’t show up until the crisis was over. The Leaguers had caught the Zeta-Beam meant for him, he explained, so he had to wait for the next one.

Writer Mike Friedrich had forgotten that Adam was now a permanent resident of Rann. Len Wein did the same thing when writing another Adam cameo in JLA #100 (Aug. 1972), having the hero tell Alanna that he’d have to miss the League’s anniversary party because the Zeta-Beam wouldn’t wear off in time. (Somewhere, Bob Haney was laughing, “It’s not just me that messes up.”)

The fact that the writers—and Schwartz himself—let the error slip by emphasized what an essential part the Zeta-Beam transport played in Adam’s mythology. Schwartz admitted that it had been eliminated only for the sake of closure.

“When Adam played that guest-star role in Hawkman #18,” he wrote in Strange Adventures #222, “it wasn’t envisioned that he would ever make a comeback in a magazine devoted to his earliest adventures.”

Indeed, the mere idea of reprinting a critically acclaimed series in sequential order at DC was a huge departure from the publisher’s ubiquitous

JLA Jetsetter (left) The Brave and the Bold #90 played fast and loose with Adam’s lore when teaming the spaceman with Batman. (center top) Can you spot Adam on the cover of Flash #210? (center bottom) Strange Adventures #235’s reprint of a JLA-guest-starring Mystery in Space tale was some readers’ first exposure to Adam Strange. (right) Border headshots from Justice League of America #96, with Adam dropping in.

TM & © DC Comics.

14 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

themed collections. Weighing the response to the new stories vs. the old ones, Schwartz wrote in SA #235, “Many fans who missed out on the original series want to read them in sequence before we take off where we left off.” Nonetheless, the editor made a commitment in issue #239 (Nov.–Dec. 1972). “Present plans call for new Adam Strange adventures when the originals run out! We’re open to suggestions for a new writer-artist team to carry on in the tradition of Fox/Infantino.” Murphy Anderson topped the poll for artist while Cary Bates and Len Wein vied for favored writer.

New stories obligated the hero once again be shown on the covers. “During his original run in Mystery in Space, Adam Strange was consistently cover-featured,” Schwartz wrote in SA #235 (Mar.–Apr. 1972), “frequently with disappointing sales results. It became clear that when we forced a cover out of a story that didn’t lend itself to a provocative, eye-catching situation, the issue flopped financially. […] But that’s all past history now.” Schwartz tested the waters again with that very issue, reprinting the landmark MIS #75 and featuring the Justice League guest-stars prominently on Neal Adams and Dick Giordano’s new cover. It seems to have done well enough to put Adam Strange back on the covers of issues #241–243 in 1973.

Unfortunately, time had run out. Falling sales and a looming paper shortage led to Strange Adventures ending with issue #244 in August 1973. It died seven issues short of completing the 1960s Schwartz run (eight, if one included Hawkman #18).

Cancellation wasn’t an insurmountable obstacle, though. In 1974, DC dramatically expanded the presence of 100-Page Super Spectaculars across its line, including twice-yearly specials in April and October’s Action Comics #437 and 443. Picking up where Strange Adventures left off, the first issue reprinted the Adam Strange story from MIS #85 while the second included linked Adam and Hawkman tales from MIS #87. (Issue #86 was skipped, evidently because it was a dream sequence.)

I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU EARTHMAN AND WIFE

By the time April 1975 rolled around, the size of DC Comics’ special editions had shrunk, and the systematic reprints were once again on hold. The good news was that Schwartz delivered a new Adam Strange story that month in the pages of Justice League of America #120 (July 1975), by Cary Bates, Dick Dillin, and Frank McLaughlin. The joy of Adam’s return was tempered by some very bad news: Alanna of Ranagar was dead.

On the eve of their wedding (inexplicably postponed since Hawkman #18), the star-crossed lovers were attacked by an old threat from MIS #82, a flying lens that disintegrated Alanna before she could react. The grieving Adam was stunned when several Justice Leaguers arrived on Rann to help him fight another upgraded “parallel peril,” the giant “ray-gun in the sky” from MIS #77. The team had been teleported there by Sardath’s newly invented “Zeta-Plus Beams,” an enhanced system that traveled to Earth instantly rather than over several years. The problem: Sardath hadn’t used it.

The culprit was Kanjar Ro, the alien from Dhor whose back-to-back conflicts with the League and Adam (JLA #3, MIS #75) and a later third clash (JLA #24) had left him spoiling for revenge. By the end of JLA #120, he was well on his way, having used Borg (MIS #85) to vaporize the visiting heroes.

Scooping up the victims’ costumes, Adam used the Zeta-Plus Beam to travel to the League’s satellite sanctuary as JLA #121 opened. Barely able to process the tragic news, the remaining Leaguers were summoned to Earth to fight yet another revived menace, the cloud-creature from MIS #81. Since his home planet was now toxic to him, Adam stayed behind and was the sole audience to a taunting Kanjar Ro. Snatching the villain’s Energi-Rod, the hero was pulled back to Rann by Sardath and—filled with renewed

World’s Greatest Wedding Guests (left) Adam Strange’s guest-starring appearance in JLA #120 (July 1975) concludes with (right) his marriage to Alanna in the next issue. Both covers

by Ernie Chan, with José Luis GarcíaLópez inks on #120.

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 15

hope—used it to locate the five “dead” Justice Leaguers. In fact, they had been reduced to black spheres that the Energi-Rod restored to life. However, there was a sixth sphere, one that Adam transformed into… Alanna. Revitalized, the heroes raced to Earth, made quick work of the cloud-creature and Kanjar Ro… and accepted a wedding invitation 25 trillion miles away.

Although the cover had spoiled the surprise, not a single reader complained that the story ended with the longawaited marriage of Adam Strange and Alanna of Ranagar. Based on the letters columns, fan reaction to the two-parter was overwhelmingly euphoric.

“I was an avid Adam Strange fan cary bates long before I began my writing career,” © DC Comics.

Cary Bates tells BACK ISSUE. “I was no doubt psyched to be the writer who was finally going to get them married, but as much as I’d like to boast that it was my idea, I can’t say for sure it wasn’t Julie’s, or a combination of the two of us.”

[Editor’s note: For more superhero weddings, see BI #123.]

JLA #120 also represented the first comic-book credit for Jack C. Harris, identified as “Adam Strange Consultant” on the splash page. “Years in the US Army and college at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia finally led to my first position at DC Comics as the assistant editor to Murray Boltinoff,” Harris tells BACK ISSUE. “When I first started working there, I did not have an office. I did my proofreading and letter-column writing out in the bullpen area by the editorial offices. There were typewriters and drafting boards set up there so freelance writers and artists could work.

“That’s where I met writer Cary Bates, who was scripting an issue of the Justice League of America [#120] featuring another JLA/ Adam Strange crossover. Cary didn’t know as much about Adam as I did, so he tapped me for information. The one contribution I recall making was a flashback on page three. Originally, Cary had cited a cover scene from Mystery in Space #86. When I pointed out that this scene had been a dream sequence, Cary asked for an alternative. That’s when I suggested the cover of Mystery in Space #60, one of my favorite covers. The scene was one of Julie Schwartz’s recycled covers, duplicating a scene from an earlier issue of Strange Adventures.”

Harris, whose adoration of Adam Strange dated to Showcase #17 (see sidebar), also penned an affectionate history of the character for the company fanzine Amazing World of DC Comics #8 later in 1975, complete with a detailed map of Rann, culled from details in the original series. He subsequently wrote an abridged account of Adam’s career highlights for DC Super-Stars (DCSS) #2 in January 1976.

The latter—edited by E. Nelson Bridwell—was the latest DC reprint series, and issue #2’s theme was “DC Super-Stars of Space.” The issue was headlined by Mystery in Space #90’s Adam Strange/Hawkman team-up, and evidently garnered enough enthusiasm in the DC offices to have the space-based theme carry over into the next three evennumbered issues. DCSS #4 included the final Schwartz/Fox Adam Strange tale from MIS #91 before issues #6 and 8 skipped back to cover the un-reprinted stories from MIS #88 and 89.

Having Fun with His Ray-Gun (top) This edition of BACK ISSUE was inspired DC Super-Stars’ “DC Super-Stars of Space” themes that appeared in that reprint title’s even-numbered issues. Here’s Ernie Chan’s cover for #8 (Oct. 1976)! (bottom) Neal Adams knocked JLA #138’s (Jan. 1977) cover right outta the park, didn’t he?

TM & © DC Comics.

16 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

NEW SHOWCASES FOR ADAM STRANGE

By mid-1976, Jenette Kahn was in place as DC’s new publisher, and reprint titles weren’t part of her plan going forward. Nonetheless, Adam Strange got another shot before he jetted off, gueststarring in Justice League of America #138 and 139, another Bates/Dillin/McLaughlin two-parter.

Amusingly, the inspiration for the story was the earlier Flash cover, with Adam flying in the background. In “Adam Strange—Puppet of Time,” the hero was repeatedly—and involuntarily— Zeta-Beamed from Rann to Earth’s 73rd Century.

A caption explained that “the Scarlet Speedster’s speed-geared vision was fast enough to catch him Zeta-Beaming through time.” Alanna was ultimately compelled to reach out to the Justice League, several of whom traveled to the future and drained their friend of the Zeta-radiation that was affecting his mind. The concluding chapter revealed that this had all been a ploy of Kanjar Ro to dematerialize the Leaguers and set up the demise of the rest. Adam ensured that didn’t happen.

Thirty-five years later in 2011, Bates had the opportunity to pen one last Adam Strange/Kanjar Ro adventure for DC Retroactive: JLA – The 70s #1 (with art by Gordon Purcell, Andy Smith, and Jose Marzan, Jr.). Literally incorporating Neal Adams’ cover for JLA #138 into the story, Bates had Adam accidentally Zeta-Beamed onto Earth-Prime—where superheroes didn’t exist—and confined to a sanitarium. Julius Schwartz himself was crucial in saving the day. “I look on this book as a sequel of sorts to my four Adam Strange/JLA stories,” Bates tells BI. All was quiet in Alpha Centauri in 1977, but it’s worth mentioning April’s JLA #144, a virtual love letter from Steve Englehart to the late 1950s DC heroes. In pre-Justice League 1959, reports of a supposed Martian invasion of the United States attracted scores of adventurers to investigate. One of those groups followed rumors of a flying man in a mountainous region, culminating in Congorilla grabbing the figure’s ankle before being shaken off and landing on embedded reporter Lois Lane.

High in the sky, the stranger vanished.

On the planet Rann, Adam Strange expressed his relief that he made it. The latest Zeta-Beam was deflected off Sputnik, he explained to Alanna, and forced him to travel to the northern hemisphere.

Hilarity, in the form of a Martian-fueled media particularly like Adam Strange. I think it was a ‘guess you had to be there’ situation. When circus, ensued. first published, the Adam Strange stories Back in 1978, Adam was drafted in Mystery in Space were the best thing to fight a more significant threat in out there, but reading them years Showcase #100. In the centennial later, out of context of the times, issue, writers Paul Kupperberg and didn’t show his former appeal.

Paul Levitz and artist Joe Staton [Then-DC publicist] Mike Gold folded every tryout character from came to the rescue and suggested the book’s history into a plot that a Hawkman Showcase series. It was tore Earth from its orbit and created the exact same story, but Hawkman a crisis in time. was now the star.”

Once the anniversary party was The premise found Rann overover, Adam stuck around for run by an armada of alien races issues #101–103, courtesy of Jack that Adam had previously defeated jack c. harris C. Harris, Al Milgrom, and Murphy individually, among them the Anderson. “I got a chance to Facebook.

Arvese (MIS #77, 81), the Dust pitch an Adam Strange series to the newly revived Showcase,” Harris tells BI. “I was Devils (MIS #68, 70, 84), the Kirri (MIS #69), and going to guest star Hawkman in a three-issue the Vantors (MIS #63, 78). As a united front, the epic. However, new publisher Jenette Kahn didn’t invaders were too much for the planet forces

Schwartz’s Sci-Fi Silver Age Superheroes Adam and JLA pals, from the charactercrammed Showcase #100 (May 1978), a Bronze Age fave among many BI readers. Art by Joe Staton, story by Pauls Kupperberg and Levitz.

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 17

and its Earthly champion. As Alanna, Sardath, and other rebels retreated to a Crater Lake compound, the mysterious conqueror folded Rann’s military into his own army and sent them into space to fight another world.

His confidence shaken, Adam fled his adopted world in search of reinforcements, managing to reach Hawkman and Hawkgirl aboard their spacecraft. The trio was stunned to learn that the planet targeted by Rann’s conqueror was Thanagar, the Hawks’ own homeworld! As the trilogy played out, the heroes learned that the plague afflicting Thanagar had been cured by an alien named Hyathis. As payment, she demanded to lead the planet, and the Thanagarians agreed.

Her first actions were to release the planet’s greatest villains and to refocus its winged police force as soldiers in an army meant to invade other worlds.

Hyathis was last seen in 1961’s JLA #3, an issue that also marked the debut of her bitter rival Kanjar Ro. The latter turned out to be Rann’s mystery conqueror, and the budding Rann-Thanagar war was rooted in the two villains’ mutual hatred of one another. Hawkman succeeded in stopping Kanjar Ro from murdering Hyathis, but the planetary turmoil continued. The Hawks were exiled from their own planet while Adam and Alanna returned to a Rann wracked by civil war following Kanjar Ro’s ouster.

ADAM STRANGE AND ME Adam Strange is one of my favorite characters, since he was so pivotal in so many moments in my career. I began reading and collecting comic books in 1958. I was a big fan of the Adventures of Superman television show, so when I spotted an issue of Action Comics on the magazine rack in a pharmacy, I grabbed it. Soon, I was regularly reading any comic that featured the Man of Steel, including World’s Finest Comics, which is where I discovered Batman. The backup features in these titles, such as Tommy Tomorrow in Action Comics and the Martian Manhunter in Detective Comics, introduced me to science fiction. This proved to be my true literary love. If I only had a dime to spend (yeah, comics were only ten cents back then), I would forego a superhero title in favor of a science-fiction anthology such as Mystery in Space or Strange Adventures.

I was soon buying all such titles from DC. Fortunately, I had a paper route that funded my comic book/ science-fiction obsession. I bought every issue of House of Mystery, House of Secrets, My Greatest Adventure, and Tales of the Unexpected as well. In Tales of the Unexpected #31, I saw a house ad for Showcase #17, presenting Adventures on Other Worlds featuring the origin and first appearance of Adam Strange. The ad was spectacular, showing a couple of Mike Sekowsky/Joe Giella panels illustrating Adam’s leap into the Zeta-Beam and his transportation to the distant planet Rann. Editor Julius Schwartz’s colorful copy describing the new book grabbed my imagination; unfortunately, the distribution of comic books in my area (Wilmington, Delaware) was lousy in 1958. I never saw the three Showcase issues featuring Adam Strange.

by Jack C. Harris

However, a few months later, I was thrilled to discover that Adam Strange had been awarded the cover feature status of one of my favorite comic books, Mystery in Space! With Mystery in Space #53, I vowed never to miss an issue. The Carmine Infantino artwork blew my mind.

One of my favorite parts of any Julius Schwartz comic book was the letters column. Julie kept the correspondences friendly and informative. As an incentive for letter writers to pen original and unique letters, Julie would award original artwork to readers whose letters were interesting enough to be published. In Mystery in Space #73, my letter was published and I was awarded Infantino and Murphy Anderson’s original artwork to “The Multiple Menace Weapon,” the Adam Strange cover story for Mystery in Space #72. The receipt of that artwork changed my life. I could think of nothing else but to someday work for the comicbook industry! At one point, I asked editor Julius Schwartz if I could come visit him in his New York City office. My father was on a business trip to the city, and I wanted to tag along.

Julie invited me up and I spent a wonderful afternoon with him.

During that visit, I got to meet Superman editor Mort Weisinger and artists Mike Sekowsky and Joe Giella. As I left, Julie gifted me his file copies of the three issues of Showcase featuring Adam Strange. (Years later, when I was on staff at DC, I overheard Julie telling someone that he had TM & © DC Comics. given away his Showcase issue of Adam Strange to “some fan.” I never told him it was me, fearing that he might ask me to give them back!)

I did get to write and edit a few more Adam Strange adventures, but nothing long-term. He’ll always hold a special place in my memories as one of my all-time favorite comic-book heroes.

18 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

With the Winged Wonders Writer Jack C. Harris’ Showcase #101–103 (June–Aug. 1978) may have starred Hawkman, but it was also a showcase for guest-star Adam Strange. (top) Adam appeared on Joe Kubert’s covers for the first two issues. (bottom) Original Al Milgrom/Murphy Anderson art from Showcase #103. This page was a gift from Murph to Jack, who kindly provided this scan to BI. TM & © DC Comics.

MEN OF TOMORROW

First, though, Adam made an unexpected return to the world of his birth. The Superman/Adam Strange team-up in DC Comics Presents (DCCP) #3 (Nov. 1978) revealed that the Zeta-energy in his body made him uniquely suited to teleport anywhere on Rann. In the midst of an experiment, though, Adam vanished altogether and Sardath soon discovered that his planet and Earth had literally traded places in the galaxy. Superman, who happened to be in space when the swap took place, rushed to the now-nearby Rann and helped deal with atmospheric disturbances caused by the new solar system.

Adam did the same on Earth, but was taken aback when awestruck onlookers swarmed him for autographs. A no-nonsense reporter named Lois Lane was more interested in the story and joined the unnamed newcomer in trying to get to the bottom of things.

Thankfully, Adam had not immediately dropped dead. “There must be something in Earth’s position in space that makes it deadly to me,” he theorized, “because with Earth in the Alpha Centauri system, I’m having no trouble at all.”

The culprit was a disgraced Rannian military leader named Kaskor (from MIS #68) who was jockeying for control of his planet and had tampered with the Zeta experiment. Between Superman and Adam Strange, the crisis wasn’t insurmountable, and the planets were restored to their proper systems. Adam’s wife, though, was troubled by the pleasure her husband got from being champion on his homeworld. “Alanna,” he assured her, “I am home.”

Beautifully illustrated by José Luis García-López, the tale was scripted by David Michelinie, who reflects on it for BACK ISSUE: “The good: it was my first chance to write the most iconic superhero figure of that century, Superman. Plus, as a kid I loved the DC science-fiction series/characters: Space Ranger, Atomic Knights, Rip Hunter, et al. So writing a Superman/Adam Strange team-up was a big thrill. And having José García-López draw it was a nice bonus.

“The bad: the story was definitely of its time, and of its publisher. I blushed when I reread the story and saw that I’d actually had someone exclaim, ‘Great galaxies!’

And the explanations were so crammed with unlikely science that I doubt I could even try to write it today— or for that matter, get it published! Both the world and I have grown up and learned a great deal since then.”

Jack C. Harris received another “Adam Strange Consultant” credit in DCCP #3, in part because he was the writer on a new Adam Strange solo series slated to begin in 1978’s Star Hunters #8. The series was bumped DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 19

‘The Riddle of Little Lost Earth’ We’d be remiss in our editorial duties if we didn’t share an original art page from David Michelinie’s Superman/Adam Strange team-up in DC Comics Presents #3 (Nov. 1978), deliciously delineated by the modern master, José Luis García-López.

Courtesy of Heritage.

TM & © DC Comics.

by the DC Implosion, the wave of cancellations that Set chronologically before DCCP #3, it explained toppled the company’s schedule that summer. how Adam gained the ability to teleport across With Star Hunters kaput after issue #7, Adam’s Rann, as well as detailing Kaskor’s role as would-be backup story sat on a shelf until 1979. leader of the alien alliance following Kanjar That’s when it was scheduled for OctoRo’s defeat. Issue #264’s Hawkman tale ber’s Adventure Comics #467, as part tied off loose ends by shunting Adam of a makeover that would feature back to Rann on page one.

Adam and Plastic Man on a double Elsewhere, Adam had guestbill in each issue. Once again, plans starred in The Brave and the Bold changed at the last minute and a #161 (Apr. 1980), this time trading new version of Starman wound up places with Batman instead of replacing Adam as co-feature.

Superman. Framed for murder on Determined that the third time Rann, Adam used a Zeta-Plus Beam would be the charm, Harris integrated to swap places with Earth’s foremost the story into a book he was editing. detective in the hope that the In World’s Finest Comics #262 (Apr.– Dark Knight could clear his name. david michelinie May 1980), he had writer J. M. Bouncing the beam off Earth’s DeMatteis and artists Ken Landgraf Moon enabled the man of two and Armando Gil do a Hawkman story where the worlds to materialize above Gotham City in the Winged Wonder seemed to be seeing Adam’s ghost northern hemisphere. on Earth. In fact, Adam was the victim of a Rannian While Adam helped Commissioner Gordon Id Beast and an idle wish that cast him into limbo. investigate a crime Batman had been working Once freed with the help of friends, Adam segued on, the Caped Crusader got to the bottom of the into an account of recent events and the long- Rannian murder case. “That blasted outworlder delayed Harris/James Sherman story from 1978 has brought nothing but sorrow to Rann,” the true finally saw print in World’s Finest #263. killer snarled. “Every time he appeared, we had a

Across the DC Universe (top) The Hawks are spooked by the ghost of Adam Strange in World’s Finest #262 (Apr.–May 1980).

By J. M. DeMatteis/Ken Landgraf/Armando Gil. (bottom) Batman heads to Rann in Brave and Bold #161 (Apr. 1980). By Gerry Conway/Jim Aparo.

TM & © DC Comics.

20 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

False Starts

crisis… another attack! Well, we’ve put an end to him.” Or he would have without the Dark Knight.

Impeccably illustrated by Jim Aparo, writer Gerry Conway’s story ignored Rann’s current state of civil war, suggesting that the adventure preceded the events of 1978. Also unaddressed was the fact that Adam once again returned to Earth with no ill effects. Perhaps Sardath’s warning was wrong.

A NEW BACKUP SERIES

That mystery was never solved, but Adam Strange soon had another venue to tie up loose ends.

Effective with Green Lantern #132 (Sept. 1980), the thinking man’s hero became that book’s regular backup feature. “When I was a kid, my two favorite characters were Green Lantern and Adam Strange,” Jack C. Harris enthused in a February 1980 interview (The Comics Journal #55), and here they are in the same book, and I’m editing it!” As in World’s Finest #263, Adam used his newfound ability to jaunt across Rann, this time to seek a means of stopping a towering beast fueled by the mental power of the city Akalon’s entire population.

Written in 1978 for Star Hunters #9 and drawn in 1980 by Rodin Rodriguez, it was Jack C. Harris’ last script for the character. Per publisher Jenette Kahn’s policy, editors couldn’t write a feature in their own book, so Harris cast about for a replacement scribe. Enter Laurie Sutton.

“I don’t have a clear recollection of exactly when I first encountered Adam Strange,” Sutton tells BI. “I’m a Silver Age baby, so it’s possible I found him in the pages of Showcase (along with Rip Hunter, the Sea Devils, and Aquaman), copies of which were included in a big ol’ box of comics my (male) cousins gave me when I was eight or nine years old (circa

early ’60s). I don’t recall that the character stood out to me at that time, but I liked science-fiction TV shows like Fireball XL5, and probably liked Adam Strange, too, with his rocket pack and ray-gun.

“I got the assignment because Jack asked me to write the backup (grin). I didn’t lobby for it. I was a newly minted editor (having been promoted from my job as an assistant to Joe Orlando in the Special Projects Department), and I moved to an office next to Jack. Some might think that being his ‘neighbor’ was a rather helpful coincidence.

But I don’t think it was. In those days, the DC editorial offices were on one floor and extended down a single hallway. We were crammed in there like sardines! We all knew each other and were friends, going to lunch together, etc. So, having an office next door didn’t get me the assignment.

I think it was more about Jack being familiar with who I was and taking a chance on the ‘newbie’ (although I had already written stories for Warren Publications and for the DC horror books).”

In the 1978 solo series, Harris recalled in The Comics Journal (TCJ) #55, “the Zeta-Beam was going to teleport [Adam] to different places on the planet. It was going to be a totally alien story. The fact that he was from Earth was just a fact that we were going to play with. The whole bit about fading back to Earth wasn’t going to be in the series.”

Among Harris’ plans, he revealed in 2016 for the DC in the 80s website, was an “epic tale involving a race of super-aliens from the future; a future so far ahead that there are no words to describe just how many years in the future they actually come from.

They were the Zetans… and they have traveled back in time to find the being who founded their race—the offspring of Adam Strange and Alanna

From the Heritage vault: (left) Original Rich Buckler/Dick Giordano cover art to the unpublished Star Hunters #8, which would have debuted an Adam Strange backup. (right) Dave Cockrum’s first cover for Adventure Comics #467 touts its planned-but-canned Adam Strange feature alongside Plastic Man; Starman replaced Adam Strange as Adventure’s co-feature and Cockrum’s Adam art was flopped and later used on (inset) the cover of Green Lantern #136 (Jan. 1981).

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 21

of Ranagar. In my tale, the Zeta-Beam radiation had affected the DNA of their child so it and all of its descendants had the power to instantly teleport anywhere in the universe and later, through time! Too bad I never got to write that one!”

In that February 1980 TCJ interview, he had reassessed his direction for the series. “I’m afraid that what I came up with as a writer might not be a proper editorial direction. […] I am seriously considering going back to the original concept of the character, trying to find those trace elements that made it work.”

First, though, the current status quo needed to be properly concluded. Joined by artists Rodin Rodriguez and Tex Blaisdell, Sutton wasted no time in turning the tide on Rann. With Alanna and Sardath supporting them on Crater Island, Adam and the rebel soldiers reclaimed the capital city of Ranagar in GL #133.

Adam himself wound up a captive of Kaskor and another old enemy Alva Xar (MIS #81). Tortured under the rays of a retooled Zeta-transmitter in GL #134, Adam escaped captivity only to feel an ominous tingle. Fading back to Earth, his body touched the soil of his homeworld.

