Back Issue #81

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THE RETRO COMICS EXPERIENCE!

Edited by MICHAEL EURY, BACK ISSUE magazine celebrates comic books of the 1970s, 1980s, and today through recurring (and rotating) departments like “Pro2Pro” (dialogue between professionals), “BackStage Pass” (behind-the-scenes of comicsbased media), “Greatest Stories Never Told” (spotlighting unrealized comics series or stories), and more!

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TENTH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE! Revisit the 100th, 200th, 300th, 400th, and 500th issues of ‘70s and ‘80s favorites: Adventure, Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Batman, Brave & Bold, Casper, Detective, Flash, Green Lantern, Showcase, Superman, Thor, Wonder Woman, and more! With APARO, BARR, ENGLEHART, POLLARD, SEKOWSKY, SIMONSON, STATON, and WOLFMAN. DAN JURGENS and RAY McCARTHY cover.

“Incredible Hulk in the Bronze Age!” Looks into Hulk’s mind, his role as a team player, his TV show and cartoon, merchandising, Hulk newspaper strip, Teen Hulk, villain history of the Abomination, art and artifacts by SAL BUSCEMA, JOHN BYRNE, PETER DAVID, KENNETH JOHNSON, BILL MANTLO, AL MILGROM, EARL NOREM, ROGER STERN, HERB TRIMPE, LEN WEIN, new cover by TRIMPE and GERHARD!

“Tryouts, One-Shots, & One-Hit Wonders”!

Marvel Premiere, Marvel Spotlight, Marvel Feature, Strange Tales, Showcase, First Issue Special, New Talent Showcase, DC’s Dick Tracy tabloid, Sherlock Holmes, Marvel’s Generic Comic Books, Bat-Squad, Crusader, & Swashbuckler, with BRUNNER, CARDY, COLAN, FRADON, GRELL, PLOOG, TRIMPE, and an ARTHUR ADAMS “Clea” cover!

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“Robots” issue! Cyborg, Metal Men, Robotman, Red Tornado, Mister Atom, the Vision, Jocasta, Shogun Warriors, and Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, plus the legacy of Brainiac! Featuring the riveting work of DARROW, GERBER, INFANTINO, PAUL KUPPERBERG, MILLER, MOENCH, PEREZ, SIMONSON, STATON, THOMAS, WOLFMAN, and more, behind a Metal Men cover by MICHAEL ALLRED.

“Batman’s Partners!” MIKE W. BARR and ALAN DAVIS on their Detective Comics, Batman and the Outsiders, Nightwing flies solo, Man-Bat history, Commissioner Gordon, the last days of World’s Finest, Bat-Mite, the Batmobile, plus Dark Knight’s girl Robin! Featuring work by APARO, BUSIEK, DITKO, KRAFT, MILGROM, MILLER, PÉREZ, WOLFMAN, and more, with a cover by ALAN DAVIS and MARK FARMER.

“Bronze Age Fantastic Four!” The animated FF, the FF radio show of 1975, Human Torch goes solo, Galactus villain history, FF Mego figures… and the Impossible Man! Exploring work by RICH BUCKLER, JOHN BUSCEMA, JOHN BYRNE, GERRY CONWAY, STEVE ENGLEHART, GEORGE PÉREZ, KEITH POLLARD, ROY THOMAS, LEN WEIN, MARV WOLFMAN, and more! Cover by KEITH POLLARD and JOE RUBINSTEIN.

“‘80s Independents!” In-depth looks at PAUL CHADWICK’s Concrete, DAVE SIM’s Cerebus the Aardvark, and RICHARD AND WENDY PINI’s Elfquest! Plus see ‘80s independent comics go Hollywood, DAVID SCROGGY remembers Pacific Comics, TRINA ROBBINS’ California Girls, and DENIS KITCHEN’s star-studded horror/sci-fi anthology Death Rattle. Cover by PAUL CHADWICK!

“Let’s Get Small!” Marvel’s Micronauts, The Atom in the Bronze Age, JAN STRNAD and GIL KANE’s Sword of the Atom, the rocky relationship of Ant-Man the Wasp, Gold Key’s Microbots, Super Jrs., DC Digests, and Marvel Value Stamps. Featuring the work of PAT BRODERICK, JACKSON GUICE, ELLIOT S! MAGGIN, BILL MANTLO, AL MILGROM, ALEX SAVIUK, ROGER STERN, LEN WEIN, & more. Cover by PAT BRODERICK!

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A New Day For Comics Fans!

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“When Comics Were Fun!” HEMBECK cover and gallery, Plastic Man, Blue Devil, Marvel’s Star Comics imprint, VALENTINO’s normalman, Bronze Age’s goofiest Superman stories, and the Batman/Dick Tracy team-up you didn’t see! Featuring MAX ALLAN COLLINS, PARIS CULLINS, RAMONA FRADON, ALAN KUPPERBERG, MISHKIN & COHN, STEVE SKEATES, JOE STATON, CURT SWAN, and more!

“Weird Issue!” Batman’s Weirdest TeamUps, ORLANDO’s Weird Adventure Comics, Weird War Tales, Weird Mystery Tales, DITKO’s Shade the Changing Man and Stalker, CHAYKIN’s Iron Wolf, CRUMB’s Weirdo, and STARLIN and WRIGHTSON’s The Weird! Featuring JIM APARO, LUIS DOMINGUEZ, MICHAEL FLEISHER, BOB HANEY, PAUL LEVITZ, and more. Batman and Deadman cover by ALAN CRADDOCK.

“Charlton Action Heroes in the Bronze Age!” DAVE GIBBONS on Charlton’s WATCHMEN connection, LEN WEIN and PARIS CULLINS’ Blue Beetle, CARY BATES and PAT BRODERICK’s Captain Atom, Peacemaker, Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt, and a look at Blockbuster Weekly! Featuring MIKE COLLINS, GIORDANO, KUPPERBERG, ALAN MOORE, PAT MORISI, ALEX ROSS, and more. Cover by AL MILGROM.

“Flash and Green Lantern in the Bronze Age” (crossover with ALTER EGO #132)! In-depth spotlights of their 1970s and 1980s adventures, MARK WAID’s look at the Flash/GL team, and PAUL KUPPERBERG’s Lost GL Fillins. Bonus: DC’s New York Office Memories, and Green Lantern: Ganthet’s Tale by LARRY NIVEN and JOHN BYRNE. With BARR, BATES, GIBBONS, GRELL, INFANTINO, WEIN, and more. Cover by GEORGE PÉREZ.

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Volume 1, Number 81 July 2015 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury PUBLISHER John Morrow

Comics’ Bronze Age and Beyond!

DESIGNER Rich Fowlks COVER ARTIST Nick Cardy (E.N.B. headshot

by Dave Manak) COVER COLORIST Glenn Whitmore COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg PROOFREADER Rob Smentek SPECIAL THANKS Neal Adams Sergio Aragonés Robert Beerbohm Edgar Bercasio Jerry Boyd Pat Broderick Gary Brown Cary Burkett Comic Book Artist DC Comics Steve Englehart John Eury Stephan Friedt Carl Gafford Mike Gold Grand Comics Database Bob Greenberger Jack C. Harris Karl Heitmueller, Jr. Heritage Comics Auctions Dan Johnson Rob Kelly Jim Kingman Paul Kupperberg Paul Levitz

Chris Marshall David Michelinie Martin Pasko Jeff Rovin Bob Rozakis Walter Simonson Steve Skeates Prof. Manuela Soares Bryan D. Stroud Linda Sunshine Laurie Sutton Roy Thomas Maggie Thompson Mike Tiefenbacher Anthony Tollin John Trumbull Michael Uslan Mark Waid Carolyn Wallace John Wells Bernie Wrightson Dedicated to the memory of E. Nelson Bridwell

BACK SEAT DRIVER: Remembering E. Nelson Bridwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 FLASHBACK: A Look at the Super Specs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 FANTASY COVER GALLERY: The Super Spectaculars That Weren’t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 PRINCE STREET NEWS: History on the Spinner Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 FLASHBACK: Super DC Giant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: Wanted, the World’s Most Dangerous Villains . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 WHAT THE--?!: The Inferior Five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 FLASHBACK: Reprint Madness: DC’s Short-Lived Reprint Line of 1972–1973 . . . . . . . . .47 FLASHBACK: Secret Origins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 FLASHBACK: DC’s Bronze Age Reprint Giants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 FLASHBACK: Terminated Classics: The DC Implosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 FLASHBACK: DC’s Bronze Age Collected Editions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

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INTERVIEW: A Fireside (Books) Chat with Michael Uslan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 FLASHBACK: DC’s Bronze Age Paperbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 BEYOND CAPES: The Masterworks Series of Great Comic Book Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 FLASHBACK: DC’s Deluxe Reprint Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Our BACK TALK letters column will return next issue.

BACK ISSUE™ is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows Publishing, 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, 118 Edgewood Avenue NE, Concord, NC 28025. Email: euryman@gmail.com. Six-issue subscriptions: $60 Standard US, $85 Canada, $107 Surface International. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office.

Cover art by Nick Cardy. Superman and related characters TM & © DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted.

All editorial matter © 2015 Michael Eury and TwoMorrows Publishing, except for Prince Street News, which is TM and © Karl Heitmueller, Jr. BACK ISSUE is a TM of TwoMorrows Publishing. ISSN 1932-6904.

Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING. DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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BACK ISSUE • 1

by

Michael Eury

I never realized it until writing several of the articles for this issue, but E. Nelson Bridwell probably imprinted my career more than anyone else.

For years I have listed Julius Schwartz, Dick Giordano, and my editorial mentor, Diana Schutz, among my top influences. But not E. Nelson Bridwell, DC Comics’ fabled “human encyclopedia.” Or not until now.

As a fan-turned-pro, I entered this business over 25 years ago with the goals of being a comics editor and writer. Little did I realize that along the way I would become a comics historian.

Thanks for that go to Nelson—or, to his respect for DC’s past, which I discovered through his selection of classics for 80-Page Giants, 100-Page Super Spectaculars, and other reprint books. Those golden oldies introduced me to the adventures of my dad’s superheroes. Bridwell’s text pages, which peppered various DC titles in the late ’60s and early ’70s, tutored me in the lore of both my favorite publisher’s characters and of the men (and occasionally women) who produced their adventures.

Kids like me who were lured into the DC Universe by the POW!s and ZOWIE!s of TV’s Batman were taught by Bridwell of the Caped Crusader’s then-30-year-old saga, as well as the sagas of Batman’s super-friends.

For the record, I never met Nelson Bridwell—but I knew him well.

He spoke to me regularly, through his letters columns. His informative, reader-friendly lettercols—his responses usually punctuated by his trademark “E.N.B.”—welcomed me to whatever DC book I was lucky enough to find them in. E.N.B. informed me of DC’s new releases and series revivals. It’s unfortunate that his initials weren’t “F.A.N.”, because for me— and for many of you inclined to buy this issue—Bridwell was our mole, our inside man, the keeper of the DC vault and the one person who cared about the characters more than anyone else. He personified the fan in all of us.

Born September 22, 1931 in Sapula, Oklahoma, Edward Nelson Bridwell started working at DC in 1965, as an assistant to Superman editor Mort Weisinger. Weisinger’s ironfisted management style is legend, as are the stories of how he would badger his brilliant but timid assistant. That abuse was usually invisible to the young readers laughing at the latest issues of The Inferior Five, however, which Bridwell co-created and scripted.

Yet in one uncharacteristic issue of that series, Bridwell peeled back the veneer of the vaunted halls of DC to peek at, through satire, some of the idiosyncrasies of the publishing house and its personnel. (Please indulge me for a moment as I sidestep the Bronze Age to look at this late-Silver Age comic.) The cover of The Inferior Five #6 (Jan.–Feb. 1968) gave the appearance of being yet another superhero farce, with its Kooky Quintet surrounded by cameo stars Superman and Superboy (!), Batman and Robin, the Justice League, the Metal Men, the Blackhawks (in their dreadful superhero guises), and the Elongated Man (Wonder Woman was curiously absent), all revolting against the title’s inept characters. The story inside, however, eschewed the expected superhero parody. In Bridwell’s “How to Make a Bomb!”, team leader Merryman opened the tale by saying, “We have received numerous requests asking for a complete explanation of how an issue of this magazine is produced. What bothers us is that these requests have come from the editor, the writer, and the artists.” From there, the company’s “big boss” (executive vice president Irwin Donenfeld), characterized as a petulant child named I.D. who brandished a “D.C.” lollipop to head-bonk insubordinates, emerged from his office to check on the progress of the latest Inferior Five issue.

Bridwell, with artists Mike Sekowsky and Mike Esposito, provided a sidesplitting backstage pass through DC’s offices, lampooning its editors and production staff. Nelson portrayed himself as a frequently abused nebbish, in this case at the mercy of not only of Weisinger but also Donenfeld and the story’s real “villain,” Inferior Five editor Jack 2 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

Bridwell’s Babies A rejected Inferior Five cover by Joe Orlando, from the archives of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). The Bridwell headshot, also used on our cover, is by Dave Manak, from the prozine The Amazing World of DC Comics.

TM & © DC Comics.

Miller, comically presented as a self-aggrandizing taskmaster. Inferior Five #6 seemed like a nutty behind-the-scenes spoof worthy of the typewriter of Not Brand Ecch’s Stan “The Man” Lee or “Rascally” Roy Thomas, but one suspects it may have been Nelson’s sly joke, a veiled vengeance ploy against those who didn’t take him seriously.

Bridwell was the “chief electrician” (the writer) behind the Direct Currents coming-attractions columns of DC’s go-go checks era and later. His lively copy could make even the most mundane DC book beg to be read. At the end of the Silver Age, Nelson also co-created Angel and the Ape and The Secret Six. Once Mort Weisinger retired in 1970, Bridwell steadily acquired titles of his own to edit, beginning with taking over Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane from his former boss. Some of those titles—as you’ll read in this issue—were reprint series.

Bridwell was the smartest guy in the room. A voracious reader, he was a trivia expert, well versed in the Bible, mythology, folklore, literature, musicals, and comic books. At a time when continuity was rarely policed at DC Comics, Nelson was a stickler for it, although his appeals for cohesiveness throughout the Silver and early Bronze Age DC Universe

No Respect (left) Bridwell grovels before “I.D.” (DC head honcho Irwin Donenfeld) and (right) is bullied by editor Jack Miller in Inferior Five #6.

Art by Sekowsky and Esposito.

TM & © DC Comics.

sometimes fell upon the deaf ears of his editorial superiors or of DC’s writers. It was the little stuff that bugged him— why Aquaman’s Atlantis was different from Lori Lemaris’, for example—the type of details that get under the skin of a fan, as opposed to a casual reader. You can almost imagine the poor guy squirming in his office chair when Mike Sekowsky included the Phantom Zone “planet” in the Supergirl story in Adventure Comics #400, or when one of Bob Haney’s outlandish Brave and the Bold plots had Batman throwing an uncharacteristic temper tantrum.

As Bridwell’s tenure grew at DC in the ’70s, so did his ability to correct some of these inconsistencies. He’d inform editor Julie Schwartz when a new Superman story violated or duplicated one from years earlier.

Bronze Age fans remember two continuity conundrums that Bridwell, as writer, “fixed”: E.N.B.’s Super Friends comic blended the saccharine Justice League of ABC-TV Saturday morning with the traditional JLA readers knew, and by giving Billy Batson’s Uncle Dudley a mustache and the keys to a motorhome, he made a retrofitted Shazam! comic book compatible with the live-action Mike Carlin of how satisfying it was Shazam! show on CBS without disreto follow in the footsteps of E.N.B. garding the stories that preceded his. e. nelson bridwell Like Nelson, I was living the DC fan’s As DC Comics experienced a dream come true. seismic thematic shift in the mid-1980s, Photo courtesy of Mike W. Barr.

A variety of detours derailed that with what-went-before becoming negotiable in the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Bridwell, the gatekeeper to dream, and over time, instead of producing new comic DC’s yesteryear, seemed ill suited for a universe being books, I began to mine the stories behind the stories I reconstructed by superhero deconstruction. Ironically, so cherished as a kid. My commitment to preserving he passed away not long thereafter, on January 23, 1987. the past and to recording oral histories of those who I joined DC’s editorial staff a little over two years lived it has extended outside of my editing of BACK after Nelson’s death, and while I certainly wasn’t the ISSUE and my writing or co-writing a number of comicscompany’s “walking encyclopedia,” especially with history books and biographies. For the past eight years my then-officemate Mark Waid on staff, fan-skewed I have also adopted the mission of recording regional projects seemed to land on my desk, including a history in my hometown and county. That wasn’t what revamp of Who’s Who and the company’s info column I set out to do when I started my career, but it’s where Inside DC. I considered DC’s library, with its bound I’ve been directed. E. Nelson Bridwell’s body of work, volumes of every comic ever published by the company, particularly his text features and the reprint series to be holy ground. Meeting and working with the we examine in this issue, helped steer me into that direction—and I thank him for it. In a future edition, stalwarts who had so positively colored my childhood— Curt Swan, Gil Kane, and Carmine Infantino, among BACK ISSUE will explore the life and career of E.N.B., others—was exhilarating. In 1990, when I supplemented including recollections from his former colleagues, but my editorial income by freelance-writing letters pages for now, with the deepest respect and gratitude this for Superman and Action Comics, I told group editor issue is dedicated to Mr. Bridwell’s memory.

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

Mr. Fix-It Bridwell delicately altered the Captain Marvel feature to mirror the hero’s live-action adventures in the DC TV Comic Shazam! and tethered Saturday morning’s JLA to the DC Universe in Super Friends.

TM & © DC Comics.

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Bronze Age babies stuffed themselves silly on a smorgasbord of scrumptious super-snacks: relevant superheroes, Kirby is Coming!, Kirby is going, Limited Collectors’ Editions and Marvel Treasury Editions, black-and-white magazines, Shazam!, Super Friends, ElectraWoman and DynaGirl, 7-11 superhero Slurpee cups, Underoos, Megos, Hostess comic-book ads, Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman, Marvel Value Stamps, KISS in the Marvel Universe, Power Records, Fireside trade paperbacks, DC and Marvel calendars—the 1970s witnessed an explosion of comics innovations, comics formats, and comics-related merchandising. These and other favorites cheerfully colored our childhoods.

Amid these pop-culture marvels, the meatiest and mightiest of them all was the DC 100-Page Super Spectacular, DC Comics’ squarebound mega-format offering a super page count and “the Biggest Bargain in Comics” for a price of a mere two quarters (later, 60 cents). The “Super Specs,” as they were affectionately called, afforded readers a super-ability that even the miraculous Man of Steel couldn’t boast: peer-into-the-past vision!

With E. Nelson Bridwell (and other editors) handpicking a selection of Golden and Silver Age gems that our dads or grandpas might’ve read (and a few moms, too), the Super Specs unlocked the vault of DC’s decadesdeep library. Never mind the fact that many of these reprints were crudely etched and often preposterous— we were being made privy to the original adventures of Earth-Two heroes (the Golden Age Flash, Starman, etc.) we knew from appearances in Justice League of America and other Julius Schwartz-edited titles, plus we met old characters new to us (Air Wave, the Boy Commandos, Super-Chief, etc.)! And with their dynamic wraparound (originally, at least) covers by luminaries like Neal Adams and Nick Cardy, it’s no wonder that DC 100-Page Super Spectacular, which first appeared in 1971, soon grew from a worthy successor to the Silver Age’s beloved 80-Page Giants to an exciting new format that, some hoped, might save a sagging industry.

Let us open the covers of these classics (but ever so gently, so as not to break their delicate square bindings) and gaze through those selfsame Super Specs for a clearer view of a group of comics that have become cherished by many longtime fans and highly sought-after by collectors.

LAND OF THE GIANTS Before we dive into the Super Spectaculars, first we’ll take a quick detour to learn how comics Giants came about.

Awhile back I read an online column calling DC’s 80-Page Giants the trade paperbacks of their day.

At face value, that’s true. DC’s 80-pagers, and the 100-pagers we’ll soon explore, did provide a selection of older stories collected in a single volume.

The First Super Spectacular DC 100-Page Super-Spectacular #4 (DC-4), 1971’s “Weird Mystery Tales,” with its spooky cover by Bernie (then Berni) Wrightson.

TM & © DC Comics.

4 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

by

Michael Eury

DC, Home of the Whopper Two of DC’s earliest giant-sized editions: (left) 1940’s New York World’s Fair Comics, weighing in at 100 pages for 15 cents; and (right) 1944’s The Big All-American Comic Book, a 128-page monster selling for a quarter.

TM & © DC Comics.

But that description implies that the higher-page-count reprint comic was an offshoot of the traditional comic book, and that’s not the case. Actually, the reverse is true—at least with American comic books.

The earliest comic books that saw print in the 1930s were (mostly) 64-page publications on pulp paper reprinting newspaper comic strips. (Some historians will argue that prototypical comics such as The Brownies and The Yellow Kid hold the distinction of being the earliest comic books, or that the European publication The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbrook, first released in 1837, was the first comic book.

For the purpose of this article we will explore the traditional American comic that commenced during the Golden Age.) It wasn’t until toward the end of the 1930s that original material began appearing in the comic-book format. A famous early example was Detective Comics #1 (Mar. 1937), trumpeting on its cover, “Brand New! Action-Packed Stories in COLOR!” A little over a year later, its publisher, which we know today as DC Comics, took a chance on a costumed hero called Superman in Action Comics #1 (June 1938), and if you don’t know what happened after that pivotal issue, it’s unlikely you have the interest to read this magazine 77 years later.

While the 64-page comic book with new material became the industry norm during the Golden Age, publishers, most notably DC, would occasionally release even bigger volumes. Early examples include two issues of DC’s New York World’s Fair Comics, the first published in 1939 and the second in 1940, both featuring 100 pages and 15-cent cover prices (and you thought the 50-cent Super Spectaculars were a bargain!). Another example is DC’s World’s Best Comics (which was quickly retitled World’s Finest Comics) #1 (Spring 1941), packed with 100 pages of new material featuring Superman, Batman and Robin, and host of other characters, for 15 cents. The whopper from DC was the character-loaded one-shot Big All-American Comic Book (Dec. 1944), featuring 128 pages (132, counting covers) for 25 cents.

A decade earlier, however, several British publishers began producing “Annuals” which reprinted mostly American material in special editions boasting both a thicker page count and cover stock.

Fiction House became the first US publisher to release an Annual, with 1947’s Toyland Comics Annual gathering three issues of Toyland Comics into a single, larger-sized edition. By the early 1950s, Archie, Dell, EC, and other American publishers were releasing Annuals that either combined previously published comics under a shared cover and binding or showcased new stories.

It was with Superman Annual #1 (Aug. 1960) that DC Comics introduced what most American comics readers would call a “Giant” (“Giant” was even part of its logo, in the same telescoping font of Superman’s). Edited by Mort Weisinger, this 80-page (84, counting covers) “All-Star Collection of the Greatest Super-Stories Ever Published!” featured an iconic Curt Swan/Stan Kaye cover showcasing the Metropolis Marvel but also featuring—in smaller boxes bordering the main Superman image—the other members of the Superman family, from Superbaby to Perry White, a template that would be imitated time and time again. More Annuals followed, featuring Superman, Batman, and other titles. Marvel got into the game with 72-page “King-Size Specials,” some featuring lengthy all-new lead stories backed up by reprints, others featuring all reprints. Other Silver Age publishers released Giants as well.

In 1964, DC’s umbrella series 80-Page Giant debuted (with Superman in its first issue), that series’ title in a burst prefixed to the subject’s logo. Featured in these Giants were DC’s best-known super-stars, including Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, the Flash, Batman, and Sgt. Rock.

After 15 issues, 80-Page Giant (Magazine), the title, was no more, but its format (and numbering) continued, albeit absorbed into special issues of DC’s regular series. The 16th 80-Page Giant was actually Justice League of America #39 (Nov. 1965), which bore the secondary issue numbering of #G-16, denoting the Giants’ chronology.

The 80-Page Giants were a beloved staple of DC’s Silver Age, introducing fans to stories mostly from the 1950s, but occasionally a 1940s story would find its way into print.

This format continued until the last days of the Silver Age, with Our Army at War #205 (Feb.–Mar. 1969), featuring Sgt. Rock’s Prize Battle Tales, being the last 80-Page Giant of its day (#G-56). Rising costs forced a price increase for comics publishers—DC and most other companies opted to boost the price of its 32-page, regular-sized editions from 12 cents to 15 cents, while DC’s Giants downsized from 80 to 64 pages, still maintaining the 25-cent price (and continuing the #G numbering).

The very next month, Giant #G-57 was released—Action Comics #373, starring Supergirl—at the new 64-page size, for a quarter.

Contemporary readers might chuckle at a three-cent price increase, and when compared to today’s average comic-book price of $3.99 or $4.99, 25 cents for 64 pages seems like a steal. But in those days, this price hike created hardships for the average reader, a school kid existing on an allowance. DC tried to soft-pedal the increase with a DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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TM & © DC Comics.

THE BOGUS BARGAIN IN COMICS! In 1971, some fans were led to believe that DC Comics was about to release a 500-page comic book bearing the title Blockbuster (not to be confused with the Batman villain of the same name) and a price tag of a whopping $2!

Don Thompson wrote the following notice in Newfangles #47 (May 1971), the fanzine he co-published with his wife, Maggie: “DC is planning to launch Blockbuster (it is no coincidence that they have been using that word in a lot of ads lately) which will be the biggest comic book ever published in the U.S.” (April 1971 cover-dated DC books included house ads for “Kirby’s Fourth World Blockbusters” and “Kubert & Tarzan together in a blockbuster from DC.”) Once this mega-sized comic failed to materialize, however, Newfangles readers assumed that Blockbuster was one of those series that just never got off the ground. Yet Blockbuster wasn’t aborted—it was never intended to exist in the first place.

Legend has it that DC’s head honcho Sol Harrison was annoyed that announcements of upcoming projects were being anonymously leaked to the fan press (the “fan press” during those days consisting of a smattering of fanzines). Sol had a suspect—a comics artist whose frequent after-hours presence in the DC bullpen gave him occasion to rummage through papers on editors’ desks. And so someone at DC planted “a fake news story about a supposed 500-page comic book entitled Blockbuster to flush out someone who was looking over DC editors’ desks for news to pass along to fanzines,” according to DC historian John Wells.

Apparently, the false report quieted DC’s “whistleblower.”

In a 1982 letter printed in Fantagraphics’ Amazing Heroes #16, Jack C. Harris shared the Blockbuster story, noting that it had been told to him when he joined DC’s staff in 1974 and calling the accused snitch “Unnamed Professional.” Harris wrote, “When confronted with the evidence when the source of this information was tracked down, Unnamed Professional said nothing … and still claims innocence to this day.” We certainly don’t wish to stir up any ill will with this and won’t engage in any speculation over who “Unnamed Professional” might actually be … but the notion of a 500-page comic book in 1971 is a fascinating one, as is the story behind this whole matter.

Blockbuster as a concept name continued to have life at DC. As Bob Greenberger wrote in BACK ISSUE #79, DC’s mid-’80s Charlton Action Heroes anthology (which was never published) was originally intended to be called Blockbuster Weekly. And to prove you can’t keep a good (unused) name down, John Wells just unearthed this tidbit, from Comics Buyer’s Guide #786 (Dec. 9, 1988), in a feature announcing DC’s 1989 publishing plans: “BLOCKBUSTER, a 96-page monthly anthology title, will reprint DC stories from all genres, including ‘funny animals,’ science fiction, and Westerns, published during the ’60s and ’70s. ‘The aim,’ a DC spokesman said, ‘is to reach out again to the younger readers and bring them into the fold.’ ” Special thanks to John Wells, Gary Brown, Bob Greenberger, Jack C. Harris, Paul Kupperberg, Paul Levitz, and Maggie Thompson.

house ad “letter” from publisher Carmine Infantino, talking directly to readers in corny teen-speak that might have even made Teen Titans scribe Bob Haney ill from his Gill-head to his Twinkletoes.

Carmine “rapped” about how inflation had driven up the cost of virtually everything, and how even the readers’ parents were feeling the pinch. DC’s young readers got the message … although it was a tough pill to swallow, in many cases meaning the sacrifice of a former favorite title or a pack of trading cards or some other kid’s staple to offset the higher price of comics.

DC’s Giants continued, one per month, and by the summer of 1970 the publisher began a gradual exploitation of the 25-cent, 64-page format. The reasoning was, this higher price tag offered a wider profit margin for retailers who were growing disenchanted with the small financial returns afforded by the traditional comic, a mindset that would, a year later, give birth to the 100Page Super Spectacular. In July 1970, the short-lived Super DC Giant premiered [see article on this topic, following], showering a diverse range of 64-page collections onto the stands, and Strange Adventures boosted its page count from 32 to 64 with issue #226 (cover-dated Sept.–Oct. 1970), branding itself “Gigantic Strange Adventures” and packing its pages with reprints of sci-fi short stories. On its heels the following month, DC’s other sci-fi anthology became the “Super-Size From Beyond the Unknown” and one of its war books was now “BIG G.I.

A “Line” of Giants (top) Several of DC’s ongoing books, including G.I. Combat and Strange Adventures, temporarily adopted a Giant format in the early 1970s. (bottom) The larger page count was also promoted in house ads.

TM & © DC Comics.

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One GIANT Step (below) During DC’s “Bigger and Better” phase, its 64-page Giants adopted this intrusive cover layout. Lois Lane #113 (Sept.–Oct. 1971) cover by Dick Giordano.

TM & © DC Comics.

52 Pages for 25 Cents Starting in the summer of ’71, DC made its line “Bigger and Better” by fleshing out its expanded page count with reprints. Marvel and Harvey briefly followed suit, but soon undercut DC by returning to a 32-page format with a cheaper 20-cent price tag.

Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen TM & © DC Comics.

Avengers TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc. Sad Sack © Sad Sack, Inc.

Combat.” Within a few months, this format spread to other books: Binky, Date with Debbi, Swing with Scooter, The Three Mousketeers, and Young Romance, and shortly thereafter, Sugar and Spike, with a balance of new stories and reprints filling these 64-pagers.

The Giants continued alongside these super-sized series, one DC stalwart being tapped each month for a reprint edition. (Even the Legion of Super-Heroes, which had been shunted into the back pages of Action after a long run in Adventure Comics, got its own Giant with Adventure #403, a.k.a. #G-81.)

BIGGER AND BETTER! The comics world was rocked with another price increase during the summer of 1971.

DC Comics boosted the page counts of its 32-page comics to 48 pages (or 52, counting covers), with cover prices jumping an unprecedented ten cents, to 25 cents per copy! Beginning with its August 1971 cover-dated books, DC touted its titles as being “Bigger and Better,” its standard 22 pages of new material now backed up with 16 (or so) pages of reprints from the publisher’s story-rich archives. A couple of months later, Marvel Comics made the same page count/price jump, as did Harvey Comics. But the House of Ideas offered more new material than their Distinguished Competition, boasting novel-length stories of over 30 pages.

Roughly one month later, Marvel sucker-punched DC by reducing their page count back to the standard 32, slashing their cover price to 20 cents—undercutting DC by a nickel. This bold move gave Marvel a sizeable advantage over DC, infuriating DC’s publisher, Carmine Infantino. Still, DC continued its “Bigger and Better” format for the next year.

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Meet Ted Long

Lip-Locked Original art page (courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions, www.ha.com) from writer Robert Kanigher’s “The Wrong Kind of Love,” illustrated

by Ric Estrada and Wally Wood. From the second Super Spectacular, #5.

TM & © DC Comics.

This change also affected DC’s Giant titles.

Previously super-sized series such as Strange Adventures and Binky maintained their 25-cent prices but now contained 48 pages, mirroring the majority of the line. The once-a-month 64-page Giants continued—with Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #140 (#G-86) being the Giant for the Aug. 1971 coverdated month—with a price increase to 35 cents. To earmark these 64-pagers among a line of “Bigger and Better” titles, DC introduced a new cover design for its Giants, eliminating the featured title’s actual logo for that issue and replacing it with an intrusive top border layout that screamed “GIANT” at the prospective reader.

But the big release from DC that month was its biggest release: DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #4!

BIGGEST BARGAIN IN COMICS No, that wasn’t a typo. The first issue of DC 100-Page Super Spectacular was not #1, but #4. The reasons for this numbering are unclear, and those DC editors and executives who might have shed light on this conundrum are no longer with us.

8 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

Barbara Walters’ hair stylist on The Today Show wrote a two-page fashion feature in “Love Stories,” DC 100-Page Super-Spectacular #5 (DC-5). Here’s an excerpt for you “chicks [and dudes] out there!”

TM & © DC Comics.

Not that they’d be able to give us a definitive answer. Over two years after the release of the first 100-pager, E. Nelson Bridwell (E.N.B.)—DC’s resident know-it-all—wrote in the lettercol of 100-Page Super Spectacular #DC-22 (starring the Flash): “For reasons I can’t go into—because I don’t quite understand them myself—the Specs started off with #4.”

I turned to DC Comics historian John Wells for info, asking if he knew of any fanzines from 1971 that covered the release of the 100-pagers, and if they explained the unusual numbering. “The Comic Reader was on hiatus when the first Super Specs arrived, but I checked Newfangles and Etcetera,” he says. “Both reported on the arrival of the books—the latter even noting the numbering—but neither explained why the series started

with #4.” John even notes that Etcetera had reported earlier that these new books would be 128 pages, but later announced that the page count had been reduced to 100 pages, with no ads. “Evidently, the original idea was a package comparable to the [aforementioned] oneshot Big All-American Comic Book from 1944,” Wells adds.

Another fandom theory is that DC 100-Page Super Spectacular continued the numbering of the two New York World’s Fair issues plus Big All-American Comic Book. If so, it would be more likely that the missing “issue #3” is instead World’s Best Comics #1, which, like the World’s Fair editions, contained 100 pages.

John Wells offers more food for thought: “It may just have been a matter of tricking distributors and retailers into thinking the Super Specs were an established title so they wouldn’t be wary of putting such a large comic book on the racks. It may be significant that the only two series to debut with that sort of odd numbering were both titles outside the norm: the Super Specs and the Limited Collectors’ Editions.”

Whatever the reason, DC 100-Page Super Spectacular (the series’ original title) launched with issue #4, a Joe Orlando-edited package headlined “Weird Mystery Tales” (a title that would later be appropriated for an ongoing series, as chronicled in BACK ISSUE #78). Its creepy Bernie Wrightson cover forewarned of gruesome proceedings inside, with a demon sitting atop the corpse of some poor soul who had apparently conjured the beast from its supernatural realm. Nothing inside the package was quite that chilling, however. The only contemporary material was a smattering of Wrightson one-pagers and monster gag cartoons by Sergio Aragonés, Dave Manak, and Lore Shoberg. The rest of the issue was filled with DC mystery fare from the 1950s, rather tame tales such as “I Was the Last Man on Earth” and “I Was the Last Martian.” The Phantom Stranger and Johnny Peril were among the reprints, and while this inaugural 100-pager might have lacked the chills of its 32-page current counterparts like House of Mystery and The Witching Hour, it made up for it by being crammed with material—with no ads (aside from an occasional mini-house ad), a trend that would continue in Super Specs for some time. One of the rarest DC 100pagers, “Weird Mystery Tales” today commands a hefty $500 in NM- (9.2) condition.

Despite the debut of this new “giant” format, DC’s old Giants remained on the schedule. The month after the release of DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #4, the 35-cent Giant Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #113 (#G-87) arrived.

That same month, two editions of DC 100-Page Super Spectacular were produced.

The first, issue #5, arriving July 1, 1971, was themed “Love Stories,” a collection of romance reprints and new teen-girl-centric features. “The Biggest Love Mag Ever” claimed its cover blurb, diagonally bordering a Bob Oksner cover of a young couple in near-kiss.

Fifteen “big stories and features” filled this Super Spec, including a romance oldie drawn by John Romita, Sr.; “The Other Girl,” a short story featuring an AfricanAmerican cast, certainly not the norm during this era; “The Wrong Kind of Love,” penciled by Ric Estrada with inks by the legendary Wally Wood; and a two-page “How to Look Fabulous” advice column guest-penned

by Ted Long, then-hairdresser for Barbara Walters and the cast of NBC-TV’s Today Show.

With its low print run and spotty distribution, the “Love Stories” edition is the hardest to find of all Super Spectaculars. The 2014 Overstreet Comic Book Price

The World’s Greatest Super-Heroes (top) House ad for the third Super Spec, showing the front half of Neal Adams’ dynamite wraparound cover. (middle) An example of E. Nelson Bridwell’s hero checklists from that issue. (bottom) Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson’s wraparound cover for Superman #245 (also DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #DC-7).

TM & © DC Comics.

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Now, That’s a Giant!

This Superboy Super Spec house ad showed both the front and back cover.

TM & © DC Comics.

Guide lists it at $1175 for a NM- condition copy; even a Good condition copy of this romance rarity fetches $21, according to Overstreet. No wonder it warranted a 2000 replica edition (more on the replicas to come).

Two weeks after “Love Stories,” DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #6 hit the stands, starring the “World’s Greatest Super-Heroes!” This trailblazing edition is fondly remembered by many Bronze Age fans for its stunning wraparound cover by Neal Adams, featuring an amazing lineup of 34 DC superstars. The Justice League of America dominated the front cover, with a few extras (the Vigilante and not-yet-a-JLA-member Hawkgirl, plus the Earth-Two Wonder Woman and her JSA cronies Dr. Mid-Nite and the Spectre, none of whom were strangers to the pages of JLA). The Justice Society posed on the back cover (with two Earth-One guests: Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, who was in her powerless, no-costume phase at the time this 100-pager was produced, and Robin the Teen Wonder). Readers unfamiliar with any of these heroes had to search no further than the inside back cover for a handy “Key to the Super-Heroes on the Cover,” prepared by editor Bridwell, identifying each hero, his or her alter ego, and their civilian identity’s occupation. DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #6 reprinted the first-ever JLA/JSA crossover, the two-part “Crisis on Earth-One” and “Crisis on Earth-Two,” several Golden Age superhero tales, and an early Silver Age Hawkman adventure (see index for contents).

Eyes Front!

E.N.B.’s “A Look Through the Super Spectacles” columns offered no end of DC trivia and news.

TM & © DC Comics.

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Bridwell, DC’s tsar of trivia, peppered this issue with a serialized “Checklist of DC Super-Heroes,” an alphabetical roster of the company’s costumed characters and their first appearances, from A to Z (or in this case, from Adam Strange to Zatara the Magician). Herein, younger readers (like yours truly) discovered names of characters they’d never heard of, some of whom have rarely, if ever, seen their adventures reprinted: Captain X of the R.A.F., Genius Jones, the King, the Masked Ranger, Scribbly, and Ultra-Man were among the names I was introduced to from Bridwell’s comprehensive list.

During the following month, with DC’s October 1971-cover-dated releases, the publisher issued its final two 35-cent Giant titles: World’s Finest Comics #206 (#G-88) and Justice League of America #93 (#G-89).

There was no 100-Page Super Spectacular that or the next month, leaving readers to wonder, With the “Bigger and Better” reprints fleshing out the regular-sized, 25-cent line, were Giants and Super Spectaculars a thing of the past?

THE GIANT/SUPER SPEC MERGER Yes, the DC Giant—as a brand—was dead (for the time being). But the Giant returned, in spirit, on October 7, 1971, with the release of Superman #245 (Dec. 1971–Jan. 1972), also known as—no, not #G-90, but as DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #DC-7. Yes, the Super Specs were back on the schedule, now released monthly, with two changes: 1) like the old Giants, the new Super Specs were actually special issues of existing series; and 2) the DC 100-Page Super Spectacular numbering continued as a secondary issue number, but now carrying a DC- prefix.

Issue #DC-7 also introduced a cover format that would soon become a Super Specs standard: the host hero framed by story promo panels with bullets or boxes hyping the secondary characters found inside.

In the case of Superman #245, the Swanderson team (that’s Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson, for you young’uns!) delivered a striking wraparound cover that not only teased readers of its Superman content but also introduced many to yesteryear’s stars like Air Wave, Kid Eternity, and Super Chief.

Neal Adams was back the next month (inked by Dick Giordano) for DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #DC-8—actually, Batman #238—with another gang-ofheroes wraparound, including Aquaman, Plastic Man, the Doom Patrol, and, hogging the back cover, the Legion of Super-Heroes. Sgt. Rock starred in the next month’s Super Spec (#DC-9, or Our Army at War #242), followed by Supergirl (#DC-10, Adventure Comics #416), the Flash (#DC-11, Flash #214), Superboy (#DC-12, Superboy #185), and Superman (#DC-13, Superman #252). Joe Kubert delivered his first of many Super Spec covers with #DC-9, as did

Girls Love Super Specs, Too House ad for the first issue of Young Love to appear in the Super Spectacular format, #197.

TM & © DC Comics.

Nick Cardy (DC’s main cover artist of the early 1970s, who would soon become the main Super Spec cover artist as well) with #DC-11.

Neal Adams returned for Superman #252’s unforgettable wraparound cover, with its sky full of “flying heroes.” A few of these Super Specs included fillers and special features (see index following), as well as letters columns. Those lettercols were roundups for reader mail from previous Giants, either for the host hero’s title or for random titles.

Adventure #416’s “Super-Spectacular Fe-Mail” column was a noteworthy catch-all, featuring an eclectic gathering of missives covering everything from Supergirl (regarding Super DC Giant #S-24) to commentary about the Viking Prince (DC Special #12), Plastic Man (DC Special #15), and Aquaman (Super DC Giant #S-26).

And then, once again, the Super Spectaculars disappeared!

YOUR DEMAND IS OUR COMMAND In May 1972, with its issues cover-dated July 1972, DC Comics abandoned its “Bigger and Better” 52-page, 25-cent format, jettisoned its backup reprints, and reduced its page count to 32 and its price to 20 cents. Over the course of the next few months, a handful of 20-cent reprint titles began to appear, including the ongoing Wanted, the World’s Most Dangerous Villains and two issues of The Inferior Five.

Near the year’s end, the tabloid-sized Limited Collectors’ Edition debuted with #C-20, featuring Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

(The super-sized BACK ISSUE #61 was dedicated to tabloid comics, hence their exclusion from this “Giants and Reprints” issue.)

But healthy sales and reader response to the previous spate of Super Specs were sufficient to revive the series for another run.

On the day after Christmas 1972, a new Batman 100-pager was released—with yet another change in the series’ title. The “DC” was dropped from its official title, the series now becoming 100-Page Super Spectacular; the DC-prefixed numbering continued.

“Okay—you asked for us to bring back the Super The “Super Spectacles” lettercol in issue #DCSpectaculars—so here they are—one of ’em, anyway!”

22, the second 100-pager to star the Flash, was wrote editor Bridwell in 100-Page Super Spectacular significant for a few reasons, starting with E.N.B.’s #DC-14, starring Batman, in its “A Look Through the aforementioned remark about the unusual numSuper Spectacles” lettercol. The Batman issue was bering of the Super Specs’ first issue. In response initially planned for a May 1972 release (before DC’s to a former soldier’s lament about missing some decision to drop its page count and cover price), the of the Specs, Bridwell offered a listing of all of the editor wrote. E.N.B. also revealed the series’ next 100-pagers that had thus far been published, wave: “Future Specs will include House of Mystery, including their content. He responded to another Superboy, [Our] Army at War, Shazam!, Superman, reader by contending the reason for the Super archie goodwin Justice League, and Flash, among others—at least, Specs’ publication was “to publish something special those are our current plans.” (Of those plans, only a for you—and … to make money,” hinting that Halloween-released House of Mystery edition, promised in issues subscriptions to 100-pagers might soon happen. That promise #DC-14 and DC-15, did not materialize, although HoM eventually came true, but in a manner unexpected by readers. converted to the 100-page format.) Bridwell invited readers to share their wishes for Super Specs, even asking for input for how many A NEW, REGULAR FORMAT pages the host character should receive. He also stated that the Super That Flash edition, #DC-22, was the last issue of 100-Page Super Specs’ general rule of thumb was that a DC story must be at least five Spectacular.

Yet the Super Specs lived on. Beginning the next month, a variety years old to be considered for reprinting.

E.N.B’s “A Look Through the Super Spectacles” columns were of titles previously published in the traditional 32-page format were almost as entertaining as the reprints themselves. In those days fans retooled as bimonthly 100-pagers mixing new and old stories, starting had few outlets to discover the behind-the-scenes processes of with Detective Comics #438 and Young Love #107. For the time being, comic books, so the intimacy afforded by Bridwell made even the in the traditional started with the Giants, one other ongoing DC title pudgy, pimple-faced kid living in Concord, North Carolina, feel like would also receive a 100-page special issue, starting with Shazam! #8.

This move caught most readers off-guard. For the reasoning he had a seat at the DC editorial table. If there were no letters available, such as in the case of 100-Page Super Spectacular #DC-17, behind this format change, we turn to one of comics’ most eloquent starring the Justice League of America, Bridwell would offer character and talented wordsmiths, the late Archie Goodwin. At that time, histories, as he did in that very issue by providing a rundown of JSA Goodwin had just jumped to DC Comics from Marvel for a short but and JLA members, even citing the issue numbers where they joined celebrated stint and took over Detective Comics from its previous editor, Julius “Julie” Schwartz. their respective teams.

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DC Recycles (top) Earlier covers were sometimes repurposed into contents pages for Super Specs, such as: this Infantino/Anderson cover for Detective #366 (Aug. 1967) was reused for the ToC of 100-page Batman #259 (Nov.–Dec. 1974). (left) Pickup art grabbed from various comics was used in many Super Specs so that heroes could introduce the stories you were about to read.

TM & © DC Comics.

In Detective #438’s “Batman’s Hot Line” letters column, Goodwin wrote: What you’re holding is a very important issue of DETECTIVE COMICS. It’s the beginning of an experiment that will certainly affect the future of this magazine, and perhaps that of many others as well. Starting with this issue, the 100 page Spectacular format becomes our regular size. We’ll continue appearing on a bi-monthly basis, but during the month when DETECTIVE doesn’t appear, BATMAN COMICS will, and also in the 100 page size.

Both books will continue to carry the same amount of new, original material as they previously had: the rest will 12 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

be choice reprints carefully selected from DC’s thirty-plus years of outstanding comics. It’s as though we took the book you’ve been buying and added three more to it.

Four books rolled into one giant at the cost of less than three bought separately.

Okay. So it’s a bargain. Nice people though we may be at DC, something more must have motivated an experiment like this than thinking, “Hey! What great new bargain can we give the readers this month?” Right? Right.

The answer lies at your local newsstand … or candy store, or super-market, or wherever you go to buy comics and magazines. That newsstand is flooded with material.

So many kinds of periodicals are appearing today, one newsstand couldn’t begin to display them all. So they don’t. And much of the time, what doesn’t get put out is the comic book because there is very little profit for a newsdealer when he sells a 20 cent comic; certainly not as much as when compared to most magazines which go for 75 cents or a dollar. Now, that’s bad, but that’s not all of it.

Newsstands get their books and magazines from distributors who service large areas sometimes comprising many states. The same problems comics have with newsstands, they have with distributors, only on a much larger scale.

If there’s a glut of items to be distributed, what often gets left behind in the darkness of the warehouse is the low-profit article. And that’s the 20 cent comic. What isn’t displayed and distributed doesn’t get sold.

Most people I know involved in creating comics, those at DC and those at other companies as well, enjoy what they’re doing, taking great pride and satisfaction when they do it well. But we still can’t escape the fact that it’s a business and if some sort of profit can’t be made, we can’t continue to do the work we love. So, that’s why this is a very important issue of DETECTIVE COMICS. This, and other larger-sized, higher-priced books from DC, is an attempt to make comics completely competitive with all the other items the distributors and newsdealers handle, so it will be out there where you can find it and buy it if you want it. And, of course, we’re going to be working very hard to make sure DETECTIVE is something you want! © 1973 DC Comics.

In three paragraphs, Archie Goodwin had respected his readers’ intelligence while clearly explaining a complex business scenario—without resorting to “Let’s rap!” jargon. Little did Archie himself realize his comments’ prescience. This 100-page format change would be DC’s first such attempt (the Dollar Comics of the late ’70s being another) to chisel a toehold into a retail environment that was squeezing out comic books. Within a few years the direct-sales market and the comic-book shop would emerge … but that is a story for another day.

Goodwin wrote 20 pages of new material for each issue of ’Tec he edited—a 12-page Batman lead story (except for #439’s “Night of the Stalker,” written by Steve Englehart) and an eight-page backup starring Manhunter, drawn by Walter Simonson, an innovative new take on an old character that would earn its creative team and DC multiple awards and accolades. (See BACK ISSUE #64 to learn more about Manhunter.) Archie’s Batman tales were gloriously rendered by several top and up-and-coming artists, starting with Jim Aparo and including Howard Chaykin, Sal Amendola, and Alex Toth.