Rising from what he’d expected to be certain death in GL #135, Adam concluded that the altered transmitter had cleansed his body of the radiation that made Earth fatal to him. The hero’s happiness at having survived didn’t distract him from the fact that the people of his adopted second home still needed him.

For the first time in years, he needed to ride a Zeta-Beam from Earth to Rann, dodging balloons in an Australian parade to pull it off. Reunited with his wife and father-in-law, Adam executed a clever bluff—“The Zeta-Bomb Maneuver”—that finally demoralized Kaskor’s troops into surrendering. And when all was said and done, he faded out of Alanna’s arms and back to Earth.

In more ways than one, Adam Strange had come full circle.

“Once I was responsible for the adventures of Adam Strange and had agreed to an on-going series of backups in Green Lantern,” Sutton says, “Jack had a request. Not a demand, a request. I recall that he wanted to finish the Civil War storyline he had started. I had no problem with that. He didn’t provide me with a plot or specific outline, but he had a vision of how he wanted the Civil War on Rann to wrap up, and I did my best to accommodate that.

“Going forward, we wanted to get back to the classic formula of Adam returning to Earth at the end of each story. I don’t recall which of us came up with the solution to why Adam didn’t die when he got sent back to Earth in issue #135. Jack and I probably put our heads together and came up with a plausible explanation.

“After that, I had a lot of fun deciding where in the Southern Hemisphere Adam had to get to in order to intercept the Zeta-Beam. I liked making it a race to get to the location, creating tension with a countdown, and complicating it with some startling settings (in the middle of Mardi Gras in Rio, diving into a volcano, etc.).

“You’ll notice that the type of stories that followed that arc are quite different! The adventures went from war-time conflicts to more science-fiction/fantasy adventures.” Issue #136, for instance, found Adam competing in an Olympic-style competition that secretly had stakes that threatened all of Rann.

A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

Reunion on Rann (top) Adam Strange writers Laurie Sutton and Jack C. Harris in 2010; photo courtesy of Ms. Sutton. (bottom) Opening page to Sutton’s first Adam Strange tale, originally published in Green Lantern #133 (Oct. 1980).

Art by Rodin Rodriguez and Tex Blaisdell.

TM & © DC Comics.

The “threat” in GL #137 (Feb. 1981) was Adam and Sardath, whose efforts to send Alanna on a wild goose chase endangered her life. They had the best of intentions, though. Sardath had set up a Zeta-transmitter that would finally allow Alanna to accompany Adam to Earth for their wedding anniversary. Adding to the delightful surprise was its penciler.

“I was thrilled to have Carmine Infantino as the artist on issue #137!” Sutton declares to BI. “Look at that splash page! And having Murphy Anderson as the inker was the perfect icing on the cake. I had grown up with Carmine’s distinctive art in the comics I read—Batman, The Flash, Batgirl stories in Detective

22 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

Comics. His sleek, stylized art was the perfect match for the futuristic, science-fiction space adventures of Adam Strange. I loved it.”

The sequel was simple but sweet, a gift to fans who had long wanted to see Adam’s interplanetary sweetheart experience the pleasures of her lover’s homeworld. No Adam Strange story was complete without action, though, and the duo wrapped up their tour of Earth in grand fashion by foiling a terrorist attack on the Statue of Liberty. “‘Alanna’s New York Adventure’ was inspired

by Tarzan’s New York Adventure,” Sutton reveals, “an old Johnny Weismuller Tarzan movie I saw on TV as a kid. It was a fish-out-of-water story with Tarzan swinging from flagpoles instead of jungle vines, and it stuck in my head for years. I thought it would be great fun for Alanna to have the same sort of experience, a dramatic shift in perspective for her. I used issue #137 to set it up as an anniversary gift (plus show what sort of skilled fighter she was as she battled dragons and hostile bird men on her own while she waited for her husband to meet up with her). Issue #138 was me having fun.”

Rodin Rodriguez returned for the story, with Vince Colletta’s inks in GL #138 an improvement over Tex Blaisdell’s craggy finishes. Dennis Jensen and Pablo Marcos inked the following two episodes before Larry Mahlstedt settled in as the regular embellisher with GL #141.

Back on Rann in GL #139, Adam was horrified to learn that Alanna had not made it back to Ranagar following her Earthly vacation. In short order, he was searching the planet, soon allied with the water-breathing Aeriela, “Mer-Queen of Rann,” and a mysterious tech-savvy boy named Rad. “The Mer-Queen story was all about me being a fan of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonrider books,” Sutton details, “and my love of undersea adventures à la Aquaman. There were no plans for an expansion of ongoing characters. But with only eight pages an issue to tell the story, the adventure did end up going rather long, and that might have made it look more intentional than it actually was.

Although, truth be told, had the backup continued, I did want to bring back the Mer-Queen.

I would have liked to explore undersea Rann, and even flirt with a romantic rivalry between Aeriela and Alanna.”

In the short-term, of course, Adam had to find Alanna. Answers came in GL #141 and 142, where the man-out-of-time Alva Xar revealed that he’d kidnapped the woman as leverage to convince her husband to help him rule Rann. When that failed, the villain transformed Alanna into a crystal statue in a horrifying sequence that culminated with her being shattered before Adam’s eyes.

Irrational in their grief, the Rannians blamed their champion for her death, transforming Alanna’s

Seems Like Old Times (left) Adam Strange’s original artist, Carmine Infantino— inked by Murphy Anderson!—illo’ed Sutton’s backup in Green Lantern #137 (Feb. 1981). (right) Shades of Johnny Weissmuller! Mrs. Adam Strange visits the Big Apple in GL #138.

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 23

memorial service into a hate rally for Adam Strange. “You’ve always protected her, Adam,” Sardath choked. “How could you let her die!?” The sight of Alanna’s wedding ring on her shattered hand snapped her husband back into focus. She’d slipped the ring into his pocket earlier… which meant that the statue had been a fake. Storming Alva Xar’s fortress alongside Queen Aeriela’s army in GL #144, Adam brought Alva Xar to justice and embraced his still-very-much-alive spouse.

“I recall that I wanted to do a shocking, surprise death of Alanna,” Sutton tells BI. “It was always meant for emotional impact, and as a cliffhanger. Throughout the series, I had shown the love Adam and Alanna shared, and I wanted to show the devastation Adam felt about losing the love of his life. The reaction of Sardath and the people of Rann were, basically, the same as Adam’s, except they focused on him as the cause of her death. A hero can be seen as a villain in a whiplash. I had always planned a way out for Alanna, of course. I recall that Jack had reservations about ‘killing off’ Alanna, even temporarily, but I assured him it was very temporary.”

Carmine Infantino returned for issues #145–147 (Oct.–Dec. 1981), starting with a two-parter in which Adam fought an insectoid creature and dealt with the offspring it left on Rann.

Demonstrating his empathic qualities, the hero recognized that the beings were intelligent and “a temporarily misplaced part of the space ecology” that he helped return to the stars.

Behind the scenes, Jack C. Harris passed the editorial reins to Len Wein who, in turn, quickly handed them to Dave Manak.

“Although my editors changed, my storylines didn’t,” Sutton says. “I had momentum going with the ‘death of Alanna’ storyline and its conclusion, and the next was a two-parter

about the space bugs, so there was no editorial reason to interrupt that. Neither Len nor Dave expressed any driving vision they had for Adam Strange or that they wanted to change the direction the backup was going. It was ticking along smoothly.”

As of issue #147, Sutton was ready to leave. Her final story revisited the youngster Rad, revealed to have been a survivor of the destruction of the city of Rabella a millennium earlier.

Preserved by a time-stasis machine, the boy revisited the ruins with Adam and Alanna before being plucked 2000 years into the future for a reunion with his time-traveling father.

“I was getting ready to leave the backup series after more than a year of scripting it, so I wanted to wrap up loose ends,” Sutton explains. “I didn’t have any real plans to expand the supporting cast, but had I stayed on, and my editor had wanted to do that, we would have found a place for Rad. But, in the end, I thought it was nice to send the kid home!”

‘WHO KILLED ADAM STRANGE?’

With Sutton’s departure, a “Tales of the Green Lantern Corps” feature took Adam Strange’s spot in the back pages of Green Lantern and Rann’s champion of champions returned to life as a floater in the DC Universe. George Pérez drew Adam twice in 1981, once in Justice League of America #193’s (Aug. 1981) flashback to the origin of the Tornado Tyrant, and again in the December-released landmark JLA #200 (cover-dated Mar. 1982), where Hawkman was accidentally struck by a Zeta-Beam and sent to Rann.

Mike W. Barr was the next to revisit the hero for The Brave and the Bold #190 (Sept. 1982). After receiving a letter from Adam’s lawyer that the archaeologist hadn’t checked in for six months, Batman caught a Zeta-Beam to Rann and discovered Adam had been murdered. The Darknight Detective not only found the killer, he deduced a means of resurrecting the hero.

“Dick Giordano, when he edited The Brave and the Bold, had the most remarkable—and the simplest—editorial philosophy of any editor I’ve ever worked with,” Barr tells BI. “Rather than selecting the guest-star of the month by popularity, he asked writers to submit ideas for stories that they wanted to tell.

“This enabled me to sell him not only the first B&B team-ups of Batman with the Elongated Man and the Huntress, but the third team-up with Adam Strange. One of my favorite characters since I was a kid, I had always been prevented from writing him by office politics.

“Now it was my turn. I had been sitting on an idea for an Adam Strange story for years, and finally pitched it to Dick, who liked it. He also said he could secure the penciling services of Carmine Infantino, which, as the primary artist on Adam and one of the classic Batman artists, was fine with me. Though I had to agree with those who thought much of Carmine’s work had lost its luster since returning to freelancing after being fired as DC’s publisher, he seemed to have been reenergized by drawing characters he was most famous for—like the Flash, Batman, and Adam Strange—his art job, inked by Sal Trapani, was fine.

“Not everyone felt the same about my script, which was ironic.

I have the reputation—not always deserved—as a total flouter of continuity, as does the late Bob Haney. But my story, which had Batman traveling to Rann via the Zeta-Beam to solve Adam Strange’s murder, was disparaged by a fair percentage of readers.

The ironic part of this is that Batman’s reversal of Adam’s murder is

‘The Crystal Peril!’

Adam is unable to stop Xar’s fatal assault of Alanna on this shocking page from GL #142. By Sutton/Rodriguez/ Larry Mahlstedt.

TM & © DC Comics.

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100% consistent with the basic tenets of the strip, as established by creator Gardner Fox and editor Julius Schwartz. Which taught me, as a young (well, young-ish) scripter, that you can’t please everyone. Too, future B&B editor Len Wein came down on me like a ton of bricks, whining about the way Batman solved Adam’s murder (spoiler alert: he bluffed), and barely had the grace to blush when I reminded him he used this same method in one of his own Human Target stories.

“What the heck, ‘Who Killed Adam Strange?’ is still one of my personal favorites, and screw anyone who can’t take a joke.”

Julius Schwartz was reunited with Adam one last time in DC Comics Presents #82 (June 1985), editing a lovely Superman/Adam Strange tale by Cary Bates and Klaus Janson. With Alanna mysteriously chanting in Kryptonese, Adam and Sardath summoned Superman to Rann and became embroiled with the threat of an ancient succubus.

Paced leisurely enough to allow warm character moments and beauty amidst the well-rendered action scenes, the story was a standout. Bates characterizes it to BI as “one of my favorite jobs of all time. Spectacular art by Klaus Janson and a great plot (even if I do say so myself).”

Anyone familiar with DC Comics history knows that 1985 was the watershed year of Marv Wolfman and George Pérez’s Crisis on Infinite Earths maxiseries and crossover, and Adam Strange, like most DC heroes, was in the midst of it. Initially seen alongside Alanna in issue #5, he joined a super-squad at the dawn of time in issue #10 and wound up amidst the Forgotten Heroes helping recruit Darkseid to preserve all reality in Crisis #11 and 12. [Editor’s note: Looking ahead to early 2025, BACK ISSUE will salute the 40th Anniversary of Crisis on Infinite Earths in the forthcoming BI #157!]

Adam’s appearances in Crisis overlapped with another 12-issue maxiseries, one of—frankly— negligible historical impact. Kicking off in August 1985, DC Challenge [see BI #98—ed.] featured a succession of writer-artist teams, each of whom ended things on a cliffhanger that the next group was to carry on. A civilian-clad Adam popped up in the first issue, but he was in costume by issue #3, joined by Alanna and Sardath as part of the action shifted to Rann.

“The second and last time I wrote Adam Strange,” Mike W. Barr tells BI, “was in comics’ biggest vanity boondoggle, DC Challenge #5.

This ‘story,’ which had seemed like a good idea at the time, had no plot and no structure. Each writer, which changed from issue to issue, was allowed to spin whatever tale he wanted to off of the issue before, but were not allowed to use the characters he regularly wrote (unless you were a special darling of the office). I took this as an opportunity to use all of the DC characters I had ever wanted to write but had never had the opportunity to or been denied the opportunity to (well, all but one—I couldn’t find a way to squeeze Dr. 13 into the story) and tossed in favorites Adam Strange and Captain Comet for fun.

An additional kick: DC Challenge was my second collaboration with Dave Gibbons, who did a wonderful job, as did Mark Farmer on the inks.

Honorary Justice Leaguer Adam Strange’s ties to JLA and editor Schwartz’s sci-fi lore are on display in these two Justice League of America scenes from writer Gerry Conway and penciler George Pérez: (top) Detail from JLA #193 (Aug. 1981), a Tornado Tyrant flashback; and (bottom) detail from #200 (Mar. 1982), with Adam once again crossing paths with Hawkman.

TM & © DC Comics.

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mike w. barr

“So, I wrote Adam Strange twice and have fond memories of each story,” Barr reflects. “That’s the best possible average; maybe I’d better quit while I’m ahead.”

Adam’s other appearances in that period were insubstantial. Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #1 (Mar. 1985) included an entry illustrated

by Infantino and Anderson, while Wolfman and Pérez’s History of the DC Universe #2 (Feb. 1987) also offered a glimpse. Echoing an earlier walk-on in Neal Adams’ 1978 Superman vs. Muhammad Ali tabloid, Adam and Alanna strolled through the 30th Century in a panel of 1985’s Tales of the Legion #325 before Adam cameoed in Swamp Thing #45 months later. Recalling his 1971 Flash flyby, Adam appeared prominently on Bill Sienkiewicz’s cover for Elvira’s House of Mystery #7 (Sept. 1986).

Writer Gerry Conway faithfully detailed Adam’s beginnings for Secret Origins #17 (Aug. 1987), a story most notable for the fact that Carmine Infantino (inked by Tony DeZuniga) drew it. Since Mike Sekowsky had penciled the original 1958 Showcase pilot, this was Infantino’s first opportunity to illustrate Adam’s origin in detail.

‘THE FALL OF ADAM STRANGE’

Behind the scenes, plans percolated for Adam’s inevitable return. It began with artist Klaus Janson challenging DC art director Richard Bruning to come up with a pitch for a series that he could illustrate. Bruning quickly zeroed in on an Adam Strange makeover and was developing ideas when he learned that superstar Alan Moore intended to use the character in late-1986’s Swamp Thing #57 and 58 (illustrated by Rick Veitch and Alfredo Alcala).

“Having become friends [with Moore] working on Watchmen,” Bruning wrote in Adam Strange: Man of Two Worlds (2003), “we were able to swap back and forth the directions in which our respective ideas were taking us and integrate key elements we could explore.

The Swamp Thing stories didn’t dictate the AS series but certainly and wonderfully influenced it.”

Moore’s plot found the elemental Swamp Thing expelled from Earth and accidentally falling into the path of a Zeta-Beam at the same time as Adam. In Alpha Centauri, their initial encounter didn’t go well, the Earthman uncharacteristically raging about “ugly, stupid-looking brainless monsters” as he stewed about the Rannians’ veiled resentment of him. Once the language barrier was breached, however, Adam realized that Swamp Thing’s abilities might represent the means of ending the drought that had progressively plagued Rann since its long-ago nuclear war.

Such news didn’t sit well with visiting representatives of Thanagar, who had made their own offer to restore the environment in exchange for data on Rann’s

‘Here Lies Rann’s Champion of Champions’ Writer Mike W. Barr combined his penchant for murder mysteries and passion for DC’s sci-fi library into a Batman/Adam Strange team-up in The Brave and the Bold #190 (Sept. 1982—100 issues after the two heroes originally teamed up in B&B!). (top) Its cover, by Jim Aparo. (bottom) Batman recalls his friendship with Adam on this page illustrated by Carmine Infantino and Sal Trapani.

TM & © DC Comics.

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technological advances. Secretly embroiled in a shadow war with Earth in contemporary issues of Hawkman, the aliens would have had a potent tool in the Zeta-Beam. The Thanagarians’ attempt to stop Swamp Thing blew up in their face and the elemental successfully kickstarted Rann’s fertility. In that vein, Alanna was elated to tell Adam that she was pregnant. The happy ending was tempered by Moore’s implication that the people of Rann were now sterile, and that Adam had been deliberately brought to the planet in the hope he would father children. (The Silver Age stories, incidentally, had shown children and babies.)

Nearly two years later, Rann’s people were fully engulfed in madness, a sign of an aspect of the Anti-Life Equation manifesting on the planet. The development was part of the larger saga of Jim Starlin and Mike Mignola’s 1988 miniseries Cosmic Odyssey [see BI #9—ed.]. Spared the effects due to his Earthly origins, Adam joined Starfire and Lightray in restoring order in issues #2 and 3 of the miniseries.

On the heels of that story, Rann once again found itself being courted for its technology, this time by a so-called Alien Alliance poised to attack Earth (Fall 1988’s Invasion! crossover). Aware that the world would be targeted by refusing, Adam proposed that he surrender to the Alliance with the stipulation

Who’s Up for a Challenge? (top left) Klaus Janson’s mesmerizing artwork made Cary Bates’ Superman/Adam Strange team-up in DC Comics Presents #82 (June 1985) a feast for the eyes. (top right) The Adam Strange dossier from Who’s Who #1 (Mar. 1985), reuniting the Infantino/Anderson art team. (bottom) Adam amid the craziness of the DC Challenge! Cover to issue #6 (Mar. 1986), drawn by Dave Gibbons.

TM & © DC Comics.

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that Rann’s neutrality in the conflict be honored. The ploy was a bit of a cheat on Adam’s part, of course. As a prisoner in Starlag, he was able to get inside information on the coming invasion, knowing that the Zeta-Beam would eventually wear off and he’d be a free man back on Earth. By the time that happened, alas, the war was on. Nonetheless, Earth’s heroes prevailed.

Spinning off from Invasion! in 1989 was L.E.G.I.O.N. [branded L.E.G.I.O.N. ’89 in its 1989-published issues, L.E.G.I.O.N. ’90 the next year, and so forth—ed.], an ongoing series about an interplanetary police force whose cast included some of Adam Strange’s fellow prisoners. Heading into its second year, the book intended to finally have Rann’s champion of champions guest-star and set the stage in issue #14 (Apr. 1990). Alanna (whom Invasion! had depicted as very pregnant) and Sardath reached out to L.E.G.I.O.N. with news that Adam had been captured by “space pirates.” They wanted to set up both a rescue mission and protection for Rann. A deal was struck and two issues later, the pirates’ hostage was revealed at the end of the issue. It was Captain Comet!

The last-minute swap of Adam with another classic sciencefiction hero was a consequence of a certain long-gestating miniseries going on sale simultaneously. “Since [the Adam Strange miniseries] is in the midst of redefining that character,” editor Art Young wrote in issue #16, “we felt it would be unfair and confusing to portray the ‘old’ Adam Strange in this title.”

Consequently, Captain Comet carried on in the book, eventually joining the team, and no one ever asked about why Alanna asked for help to begin with.

Originally prefaced “The Fall of…,” the first two issues of the prestige format Adam Strange miniseries were released in January and February 1990, with the final edition belatedly going on sale in June. Although Richard Bruning remained the writer, Klaus Janson had dropped out as artist to go to Marvel. Instead, siblings Andy and Adam Kubert provided line and color art, respectively.

Robert Greenberger’s Pro2Pro feature in this issue discusses the project in detail, but the essence of the story involved Adam once again relocating permanently to Rann. Having discontinued aiming Zeta-Beams at Earth, Sardath had developed a “Mega-Zeta-Beam” in its place. Since it wouldn’t wear off, the scientist only fired two at Earth, the second being a failsafe in case Adam missed the first.

Returning to Earth for what he assumed to be the last time, Adam reached out to his sister Janey and dying father as well as stumbling into a brief affair with Dr. Evelyn Fox. As planned, he rode the enhanced Zeta-Beam to Rann only to have it react with the radiation already in his system which caused him to go on a hallucinatory rampage. Now a fugitive on his adopted world, he found unexpected asylum in a community that included Bantteir, the estranged wife of Sardath and mother of Alanna.

Back in Ranagar, Alanna found herself simultaneously dealing with an imminent invasion by the rival city-state of Zared and the machinations of her suddenly deranged father. Complicating matters even further was Evelyn Fox’s surprise arrival on Rann, having been accidentally struck by the other Mega-Zeta-Beam. It was Dr. Fox who delivered Alanna’s daughter Aleea but, tragically, Alanna herself died in childbirth. Meanwhile, the insane Sardath repelled the Zaredian attack in the most extreme way possible.

He encased the entirety of Ranagar in a dome and sent it into orbit around the planet. As the story ended, Adam held his daughter for the first time as Bantteir and Evelyn wondered how they were going to create some semblance of order.

“The readers responded in a real love/hate chorus,” Bruning wrote in Man of Two Worlds (2003). “People were either outraged that I had ‘desecrated’ this sweet, innocent concept with the modern moral gloom and doom or they thought it was pretty cool I had done something radical and interesting with a moribund character.”

LOST IN SPACE

Whatever the reaction, Adam Strange was nowhere to be found in the DC Universe over the next three years. His return in early 1993’s Green Lantern #38–39 (by Gerard Jones and Mark Bright) came with appearances by Bantteir and Aleea, the latter of who was pivotal to the plot. Like GL supporting cast member Olivia Reynolds, Adam’s daughter possessed incredibly rare mental powers known as the U-Mind and was coveted by the likes of the evil Qwardians. As the product of “two of the most mentally promising species in the universe,” Aleea seemed unstoppable until the spirit of Alanna told her to “let the power go inside.” Neither Green Lantern nor Adam knew quite what to make of that.

The two-parter managed to avoid depicting Ranagar’s status as a floating city, but Ron Marz and Daryl Banks’ GL #74–75 (June–Early July 1996) addressed it head-on. Rann’s capital was

An Origin Retold Kevin Nowlan’s jaw-dropping original cover art for Secret Origins #17 (Aug. 1987), co-featuring Adam Strange (with Carmine Infantino finally getting the chance to draw Adam’s origin) and Dr. Occult.

Courtesy of Heritage.

TM & © DC Comics.

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being targeted by Darkseid’s son Grayven, a battle that was won at great cost to the heroic Darkstars.

Ranagar itself was effectively knocked from the sky, lowered back to the planet by new Lantern Kyle Rayner before it smashed into the ground.

Later in 1996, Adam was pursuing diplomatic relations with Zared in Superboy and the Ravers #3–4 (by Steve Mattsson, Karl Kesel, and Paul Pelletier) when an accident separated him and Aleea. Before long, Adam, the Zaredians, and Superboy’s Ravers found a common enemy in Hyathis, who hoped to use her own plant-oriented powers far less benevolently than Swamp Thing and take over Rann. She’d have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn’t been for those meddling… er, Ravers.

Outside mainstream continuity in 1996, an unnamed, adult Aleea appeared in Kingdom Come #2–4, the Mark Waid/Alex Ross opus set a couple decades in the future. Adam’s daughter wore a costume based on the futuristic 1939–1940 hero Ultra-Man. In the 1960s, incidentally, it had been established that Adam and Alanna’s bloodline would extend much further into the future via descendants Alan Strange and an unnamed brother (SA #157) and Adam Strange II (MIS #94, 98).

Eight years after the Bruning/Kubert miniseries, Adam Strange finally snapped. The evidence in May 1998’s JLA #20 (cover-dated July 1998) suggested as much when he Zeta-Beamed the Justice League to his world and enslaved them in the service of reconstructing a Rann that still bore the scars of everything from natural disaster to attacks by sons of Apokolips. Acting in the shadow of the telepathic alien En’tarans, Adam claimed to be doing it all as a welcome home gift for Alanna.

Inevitably, in JLA #21, the League broke free, jeopardizing the fate of the planet in the process.

Flashing back to 1990, Adam explained that Evelyn Fox’s unfamiliarity with Rannian physiology had led her to prematurely declare Alanna’s death. Regaining his senses, Sardath detected a spark of life and began traveling the cosmos in search of a cure. The En’tarans delivered, but they also detected the residual Zeta radiation in her body from her 1980 trip to Earth and craved the teleportation tech to accelerate their dreams of conquest. Preemptively masking his thoughts with a Menticizer, Adam feigned madness while swearing to deliver the Zeta technology once the full alien fleet arrived with his wife and father-in-law.

The reconstruction of Rann that he’d convinced the aliens to approve was also a disguise for Adam’s means to defeating the slavers. Utilizing specific structures that were hidden in plain sight, Adam declared, “the entire planet Rann is now one giant Zeta-Beam projector… and I’m its lens!” Specifically, the hero used the device to pull all the Mega-Zeta radiation—which never wore off—out of his body and teleport the entire armada to the prison planet Takron-Galtos. It worked like a charm. This was Adam Strange, after all.