As Goodwin noted, Batman, edited by Julie Schwartz, switched to the 100-page format with issue #254, appearing the month after Detective #438. That bimonthly rotation continued, with Young

Love and Young Romance also expanding into Super Specs and appearing in alternating months, as well as being reassigned from editor E. Nelson Bridwell to Joe Simon. The romance Super Specs’ reprints were often retitled (an example: “Believe It Or Not— It’s Love!” from 1966’s Young Love #56 became “Can This Hassle Be Love?” when it reappeared in 1974’s Super Spec Young Love #111), making the indexing of their source material impractical in some cases.

Art corrections were made on many of the romance reprints to update their hairstyles and fashions for contemporary readers.

Within a few months, Super Specs became DC’s new format du jour: Justice League of America, The Brave and the Bold, House of Mystery, Tarzan, Shazam!, The Unexpected, and World’s Finest Comics took the 100-page, bimonthly plunge.

Joining them was one newly created Super Spec title. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane; and Supergirl were canceled—actually, they were blended into the bimonthly Superman Family, continuing Jimmy Olsen’s numbering and launching with issue #164 (Apr.–May 1974). Jimmy headlined that issue with 20 pages of new material, backed up by reprints. Superman Family’s assistant editor E. Nelson Bridwell explained the series’ format in that first issue’s lettercol: “The next issue will star SUPERGIRL in a shiny-bright, brand-new 20-page story, which subsequently will be followed by LOIS LANE. Then, JIMMY OLSEN will reappear in this round robin, etc.” Those three Super-stars’ adventures were joined by reprints from various Superman family titles, often rebranded from their original stars’ logos into tales starring Perry White, Krypto, Lana Lang, and even Pete Ross. (Superman Family was explored at length in BACK ISSUE #62.)

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

Coming Attractions Copy-heavy nextissue blurbs like these, usually running 1/3rd of a page, were common in Super Specs.

TM & © DC Comics.

TM & © DC Comics.

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Cain’t Be Beat…

Excuse us as we gush over this gruesomely gorgeous Nestor Redondo title page to the 100-Page House of Mystery #227.

Original art courtesy of Heritage.

TM & © DC Comics.

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copy-rich blurbs, many of which featured character CROWDED COVERS Nick Cardy provided cover art for almost all of the headshots drawn by Cardy (or other artists). To many, superhero Super Specs once this conversion occurred; nothing quite “says” 100-Page Super Spectaculars he also drew covers for The Unexpected and the first than this design—hence our homage to it with Young Love Super Spec. Regrettably, Mr. Cardy, who this issue’s cover, cannibalizing Cardy original art passed away in November 2013, can’t share with us from different covers. (The aforementioned BI #13 today his recollections of his Super Spec covers. also recreated this layout, with pencil art by Nick Cardy himself, inked by Scott Hanna.

Back in 2005, in an interview for BACK ISSUE #13, Incidentally, that was the first issue of he revealed to interviewer Spencer Beck BACK ISSUE to sell out.) that his DC Comics cover rate during Nick Cardy certainly wasn’t the the 1970s was $60–65 per cover. only artist providing cover art once the Cardy covers fetch thousands (someSuper Specs became a regular format, times tens of thousands) of dollars however. Four titles maintained their each in today’s original art market. previous cover artists, with Bob Cardy’s Super Spec covers borOksner continuing on Shazam!, Joe rowed Superman #245/DC-7’s layout Kubert on Tarzan, and Jim Aparo on and modified it to a standard that Brave and Bold as well as Detective, a would appear on most Super Spec title he had acquired just before the covers from this point on: a dominant conversion to the 100-page format. image in one box bordered by smaller (With Archie Goodwin helming ’Tec, boxes showcasing supplemental nick cardy that title veered from the standard features. Those smaller boxes, which Super Spec cover layout with a large, Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. usually were stacked along the right border of the main image, were drawn on a separate primary cover image bordered at the bottom with page of Bristol board in a tier that would then be fitted headshots of backup stars.) House of Mystery’s covers to the cover’s layout by the production department were mostly drawn by Luis Dominguez or the Nestor (see the accompanying Cardy Wonder Woman art Redondo studio. Aside from Nick Cardy’s cover for the for examples of these pre-production boxes). first 100-page Young Love (#107), the remaining covers Bordering the bottom of many Super Specs covers were for that title and its companion, Young Romance,

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

100 Pages for Only 60¢ (left) Once the 100pagers became the regular format for several titles, DC offered subscriptions for them. (And we don’t think that Mailman, shown here with Superman, survived the Crisis on Infinite Earths.) (right) 100-pagers weren’t called “Super Spectaculars” on their covers during this era, as this house ad shows.

TM & © DC Comics.

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Boxed In Panels promoting an issue’s reprints were drawn in separate bullets or boxes, as seen in this original art by Nick Cardy for Super Spec Wonder Woman #211.

TM & © DC Comics.

were done by a hodgepodge of artists including Creig Flessel, Jerry Grandenetti, and Vince Colletta.

At times, the Super Spec covers were produced by more than a single artist, with some unusual hybrids appearing. This occurred with each 100-page issue of The Brave and the Bold, where interior artist Jim Aparo illustrated the cover’s focal point, the Batman team-up panel (presumably drawn by Aparo at regular cover size but reduced for its use in this layout), with the supplemental panels borrowed from reprint sources. An example: B&B #112, the first Super Spec issue, features Aparo on its Batman/Mister Miracle image, with insets of an Aquaman/Hawkman team-up by Howard Purcell, the Silent Knight by Irv Novick, and a Batman/Green Lantern team-up by Gil Kane—four artists on one cover!

A Neal Adams/Nick Cardy cover hybrid appeared on Batman #255, with Adams’ arresting “Moon of the Wolf” panel being the main image, flanked by four insets by Cardy spotlighting classic stories reprinted inside. Artist mash-ups could also be found on House of Mystery, such as Frank Robbins and Luis Dominguez sharing cover duty on issue #228. Editor Joe Orlando chose to fill some dead space in Nestor Redondo’s HoM #229’s cover by recycling Bernie Wrightson’s cover demon from the very first Super Spectacular, now in the background imposingly lording over the proceedings.

While definitely earning a warm spot in the hearts of Bronze Age readers, this multi-box cover format for Super Spectaculars at times felt claustrophobic, suffocating some masterpieces in a content-heavy stranglehold. Readers curious about what some of these condensed images might have looked like if afforded full cover space should refer

to this article’s “Super Specs Covers Unboxed” sidebar, spotlighting European reprint editions whose covers repurposed some of those 100-pagers’ images into full cover art.

After a mere two issues each of the original four ongoing Super Specs, a price increase from 50 to 60 cents transpired, commencing with Detective #440 and Young Love #109 (both Apr.–May 1974), then Batman #256 and Young Romance #199 (both May–June 1974) the following month. Concurrent with that price increase came the addition of the remaining bimonthly titles comprising the 100-page line. The “Super Spectacular” brand was dropped shortly thereafter, with the books’ header being redesigned to read, in large, open letters that attracted attention across the shelf or spin rack, “100 PAGES FOR ONLY 60¢.” While no longer cover-branded as Super Specs, the line maintained that designation among fans.

E. Nelson Bridwell’s “A Look Through the Super Spectacles” columns were a casualty of the shift from all-reprints to a new/old material mix. In its place were the regular letters columns routinely found in the titles before their upgrade to 100-pagers.

NEW TALENT SHOWCASE Added to most of the Super Specs were a variety of special features, including some unusual space fillers such as 1/3-page cartoons culled from the dustbins of DC’s library. Memorable special features in many of the Super Specs from this era were the crossword puzzles and activity pages created by the person who would soon become known as DC’s “Answer Man,” Bob Rozakis. As he told me in a 2006 interview for my TwoMorrows book, The Krypton Companion, Bob started

SUPER SPECS COVERS UNBOXED full covers for European DC reprint editions. Here’s a sampling— compare these against the originals in our Super Specs index.

You’ll notice a few art alterations along the way…

TM & © DC Comics.

Alas, a lot of beautiful cover artwork produced for Super Spectaculars was claustrophobically confined within that format’s boxy cover layout. Some of those images were expanded into

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puzzle-making as a hobby by producing “a couple for a former girlfriend who needed something different to entertain the class during her student-teaching.

From there, I decided to do some that were comicsrelated and submitted them to a couple of fanzines.”

Rozakis’ puzzles opened the door for him at DC Comics. After corresponding with editor Julie Schwartz in a relationship borne of his years of “letterhacking,” Bob was invited by Julie to visit the DC offices in early 1973. He brought along some of his puzzles as a gift for E. Nelson Bridwell, but they were noticed

by Bridwell’s boss, Schwartz. “When Julie saw them, he grabbed them and went to find [DC president] Sol Harrison,” Rozakis said in 2006. “Next thing I knew, Sol was there, saying, ‘If you can make up ones about Superman and Batman, we’ll buy them!’ ” Soon Rozakis was creating DC-related word puzzles for the Limited Collectors’ Edition tabloids, a trend he continued with the 100-Page Super Spectaculars.

Since their inception, Super Specs had always featured table of contents pages, generally typeset text descriptions with inset character images utilizing commonly used illustrations (“pick-up art”).

Newly created content pages appeared in some of Orlando’s earliest mystery and Kubert’s earliest war Super Specs, but once 100-pagers became an ongoing format, readers would occasionally be surprised by an all-new introductory page, often by an up-and-coming artist.

Also found within the 100-pagers pat broderick were a variety of informative 1-, 2-, or 3-page features filling in fans about their favorite heroes featured in that issue; sometimes these featured pre–existing art, sometimes they were all-new, and frequently they were an amalgamation of images recycled and new. Brave and Bold readers could discover data about “Batman’s Famous Co-Stars,” Shazam! readers could meet the “Friends of the Shazam! Family,” and Tarzan readers could decorate their rooms with “Tarzan’s Jungle Album” pinups of screen Ape Man Johnny Weismuller.

Artist Pat Broderick, who would later go on to become a fan favorite on series including Captain Marvel, The Micronauts, The Fury of Firestorm, Captain Atom, and Green Lantern, saw his earliest published work in some of these Super Specs’ special features.

He had recently landed in New York in 1974, having relocated from Florida to break into comics, and found a guardian angel in DC’s Sol Harrison, who seated him at a drawing board in a small cubicle in the DC offices.

“Sol was into keeping me separated, [and] after a while he actually tried to tell me who to talk to and who not to,” Broderick tells BACK ISSUE. “I guess he was taking me under his wing, or maybe not… But still, that time I spent in New York both at DC and then Continuity [Associates] afterwards was the most important, and cherished, years of my life.”

Broderick’s first published work is easily to overlook Early Broderick by even the most zealous DC fan: a tiny image of a comics illustrator at a drawing table that accompanied As he discusses in this article, Pat Broderick’s first published work the title of Superman Family #164’s filler, “How the was (top) this special-feature header from Superman Family #164.

Artists Draw the Superman Family.” The artist jokes, “I drew myself into that one, back when I had hair.” (bottom) Among Pat’s many other Super Spec illustrations was this While that was, according to Broderick, “my first contents page from Action #437. page to hit the stands, my first published work for DC actually predated those [Super Spectacular TM & © DC Comics.

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Post–Super Specs On the heels of the 100-page format, DC’s Giants made a return, with this cover layout.

Batman #262 cover art by Ernie Chan (Chua). bob rozakis

DC’s Puzzlemaster Bob Rozakis’ puzzles—crosswords, word searches, mazes, and more!— were fun features found in Super Spectaculars.

This one’s from Batman #254.

TM & © DC Comics.

TM & © DC Comics.

images] by a few months. Carmine [Infantino] actually kicked an illustration job to me for Penthouse Magazine, a portrait called ‘Professor Batman.’ I was paid 50 bucks for it from DC. Somebody [else at DC] got the [higher] Penthouse illustration rate, but it wasn’t me. Carmine and Sol and Jack ran the ship back then. It was all stars in my eyes at the time, having just relocated from Florida.”

How did these assignments land on Broderick’s desk? “Well, everybody would stop by my cubicle, as it was really just within shouting distance [of the editors], and there was a lot of shouting going on in the office. Each editor would ask me to come into their office and give me the assignment with an idea of what they were looking for. The only one who didn’t use these was Joe Kubert for his line of books [Tarzan and Our Army at War].”

With the 100-pagers’ mix of new stories and reprints, “the company would come up with odd page counts” necessitating the fillers, according to Broderick. “These were used to fill out the flats. At times

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they would ask for short informational stories which were written by Marty Pasko. At times they only needed contents pages, some times both.” Broderick’s signature could occasionally be found on his intro splashes, but the writers of the filler features usually went uncredited, an exception being the two-page “Wanted: The Injustice Gang” feature from Justice League of America #111, bearing the credits: “writer: PASKO, artist: BRODERICK.” The newbie talent got the enviable assignments of drawing DC’s biggest super-stars—including Superman, Batman, and various Justice Leaguers— on title pages and fillers. One might suspect that he toiled under ironhanded art direction, but Pat confesses that he was left “utterly and frighteningly alone. They would give verbal direction, but it wasn’t much. If it was a short feature, then Marty would supply a full script. Other than that, it was generally a one-sentence statement.”

Lastly, a special feature found in many of this incarnation of Super Specs was the story header.

Atop story pages would run a “talking head” of one of the issue’s stars with a word balloon introducing that story to the reader. Today’s more sophisticated reader might dismiss this as juvenile, but for DC’s mostly kid audience of the mid-1970s, young readers felt a personal connection with their favorite heroes through these headers.

The Best of DC A sampling of gems from DC’s Super Spectaculars: (top left) Wein and Adams’ “Moon of the Wolf” (Batman #255), (bottom left) Goodwin and Simonson’s Manhunter backups (Detective #439), and (right) John Stewart GL’s first JLA appearance (Justice League #110).

TM & © DC Comics.

THE END OF THE 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULARS Originally the 100-Page Super Spectaculars were rare but cherished occurrences, appearing once a month or so, like the Giants before them, with a super-sized collection of golden oldies. Once the 100-page format became commonplace, however, the Bronze Age luster of the Super Specs began to tarnish. Distribution inconsistencies plagued them, straining the patience of some collectors, and the economic inflation and paper shortages of the mid-1970s adversely affected their profitability.

With the 100-page releases cover-dated Mar.–Apr. 1975, the 100Page Super Spectaculars were no more. Titles like Detective and Justice League reverted to their old 32-page formats, now priced at 25 cents, and to increased frequencies (most monthly). The Giant returned, popping in and out of the DC line in its new (old) size of 64 pages, now with a 50-cent cover price.

Bob Rozakis, who by this time was an assistant editor at DC, working on several of the last series to be produced in the 100-page format, when asked to explain what killed the Super Spectacular, informs BACK ISSUE, “I’m tempted to say it was the cost, as inflation was a big factor back in the mid-’70s. More likely that sales were not substantial enough to maintain the format. Once they started numbering them as regular issues of individual titles, said titles would show a drop in sales whenever there was a 100-page issue. The folks upstairs at Warner Publishing were all about those numbers; remember that they pulled the plug on the DC Explosion a couple of years later based solely on the sales reports, ignoring the fact that the horrendous weather left all the books sitting in warehouses rather than on the stands.”

While regarded a failure by the “folks upstairs,” the last year of DC’s 100-page format netted significant creative results with its new material. Granted, most of these milestones would have been published

in a 32-page format had the Super Specs format not occurred, but highlights of DC’s year of “regular” Super Spectaculars include: • Wein and Adams’ “Moon of the Wolf” (Batman #255) • the second Batman/The Shadow team-up (Batman #259) • the Bob Haney/Jim Aparo team in its prime in The Brave and the Bold • Goodwin and Simonson’s Manhunter in Detective Comics (Note: Manhunter debuted in the last regular-sized issue of Detective prior to its format change to a Super Spec.)

• the beginning of the “Bat-Murderer” storyline in Detective Comics • John Stewart/Green Lantern’s first JLA mission in Justice League of America #110 • the debut of supervillain Libra in JLA #111 • the Mr. Mind/Lex Luthor team in Shazam! #15 • the return of Wildfire from the dead in Superboy starring the Legion of Super-Heroes #202 • a poignant Superman vs. Superboy tale in Superman #284 • the debut of The Superman Family • Wonder Woman’s first-ever Giant (Wonder Woman #211) • the controversial character Thomas Wayne (Bruce Wayne’s brother) in World’s Finest Comics #223 and 227.

Nostalgically, DC’s 100-Page Super Spectaculars remained beloved by many DC readers who later joined the ranks of comic-book professionals.

Beginning in the late 1990s, for several years DC Comics published a handful of “lost issues” of both Super Specs and 80-Page Giants in those treasured formats. JLA and JSA 100-page lost issues were produced, along with replica editions of DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #5 (Love Stories) and #6 (World’s Greatest Super-Heroes). The #DC-6 edition featured a recreation of the original cover by Dick Giordano.

For the reader wishing to piece together a collection of DC 100Page Super Spectaculars, deep pockets are a necessity. Their square binding and sketchy distribution make Super Specs difficult to find in high grades, commanding astronomical prices that might intimidate collectors into keeping them forever bagged or slabbed. That, in this writer’s opinion, would be an injustice. Lower-grade copies of most Super Specs can be found usually for $10 or less each, allowing these gems to be read—as they were intended.

Special thanks to Pat Broderick, Bob Rozakis, and John Wells.

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DC 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #4: WEIRD MYSTERY TALES 1971 Cover artist: Berni(e) Wrightson (front cover art appears as pinup on back cover) Editor: Joe Orlando Special features: • “Macabre Mystery” intro page by Wrightson (with Wrightson cameo); “The New Arrival” gag 1-pager by Dave Manak; 2 uncredited “Weird Tales” gag pages; 2 “Weird Tales” gag pages by Sergio Aragonés; 4 horror 1-pagers by Wrightson: “Eerie Adventure,” “Monsters,” “Science-Fiction,” “Childhood Haunt”; 1 “Weird Tales” gag page by Lore Shoberg Reprints: • “I Was the Last Man on Earth” from My Greatest Adventure #8 (Mar.–Apr. 1956) • “The Phantom Enemy” from Sensation Mystery #116 (July–Aug. 1953) • “I Fought the Clocks of Doom” from My Greatest Adventure #14 (Mar.–Apr. 1957) • “The Witch’s Candles!” from House of Secrets #2 (Jan.–Feb. 1957) • “I Was Lost in a Mirage” from My Greatest Adventure #12 (Nov.–Dec. 1956) • Johnny Peril in “Horror in the Lake!” from Sensation Mystery #110 (July–Aug. 1952) • The Phantom Stranger in “The Haunters from Beyond!” from The Phantom Stranger #1 (Aug.–Sept. 1952) • “I Was the Last Martian” from My Greatest Adventure #20 (Mar.–Apr. 1958) • “I Hunted the World’s Wildest Animals” from My Greatest Adventure #15 (May–June 1957) • “The City of Three Dooms” from Tales of the Unexpected #15 (July 1957) • “Jungle Boy of Jupiter” from Tales of the Unexpected #24 (Apr. 1958) • “The Mysterious Mr. Omen” from House of Mystery #49 (Apr. 1956) DC 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #5: LOVE STORIES 1971 Cover artists: Bob Oksner (front cover), Charlie Armentano (back cover) Editor: Dorothy Woolfolk; Gail Weiss, assistant Special features: • “Laura Penn … Your Romance Reporter” 1-page advice column; “How I Met My Boyfriend” 2-page article; “How to Look Fabulous” 2-page article; “What’s in a Name?” 1-page filler; “Where is Love” 1-page filler New stories: • “How Do I Know When I’m Really in Love?”

• “The Other Girl”

• “The Wrong Kind of Love” • “Goodbye, Lover” • “Happy Ending” Reprints: • “My Shameful Past” from Young Love #60 (Mar.–Apr. 1967) • “My Sister Stole My Man” from Young Love #60 (Mar.–Apr. 1967) • “Made for Love, Chapter 1” from Girls’ Romances #99 (Mar. 1964) • “Love is Forever (Made for Love, Chapter 2)” from Girls’ Romances #100 (Apr. 1964) • “I Didn’t Want His Love” from Girls’ Romances #130 (Jan. 1968) DC 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #5: LOVE STORIES REPLICA EDITION 2001 Editor: Dale Crain; Scott Nybakken, associate Same content as original edition above.

DC 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #6: WORLD’S GREATEST SUPER-HEROES 1971 Cover artist: Neal Adams (wraparound) Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special features: • “A Checklist of DC Super-Heroes” multi-pager, serialized through issue; Key to the Super-Heroes on the Cover (identifying characters on wraparound cover; also lists their alter egos and civilian vocations) Reprints: • Justice League of America (guest-starring the Justice Society of America) in “Crisis on EarthOne” from Justice League of America #21 (Aug. 1963) • Justice League of America (guest-starring the Justice Society of America) in “Crisis on EarthTwo” from Justice League of America #22 (Sept. 1963) • The Spectre in “The Spectre meets Zor” from More Fun Comics #55 (May 1940) • Johnny Quick in “Stand-In for 100 Convicts” from Adventure Comics #190 (July 1953) • The Vigilante in “The Galleon in the Desert” from Action Comics #146 (July 1950) • Wildcat in “Crime Wore a Costume”; unpublished story produced for Sensation Comics #91 • Hawkman in “Strange Spells of the Sorceror” from The Brave and the Bold #36 (June–July 1961) DC 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #6: WORLD’S GREATEST SUPER-HEROES REPLICA EDITION 2004 Cover artist: Dick Giordano (wraparound; recreation of Neal Adams’ original cover) Editor: Robert Greenberger Same content as original edition above.

DC 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-7: SUPERMAN #245 Dec. 1971–Jan. 1972 Cover artists: Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson (wraparound) Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Superman in “The Team of Luthor and Brainiac!” from Superman #167 (Feb. 1964) • Kid Eternity in “The Count” from Kid Eternity #3 (Autumn 1946) • The Atom in “The Time Trap” from The Atom #3 (Oct.–Nov. 1963) • Super Chief in “The Crowning of Super Chief” from All-Star Western #117 (Feb.–Mar. 1961) • Air Wave in “Adventure of the Shooting Spooks” from Detective Comics #66 (Aug. 1942) • Hawkman in “Super Motorized Menace” from Mystery in Space #89 (Feb. 1964) • Superman in “The Prankster’s Greatest Role” from Superman #87 (Feb. 1954) DC 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-8: BATMAN #238 Jan. 1972 Cover artists: Neal Adams and Dick Giordano (wraparound) Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Batman in “The Masterminds of Crime” from Batman #70 (Apr.–May 1952) • Doom Patrol in “Origin of the Doom Patrol” from My Greatest Adventure #80 (June 1963) • Plastic Man in “Oh Plastic Man!” from Police Comics #14 (Dec. 1942) • Sargon the Sorcerer in “Trouble in the Big Top” from Sensation Comics #57 (Sept. 1946) • The Atom in “Danger in the Totem’s Eye”: unpublished Golden Age story • Aquaman in “The Aqua-Thief of the Seven Seas” from Adventure Comics #276 (Sept. 1960) • Legion of Super-Heroes in “The Legion of Super-Outlaws” from Adventure Comics #324 (Sept. 1964) • Batman in “Mr. Roulette’s Greatest Gamble” from Batman #75 (Feb.–Mar. 1953) DC 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-9: OUR ARMY AT WAR #242 featuring SGT. ROCK Feb. 1972 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Joe Kubert Special features: • Sgt. Rock in “Infantry” 1-pager

by Robert Kanigher and Kubert; Capt. Storm in “Navy” 1-pager

by Kubert; Johnny Cloud in “Air Force” 1-pager by Kubert; Gunner and Sarge in “Marines” 1-pager by Kubert; Haunted Tank in “Cavalry” 2-page filler by Kubert; “Sam Glanzman’s War Dairy” 2-page filler; “Battle Roster

of Easy Company” 1-page text piece by Kubert Reprints: • “The Rock!” from G.I. Combat #68 (Jan. 1959) • Capt. Storm in “Death of a P.T. Boat” from Capt. Storm #3 (Sept.–Oct. 1964) • “Line of Departure” from G.I. Combat #64 (Sept. 1958) • Johnny Cloud in “Broken Ace” from All-American Men of War #87 (Sept.–Oct. 1961) • Gunner and Sarge in “A Tank for Sarge” from Our Fighting Forces #57 (Sept.–Oct. 1960) • The Haunted Tank in “The Wounded Won’t Wait” from G.I. Combat #108 (Oct.– Nov. 1964) • “The Brave Tank” from G.I. Combat #44 (Jan. 1957) • “Battle Hats” from Our Army at War #58 (May 1957) DC 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-10: ADVENTURE COMICS #416 Mar. 1972 Cover artist: Bob Oksner (wraparound) Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special feature: • Key to DC’s Fighting Females (identifying heroines on wraparound cover) Reprints: • Supergirl in “The Untold Story of Argo City” from Action Comics #309 (Feb. 1964) • Supergirl in “Supergirl’s Rival Parents” from Action Comics #310 (Mar. 1964) • Johnny Thunder in “The Black Canary” from Flash Comics #86 (Aug. 1947) • Wonder Woman in “Villainy, Incorporated” from Wonder Woman #28 (Mar.–Apr. 1948) • Wonder Woman in “Trap of Crimson Flame” from Wonder Woman #28 (Mar.–Apr. 1948) • Wonder Woman in “In the Hands of the Merciless!” from Wonder Woman #28 (Mar.–Apr. 1948) • Phantom Lady in “Mystery of the Black Cat” from Police Comics #17 (Mar. 1943) • Merry, the Girl of a Thousand Gimmicks in “The Duel of the Gimmicks” from Star Spangled Comics #90 (Mar. 1949) • Supergirl in “The Black Magic of Supergirl” from Action Comics #324 (May 1965) DC 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-11: THE FLASH #214 Apr. 1972 Cover artist: Nick Cardy (wraparound) Editor: Julius Schwartz Special features: • “Flash Facts!” science 1-pager; Famous Flash Covers: Showcase #4 and Flash #155 (inside back cover)

TM & © DC Comics.

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Reprints: • The Flash in “Gauntlet of SuperVillains” from The Flash #155 (Sept. 1965) • Quicksilver in “The Wasp” from National Comics #67 (Aug. 1948) • Kid Flash in “The Face Behind the Mask” from The Flash #122 (Aug. 1961) • Johnny Quick in “The Modern Paul Bunyan!” from Adventure Comics #179 (Aug. 1952) • Golden Age Flash in “A Tale of Three Tokens”; unpublished story • Metal Men in “The Flaming Doom!” from Showcase #37 (Mar.–Apr. 1962) • The Flash in “The Weather Wizard Blows Up a Storm” from The Flash #145 (June 1964) DC 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-12: SUPERBOY #185 May 1972 Cover artist: Nick Cardy (wraparound) Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special feature: • Key to DC’s Young Heroes (identifying characters on wraparound cover) Reprints: • Superboy in “Clark Kent’s SuperFather!” from Adventure Comics #289 (Oct. 1961) • Star-Spangled Kid in “The Jigsaw Puzzle Murder!” from Star Spangled Comics #55 (Apr. 1946) • Teen Titans in “The Astounding Separated Man” from The Brave and the Bold #60 (June–July 1965) • Kid Eternity in “Kid Eternity Hoax!” from Hit Comics #146 (May 1947) • Legion of Super-Heroes in “The Eight Impossible Missions” from Adventure Comics #323 (Aug. 1964) • Legion of Super-Heroes in “The Amazing Winner of the Great Proty Puzzle” from Adventure Comics #323 (Aug. 1964) • Little Boy Blue in “The Origin of Little Boy Blue” from Sensation Comics #1 (Jan. 1942) • Superboy in “The Rip Van Winkle of Smallville” from Adventure Comics #208 (Jan. 1955) DC 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-13: SUPERMAN #252 June 1972 Cover artist: Neal Adams (wraparound) Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Superman in “Powerstone” from Action Comics #47 (Apr. 1942) • Superman in “When Titans Clash” from Superman #17 (July–Aug. 1942) • Dr. Fate in “The Lambent Flame” from More Fun Comics #57 (July 1940) • Golden Age Hawkman in “[The Hawkwoman]” from Flash Comics #24 (Dec. 1941)

• • • • •

Black Condor in “The Missing Scientists” from Crack Comics #18 (Nov. 1941) The Spectre in “The Voice from Nowhere” from More Fun Comics #57 (July 1940) Starman in “Menace of the Invisible Raiders” from Adventure Comics #67 (Oct. 1941) The Ray in “A Modern Pied Piper” from Smash Comics #17 (Dec. 1940) Superman in “Superman’s Greatest Feats” from Superman #146 (July 1941)

100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-14: BATMAN Mar. 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy (wraparound) Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special features: • “A Look Through the Super Spectacles” 2-page column; “This Issue’s Cover Features” text page Reprints: • Batman in “[Menace of the Monk]” from Detective Comics #31 (Sept. 1939) • Batman in “[Showdown with the Monk]” from Detective Comics #32 (Oct. 1939) • The Atom in “Battle of the Tiny Titans” from Showcase #34 (Sept.–Oct. 1961) • Blackhawk in “The Treasure of Ghanpat” from Blackhawk #10 (Spring 1946) • Wonder Woman in “[The Invisible Ray]” from Sensation Comics #6 (June 1942) • Doll Man in “Guardians Against Crime” from Doll Man #31 (Dec. 1950) • Wildcat in “Introducing Stretch Skinner” from Sensation Comics #4 (Apr. 1942) • Batman in “The Batmobile of 1950” from Detective Comics #156 (Feb. 1950) 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-15 Mar. 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy (wraparound) Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special features: • Key to DC’s Young Heroes (identifying characters on wraparound cover) Reprints: • Superboy in “The Boy Who Was Stronger Than Superboy” from Adventure Comics #273 (June 1960) • Boy Commandos in “[Nostradamus Predicts]” from Detective Comics #65 (July 1942) • Superboy in “The Boy of the Year Contest” from Superboy #57 (June 1957) • Aquaman in “The Menace of Aqualad!” from Adventure Comics #270 (Mar. 1960)

•

• • • •

Hawk and Dove in “Twice Burned” from The Hawk and the Dove #3 (Dec. 1968– Jan. 1969) Superboy in “The Trial of Superboy” from Superboy #63 (Mar. 1958) Sandman in “A Drama in Dreams” from Adventure Comics #81 (Dec. 1942) Dial H for Hero in “Villain with the Doomsday Stare” from House of Mystery #164 (Jan. 1967) Superboy in “Superbaby’s Search for a Pet” from Superboy #130 (June 1966)

100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-16: SGT. ROCK Apr. 1973 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Joe Kubert Reprints: • Sgt. Rock in “Make Me a Hero” from Our Army at War #136 (Nov. 1963) • Capt. Storm in “Killer Hunt” from Capt. Storm #1 (May–June 1964) • Johnny Cloud in “The Flying Chief” from All-American Men of War #82 (Nov.– Dec. 1960) • Mlle. Marie in “Battle Doll” from Star Spangled War Stories #84 (Aug. 1959) • Gunner and Sarge in “Gunner’s Choice” from Our Fighting Forces #46 (June 1959) • Haunted Tank in “Haunted Tank vs. Ghost Tank” from G.I. Combat #88 (June–July 1961) 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-17: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA June 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Back cover: Cover gallery featuring Justice League of America #23 and 43 and All-Star Comics #37 Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special feature: • “A Look Through the Super Spectacles” lettercol Reprints: • Justice League of America in “Drones of the Queen Bee!” from Justice League of America #23 (Nov. 1963) • Justice Society of America in “The Injustice Society of the World!” from All-Star Comics #37 (Oct.–Nov. 1947); 7 chapters (JSA, Hawkman, the Flash, Green Lantern, the Atom, Dr. Mid-Nite, and JSA) • Sandman in “[The Magnesium Formula]” from Adventure Comics #65 (Aug. 1941) • Justice League of America in “The Card Crimes of the Royal Flush Gang!” from Justice League of America #43 (Mar. 1966)

100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-18: SUPERMAN July 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Back cover: Cover gallery featuring Superman #23 and 162, The Atom #8, and Crack Comics #42 Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special feature: • “A Look Through the Super Spectacles” lettercol Reprints: • Superman in “I Sustain the Wings” from Superman #25 (Nov.– Dec. 1943) • The Golden Age Atom in “Murder on a Star” from Flash Comics #90 (Dec. 1947) • The Atom in “Lockup in the Lethal Lightbulb!” from The Atom #8 (Aug.–Sept. 1963) • Superman in “Superboy’s Last Day in Smallville!” from Superman #97 (May 1955) • T.N.T. and Dan the Dyna-Mite in “The Crime Clown” from World’s Finest Comics #5 (Spring 1942) • Hourman in “[Dr. Togg’s Gombezis]” from Adventure Comics #57 (Dec. 1940) • Captain Triumph in “[All That Glitters is Not Gold]” from Crack Comics #42 (May 1946) • Superman in “The Amazing Story of Superman-Red and SupermanBlue!” from Superman #162 (July 1963) 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-19: TARZAN Aug. 1973 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Back cover: Tarzan pinup by Russ Manning Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Tarzan in “Tarzan and the Elephants’ Guardian” from Tarzan newspaper strip • Tarzan in “Tarzan and the Prisoners in Opar” from Tarzan newspaper strip • Tarzan in “How I Met Tarzan” from Tarzan newspaper strip • Tarzan in “Tarzan in Tembo-Haven” from Tarzan newspaper strip 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-20: BATMAN Sept. 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Back cover: Cover gallery featuring Detective Comics #66, 68, and 80, and Blackhawk #13 Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Batman in “The Crimes of TwoFace!” from Detective Comics #66 (Aug. 1942) • Batman in “The Man Who Led a Double Life” from Detective Comics #68 (Oct. 1942) • Dr. Mid-Nite in “[The Tarantula]” from All-American Comics #88 (Aug. 1947)

TM & © DC Comics, except Tarzan © ERB.

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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Black Canary in “An Orchid for the Deceased” from Flash Comics #95 (May 1948) Starman in “The Case of the Camera Curse” from Adventure Comics #66 (Sept. 1941) Blackhawk in “[Madame Fear]” from Blackhawk #13 (Winter 1946) The Spectre in “[The Monsters from the Picture]” from More Fun Comics #66 (Apr. 1941) Wildcat in “The Count That Never Ended” from Sensation Comics #71 (Nov. 1947) Batman in “The End of Two-Face” from Detective Comics #80 (Oct. 1943)

100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-21: SUPERBOY Oct. 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Back cover: Cover gallery featuring Adventure Comics #117 and 332, The Brave and the Bold #54, and Kid Eternity #9 Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special feature: • “A Look Through the Super Spectacles” lettercol Reprints: • Superboy in “The Superboy Revenge Squad” from Superboy #94 (Jan. 1962) • Supergirl in “Lena Thorul, Jungle Princess” from Action Comics #313 (June 1964) • Superboy in “The Miracle Plane” from Adventure Comics #117 (June 1947) • Kid Eternity in “Kid Eternity vs. the Beagle” from Kid Eternity #9 (Spring 1948) • Legion of Super-Heroes in “The Moby Dick of Outer Space” from Adventure Comics #332 (May 1965) • Kid Flash, Robin, and Aqualad [first Teen Titans] in “Thousand-and-One Dooms of Mr. Twister” from The Brave and the Bold #54 (June–July 1964) • Superboy in “The Super Giant of Smallville” from Superboy #50 (July 1956) 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #DC-22: THE FLASH Nov. 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Back cover: Cover gallery featuring The Flash #134 and 135 and All-Flash #13 Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special feature: • “A Look Through the Super Spectacles” lettercol Reprints: • The Flash in in “Secret of the Three Super-Weapons!” from The Flash #135 (Mar. 1963) • Johnny Quick in “The Slowpoke Crimes!” from Adventure Comics #129 (June 1948) • The Golden Age Flash in “The Campaign Against the Flash!” from All-Flash #13 (Winter 1943)

• •

The Elongated Man in “The Riddle of the Sleepytime Taxi” from Detective Comics #359 (Jan. 1967) The Flash in “The Man Who Mastered Absolute Zero!” from The Flash #134 (Feb. 1963)

ACTION COMICS #437 July 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant Special feature: • Cover gallery featuring My Greatest Adventure #3, Western Comics #77, Sea Devils #1, and Mystery in Space #85 New stories: • Superman in “Magic is Bustin’ Out All Over!”

Reprints: • “The First Frogman” from Showcase #28 (Sept.–Oct. 1960) • Sea Devils in “The Sea Devils vs. the Octopus Man!” from Sea Devils #1 (Sept.–Oct. 1961) • Adam Strange in “Riddle of the Runaway Rockets!” from Mystery in Space #85 (Aug. 1963) • Matt Savage in “The Barbed Wire Barricade!” from Western Comics #77 (Sept.–Oct. 1959) • “I Was King of the Daredevils!” from My Greatest Adventure #3 (May–June 1955) • Doll Man in “The Man Who Returned from the Dead!” from Doll Man #13 (Summer 1947) ACTION COMICS #443 Jan. 1975 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant Special features: • Sea Devils in “7 Threats of the 7 Seas!” 2-page filler; “Super-Puzzle” activity page New story: • Superman in “At Last! Clark Kent— Superhero!”

Reprints: • Sea Devils in “The Ghost of the Deep!” from Sea Devils #3 (Jan.–Feb. 1963) • Matt Savage in “Revolt in Painted Canyon!” from Western Comics #78 (Nov.–Dec. 1959) • Adam Strange in “The Super-brain of Adam Strange” from Mystery in Space #87 (Nov. 1963) • Hawkman in “Amazing Thefts of the I.Q. Gang!” from Mystery in Space #87 (Nov. 1963) • The Black Pirate in “[The Man in the Iron Mask]” from Sensation Comics #4 (Apr. 1942) BATMAN #254 Jan.–Feb. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz Special features: • “Batman Oddities” 1-page filler; “Bat-Maze” activity page

New stories: • Batman in “King of the Gotham Jungle!”

• Robin in “The Phenomenal Memory of Luke Graham!”

Reprints: • Batman in “The Witch and the Manuscript of Doom!” from World’s Best Comics #1 (Spring 1941) • Batman in “The Bullet-Hole Club!” from World’s Finest Comics #50 (Feb.–Mar. 1951) • Batman in “The Man Who Stole from Batman” from Detective Comics #334 (Dec. 1964) • Batman in “The Son of the Joker” from Batman #145 (Feb. 1962) • Batman in “The Guardian of the Bat-Signal” from Batman #85 (Aug. 1954) BATMAN #255 Mar.–Apr. 1974 Cover artists: Neal Adams (main image), Nick Cardy (side images) Editor: Julius Schwartz Special features: • “The Story of the Batmobile” 2-page filler; “Bat-Maze” activity page (answer to #254’s puzzle) New story: • Batman in “Moon of the Wolf” Reprints: • Batman in “The First Batman” from Detective Comics #235 (Sept. 1956) • Batman in “The Duped Domestics!” from Batman #22 (Apr.–May 1944) • Batman in “The True-False Face of Batman” from Detective Comics #363 (May 1967) • Robin in “Crazy-Quilt Comes Back!” from Star Spangled Comics #123 (Dec. 1951) • Batman in “The Outsider Strikes Again!” from Detective Comics #340 (June 1965) BATMAN #256 May–June 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz Special features: • “If Bruce Wayne Had Not Become the Batman” 2-page filler; “Bat-Puzzle” activity page; Catwoman 1-page filler New story: • Batman in “Catwoman’s Circus Caper!”

Reprints: • Batman in “Dinosaur Island!” from Batman #35 (June–July 1946) • Batman in “The Penny Plunderers!” from World’s Finest Comics #30 (Sept.–Oct. 1957) • Batman in “Brothers in Crime!” from Batman #12 (Aug.–Sept. 1942) • Robin in “The Thousand-and-One Trophies of Batman!” from Detective Comics #158 (Apr. 1950) • Batman in “The Secret of Batman Island!” from Batman #119 (Oct. 1958)

BATMAN #257 July–Aug. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant editor Special features: • “The Penguin’s Unique Umbrellas!”

2-page filler; Casey the Cop 1-page filler; “Man without Fingerprints!” 1-page filler New story: • Batman in “The Emperor Penguin!”

Reprints: • Batman in “Hunt for a RobinKiller!” from Detective Comics #374 (Apr. 1968) • Batman in “Ally Babble and the Fourteen Peeves!” from Batman #30 (Aug.–Sept. 1945) • Alfred in “Conversational Clue!” from Batman #22 (Apr.–May 1944) • Batman in “Die Small—Die Big!” from Detective Comics #385 (Mar. 1969) • Batman in “Rackety-Rax Racket!” from Batman #32 (Dec. 1945– Jan. 1946) BATMAN #258 Sept.–Oct. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant editor Special feature: • “Bat-Puzzle” activity page New story: • Batman in “Threat of the TwoHeaded Coin!”

Reprints: • Batman in “The Three Racketeers!” from Detective Comics #61 (Mar. 1942) • Batman in “7 Wonder Crimes of Gotham City!” from Detective Comics #368 (Oct. 1967) • Batman in “Twenty-Ton Robbery!” from Batman #26 (Dec. 1944– Jan. 1945) • Batman in “The Guardian of 100 Cities!” from Batman #95 (Oct. 1955) • Batman in “The Man with a Thousand Eyes!” from World’s Finest Comics #43 (Dec. 1949– Jan. 1950) BATMAN #259 Nov.–Dec. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant editor Special features: • “A New Look for Robin” 2-page filler; “Comedy Cover Capers” 1-page filler (Batman #130, 175, 197, and 209 covers with humorous dialogue) New story: • Batman guest-starring The Shadow in “Night of The Shadow!”

Reprints: • Batman in “The Great Batman Swindle!” from Detective Comics #222 (Aug. 1955)

TM & © DC Comics.

22 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

• • • •

Batman in “The Strange Costumes of Batman!” from Detective Comics #165 (Nov. 1950) Batman in “Heroes by Proxy!” from Batman #29 (June–July 1945) Batman in “Two Batmen Too Many!” from Batman #177 (Dec. 1965) Batman in “The Failure of Bruce Wayne” from Batman #120 (Dec. 1958)

BATMAN #260 Jan.–Feb. 1975 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant editor Special features: • “The Batman Whirly-Word Game” activity page; “Batman Trivia Quiz” activity page; “Strange Old Laws” 1-page filler; “Speedy Justice” 1-page filler New story: • Batman in “This One’ll Kill You, Batman!”

Reprints: • Batman in “The Grade A Crimes!” from Batman #16 (Apr.–May 1943) • Batman and the Mystery Analysts of Gotham City in “The Perfect Crime … Slightly Imperfect!” from Batman #181 (June 1966) • Batman in “The Case without a Crime!” from Detective Comics #112 (June 1946) • Alfred in “The Pearl of Peril!” from Batman #27 (Feb.–Mar. 1945) • Batman in “The Riddler’s PrisonPuzzle Problem” from Detective Comics #377 (July 1968) BATMAN #261 Mar.–Apr. 1975 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant editor Special features: • “Bat-Puzzle” activity page; “Strange Laws” 1-page filler; “The Women in Batman’s Life” 2-pager; “Batman’s Workshop: Bat-Kite” activity page New story: • Batman in “The Mystery That Never Was!” Reprints: • Batman in “Crime’s Manhunt” from Detective Comics #92 (Oct. 1944) • Batman in “The 1,001 Inventions of Batman” from Batman #109 (Aug. 1957) • Batman in “A Christmas Peril!” from Batman #27 (Feb.– Mar. 1945) • Batman in “The Great Batman Contest” from Batman #100 (June 1956) • Batman in “The Blockbuster Invasion of Gotham City!” from Detective Comics #345 (Nov. 1965) THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #112 Apr.–May 1974 Cover artists: Jim Aparo (main image), misc. artists (side images)

Editor: Murray Boltinoff; E. Nelson Bridwell, associate editor Special feature: • “Batman’s Famous Co-Stars” 3-page filler New story: • Batman and Mister Miracle in “The Impossible Escape” Reprints: • Aquaman and Hawkman in “Fury of the Exiled Creature” from The Brave and the Bold #51 (Dec. 1963–Jan. 1964) • Silent Knight in “The Three Flaming Dooms” from The Brave and Bold #15 (Dec. 1957– Jan. 1958) • Batman and Green Lantern in “The Tick-Tock Traps of the Time Commander” from The Brave and the Bold #59 (Apr.–May 1965) THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #113 May–June 1974 Cover artists: Jim Aparo (main image), misc. artists (side images) Editor: Murray Boltinoff; Paul Levitz, assistant editor Special features: • “In the Beginning Were the Words” Bob Haney bio page; “The Brave and the Bold Co-Stars” 3-page filler New story: • Batman and the Metal Men in “The 50-Story Killer!”

Reprints: • Green Arrow in “The World’s Three Most Dangerous Arrows” from Adventure Comics #248 (May 1958) • Hawkman in “Creature of a Thousand Shapes!” from The Brave and Bold #34 (Feb.–Mar. 1961) • Challengers of the Unknown in “The Man Who Conquered the Challengers” from Challengers of the Unknown #14 (June– July 1960) • Viking Prince in “The Figurehead of the Burning Sea!” from The Brave and Bold #23 (Apr.–May 1959) THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #114 Aug.–Sept. 1974 Cover artists: Jim Aparo (main image), misc. artists (side images) Editor: Murray Boltinoff; Paul Levitz, assistant editor Special feature: • “Batman’s Backgrounds for Action” 3-page filler New story: • Batman and Aquaman in “Last Jet to Gotham” Reprints: • Teen Titans in “The Perilous Capers of the Terrible Teen” from Teen Titans #5 (Sept.–Oct. 1966) • Green Arrow and Manhunter from Mars in “Wanted—the Capsule Master!” from The Brave and Bold #50 (Oct.–Nov. 1963) • Aquaman in “The Charge of the Sea Soldiers” from Adventure Comics #284 (May 1961)

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #115 Oct.–Nov. 1974 Cover artists: Jim Aparo (main image), misc. artists (side images) Editor: Murray Boltinoff; Paul Levitz, assistant editor Special feature: • “What Made Them Tick?” Dr. Fate/ Hourman 1-page filler New story: • Batman and the Atom in “The Corpse That Wouldn’t Die!” Reprints: • Challengers of the Unknown in “The Three Clues to Sorcery” from Challengers of the Unknown #12 (Feb.–Mar. 1960) • Dr. Fate and Hourman in “Solomon Grundy Goes on a Rampage!” from Showcase #55 (Mar.–Apr. 1965) • Viking Prince in “The Origin of the Viking Prince!” from The Brave and the Bold #23 (Apr.–May 1955) • The Atom in “The Case of the Innocent Thief” from The Atom #4 (Dec. 1962–Jan. 1963) THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #116 Dec. 1974–Jan. 1975 Cover artists: Jim Aparo (main image), misc. artists (side images) Editor: Murray Boltinoff; Paul Levitz, assistant editor Special features: • “Double Clues #3” puzzle page (reveals identity of next issue’s co-star); “Heroes Who Wouldn’t Die” 3-page filler; “The Many Lives of the Spectre” 2-page filler New story: • Batman and the Spectre in “Grasp of the Killer Cult” Reprints: • Teen Titans in “The Dimensional Caper!” from Teen Titans #16 (July–Aug. 1968) • Silent Knight in “Knight for a Day!” from The Brave and the Bold #2 (Oct.–Nov. 1955) • Batman, Wonder Woman, and Batgirl in “The Coils of the Copperhead!” from The Brave and the Bold #78 (June– July 1968) THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #117 Feb.–Mar. 1975 Cover artists: Jim Aparo (main image), misc. artists (side images) Editor: Murray Boltinoff; Paul Levitz, assistant editor Special feature: • “Super-Heroes—Super-Warriors!”

1-page filler New story: • Batman and Sgt. Rock in “Nightmare without End” Reprints: • Viking Prince in “Trail of the Black Falcon!” from The Brave and the Bold #24 (June–July 1959) • Green Arrow in “1001 Ways to Defeat Green Arrow!” from Adventure Comics #174 (Mar. 1952)

• •

Secret Six in “Code Name: Mockingbird!” from Secret Six #1 (Apr.–May 1968) Blackhawk in “The Menace from Inner Space” from Blackhawk #194 (Mar. 1964)

DETECTIVE COMICS #438 Dec. 1973–Jan. 1974 Cover artist: Michael Kaluta Editor: Archie Goodwin New stories: • Batman in “A Monster Walks Wayne Manor!”