In the aftermath, Adam Strange embraced his wife for the first time in years and then, purged of Zeta radiation again, he faded away. “Hush, darling,” Alanna told Aleea. “Don’t cry. Daddy’s okay. I promise. He’s fine. And someday… someday, he’ll return to us.”

Illustrated by Arnie Jorgensen and David Meikis, the two-parter was scripted by Mark Waid. “My love for Adam Strange knows no bounds,” Waid informs

Cosmic Collaborations (top left) Meeting DC’s muck monster-turned-elemental in Swamp Thing #58 (Mar. 1987). (top right) Called into intergalactic duty, in Invasion! #1 (Winter 1988). (center) Joining forces with Lightray and Starfire in Cosmic Odyssey #2 (Winter 1988). (bottom) Alanna and Sardath encounter Dox and his space heroes in L.E.G.I.O.N. ’90 #14 (Apr. 1990).

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 29

Cosmic Conflicts (top left) Adam vs. Hal Jordan in Green Lantern #38 (Apr. 1993). Cover by Mark Bright and Romeo Tanghal. (top right) A no-nonsense Adam, at the cliffhanger ending of Superboy and the Ravers #3 (Nov. 1996). By Karl Kesel/Steve Mattson/Paul Pelletier/ Dan Davis. (bottom) Writer Mark Waid conveys the heartache of separation as Adam departs in JLA #21 (Aug. 1998).

Pencils by Arnie Jorgensen, inks by David Meikis and Doug Hazlewood.

TM & © DC Comics.

BI. “I’m a sucker for ‘thinking man’ heroes who solve crises with brains and strategy rather than brute force. I’m also a huge fan of puzzles and mysteries, and that’s the subgenre that Adam lives in— solving impossible challenges. Part of the goal of the story was to return Adam’s wife to the mythos, but mostly it was an excuse to do what I love doing most: taking lesser-known DC characters and shining them up, showing readers what I love about them in hopes they’ll fall in love, too.”

In the wake of the two-parter, Adam enjoyed a resurgence throughout the line in the next few years, including an old-school adventure in Legends of the DC Universe 80-Page Giant #1, multiple guestshots in Starman, appearances in Impulse #68–69, JLA 80-Page Giant #3, and JLA: Heaven’s Ladder and prominent roles in two multi-title events: Green Lantern: Circle of Fire and The Silver Age. Waid was the showrunner and originator of the latter, which included Adam as part of a reconceived Seven Soldiers of Victory. “Adam’s presence in the Seven Soldier lineup (which I chose) was really about trying to give some time and emphasis to the other main DC characters of that era who weren’t otherwise represented in the event’s other books,” Waid explains. “And since the main villain was interstellar while most of the tie-in books were earthbound, we needed a spaceman!”

Moving on into the 21st Century, writers and artists continued to tinker with Adam, whether changing his costume, destroying Rann, reestablishing Alanna as a native of Earth, or killing the character outright. As several decades of comics have now demonstrated, however, Adam Strange always defaults to the original model: the thinking man’s hero looking up at the sky and promising his interplanetary sweetheart that he will always come back for her.

JOHN WELLS is a comics historian specializing in DC Comics. He is the author of the TwoMorrows books American Comic Book Chronicles: 1960–1964 and 1965–1969, and co-author (with Keith Dallas) of the book Comic Book Implosion.

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$1,000,000 PAID FOR ORIGINAL COMIC ART! COLLECTOR PAYING TOP DOLLAR FOR “ANY AND ALL” ORIGINAL COMIC BOOK AND COMIC STRIP ARTWORK FROM THE 1930S TO PRESENT! COVERS, PINUPS, PAGES, IT DOESN’T MATTER! 1 PAGE OR ENTIRE COLLECTIONS SOUGHT! CALL OR EMAIL ME ANYTIME!

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Superman #233 (Jan. 1971) is a landmark issue of one of DC Comics’ longest-running series.

With its iconic “Kryptonite Nevermore!” cover

by Neal Adams, it heralds a new era for the Man of Steel. Longtime Superman editor Mort Weisinger had retired, handing over the reins to his colleague, Julius “Julie” Schwartz, who sought to update the character for the 1970s.

[Editor’s note: Schwartz was assigned Superman and World’s Finest Comics, with the remaining Superman family titles in other editors’ hands until Schwartz eventually inherited the entire Superman line. See BI #12 or the TwoMorrows book The Krypton Companion for the story behind Superman’s revamp.]

In addition, Schwartz introduced a new backup feature: “The Fabulous World of Krypton” (subtitled “Untold stories of Superman’s native planet”). According to longtime DC Comics writer Cary Bates, “Given Julie’s lifelong love of science fiction, it was probably his idea to explore stories of what life was like on a distant planet—which just happened to be Krypton.”

Throughout the 1970s, Bates wrote for the Superman books and other titles under Schwartz’s editorship. He regards the Fabulous World of Krypton (FWOK) stories as cousins to the scores of eight-page stories that ran in Schwartz’s longrunning Strange Adventure and Mystery in Space books of previous decades. The feature offered opportunities for refreshing chances and narrative departures that went beyond the boundaries of the superhero books of the day. It fell to Schwartz as editor to maintain a consistent tone for the feature, even though it was written and drawn by a broad range of creative personnel.

Elliot S. Maggin, another prolific DC writer of the era, says, “Julie took the same degree of handson approach he did with all our stories. He liked to plot them with us in person, but we had a good degree of flexibility when it came to execution of the scripts.”

Following his DC debut with Green Arrow backup story in Green Lantern #87 (Dec.1970– Jan. 1971), Maggin began writing DC’s flagship character with “Must There Be a Superman?’ in Superman #247 (Jan. 1972). Schwartz edited both titles. “I got the impression that Julie made individual assignments based, as much as anything else, on who was walking by the office door that day,” Maggin says. “So I made a point of hanging around as much as I reasonably could.” His editor often credited the writer in print as “Elliot S! Maggin.”

Welcome to Krypton Page 1 of the first “Fabulous World of Krypton” story, written by E. Nelson Bridwell and illustrated by Murphy Anderson. From Superman #233 (Jan. 1971).

TM & © DC Comics.

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‘THE FABULOUS WORLD OF KRYPTON’ CHECKLIST Superman #233 (Jan. 1971) “Jor-El’s Golden Folly” Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Murphy Anderson Superman #234 (Feb. 1971) “Prison in the Sky” Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell Artist: Curt Swan Superman #236 (Apr. 1971) “The Doomsayer!”

Writer: Denny O’Neil Artist: Dick Giordano Superman #238 (June 1971) “A Name Is Born” Writer: Cary Bates Artist: Gray Morrow Superman #240 (July 1971) “The Man Who Cheated Time” Writer: Cary Bates Artist: Michael William Kaluta Superman #243 (Oct. 1971) “The Death Trails of Krypton!”

Writer: Cary Bates Artists: Bob Brown and Murphy Anderson Superman #246 (Dec. 1971) “Marriage, Kryptonian Style!”

Writer: Cary Bates Artists: Rich Buckler and Murphy Anderson Superman #248 (Feb. 1972) “All in the Mind!”

Writer: Marv Wolfman Artist: Dave Cockrum Superman #251 (May 1972) “The Day Krypton Didn’t Die!” Writer: Elliot S. Maggin Artist: Rich Buckler Superman #255 (Aug. 1972) “‘Moon-Crossed’ Love!”

Writer: Mike Friedrich Artist: Dick Giordano Superman #257 (Oct. 1972) “The Greatest Green Lantern of All!” Writer: Elliot S. Maggin Artists: Dick Dillin and Dick Giordano

Superman #260 (Jan. 1973) “Let My People Live!”

Writer: Elliot S. Maggin Artists: Bob Brown and Dave Cockrum Superman #263 (Apr. 1973) “Unhappy Birthday to You!” Writer: Cary Bates Artists: Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin Note: Expands an idea introduced in Superman #249 (Mar. 1972).

Superman #264 (June 1973) “The Headband Warriors of Krypton!”

Writer: Elliot S. Maggin Artist: Dave Cockrum Superman #266 (Aug. 1973) “The Face on the Falling Star!”

Writer: Elliot S. Maggin Artists: Dick Dillin and Joe Giella Superman #268 (Oct. 1973) “A Tale of Time and Tide!”

Writer: Elliot S. Maggin Artists: Dick Dillin and Murphy Anderson Superman #271 (Jan. 1974) “The Warriors of Lightning Valley!”

Writer: Elliot S. Maggin Artist: Dick Giordano Superman #275 (May 1974) “The Princess and the Glass Treemen!”

Writer: Elliot S. Maggin Artists: Curt Swan and Dick Giordano (with Frank McLaughlin) Note: Superman tells a story of his mother telling a story.

Superman #279 (Sept. 1974) “The Magic Master of Krypton!”

Writer: Cary Bates Artists: Curt Swan and Tex Blaisdell Superman #282 (Dec. 1974) “The Loneliest Man in the Universe” Writer: Martin Pasko Artist: Ernie Chan Note: Revisited by Pasko in Superman #311 (Apr. 1975).

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Superman #286 (Apr. 1975) “The Demon in Superboy’s Body!”

Writer: Martin Pasko Artists: Curt Swan and Tex Blaisdell The Superman Family #182 (Mar.–Apr. 1977) “The Stranger” Writer: Paul Kupperberg Artists: Marshall Rogers and Frank Springer Superman #352 (Oct. 1980) “The Mark of a Citizen!”

Writer: Paul S. Newman Artists: Rich Buckler and Joe Giella Superman #356 (Feb. 1981) “The Exile from Krypton!”

Writer: Paul S. Newman Artists: Jose Delbo and Kim DeMulder Superman #360 (June 1981) “Day into Night—Night into Day!” Writer: Bob Rozakis Artists: Alex Saviuk and Vince Colletta Superman #367 (Jan. 1982) “…And Not a Drop to Drink” Writer: Martin Pasko Artist: Gil Kane Superman #375 (Sept. 1982) “Last ‘Scoop’ on Krypton!”

Writer: Bob Rozakis Artist: Gil Kane Several stories were reprinted in The Best of DC digest #40 (Sept. 1983), Superman: World of Krypton trade paperback (2008), and Superman: The Many Worlds of Krypton trade paperback (2018).

Special thanks to John Wells.

Bates and Maggin were the principal writers of the Superman titles in the 1970s. “We lived around the corner from each other in Queens, and we spent a lot of late nights drinking coffee at a diner nearby,” describes Maggin. “I guess neither of us was much interested in sleep at the time. We hung out a lot together talking about story ideas and wringing our hands over whatever the rumor of the month was.”

“For the most part, we had surprisingly free rein to extrapolate or reimagine a wide variety of untold aspects of Kryptonian society, its history, its science, etc.,” explains Bates.

Bates remembers being “blown away” by the artwork, drawn by Gray Morrow, when the pages came in. Accustomed to his stories being drawn by seasoned Silver Age pros, it was a treat for him to see how younger, lesser-known artists would handle his scripts.

IN THE BEGINNING… “Gray Morrow, of course, was already In the 1960s, E. Nelson Bridwell a legend in the industry when served as Weisinger’s editorial we collaborated,” says Bates. assistant. To help develop continu“He and I would find oure. nelson bridwell ity among the various Superman selves working together again © DC Comics. titles, he standardized Krypton’s a decade later on a Buck Rogers calendar and alphabet, created a planetary flag, newspaper strip put out by the New York Times and developed some of the social tenets common Syndicate.” to Kryptonian society.

“Nelson was a walking encyclopedia of all things Krypton,” explains Bates, “so he was a valuable resource for all of us when it came to expanding or experimenting with what had been established in previous stories. He was always there to give us feedback or offer input if necessary to keep things on track with previous continuity.”

This made Bridwell a natural choice to write the inaugural FWOK installment, “Jor-El’s Golden Folly.” Drawn by Murphy Anderson, the seven-page story tells of how Superman’s parents Jor-El and Lara met and fell in love.

Jor-El’s opposition to the death penalty inspired the next issue’s follow-up FWOK tale, in Superman #234 (Feb. 1971). “Prison in the Sky” was also scripted by Bridwell, this time illustrated by Curt Swan—on pencils and inks.

Since Bridwell was a major contributor to Kryptonian culture, surprisingly, these were his only two stories under the FWOK banner. Subsequent tales were written by a variety of authors that included Dennis O’Neil, Marv Wolfman, and Mike Friedrich. But it would be perennial Superman scribes Cary Bates and Elliot S. Maggin that crafted the lion’s share of the stories.

Maggin enjoyed incorporating established ideas into his stories. “Nelson was positively militant about having everything consistent with everything else. So he was thrilled when we came up with anything like incorporating the Glass Forest or any other throwaway idea he had conceived of that had never been particularly developed before.”

Bates offered the fourth entry in the series in Superman #238 (June 1971). “A Name Is Born” relates how the planet Krypton was named by two space travelers from separate worlds—a man named Kryp and a woman named Tonn.

Certainly such a tale is rather on the nose, but readers should bear in mind, these tales of Superman’s home world are not matters of undeniable fact, but cultural lore open to broad interpretation.

Many of the FWOK stories use a framing device of one person relating the story to another, so details became rather fluid. In the case of “A Name Is Born,” a teacher shares the story with her students, to capture their collective attention.

Staking Their Claim In a merger as important as chocolate and peanut butter, space adventurers Kryp and Tonn introduce themselves. By Cary Bates and Gray Morrow. From Superman #238 (June 1971).

TM & © DC Comics.

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Another artist Bates singles out is Michael Wm. Kaluta. “The Man Who Cheated Time” in Superman #240 (July 1971) was only Kaluta’s third assignment from DC Comics, and his only contribution to the FWOK library.

Superman #249 (Mar. 1972) featured “The Challenge of Terra-Man,” the debut of the intergalactic outlaw. A key element to the story was how Kryptonians observe their birthday as a time of sorrow. This was continued later in Superman #263’s (Apr. 1973) FWOK backup, “Unhappy Birthday to You,” explaining the origin of Krypton’s natal observance. Both were written by Bates.

Maggin’s initial contribution to the feature was “The Day Krypton Didn’t Die!” in Superman #251 (May 1972), drawn by Rich Buckler.

Employing the same framing device, a Kryptonian judicator cary bates relates how during his world’s Caricature by Kurt Schaffenberger, from ancient era, inhabitants used Amazing World of DC Comics #2. © DC Comics.

Krypton’s natural plant life to defeat an alien invasion. However, one of the invaders is left behind, abandoned by his people. The ancient Kryptonians wished to execute him, but soon discovered the mix of the alien’s feathers and their native soil was volatile. Sparing the alien’s life prevented the destruction of their planet. In this spirit of mercy, the judicator decrees an end to the death penalty on his world.

Many of Krypton’s historical tales are set during its preindustrial era, rather than the advanced society readers might have expected. “That came about by chance, based on what we knew of the history of Earth,” explains Maggin. “Industrial and sociological progress seemed to be a continuum on Earth, and so did we apply it to Krypton. We didn’t think political or natural disasters would likely make history into the kind of patchwork we’re now slowly learning that humans on Earth appear to have experienced.”

However, Maggin believes it would have been interesting to include a few disastrous setbacks on Krypton, similar to Earth’s catastrophic flood or the European incursion into the New World cultures, and the spread of smallpox among its native people.

Superman #257 (Oct. 1972) features “The Greatest Green Lantern of All,” by Maggin, “from an idea by Neal Adams.”

Maggin attributes this to an offhand remark Adams made one day as they were walking down the street. “He said something like, ‘Who do you suppose was the Green Lantern of Krypton?

They would have had someone assigned like everywhere else, right?’ Then probably the subject abruptly changed to something like why there are continents or what a turd Nixon was,” Maggin laughs.

“When I told Julie the idea the next day, his eyes lit up and it was good for a morning full of ideas flinging around and loud disagreements over whatever came up.”

Covering Krypton (top) The Superman issue before #233’s revamp, #232, was a Giant collecting Krypton-based reprints. Cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. (bottom) The FWOK backup was rarely acknowledged on Superman covers.

Consider yourself an honorary Kryptonian if you can identify these cover blurbs’ issue numbers.

TM & © DC Comics.

38 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

‘It Must Be Something Super-Special’…

Indeed!

Courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com), original art to the title page of Superman #240’s (July 1971) “The Man Who Cheated Death,” one of Michael Wm. Kaluta’s earliest DC assignments.

Script by Bates.

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 39

‘The Greatest Green Lantern of All!’ Elliot S. Maggin’s script, sparked by a comment from Neal Adams, blended two DC superhero legends. Art by Dick Dillin and Dick Giordano. From Superman #257 (Oct. 1972).

TM & © DC Comics.

The story was penciled by Dick Dillin, with inks Dillin drew several installments. Dillin began his

by Dick Giordano. “Julie kept putting Dick Dillin career in 1951, drawing Blackhawk for Quality together with Joe Giella in Justice League,” Comics until the publisher folded in 1956. remarks Maggin, “and Dick Giordano DC Comics (then known as National didn’t like the combination. They Comics) took over the series, and could both draw just about anything Dillin continued drawing the feature really well, but they both worked until 1968, accumulating a stagwith unambiguous shapes and gering 200-issue run. He then not much line differentiation. So migrated to Justice League of on ‘The Greatest Green Lantern of America, where he became the All,’ Dick Giordano asked to ink regular artist, and later added Dick Dillin himself, and the job was World’s Finest Comics to his ongoing like a revelation. It looked terrific.” assignments. Throughout the 1970s, According to Maggin, FWOK he illustrated a variety of backup and other backup features profeatures in several DC titles until vided the opportunity to pair up his death in 1980. elliot s. maggin different teams of pencilers and Dave Cockrum was another

by Kurt Schaffenberger, from inkers. Artists with an opening AmazingCaricature World of DC Comics #2. © DC Comics. rare repeat FWOK artist, beginning in their schedule could pick up with Marv Wolfman’s “All in extra work without a long-term commitment. the Mind!” in Superman #248 (Feb. 1972). He The artists on FWOK seldom repeated, though then inked Maggin’s “Let My People Live!” in Superman #260 (Jan. 1973), followed by “The Headband Warriors of Krypton!” in Superman #264 (June 1973). Cockrum soon found himself busy reinventing the Legion of Super-Heroes. “Great guy,” Maggin recalls.

Written by Maggin, “The Headband Warriors of Krypton!” tells of enslaved Kryptonians who turn their headbands into weapons, right under the noses of their captors. Though the fight for freedom may seem reminiscent of the Hebrew liberation from the Egyptians, Maggin explains it originated with an old joke about a wheelbarrow: “A guy working at a classified construction site has to go through a guard before he leaves work every day. He’s pushing a wheelbarrow with a blanket on top and the guard stops him to inspect it, but there’s nothing under the blanket. This happens for many days, with the guard suspecting this guy is smuggling something, but never finding anything in the wheelbarrow. Finally, when the job is complete, the guard runs into this guy in passing, and insists he must have been stealing something but there was never anything in the wheelbarrow. ‘So, what gives?’ the guard wants to know. ‘What were you stealing?’ The guy says, ‘Wheelbarrows.’”

Maggin contributed four more FWOK stories over the next year, all drawn by different illustrators.

“I loved working with a variety of artists,” he adds, “especially with guys I hung out with.”

Superman #275 (May 1974) featured “The Princess and the Glass Treemen!,” penciled by Curt Swan, with inks by Dick Giordano and Frank McLaughlin. It’s a story within a story within a story. Maggin literally doubled down on the tale-being-told framing device by telling a story of Superman relating a fairy tale told to him by his mother Lara.

“The Fabulous World of Krypton” continued to appear sporadically—roughly every third or fourth issue—until Superman #286 (Apr. 1975). Martin Pasko, then a relative newcomer to DC Comics, would shepherd the feature to its (temporary) conclusion. Pasko cut his teeth on various anthology titles and backup features, but would later become one of DC’s most prolific writers. He passed away in May 2020.

40 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

“Marty had some great ideas,” says Maggin, “but he always wanted to be the guy who deviated from the norm. When Marty first did a ‘Private Life of Clark Kent’ story, I was surprised at how much I liked it, and told Julie I’d rather do ‘Krypton’ stories and Marty or Len should do ‘Clark Kent.’”

Pasko’s “The Loneliest Man in the Universe” in Superman #282 (Dec. 1974) tells the tale of Nam-Ek, a scientist who violates Kryptonian law by killing two rondors—creatures whose horns emitted natural healing radiation. He used the horns to create a serum that made him immortal, but also turned him into a hideous rondor hybrid.

Outcast by society, Nam-Ek soon recognized his immortality as a curse and longed for death.

But even the cataclysmic end of Krypton is not enough to end his misery. Toward the end of the story, he is shown hanging in space, weeping among the rubble of his home planet.

The tale of Nam-Ek was revisited in Superman #311 (May 1977) in Pasko’s, “Plague of the Antibiotic Man.” Launching a four-chapter story, Nam-Ek comes to Earth only to be mistakenly blamed for a mysterious plague. In truth, it is a ploy by one of Superman’s foes, Amalak, an alien determined to eradicate the last of Krypton’s survivors.

Pasko would also pen the (near-) final entry in the FWOK series, “The Demon in Superboy’s Body,” in Superman #286 (Apr. 1975). Despite the title, the story is set during Superboy’s infancy on Krypton, when a convicted criminal intent on exacting revenge against Jor-El takes possession of Kal-El’s body. Superboy employs a memory device to recall the incident, enabling the customary framing device to be used once more.

WORLD WITHOUT END

The Fabulous World of Krypton feature lay dormant for two years, until being resurrected in The Superman Family. The Superman Family title began as a 100-Page Super Spectacular in 1974, continuing the numbering of the recently cancelled Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen series and merging the stars of the also-axed Lois Lane and Supergirl titles into the book on a rotating basis [see BI #62—ed.]. Superman Family was reconfigured into a Giant series after six 100-page issues, and later switched to DC’s Dollar Comics format beginning with Superman Family #182 (Mar.– Apr. 1977). Beneath a stunning cover penciled

by Curt Swan and inked by Neal Adams, seven brand-new stories were spread out among Superman Family #182’s 80 pages. Among them was “The Stranger,” by Paul Kupperberg, who also wrote DC’s first miniseries, World of Krypton, a three-issue book originally envisioned as a trio of Showcase issues, timed to tie in with December 1978’s theatrical release of Superman: The Movie.

[Editor’s note: See the aforementioned BACK ISSUE #62, our “Superman in the Bronze Age” issue, for the full story of the World of Krypton miniseries.]

Penciled by Marshall Rogers and inked by Frank Springer, “The Stranger” features Clark Kent joining his friends Pete Ross and Pete’s son Jon for the holidays. He shares a tale from Krypton’s distant past, of a stranger who came among his world’s warmongering people to share a message

of peace and cooperation. Tragically, like many peacemakers, the stranger became a martyr, his death a turning point in Kryptonian society.

Though a natural fit for Superman Family, the Fabulous World of Krypton would not reappear in its pages. The Dollar Comic format battled the economy of the late 1970s with a dwindling page count and a shuffling of features. Stories of Superman’s native planet remained untold, until…

Superman #352 (Oct. 1980) went on sale in July 1980. The previous month, DC Comics had increased its baseline cover price from 40¢ to 50¢, promising “8 more thrill-filled pages” in exchange for the extra dime. But was this claim actually true?

According to the website MikesAmazingWorld.com, DC Comics increased its cover price from 35¢ to 50¢ beginning with titles on sale in June 1978, and boosting its page count from 32 to 40 pages. However, the following September, DC dropped back to 32 pages for 40¢, which it maintained until June 1980, when

‘The Headband Warriors of Krypton’ That would make a great name for a garage band, wouldn’t it? It also made a memorable FWOK tale by Maggin and artist Dave Cockrum, in Superman #264 (June 1973).

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 41

superhero titles. He moved over to its war and horror books.

According to longtime DC writer and production director Bob Rozakis, editor Julie Schwartz appreciated a variety of backup features, and FWOK filled the bill as something different from the usual Superman stories. It rotated with two other features: “Bruce (Superman) Wayne” and “Superman 2021.”

“I was writing a lot of the backup stories for Julie: Superman 2021, Bruce (Superman) Wayne, [Superman: The] In-Between Years,” explains Rozakis. “So when World of Krypton came up in the rotation, I pitched plots for them. Julie always pushed us to do interesting, entertaining stories and appreciated an interesting twist. And he was always a hands-on editor.”

Just as Bridwell, Bates, and Maggin established new elements of Kryptonian history, Rozakis enjoyed the opportunity to add to it, bob rozakis while also acknowledging the foundations © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. already laid. “We all were aware of each other’s stories,” he says, “so once something was established in a tale, anything we did afterwards would not contradict it.”

Also returning was Martin Pasko, the only writer from the feature’s previous tenure to do so. “Like Elliot and myself, I’m sure Marty welcomed any opportunity to add to the FWOK series,” comments Bates. Pasko penned, “…And Not a Drop to Drink” for Superman #367 (Jan. 1982), a story drawn by Gil Kane.

Kane also drew the final FWOK story, “Last ‘Scoop’ on Krypton,” written by Rozakis for Superman #375 (Sept. 1982).

Unlike previous installments, it’s not a historical tale, but set during the final days of the planet. “There were no rules or discouragement about the story not taking place in Krypton’s distant past,” says Rozakis, “though I think the premise lent itself to go back into the planet’s history.

“The basic idea for the story is just something that came to me and so I pitched it to Julie,” he adds. “He liked it and so it ended up coming part of the canon.”

It also breaks the mold of using the usual framing device of a tale shared by someone else. Instead, it is told through the eyes of a Kryptonian journalist who initially follows Jor-El’s doomsday theory. However, it soon becomes apparent someone else has an ulterior motive where Jor-El’s research will lead.

Like the planet Krypton itself, the FWOK series ended abruptly and without fanfare. Several of the stories were reprinted in Best of DC #40 (Sept. 1983), a digest-sized publication. According to Maggin, the collection enabled readers to figure out a likely chronology for the stories. “The history of Krypton took its own shape based on the relationships of incidents in what turned out to be a collection of characters and events that had seemed unconnected before.”

For the balance of the Bronze Age, the world of Krypton remained unexplored. In 1986, John Byrne’s massive relaunch of Superman presented a completely reimagined Kryptonian society, which has since been further reconstructed, most notably in Mark Waid’s 12-issue series Superman: Birthright. However, Bronze Age “untold stories of Superman’s native planet” remain easily available.

The End of FWOK Many of the FWOK stories were The Fabulous World of Krypton backup series featured in Superman: The World of Krypton trade paperback in 2008, and concluded with “Last ‘Scoop’ on Krypton!” by again in Superman: The Many Worlds of Bob Rozakis and Gil Kane, in Superman #275 Krypton in 2018.

it and Marvel Comics simultaneously increased cover prices to 50¢ without adding more pages.

Cover copy on Superman #352 (Oct. 1980) claimed additional pages, despite the page count holding at 32.

That issue featured the revival of the Fabulous World of Krypton, beginning with “The Mark of a Citizen,” followed by “The Exile From Krypton” in Superman #356 (Feb. 1981).

Both were written by Paul S. Newman, who had written for DC’s Buzzy, a teen comic, in the late 1940s. He later migrated to Marvel’s war books in the 1950s, followed by stories for various Gold Key titles in the 1960s. The FWOK stories heralded his return to DC Comics in 1980, representing his only contributions to DC’s

(Sept. 1982). Many more Krypton stories would later be told in miniseries and elsewhere.

TM & © DC Comics.

PHILIP SCHWEIER is a lifelong comic-book nerd, and frequently contributes to BACK ISSUE magazine and ComicBookBin.com. He lives in Savannah, Georgia.

42 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

by M i c h a e l

Eury

Let the Games Begin!

Artist Juan Ortiz is off to the races on page 2 of this unfinished “Fabulous World of Krypton” story. Four more art pages are presented on page 44. All scans accompanying this article are courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com).

TM & © DC Comics.

As I searched for “Fabulous World of Krypton” original art scans for the preceding article, at Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com) I discovered six pages of a ten-page FWOK story that went unfinished and unpublished. Great Krypton!

What’s this?

The story involves racing on Krypton, perhaps inspired by the 1975 cult flick Death Race 2000 and ’70s popularity of motorcycle stuntdriving (from Evel Kneivel to Ghost Rider).

Its all-important title page is among the four missing pages, so the author’s identity is unknown. I consulted four of FWOK’s writers— Cary Bates, Elliot S. Maggin, Paul Kupperberg, and Bob Rozakis—all of whom said the script wasn’t theirs.

There’s no mistaking its artist, however. Juan Ortiz had a short but prolific stint illustrating comics (mostly for DC) from 1977 through 1979. At DC, his first published story appeared in Weird War Tales #53 (May 1977), and a flurry of comics followed, including “Enemy Ace” in Men of War, “Krypto” in Superman Family, “Superboy” in Adventure Comics, Karate Kid, Steel the Indestructible Man, House of Mystery, and Batman Family. The FWOK story in question is clearly his work, as evidenced by his signature at the bottom of each page.

Attempts to locate Juan Ortiz were unsuccessful, although it’s important to note that this 1970s artist shares the same name with an illustrator of more recent vintage. “Sorry, but I’m not that Juan Ortiz,” the “other” Ortiz tells BACK ISSUE. “That Juan is 13 years older than me,” remarks the animation artist/graphic designer who has produced, among many wonderful projects, the books Star Trek: The Art of Juan Ortiz and Lost in Space: The Art of Juan Ortiz, coffee-table-sized showcases of the artist’s interpretations of episodes of those beloved sci-fi adventures in the vein of classic movie posters.

Comics’ original Juan Ortiz’s late-’70s affiliation with DC Comics offers a general timeline as to when this FWOK story was originally in production. DC historian John Wells hypothesizes, “my guess is that this was meant for the Superman Family Dollar Comic, whose first issue (#182) ran the only other ten-page FWOK story.

Once ‘Nightwing and Flamebird’ and ‘Krypto’ became regular strips in SF, there was never a spot to run the Ortiz tale.”

If John’s theory is correct, the script’s author might have been the late Martin Pasko, one of the primary Superman scribes of the era.

We are unsure, however. If anyone has additional information about this story, please contact ye ed at euryman@gmail.com and I’ll share that with our readers.

In the meantime, enjoy this special “Greatest Stories Never Told” peek at pages from the “Fabulous World of Krypton” story that never was!

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 43

TM & © DC Comics.

44 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

“Far below, two dense and massive creatures crash together like angry planets. [...] Their enmity can only be measured in the skipped heartbeats of distant seismographs.”

– “For the Man Who Has Everything,” Superman Annual #11 (1985)

by A

lissa Marmol-Cernat

That is the way the titanic clash between Superman and Mongul is described at the climax of the villain’s most iconic appearance, and indeed the ability to physically take on the Man of Tomorrow is what had set Mongul apart from other Bronze Age menances for the longest time.

Even subject to a decrease in power once the Crisis had rewritten history, Mongul remained a formidable enemy to various heroes well into the mid-1990s and up until his len wein unceremonious death at the © DC Comics. hands of the demon Neron.

As we take the scenic route in this exploration of the tyrant’s history, we’ll touch on everything that had come along the way and all the destruction in-between.

FORCED ENTRY

Mongul’s debut in “The Key that Unlocked Chaos!,” published in DC Comics Presents #27 (Nov. 1980), was an abrupt one in the most literal sense: the first sighting of his strange, jaundiced features is in a holographic message unexpectedly transmitted via scrambled signal to Clark Kent’s unassuming apartment on the very first page of the story.

The danger is stark from the get-go as Mongul’s message explains he’s imprisoned Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Steve Lombard in a cube meant to crush them if Superman refuses to do his bidding.

In fact, co-creators Len Wein and Jim Starlin waste no time in establishing a series of facts that would come to haunt Kal-El throughout the remainder of the Bronze Age: Mongul was keenly aware of both his heroic exploits and his civilian identity.

Meet Mongul (If You Dare) Our spotlighted interstellar despot first appeared in the Superman/Martian Manhunter team-up in DC Comics Presents #27 (Nov. 1980). Cover by Jim Starlin.

This was an exciting period for DCCP: the New Teen Titans preview had premiered in the previous issue, and Mongul’s first storyline would continue in #28.

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 45

jim starlin © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons.

Of Course, This Means…

Warworld!

Starlin’s stunning original artwork to the cover of DCCP #28 (Dec. 1980), inserting Supergirl into the Mongul saga and unveiling the perilous Warworld. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com).

TM & © DC Comics.

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It is precisely these elements that permit taking out its protector—Prince Gavyn, one-time Mongul to manipulate Superman throughout Starman—and later launching a much more direct the story, sending him on a chase for the key attack on Superman by unleashing a Sun-Eater that can activate Warworld and forcing him bound for Earth and finding himself defeated only into a confrontation with J’onn J’onzz. Despite his by the combined might of Kal-El and the Legion of Justice League colleague’s warnings, Superman Super-Heroes. is convinced of his ability to prevail over the As co-creator, frequent plotter, and artist, Jim villain. However, Mongul quickly vanishes along Starlin put it in a 2018 interview with the DC in with Warworld and the tale gives way to a rare the 80s webzine, “I wanted to do my Thanos failure on Superman’s part. over at DC. But once I got in there, I wanted Famously remembered by longtime fans as to do something different, so we got the whole the writer who had revitalized Justice League of Warworld in there. I wanted somebody... a big America, Len Wein’s script adds a much-needed villain that would really... Superman had not degree of complexity and all-too-human fallibility to taken on Darkseid by this point... so it really was the Man of Steel. “I warned you that you were deal- Superman taking on somebody possibly more ing with forces beyond your comprehension—but powerful than he was. It all led up finally to the you were just too overconfident— Starman crossover—which I ended too egotistical—to listen!” cries out up inking myself—that was really the Martian Manhunter in the bleak just these two boxing it out and... finale and all at once, it seems clear y’know... two titans smashing that Mongul must be an enemy like up the landscape and having a no other to have brought out such great time doing it.” traits in Superman.

It was this sense that Superman Mongul’s subsequent appearances had met his match that also appealed have much the same effect on the to writer Paul Levitz, who had hero, memorably in the immediate scripted those final DCCP Mongul continuation found in DC Comics stories. As he tells BACK ISSUE, “I Presents #28 (Dec. 1980) that sees always thought Mongul was an him ultimately rendered unconscious interesting opponent for Superby the mental strain of a psychic man because his power was so link to Warworld, yet still managing visibly physical—very much unlike to send Kal-El on something of the classic Superman foes who a spiritual quest in the following pitted science and brainpower TM & © DC Comics. against him.” issue. That same story also showcases a first insight into Mongul’s backstory, In truth, as DCCP #36 marked the first outright having once been the despotic ruler of a world physical confrontation between these ardent that had revolted against him and forced him to adversaries, something seemed to have shifted flee for his life. within Mongul; his quest to regain his empire Not quite down for the count, Mongul would never really fade but his hatred for reemerges in DC Comics Presents #36 (Aug. 1981) Superman had clearly grown into a personal and 43 (Mar. 1982) for his last appearances in the vendetta—a quality that would set the tone for the run, first in an attempt to conquer Throneworld by rest of the character’s villainous existence.

‘The Ultimate Cosmic Conflict’ (left) Look who’s back! Jim Starlin and writer Paul Levitz united for the Superman/Starman shocker featuring Mongul in DCCP #36 (Aug. 1981). (right) Inside the issue, Supie and Mongul mix it up.

TM & © DC Comics.

paul levitz © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 47

‘For the Man Who Has Everything’ Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons co-produced perhaps the ultimate Mongul tale in 1985’s Superman Annual #11—and it’s also one of the best Superman stories of all time, too!

TM & © DC Comics.

HIS HEART’S DESIRE

Sharing some insights with BACK ISSUE about At the twilight of the Bronze Age, Mongul takes the process behind the Annual, Gibbons explains: that vendetta a step further and finds his revenge “We’d spoken about this particular story some years before—where I remember sitting in in the form of the aptly named Black a pub garden outside a little convention Mercy—under the thrall of which and Alan was holding forth and talking Kal-El experiences his greatest wish, about this idea that he had for a story life on a still-standing Krypton, as that was set on Krypton if it hadn’t the plant feeds on him in a horrific exploded, and we had a little chitform of symbiosis. chat about that and I thought, “For the Man Who Has Every‘That’s a really neat idea for a story.’ thing,” published in Superman And I think when it came to the Annual #11 (1985) and reprinted point that he and I were asked to several times over the years as do the Superman Annual, he kind of well as adapted for television in had the basic story and the basic the Justice League Unlimited Krypton end of it laid out and then animated series, has become mixed it in with the part of the story one of the most highly regarded dave gibbons that takes place in the Fortress of Superman stories to have ever Gage Skidmore.

Solitude. So it wasn’t one of these hit the stands, and that’s in no small measure thanks to the creative team of things that suddenly came about, it was something that had been cooking for a while and that I’d Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. been aware of a little bit of the early history of.”

While the true heart of the tale can certainly be found in the Krypton sequences, Mongul himself is no less impressive. If he’s not an especially cerebral antagonist by design, then he very much is an intuitive one guided by sheer cruelty and capacity for evil. Gibbons’ Mongul, especially, appears quite literally larger-than-life—an immense and intimidating figure more than ever before as he looms over our heroes, not only able to take down Wonder Woman but ready to go another round with the Man of Steel, too.

Discussing his first time drawing the character, Gibbons recalls: “One of the things that I did, and I don’t usually do this, was that I actually made a miniature Mongul head out of what we call

48 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

Mongul Means Mayhem (top) Courtesy of Dave Gibbons, the artist’s clay-molded Mongul reference head. (bottom) Writer-artist Jerry Ordway’s love of (inset) the movie Spartacus inspired the Man of Steel’s arena battle on Warworld, where he kneels before Mongul in Adventures of Superman #454 (May 1989).

TM & © DC Comics. Spartacus © Universal Pictures.

plasticine, a sort of modeling clay. I made it so I could understand the different planes of the face and get some guidance on realistic lighting. The strange paradox was that by the time I’d actually modeled it, I had the three-dimensional form so well-embedded in my brain that I really didn’t have to look at the model very much at all. But it was a very handy way to get a handle on the character.”

Ultimately, “For the Man Who Has Everything” serves as a grand finale for the Bronze Age Mongul that the whole of his character arc thus far can be defined by. It’s Wonder Woman who delivers a chilling yet succinct summary of precisely that as she exclaims, “But… but he’s Superman!” at the sight of a Kal-El rendered helpless and immobile by the Black Mercy. In effect, that is what Jim Starlin and Len Wein had explored all the way back in DCCP #27 and beyond, daring to ask: Is being Superman enough this time? Where Mongul was concerned, the answer was often uncertain.

THOROUGHLY MODERN MONGUL

After the Crisis on Infinite Earths, it would be another four years until Mongul would reemerge in Adventures of Superman #454 (May 1989) as the ruler of Warworld—now no longer a lifeless yet deadly satellite, but the heart of a space empire whose citizens are kept entertained by gladiatorial games and off-worlders are mere cannon fodder for Mongul’s dark whims. Having captured a self-exiled Superman and deemed him worthy of the games, the tyrant makes an enemy out DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 49

Who’s in Charge Here?

Ol’ Mr. Warworld swears fealty to Cyborg Superman in this shocking turn of events in Superman #80 (Aug. 1993). Written and penciled by Dan Jurgens, with Brett Breeding finishes.

TM & © DC Comics.

TM & © DC Comics.

situation, issues #91–93 [Oct.–Dec. 1969]. Mike Carlin had much input as the editor, and we all wanted to address the idea that Superman would refuse to kill for Mongul as the turning point in the storyline.”

Mongul’s first arc in the new continuity comes to a head in Adventures of Superman #455 (June 1989), where Superman’s actions have inspired a revolution on Warworld and Mongul finds himself beaten by Draaga—the champion Kal-El had refused to kill. The sudden power decrease Mongul had suffered in comparison to his Bronze Age self is easily explained by Jerry Ordway: “I know that since the Superman we were doing then was not as powerful as the previous incarnation, that Mongul would also be de-powered to be on a similar power level.” dan jurgens In a manner of speaking, Gage Skidmore.

Mongul had become subject to a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy dictated by his previous origin; he was once again a dictator without a planet, forced to flee for his life by the rioting masses.

In Mongul’s next appearance, published in Action Comics #689 (July 1993), he’s seen only as a shadowy figure gazing down on Earth from his spaceship and vowing a then-unknowable revenge. It’s not until Superman #80 (Aug. 1993) that he’s revealed as merely a cog in Cyborg Superman’s sinister plot, providing the weaponry needed for the horrific destruction of Kal-El as he refuses to kill round of Coast City and Earth’s subseafter round throughout Action quent attempted transformation Comics Annual #2 (1989) and Suinto another Warworld. As plotter, perman #32 (June 1989). artist and writer Dan Jurgens reDiscussing how the story veals to BACK ISSUE, “I had alcame about, artist and writer ready come up with the Warworld/ Jerry Ordway tells BACK ISSUE, Mongul angle and actually floated “when Roger Stern and I were Central City as the city to be doing our stories in Adventures destroyed. The team working jerry ordway of Superman, and him on the on Flash understandably didn’t main Superman title, we had © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. want to lose their city, but the Superman leave Earth—kind of on a soul quest—after he had some issues with Green Lantern crew saw the potential in having things he’d done. Being a big fan of the movie a major event spin out of our story and went Spartacus, I probably suggested the idea of with it. The whole idea was to, at first, make Superman fighting in a gladiatorial arena, Mongul look like the main villain. I think the against his will, in a kill-or-be-killed situation. scene where he kneels and kisses Cyborg My other big inspiration for this storyline was a Superman’s hand, thus revealing himself as the Fantastic Four comic I loved as a kid, where the true villain of the entire story, is a classic.”

In fact, Mongul continues to appear all Thing is stranded on another world, away from his team, and in a similar ‘fight to the death’ through the “Reign of the Supermen!” arc [see

50 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

BI #126—ed.] and his already-uneasy alliance with Hank Henshaw grows even more fraught every step of the way, culminating in his defeat at the hands of a grieving Hal Jordan in Green Lantern #46 (Oct. 1993).

Several minor outings followed that humiliating beatdown—first in Green Lantern #51–53 (May–July 1994), in which Mongul tries to take out his anger on newbie Kyle Rayner only to be stopped by the combined forces of Superman and a Green Lantern ring with no yellow weakness, and then in Flash #102 (June 1995), where Wally West makes quick work of Mongul’s escape attempt and returns him to the Slab. In both instances, Mongul had been reduced to mere villain-of-the-week status.

Seemingly on a downward trajectory, it wasn’t until Showcase ’95 #7–8 (Aug.–Sept. 1995), with Peter J. Tomasi and Scot Eaton at the helm, that Mongul stepped back into the limelight. His one solo story explores a seldom-seen part of the villain’s psyche, opening on a blood-stained nightmare featuring Superman and Green Lantern. In discussing that particular moment, Tomasi tells BACK ISSUE, “I wrote that scene in the belief that it was something that truly haunted Mongul and stoked his fear of losing to lifeforms he felt were below him. In my opinion, to have a bad guy that’s three-dimensional and afraid/fearful of something is always more interesting dramatically.”

The story then follows Mongul breaking out of the lunar penal colony in which he had been imprisoned, ending up near death in the vacuum of space in the process, only to be rescued by a peaceful alien race whose planet he later takes over. That cruel twist of fate only deepens as the two-parter progresses and the inhabitants end up preferring to die of a virus brought by Mongul himself rather than be subject to his tyranny. With the planet ultimately decimated, the sole survivors are shown to be two infants Mongul had fathered.

“I had hoped to be able to put a new spin on Mongul and some more meat on the bones, so to speak,” explains Tomasi. “I had a great deal of latitude and was told to do whatever I wanted with him—just make him as badass as possible and dive deep into what makes him tick. So, I went about asking myself four questions that I always do when approaching a character for the first time: What does Mongul love? What does Mongul hate? What does Mongul fear? What does Mongul want? I also wanted to make sure that Mongul was seen as being a three-dimensional, well-rounded bad guy.

It was at the top of my list to swing his emotional pendulum, and show him having a sense of humor, while also being cunning and evil.

“I want to mention that Scot Eaton, one of the most underappreciated artists in the business and who I’ve had the pleasure of working with many times, brought the Showcase story to spectacular life, pulling off the big, epic moments and the small human moments at ease,” Tomasi adds. “I loved the visual feel that Starlin brought to Mongul originally, but really zeroed in on him when Moore and Gibbons made him so huge and foreboding.

When it comes to his character, to boil it down very simply, I love his sense of self-importance! Being able to dive in and play with Mongul’s ego and evil from a writer’s perspective is immensely fun.”

Returned to his usual imperious self for that one glorious moment, Mongul’s pride soon leads to his death in Underworld Unleashed #1 (Nov. 1995) as the demon Neron finds his refusal of his offer of more power unacceptable.

While the void left by his death has eventually been filled by his near-identical son, Mongul has served as the antagonist in some of the most beloved tales in the medium. He had remained an especially recognizable figure in Superman’s rogues’ gallery for over four decades now, holding readers’ attention with no end in sight.

Mongul Smash!

Writer Peter J. Tomasi gives Warworld’s lethal landlord the spotlight in Showcase ’95 #7 (Aug. 1985). Cover

by Christian Alamy.

TM & © DC Comics.

ALISSA MARMOL-CERNAT is a London-based aspiring filmmaker and writer. A longtime reader of DC Comics, she spends most of her time hunting down back issues.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 51

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“Who are the Omega Men!” proclaims the fantastic George Pérez cover for Green Lantern #141 (June 1981).

We’ll answer that question, and a number of others, surrounding the assemblage’s career. So come with us as we travel from Earth and on to the star Vega and its varied worlds. And beyond!

THE ALPHA OF THE OMEGAS

In the aforementioned issue of GL, Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton were at about the midpoint of their collaboration on the title. Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris were at an “on” stage of their relationship, and while vacationing in Newfoundland they find a town in which the residents seem to be a little… strange. To the point that the “Constable” soon decides that the pair need to leave the town and telepathically sends them and their car flying off. They are, of course, unaware that Hal is a Green Lantern, and the duo soon returns. It seems the town is the Earthly refuge of a group of aliens known collectively as the Omega Men. The requisite superhero

by B r i a n M a r t i n battle ensues until Queen Kalista intervenes.

The issue introduces us to the septet that would form the core of the Omega Men for the first couple of years of their existence. From the start it is readily apparent that they are not all from the same race. Harpis and Demonia are sisters, though the former is avian, the latter reptilian. Primus and Kalista are humanoids who are man and wife and planetary leaders. Tigorr is… well, an upright-standing tiger, though he and Demonia can both shape change to forms closer to their Earthly analogues. Broot, the requisite physical powerhouse, resembles a golem. And finally there’s Nimbus, a pure, white-skinned, black-cloaked character that manifests a mist-like aspect and death touch in battle.

When it comes to the look of the characters, “The designs were all done from Marv’s descriptions,” says Joe Staton. “He was pretty clear. I think he went with all that I drew, with one exception. I had originally shown Primus with a bald head, because I thought it would make him look more mature and in command.

(This was, of course, before the time of Jean Luc Picard.) Marv disagreed, so I reworked him with flowing locks.”

The other thing we find out very quickly is that these seven do not get along. Initially, Demonia and Harpis are in favor of killing the interfering humans, while Tigorr believes he should be leading the group, not joe staton Primus. These divisions would be © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. omnipresent as the group moved forward. When quizzed by BI, Wolfman states, “I needed the characters to all have their own agendas and not team up in the traditional sense where everyone is working together.”

The Omega Men’s Alpha Moment The mysterious Omega Men encounter the Emerald Gladiator on George Pérez’s powerful cover for Green Lantern #141 (June 1981).

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 53

In Development Early Omega Men character sketch by Joe Staton. Courtesy of Brian Martin.

Characters TM & © DC Comics.

As the next issue begins, Kalista, what we call a witch on ACTION FIGURES Earth, enlightens Hal on the history of the alien group.

The characters would be dormant for almost a year until The Vega system has been conquered by a tyrannical collective in Action Comics #535 (Sept 1982), they contact Superman known as the Citadel. Two hundred dissidents imprisoned together on GL’s recommendation. Wolfman was writing the title are freed by Primus. Seventy died in escaping and a few more in and Joe Staton was on hand to pencil this issue and the transit. Further delineating the characters’ relationships based next, with Pablo Marcos then Sal Trapani along as inkers. on this history, Wolfman says, “In my mind the characters were Staton tells BI, “I had a little run on Action with Marv, so it among the last few of their race, their people having been just made sense that he was writing our characters into the murdered by outside forces. Their only real concern was to find Superman stories as well.” The Omegans are ready to return any others of their race and make sure their people didn’t all to the Vega system, but they need fuel. Over this issue die. Therefore, their own personal agendas superseded and the next, they assist Superman in his battle with the group. They were together only because they had the Mole, all the while engaging in the infighting a mutual problem, but they were separate in how they had exhibited in their debut as Harpis, to deal with those problems. A lot of this might Tigorr, and Demonia especially chafe at any not have clearly come out in the books, but that delay in their heading home. Villain defeated, was my original intent.” This means that though they proceed to the JLA satellite, where the seven are prominently featured, the actual elements needed to create the fuel are kept. As number of Omega Men is over 100! “I don’t think Superman finishes creating the propellant, the others were designed,” according to Wolfman. satellite alarms sound and the Man of Steel has “But since an entire star system was eradicated, to rescue the Teen Titans. It seems they were we needed other ‘soldiers’ to be ready to fight. tossed into space when Koriand’r’s sister We’d invent them as needed.” Joe Staton agrees, Komand’r kidnapped her and headed back telling BI, “I don’t think I ever worked out any to… the Vega system. This story leads directly marv wolfman specific designs, though I think there were into New Teen Titans #24 (Oct. 1982), where random alien types shown in backgrounds.”

George Pérez and Romeo Tanghal were the At the end of the breakout, an extraordinarily powered resident art team. character named Lambien saved them from the pursuing fleet Was it a measure of the characters’ popularity that caused but was bombed into a coma. The Omegans have been hiding them to appear again, and in Titans, DC’s bestselling title? on Earth ever since, about six months our time, but the Citadel’s Marv Wolfman reveals that “It was planned from the beginning Hunters have found them. Naturally, GL agrees to help them. to introduce them in Green Lantern, then port them over to Though they fight to kill, the battle begins to go against the Superman, then the Titans, the DC characters who had their Omegans—that is, until the chamber that holds Lambien opens. own adventures in space. Also, they were three of the books I In the finale of the trilogy, the creature that emerges now was writing, so I could control the stories. goes by the name of Auron, god of light—a rather fitting title, “The idea was to give the readers a sampling of the charas we have been told Lambien is the son of X’Hal, the goddess acters, hopefully to make them interesting to their readers the Omegans worship. Suffice to say that his powers are of such because of these early appearances. I treated the Omega Men a magnitude that he is able to toss most of the Citadel attackers very much like an advertising campaign; get readers to care into the Sun. The battle ended, Primus says that it is time to take about the group by slowly building them up, then coming out the war back to the Citadel. with their own comic. That was always my plan from the start.”

Tellingly, as the Commander of the surviving Citadel fleet flies away, he says that a war station has already been dispatched to OF COURSE, YOU KNOW THIS MEANS WAR punish Earth for harboring the princess Koriand’r (Starfire in the That slow build comes to a head as the two teams join forces.