• (The new) Manhunter in “The Manhunter File” Reprints: • The Atom in “World of the Magic Atom!” from The Atom #19 (June–July 1965) • Hawkman in “The Men Who Moved the World!” from The Brave and the Bold #44 (Oct.–Nov. 1962) • Batman in “Gotham Gang Line-Up!” from Detective Comics #328 (June 1964) • Green Lantern in “The House That Fought Green Lantern!” from Green Lantern #28 (Apr. 1964) DETECTIVE COMICS #439 Feb.–Mar. 1974 Cover artists: Neal Adams and Dick Giordano Editor: Archie Goodwin New stories: • Batman in “Night of the Stalker!”

• Manhunter in “The Resurrection of Paul Kirk” Reprints: • Golden Age Hawkman in “The Riddle of the Clown” from Flash Comics #92 (Feb. 1948) • The Atom in “The Gold Hunters of ’49!” from The Atom #12 (Apr.–May 1964) • Dr. Fate in “[no title]” from More Fun Comics #66 (Apr. 1941) • Batman in “Batman’s Bewitched Nightmare!” from Detective Comics #336 (Feb. 1965) • Elongated Man in “The Tantalizing Troubles of the Tripod Thieves!” from Detective Comics #335 (Sept. 1966) • Kid Eternity in “[no title]” from Kid Eternity #3 (Autumn 1946) DETECTIVE COMICS #440 Apr.–May 1974 Cover artist: Jim Aparo Editor: Archie Goodwin; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant editor New stories: • Batman in “Ghost Mountain Midnight!”

• Manhunter in “Rebellion!”

Reprints: • Golden Age Manhunter in “Cobras of the Deep!” from Adventure Comics #79 (Oct. 1942) • Hawkman in “The Fear That Haunted Hawkman” from Hawkman #3 (Aug.–Sept. 1964)

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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Doll Man in “A Million-Dollar Corpse!” from Feature Comics #123 (June 1948) Golden Age Green Lantern in “Too Many Suspects!” from Green Lantern #37 (Mar. –Apr. 1949) Batman in “The Inside Story of the Outsider!” from Detective Comics #356 (Oct. 1966) Kid Eternity in “[no title]” from Kid Eternity #3 (Autumn 1946)

DETECTIVE COMICS #441 June–July 1974 Cover artist: Jim Aparo Editor: Archie Goodwin; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant editor New stories: • Batman in “Judgment Day!” • Manhunter in “Cathedral Perilous” Reprints: • Plastic Man in “[Woozy Winks— Wanted for Murder!]” from Plastic Man #3 (Spring 1946) • Batman in “The Case of the Prophetic Pictures!” from Detective Comics #42 (Aug. 1940) • Ibis the Invincible in “Holocaust God of Destruction!” from Whiz Comics #95 (Mar. 1948) • Eclipso in “The Two Faces of Doom!” from House of Secrets #66 (May–June 1964) • Alias the Spider in “[The Poker Game Strangler]” from Crack Comics #25 (Sept. 1942) • Batman in “The Carbon Copy Crimes!” from Batman #38 (Dec. 1946–Jan. 1947) DETECTIVE COMICS #442 Aug.–Sept. 1974 Cover artist: Jim Aparo Editor: Archie Goodwin; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant editor New stories: • Batman in “Death Flies the Haunted Sky!” • Manhunter in “To Duel the Master” Reprints: • Newsboy Legion in “The House Where Time Stood Still” from Star Spangled Comics #21 (June 1943) • Hawkman in “The Magic Mirror Mystery!” from Hawkman #10 (Oct.–Nov. 1965) • Black Canary in “The Huntress of the Highway!” from Flash Comics #92 (Feb. 1948) • Elongated Man in “The Robbery That Never Happened!” from Detective Comics #333 (Nov. 1964) • Batman in “Vanishing Village!” from Batman #31 (Oct.–Nov. 1945) • Dr. Fate in “[The Madman of Baranga Marsh]” from More Fun Comics #68 (June 1941) DETECTIVE COMICS #443 Oct.–Nov. 1974 Cover artist: Jim Aparo Editor: Archie Goodwin; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant editor Special features:

•

Batman 1-page pinup; Manhunter 1-page pinup New story: • Batman and Manhunter in “Gotterdammerung” Reprints: • The Spectre in “[Dr. Mephisto]” from More Fun Comics #65 (Mar. 1941) • Golden Age Green Lantern in “The End of Sports!” from All-American Comics #98 (June 1948) • The Creeper in “The Coming of the Creeper!” from Showcase #73 (Mar.–Apr. 1968) • Batman in “The Secret of Hunter’s Inn!” from Batman #18 (Aug.– Sept. 1943) • Black Canary in “The Huntress of the Highway!” from Flash Comics #92 (Feb. 1948) • Elongated Man in “The Robbery That Never Happened!” from Detective Comics #333 (Nov. 1964) DETECTIVE COMICS #444 Dec. 1974–Jan. 1975 Cover artist: Jim Aparo Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant editor Special features: • “Bat-Puzzle” activity page; “Comedy Cover Capers” 1-page filler (various Detective Comics covers with humorous dialogue) New stories: • Batman in “Bat-Murderer!”

• Elongated Man in “The Magical Mystery Mirror” Reprints: • Robin in “Dick Grayson, Detective” from Star Spangled Comics #111 (Dec. 1950) • Star Hawkins in “The Case of the Martian Witness!” from Strange Adventures #114 (Mar. 1960) • Manhunters Around the World in “The International Sky Police!” from Star Spangled Comics #109 (Oct. 1950) • Kid Eternity in “[The Man Called Unknown]” from Kid Eternity #10 (July 1948) • Roy Raymond, TV Detective in “The Good-Luck Prophet” from Detective Comics #285 (Nov. 1960) • Sierra Smith in “The Case of the Haunted Horse!” from Dale Evans Comics #9 (Jan.–Feb. 1950) • Gang Busters in “Circus Beat!” from Gang Busters #48 (Oct.–Nov. 1955) DETECTIVE COMICS #445 Feb.–Mar. 1975 Cover artist: Jim Aparo Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, associate editor; Bob Rozakis, assistant editor Special features: • “Cops-of-All-Trades” 1-page filler; “Strange Laws” 1-page filler New stories: • Batman in “Break-In at the Big House” • Robin in “The Touchdown Trap!”

Reprints:

• • •

• • • • •

Star Hawkins in “The Case of the Robot-Spy!” from Strange Adventures #116 (May 1960) Marty Moran, Headline Hunter in “The Human Bomb!” from Big Town #2 (Feb. 1951) Manhunters Around the World in “The Swiss Border Patrol!” from Star Spangled Comics #105 (June 1950) A Perfect Crime Mystery: “The Case of the Crooked Gambler!” from Gang Busters #5 (Aug.–Sept. 1948) Roy Raymond, TV Detective in “The Man Who Slept 200 Years!” from Detective Comics #222 (Aug. 1955) Elongated Man in “Ten Miles to Nowhere!” from Detective Comics #327 (May 1964) Gang Busters in “24 Hours from Death!” from Gang Busters #25 (Dec. 1951–Jan. 1952) Dr. Mid-Nite in “Case of the Talking Shadows!” from All-American Comics #101 (Sept. 1948)

THE FLASH #229 Sept.–Oct. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant editor Special features: • “Best Wishes from the Flash” pinup; “Flash Puzzle” activity page; “Amazing Speeds” 1/3-page filler New story: • The Flash (with the Golden Age Flash) in “The Rag Doll Runs Wild!”

Reprints: • Green Lantern in “Half a Green Lantern is Better Than None!” from Green Lantern #29 (June 1964) • Kid Flash in “Secret of the Handicapped Boys!” from The Flash #133 (Dec. 1962) • Johnny Quick in “The Man Who Wore Ten Hats!” from Adventure Comics #117 (June 1947) • The Golden Age Flash in “The Secret City” from All-Flash #31 (Oct.–Nov. 1947) • The Flash in “Girl from the SuperFast Dimension!” from The Flash #145 (June 1964) THE FLASH #232 Mar.–Apr. 1975 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, associate; Bob Rozakis, assistant Special features: • “Meet Kid Flash” 2-page filler; “Amazing Speeds!” 1-pager; “Flash Puzzle” activity page New story: • The Flash in “Death-Rattle of the 12-Hour Man!” Reprints: • Green Lantern in “The Duel of the Super-Heroes!” from Green Lantern #13 (June 1962) • The Golden Age Flash in “The Images of Doom” from Flash Comics #94 (Apr. 1948)

• •

Johnny Quick in “The 9th! Wonder of the World” from Adventure Comics #141 (Oct. 1947) The Flash in “Vengeance Via Television!” from The Flash #124 (Nov. 1961)

HOUSE OF MYSTERY #224 Apr.–May 1974 Cover artists: Gerry Taloac (main image), misc. artists (side images) Editor: Joe Orlando; Paul Levitz, assistant Special features: • 3 “Cain’s Game Room” 1-pagers New stories: • “Night Stalker in Slim City” • “The Deadman’s Lucky Scarf” • “Sheer Fear!”

• “The Claws of Death!”

• “Photo Finish!”

Reprints: • “The House of Endless Years” from House of Secrets #83 (Dec. 1969– Jan. 1970) • “The Reluctant Sorcerer” from House of Secrets #49 (Oct. 1961) • The Spectre in “Abrada-Doom!” from The Spectre #9 (Mar.– Apr. 1969) • “The One-and-Only, Fully Guaranteed, Super-Permanent, 100%?” from House of Secrets #82 (Oct.–Nov. 1969) • “The Gift That Wiped Out Time” from House of Mystery #120 (Mar. 1962) • The Phantom Stranger in “Mystery in Miniature!” from The Phantom Stranger #6 (June–July 1953) HOUSE OF MYSTERY #225 June–July 1974 Cover artists: Luis Dominguez (main image), misc. artists (side images) Editor: Joe Orlando Special features: • 2 “Cain’s Game Room” 1-pagers; “Mystery Maze” activity page; “Room 13” 1-pager New stories: • “The Man Who Died Twice” • “Fireman, Burn My Child!”

• “See No Evil” • “This One’ll Scare You to Death!”

Reprints: • “Master of the Unknown” from House of Secrets #4 (May– June 1957) • “The Curse of the MacIntyres!” from The Sinister House of Secret Love #1 (Oct.–Nov. 1971) • The Phantom Stranger in “The Hairy Shadows” from The Phantom Stranger #4 (Feb.–Mar. 1953) • The Spectre in “Shadow Show” from The Spectre #9 (Mar.–Apr. 1969) HOUSE OF MYSTERY #226 Aug.–Sept. 1974 Cover artist: Luis Dominguez Editor: Joe Orlando Special feature: • “Room 13” 1-pager; “Cain’s Game Room” 1-pager; “Cain’s Gargoyles” 1-pager; “Mystery Maze” activity

TM & © DC Comics.

24 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

page; “Hidden in the House!” activity page New stories: • “Garden of Evil” • “Teddy Doesn’t Seem to Smile Anymore!”

• “Monster in the House” • “The Perfect Mate” • “Do You Dare Enter the House of Mystery?”

• “Out of This World” Reprints: • “The Devil’s Chessboard” from House of Mystery #12 (Mar. 1953) • The Phantom Stranger in “The Living Nightmare” from The Phantom Stranger #5 (Apr.– May 1953) • “Scared to Life” from House of Mystery #180 (May–June 1969) • “The School for Sorcerers” from House of Mystery #74 (May 1958) • “The Wishes of Doom!” from House of Mystery #10 (Jan. 1953) • “The Haunted Melody” from House of Mystery #58 (Jan. 1957) HOUSE OF MYSTERY #227 Oct.–Nov. 1974 Cover artists: Redondo Studio Editor: Joe Orlando Special features: • “Make Your Own Monster” activity page; 2 “Cain’s Game Room” 1-page fillers; 3 “Room 13” 1-page fillers New stories: • “The Vengeance of Voodoo Annie” • “Demons are Made … Not Born” • “The Carriage Man” Reprints: • “The Haunting Wind” from The Phantom Stranger #2 (Oct.–Nov. 1952) • “Cry, Clown, Cry” from House of Mystery #51 (Dec. 1961) • “The Town That Lost Its Face” from House of Secrets #50 (Nov. 1961) • “The Weird World of Anton Borka” from House of Secrets #37 (Oct. 1960) • “The Girl in the Glass Sphere” from House of Mystery #72 (Mar. 1958) HOUSE OF MYSTERY #228 Dec. 1974–Jan. 1975 Cover artists: Frank Robbins (main image); Luis Dominguez (side images) Editor: Joe Orlando Special features: • “Cain’s Game Room” 1-page fillers; “House of Mystery Hidden Message” activity page; “Halloween Monster Cards” 2-page filler; “Room 13” 1-page filler New stories: • “The Wisdom of Many, the Wit of One” • “The Rebel” • “A Coffin for Bonnie and Clyde” • ‘The Fireworks Man!” Reprints: • “Stamps of Doom!” from House of Mystery #23 (Feb. 1954)

• •

• •

“The Wizard’s Revenge” from House of Secrets #41 (Feb. 1961) Cain’s True Case Files: “The Man Who Murdered Himself” from House of Mystery #179 (Mar.– Apr. 1969) “The Dragon of Times Square” from House of Mystery #74 (May 1958) “Seven Steps to the Unknown” from Tales of the Unexpected #4 (Aug. 1956)

HOUSE OF MYSTERY #229 Feb. 1975–Mar. 1975 Cover artists: Nestor Redondo; with Bernie Wrightson addition Editor: Joe Orlando Special features: • “Cain’s Gargoyles” 1-page filler; “Mystery Crossword” activity page New storiy: • “Nightmare Castle” (Note: This is a 36-page inventory story originally commissioned for Secrets of Sinister House #6) Reprints: • “Sir Greeley’s Revenge” from House of Mystery #181 (July–Aug. 1969) • “Sour Note!” from House of Mystery #179 (Mar.–Apr. 1969) • Cain’s True Case Files: “The Dead Can Kill!” from House of Mystery #183 (Nov.–Dec. 1969) • “I Was a Spy for Them” from Tales of the Unexpected #16 (Aug. 1957) • “Mask of the Red Fox” from House of Mystery #187 (July–Aug. 1970) • Cain’s True Case Files: “Grave Results!” from House of Mystery #182 (Sept.–Oct. 1969) JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #110 Mar.–Apr. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz Special feature: • Justice Society of America 2-page pinup by Murphy Anderson New story: • Justice League of America in “The Man Who Murdered Santa Claus!”

Reprints: • Justice Society of America in “The Plight of a Nation!” from All-Star Comics #40 (Apr.–May 1948) • Justice League of America in “Z— as in Zatanna—and Zero Hour!” from Justice League of America #51 (Feb. 1967) JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #111 May–June 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz Special features: • “Wanted: The Injustice Gang!”

2-page filler, written by Martin Pasko and drawn by Pat Broderick; “JLA Puzzle” activity page; “Seven Soliders of Victory” text page; “Seven Soldiers of Victory—Plus One” pinup page by Murphy Anderson New story: • Justice League of America in “Balance of Power!”

Reprints: • Seven Soldiers of Victory in “The Black Star Shines!” from Leading Comics #2 (Spring 1942) • Shining Knight in “Mystery of the Clowning Criminals” from Leading Comics #2 (Spring 1942) • Star-Spangled Kid in “Mystery of the Santa Claus Pirate!” from Leading Comics #2 (Spring 1942) • Green Arrow in “Mystery of the One-Man Museum” from Leading Comics #2 (Spring 1942) • Justice League of America in “Attack of the Star-Bolt Warrior!” from Justice League of America #32 (Dec. 1964) JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #112 July–Aug. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz Special features: • “Amazo and His Creator” 2-page filler; “Beware! The Black Star Shines!” 1-page recap of tale continued from previous issue; “The Origin of Starman” text page New story: • Justice League of America in “War with the One-Man Justice League!”

Reprints: • Crimson Avenger in “The Case of the Twisted Twins” from Leading Comics #2 (Spring 1942) • The Vigilante in “The Sixty-Kiddie Club!” from Leading Comics #2 (Spring 1942) • Seven Soldiers of Victory in “[Conclusion]” from Leading Comics #2 (Spring 1942) • Starman in “Starman’s Lucky Star!” from Adventure Comics #81 (Dec. 1942) • Justice League of America in “The Super-Exiles of Earth!” from Justice League of America #19 (May 1963) JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #113 Sept.–Oct. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, associate Special feature: • “The Freedom Train” JLA 2-pager New story: • Justice League of America in “The Creature in the Velvet Cage!”

Reprints: • Justice Society of America in “The Case of the Patriotic Crimes!” from All-Star Comics #41 (June–July 1948) • Justice League of America in “The Cavern of Deadly Spheres!” from Justice League of America #16 (Dec. 1962) JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #114 Nov.–Dec. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, associate Special features: • “Super-Hero Boots!” activity page; “JLA Activity Page” activity page; “JLA Heroes of the Past” 1-pager

New story: • Justice League of America in “The Return of Anakronus!”

Reprints: • Just a Story in “Detour” from Comic Cavalcade #18 (Dec. 1946–Jan. 1947) • Justice League of America in “Crisis on Earth-Three!” from Justice League of America #29 (Sept. 1964) JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #115 Jan.–Feb. 1975 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, associate Special feature: • Cover gallery featuring All-Star Comics #44 and Justice League of America #40 New story: • Justice League of America in “The Last Angry God!” Reprints: • Justice Society of America in “Evil Star Over Hollywood!” from All-Star Comics #44 (Dec. 1948–Jan. 1949) • Justice League of America in “Indestructible Creatures of Nightmare Island!” from Justice League of America #40 (Nov. 1965) JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #116 Mar.–Apr. 1975 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, associate; Bob Rozakis, assistant Special features: • “JLA Super-Villain Quiz!” activity 2-pager; “JLA Puzzle” activity page New story: • Justice League of America in “The Kid Who Won Hawkman’s Wings!”

Reprints: • Starman and Black Canary in “Mastermind of Menaces!” from The Brave and the Bold #61 (Aug.–Sept. 1965) • Justice League of America in “The Challenge of the Untouchable Aliens!” from Justice League of America #15 (Nov. 1962) • Just a Story in “Detour” from Comic Cavalcade #19 (Feb.–Mar. 1947) JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA SUPER SPECTACULAR #1, 1975 issue (Replica Edition) Mar. 1999 Cover artists: Mike Collins and John Stokes Editor: Martin Pasko; Jim Spivey, associate Special features: • “From the DC Comics Vault…” text page explaining “lost issue” concept (inside front cover); Justice Society of America 2-page pinup (from Justice League of America #76); “Giant JLA Mail Room” faux letters page with letters from fans “David Schneider,” “Mike W. Lillian III,” “Guy Rodi,” and “Fred Dasch”

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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Reprints: • Justice League of America (retitled Adam Strange story) in “The Planet That Came to a Standstill!” from Mystery in Space #75 (May 1962) • Justice Society of America in “The Case of the Patriotic Crimes!

(3 chapters)” from All-Star Comics #41 (June–July 1948) • The Atom in “Suddenly … the Witness Vanished!” from Detective Comics #432 (Feb. 1973) • Justice League of America in “Starro the Conqueror” from The Brave and the Bold #28 (Feb.–Mar. 1960) JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA SUPER SPECTACULAR #1, 1975 issue (Replica Edition) May 2000 Cover artists: various (reprinted from earlier covers) Editor: Dale Crain; Michael Wright, assistant Special features: • “From the DC Comics Vault…” text page explaining “lost issue” concept (inside front cover); “The Origin of Starman” text page (reprinted from The Brave and the Bold #61) Reprints: • The Flash (and the Golden Age Flash) in “Vengeance of the Immortal Villain!” from The Flash #137 (June 1963) • Starman and Black Canary in “The Big Super-Hero Hunt” from The Brave and the Bold #62 (Oct.–Nov. 1965) • The Golden Age Flash in “Finale for a Fiddler” from The Flash #201 (Nov. 1970) • Dr. Mid-Nite in “The Sight Stealers” from Adventure Comics #418 (Apr. 1972) • Justice Society of America in “The Mystery of the Vanishing Detectives!

(4 chapters)” from All-Star Comics #57 (Feb.–Mar. 1951) OUR ARMY AT WAR #269 June 1974 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Joe Kubert Special features: • “Military Color Code” 1-page filler; “Sgt. Rock’s Rescue Maze” activity page New stories: • Sgt. Rock in “A Man Called Rock” • Battle Album: “Zeppelin— Behemoth of the Air” • Sam Glanzman’s War Diary [no title] • Bob Kanigher’s Gallery of War: “Horseless” Reprints: • “The Mighty Mosquito” from AllAmerican Men of War #49 (Sept. 1957) • “The Sergeant and the Gun” from All-American Men of War #63 (Nov. 1958) • Sgt. Rock in “Stop the War— I Want to Get Off!” from Our Army at War #196 (Aug. 1968)

OUR ARMY AT WAR #275 Dec. 1974 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Joe Kubert New stories: • Sgt. Rock in “Graveyard Battlefield” • USS Stevens in “Lucky … Save Me!” Reprints: • Sgt. Rock in “Sergeants Aren’t Born” from Showcase #45 (July–Aug. 1963) • “Man Behind the Flintlock” from All-American Men of War #22 (June 1955) • “Trench Trap” from Our Army at War #39 (Oct. 1955) • “The Easy Way” from Star Spangled War Stories #67 (Mar. 1958) • “Valley of Missing Aces” from Our Army at War #105 (May 1961)

New stories: • Shazam! (Captain Marvel) in “The Golden Plague!”

• Captain Marvel, Jr. in “The Longest Block in the World!”

• Shazam! (Captain Marvel) in “Mighty Master of the Martial Arts!”

Reprints: • Mary Marvel in “Mary Marvel vs.

Nightowl” from Mary Marvel #24 (May 1948) • Captain Marvel in “Uncle Marvel’s Wedding!” from Captain Marvel Adventures #59 (Apr. 26, 1946) • Marvel Family in “The Sivana Family Strikes at the Marvel Family” from Marvel Family #10 (Apr. 1947) • Mary Marvel in “The Sinking of Atlantis” from Marvel Family #10 (Apr. 1947) • Captain Marvel in “Danger in the Deep!” from Marvel Family #10 (Apr. 1947) • Captain Marvel, Jr. in “Atlantis Rises Again” from Marvel Family #10 (Apr. 1947) • Marvel Family in “The Batlle of the Ages!” from Marvel Family #10 (Apr. 1947)

SHAZAM! #8 Dec. 1973 Cover artist: C. C. Beck Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special features: • “The Shazam! Puzzle Page” activity 1/3-pager; “The Shazam! Puzzle Page” activity 1/3-pager; “A Look Through the Super Spectacles” text page Reprints: • Captain Marvel in “A Twice-Told Tale!” from Captain Marvel Adventures #80 (Jan. 1948) • Captain Marvel in “Captain Marvel Introduces Mary Marvel” from Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (Dec. 11, 1942) • Marvel Family in “The Mighty Marvels Join Forces!” from The Marvel Family #1 (Dec. 1945) • Captain Marvel, Jr. in “The Vest Pocket Levitator” from Captain Marvel, Jr. #14 (Dec. 1, 1943) • Mary Marvel in “Mary Marvel and the Dog-Nappers” from Mary Marvel #17 (Oct. 1947) • Captain Marvel in “The Adventure in Time!” from Captain Marvel Adventures #71 (Apr. 1947) • Captain Marvel in “The Talking Tiger!” from Captain Marvel Adventures #79 (Dec. 1947) • Captain Marvel in “The Return of Mr. Tawny” from Captain Marvel Adventures #82 (Mar. 1948)

SHAZAM! #13 July–Aug. 1974 Cover artist: Bob Oksner Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant Special features: • “The Seven Deadly Enemies of Man!” 1-page filler; “Friends of the Shazam! Family!” 3-page filler; “Mary Marvel’s Fashion Parade!”

1-page filler New stories: • Shazam! (Captain Marvel) in “The Case of the Charming Crook!”

• Mary Marvel in “The Haunted Clubhouse!’