New Teen Titans, in case you didn’t know). In the editorial in Heading back to Vega, Primus decides to stop at the planet Omega Men #2, Wolfman detailed how one of his goals at DC Okaara to pick up reinforcements. We find out that X’Hal is a was to create consistent alien races across the DCU. Since he living goddess, herself possessing extraordinary powers like her had already introduced the planet Tamaran and the Citadel in son—so much power, in fact, that she is imprisoned on Okaara New Teen Titans, when it came time to have an alien foe in GL, to contain those powers. As the issue ends, the Citadel attacks, it was a no-brainer. attempting to kidnap X’Hal. 54 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

New Teen Titans #25 and the first Titans Annual detail the war for X’Hal and the Titans’ rescue of their teammate. It is their book, after all. Where our subjects are concerned, though, we learn a lot of valuable information, including a thought balloon (remember those?) by Demonia, where she admits she is a traitor to the group.

After a prolonged battle, X’Hal surrenders to prevent more killing. This is important since, as Primus details in the goddess’ history, she was a human warrior queen who commanded the operation that repelled a Psion (another Wolfman alien race that also hates the Citadel) attack and was revered in the entire Vega system. Years later, however, they returned and captured her.

Being a scientifically minded race, they performed experiments on her and converted her into an energy being.

Unfortunately, she was now possessed by battle lust. She destroyed the Psion world, then went wild and destroyed three Vegan planets. Vega’s greatest warriors stopped her and imprisoned her on Okaara, and became her jailers.

Back in the present, at the climax of the tale, X’Hal is freed

by Demonia as her loyalties vacillate and the goddess ends this skirmish, vanishing and seemingly dying.

As the Titans head home, the Omegans vow to carry on their mission.

Our heroes make a small return trip to the Green Lantern book with issue #161 (Jan. 1983), in a tale crafted by Mike W Barr, Keith Pollard, and Pablo Marcos.

Importantly, we are made aware of the fact that there is a non-interference pact between the Citadel and the GL Corps.

Beta-Driving the Omegans Writer Marv Wolfman continued the Omega Men’s saga through appearances in DC titles he was writing. (top) Gil Kane’s cover rough for Action Comics #535 (Sept. 1982; courtesy of Heritage), and (inset) the published cover, with Frank Giacoia inks. (bottom left) Side-by-side with DC’s hottest super-team in New Teen Titans #24 (Oct. 1982). Cover by Pérez. (bottom right) A return to Green Lantern in issue #161 (Feb. 1983). Cover

by Keith Pollard and Mike DeCarlo.

TM & © DC Comics.

I’M READY FOR MY CLOSEUP

The time was right for the Omega Men to begin their own book, and with a first issue cover-dated April 1983, scripter Roger Slifer teamed with inker Mike DeCarlo. But the main drawing card on the new Omega Men series was its penciler. Keith Giffen was riding high producing Legion of Super-Heroes with writer Paul Levitz and inker Larry Mahlstedt.

Co-creator Wolfman was tapped as editor. “When I realized I was overbooked with other assignments, I decided to give the Omega Men to other writers to handle.”

An additional hook to the series was that it was DC’s first continuing series on the upscale, stark-white Baxter paper, a facet they emphasized in their advertising.

The creative team spoke in the first issue of Comics Interview (Feb. 1983) about their plans for the title. Since the characters were involved in a war, “I think it’s important we portray a realistic view of violence,” stated Slifer, with Giffen echoing, “It should be distasteful. I don’t want people coming away from a fight scene in Omega Men saying, ‘What a great fight scene.’

I want them to feel a bit uneasy.”

As for characterization, Giffen stated, “The Omega Men have been guest stars, that’s all. There’s never been any development of the characters. We got them basically untouched. You can’t change basic personalities, but you can maneuver them around.”

When it came to setting the book in another system, Slifer stated, “One of the things we’re trying to do is establish that when we have a story take place somewhere on a planet in the Vegan star system, we really define the culture of that planet.

When you go somewhere you get the ambiance, so it’s not just another bunch of aliens with scales.”

And those more than 100 characters? Slifer again: “This is more of a society [than a group]. There are 100 people in it, DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 55

after all. As it develops, you’re going to see a lot more interaction— different groups forming new alliances.”

When it came to all of these plans, Wolfman tells BI that “I, of course, made many suggestions as I had been setting up the idea for the series, but in general I left it to the writers. It was my feeling that the writers should write about something they truly cared about, so I stepped back.”

The ideas cited above were quickly put into practice.

Issue #1 begins as the Omegans take over a Citadel outpost on the planet Slagg in an extremely brutal battle. The next planet in their sights is Changralyn, Broot’s home world. We soon learn that the residents of Changralyn are the diametric opposites of Broot. They are pacifists to the extreme. Their peace agreement with the Citadel includes handing over their children to slavery.

From his first appearance, Broot has said his hatred of the Citadel stems from their killing of his child and enslavement of his wife; the Citadel demanding Broot’s child years before led to those developments. keith giffen Broot, Primus, Tigorr, and Nimbus are the envoys to Facebook. the planet, and when Broot sees Gordanians collecting children, he kills the Citadel warriors. To keep the natives in line, the Citadel forces in orbit decide the penalty for this transgression is the bombing of an entire city, something the natives agree to. The three other Omegans are in the bombed city, but survive due to Primus’ powers and an alien creature that serves as a life-support device. After various encounters with members of his race, Broot questions his life choices and decides to take a ship back to the Citadel mother craft.

Seeing this, Nimbus follows him. Meanwhile back on Slagg, Demonia begins to try to convince other teammates that Primus has been mindcontrolling them. All this by the end of the second issue!

Though probably remembered now primarily because it is the first appearance of Lobo, issue #3 (June 1983) continued to mess with the lead characters and their situations. Euphorix, home of Kalista and Primus, is the only Vegan planet to remain free due to the fact that it is contained within a force shield. The Citadel creates a phony transmission that leads Kalista to believe that it has been breached. It’s a trap, as Lobo and his partner Bedlam are hired to capture Kalista so the Citadel can drain the shield’s secret from her brain. Harpis and a new character Shlagen along with others accompany her, but only Shlagen would surge to prominence.

Ambushed by the mercenary duo, Bedlam tears off Harpis’ wings, and Kalista is delivered into the Citadel’s clutches.

One more character debuts here: Harry Hokum is a completely unspectacular little man that appears before the Citadel commander.

He, too, will play a larger part as time goes on.

The creative team ramps up the changes with issue #4. Loyal followers of Kalista rescue her as the story opens, but they take her behind Euphorix’s protective shield, shutting her off from her husband and the others. Meanwhile, a new female cat-like character, Felicity, is introduced as a love interest for Tigorr, and again, she will gain a larger part in later issues. Due to mind-controlling machinations of Demonia, the Tigorr/Primus feud finally comes to blows. Tigorr wins but soon realizes that Demonia is responsible… and confronts and kills her!

With Primus wounded by their encounter, Tigorr takes this chance and gathers those loyal to him to attack the Citadel home world.

New Series Launch (top) Courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com), original art to the cover of David Anthony Kraft’s Comics Interview #1, with its hilarious Keith Giffen/Mike DeCarlo image of Kraft interviewing Broot. (bottom) A sample from the interview itself.

Scan courtesy of Brian Martin.

The Omega Men TM & © DC Comics.

56 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

The Giffen Era Fan-favorite Giffen, inked by DeCarlo, made early issues of The Omega Men sizzle. (top left) The premiere issue (Apr. 1983). (top right) Broot’s origin is revealed in issue #2. (bottom left) Believe it or not, that’s Lobo— in his first appearance—with Kalista as his captive in issue #3. (bottom right) Before long, Lobo would become a star. Lobo #1 (Nov. 1990) cover by Simon Bisley.

TM & © DC Comics.

WAR, HUH!

The next two issues depict a Tigorr-led army, reinforced by rebels that are heartened by his attack, staging their assault on the Citadel stronghold. Through a combination of strength and bravado, Tigorr alone survives to enter the central complex. Auron reappears, warning Tigorr off saying the worst is to come. Ignoring him, Tigorr confronts the Citadel leader, a kind of computerized consciousness similar to Marvel’s Kree central intelligence. It says even if Tigorr kills it, it has succeeded in making the entire Vegan system aggressive where it was once peaceful. Tigorr blows him up anyway.

Outside the confines of the storyline, the series suffered another loss. After issue #6, Keith Giffen begged off the series, citing Science Fiction Super-team Overdose Syndrome.

ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES

TOD SMITH Omega Men was Tod Smith’s first series work. When BACK ISSUE reached out to him to get his take on that experience, we received a response from his wife, Candace Kearney. Candace replied that Tod had suffered a stroke in January of 2022. She indicated that his mind is just fine, and he was able to convey his answers through her, but he is learning to walk again. Please keep Tod in your thoughts as you enjoy this Flash/Atom specialty illo he drew for Brian Martin.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 57

The Flash and the Atom TM & © DC Comics.

The new penciler of the series was Tod Smith, described in the letters page as a member of The Legion of Former Dick Giordano Assistants. This was Smith’s first regular series. “I felt out of my league, a little intimidated,” Smith admits to BACK ISSUE about the pressure of following fan-favorite Keith Giffen on The Omega Men. “I had no desire to draw like him, and couldn’t anyway. All I could do was the best I could. I always felt like I was filling big shoes.

“I wish I knew then what I know now about storytelling and stylization. Keith’s approach was very stylized and simple. I was trying to be Jack Kirby and outdraw him.”

Further faith was shown in the new artist as, from his very first issue, he penciled the covers as well. Smith says of the Omega Men covers, “Mostly, the ideas came from Marv Wolfman and Roger Slifer. They would say things like, ‘We want this character being held central to the cover.’ I designed the details. Sometimes they would have me redraw it. It’s very in flux, a collaborative effort.

Usually the penciler has the final say as to when the drawing is done, though.”

The Omega Men #7 serves to revise the accepted origin of the Citadel and X’Hal. The computer intelligence survives long enough to reveal that X’Hal ruled in peace and was not a warrior, but due to Psion experiments, she gave birth to Lambien, but also the first of the race that became the dominant one in the Citadel. He then disclosed how she be-

A New Beginning New Omega Men artist Tod Smith joined the creative team with issue #7 (Oct. 1983).

TM & © DC Comics.

came a being of energy, plus the origin of Nimbus. a go-between, drive a wedge between him and Hearing all this, Auron exiles himself into space.

Kalista and she gives Primus an ultimatum. She will Interestingly, in the letters page, frequent letter- seal off Euphorix forever, with him inside or not. hack TM Maple comments on the difficulty We learn Harpis’ history as she lies of portraying war in comics and Slifer catatonic since having her wings torn off, agrees, stating he was going more for while Broot receives closure when he political allegory than anything else. finds his wife, but cannot accept the Omega Men #8–13 deal with the life she is living, still adhering to the politics and social ramifications of Changralyn philosophy, but happy. the end of the war. Euphorix has Broot returns to his companions. dropped its shield, allowing Primus Meanwhile, as the peace negoand Kalista to reunite. The ship that tiations linger on, tired of waiting was carrying Broot and Nimbus and burdened by the responsibilities is found and they are reunited with of a queen, Kalista closes the barrier their friends as well. and destroys the machine that But victory in the war was could open it. nowhere near clear-cut. Harry HoWith the end of the 13th issue, TOD SMITH kum has taken control of the Citadel another creator that began the Marvel Database. and takes back some worlds by series, Roger Slifer, leaves due to force, some by promising a better life. A summit “irreconcilable differences.” The duo that began is held with representatives from all the worlds the series with a plethora of ideas were now gone, of Vega along with the Citadel and the Omega leaving others to continue in their wake.

Men. Unfortunately, Primus’ eventual concessions, combined with the fact that he must use Lobo as FILL-IN OR TRYOUT? Here is how award-winning comic-book letterer Todd Klein describes to BACK ISSUE how he came to write Omega Men #14–15. “Roger Slifer left suddenly, I don’t recall why. Marv Wolfman was editor, but the hands-on editing was largely being handled by assistant editor Alan Gold. Alan was looking for someone to fill in for a few issues while he lined up a new regular writer. We were friendly, often meeting in his office with other early arrivals before beginning our workday, and he knew I was interested in writing comics and suggested I try Omega Men. At that point, this was considered a possible tryout as regular writer,

58 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

Altered States (top left) Courtesy of Heritage, unused Tod Smith cover roughs for Omega Men #10 (Jan. 1984). (top right) The issue’s published cover, by Smith and DeCarlo—Lobo’s second cover appearance. (bottom) Original Smith/ DeCarlo cover art to Omega Men #13 (Apr. 1983), spotlighting Broot and Primus. Courtesy of Heritage.

TM & © DC Comics.

but I also knew they were looking for a name writer to take over.” Amusingly, Tod Smith recalls of the teaming: “Editorial called us the ‘Todd Squad.’”

The first story has Tigorr return to his home world Karna to finish some business. He takes Primus with him to get him out of the funk he is in since the Euphorix’s barrier closed. On the way they engage in some long overdue buddy-bonding.

Todd Klein stated on his website that “I think my assignment here was to wrap up some of the previous storylines to make a relatively clean slate for the new writer,” but tells BI, “The plots were pretty much up to me.”

With that in mind, in #15, Primus attacks the Euphorix shield and, with a little help from a returning Auron, dissolves it. Problem being, since it put many planet-side lives in danger, it causes Kalista and Primus to separate even though they both admit they love each other.

WE’RE HERE FOR A GOOD TIME, NOT A LONG TIME

“I told Marv that I couldn’t accept Omega Men on an indefinite basis. Marv’s reply was, ‘If I can only get six good issues out of you, at least that’s six good issues.’” Doug Moench used those words in Comics Interview #11 to describe his taking over Omega Men with #17, and they were pretty much bang-on.

He stayed until #25 (with two fill-in issues included) and wrote the first Omega Men Annual.

In a contemporaneous article in Amazing Heroes #39, a preview of the title stated, “Moench plans to make the DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 59

Todd Klein, Storyteller (top left) One of the industry’s most celebrated letterers filled in as Omega Men’s writer after the departure of Roger Slifer, and would later return to pen the series. Cover to issue #14 (May 1984) by Smith and DeCarlo. Doug Moench signed on to write The Omega Men beginning with (top right) issue #17 (Aug. 1984). Its Tigorr kaleidoscope cover is by Smith and Romeo Tanghal. (bottom) Artist Shawn McManus’ first issue, #25 (Apr. 1985).

TM & © DC Comics.

book ‘a little more upbeat’ by making the characters more sympathetic and not quite so grim as they’ve been portrayed.

As part of the move to a mood that Wolfman describes as ‘optimistic,’ the characters will get along better with each other, including traditional rivals Tigorr and Primus.”

This new thinking was endorsed

by Tod Smith, as he tells BI, “I always thought the Omega Men had no cohesiveness. They were not believable as friends and allies. They seemed at todd klein odds with one another.”

It has to be said that for the most part Moench and Wolfman followed through on their plans. The first storyline encompasses issues #17–20 (Aug.–Nov. 1984) and shows a more sciencefiction–style adventure as the main characters respond to a distress call and are led to an asteroid that houses a Psion experiment that duplicates matter.

Including bodies! After political machinations and war abounded, it was definitely the sort of change the creators had planned.

For his part, Tod Smith was working with his third writer in ten issues. “Each one had his own vision for the strip,” Smith tells BI. “It meant the storyline kept shifting. It kept jumping. One change I remember was, Tigorr was in bed with an alien prostitute. I had him on the bottom and they wanted me to change it and put him on top!”

The Annual followed after that and Harpis regains her wings and sanity. After a fill-in occupied issue #21, in issues #22–23 Nimbus, who has always been unsure of his role, suffers a psychic trauma and Broot, Primus, and Doc (the team’s robotic surgeon, who had taken on a recurring role) venture into his mind and help to battle his inner demons, allowing him to come out the other side renewed. Chalk up another instance of positive character growth.

Omega Men #24 (Mar. 1985) features a story by Marv Wolfman and Kevin O’Neill that flashes back to a tale of the four males from the original seven as they trained on Okaara. It was Wolfman’s return to writing the characters, but his swan song as editor.

YOU SAY GOODBYE, AND I SAY HELLO

Doug Moench bowed out as scribe after Omega Men #25, but the tale welcomed the artist who would be the series’ main penciler until the end of its run, Shawn McManus. This was McManus’ first regular series (is 60 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

A group of diverse aliens debut in a popular DC title. The main grouping is only a fraction of the actual group. The writer and co-creator is Marv Wolfman.

Must be the Omega Men. Nope. In this case, it is a group called the Vanguard.

Debuting in the 1985 New Teen Titans Annual [vol. 2, issue #1—ed.], the Vanguard is a collective of aliens whose mission is to “Preserve the safety of the universe.” Drawn into a battle between Superman and Brainiac, the group soon journeys to Earth and meets the Titans. Being the “closest guard vessel” to the initial confrontation, the members Anti-Matter Man, Black Nebula, White Dwarf,

Scanner, Drone, and Solaar are dispatched to assist. BI editor Michael Eury reported in his Team-Up Companion book that the plot of this story was originally slated for DC Comics Presents Annual #3!

Co-created by artist Ed Hannigan, the Vanguard were obviously another creation testing the waters, as the last caption of the issue asks readers to write if they would like to see the characters return. The response was obviously not overwhelming, as they were never seen again.

To tie a bow around the thought, when BI questioned Wolfman about the group, he said, “I literally have no memory of them at all.”

there an echo in here?). The tale within gives some glimpses of Kalista’s first meeting with Primus, while updating us on her current activities where she purges some things from her mind, continuing the theme Moench had brought to the book.

The artistic parallels continued as McManus too drew the covers from his very first issue. But starting with issue #26, he also painted them! McManus tells BI, “I figured that as long as I was doing the covers anyway, I asked if I could paint them.

I probably showed Alan Gold a few painted samples and don’t remember getting any pushback (not surprising, since he was a lot of fun as an editor), so I painted the covers whenever I had time to do so.

“I remember pretty much having free rein on designing the covers. I think I did one or two sketches to run by Alan, and he’d usually let me draw or paint the one that I thought was a better design.”

The book seemed to have a strange problem, though.

Omega Men was receiving no mail. Issue #22 did not elicit a single reply. Not even from TM Maple! Why? Well, when BACK ISSUE spoke to Doug Moench, the author remembered nothing at all about the book or its characters. He did relate an amusing anecdote, which may be quite telling. Moench recalls, “In the early ’90s, I was at San Diego [Comic-Con] signing books, and the line was like a mile long because ‘Knightfall’ [the Batman storyline where the Dark Knight’s back was broken—ed.] was a big deal, and someone in the line who reached me said, ‘Is there any series you’ve done that you didn’t think you did a good job on?’ And I said, ‘Well, I didn’t think I did very well on Omega Men.’ And someone further down the line, but in earshot, said, ‘Omega Men’s my favorite comic!’ [laughter]” One other factor may be related to the feelings of one of their co-creators. The war ended with issue #6, but Marv Wolfman feels the characters functioned better as rebels, opining, “I saw them as soldiers.” Others seemed to feel that way, too, and were doing something about it.

OF COURSE, YOU KNOW THIS MEANS WAR TOO

Todd Klein returned as writer with issue #26 (May 1985). “Doug Moench gave more notice that he was leaving the book, so there was more time to prepare,” Klein explains. “Alan Gold was tasked with finding a new regular writer. He’d liked my fill-ins and suggested I submit a proposal outlining my ideas for the series going foreword. He liked my proposal and told me I had the job. I was excited, it was my first regular lead writing assignment, and would end up being my only one.”

The New Artist Shawn McManus was touted as the new Omega Men artist with a special house ad and publicity poster.

Its original art, shown here, is courtesy of Heritage.

TM & © DC Comics.

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TM & © DC Comics.

VANGUARD: LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE?

Todd threw readers right into the middle of a storyline.

Throwing us further into the deep end, at tale’s end Vega system has once again been invaded, this time by a race the Omegans’ ship is swallowed by a giant… thing! “The known as the Spider Guild, which Klein had created in a back- Viathans were pretty much my design,” reveals Shawn up tale he wrote for Green Lantern. “I felt the book needed McManus. “Probably based on Todd’s description of somea major threat and a new direction,” he says. “Starting thing like ‘space whales.’” ‘in media res’ was somewhat risky, as readers would be One final note: This issue began a series of Vega backup confused at first, but I thought it was better to jump into the tales in almost every issue, starting strong with Alan Moore action and let the story fill in as we went along.” and Kevin O’Neill as creators.

Jump in, we did! On a ship fleeing a raid on The next four issues lead our heroes through a the Guild are Kalista, Tigorr, Harpis, and new Psion creation called Wombworld. Deposited there recruits Elu, Ryand’r, and the Green Man. They after their capture, they meet other creatures as soon contact Doc and Shlagen on Tamaran they make their way to the control room and and discover Primus has been abandoned are assisted by a computer brain named Artin. on Euphorix. Further updates were supplied He is a Psion creation that, unbeknownst to for X’Hal, Nimbus, and Auron. Why the new them, has become self-aware. As the plot recruits, Mr. Klein? “I needed to keep the climaxes, it is revealed the brain of Artin shares main characters of course, but wanted to the body and mind of Primus! add some new ones of my own,” he tells In the course of their journey, Ryand’r meets BACK ISSUE. “The Green Man was a character Synapse, an in-betweener, strange multi-faceted Dave Gibbons and I created for ‘Tales of creatures that are basically the maintenance the Green Lantern Corps,’ and I thought he crew on Wombworld. They also run the shawn mcmanus would fit in well, but I removed his Green ’Tweener network, a kind of pirate holovid Lantern ring to make him more vulnerable station that Ryand’r watched as a kid and and keep him from overpowering the others. Elu was meant which would soon become integral to the series. to be intriguing and mysterious, a character we could all Allying with Primus/Artin, the Omegans discover that they find out more about as we went along. Ryand’r, Starfire’s were not the only Vegan refugees brought to Wombworld. brother, seemed like a good way to interest Teen Titans There were many more, all in suspended animation and they readers.” Elaborating on that ‘mysterious’ comment, Elu take many of them with them when they escape in a Viathan. was never seen, spending all his screen time as a small ball A major revelation occurred in The Omega Men #30 (Sept. in a protective force shield.

1985), as we find out it was the Guardians of the Universe that created the Psions, then banished them to a remote system. Feelings of guilt led to the truce whereby Green Lanterns could not interfere in the Vega system. The Psions then engineered the races of Vega.

The second Omega Men Annual features a talk between Kalista and Primus as he tries to convince her he is really Primus by telling tales from their youth, illustrated by various artists.

We finally learn that Primus became joined with Artin after the former was captured by the Spider Guild, only to have an Artin controlled Viathan rescue him. Artin wanted his freedom, while Primus’ body was dying, and so they merged.

It should be noted that the series had a number of fill-in artists and inkers during this time, along with the Vega backups.

“This was Shawn’s first regular series,” remembers Todd Klein, “and he struggled to keep up, so other artists were needed to take on some of the load. I tried to fit stories to artists and their skills. He got faster over time. This book was his trial by fire.”

On his website, Klein added, “I felt Shawn’s art looked best when he inked it himself.” What did the artist himself think? Shawn McManus remarks, “I usually pencil as tightly for someone else inking or if I’m inking it myself. I’ve never been one of those guys who can pencil loosely and do most of the drawing at the inking stage. Bob Smith inked a few issues and absolutely killed it! I only started inking my own stuff because I made more money per page, but man, Bob made my stuff look great!”

Omega Men #32 (Nov. 1985) focused on Felicity on her home world of Karna, making a living while a serial-killer animal prowls the streets. We find out later that, like Tigorr, she too is a shapeshifter…

Jaws Courtesy of the artist, Shawn McManus’ original cover art for Omega Men #28 (July 1985).

TM & © DC Comics.

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Last Looks (left) The Omega Men got a chance to “team up” with “Superman” in DC Comics Presents #89 (Jan. 1986).

Cover by Denys Cowan and Bob Smith. (right) Just a few months after the DCCP appearance, it’s Omega Hour for The Omega Men as the series closes with issue #38 (May 1986). Cover by McManus.

TM & © DC Comics.

NOT MY CROSSOVER TO BEAR

Sandwiched around Felicity’s solo tale, the two issues introduce a few new characters, Oho-Besh (male), from Changralyn, and Yndamaati (female), of Euphorix’s tree clan, are rescued from suspended animation, while a recruiting mission to Tamaran adds Rynoc (male) of Okarra and Zirral (female) of Tamaran.

The story was a Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, and spirited a few characters over to meet Blue Devil of all characters in his book. The Crisis did have a major effect on the series, though: During the universal upheaval, X’Hal smushed together six different dimensional versions of the planet Kuraq, a world outside the Vegan system, at the same time trapping Nimbus’ essence inside!

When Ryand’r learns that Koriand’r is back on Tamaran, he, along with Primus, Kalista, and Yndamaati, go to meet her.

Harpis, Oho-Besh, and Tigorr stay with refugees on Kuraq.

That trio appears in the Superman team-up series DC Comics Presents #89 (Jan. 1986) and meets the “Superman” from 40,000 AD. The story was illustrated by Alex Saviuk and Ricardo Villagran. Why another crossover? Todd Klein says, “Editor Julie Schwartz suggested it. He brought in Bob Rozakis to write the Superman parts of the story, and the three of us worked out the plot over lunch. I think it was my idea to use the Thing as a stand-in for Superman, which everyone liked.” [Editor’s note: The story was a sequel to “The Thing from 40,000 AD,” which appeared in Superman #87 (Feb. 1954).]

A meeting with the New Teen Titans occupies Omega Men #34–35 (plus #16 of New Teen Titans). Through the return of X’Hal and Auron the Omegans and Titans face each other in an obligatory comic-book battle before achieving detente. Ryand’r stays on Tamaran as his sister is about to be married in the Titans title. The Omegans leave to battle X’Hal and manage to defeat her, dispersing her energy throughout the system.

Someone else felt a dispersal of energy at the time, as Todd Klein states, “The crossovers were a pain to do, but I made them work pretty well. They did help sales, so that was a plus.”

Around this time, Klein was made aware that the book would be ending. “I knew before my last few issues were written, so I had time to wrap things up to my satisfaction,” he reveals. The wrap-up includes catching up with Broot as he has taken control of the Spider Guild forces on his home world and, renouncing

violence, is trying to rebuild. Artin’s mind is transferred out of Primus’s body and, like Broot, Primus and Kalista fly down to attempt to liberate Euphorix.

The series ended with issue #38 (May 1986). As far back as issue #31, the ’Tweener network has been broadcasting footage of the Omegan’s adventures on Wombworld. So when posters go up system-wide, trumpeting an upcoming special broadcast on the network, excitement builds. Shortly after the broadcast begins, in a recorded video Primus extends his hand, urging others to reach out to him that they may join the Omegans in a new life on a distant colony. Prisoners and the downtrodden on many worlds contact their projector and are teleported to Kuraq by virtue of special satellites deployed by the Omegans in the previous issue. The dream of freedom is reborn.

Todd Klein was able to add a coda with Teen Titans Spotlight #15 (Oct. 1987), drawn by Erik Larsen and Dell Barras. As Starfire receives a transmission from her brother, he informs her that most of the team has reunited and travelled to Euphorix, to find Primus and Kalista. At tale’s end, they meet up and discover Kalista is pregnant! Ryand’r ends his transmission saying they are preparing plans to defeat the Spider Guild. “I remember that being a sort of ‘Where are they now?’ story, which was fun to do.” recalls Klein.

OMEGA, MEN

The characters have made many appearances since, becoming the DC Universe’s go-to guys if you have a science-fiction epic and need guests. Of course, they’ve been reinterpreted many times, receiving some very rough treatment, but also two compensatory, eponymous limited series. So for we Bronze Age babies, let’s just close things here and leave the characters with their senses of hope and accomplishment still intact.

The author would like to thank Michael Eury, Todd Klein, Shawn McManus, Doug Moench, Tom Powers, Candace Kearney and Tod Smith, Joe Staton, John Wells, and Marv Wolfman for their assistance in preparing this article.

BRIAN MARTIN is an office manager from Oakville, Ontario, Canada, who loves to mentally travel to Vega and other distant places, but makes sure his feet are on the ground when writing articles for BACK ISSUE.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 63

by

Robert Greenberger

Even Stranger Adventures Sans graphics, wraparound cover artwork to issue #1 (Mar. 1990) of writer Richard Bruning’s Adam Strange three-issue miniseries. Art by Andy Kubert, colors by Adam Kubert.

TM & © DC Comics.

Richard Bruning is a lifelong fan of cartooning and comic books. He first arrived on the comics scene as a designer with his own Abraxas Studios before briefly serving as the editor for Capital Comics’ short-lived comics line (Nexus, Badger, Whisper). He arrived at DC Comics in the mid-1980s as design director just as the need for more sophisticated publication design was required for its upscale comics. He helped introduce new readers to the collected editions and gave the Vertigo imprint its distinctive look.

He also stepped in to edit the Prisoner miniseries and later ushered in DC’s first foray into digital comics with Zuda.

What few may recall, though, is that he also wrote a handful of comics stories between 1987 and 1999.

Chief among those stories was the three-issue Adam Strange: Man of Two Worlds project, illustrated by Andy and Adam Kubert. After remaining out of print for a decade or so, it was released in early 2023 in a new edition.

As for who Adam Strange is, I happily refer you to John Wells’ extensive look at the Bronze Age adventures of the Silver Age hero elsewhere in this issue.

In January 2023, Bruning and I spoke about the project, its origins, and reception. What follows is a transcript edited for length and clarity.

– Robert Greenberger [Editor’s notes: Unless otherwise noted, bracketed comments throughout the text were provided by the interviewer. An interview with Adam Strange colorist Adam Kubert follows.]

64 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

ROBERT GREENBERGER: All right. So we’re doing it this way [video chat], so I get a transcript. This saves me some time so I can focus on you.

RICHARD BRUNING: Absolutely. That’s what it should be: all about me. [laughter] GREENBERGER: Let’s talk about Adam Strange, but to do that, we need to go back a little bit. What led you to become a writer after doing the illustration and design work?

BRUNING: Well, I spent most of my childhood, my early formative years, wanting to be an artist, a comic-book artist. What I discovered was to draw comics, you needed a story to draw. And a couple of times I tried to redraw one page out of Daredevil #181 or something in my style, but that didn’t work for me. But it made me realize, I got a lot of ideas when I was thinking about what a story could be, but I was the artist, so who am I to say?

Because this is 1970 and that’s how things worked.

And so, it was always a desire in the back of my head to tell a story.

And in, whatever year it was—1985, ’86— Klaus Janson was doing one of the sciencefiction graphic novel adaptations that Julie [Schwartz] was editing. [Ray Bradbury’s Frost and Fire, the third release from the DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel line edited in 1985–1987 by Schwartz in the twilight of his legendary career at DC.] And because Julie was hands-off, shall we say, as an editor on these projects, I got very involved

Steamed Over the Beam This 1980 Adam Strange cartoon by Bruning appeared in The Comics Journal #55. Scan courtesy of John Wells.

Adam Strange TM & © DC Comics.

in them because having edited at Capital, I really had got a bug into me about storytelling and such.

Klaus had signed on to write and draw. [Prior to this, Janson, the former assistant to Dick Giordano, had only pencilled or inked comics.] We spent a lot of time talking about his story adaptation because he was a first-time writer. So he asked, “Can you tell me what I should do?” He just looked at me like I knew something, which I didn’t, but I was able to figure it out—and, yeah, we had a very good exchange… very good chemistry.

When he was done with that graphic novel, he said, “You know, I really liked working with you on that. Would you like to collaborate on another project?” And I’m thinking: “Well, let’s see—Klaus Janson just asked me if I want to work with him on a project. Yeah, I would love that.” So the ideas for Adam Strange: Man of Two Worlds started percolating, and it was literally one of the best creative experiences of my life. My mind was going in 12 directions at once, and it was all brilliant. Now, I wasn’t brilliant. It was a brilliant experience. It was really very rewarding.

GREENBERGER: Before that you wrote a Green Lantern Corps story with Kevin Nowlan, which is your first published credit for DC [“A Sense of Obligation,” in 1987’s Green Lantern Annual #3.]

GREENBERGER: So true.

BRUNING: Yes. And the reason for that is that BRUNING: He was slow; I mean, that’s why he not long after I started working on the Adam was doing backups. His work was beautiful, but Strange story, Klaus got the gig doing Punisher he was slow, and who can complain about that? at Marvel [the 1987 Punisher miniseries written As you know, at that time in comics, if you couldn’t

by Mike Baron]. It was a big gig getting to do do 22 pages a month, you couldn’t make a living. the Punisher at that particular point in time, as in So he had to bow out and I was like, “Oh, many other times. He’s like, “Sorry, dude, I can’t bummer, again, but okay.” And then Mike do the book.” Bummer.

Carlin, who was fully seated as the editor at So I start looking around for another artist, richard bruning that point, he’s like, “I’ll find somebody. I’ll find and being the eclectic that I am, I remember somebody.” He comes back to me one day and seeing these Grimwood’s Daughter stories as backups in Dalgoda [the fantasy series written by Jan Strnad and says, “How about Andy Kubert, with his brother Adam coloring?” last collected in 2009 by IDW] for Fantagraphics. It was some- And I was like, “Oh, that would be horrible. *wink wink*” I thing that kind of caught my eye, because I was always looking mean, they were just starting to take off. They were doing Doc Savage for DC and Adam had just recently penciled and inked on the fringes for different artists.

And I reached out to [Kevin] cause he was one of those guys this series called Jezebel Jade [a spinoff from their Jonny Quest who could do the entire package and it would all look great series] for Comico—which was beautiful, and he colored it too, [although Grimwood’s Daughter was lettered by Phil Felix and and I’m like, “Wow. What a surprise, Joe Kubert’s sons are also colored by Kenneth Smith; Nowlan tends to color his own work]. tremendously talented. Whoda thunk it?”

I met with Andy and Adam, though more with Andy And then he does the f***ing logo, and that looks great.

I was like, “Oh, my God, if I could work with this guy…” because back then you focused primarily on the penciler or So I reached out to Kevin and we had a very, very positive the inker rather than the colorist, although I’m a big supportconversation on the phone. I was… we’ll say pushy… and I er of colorists. And it was great. They had that workman-like managed to get management to have him flown in from Kan- approach. “Here’s the script.” “I’ll draw it. You’ll like it.” I mean, sas City to Manhattan for a meeting about Adam Strange be- I walked into an incredibly wonderful opportunity to do a cause it was a prestige format series, and back then, as you know, three-book prestige series early in the run of those things, with that was a big damn deal. I mean, it wasn’t really long into the such young, but nonetheless super-talented artists. And I’d like prestige format. [The 48-page squarebound format had heavier, to think, at the end of the day, I did not disappoint anybody glossy paper stock, and superior reproduction techniques and with my writing—or let my inadequacies show too much, at no advertisements. First introduced in 1986 with The Dark Knight least. It was a fabulous experience.

Returns, Adam Strange would be the 12th.] So he flew out and Jonathan Peterson and I got together with him. Jonathan was GREENBERGER: I want to make sure I didn’t miss something acting as my assistant editor. At that time, who my editor would along the way: So it started with Klaus, who then got Punisher. be was kind of uncertain, but ultimately it was Mike Carlin. Thank Then you were talking to Kevin… who said, “I can’t draw 150 you, Mike Carlin. Anyway, so we had a great time and we had a pages.” The Green Lantern story was a consolation prize. thousand ideas; he was very jazzed about it. Then he went back BRUNING: No, that was actually a test flight that came after home, and about a week later he calls me and says, “I can’t do it. we had our initial get-together. It was just an eight-page story.

Somehow, I got the gig from editor Andy Helfer [where Nowlan That’s 150 pages. I’ve never done 150 pages of anything.”

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 65

did indeed pencil, ink, letter, and color]. That was kind of a test run on the two of us working together.

Outside of the fact that was printed on horrible paper with horrible plastic printing plates, the stuff looked beautiful.

I felt it was a good collaboration and Kevin was happy about it too. But again, the reality of eight pages is one thing versus the actualization of 150 pages. Kevin just didn’t feel comfortable committing to that. I don’t think he’s ever done 150 pages of story in his illustrious career.

GREENBERGER: Not that I can think of.

BRUNING: Now, Adam Strange wasn’t my favorite DC character or anything. I liked the old comics, mostly because it was so traditionally space-heroey. It was Buck Rogers and all that. Back in the ’50s and ’60s, [editor] Julie Schwartz would take old ideas from all over—science fiction, pulp stuff, etc.—and work them into a series. Nothing terribly original, but I loved, loved, Carmine Infantino’s work because he drew and he designed. I’d never seen anybody design in visual storytelling the way he did. And I don’t think there was anybody until Steranko to succeed him. As a designer of comics, his panel shapes, his angles, the little hand up at the top with the caption. I mean, my God, I don’t think anybody else has ever done that.

GREENBERGER: If I recall, Carmine actually went back to school and took art classes and architecture where he brought that design sense to DC in the ’50s, which is where his art really made a leap from what he was doing at the end of the Golden Age. BRUNING: Right, exactly. And with a streamlined sharpness.

His buildings were modern.

It wasn’t just boxes and stuff. I mean, they actually were just boxes, but he made them look so cool. He made everything look cool because the pages had a motion and an edge to them.

So I was into the character and the comic more for that reason than for the stories.

Going back to the beginning of all this with Klaus, we were just standing in the hallway going, “What character could we do together?” Many of the characters were already starting to be taken up, because at that time, everyone was reinventing the classic DC characters.

GREENBERGER: Yeah, that’s right, post-Crisis.

BRUNING: Yeah, you’ve got Frank [Miller] doing Batman, you got [John] Byrne doing Superman, George [Pérez] on Wonder Woman. So, we’re trying to figure out a character who wasn’t tied down by anybody, and I don’t know if it was me that suggested the character or Klaus, but somehow, we hit on Adam Strange.

And we’re like, “Yeah, okay, that’s cool!” It wasn’t the greatest thing that ever happened, but he was a legitimate character to

play with. And that’s where my mind started exploding trying figure out what he would be like, especially with late-’80s comics, where everything is trying to be more realistic and mature. Plus, Adam was not a very interesting character.

GREENBERGER: To prepare for this, did you go back and reread all the original Mystery in Space stuff, or did you know it?

BRUNING: I knew it. It was kind of in my DNA because of how important comics were to me when I read them initially growing up. You can’t read too many of them in a row, though. Your mind will go numb, because it’s just the same plot every time.

It’s the monster and the girl and Sardath. So, I went back and did read a bunch of them. And then I read whatever had been done with the character since then, which wasn’t much. The character had never been moved out of his slot. It was exactly like what it’s always been. There had always been that red and white costume. The mission, his history. It felt like untread ground, and I wanted to do something really different with it.

GREENBERGER: Basically, the only characters you had were Adam, Alanna, and Sardath. There were no other real recurring characters.

BRUNING: Exactly. You think of a strip that has only three characters? And ironically, I later wrote the Flash Gordon Sunday newspaper strip for King Features.

I wrote that right after this, because Adam Strange was basically Flash Gordon. There’s the hero, the girl, the dad scientist. Got me that gig.

Anyway, nobody was obligating me for anything. I felt the desire to really shake this thing up because at the end of the day, it wasn’t like Superman, it wasn’t an ideal that people aspire to be Adam. Alanna was a background character basically and that was it. So, I thought, f*** it. Let’s just shake it up. And Mike [Carlin] was okay with it. I mean, he questioned me a fair amount on some of my ideas, but I offered some kind of rationalization that he bought into, and Adam and Andy never said a thing, they just made it look fantastic.

And people didn’t like it.

GREENBERGER: Well, we’ll get to that.

But you know, Rann. You decided it was a relatively sterile civilization in need of new life. You said it’s been 20 cycles since there was a new baby. And there was resentment that the new life was going to be a half-breed.

BRUNING: Right.

Headed for a Fall From late 1989, this DC house ad touted the miniseries’ intended The Fall of Adam Strange title.

TM & © DC Comics.

66 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

Trouble on Rann A couple of years before the Bruning/Kubert mini, things turned darker for Adam Strange in writer Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing #57 (Feb. 1987). Original Rick Veitch/Alfredo Alcala art page courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com).

TM & © DC Comics.

GREENBERGER: That’s really interesting for drama.

BRUNING: Well, the whole point was trying to insert drama into it, and it may be heavy-handed because I regret one thing at least that I did in that book. But in general, I felt it was okay.

I had the particularly unusual circumstance of collaborating with Alan Moore on a comic.

GREENBERGER: Let’s talk about that.

BRUNING: Alan and I had become very tight after The Killing Joke and Watchmen, so at whatever point along the way, when the Adam Strange thing looked like it was actually going to go ahead, I was talking about something else and I think maybe Karen [Berger, Vertigo’s leader, and Bruning’s wife], who was Alan’s editor on Swamp Thing told me, “Oh, he’s planning on doing something with Adam Strange, you should talk to him.”

I was like, “Oh, absolutely, that’s fantastic.”

Basically, we came together and threw the ideas that we had together, stirred it up into a stew, and said, “That’s what Rann is going to be.” With the defertilization of the planet and Adam’s role in that. I couldn’t tell you which part was my idea and which part was his, whatever. Because Alan was tremendously generous with his skill, his talent, and his observations. [That 1986 conversation resulted in the darker take on Adam Strange found in Swamp Thing #57.]

So I knew that the Swamp Thing story was going to come out long before mine. I wasn’t sure when the prestige format series was going to come out, but still we got it as close as we could, having him lay down the seeds of the story in Swamp Thing that I could pick up and then carry forward. Adam Strange is in Swamp Thing, and Swamp Thing, for a moment, is in Adam Strange. That was a lot of fun. Again, you’re taking something nobody ever thought about, like Rann as a planet. What was it about? What are the citizens like? There were Rannians about and you think, “Well, what if it was like this or this?” That stuff is fascinating. Love that. I wish I’d done more of that in my life.

GREENBERGER: I think you’re the first one to actually have people from Earth show up on Rann and not know the language.

BRUNING: Again, probably a trick I learned from reading Swamp Thing or something, right?

GREENBERGER: Yeah, because you know, back in Showcase #17, he shows up on Rann. They can talk to each other.

BRUNING: Just like that. [Both of us clearly forgot about the Menticizer.] [Editor’s note: John Wells didn’t, as noted in his Adam Strange history this issue.]

No, that was fun. Because I thought, “What if I introduced another Earthling on Rann?” So, he’s not the most super-special guy in the whole universe to these people… so developing that relationship off to the side there, I thought that was fun. It was like he wasn’t cheating on Alanna…

GREENBERGER: It was pretty close.

BRUNING: It got real close, but it was a really honest connection that he hadn’t had with an Earth woman in many years. And whatever the timing was the next day as to whether he was

going to come back or not, I thought it was an interesting human dynamic that people might pursue, and so I pursued it.

GREENBERGER: You also gave him siblings.

BRUNING: Yes, again… what do we know about Adam Strange?

Nothing. We know nothing about him.

GREENBERGER: Right. So there was some real tension with the sister there… right up to and after his father died.

BRUNING: Yes. Again, we need drama. You have to create tension to make the story interesting, finding where a conflict could be in this guy who just zaps off to another universe every once in a while. I mean, what if you and I tried that? Wouldn’t people go, “Hey, where are they?” And then there’s familial responsibility.

Like taking care of a parent, an older parent. It just, I tell you, Bob, it just came out. I had the time of my life thinking about it.

GREENBERGER: Well, you know, interestingly, and rereading the miniseries as we prepared for this, I noticed you had some interesting parallels going on with the relationship between Adam and his father and siblings with Alanna’s relationship with her father. And then you bring in the mother that nobody had ever considered before. And that estrangement, you know, there was the estranged mother-daughter relationship on Rann and it was just really interesting. And I don’t know if that was designed to parallel or was just organic.

BRUNING: Yeah, it’s pretty organic. Families parallel their roles and there’s so much universality in the things that we go through. In our relationships, especially with a family, you can kind of pick up an aspect of it here, and you can put it down in

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this family over here. This is nothing new, but it just organically came about. I’m not that philosophical, and I’m writing much more from the gut, I think.

off Rann. He’s a space hero. Maybe he’d be a space hero and visit more planets and more universes? What else did we know about this part of the universe? Nothing much, really. So I wanted to get them off that to tell new stories. I wanted to get GREENBERGER: You know, making Mom leader of the them up into outer space. rebellion was just such an interesting twist, because One singular influence on that was James Blish’s we knew nothing about her and it added this other Cities in Flight, which is one of my favorite series of dynamic and also helped explain some of the books ever, back in the day. [The four volumes were underpinnings of how Rann worked or didn’t published between 1950–1962, now available work. Rann was turned into a dystopia just in an omnibus edition.] When I was reading only ahead of all the dystopian fiction they followed. science fiction as a teen and into my 20s, I just BRUNING: Yeah, it’s funny, because I thought wanted to see this city take off. It gets picked up the other day about [the movie] Ant-Man and and goes off into space. Because again, why not?

Michelle Pfeiffer’s role. Janet Van Dyne was living Otherwise, what’s next? another role in another universe and then getting An Adam Strange story is going to be about the returned back to Earth. And that’s why they did next monster. So that was the end goal: get him that, and they stole the idea from me, and I’m off into outer space to have space adventures. gonna sue them. Yup. [laughter] And, given Alanna’s character, rather than andy kubert turning her into a radical or something else, it © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons.

GREENBERGER: So, the story ends with the seemed like it would shake Adam up the most if birth of Aleea and the death of Alanna. What was the decision he lost her. Because that’s loss, it changes us. process there? It didn’t seem like you wanted to go further with So, you’ve got a counterbalance between birth and life. the character.

It was not easy to write off a character like that, but they’re BRUNING: It didn’t seem to me that it would work if he just fictional characters and you can’t get a little too emotionally conwent along with his girlfriend, status quo. I wanted to get them nected to them, and I thought it served the story well, to kind of swap Alanna and Aleea, as it were. And then to get him off the planet and move forward because Aleea really had very little connection as a child to the planet. She could survive virtually anywhere. And Alanna was always the damsel in distress.

GREENBERGER: Was there any pushback about killing such a long-running character?

BRUNING: Nope. Mike was very accommodating.

We had a big fight on one thing. I was thinking about it before we started talking, and I cannot remember what it was. It was one of those “he could do this, no, he wouldn’t do that” sort of arguments, which is perfectly fine and should happen with the editor. But overall, Mike and DC were, “Fine, go ahead.”

GREENBERGER: You touched on the audience’s reaction to the book. Let me just ask, before the book came out, if you had plans to continue with Adam Strange?

BRUNING: I was already thinking about other stories to tell and other ways to tell them going forward. It’s almost inevitable. You can’t really think about and care about these characters so much that you don’t want to wonder, “So what’s next?” And, if there was a fourth volume to the prestige series, where would it have gone? Very simply, Life happened. My first son was born and I was already putting in a lot of hours a day as design director and then I had no time to write. Now, there are people that do it. I couldn’t do it.

I did run in and pitch at least one storyline, which I couldn’t even tell you now what it was. Then, many years later, I tried pitching a revamp to [then-DC chief editor] Dan DiDio, and he was, “Well, we have big plans for Adam Strange, big plans,” because Dan was a big plan man. Okay, then they basically did nothing but make them blind. I didn’t think it was that big an idea.

GREENBERGER: Was there any real pushback at the company at the time for a relatively untested writer to be getting such a high-profile format?

You Can’t Go Home Again Adam Strange—civilian—faces sibling friction and his father’s passing in Adam Strange #1.

TM & © DC Comics.

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I Rann So Far Away Covers to issues #2 and 3—branded as Books Two and Three—of Adam Strange.

TM & © DC Comics.

BRUNING: Nope. We were so just figuring it out, as you know, in the mid-to-late-’80s. The marketplace was changing so radically, from New Teen Titans onward. So, Crisis was a huge deal, and obviously, everything that followed: Watchmen. Dark Knight.

I wouldn’t have written that story if it hadn’t been for Watchmen or Dark Knight because they both blew minds in different ways: Frank very viscerally and Alan very intellectually.

And DC’s editorial was being run by [executive editor] Dick Giordano, one of the mellowest people in the world. He said “no” to very little from my experience, which I’m grateful for.

[VP] Paul [Levitz] didn’t get that involved in editorial. He deferred to [president and publisher] Jeanette [Kahn], and she was like “Whoopee,” you know? “Do something different. Let’s get orange pillows!” She was wonderful.

And even Mike, who was, you know, conservative, not literally but, you know, he was fairly… traditional is a better word, I think… in his superhero comics approach. I got really very little pushback if I had an answer to a question. It was okay. “Why did he do that?” Because this. “Oh, okay.” And that’s the best thing you can get as a creative person. “Why are you doing it?” Okay, I understand, or I disagree, which is fine, too, but why do you disagree?

And that was the kind of dialogue that was going on at DC. At that point in time, they opened up completely, especially after Frank broke through, because he was such a boy of the house, he’d grown up in DC. And I think when he started, I mean, to me, Dark Knight was so huge.

GREENBERGER: Given that you are an artist and a designer, when the Adam Strange pages started to come in, did you have to bite your tongue and not say, “I’d have done something differently”? Or maybe with the balloon placements?

BRUNING: Nothing. Now, if it didn’t make the action of the panel clear, then yes, I might have said something like, “You know, she can’t be hiding behind that rock, because she’s got the next line to the person that’s over there.” Some of those artists are amazing at how intuitively they got it. You wouldn’t

think the genes in one generation could be so strong. But the Kuberts’ storytelling is impeccable. And they don’t examine it that way; Andy doesn’t ponder over it, he’s a gut-level artist.

He just draws it. He’s workman-like, which sounds so insulting, but it’s not what I mean by it. I mean, he just gets it done and doesn’t muss or fuss about the rest of it.

GREENBERGER: Did he talk with Adam [Kubert] at all? Talk to you about how to approach it from a color standpoint, or did you just let him go?

BRUNING: A little bit, because I was very—I mean, I am still— but I was very into, like, figuring out what colorists were at that time because I felt they were the most underpaid, underrated, unrecognized important people in the comic-book industry.

Especially after I worked with Lynn Varley on Dark Knight and then with John Higgins on Killing Joke and Watchmen, although Killing Joke is another story unto itself. No, we got together and talked about it in just very general terms. He knows what he’s gonna do, and I trusted him. Absolutely.

GREENBERGER: All this time goes by. The three issues are finally finished. They get printed, they come out. The reaction was not what you would hope for.

BRUNING: Well, no, you only want to be accepted, you only want your work to be liked. It was a fanboy experience from my point of view, in terms of the reception. “How dare you?

How dare you do this to this character? This classic DC character?

He would not do any of these things.” But I was, no, I’m certainly killing Alanna. Oh, my God. You know, because again, that was early days when we hadn’t killed a lot of characters yet. I mean, outside of Death in the Family… the world’s stupidest idea.

It just, you know, wasn’t a common theme, but if the story called for it and you could justify it, fine. But people just didn’t like it. All I know is, afterward Adam Strange immediately went back to what he had been before, in any appearance that he had after that.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 69

Father and Child Reunion A touching moment between Adam and Aleea, from Book Three of Adam Strange.

TM & © DC Comics.

GREENBERGER: That’s right. Alanna is alive.

Sardath gets his eye back, but Aleea stays as your one contribution.

BRUNING: So, you want your cake and eat it, too?