Reprints: • Captain Marvel, Jr. in “Mrs. Wagner’s Forbidden Room” from Captain Marvel, Jr. #92 (Dec. 1950) • Captain Marvel in “Captain Marvel Gets a Secretary!” from Captain Marvel Adventures #67 (Nov. 1946) • Captain Marvel in “Mr. Tawny’s Sales Campaign” from Captain Marvel Adventures #119 (Apr. 1951) • Captain Marvel in “A New Home for Billy” from Captain Marvel Adventures #133 (June 1952) • The Marvel Family in “The Pandora Pirates” from Marvel Family #72 (June 1952) • Captain Marvel in “The Ancient Crime” from Captain Marvel Adventures #79 (Dec. 1947)

SHAZAM! #12 May–June 1974 Cover artist: Bob Oksner Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant Special features: • “Billy Batson’s Family Album” 2-pager; “The Shazam Gods and Heroes” 2-pager

SHAZAM! #14 Sept.–Oct. 1974 Cover artist: Bob Oksner Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant Special features: • “Shazam! Trivia Quiz” 1-page; “The Legends of Shazam!: Solomon” text page

• • •

Johnny Cloud in “Death Ship of Three Wars” from All-American Men of War #97 (May–June 1963) “Foxhole Fever” from Star Spangled War Stories #65 (Jan. 1958) Hunter’s Hellcats in “No Loot for the Hellcats” from Our Fighting Forces #114 (July–Aug. 1968)

New story: • The Marvel Family in “The Evil Return of the Monster Society” Reprints: • Captain Marvel in “The Prophetic Book!” from Captain Marvel Adventures #57 (Mar. 1946) • Captain Marvel, Jr. in “The Man Who Lived History!” from Captain Marvel, Jr. #83 (Mar. 1950) • Captain Marvel in “Mr. Tawny’s Fight for Fame” from Captain Marvel Adventures #126 (Nov. 1951) • Mary Marvel in “Curse of the Books!” from Mary Marvel #2 (June 1946) • Captain Marvel in “The Magic Mix-Up” from Captain Marvel Adventures #102 (Nov. 1949) • The Marvel Family in “The Word Wrecker!” from Marvel Family #86 (Aug. 1953) SHAZAM! #15 Nov.–Dec. 1974 Cover artist: Bob Oksner Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant Special features: • “Shazam’s Scientists and Inventors!” 2-page filler; “A Tour of American Cities with Captain Marvel!” 2-page filler; “The Legends of Shazam!: Hercules” text page New stories: • Shazam! (Captain Marvel) in “Captain Marvel Meets …

Lex Luthor?!”

• Captain Marvel, Jr. in “The Man in the Paper Armor!”

Reprints: • Mary Marvel in “Mary Marvel Meets the Chameleon Girl!” from Marvel Family #47 (May 1950) • Captain Marvel in “Sivana’s Good Intentions!” from Marvel Family #50 (Aug. 1950) • The Marvel Family in “The Marvel Family Battles the King of All Time” from Marvel Family #88 (Oct. 1953) • Captain Marvel in “Shazam! [retitled] and the Incredible Calculator” from Captain Marvel Adventures #53 (Feb. 1946) • Captain Marvel in “Mr. Tawny’s Bouncing Shoes” from Captain Marvel Adventures #134 (July 1952) • Captain Marvel in “The Day Civilization Went Backwards” from Captain Marvel Adventures #115 (Dec. 1950) SHAZAM! #16 Jan.–Feb. 1975 Cover artist: Bob Oksner Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant Special features: • “Shazam! Puzzle Page” activity page; “The Legends of Shazam!: Atlas” text page New stories: • Shazam! (Captain Marvel) in “The Man Who Stole Justice!”

TM & © DC Comics.

26 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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Mary Marvel in “The Green-Eyed Monster!”

Reprints: • Marvel Family in “The Marvel Family Battles the Sneaking Doom!” from Marvel Family #59 (May 1951) • Captain Marvel in “The Invention Miser” from Captain Marvel Adventures #103 (Dec. 1949) • Captain Marvel, Jr. in “The Lazy Genie” from Captain Marvel, Jr. #118 (Apr. 1953) • Captain Marvel in “The Original Captain Marvel [retitled] Battles the World Hater” from Marvel Family #53 (Nov. 1950) • Marvel Family in “The Marvel Family Battles the Monarch of Money” from Marvel Family #29 (Nov. 1948) SHAZAM! #17 Mar.–Apr. 1975 Cover artist: Bob Oksner Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, associate Special features: • “Shazam! Trivia Quiz #2” filler; “The Legends of Shazam!: Zeus” text page; “Shazam! Puzzle Page” activity page New stories: • Marvel Family in “The Pied Un-Piper” • Mary Marvel in “The Green-Eyed Monster!”

Reprints: • Captain Marvel, Jr. in “Capt. Marvel, Jr. and the Idol of Vengeance” from Marvel Family #7 (Dec. 1946) • Captain Marvel in “Captain Marvel Gets Promoted” from Captain Marvel Adventures #53 (Feb. 1946) • Captain Marvel in “Captain Marvel Sails Before the Mast” from Marvel Family #41 (Nov. 1949) • Mary Marvel in “Jives Becomes a Jockey” from Marvel Family #33 (Mar. 1949) • Captain Marvel in “The Curse of the Black Thumb” from Captain Marvel Adventures #129 (Feb. 1952) • Captain Marvel in “Captain Marvel’s Wedding” from Captain Marvel Adventures #150 (Nov. 1953) • Captain Marvel in “Captain Marvel and the Haunted Girl!” from Captain Marvel Adventures #57 (Mar. 1946) SUPERBOY STARRING THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #202 June 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff Special feature: • “Lore of the Legion” 4-page character profiles New stories: • Legion of Super-Heroes in “Lost: A Million Miles from Home!”

• Legion of Super-Heroes in “Wrath of the Devil-Fish!”

Reprints: • Legion of Super-Heroes in “The Legionnaire Who Killed” from Adventure Comics #342 (Mar. 1966)

• • •

Legion of Super-Heroes in “The Super-Stalag of Space!” from Adventure Comics #344 (May 1966) Legion of Super-Heroes in “The Execution of Matter-Eater Lad” from Adventure Comics #345 (June 1966) Superboy in “The Superboy of Bigville!” from Superboy #91 (Sept. 1961)

SUPERBOY STARRING THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #205 Dec. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff Special features: • “Meet ‘Iron Mike’ Grell” 1-page artist profile; “Lore of the Legion” 3-page character profiles New story: • Legion of Super-Heroes in “The Legion of Super-Executioners” Reprints: • Superboy in “The One-Man Team!” from Superboy #88 (Apr. 1961) • Legion of Super-Heroes in “The Outcast Super-Heroes!” from Adventure Comics #350 (Nov. 1966) • Legion of Super-Heroes in “The Forgotten Legion!” from Adventure Comics #351 (Dec. 1966) SUPERMAN #272 Feb. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editors: Julius Schwartz, E. Nelson Bridwell Special features: • “Super-Puzzle” activity page; “Play the Graffiti Game with Superman” activity 2-pager Reprints: • Superman in “Mr. Mxyztplk Returns!” from Action Comics #80 (Jan. 1945) • Jimmy Olsen in “The Demons from Pandora’s Box” from Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #81 (Dec. 1964) • Superman in “The Magicians’ Convention!” from Action Comics #97 (June 1946) • Green Lantern in “The Other Side of the World!” from Green Lantern #42 (Jan. 1966) • Superman in “The Enchanted Mountain!” from Action Comics #86 (July 1945) • Superman in “Beauty and the Super-Beast!” from Superman #165 (Nov. 1963) SUPERMAN #278 Aug. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant editor Special feature: • “Lola Barnett’s Metropolis Gossip!”

2-page filler New story: • Superman in “Super-Showdown at Buzzard Gulch!”

Reprints: • Superman in “The Mermaid from Atlantis!” from Superman #138 (July 1960)

• • • •

Superman in “The Compass Points to Murder!” from Superman #33 (Mar.–Apr. 1945) Superman in “The Seven Secrets of Superman” from World’s Finest Comics #62 (Jan.–Feb. 1952) Superman in “Clark Kent, Coward!” from Action Comics #298 (Mar. 1963) Superman in “The Superman Spectaculars” from Action Comics #211 (Dec. 1955)

SUPERMAN #284 Feb. 1975 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant editor Special features: • “Super-Puzzle” activity page; “Gate-Crashers in the Fortress of Solitude” 2-page filler New story: • Superman in “The Secret Guardian of Smallville!”

Reprints: • Superman in “The Interplanetary Olympics!” from Action Comics #304 (Sept. 1963) • Superman in “The King of the Comic Books!” from Superman #25 (Nov.–Dec. 1943) • Superman in “A Modern Alice in Wonderland!” from Superman #41 (July–Aug. 1946) • Superman in “Superman Owes a Billion Dollars!” from Superman #148 (Oct. 1961) • Superman in “The Death of Clark Kent!” from Superman #42 (Sept.–Oct. 1946) SUPERMAN FAMILY #164 Apr.–May 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editors: Julius Schwartz and Murray Boltinoff; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant Special feature: • “How the Artists Draw the Superman Family” 3-page filler New stories: • Jimmy Olsen in “Death Bites with Fangs of Stone” • Jimmy Olsen in “The Gift-Wrapped Doom!”

Reprints: • Supergirl in “Brainiac’s Blitz!” from Action Comics #339 (July 1966) • Superboy in “The Super Star of Hollywood!” from Adventure Comics #272 (May 1960) • Jimmy Olsen (with Perry White) in “The Death March!” from Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #76 (Apr. 1964) • Lois Lane (with Lana Lang and Lori Lemaris) in “The Three Wives of Superman!” from Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #51 (Aug. 1964) SUPERMAN FAMILY #165 June–July 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editors: Julius Schwartz and Murray Boltinoff; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant Special feature: • “Supergirl’s Career” 1-page filler

New story: • Supergirl in “Princess of the Golden Sun!” Reprints: • Jimmy Olsen in “Jimmy Olsen in Scotland Yard!” from Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #59 (Mar. 1962) • Superbaby in “Superbaby’s First Foster-Parents!” from Superboy #133 (Oct. 1966) • Perry White in “The Man Who Betrayed Superman’s Identity!” from Action Comics #297 (Feb. 1963) • Lois Lane in “Lois Lane’s Jungle Jeopardy!” from Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #47 (Feb. 1964) • Krypto in “Krypto’s Three Amazing Transformations!” from Superboy #111 (Mar. 1964) • Private Life of Clark Kent in “Clark Kent, Gangster!” from Superman #186 (May 1966) SUPERMAN FAMILY #166 Aug.–Sept. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editors: Julius Schwartz and Murray Boltinoff; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant Special feature: • “Fact File on the Superman Family” 1-page filler New stories: • Lois Lane in “The Murdering Arm of Metropolis” • Lois Lane in “Lois Lane, Undercover Agent!”

• Lois Lane in “The Secret of Spangle’s Garden” Reprints: • Jimmy Olsen in “Olsen’s SuperSurvival Kit!” from Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #89 (Dec. 1965) • Supergirl in “The Great Supergirl Double-Cross!” from Action Comics #317 (Oct. 1964) • Superbaby in “Superbaby Captures the Pumpkin Gang!” from Superman #152 (Mar. 1962) • Private Life of Clark Kent in “Lex Luthor and Clark Kent—Cell-Mates!” from Adventure Comics #301 (Oct. 1962) • Tales of the Bizarro World in “Car 54, Get Lost!” from Adventure Comics #299 (Aug. 1962) SUPERMAN FAMILY #167 Oct.–Nov. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editors: Julius Schwartz and Murray Boltinoff; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant Special features: • “Super Pets and Super Threats” 2-page filler; “Fact File on the Superman Family” 2-page filler New stories: • Jimmy Olsen in “A Deep Death for Mr. Action” • Jimmy Olsen in “The Trail of the Spider” Reprints: • Lois Lane in “The Amazing HydroGirl!” from Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #60 (Oct. 1965)

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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• • • • •

Supergirl in “Supergirl’s Greatest Victory!” from Action Comics #262 (Mar. 1960) Superbaby in “The Lair of Brainiac!” from Superboy #100 (Oct. 1962) Pete Ross, Superboy’s Pal in “The Day Pete Ross Became a Robot!” from Action Comics #297 (Feb. 1963) Lucy Lane in “Super Lucy Lane!” from Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #67 (Mar. 1963) Lana Lang in “The Insect Queen of Smallville!” from Superboy #124 (Oct. 1965)

SUPERMAN FAMILY #168 Dec. 1974–Jan. 1975 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editors: Julius Schwartz and Murray Boltinoff; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant Special features: • “An E.S.Peek at Lena Thorul” 2-page filler; “Super Puzzle” activity page; “Comedy Cover Capers” 1-page filler (Jimmy Olsen #52, Lois Lane #75, and Adventure Comics #393 covers with humorous dialogue) New story: • Supergirl in “The Girl with the Seethrough Mind” Reprints: • Jimmy Olsen in “Jimmy’s D-Day Adventure” from Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #86 (Oct. 1965) • Lois Lane in “Lois Lane, Super Telepath” from Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #56 (Apr. 1965) • Krypto in “The Fugitive Krypto!” from Superboy #122 (July 1965) • Mr. Mxyzptlk in “The Infernal Imp” from Superman #169 (May 1964) • Lana Lang in “Lana Lang’s Mystic Power!” from Superboy #111 (Mar. 1964) • Brainiac in “Brainiac’s Super-Revenge” from Action Comics #280 (Sept. 1961) SUPERMAN FAMILY #169 Feb.–Mar. 1975 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editors: Julius Schwartz and Murray Boltinoff; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant Special features: • “Four Deaths for Lois Lane” 2-page filler; “Comedy Cover Capers” 1-page filler (Lois Lane #6, 19, and 65, and Jimmy Olsen #108 covers with humorous dialogue); “The Strange Lives of Lois Lane” 2-page filler New stories: • Lois Lane in “Target of the Tarantula (Part One)” • Lois Lane in “Lois Lane’s Phantom Partner (Part Two)” Reprints: • Jimmy Olsen in “The League of Fantastic Superman” from Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #63 (Dec. 1962) • Supergirl in “The Anti-Supergirl Plot!” from Action Comics #350 (May 1967) • Krypto in “Krypto’s Mean Master!” from Adventure Comics #269 (Feb. 1960)

• •

Pa Kent in “Clark Kent’s SuperDad!” from Adventure Comics #236 (May 1957) Tales from the Bizarro World in “The Good Deeds of Bizarro-Luthor!” from Adventure Comics #293 (Feb. 1962)

TARZAN #230 Apr.–May 1974 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Joe Kubert; Allan Asherman, assistant Special feature: • “How I Wrote the Tarzan Books” 2-page text piece by Edgar Rice Burroughs (reprinted from Oct. 27, 1929 Washington Post) New stories: • Tarzan in “[The Rescue of the Fawn]” • Korak in “Leap into Death” • Carson of Venus in “Into the Noobolian Valley” Reprints: • Tarzan in “The Slave Traders” from Tarzan newspaper strip (July 6, 1970–Aug. 11, 1970) • Simba (renamed Bomba) in “The Deadly Sting of Ana Conda!” from Bomba the Jungle Boy #4 (Mar.–Apr. 1968) • Congo Bill in “Mystery of the Stolen Bell” from Action Comics #145 (June 1950) • Detective Chimp in “Meet Detective Chimp” from The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #4 (July–Aug. 1952) TARZAN #231 June–July 1974 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Joe Kubert New stories: • Tarzan in “Tarzan and the Lion Man (Part One)” • Korak in “The Ancient Awakes” Reprints: • Congo Bill in “Safaris for Sale” from Action Comics #174 (Nov. 1952) • Tarzan in “The Deadly Dangers of Pal-Ul-Don” from Tarzan newspaper strip (Mar. 14, 1971–Aug. 1, 1971) • Simba (renamed Bomba) in “My Enemy, the Jungle” from Bomba the Jungle Boy #3 (Jan.–Feb. 1968) • Detective Chimp in “The Return of Detective Chimp” from The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #6 (Nov.–Dec. 1952) TARZAN #232 Aug.–Sept. 1974 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Joe Kubert Special features: • “Manimals” 2-page filler; Tarzan’s Animal Facts: “[Extinction of the Dinosaurs]” 1-page filler; Tarzan’s Animal Encyclopedia: “[Life Spans of Animals]”; Tarzan’s Animal Facts: “[Hungry as a Bear]”; Tarzan’s Jungle Album: Johnny Weismuller/ Maureen O’Sullivan pinup; Tarzan’s Animal Encyclopedia: “[Woodchuck]”; “Tarzan Drawn by Philipino [sic] Artists” 1-page filler

New stories: • Tarzan in “Tarzan and the Lion Man (Part Two)” • Korak in “The Pit of Darkness” Reprints: • Congo Bill in “The Man Who Wanted to Die a Hero” from Action Comics #190 (Mar. 1954) • Tarzan in “Tarzan and the Monkey Men” from Tarzan newspaper strip (Aug. 15, 1971–Dec. 5, 1971) • Detective Chimp in “The Case of the Runaway Ostrich” from The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #13 (Jan.–Feb. 1954) • Rex the Wonder Dog in “African Man-Hunt” from The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #13 (Jan.–Feb. 1954) TARZAN #233 Oct.–Nov. 1974 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Joe Kubert Special features: • Tarzan’s Animal Facts: “[What animal has the loudest voice?]” 1-page filler; Tarzan’s Jungle Album: Johnny Weismuller pinup; Tarzan’s Animal Facts: “[What animal is known as the African lion?]”

New stories: • Tarzan in “Tarzan and the Lion Man (Part Three)” • Korak in “The Star of Death” Reprints: • Tarzan in “The Land That Time Forgot” from Tarzan newspaper strip (Dec. 12, 1971–Apr. 2, 1972) • “I Tracked the Beast of Montrouge Forest” from My Greatest Adventure #2 (Mar.–Apr. 1955) • Rex the Wonder Dog in “The Secret of the Golden Crocodile” from The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #34 (July–Aug. 1957) • Detective Chimp in “Detective Bobo, Chimp-napped” from The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #20 (Mar.–Apr. 1955) • Congo Bill in “School for Hunters” from Action Comics #199 (Dec. 1954) TARZAN #234 Dec. 1974–Jan. 1975 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Joe Kubert New stories: • Tarzan in “Tarzan and the Lion Man (Part Four)” • Korak in “White Death” Reprints: • Detective Chimp in “A Whistle for Bobo” from The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #27 (May–June 1956) • Congo Bill in “The Man-Eater of Mandalao” from Action Comics #176 (Jan. 1953) • “I Was a Jungle Ringmaster” from My Greatest Adventure #5 (Sep.–Oct. 1955) • Tarzan in “Jungle Lizard” from Tarzan newspaper strip (Jan. 28, 1969–Apr. 11, 1969) • “I Was a Prisoner in a Human Zoo” from My Greatest Adventure #14 (Mar.–Apr. 1957)

TARZAN #235 Feb.–Mar. 1975 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Joe Kubert Special feature: • Tarzan’s Jungle Album: Johnny Weismuller pinup New stories: • Tarzan in “The Magic Herb” • Korak in “White Death” Reprints: • Congo Bill in “The Mail-Order Hunter” from Action Comics #189 (Feb. 1954) • Detective Chimp in “Bobo’s New York Adventure” from The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #27 (May–June 1956) • “I Shoot with a Camera” from My Greatest Adventure #4 (July–Aug. 1955) • Tarzan in “The Mahagga” from Tarzan newspaper strip (dates unknown) THE UNEXPECTED #157 May–June 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff New stories: • “The House of the Executioner” • “The Corpse in the Dead Letter Office” • “Born Loser!”

• “The Dagger’s Deed” • “Body Snatcher!”

• “Who Will Kill Gigantus?”

Reprints: • “Something’s Alive in Volcano 13!” from House of Mystery #83 (Feb. 1959) • “The Man Who Cheated Death” from House of Mystery #101 (Aug. 1960) • “The Mystery of the Sorcerer’s Squad” from House of Mystery #118 (Jan. 1962) • “The Phantom Duel” from House of Secrets #1 (Nov.–Dec. 1956) • “Beware, I Can Read Your Mind” from Tales of the Unexpected #7 (Nov. 1956) • “I Battled the Abominable Snowman” from My Greatest Adventure #10 (July–Aug. 1956) • “The Mystery of the Teen-Age Swami!” from House of Mystery #92 (Nov. 1959) THE UNEXPECTED #158 July–Aug. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff New stories: • “Reserved for Madmen Only” • “A Hangman Awaits Me” • “Captives of the Ant Kingdom!”

• “Trial by Terror” • “Flame of Death” • “Nightmare House” Reprints: • “The Bewitched Beauty” from House of Mystery #24 (Mar. 1954) • “Prisoner of the Power-Stone!” from House of Secrets #18 (Mar. 1959) • “The Fearsome Fountain of Youth!” from House of Mystery #36 (Mar. 1955) • “The Doom Game” from House of Mystery #144 (July 1964)

TM & © DC Comics, except Tarzan © ERB.

28 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

• •

“The Menace of the Fireball” from Tales of the Unexpected #19 (Nov. 1957) Johnny Peril in “The End of Death” from Sensation Mystery #113 (Jan.–Feb. 1953)

THE UNEXPECTED #159 Sept.–Oct. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff New stories: • “A Cry in the Night” • “Schocker” • “Frozen in Fear” • “Who’s That Lying in My Coffin?”

Reprints: • “The Creature That Never Existed!” from Tales of the Unexpected #89 (June–July 1965) • “The Tell-Tale Hand” from House of Mystery #6 (Sept. 1952) • “I Was Blackmailed by a Phantom” from My Greatest Adventure #67 (May 1962) • “The Swami of Broadway” from House of Secrets #14 (Nov. 1958) • “The Rainbow Man” from Tales of the Unexpected #15 (July 1957) • “The Night I Watched Myself Die” from The Unexpected #105 (Feb.–Mar. 1968) • “The Demon Gun!” from House of Mystery #30 (Sept. 1954) • “The Strange Experiment of Dr. Grimm” from House of Mystery #2 (Feb.–Mar. 1952) THE UNEXPECTED #160 Nov.–Dec. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff New stories: • “Death of an Exorcist” • “Over My Dead Body” • “Panic in the Dark” • “Among Us Dwells a Man-Beast” Reprints: • “The Fear Master” from Tales of the Unexpected #88 (Apr.–May 1965) • “Bewitched for a Day” from Tales of the Unexpected #5 (Sept. 1956) • “The Riddle of the Glass Bubble” from Tales of the Unexpected #18 (Oct. 1957) • “The Wizard of the Diamond World” from Tales of the Unexpected #93 (Feb.–Mar. 1966) • “Doom Was My Inheritance” from My Greatest Adventure #74 (Dec. 1962) • “The Man Who Was Death” from House of Mystery #5 (Aug. 1952) • “Rest in Pieces” from The Unexpected #119 (June–July 1970) • “The Unlucky Birthstones” from House of Mystery #56 (Nov. 1956) • “The Enchanted Costumes” from House of Secrets #6 (Sept.–Oct. 1957) THE UNEXPECTED #161 Jan.–Feb. 1975 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff New stories: • “Has Anyone Seen My Killer?”

• “The Haunted Dollhouse” • “The Face in the Ball!”