Come on. And I mean, Alanna was such a big character for you? I mean, okay, there’re some sour grapes. I was a little pissed that they were picking and choosing what to use out of my story or my interpretation of the character when they were accepting other people’s interpretations of other overhauls. Some pretty much whole cloth. But, you know, the end of the day, what are you gonna do?

GREENBERGER: I hear you. It took a while before it got collected, then it went out of print, and now it’s about to come back into print. Are you involved in the new edition at all?

BRUNING: Well, let me first say, I want to say, for the record? It took forever to get DC to agree to collect it in the first place.

GREENBERGER: Hey, it took longer for The Atlantis Chronicles—I still hold the record. [Adam Strange was released in 1990 and collected in 2009; my Atlantic Chronicles miniseries was out the same year but wasn’t collected until 2018. For more on my project, see BACK ISSUE #108.]

BRUNING: It also took longer than Time Masters, Bob Wayne’s book. [Time Masters, which I also edited, was co-written by Bob Wayne and Lewis Shiner, also released in 1990, and collected in 2008.

For more on my project, see BACK ISSUE #67.]

Because Bob Wayne’s book had never been collected, Bob and I had a little rivalry, you know, it was a friendly rivalry for the most part, but we had a rivalry. And every time it would come up about collecting Adam Strange—and I’m not self-serving enough to be, “We should be collecting Strange”—but when they were talking about ideas, and I was the head of [DC’s] Collected Editions, I would just throw it out because Andy and Adam Kubert were really big names… especially later on. Not me. I know I’m nobody in terms of that. But that’s okay, doesn’t matter. But you had these two powerhouse artists. And an interesting story, I’d like to think. He’ll probably deny it, and that’s fine because it doesn’t matter at the end of the day, but I felt like Bob was always spiking it.

He’s like, “No, we’re not gonna do that one now.”

GREENBERGER: Bob always told me they surveyed the retailers and nobody wanted The Atlantis Chronicles. It took an Aquaman movie to finally get that done.

BRUNING: Who knows?

GREENBERGER: Right. Anyway, the new edition.

Are you involved?

BRUNING: I finally called Curtis King, who is designing the book. Which I’m very happy about it because I hired Curtis as DC’s first digital [desktop] designer in 1989, I think it was.

He and I have an interesting history. There was a time in the computer world when if you wanted to print something out on a laser printer, you had to go to a service bureau. Then you would give them your files and they would print it for you.

Give you a piece of paper with type on it, going, “Here you go. That’ll be however many dollars.”

Because I was such a Macintosh nerd at that time, I wanted to see what we at DC could do with the Mac. And so I was starting to take some of our newsletters that we did and promotional materials for RRPs [Retailer Representative Program] and lay them out in whatever program I was working on at that time, maybe PageMaker, and then I bring them over to this service shop for output, to then paste down on a board. When I was outputting it, there was this guy there, a young guy, and he said, “Hey, you work in comics?” And I was like, “Yeah, yeah, I do.” And so we started talking, and he showed me all these little things I could do with the computer. I was like, “Oh, that’s so cool,” and so we developed a relationship, a friendship, and a professional relationship.

You know, I have a couple of proud moments.

Some of them were around getting Paul [Levitz] to accept the fact that the digital world was coming.

Because he was initially very resistant to it. And

70 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

when I brought my first Mac I bought from you, Bob Greenberger, into the office and slapped it on my desk, which, at 30 pounds was a big loud noise, Paul would say, “It’s just for the games.” I’m like, “No, this is, this is tomorrow. This is tomorrow.” So, thank you, Bob Greenberger!

GREENBERGER: I forgot about that. You’re welcome.

BRUNING: Andy Helfer was also big into the computers at the time, so he helped get DC on board with new technology.

So anyway, that’s how Curtis and I started to collaborate a little bit. And then at some point, I commissioned him—I did sketches and drawings of how I saw the design for the Adam Strange book, and I gave it to him, and he turned them into Illustrator files that could be output. And so that was our first collaboration on that, yes.

GREENBERGER: What did you take from the experience of writing Adam Strange, to writing Alex Raymond’s classic character?

BRUNING: I had met Jay Kennedy [who, unfortunately, died in 2007] when I lived in San Francisco. He was very deep into underground comics, more than even me. Then he got hired by King Features Syndicate to be their comics editor [in 1988], so he was supervising all the strips.

He followed all comics and knew about Adam Strange. He called me to meet with him for lunch and said, “Hey, how would you like to write Flash Gordon?” I was like, “Yeah, sure.” And at that point, I was away from DC, I was back freelancing. [Bruning left to form Brainstorm Unlimited with Dean Motter in 1990, returning to the company as VP-Creative Director from 1996–2010.] So, I could do it without any conflict.

But the assignment came with a lot of caveats. One, not the most important, it didn’t pay anything. They paid like 15 bucks, maybe, per episode. I was originally supposed to write both the daily and the Sunday strips, but I ended up only doing the Sundays. I don’t even remember if there was continuity, frankly, from the weekdays to the weekends.

So, it didn’t pay, the artists didn’t care because they were paid probably half or a third of what DC artists were paid, because they’re in South America. And you really couldn’t do anything with the character.

Business people don’t want you to change the thing that they bought, so they didn’t really want anything to happen. I tried to construct stories around interactions within his world. So few papers carried it, you don’t even want to know. I mean, I’m sure you’re familiar with Tom’s River in New Jersey. That’s one of the big outlets. They just kept it alive for the licensing opportunities. Which they never really did a lot with, did they? [For the record, Bruning wrote the strip from 1992– 1996, with art by Kevin VanHook, Thomas Warkentin, and Andrés Klacik.]

I mean, everybody loved the 1980 movie.

It was just one of those weird experiences.

The greatest thing about it was to be able to insert characters that had my children’s names. And what the hell? Who cares?

It was fun, it was fun. But there was no collaboration because the artist had nothing to do with it, he was given a script and he drew whatever he was told to draw.

GREENBERGER: Did you try and go back and revisit some of the great lands or characters that Raymond created back in the original run?

BRUNING: No. You had a place to work in that “three-foot square.”

GREENBERGER: You came up with your own stuff.

BRUNING: Right. You just stayed in the same place. And you just did the thing that left at the same place as when you picked it up the last time. So, it was disappointing, especially after Adam Strange.

GREENBERGER: You didn’t do a lot of writing, but most of it was in the ’90s… you haven’t really written much that I’ve seen credited since 2000. It’s mostly art and editorial and design. Do you miss writing?

BRUNING: I do. When I left DC in 2010, believe it or not, that first year was just kind of like decompressing, because it had gotten pretty intense. I did start kicking around a couple of new ideas, original ideas. I don’t know why it didn’t work. I kind of got caught in a loop of like maybe, maybe this, maybe that, and I couldn’t break out of it and go to the next stage.

I’ve never given up on the idea, and I’ve developed stuff, and I’m still developing stuff. I mean, I’ve written dozens or hundreds of pages on some concepts I’ve had, but I’ve never felt like I had the whole story. I probably need an editor and I live with a really good editor, but she does not want to edit me on her off time.

GREENBERGER: I can’t imagine. It’s probably better for the marriage anyway.

BRUNING: It would be absolutely, although, I will say in retrospect, early on when I was first working on Adam Strange, I had Karen read my scripts. And she was so good at coming back and asking, “Why did he do that? And if he did that, couldn’t that happen?” I was like, “Thank you!”

See, that’s why she’s a great editor. She will always question the Why? “Why are you doing that?” Then she wants to analyze what your answers are and see where that could take you. That was a wonderful experience, and I’d asked her if she would edit me on a number of projects since then, and she’s just like, “I like our life just the way it is.”

GREENBERGER: It seems to be working for you.

BRUNING: So far so good.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 71

by

Back in Print Title/credits pages to the 2023 Deluxe Edition of the Kubert brothers’ Adam Strange: Between Two Worlds hardcover.

TM & © DC Comics.

Robert Greenberger

Growing up in the Kubert household had to After producing various backup stories for DC, be a fascinating experience. Patriarch Joe was he went on to illustrate the Jonny Quest spinoff busily writing, drawing, or editing war titles Jezebel Jade for Comico. Back at DC, he and for DC Comics. His five children were Andy collaborated on an adaptation of exposed to illustration from birth, the classic pulp hero Doc Savage. Then with sons Adam and Andy showing came Adam Strange: Man of Two both an interest and talent for Worlds. Since then he has become storytelling. an acclaimed penciller for Marvel, In time, Adam began assisting notably working on Wolverine, his father, going on to freelance for Onslaught: X-Men, Ultimate X-Men, DC as a letterer before attending Ultimate Fantastic Four, and Rochester Institute of Technology All-New, All-Different Avengers. and graduating with a degree in Although Andy Kubert declined medical illustration. By then, his to discuss the project, Adam father had launched the Kubert Kubert was happy to chat in late School of Cartoon Art and Adam January 2023. adam kubert was enrolled.

– Robert Greenberger © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons.

72 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

The Kubert Clan (top) The master artist’s family, from DC Special #5 (Oct.–Dec. 1969), a salute to the work of Joe Kubert. Youngest children Adam and Andy followed their talented papa’s footsteps. (bottom) Adam to the rescue… Kubert, that is.

Adam’s colors over brother Andy’s illustrations, on page 3 of Adam Strange #1.

TM & © DC Comics.

ROBERT GREENBERGER: You and your brother were working with DC editor Mike Carlin on Doc Savage.

Was there a direct connection from Doc Savage to Adam Strange?

ADAM KUBERT: I have to say that I was just a second thought as far as Andy goes. I couldn’t even answer that. You know, Andy was actually heavily involved penciling and inking the entire thing. I was asked to color it at some point. I was kind of brought along to help out.

GREENBERGER: You guys had been working together on other stuff, so made sense to treat you as a package.

KUBERT: Yeah. Right. But on Doc Savage, we kind of traded off on art duties, you know—he drew an issue, I would draw an issue. The same with covers; we would alternate. Also, this one was full art by him, and I came along to do the color. I think I may have also done the lettering on that. Did I do the lettering on it?

GREENBERGER: No, that was Todd Klein.

I know you were exposed to comics from the womb.

KUBERT: Yes. And [father Joe Kubert’s] studio room.

GREENBERGER: So, you were exposed to all the stuff that dad would bring home. Were you familiar with or a fan of Adam Strange before this?

KUBERT: I really wish I could say I was the biggest Adam Strange fan on the planet and it was a job that I would have died for. But, I know I wasn’t a big fan… I’m not even sure I knew Adam Strange existed.

GREENBERGER: By the time you were reading comics, Adam Strange was sort of fading out of Mystery in Space.

KUBERT: I gravitated to the books that were already leaning against the bathtub or on the toilet. I read them and they were always there. The book that I loved most was Superman. It was the best book because there’s not a little kid who doesn’t dream that they could fly and be Superman. Batman, not so much, because it didn’t attract me. I wasn’t attracted to any particular artist. It was the characters that really did it for me as a kid.

GREENBERGER: It’s a little-known secret you began your career as a letterer…

KUBERT: I absolutely did. I started lettering when I guess I was 12 or 13.

GREENBERGER: …because I remember you were on To Tell the Truth.

KUBERT: I was actually on What’s My Line?

GREENBERGER: Sorry.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 73

KUBERT: I was on What’s My Line? as the youngest professional letterer, and I’m glad to see you’ve been doing your research.

GREENBERGER: Oh, no—I remember watching that.

KUBERT: I remember watching it, too. It’s funny, because I could never get a recording of that. I still remember I have one picture—we took some photographs off the TV and I have a copy of it.

I started out as a letterer. Again, not because I loved comics, not because I was a fan, but because I had my eye on a minibike, and that was the only way I could get, it. My dad wasn’t gonna buy it for me. So I had to letter, which is what I did, and I had an aptitude. I always loved to draw. I had a steady hand, I had patience. I love detail and I still love the detail to this day.

GREENBERGER: When did you pick up the color palette? When did you start learning your color wheel and all that?

KUBERT: I just don’t know. I don’t really consider myself a painter. I can’t paint, but I can draw. I mean, I could do wash drawings and things like that.

A wash drawing is just one step away from coloring as far as I’m concerned, because you’re putting down tone in a logical artistic way. I think I would take it one step further and tell the story… good colors will tell a story with the coloring. That’s what I also try to do.

You try to delineate different scenes with color to show time of day and whatnot to help tell the story. So I did try to do that.

like, or did you and your brother talk about how to approach the visuals?

KUBERT: No, no. From what I remember—you know I don’t want to oversimplify this—but I really don’t think I did. I think it was given to me. “This is futuristic stuff.” You know, “Make it shiny during the day,” which is a warm palette. “This is during night”; use a cool palette. So, I really didn’t think to review [earlier Adam Strange stories]. Obviously, the things like character costumes, you know, costumes and whatnot that had to be certain colors.

GREENBERGER: If I recall, this was Blue Line. Did you use that for this prestige format book? [Blue Line was a pre-digital color process where the art was photographed full-size and printed in non-reproducing blue ink with a black version on acetate. The coloring was done on the board, the acetate laid over it, and the color separations for printing plates were done with scans.]

KUBERT: Yes. I believe it was Blue Line…

GREENBERGER: They were all Blue Line at the time. You’d previously colored in Blue Line over Eduardo Barreto for the Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography one-shot.

KUBERT: I also started coloring on the black plate, which is what I did GREENBERGER: So, you started leton Lex Luthor. That way, tering, then art, and then color, or the I was able to do color The Youngest Professional Letterer other way around? effects over the black KUBERT: Yeah, I took a couple jobs line, which followed into Adam Kubert, age 13, in 1971 on the television coloring. Early on, I also colored; I think print. Unlike if you did a game show What’s My Line?

I colored my own stuff. When I did a Blue Line, then the black bunch of Jonny Quest stuff for Comico, plate would just be What’s My Line? © FreMantle Media. every once a while, I did the coloring. printed over the work Coloring for me was like lettering. It that you’ve done and just came easy, and it was fun. It was like taking a break from disappear. The black line on acetate was useful, so you’d have drawing, you know? Drawing, up until recently, was always hard something separate to refer to while you’re working on the blue for me. It was a chore, but it was enjoyable—it didn’t come easy. plate and constantly flipping back and forth with the acetate so It was difficult to do, and the lettering was easy. The coloring you can actually see how it’s gonna look. was easy. I colored a job over Carmine Infantino one time over at Comico. It was a Jonny Quest story, and that was amazing. GREENBERGER: At the time you were doing this project, the That was a blast. standard for a colorist was using Dr. [Ph.] Martin’s dyes. What I colored a bunch of stuff. What did I do of my own? I did did you use on the Blue Line? a three-issue Jezebel Jade series for Comico, which I believe I KUBERT: Dr. Martin’s dyes. For white, I would use an opaque colored myself. So, you know, all the covers I did, too. I really white called Pro White. truly want to get back into coloring, but I’m just not that good at PhotoShop. I don’t have the patience. I do a lot of inking GREENBERGER: Did you get feedback or direction from either in PhotoShop, and a lot of digital stuff, but coloring seems to your brother or editor Mike Carlin when you were starting to be different, you know, a different level of knowledge which I turn pages in?

KUBERT: The direction I got from Mike was, “Get the pages in.” haven’t had the patience to learn yet.

You know, I can’t remember really [getting] much direction on GREENBERGER: So, when you got dragged along to work on it. I don’t remember having, you know, any issues with the work Adam Strange for your brother… that I did.

KUBERT: I’m sorry, I wish this was more interesting with Adam Strange, but it was a job, I did it. And then, you know, I was GREENBERGER: Each issue being 48 pages, about how long probably doing something else, and I didn’t really think much might that have taken you to color? A month or more?

KUBERT: Okay, so it was 150 pages, altogether. So one book while I was doing it. was 48 pages, how was my speed doing color? I was pretty GREENBERGER: Did you go back and look at the original run quick at it. You know, I want to say, I think I could do two or to get a sense of what the color scheme for Rann should look three pages in a day of the coloring. It wasn’t just a matter of 74 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

laying down a flat tone. I was going through it and rendering objects and people, I was putting in shadows. I was using a light source and edge lights. I’m adding white after the fact, you know…

I could see I did that here.

GREENBERGER: Did you come up with different colors schemes for Earth versus Rann, to try and give a visual language for Adam Strange’s adopted planet?

KUBERT: I think I did the Earth scenes more in blues and happy colors. For Rann, I probably kept that more in warm colors and a sulfurictype feeling.

GREENBERGER: When you saw Book One, did you think, “Oh, God, I got to fix it and do something different, you know, to make Book Three look better”?

KUBERT: No. I don’t have any recollection of that happening. I think I was pretty happy with how it looked when it was printed. If I was unhappy, I probably would have made some sort of adjustment, but I don’t remember having been unhappy with the job.

GREENBERGER: Knowing we were gonna have this session, did you look back at the book? If so, what’s your reaction to what it looks like, 30 years later?

KUBERT: I did go through and look at some of the stuff. I look at it now and then, and I think it holds up fine.

I think what I was doing and what other colors were doing with Blue Line, it gave you the option of really painting the book, minus the black plate.

It gave you a lot of technique and style, and color, obviously. It was one step below a fully painted book. I just think the whole idea behind Blue Line coloring was to separate out the black plate from the color. So with the printing process, once you bring all the colors including black back together after it’s been separated, the black is still a true black which will make the colors pop. It was used widely enough that I think it made a difference in the quality of the books.

GREENBERGER: It totally raised the bar.

KUBERT: Correct. Same as computer coloring raised the bar, in similar but different ways.

GREENBERGER: Adam Strange was right on the heels of Blue Line. Computer color got introduced in the mid to late ’80s. We were already starting to experiment with it at that time.

KUBERT: I was doing some X-Men stuff right around ’93, ’94, when computer coloring started to kick in. Some of it was horrible because, you know, all of a sudden they could use rock textures everywhere, but they didn’t think, “If I use a rock texture on top of heavily rendered ink textures, it’s just gonna look like mud in the end.” It’s not until you develop some self-control where that really started to work out well.

Even to this day, for a lot of colorists, the best are the ones that can draw. The guys that are just filling in the numbers, you know, coloring by number, could hurt more than they can help.

My dad always taught me, “You got to make it work. You have got to try to make your work color-proof,” you know. “You’ve got a lot of rendering, make sure all the tones are in there.”

With computer coloring, there’s no way you can make yourself color-proof because they can take the black and do whatever with it or put a color on top of the black and turn the black into a color. So you can’t really make it color-proof.

You just have to become really good friends with the colorist and hope for the best or color it yourself.

Rann in Ruins Original color art (courtesy of Heritage) to page 22 of Adam Strange #3. Signed by color artist Adam Kubert.

TM & © DC Comics.

Follow writer/editor/educator/pop culture historian ROBERT GREENBERGER at bobgreenberger.com.

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 75

Find BACK ISSUE on

PREVIOUSLY, IN BACK ISSUE…

Before you pose the obligatory “Where’s (name of your favorite DC super-star of space here)?” question about this issue, ye ed invites you to dig deep into the BACK ISSUE vault to read about these previously covered sci-fi topics in the following issues: • Brainiac (BI #72) • Captain Comet (BI #29) • Darkseid (BI #104) • The Forever People (BI #104) • Green Lantern (BI #32, 64, 69, 80, 117, 123; with Green Arrow: BI #18, 45, 49, 64) • Hawkman (BI #97) • Hex (BI #14) • Jemm, Son of Saturn (BI #115) • Lady Quark (BI #90) • Manhunter 2070 (BI #120) • Mr. Miracle (BI #31, 104) • New Gods (BI #38, 53, 71, 104) • Space Ghost (BI #2, 30, 59) • Star Hunters (BI #34) • Starman II (BI #71, 115) • Starman III (BI #115) • Tales of the Green Lantern Corps (BI #137)

SUPERHERO STAND-INS

I just wanted to send a note about how much I love BACK ISSUE magazine (and related publications).

I absolutely love ’80s comic books (I always try to track down a good TPB or hardcover collection from that era), so I was overjoyed when I discovered your magazine around a year or so ago with the great Wolverine cover when you were covering 1980s Marvel miniseries, e.g., Wolverine, Punisher, Falcon, etc. [BI #132]. I am slowly but surely tracking down and reading all the previous great issues of BACK ISSUE. And regarding any suggestions for upcoming topics to cover, if you haven’t already, perhaps you could devote an issue to the replacements—popular heroes that have been replaced (almost always temporarily) over the years with not so insignificant storylines: Batman replaced by Azrael and Robin when his back was broken; Stark replaced by Rhodey; Thor replaced by Masterson; Wonder Woman replaced by Artemis; Hal Jordan replaced by Stewart and Rayner; Oliver Queen replaced by Connor, etc. These replacement stories were some great comics.

– Clint Gerdine

NEVER TOO LATE TO DIG DINOSAURS

(Excuse the late arrival of this email. That’s what happens when you get lost in the Xenozoic world of Mark Schultz!)

Over the years I have tracked down countless series as a result of articles I have read in BACK ISSUE. Xenozoic Tales (featured in BI #140) stands head and shoulders above all of them.

The artwork by Mark Schultz is exquisite, sumptuous, awe-inspiring—and all the adjectives others have used to describe it. And while the wonderful illustrations leap off the page, the storytelling is a more hidden gem that reveals itself gradually, yet is every bit as compelling as the visuals. I especially appreciated the fact that very little was made explicit. Readers were considered to be intelligent, and so capable of understanding subtext, and the things not said. Mr. Schultz never holds the reader’s hand, nor tells us, for example, that the familiar names for dinosaurs have been lost in the disaster that befell the Earth. The survivors have simply come up with new names, and that doesn’t need spelling out. Nor do we ever see the Xenozoic protagonists bemoaning the lack of things which would have been commonplace in the past, and which they don’t know they no longer have.

So how did a long-standing comic reader manage to miss this epic series? Well, distribution of Kitchen Sink comics was somewhat patchy in the UK, let’s say, and the publishing schedule of the title quickly became a law unto itself. Thus, any copies that did make it to the racks would have been few and far between, and were doubtless snapped up very quickly. That’s my excuse, anyway.

Thirty years later (once I’d managed to hunt down all 14 issues, which wasn’t easy), I had the luxury of being able to immerse myself in the Xenozoic world over the course of an enjoyable few days. Thirty years old it might be, yet the subject matter feels somehow timeless. The ecological message, relevant then, is even more so today, and though this runs like a seam throughout Xenozoic Tales, it never overwhelms the series.

His series reaching a somewhat indeterminate end with issue #14, Mark Schultz informs us in his interview that he is at work on a Xenozoic graphic novel, no less. What a treat that will be. I only hope it gets finished before— well, let’s not put a date on it. Take as long as you need, Mark; we’ll be ready when you are.

– Simon Bullivant “Lost in the Xenozoic world of Mark Schultz”? What a delightful rabbit hole to fall into!

And if you need proof: On the opposite page is a Xenozoic Tales print, illustrated and autographed by Mark Schultz, that was produced in 1996 by Kitchen Sink Press. Thanks to Heritage Auctions for the scan.

76 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

Thor/Beta Ray Bill TM & © Marvel.

Send your comments to: Email: euryman@gmail.com (subject: BACK ISSUE) Postal mail: Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief • BACK ISSUE 112 Fairmount Way • New Bern, NC 28562

So happy you found us, Clint!

As you’re gathering BI’s back issues, don’t miss issue #117, our “Superhero StandIns” issue. Some of your wish list appeared therein. And as we inch more into the 1990s with our coverage, some of the other story arcs are bound to pop up too.

Really liked the unseen Marie Severin cover rough to Nick Fury #16 you included. Surprised it was rejected, especially for a long-distance shot cover where Fury and his dire situation are just a tiny side-detail.

Also surprising: the Marvel Special Edition #14 cover, reprinting Sgt. Fury #16, with different coloring. Originally, it was a monochromatic yellow, which was particularly distinctive and memorable. Here, colored traditionally, it lost its unique feel.

Of course, it still beat the tampering with the Sgt. Fury #1 cover, reprinted in #167, with the UPC box and Spider-Man cartoon banner atop. Between those and the other blurbs, the cover art is overwhelmed.

One additional short feature you included cracked me up: Encyclopedia Brown. Totally forgot about him. Never read the strip but did see at least one of the books when I was young.

He was always logically catching an adult in a lie. The one I recall is, the deceiver was mentioning how he was gone all day in the car and couldn’t have been responsible for some local crime. Yet, Brown caught him when he saw a baby playing on the hood of the car without it being too hot to touch.

– Joe Frank

Artwork © 2023 Mark Schultz. Xenozoic® Mark Schultz.

Joe, you can thank Dewey Cassell, who wrote the Encyclopedia Brown article, for pitching it to ye ed. I knew very little about EB prior to Dewey’s article and learned a great deal from it.

FRANKLY SPEAKING

Regarding BACK ISSUE #141 (“Spies and P.I.s” issue): Surprisingly fun articles about Nick Fury, both as a sergeant and a spy.

I think the initial Lee/Kirby issues of Sgt. Fury are needlessly overlooked and feature some tremendous stories and characterization. (Even ones from the late 1960s, with John Severin inking, were extraordinary.)

I didn’t feel the same about their Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. work. It was less about people and more about malevolent organizations and faceless opponents. Also, in the first dozen-plus segments, there were too many different art teams. No real consistency. Lots of talent—Kirby, Severin, and Sinnott—but not long enough to make an impression.

Jim Steranko’s run, with an ongoing super-creative talent at the helm, took care of that complaint. The covers you displayed include my favorite of his: Nick Fury #1, with the cast maneuvering, in character, on psychedelic building blocks.

Beautifully composed and quite fun, over 50 years later, to re-examine.

I felt a very different emotion when I saw the cover you included for issue #4. Still brilliant, but I remember my shock and disappointment when I originally opened the book and discovered, to my horror, it was a different artist inside. After almost two years of compelling stories and amazingly cool Steranko art, I was conditioned to expect it. So, afterwards, with other folks at the helm, both writers and artists, my interest level plummeted. When the book was cancelled, there were no tears in my eyes.