• “Wake Me Before I Die!” • “Mis-Judgement Day” Reprints: • “The Supernatural Swindler” from House of Secrets #11 (July–Aug. 1958) • “Ball of String!” from The Unexpected #116 (Dec. 1969–Jan. 1970) • “Rohmer’s Revenge!” from The Unexpected #106 (Apr.–May 1968) • “The Queen Who Lived Again!” from My Greatest Adventure #8 (Mar.–Apr. 1956) • “The House That Hate Built!” from The Unexpected #117 (Feb.–Mar. 1970) • “Death of the Man Who Never Lived!” from The Unexpected #117 (Feb.–Mar. 1970) • “The Menace of the Wrecker’s Reef!” from My Greatest Adventure #72 (Oct. 1962) • “The Day Nobody Died!” from The Unexpected #115 (Oct.–Nov. 1969) THE UNEXPECTED #162 Mar.–Apr. 1975 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff; Paul Levitz, assistant New stories: • “I’ll Bug You to Your Grave” • “Half a Man is Better Than None (But Don’t You Believe It)” • “When is It My Time to Die?” • “That Dear Old Gang of Mine” Reprints: • “Steps to Disaster” from The Unexpected #116 (Dec. 1969– Jan. 1970) • “The Corpse That Didn’t Die” from The Unexpected #112 (Apr.–May 1968) • “The Vengeful Windmill” from The Unexpected #109 (Oct.–Nov. 1968) • “Friday the 13th Club” from House of Mystery #4 (June–July 1952) • “I Fell in Love with a Witch” from House of Mystery #1 (Dec. 1950–Jan. 1951) • “Free Me from the Bewitched Bell” from My Greatest Adventure #71 (Sept. 1962) • “Master of the VooDoo Machine” from Tales of the Unexpected #104 (Dec. 1967–Jan. 1968) • “The Man Who Betrayed Earth” from House of Mystery #72 (Mar. 1958) THE WITCHING HOUR #38 Jan. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff New stories: • “Makers of the Mist” • “’Til Death Us Do Join” • “Cynthia’s Tale… The EverConstant Drum” • “Eternal Hour” • “The Perfect Surf” • “Brush with Death” Reprints: • “Save the Last Dance for Me” from The Witching Hour #1 (Feb.–Mar. 1969) • “The Man with the Stolen Eyes” from House of Mystery #47 (Feb. 1956)

• • • • •

“Dream Girl” from House of Mystery #69 (Dec. 1959) Johnny Peril in “The Demon in the Mirror” from Sensation Comics #109 (May–June 1952) “The Phantom Ship” from House of Mystery #68 (Nov. 1957) “Round Trip to the Past” from House of Secrets #8 (Jan.–Feb. 1958) “Tale of the Lucky Coin” from The Phantom Stranger #4 (Feb.–Mar. 1953)

WONDER WOMAN #211 Apr.–May 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Robert Kanigher; Allan Asherman, editorial assistant Special features: • “The Gods of the Amazons” 1-page filler; “Wonder Woman’s Costumes” 1-page filler New stories: • Wonder Woman in “The Maniacs of Mercury” • Wonder Woman in “The Mystery of the Atom World!”

Reprints: • Wonder Woman in “The Origin of the Robot Plane!” from Wonder Woman #80 (Feb. 1956) • Wonder Woman (as Wonder Girl) in “Wonder Woman, Amazon Teen-Ager!” from Wonder Woman #107 (July 1959) • Wonder Woman in “The Winning of Wonder Woman’s Tiara!” from Wonder Woman #75 (July 1955) • Wonder Woman (as Wonder Tot) in “Wonder Tot and Mister Genie!” from Wonder Woman #126 (Nov. 1961) • Wonder Woman in “The Secret of Wonder Woman’s Sandals!” from Wonder Woman #72 (Feb. 1955) • Wonder Woman in “The Mirage Mirrors!” from Wonder Woman #130 (May 1962) WONDER WOMAN #214 Oct.–Nov. 1974 Cover artist: Bob Oksner Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant Special features: • “A Mini-Tour of Paradise Island” 1-page filler; “Wonder Woman’s Mental Radio” 1-page filler New story: • Wonder Woman and Green Lantern in “Wish Upon a Star!”

Reprints: • Wonder Woman in “Wanted— Wonder Woman!” from Wonder Woman #108 (Aug. 1959) • Wonder Woman in “The Terror Trees of Paradise Island” from Wonder Woman #143 (Jan. 1964) • Wonder Woman (as Wonder Girl) in “The Invisible Wonder Girl!” from Wonder Woman #106 (May 1959) • Wonder Woman in “The Masquerader” from Sensation Comics #26 (Feb. 1944) • Wonder Woman in “Revolt of Wonder Woman!” from Wonder Woman #144 (Feb. 1964)

WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #223 May–June 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant Special features: • “The Superman-Batman Team on Radio” text introduction; “The Playland Mystery” Superman (with Batman) radio script from May 21, 1945 text feature New story: • Superman and Batman (co-starring Deadman) in “Wipe the Blood Off My Name!”

Reprints: • Deadman in “An Eye for An Eye!” from Strange Adventures #206 (Nov. 1967) • Superman and Batman in “The Reversed Heroes” from World’s Finest Comics #87 (Mar.–Apr. 1957) • Aquaman in “The Sunken City of Gold” from Adventure Comics #223 (Apr. 1956) • Robotman in “License for a Robot” from Detective Comics #197 (July 1953) • Superman and Batman in “The Composite Superman!” from World’s Finest Comics #142 (June 1964) WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #224 July–Aug. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff; Paul Levitz, assistant Special feature: • “Behind the Scenes with the Super Friends” 2-page feature New story: • Super Sons of Superman and Batman in “The Shocking Switch of the Super-Sons!”

Reprints: • Johnny Quick in “Tubby Watts, Efficiency Expert!” from Adventure Comics #174 (Mar. 1952) • Superman and Batman in “Superman’s Secret Master” from World’s Finest Comics #137 (Nov. 1963) • Metamorpho in “Never Bet Against an Element Man!” from Metamorpho #6 (May–June 1966) • Superman and Batman in “Fort Crime!” from World’s Finest Comics #72 (Sept.–Oct 1954) WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #225 Sept.–Oct. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff; Paul Levitz, assistant Special feature: • “Masters of Disguise” 2-page filler New story: • Superman and Batman in “Bow Before Satan’s Children!”

Reprints: • Rip Hunter, Time Master in “Prisoners of 100 Million B.C!” from Showcase #20 (May–June 1959) • The Vigilante in “The Duplicate Crimes!” from Action Comics #161 (Oct. 1951)

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

•

BACK ISSUE • 29

• •

Black Canary in “The Mystery of the Crimson Crystal!” from Flash Comics #93 (Mar. 1948) Superman and Batman in “The Olsen-Robin Team versus the Superman-Batman Team!” from World’s Finest Comics #141 (May 1964)

WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #226 Nov.–Dec. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff; Paul Levitz, assistant Special features: • “The Tricks of Metamorpho’s Trade” 2-page filler; Eclipso in “The Genius Who Fought Himself” 1-page filler New story: • Superman and Batman (co-starring Metamorpho) in “The Freak Who Never Fails!”

Reprints: • Sandman in “I Hate the Sandman!” from Adventure Comics #87 (Aug.–Sept. 1943) • Eclipso in “Eclipso’s Amazing Ally!” from House of Secrets #63 (Nov.–Dec. 1963) • Robotman in “The Crime Collector” from Detective Comics #194 (Apr. 1953) • Deadman in “What Makes a Corpse Cry?” from Strange Adventures #207 (Dec. 1967) • Manhunter from Mars in “The Strange Experiment of Dr. Erdel” from Detective Comics #225 (Nov. 1955) • Manhunter from Mars in “The Case of the Magic Baseball” from Detective Comics #226 (Dec. 1955) WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #227 Jan.–Feb. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff; Paul Levitz, assistant Special feature: • “DC Comics Stars on the Screen” 3-page filler New story: • Superman and Batman (co-starring Deadman) in “Death Flaunts Its Golden Grin” Reprints: • Rip Hunter, Time Master in “The Secret of Mount Olympus” from Rip Hunter, Time Master #11 (Nov.–Dec. 1962) • The Vigilante in “The Reformed Owlhoot Club!” from Action Comics #188 (Nov.–Jan. 1954) • Manhunter from Mars in “The Man With Twenty Lives” from Detective Comics #227 (Jan. 1956) • Superman and Batman in “The Cape and Cowl Crooks!” from World’s Finest Comics #159 (Aug. 1966) WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #228 Mar.–Apr. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff; Paul Levitz, assistant

Special features: • “World’s Fun-est” activity page; “The Amazing Reversals of Superman and Batman” 2-page filler New story: • Super Sons of Superman and Batman (co-starring Robin) in “Crown for a New Batman” Reprints: • The Vigilante in “The Broadway Posse!” from Action Comics #193 (June 1954) • Aquaman in “The Menace of the Land-Sea Beasts” from Aquaman #12 (Nov.–Dec. 1963) • Metamorpho in “The Junk Yard of Doom” from The Brave and the Bold #58 (Feb.–Mar. 1965) • Eclipso in “Hideout on Fear Island” from House of Secrets #64 (Jan.–Feb. 1964) YOUNG LOVE #107 Dec. 1973–Jan. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell; Allan Asherman, associate Special features: • “The Great ‘Kissing Dancers’ Contest” 1-pager; “Paul—the Other Side” 1-page advice column New stories: • “Buy Love—Buy Heartbreak” • “Not Good Enough for Me!” • “Turnabout to Love” • “Like it Really Is” Reprints: • “Heartbreak—Take Me” from Secret Hearts #107 (Oct. 1965) • “I Wanted Too Much!” from Secret Hearts #108 (Dec. 1965) • “Hand-Me-Down Love” from Secret Hearts #71 (May 1961) • “My Kind of Man” from unknown source • “I Love You, Doctor!” from Falling in Love #74 (Apr. 1965) • “My Mother—My Rival!” from Young Romance #157 (Dec. 1968–Jan. 1969) YOUNG LOVE #108 Feb.–Mar. 1974 Cover artist: Creig Flessel Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell; Allan Asherman, associate Special features: • “Questions” dating advice 1-pager; “Marc—On the Man’s Side” 1-page advice column New stories: • “Twice in One Summer” • “A Picture to Kiss” • “Cry Like a Real Girl!”

Reprints: • “I’ll Send for You” from unknown source • “An Hour of Love” from Heart Throbs #69 (Dec. 1960–Jan. 1961) • “Don’t Call It Love!” from Girls’ Love Stories #23 (May–June 1953) • “Pick Up the Pieces” from unknown source • “My Secret Love!” from Young Romance #142 (June–July 1966)

• • •

“Only Money” from Girls’ Romances #121 (Dec. 1966) “Serenade to a Broken Heart!” from Secret Hearts #65 (Aug. 1960) “Laugh It Up!” from Heart Throbs #50 (Oct.–Nov. 1957)

YOUNG LOVE #109 Apr.–May 1974 Cover artists: various Editor: Joe Simon Special features: • “Marc—On the Man’s Side” 1-page advice column; “4 Guys—4 Seasons” 1-page illustrated poem; “Love Has No Voice” 1-page illustrated poem; “True Love” 1-page illustrated poem; “I Wonder” 1-page illustrated poem New stories: • “A Bad Trip!”

• “The Huntress” Reprints: • “Little Doublecrosser” from unknown source • “Shy Girl” from Falling in Love #111 (Nov. 1969) • “The Mysterious Love Notes” from unknown source • “A Couple of Kids” from Girls’ Romances #140 (Apr. 1969) • “I Can’t Get Him Out of My Mind!” from unknown source • “Match-Maker, Match-Breaker!” from Falling in Love #112 (Jan. 1970) • “Why Can’t I Hold a Boy?” from unknown source • “Something Else on His Mind” from Girls’ Romances #140 (Apr. 1969) YOUNG LOVE #110 June–July 1974 Cover artists: various Editor: Joe Simon; Allan Asherman, assistant Special features: • “That’s Just How I Am” 1-page illustrated poem; “Marc—On the Man’s Side” 2-page advice column; “Happenings” 1-page advice filler; “September” 1-page illustrated poem; “The Beauty Bar” 2-page makeup advice column; “My Unwritten Poem” 1-page illustrated poem; “My Family” 1-page illustrated poem; “The Gift of Love” 1-page illustrated poem; “Beauty on a Budget” 1-page makeup advice column New stories: • “Greaser’s Girl” • “Outsider” Reprints: • “Mother’s Choice” from Young Love #55 (May-June 1966) • “Jerry’s Hen” from Falling in Love #96 (Jan. 1968) • “Another Kind of Love” from Falling in Love #97 (Feb. 1968) • “Little Flirt!” from Young Romance #162 (Oct.–Nov. 1969) YOUNG LOVE #111 Aug.–Sept. 1974 Cover artist: Win Mortimer Editor: Joe Simon; Allan Asherman, assistant

Special feature: • “Marc—On the Man’s Side” 2-page advice column New stories: • “Love Expert” • “How We Met” • “How to Lose Your Boyfriend” • “Too Nice to a Boy” Reprints: • “When You Come Crawling Back” from Young Romance #151 (Dec. 1967–Jan. 1968) • “Wandering Eyes” from Girls’ Romances #113 (Dec. 1965) • “I Found My Love in Dream World” from Young Love #60 (Mar.–Apr. 1967) • “All Those Great Guys” from Young Romance #150 (Oct.–Nov. 1967) • “I Told Her About Us” from Young Romance #151 (Dec. 1967–Jan. 1968) • “Can This Hassle Be Love?” from Young Love #56 (July–Aug. 1966) • “I Wanted Someone Just Like Him” from Young Romance #149 (Aug.–Sept. 1967) • “I’ll Take Care of You” from Young Romance #150 (June–July 1967) • “I’ll Be There When You Need Me” from Girls’ Romances #135 (Sept. 1968) YOUNG LOVE #112 Oct.–Nov. 1974 Cover artists: various Editor: Joe Simon; Allan Asherman, assistant Special features: • “Remember Your Valentine” 2-page illustrated poem; “Marc—On the Man’s Side!” 2-page advice column New stories: • “Never Been Kissed” • “His Plaything!”

• “How We Met” Reprints: • “I Love Him, But—Could I Trust Him!” from Young Romance #150 (Oct.–Nov. 1967) • “Something to Remember You By” from Heart Throbs #120 (June– July 1969) • “Nothing Lasts Forever” from Heart Throbs #120 (June–July 1969) • “Distant Admirer” from Falling in Love #55 (Dec. 1962) • “With Love and Kisses” from Girls’ Romances #138 (Jan. 1969) • “The Pretty One” from Heart Throbs #119 (Apr.–May 1969) • “One Boy After Another” from Girls’ Romances #144 (Oct. 1969) YOUNG LOVE #113 Dec. 1974–Jan. 1975 Cover artists: various Editor: Joe Simon; Allan Asherman, assistant Special features: • “Designs for Swinging” fashion 1-pager; “The Hot Fudge Sundae Blues” 1-page illustrated poem; “Marc—On the Man’s Side!”

2-page advice column New stories: • “Someone Help Me!”

TM & © DC Comics.

30 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

• • •

“The Kiss Test” “Tomorrow is Too Late” How We Met: “He Was Trying to Sell Me a Vacuum Cleaner…”

Reprints: • “Someday He’ll Be Jealous, Too!” from Girls’ Romances #137 (Dec. 1968) • “It’s Over Too Soon” from Falling in Love #30 (Nov. 1959) • “I Want to Forget You” from unknown source • “But I Can Make Him Love Me” from unknown source • “Afraid to Love Again” from Secret Hearts #36 (Oct.–Nov. 1956) • “Love Will Come Later” from Young Love #57 (Sept.–Oct. 1966) • “Meet My Bride!” from unknown source • “Love Me—Love My Father!” from Young Romance #163 (Dec. 1969– Jan. 1970) YOUNG LOVE #114 Feb.–Mar. 1975 Cover artists: various Editor: Joe Simon; Allan Asherman, assistant Special features: • “The Lesson” 3-page illustrated poem; “How Not to Paint Your Room” 5-page illustrated poem; “One Last Favor” 2-page illustrated poem; “Marc—On the Man’s Side!”

2-page advice column New stories: • “Runaway Girl” Reprints: • “Why Can’t You Love Me Again?” from Young Romance #149 (Aug.–Sept. 1967) • “I’ll Never Give You Up!” from unknown source • “Back in Circulation” from Girls’ Romances #141 (June 1969) • “Stranger in My Dream!” from unknown source • “Dancing Partner” from Secret Hearts #38 (Feb.–Mar. 1957) • “Love is a Dirty Word!” from Young Romance #163 (Dec. 1969–Jan. 1970) YOUNG ROMANCE #197 Jan.–Feb. 1974 Cover artists: various Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell; Allan Asherman, assistant Special features: • “Dear Diary” 2-pager; “Make-Up Course for Love Drop-Outs” 2-page advice column; “Marc— On the Man’s Side!” 1-page advice column; “Recipe for Party Dates” 1-pager New stories: • “That Strange Girl” • “Let Your Fingers Do the Walking!”

• “L.O.V.E. … Don’t Mention It!” Reprints: • “Nicolette” from Girls’ Romances #67 (Apr. 1960) • “Does He Still Love Her?” from Falling in Love #108 (July 1969) • “Make Me Your Wife!” from Young Love #58 (Nov.–Dec. 1966)

• • • • •

“My Three Wishes!” from Falling in Love #29 (Sept. 1959) “They Called Me a Boy-Chaser…” from Falling in Love #110 (Oct. 1969) “One-Way Heart!” from Girls’ Romances #78 (Sept. 1961) “No More Love for Me!” from Falling in Love #102 (Oct. 1968) “A Day for Tears!” from Falling in Love #55 (Dec. 1962)

YOUNG ROMANCE #198 Mar.–Apr. 1974 Cover artists: Jerry Grandenetti and Creig Flessel Editors: E. Nelson Bridwell and Joe Simon; Allan Asherman, associate Special features: • “The Walk” 2-page filler; “Things I Hate to Hear” 2-page poem; “Your Eyes of Love”/“Just Waiting” poems sharing 1 page; “What’s Wrong With Me?” 1-page filler New stories: • “Will You Be My Girl?”

• “Girlfriends” Reprints: • “We’re Getting Too Serious!” from unknown source • “The Girl I Wanted” from unknown source • “The Thrill of Love” from Secret Hearts #107 (Oct. 1965) • “My Turn for Love” from unknown source • “Come Home to My Heart!” from Girls’ Love Stories #87 (June 1962) • “Stop-Over Love” from Secret Hearts #67 (Nov. 1960) • “When a Girl Discovers She’s Number 2, Does She Try Harder?

Or Cry Harder?” from Girls’ Love Stories #96 (July 1963) • “I’m Not Taking Any Chances!” from Girls’ Love Stories #106 (Jan. 1965) YOUNG ROMANCE #199 May–June 1974 Cover artists: various Editor: Joe Simon; Allan Asherman, associate Special features: • “My Creed” 1-page poem; “Silent Song of Love” 1-page poem; “Bulletin Board” 2-page filler; “So Here’s How” activity 2-pager; “Beauty on a Budget” 1-page filler; “Paul— The Other Side!” 1-page advice column; “First Love” 1-page poem New story: • “Love? Why Ruin a Perfect Friendship?”

Reprints: • “Second Choice!” from Falling in Love #112 (Jan. 1970) • “You Can’t Ever Be Mine” from Secret Hearts #62 (Apr. 1960) • “Hopeless Love!” from Girls’ Romances #25 (Feb.–Mar. 1954) • “Reach for a Star” from Girls’ Love Stories #16 (Mar.–Apr. 1952) • “Make Love to His Friend” from Girls’ Romances #137 (Dec. 1968) • “Why Can’t I Fall in Love?” from unknown source • “The Mirror” from unknown source

YOUNG ROMANCE #200 July–Aug. 1974 Cover artists: various Editor: Joe Simon; Allan Asherman, assistant Special features: • “Kid Brothers” 3-page illustrated poem; “Pajama Party” 4-page illustrated poem; “Paul—The Other Side” 2-page advice column; New story: • “He Touched Me!” Reprints: • My True Love Confession: “I Can’t Help the Way I Am!” from Girls’ Romances #135 (Sept. 1968) and #136 (Oct. 1968) • “Why Did I Have to Love a Beach Bum?” from Young Love #59 (Jan.–Feb. 1967) • My True Love Confession: “Don’t Make Me Beg!” from Falling in Love #98 (Apr. 1968) • “I Had to Love!” from unknown source • My True Love Confession: “Why Can’t I Think of Something to Say?” from unknown source • “I’m Not Interested!” from Young Love #56 (July–Aug. 1966) YOUNG ROMANCE #201 Sept.–Oct. 1974 Cover artists: various Editor: Joe Simon; Allan Asherman, assistant Special feature: • “Paul—The Other Side” 2-page advice column New stories: • “Old Enough for Love” • “The Life of the Party” • How We Met • “How Can You Tell It’s Love?”

Reprints: • “You’re Not My First” from unknown source • “Hungry for Kisses!” from unknown source • “Time After Time, I Fell Out of Love!” from Girls’ Romances #134 (July 1968) • “Get Rid of the Other Girl!” from Young Romance #153 (Apr.– May 1968) • “He Was Kissing Me and Thinking of Her!” from unknown source • “I Realize What He Was After!” from Young Romance #151 (Dec. 1967–Jan. 1968) YOUNG ROMANCE #202 Nov.–Dec. 1974 Cover artists: various Editor: Joe Simon; Allan Asherman, assistant Special feature: • “Paul—The Other Side” 2-page advice column New stories: • “With a Little Help from My Friends” • “All the Girls Fell in Love!”

• “Make Him Come to You!”

Reprints: • “Easier to Forget” from Girls’ Romances #144 (Oct. 1969) • “I’ll Take Care of You” from Young Romance #150 (Oct.–Nov. 1967) • “Marked for Life!” from Girls’ Romances #144 (Oct. 1969) • “Manchaser” from Heart Throbs #55 (Aug.–Sept. 1958) • “Mismatch” from Girls’ Romances #143 (Sept. 1969) • “Just Another Groupie” from unknown source • “Stray Cat” from Girls’ Romances #143 (Sept. 1969) • “Don’t Treat Me Like the Others” from unknown source YOUNG ROMANCE #203 Jan.–Feb. 1975 Cover artist: Jerry Grandenetti Editor: Joe Simon; Allan Asherman, assistant Special features: • “Ode to An Older Man” 1-page illustrated poem; “Kaleidoscope” 1-page illustrated poem; “Without a Doubt” 1-page illustrated poem; “A Nice Thought” 1-page illustrated poem; “A Lover Questions/A Lover Answers” 2-page advice column; “Fate” 1-page illustrated poem; “Paul—The Other Side” 2-page advice column New stories: • “Lover Wanted” • “All That Love for a Dollar” • “I Don’t Care About You” • “Why Can’t I Stop Crying?”

Reprints: • “Once is Enough” from unknown source • “Our Dream House” from Secret Hearts #45 (Feb. 1958) • “Little Lost Lamb” from Girls’ Romances #145 (Dec. 1969) • “Come to My Wedding” from Girls’ Romances #139 (Mar. 1969) • “Love Lessons” from Girls’ Romances #139 (Mar. 1969) YOUNG ROMANCE #204 Mar.–Apr. 1975 Cover artists: various Editor: Joe Simon; Allan Asherman, assistant Special features: • “Dates ‘n’ Mates” 1-page advice column; “Paul—The Other Side” 2-page advice column New stories: • “The Boy Who Lived in My House” • “Thoughts During a School Play” • “The Alphabet of Differences Between Boys and Girls” Reprints: • “3 on Our Honeymoon” from unknown source • “Don’t Steal My Love Away!” from Girls’ Romances #141 (June 1969) • “Deception!” from Heart Throbs #122 (Oct.–Nov. 1969) • “Enter Marriage … Exit Romance!” from Young Romance #159 (Apr.–May 1969) • “One-Man Girl!” from unknown source

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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BACK ISSUE • 31

All art, characters, and logos TM & © DC Comics.

Many DC Comics characters and titles didn’t make the cut for their own 100-Page Super Spectaculars.

But here in BACK ISSUE land, we can don our Bronzecolored glasses and play make-believe. So enjoy these fantasy Super Specs—their covers written and art-directed by yours truly and ably designed by the always-accommodating, Photoshopperific Rich Fowlks—headlined by some snubbed members of the DC Line of Super-Stars.

32 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

by

Michael Eury

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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34 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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by

John Wells

In the beginning, there were the 80-Page Giants, and they were good. Much had changed since DC began its series of thick reprint collections in 1960, though, and one of them was that pesky 80. Inflation had trimmed them to 68-page Giants by 1969 in order to maintain their 25-cent price tag. Something that hadn’t changed since 1966 was the group of characters chosen to appear in the Giants’ monthly rotation: Batman and Superman (each twice a year), the Flash, Jimmy Olsen, Justice League of America, Lois Lane, Sgt. Rock, Superboy, Supergirl, and the Superman/Batman team.

The Sgt. Rock annuals were a catchall for DC’s various war series, but every other genre—active or dormant—was virtually shut out by superheroes. In the summer of 1968, DC took its first tentative step toward rectifying the matter when it expanded Young Love #69 to a Giant for that one issue. It was also a stealth introduction of the slimmer 68-page Giants, but no one was pointing that out. Two months later, in August 1968, the quarterly DC Special premiered and delivered precisely the sort of diversity that had been lacking in the Giants: artist spotlights, teen humor, horror, Westerns, and superheroines.

The superhero and war annuals were integrated into whatever title they were appearing in with a secondary number denoting its chronology in the original Giant series. JLA #76, for instance, was also stamped #G-65.