When I first saw a few months back what the subject was going to be for issue #141, I got very excited. Spies? P.I.s?

Yes, please!

Of course, BACK ISSUE came through with another amazing issue.

Nick Fury has always been a favorite of mine. The Steranko issues of Nick Fury were the first back issues I ever bought (and still have today!). I fell in love with the character and have gobbled up anything I could find with him in it. The amazing articles by James Heath Lantz, Patrick A. Reed, and Ian Millsted were a joy to read, filled with fascinating details and trivia about Nick. I especially enjoyed Ian’s article about Fury in Britain.

When I was a kid, Encyclopedia Brown books were my gateway to the love of detective fiction I have now. Speaking of which, Ms. Tree was my first introduction to Max Allan Collins. Besides loving Ms. Tree, I was able to branch out to novelist Max Allan Collins and have devoured his Quarry, Heller, and Nolan series. He has become one of my favorite novelists of all time. The interview with him and Terry Beatty was sublime, asking the questions I would have asked myself.

I also want to mention Mark Evanier, Dan Spiegle, and Crossfire. I loved this series. I can still remember being in my local comic shop and seeing the Dan Spiegle cover for issue #4, with Crossfire himself being menaced by some truly scary monsters! I had to have that issue and after reading it went on the hunt for the first three issues. Superb stuff.

Great articles about Hydra and Checkmate rounded out, what was to me, a perfect issue of BACK ISSUE. I read it cover to cover (as I do practically all BI issues).

Hail Hydra!

Er, I mean… Sincerely, yeah, sincerely, – Jeff Mitchell

Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. TM & © Marvel.

HARD-BOILED HAPPINESS

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 77

Speaking of Mark Evanier’s Crossfire guest column, a correction is required in its author’s bio: Sergio Aragonés and Sergio Aragonés alone is the creator of Groo. Our apologies for listing Mark Evanier as Groo’s co-creator.

Third, your Neal Adams covers to various issues, some of which I’d certainly seen on the spinner racks. The nine-cover page was perfect; the covers large enough to see fairly well. Some of the smaller ones, even with a magnifying glass, challenge me to make out more than HONORARY RESIDENT OF SMALLVILLE the basic figures.

I’m a Superboy fan. That’s fact.

Fourth, you jarred a memory with the Wally Wood inks.

I love his portion of the Superman lore. I love that he In the early to mid-’70s, I saw one issue in my high school has the greatest partner in comics, Krypto, the Superdog. Spanish class. I couldn’t, at that point, read it well, but just I love his strong and vital connection to his “family,” the looking at the art was consolation enough.

Legion of Super-Heroes. I love his rock-solid friendship with Agreed, the original logo was light years better than the Pete Ross, his brother, and most important his best friend bland revamp lettering.

Lana Lang. I love the guidance, Laughed at the splash page from wisdom, and humanity he gets “The Day Superboy Became Superfrom his “Ma and Pa.” man.” The lady who notes SuperI love his Filmation cartoons boy helping other worlds but not (“Double Trouble, Double Doom” problems closer to home echoes is second to none). the scene in Green Lantern/Green I love that many of his adArrow #76 some six months earlier. ventures were crafted by a Hall I also liked Far-Out Green Super of Fame of comics’ greats: John Cool, a Frank Thorne comic I’d not Sikela, Otto Binder, George previously even heard of. I don’t Papp, Bill Finger, Al Plastino, think of Thorne as a hero artist, but Jerry Coleman, Curt Swan, this demonstrates he easily could Frank Robbins, Bob Brown, have been. It initiates a potential Neal Adams, Leo Dorfman, feature: unearthing advertising John Forte, Dave Cockrum, or promotional comic work we Jim Shooter, Mike Grell, James haven’t seen, by familiar names in Sherman, Kurt Schaffenberger, the industry.

Cary Bates, and more.

Really enjoyed something that’s I love his hit TV show (yes, 100 rare here: a six-page letters column!

TM & © DC Comics. episodes is a hit).

Hope people continue to write in as it I love seeing “the most powerful being on Earth,” makes for a nice variety of opinions. just being a kid, and navigating the landscape we mere Especially loved the larger Gene Colan Howard the Duck mortals call life. Joy. Sorrow. Love. Heartbreak. Embarrassment. newspaper art. Question: Did the Gerber/Colan strip ever get Victory. Screwing up. Responsibility. a paperback or similar compilation? Thought the first two I love hearing Bob Hastings say, “This is a job for stories, especially, were just as funny as the comic, and that was SUPERBOY!” saying something.

I love Brave and the Bold #192. One of the BEST Superboy – Joe Frank stories ever told.

I love collecting his adventures.

Two Joe Frank letters in one “Back Talk” column! (You and Jeff I love that his stories (after 50 years) still thrill and make Mitchell are this issue’s Lords of Letterhacking.) me smile.

Re your potential feature idea: If we find such projects, And I will always love, thank, and respect BACK ISSUE #142, we’ll certainly write about them.

John Wells, Dan Johnson, Ed Lute, Steven Thompson, Mark I don’t believe that the Howard the Duck comic Arnold, and all things TwoMorrows. strip has been reprinted. If I’m wrong, any reader with And especially, the “Top Sarge,” Mr. Eury, who put up with information about a collected edition of the HTD strip me constantly requesting a BI Superboy issue. And boy, did should contact ye ed at euryman@gmail.com and I’ll he deliver. share this info with our readers.

– Wayne C. Brooks Let’s make that “And boy, did we deliver,” Wayne, since our Super Issue was a team effort (as they all are). Including loyal readers like you. Glad you enjoyed our trip to Smallville.

Thanks for the Superboy suggestion!

NOT AN HONORARY RESIDENT OF SMALLVILLE

Wasn’t expecting miracles with your “Super” issue, but, surprisingly, I did find areas of enjoyment.

The biggest one was your coverage of late Silver/ early Bronze Age Superboy. Mostly confined to grudging barbershop reading, for me, but you found four points of actual interest.

First was the assembled Superboy model kit with a photograph of a completed and painted version. I never built one but I do remember it (around 1966).

Secondly, the Dave Cockrum art from the 1974 [Aurora model kit] rerelease. Nice!

SALUTING BACK ISSUE’s SUPER WRITERS

I go to the mailbox and open it up. Bill, blah, bill, blah, menu, blah, BACK ISSUE magazine, yes! The first issue [#142] of my renewal!

I go inside and sit in my favorite chair and open up the magazine and take a look at the cover. Superboy? Blah. Super Goof? Blah. Super-Dagwood??!! Really? Blah.

“Oh, well, I thought, not every issue is going to be to your taste.” Still, I open the magazine and start reading. I get to the end of the Super Goof article and I realize that I haven’t skimmed any part of the magazine so far. I’ve read every word of every article so far. What’s going on?

Then it hits me: Of course, I’ve read every word: BI has the best stable of writers (and that editor *chef’s kiss*) of any magazine around! Even if the subject of the article isn’t to your liking, you know that you’re going to get a well researched, well thought out, and most importantly, well written article.

That’s why you subscribe!

78 • BACK ISSUE • DC Super-Stars of Space Issue

We do have some great writers, don’t we?

© Classic Media.

RICHIE RICH’S SUPER-MOM

Re BI #142: Never expected to see the Aurora Comics Scenes Superboy cover repurposed as a BI cover. Shame you don’t have Comicraft’s “Long Underwear” font, which is a copy of the 2nd Superboy logo’s typeface, to create a BACK ISSUE logo for this issue.

Superboy without the LSH: I thought this article by John Wells was only going to cover Superboy during the Bob Brown run. Nice to see the DC Super-Stars #12, return to Adventure Comics, Four-Star Spectacular (I enjoyed that book. Thanks for nothing, Jenette!), and Superman Family appearances! Was Wally Wood ever asked about his time on Superboy? Did he enjoy it? Hate it?

SuperRichie: So, no mention of Richie Rich Millions #45 (Jan. 1971), where Richie’s mother, who has developed aboveaverage strength because of all the jewelry she wears, is able to move parked pickup trucks, toss downed trees, lift gold statues, and toss full bags of coins into a vault with ease while wearing a Supergirlesque costume for a forthcoming costume party?

The Adventures of Superboy interviews: Kinda surprised that neither Gerard Christopher nor Stacy Haiduk were aware that [the Season One TV Superboy] John Haymes Newton was fired because he was arrested/got a ticket for drunk driving during the hiatus between Seasons One and Two, and the morals clause in the contract kicked in, rather than because they didn’t like his acting. It would’ve been interesting to have seen Gerard segue from Superboy to Superman in Lois & Clark, albeit with weaker flying effects, which were better in Superboy. Stacy definitely was a better choice for Lana than Jennifer Aniston. Makes one wonder what would’ve happened to Jennifer afterwards. While Teri Hatcher did a great job as Mon-El’s evil mother in Supergirl, they should’ve cast Stacy in some other role in another episode.

With all the super guest-stars who appeared in the various Arrowverse TV series, I’m disappointed that Newton, Christopher, or Haiduk never appeared in any of those shows.

– Delmo (The Saint) Walters, Jr. The American © Mark Verheiden. Aztec Ace © Doug Moench and Michael Hernandez. Megaton Man © Donald Simpson.

Trekker © Ron Randall. Whisper © Steven Grant and Rich Larson. Zot! © Silver Linings. BACK ISSUE TM & © TwoMorrows Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

HE’S THE PRINCE OF PRINCE STREET

As Superboy #164 was my very first comic book, this latest issue of BI held a special interest for me, and it did not disappoint. I have a nearly complete Bronze Age run of Superboy, but it was still a kick to read John Wells’ overview of those preLegion years (some wild and wacky stuff in there, often times contrasted with a serious-looking Neal Adams cover… ah, I love that era). I quite enjoyed the bulk of the issue as well, even the pieces on Super Goof and Richie Rich (two characters for whom I have very little affection). I’d never heard of Frank Thorne’s The Far-Out Green Super Cool, and am dying to get my hands on at least one issue now.

I also found Steven Thompson’s piece on Grass Green’s Super Soul Comix to be really interesting.

The only article I skipped was the Super Mario Bros. piece, as I’ve never been into videogaming, neither at home nor the arcade (which is ironic considering I pay the bills by slinging drinks at a vintage arcade-themed bar). But I do have one (actually two) nits to pick about the issue…

I will confess to being egotistical enough to first skip to “Back Talk” in every issue to check if anyone has anything to say about “Prince Street News.” And while it was nice to see two mentions in #142, both writers messed up my name!

First, Simon Bullivant skipped the second “e” in “Heitmueller” (which is a common mistake), and then Ed Lute referred to me as “Kurt” (which unfathomably also happens fairly often).

Ah, well. I’m not really complaining, as kind words are always appreciated, and let’s face it, it is a tricky name! I mean, I’ve had it for almost 60 years and I’m still not sure how to pronounce it!

Thanks for another great issue, I was happy (as always) to be a part of it!

– Kurt Heitmuller, Jr. Er, uh… Karl Heitmueller, Jr.

TM & © DC Comics.

I didn’t change my mind about liking Super Goof, SuperDagwood, or even Superboy, but, man, was I entertained!

That’s what separates a great magazine from just an average one; and BI is never, ever average.

So, a big thank-you to all of the fantastic BI writers. Long may your capes wave!

– Jeff Mitchell

Karl, the lettercol is the section of the magazine that doesn’t get the same TLC as the actual articles, and my hasty editing passed over those errors with your name.

My apologies.

And while we’re on the topic: I LOVE Karl’s “Prince Street News” cartoons, and I know a lot of you readers do to. So fellow PSN fans, write in and share your love for Karl’s clever commentary.

Next issue: ’80s Indie Heroes, starring The American, Aztec Ace, Dynamo Joe, Evangeline, Journey, Megaton Man, Trekker, Whisper, and Zot! Featuring DAN DAY, PHIL FOGLIO, STEVEN GRANT, RICH LARSON, SCOTT McCLOUD, WILLIAM MESSNER-LOEBS, DOUG MOENCH, RON RANDALL, DON SIMPSON, MARK VERHEIDEN, CHRIS WARNER, THOMAS YEATES, and more superstar creators.

Re-presenting the cover to First Comics’ Whisper #4 by NORM BREYFOGLE! Don’t ask—just BI it! See you in sixty!

Your friendly neighborhood Euryman, Michael Eury, editor-in-chief

DC Super-Stars of Space Issue • BACK ISSUE • 79

THE BEST OF SIMON & KIRBY’S

MAINLINE COMICS

by JOE SIMON & JACK KIRBY Introduction by JOHN MORROW

In 1954, industry legends JOE SIMON and JACK KIRBY founded MAINLINE PUBLICATIONS to publish their own comics during that turbulent era in comics history. The four titles—BULLSEYE, FOXHOLE, POLICE TRAP, and IN LOVE—looked to build off their reputation as hit makers in the Western, War, Crime, and Romance genres, but the 1950s backlash against comics killed any chance at success, and Mainline closed its doors just two years later. For the first time, TwoMorrows Publishing is compiling the best of Simon & Kirby’s Mainline comics work, including all of the stories with S&K art, as well as key tales with contributions

by MORT MESKIN and others. After the company’s dissolution, their partnership ended with Simon leaving comics for advertising, and Kirby taking unused Mainline concepts to both DC and Marvel. This collection bridges the gap between Simon & Kirby’s peak with their 1950s romance comics, and the lows that led to Kirby’s resurgence with CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN and the early MARVEL UNIVERSE. With loving art restoration by CHRIS FAMA, and an historical overview by JOHN MORROW to put it all into perspective, the BEST OF SIMON & KIRBY’S MAINLINE COMICS presents some of the final, and finest, work Joe and Jack ever produced. NOW SHIPPING! (256-page COLOR HARDCOVER) $49.95 • (Digital Edition) $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-118-9

All characters TM & © their respective owners.

DESTROYER DUCK GRAPHITE EDITION

by JACK KIRBY & STEVE GERBER Introduction by MARK EVANIER

In the 1980s, writer STEVE GERBER was embroiled in a lawsuit against MARVEL COMICS over ownership of his creation HOWARD THE DUCK. To raise funds for legal fees, Gerber asked JACK KIRBY to contribute to a benefit comic titled DESTROYER DUCK. Without hesitation, Kirby (who was in his own dispute with Marvel at the time) donated his services for the first issue, and the duo took aim at their former employer in an outrageous five-issue run. With biting satire and guns blazing, Duke “Destroyer” Duck battled the thinly veiled Godcorp (whose infamous credo was “Grab it all! Own it all! Drain it all!”), its evil leader Ned Packer and the (literally) spineless Booster Cogburn, Medea (a parody of Daredevil’s Elektra), and more! Now, all five Gerber/Kirby issues are collected—but relettered and reproduced from JACK’S UNBRIDLED, UNINKED PENCIL ART! Also included are select examples of ALFREDO ALCALA’s unique inking style over Kirby on the original issues, Gerber’s script pages, an historical Introduction by MARK EVANIER (co-editor of the original 1980s issues), and an Afterword by BUZZ DIXON (who continued the series after Gerber)! Discover all the hidden jabs you missed when DESTROYER DUCK was first published, and experience page after page of Kirby’s raw pencil art! NOW SHIPPING! (128-page COLOR HARDCOVER) $31.95 • (Digital Edition) $13.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-117-2

ALTER EGO COLLECTORS’ ITEM CLASSICS

By overwhelming demand, editor ROY THOMAS has compiled all the material on the founders of the Marvel Bullpen from three SOLD-OUT ALTER EGO ISSUES—plus OVER 30 NEW PAGES OF CONTENT! There’s the STEVE DITKO ISSUE (#160 with a rare ’60s Ditko interview by RICHARD HOWELL, biographical notes by NICK CAPUTO, and Ditko tributes)! The STAN LEE ISSUE (#161 with ROY THOMAS on his 50+ year relationship with Stan, art by KIRBY, DITKO, MANEELY, EVERETT, SEVERIN, ROMITA, plus tributes from pros and fans)! And the JACK KIRBY ISSUE (#170 with WILL MURRAY on Kirby’s contributions to Iron Man’s creation, Jack’s Captain Marvel/Mr. Scarlet Fawcett work, Kirby in 1960s fanzines, plus STAN LEE and ROY THOMAS on Jack)! Whether you missed these issues, or can’t live without the extensive NEW MATERIAL on DITKO, LEE, and KIRBY, it’s sure to be an AMAZING, ASTONISHING, FANTASTIC tribute to the main men who made Marvel! NOW SHIPPING! (256-page COLOR SOFTCOVER) $35.95 • (Digital Edition) $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-116-5

CLIFFHANGER!

CINEMATIC SUPERHEROES OF THE SERIALS: 1941–1952 by CHRISTOPHER IRVING

Hold on tight as historian CHRISTOPHER IRVING explores the origins of the first on-screen superheroes and the comic creators and film-makers who brought them to life. CLIFFHANGER! touches on the early days of the film serial, to its explosion as a juvenile medium of the 1930s and ‘40s. See how the creation of characters like SUPERMAN, CAPTAIN AMERICA, SPY SMASHER, and CAPTAIN MARVEL dovetailed with the early film adaptations. Along the way, you’ll meet the stuntmen, directors (SPENCER BENNETT, WILLIAM WITNEY, producer SAM KATZMAN), comic book creators (SIEGEL & SHUSTER, SIMON & KIRBY, BOB KANE, C.C. BECK, FRANK FRAZETTA, WILL EISNER), and actors (BUSTER CRABBE, GEORGE REEVES, LORNA GRAY, KANE RICHMOND, KIRK ALYN, DAVE O’BRIEN) who brought them to the silver screen—and how that resonates with today’s cinematic superhero universe. NOW SHIPPING! (160-page COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 • (Digital Edition) $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-119-6

TwoMorrows 2023 www.twomorrows.com • store@twomorrows.com

THE

PACIFIC COMICS COMPANION

by STEPHAN FRIEDT & JON B. COOKE

Author STEPHAN FRIEDT shares the story of the meteoric rise of the Schanes brothers’ California-based imprint PACIFIC COMICS, which published such legends as JACK KIRBY, SERGIO ARAGONÉS, STEVE DITKO, NEAL ADAMS, MIKE GRELL, BERNIE WRIGHTSON, and DAVE STEVENS. From its groundbreaking 1981 arrival in the fledgling direct sales market, to a catastrophic, precipitous fall after only four years, THE PACIFIC COMICS COMPANION reveals the inside saga, as told to Friedt by BILL AND STEVE SCHANES, DAVID SCROGGY, and many of the creators themselves. It also focuses on the titles and the amazing array of characters they introduced to an unsuspecting world, including THE ROCKETEER, CAPTAIN VICTORY, MS. MYSTIC, GROO THE WANDERER, STARSLAYER, and many more. Written with the editorial assist of Eisner Award-winning historian JON B. COOKE, this retrospective is the most comprehensive study of an essential publisher in the development of the creator’s rights movement. Main cover illustration by DAVE STEVENS. NOW SHIPPING!

WORKING WITH DITKO

by JACK C. HARRIS

WORKING WITH DITKO takes a unique and nostalgic journey through comics’ Bronze Age, as editor and writer JACK C. HARRIS recalls his numerous collaborations with legendary comics master STEVE DITKO! It features never-before-seen preliminary sketches and pencil art from Harris’ tenure working with Ditko on THE CREEPER, SHADE THE CHANGING MAN, THE ODD MAN, THE DEMON, WONDER WOMAN, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, THE FLY, and even Ditko’s unused redesign for BATMAN! Plus, it documents their work on numerous independent properties, and offers glimpses of original characters from Ditko’s drawing board that have never been viewed by even his most avid fans! This illustrated volume is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience the creative comic book process by one of the industry’s most revered creators, as seen through the eyes of one of his most frequent collaborators! NOW SHIPPING!

Star Guider TM & © Jack C. Harris.

Shade TM & © DC Comics.

(160-page COLOR SOFTCOVER) $29.95 (Digital Edition) $15.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-121-9

(128-page COLOR SOFTCOVER) $24.95 • (Digital Edition) $13.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-122-6

THE CHILLINGLY WEIRD ART OF

MATT FOX

by ROGER HILL

MATT FOX (1906–1988) first gained notoriety for his jarring cover paintings on the pulp magazine WEIRD TALES from 1943 to 1951. His almost primitive artistry encompassed ghouls, demons, and grotesqueries of all types, evoking a disquieting horror vibe that no one since has ever matched. Fox suffered with chronic pain throughout his life, and that anguish permeated his classic 1950s cover illustrations and his lone story for CHILLING TALES, putting them at the top of all pre-code horror comic enthusiasts’ want lists. He brought his evocative storytelling skills (and an almost BASIL WOLVERTON-esque ink line over other artists) to ATLAS/MARVEL horror comics of the 1950s and ’60s, but since Fox never gave an interview, this unique creator remained largely unheralded—until now! Comic art historian ROGER HILL finally tells Fox’s life story, through an informative biographical essay, augmented with an insightful introduction by FROM THE TOMB editor PETER NORMANTON. This FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER also showcases all of the artist’s WEIRD TALES covers and interior illustrations, and a special Atlas Comics gallery with examples of his inking over GIL KANE, LARRY LIEBER, and others. Plus, there’s a wealth of other delightfully disturbing images by this grand master of horror—many previously unpublished and reproduced from his original paintings and art—sure to make an indelible imprint on a new legion of fans. NOW SHIPPING! (128-page COLOR HARDCOVER) $29.95 • (Digital Edition) $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-120-2

New from TwoMorrows!

ALTER EGO #185

ALTER EGO #186

ALTER EGO #187

KIRBY COLLECTOR #88

KIRBY COLLECTOR #89

Spotlights ANGELO TORRES, the youngest and last of the fabled EC Comics artists— who went on to a fabulous career as a horror, science-fiction, and humor artist for Timely/Marvel, Warren Publishing, and MAD magazine! It’s a lushly illustrated retrospective of his still-ongoing career— plus FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America), MICHAEL T. GILBERT in Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, and more

Focuses on great early science-fiction author EDMUND HAMILTON, who went on to an illustrious career at DC Comics, writing Superman, Batman, and especially The Legion of Super-Heroes! Learn all about his encounters with RAY BRADBURY, MORT WEISINGER, JULIUS SCHWARTZ, et al—a panoply of titans! Plus FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT in Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, and more!

THE COLLECTORS! Fans’ quest for and purchase of Jack’s original art and comics, MARV WOLFMAN shares his (and LEN WEIN’s) interactions with Jack as fans and pros, unseen Kirby memorabilia, an extensive Kirby pencil art gallery, MARK EVANIER moderating the 2023 Kirby Tribute Panel from Comic-Con International, plus a deluxe wrap-around Kirby cover with foldout back cover flap, inked by MIKE ROYER!

KIRBY CONSPIRACIES! Darkseid’s Foourth World palace intrigue, the too-many attempted overthrows of Odin, Kang contradictions, Simon & Kirby swipes, a never-reprinted S&K story, MARK EVANIER’s 2023 Kirby Tribute Panel from Comic-Con International (with JEREMY KIRBY, MARK BADGER, BRUCE SIMON, JON B. COOKE, and PAUL S. LEVINE), an extensive Kirby pencil art gallery, and more!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Dec. 2023

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Feb. 2024

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All characters TM & © their respective owners.

Presenting MARK CARLSON-GHOST’s stupendous study of the 1940s NOVELTY COMICS GROUP—with heroes like Blue Bolt, Target and the Targeteers, White Streak, Spacehawk, etc., produced by such Golden Age super-stars as JOE SIMON & JACK KIRBY, CARL BURGOS, BILL EVERETT, BASIL WOLVERTON, et al. Plus MICHAEL T. GILBERT in Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, FCA, and more!

BACK ISSUE #150

BRICKJOURNAL #82

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #32 COMIC BOOK CREATOR #33

ANNIVERSARY ISSUE! Our oversized 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR sesquicentennial edition, featuring BATMEN OF THE 1970s! Exploring the work of Bronze Age Batman artists BOB BROWN, DICK GIORDANO, IRV NOVICK, FRANK ROBBINS, WALTER SIMONSON, ALEX TOTH, & BERNIE WRIGHTSON. Plus: revisit FRANK MILLER’s first Batman story, and more!

Celebrating Disney’s 100th anniversary in LEGO! Disney Castles with MARTIN HARRIS and DISNEYBRICK, magical builds

by JOHN RUDY and editor JOE MENO, instructions to build characters, plus: Nerding Out with BRICKNERD, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS!

WILLIAM STOUT is interviewed about his illustration and comics work, as well as his association with DINOSAURS publisher BYRON PREISS, the visionary packager/ publisher who is also celebrated in this double-header issue. Included is the only comprehensive interview ever conducted with PREISS, plus a huge biographical essay.

Also MIKE DEODATO on his early years and FRANK BORTH on Treasure Chest!

STEVE GERBER biographical essay and collaborator insights, MARY SKRENES on co-creating Omega the Unknown, helping develop Howard the Duck, VAL MAYERIK cover and interview, ROY THOMAS reveals STAN LEE’s unseen EXCELSIOR! COMICS line, LINDA SUNSHINE (editor of early hardcover super-hero collections), more with MIKE DEODATO, and the concluding segment on FRANK BORTH!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Jan. 2024

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(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!

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BACK ISSUE #149

’80s INDIE HEROES: The American, Aztec Ace, Dynamo Joe, Evangeline, Journey, Megaton Man, Trekker, Whisper, and Zot! Featuring CHUCK DIXON, PHIL FOGLIO, STEVEN GRANT, RICH LARSON, SCOTT McCLOUD, WILLIAM MESSNER-LOEBS, DOUG MOENCH, RON RANDALL, DON SIMPSON, MARK VERHEIDEN, CHRIS WARNER & more superstar creators. Cover

by NORM BREYFOGLE!