In June and July of 1969, DC carried that principle over to its humor comics. Swing with Scooter #20 and Sugar and Spike #85 were each released as “Summer Fun” Giants with tiny secondary numbering designating them “F-1” and “F-2” (with the F standing for Fun).

The summer part of the equation was important, too.

The months when kids were out of school were typically viewed as gravy time for publishers, a period when comics were bound to sell better because their primary audience was more readily available. If that held true, DC president Carmine Infantino must have reasoned, there’d be plenty to choose from in the summer of 1970.

In July, five separate issues of a 68-page comic entitled Super DC Giant hit spinner racks, and three more followed in August. Although officially assigned to a variety of DC editors, the series was reported in Newfangles #37 to be primarily overseen by E. Nelson Bridwell.

Originally announced by Don and Maggie Thompson in Newfangles #35 (May 1970) as “Giant Summer Fun Magazines,” Super DC Giant was a continuation of the pair of humor issues from the previous year, but its numbering was baffling. Designated with an S (for either Summer or Super), the new series began with issue #S-13 despite the previous year’s Sugar and Spike having been #F-2. Perhaps, the Thompsons joked in Newfangles #36, DC had counted the intervening months. Another theory was that they added up every non G-series Giant of the past two years (Young Love, Swing with Scooter, Sugar and Spike, the eight

“Editors are Merciless Men” Sez who, Bat-guy? Super DC Giant #S-16, “The Best of the Brave and the Bold,” included a reprint-framing story illo’ed by Dillin and Esposito.

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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The Summer of Giants This summer 1970 house ad announced the first two issues of Super DC Giant.

TM & © DC Comics.

issues of DC Special to date, and July 1970’s Strange Adventures #225) Beyond its ill-fated attempt to revisit funny animals, DC was also eager to arrive at 12 earlier editions. A definitive answer is elusive. to revisit the Old West genre, as borne out by the back-to-back “Top Guns Beyond Super DC Giant’s funny numbering was its funny dating. of the West” and “Western Comics” in issues #S-14 and S-15 (both of which Despite practically weekly releases in the first two months, it had the went on sale one month after the All-Star Western title was revived). Along appearance of a bimonthly book. The first five issues were dated with a follow-up “Top Guns” issue in December (#S-22), the collections Sept.–Oct. 1970, with the latter month appearing on the cover to managed to reintroduce all of DC’s major 1950s Western heroes to a encourage dealers not to remove it from racks until them. The indicia modern audience, along with (in issue #S-22) latecomer Bat Lash. merely said the series was “published eight times a year,” which was “The following story was first published just over 3 years ago,” actually true since the ninth and tenth issues, although on sale in editor Dick Giordano explained in a preface to the acclaimed Nick November and December, bore 1971 cover dates.

Cardy-illustrated Bat Lash feature. “Normally it would not have found Former Comic Reader editor Mike Tiefenbacher tells BACK ISSUE, its way back into print so soon. But every once in a while a hero is born “I asked Carmine Infantino in 1971: why the funny numbering who is so different, so appealing, that in the interest of good on these things? He said it was because distributors were entertainment, normal procedures should be abandoned. reluctant to put new titles on the rack, and beginning In my opinion such a hero is Bat Lash!” with the higher number confused them into racking The “Western Comics” edition was also distinguished them without thinking about it. Evidently, this was by a new story by writer/artist Gil Kane that featured the reason nearly all the Standard comics after 1949 a prospective series character named John Hawk. or so began with #5, 10, or 101.”

The son of a white father and a Native-American True to its evident purpose, the reprint title— mother, he was declared “Half Breed” on the cover with one exception—mostly avoided superheroes and may have been meant for All-Star Western had throughout 1970. DC had revived its Leave It to Binky a similar character not been poised to debut in series in 1967 in an effort to compete with Archie’s Tomahawk two months later. teen humor success but did so on the cheap. Rather The new material in issue #S-16’s “The Best of than commission new stories, they reprinted old the Brave and the Bold”—the lone 1970 superhero ones that had been doctored to update hairstyles issue—came in the form of a rather silly framing mike tiefenbacher and fashions. By 1970, editor Joe Orlando was finally sequence (including a pinup of Batman’s previous running new material, but Super DC Giant #S-13 co-stars) wherein the Caped Crusader tried to select reflected the transition with several remodeled 1950s reprints, some of stories to be reprinted in the issue. (Illustrated by Dick Dillin and Mike which had originally starred other teen characters like Buzzy and Rusty. Esposito, the material was likely written by editor Murray Boltinoff.)

Super DC Giant #S-17’s “Love 1970” took a similar approach to A Jack Sparling-illustrated sequence in issue #S-20’s “House of Mystery” the romance stories it reprinted, revising the hairstyle and fashions. special was more ambitious, weaving caretaker Cain into and out of the The “Love 1971” follow-up (#S-21) had an easier time of things, stories being reprinted. Issue #S-23’s “Unexpected” special had no time opening with a new story and closing with a still-fresh Mike Sekowsky/ for such things and ran its 1950s reprints with no modern lead-ins.

Dick Giordano-illustrated trilogy from two years earlier.

The star of issue #S-24 was unexpected in her own right since she Issue #S-18 and S-19’s funny animals and Jerry Lewis spotlights was part of the G-series that should properly have appeared in her own were comparatively timeless, with only the revision of a 1954 date to book. Two months earlier, Supergirl had been denied her own annual 1970 in one panel of the former. Headlining the Three Mouseketeers, Giant in Adventure Comics #403 to make room for a Legion of Superthat Giant was entirely 1950s reprints (other than a new cover) like Heroes collection that served as cross-promotion for the LSH series’ the recently revived 15-cent title of the same name. In the wake of the return in the simultaneously released Superboy #172. Instead, the Girl Super DC Giant special, the Three Mouseketeers series was promoted of Steel’s spotlight—neatly assembling a four-part 1962–1963 serial to the 25-cent Giant format for its last three issues (#5–7). as one book-length adventure—was deferred to Super DC Giant.

38 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

It was followed by two issues that represented last chances for their respective stars. Challengers of the Unknown and Aquaman had each been canceled in 1970, but hope sprang eternal. Issue #S-25’s COTU Giant reprinted late-1950s Jack Kirby material and hoped to catch some of the heat generated by the superstar’s recent move from Marvel to DC. In a clever touch, the book also reprinted a generic text filler from COTU #15 and changed the names of its two characters into members of the Challs. A Bob Browndrawn pinup of the team from 1965—originally a premium sent to fans—also appeared in an actual comic book for the first time.

The Ramona Fradon-illustrated Aquaman stories in issue #S-26 were a departure from the more recent Jim Aparo-drawn tales, but the latter series was briefly represented nonetheless. The comic book closed with a two-page prose adventure written by Steve Skeates with spot art by Sal Amendola.

Elsewhere, the last reprint closed with a blank strip that was meant to promote the contents of the next issue. But Super DC Giant was canceled and, two weeks later, the bulk of DC titles would sport a 25-cent retail price in a line expansion that would introduce reprints into nearly every comic book. The long-running Giant series hung on for a few months at a 35-cent pricepoint before it, too, came to a close with issue #G-89 (a.k.a. JLA #93). Two weeks after Super DC Giant #S-26 went on sale, a new kind of reprint anthology debuted and its name was 100-Page Super Spectacular.

The fanzine Etcetera #3 (May 1971) reported that issues devoted to House of Mystery, Three Mouseketeers, and Teen Titans were shelved while a Plastic Man spotlight was rerouted to DC Special #15 (itself the final issue). There was a happier fate for “Weird War Tales,” a concept issue that had been announced a year earlier in Newfangles #37 (July 1970).

As Paul Levitz explained in 1975’s Weird War Tales #36, the series had begun as two reprint issues that Joe Kubert had provided with new covers and framing sequences.

With the material ready to go, DC put a slimmed-down version of the first book on the schedule for July 1971 and green-lighted Weird War Tales as an ongoing Kubertedited bimonthly. [Editor’s note: See BACK ISSUE #78 for the full Weird War Tales story.] Eventually, the series was able to transition into new material and ultimately boasted a 12-year, 124-issue run. It was Super DC Giant’s greatest success, but it never appeared under that logo.

The series’ name wasn’t quite gone, though. As 68page Giants—now retailing at 50 cents—returned to prominence in 1975, Super DC Giant returned to the schedule with a planned inaugural issue starring the Teen Titans (which was mentioned in Four-Star Spectacular #1). At the last minute, though, the reprint series was renamed DC Super-Stars and the old name returned to limbo … almost.

Out of the blue, Super DC Giant #27 popped up on racks in July with an issue devoted to “Strange Flying Saucers Adventures.” Although Julius Schwartz received top billing as editor on the book, associate editor E.

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

Cool Covers Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com), two covers in original art form: (left) Charlie Armentano’s “Love 1971” (#S-21, originally an inventory piece) and (right) Bob Brown and Frank Giacoia’s “The Unexpected” (#S-23).

TM & © DC Comics.

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BACK ISSUE • 39

SUPER DC GIANT #S-13 “BINKY” Sept.–Oct. 1970 Cover artist: Henry Scarpelli Editor: Joe Orlando Special features: • “Annie-Gram” 1-page filler; activity page; “It’s Peggy’s Page” 1-page filler New stories: • Binky in “A Person Could Starve!”

• Buzzy in “A Good Listener!

Reprints: • On the Planet Og in “[A New Television Set]” from Tales of the Unexpected #32 (Dec. 1958) • Binky in “[Speedy Delivery]” from Leave It to Binky #38 (Mar. 1954) • Professor Eureka in “[Everything Is Giant-Size]” from House of Secrets #10 (May–June 1958) • Binky in “[Part-Time Waiter]” from Leave It to Binky #34 (Sept.–Oct. 1953) • Peter Puptent in “[Fountain of Youth]” from House of Mystery #73 (Apr. 1958) • Benny [originally Coby] in “[Broken Dates]” from Buzzy #42 (Mar.–Apr. 1952) • Binky [originally Buzzy] in “[Strings Attached]” from Buzzy #74 (Nov.–Dec. 1956) • Moolah the Mystic in “[You Will Meet a Man]” from House of Mystery #51 (June 1956) • Dr. Floogle in “[Opening Up New Worlds]” from Tales of the Unexpected #51 (July 1960) • Binky in “[Part-Time Waiter]” from Leave It to Binky #35 (Feb. 1954) • Binky [originally Rusty] in “[Dear Gwendolyn]” from The Adventures of Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis #5 (Mar.–Apr. 1953)

By Poseidon’s Prose!

Super DC Giant #S-26, starring Aquaman, included this Skeates text story drawn by Amendola and Giordano.

TM & © DC Comics.

Nelson Bridwell was responsible for assembling the reprints and the stories within bore his job codes. Curiously, those code numbers corresponded with other Bridwell-edited comics on sale that summer, which would seem to discredit the possibility that this was an inventory issue intended for DC Special months earlier.

Was it commissioned by newly installed DC president Sol Harrison, who’d briefly overseen the company between the early 1976 ouster of Carmine Infantino and the arrival of publisher Jenette Kahn? No one knows. It’s unlikely that Kahn—who didn’t care for DC’s heavy reprint output—would have approved it.

Indeed, by the beginning of 1977, she’d eliminated reprint titles altogether.

Some books adapted by going all-new, but for Super DC Giant, it was finally the end of the road.

SUPER DC GIANT #S-14 “TOP GUNS OF THE WEST” Sept.–Oct. 1970 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Dick Giordano Special features: • “The Dark Rider” 1-page text filler; “Forgotten Weapons of the West” 1-page filler Reprints: • Johnny Thunder in “Target— Johnny Thunder” from All-Star Western #107 (June–July 1959) • The Nighthawk in “Black Star Gang!” from Western Comics #43 (Jan.–Feb. 1954) • Matt Savage in “The Gun-Trap on Signal Hill” from Western Comics #84 (Nov.–Dec. 1960) • The Wyoming Kid in “The Million Dollar Coin!” from World’s Finest Comics #62 (Jan.–Feb. 1953) • Johnny Thunder in “Trap of the Sheriff’s Hat!” from All-Star Western #99 (Feb.–Mar. 1958) • The Trigger Twins in “The Surprise Sheriff of Rocky City!” from All-Star Western #104 (Dec. 1958–Jan. 1959)

SUPER DC GIANT #S-15 “WESTERN COMICS” Sept.–Oct. 1970 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Dick Giordano Special features: • “Weapons of the West” 1-page filler; “Listen…” 1-page text filler New story: • John Hawk in “Stand Proud the Warrior Breed” Reprints: • Pow-Wow Smith in “Attack of the Silent Avenger!” from Western Comics #76 (July–Aug. 1959) • Foley of the Fighting 5th in “Terror on the Telegraph Trail!” from AllAmerican Western #124 (Feb.– Mar. 1952) • Buffalo Bill in “The Robbery of the Iron Horse” from Frontier Fighters #7 (Sept.–Oct. 1956) • Vigilante in “The Capture of the Four Aces!” from Action Comics #160 (Sept. 1951) • Pow-Wow Smith in “The Law’s Outlaw!” from Western Comics #44 (Mar.–Apr. 1954) SUPER DC GIANT #S-16 “THE BEST OF THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD” Sept.–Oct. 1970 Cover artist: Murphy Anderson (with Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella) Editor: Murray Boltinoff Special feature: • “Hail to Them, Blithe Racers!”

1-page text filler New story: • Batman and friends in “Super DC Giant Presents the Brave and the Bold,” with pinup Reprints: • Batman and the Flash in “The Death of the Flash” from The Brave and the Bold #67 (Aug.–Sept. 1966) • Metamorpho in “The Origin of Metamorpho” from The Brave and the Bold #57 (Dec. 1964– Jan. 1965) SUPER DC GIANT #S-17 “LOVE 1970” Sept.–Oct. 1970 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Dick Giordano Special feature: • “Look Not to Darkness, Love” 1-page text filler Reprints: • “Unlucky Bridesmaid!” from Secret Hearts #38 (Feb.–Mar. 1957) • “The Love I Lost—Twice!” from Girls’ Romances #107 (Mar. 1965) • April O’Day in “Storm in My Heart!” from Girls’ Love Stories #106 (Oct. 1964) • “Hello, Heartbreak!” from Secret Hearts #40 (June–July 1957) • “Sweetheart’s Wish!” from Secret Hearts #39 (Apr.–May 1957) • “Heart Full of Love!” from Secret Hearts #45 (Feb. 1958) • “Love Finds a Way” from Secret Hearts #41 (Aug. 1957)

JOHN WELLS is a comics historian specializing in DC Comics who has served as resource for projects ranging from Kurt Busiek’s The Power Company to Greg Weisman’s Young Justice animated series. He is the author of the books American Comic Book Chronicles: 1960–1964 (TwoMorrows, 2012) and 1965–1969 (TwoMorrows, 2014).

TM & © DC Comics.

40 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

SUPER DC GIANT #S-18 “THE THREE MOUSEKETEERS” Oct.–Nov. 1970 Cover artist: Phil Mendez Editor: Dick Giordano Special features: • “Fun Shop” 1-page activities filler; “Kwizzlers” 1-page activities filler Reprints: • Three Mouseketeers in “We Want Action!” from The Three Mouseketeers #9 (July 1957) • Patsy and Herman Hop-Toad in “[Herman’s Brother]” from The Three Mouseketeers #6 (Jan.–Feb. 1957) • Three Mouseketeers in “Why Minus Can’t Miss” from The Three Mouseketeers #8 (May–June 1957) • Three Mouseketeers in “Working on the Railroad” from The Three Mouseketeers #3 (July–Aug. 1956) • Doodles Duck in “[It’s A Secret]” from Raccoon Kids #60 (Jan.–Feb. 1956) • Three Mouseketeers in “The Adventure of the Disappearing Cave!” from The Three Mouseketeers #3 (July–Aug. 1956) • Lucky Lamb in “Barnyard Bravery” from The Three Mouseketeers #15 (Apr. 1958) • Three Mouseketeers in “Patsy and the Pup” from The Three Mouseketeers #4 (Sept.–Oct. 1956) • Three Mouseketeers in “Meet Cousin Rodney Rat!” from The Three Mouseketeers #5 (Nov.–Dec. 1956) • Bo Bunny in “[Bargain Radio]” from Leading Screen Comics #70 (Sept. 1954) • Three Mouseketeers in “Make Mine Monotony!” from The Three Mouseketeers #9 (July 1957) • Dizzy Dog in “[Bully Bear is Back in Town]” from Raccoon Kids #55 (Mar.–Apr. 1955) SUPER DC GIANT #S-19 “THE ADVENTURES OF JERRY LEWIS” Oct.–Nov. 1970 Cover artist: Bob Oksner (with Neal Adams) Editor: Murray Boltinoff Special feature: • “A Letter From Jerry” 1-page text filler New story: • Jerry Lewis in “The Kookie Cook!”

Reprints: • Jerry Lewis in “Scared Silly” from The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #83 (July–Aug. 1964) • Jerry Lewis in “The Jerry Lewis Gallery of Art Messterpieces: Whistler’s Mother” from The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #102 (Sept.–Oct. 1967) • Jerry Lewis in “The Jerry Lewis Gallery of Art Messterpieces: American Gothic” from The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #105 (Mar.–Apr. 1968) • Jerry Lewis in “The Jerry Lewis Gallery of Art Messterpieces: Blue Boy” from The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #101 (July–Aug. 1967) • Jerry Lewis in “The Killer Counselor of Camp Wack-ABoy” from The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #95 (July–Aug. 1966)

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Jerry Lewis in “The Jerry Lewis Gallery of Art Messterpieces: Two Girls at the Piano” from The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #106 (May–June 1968) Jerry Lewis in “The Jerry Lewis Gallery of Art Messterpieces: Smoking Endangers Your Health” from The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #103 (Nov.–Dec. 1967)

SUPER DC GIANT #S-20 “THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY” Oct.–Nov. 1970 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Joe Orlando Special feature: • “Service a la Corpse” 2-page text filler New story: • Cain in “The House of Mystery’s Room 13” Reprints: • “Black Magic For Sale” from House of Mystery #46 (Jan. 1956) • “The Second Death of Abraham Lincoln” from House of Mystery #51 (June 1956) • “The Thing in the Box” from House of Mystery #61 (Apr. 1957) • “The Laughing Ghost of Warwick Castle” from House of Mystery #56 (Nov. 1956) • “Riddle of the Red Roc” from House of Mystery #63 (June 1957) • “The Lady and the Creature” from House of Mystery #63 (June 1957) • “The Thief of Thoughts” from House of Mystery #66 (Sept. 1957) • “The Ghost Snowman” from Sensation Mystery #114 (Mar.–Apr. 1953) • “Service a la Corpse” from House of Mystery #46 (Jan. 1956) SUPER DC GIANT #S-21 “LOVE 1971” Jan.–Feb. 1971 Cover artist: Charlie Armentano Editor: Joe Orlando Special feature: • “Love, Tina” 1-page text filler New story: • “The Reckless Losers” Reprints: • “Life—Without Love!” from Young Romance #140 (Feb.–Mar. 1966) • I Confess! in “I Couldn’t Be Faithful” from Heart Throbs #117 (Dec. 1968–Jan. 1969) • “Love is What It’s All About!” from Young Romance #154 (June–July 1968) • “Love is What It’s All About!: Part 2” from Young Romance #155 (Aug.–Sept. 1968) • “Love is What It’s All About!: Part 3” from Young Romance #156 (Oct.–Nov. 1968) SUPER DC GIANT #S-22 “TOP GUNS OF THE WEST” Feb.–Mar. 1971 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Dick Giordano Special feature:

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“Westward Blows the Pale Wind” 1-page text filler Reprints: • Johnny Thunder in “The Betrayal of Johnny Thunder!” from AllStar Western #97 (Oct.–Nov. 1957) • The Nighthawk in “The Man Without a Mask!” from Western Comics #59 (Sept.–Oct. 1956) • Matt Savage in “The Dance Hall Queen and the Desperadoes” from Western Comics #85 (Jan.–Feb. 1961) • Bat Lash in “[Melinda]” from Bat Lash #2 (Dec. 1968–Jan. 1969) • Johnny Thunder in “The Gauntlet of Thunder!” from All-Star Western #104 (Dec. 1958–Jan. 1959) SUPER DC GIANT #S-23 “THE UNEXPECTED” Mar.–Apr. 1971 Cover artists: Bob Brown and Frank Giacoia Editor: Murray Boltinoff Reprints: • Johnny Peril in “The Demon in the Mirror!” from Sensation Comics #109 (May–June 1952) • “The Man Who Walked Like a Mummy!” [originally “The Man in the Mummy’s Mask”] from House of Mystery #48 (Mar. 1956) • “The Thing from the Skies” from Tales of the Unexpected #13 (May 1957) • “The Face in the Clock” from Tales of the Unexpected #7 (Nov. 1956) • “The Forbidden Game” from Tales of the Unexpected #14 (June 1957) • “Captives of Creature Castle” from House of Mystery #104 (Nov. 1960) • “The Secret of the Little Black Bag!” from House of Mystery #9 (Dec. 1952) • “The Girl in the Iron Mask” from House of Mystery #66 (Sept. 1957) SUPER DC GIANT #S-24 “SUPERGIRL” May–June 1971 Cover artists: Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson (with Mike Sekowsky and Dick Giordano) Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special feature: • “Fashions From Fans” 3-page filler Reprints: • Supergirl in “The Girl with the X-Ray Mind!” from Action Comics #295 (Dec. 1962) • Supergirl in “The Girl Who Was Supergirl’s Double!” from Action Comics #296 (Jan. 1963) • Supergirl in “The Forbidden Weapons of Krypton!” from Action Comics #297 (Feb. 1963) • Supergirl in “The Super-Powers of Lex Luthor!” from Action Comics #298 (Mar. 1963) SUPER DC GIANT #S-25 “CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN” July–Aug. 1971 Cover artists: Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta

Editor: Murray Boltinoff Special features: • “Hope You Like Us in Our New Uniforms” 1-page filler; “The Kirby That Jack Built” collective 1-page text filler Reprints: • Challengers of the Unknown in “[Men of Reckless Courage]” from Challengers of the Unknown #1 (Apr.–May 1958) • Challengers of the Unknown in “The Man Who Stole the Future” from Challengers of the Unknown #8 (June–July 1959) • Challengers of the Unknown in “Captives of the Space Circus” from Challengers of the Unknown #16 (Feb.–Mar. 1959) • Challengers of the Unknown in “Strategy for Survival” from Challengers of the Unknown #15 (Aug.–Sept. 1960) SUPER DC GIANT #S-26 “AQUAMAN” July–Aug. 1971 Cover artist: Dick Giordano Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell New story: • Aquaman in “Island of Fear” (prose with illustrations) Reprints: • Aquaman in “The Creatures from Atlantis” from Showcase #30 (Jan.–Feb. 1961) • Aquaman in “A World without Water” from Adventure Comics #251 (Aug. 1958) • Aquaman in “The Human Flying Fish!” from Adventure Comics #272 (May 1960) • Aquaman in “The First Aquagirl” [originally “Aquaman Meets Aquagirl”] from Adventure Comics #266 (Nov. 1959) • Aquaman in “The Shark with the Human Brain” from Adventure Comics #203 (Aug. 1954) SUPER DC GIANT #27 “STRANGE FLYING SAUCERS ADVENTURES” Summer 1976 Cover artist: Ernie Chan [as Ernie Chua] Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, associate; and Bob Rozakis. assistant Special feature: • “The Most Amazing Flying Saucer Story of All” 1-page text filler Reprints: • “Secret of the Flying Buzz Saw!” from Strange Adventures #114 (Mar. 1960) • “The Man Who Grew Wings!” from Strange Adventures #65 (Feb. 1956) • “The Flying Saucer Boomerang!” from Strange Adventures #52 (Jan. 1955) • “Earth Hero Number One!” from Strange Adventures #148 (Jan. 1963) • “The Riddle of Spaceman X!” from Strange Adventures #85 (Oct. 1957)

TM & © DC Comics.

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TM

In this era of villain-centric comics and events, the idea of a supervillain-showcase reprint title might sound routine. But when DC Comics released its first collection of Wanted, the World’s Most Dangerous Villains, it was a bit of a risky proposition.

Comics readers would only root for the good guy, said traditional wisdom. On the rarest of occasions during comics’ earlier decades, a bad guy might get his own series—Yellow Claw, for example. And surely, the industry watchdog, the Comics Code Authority, would frown upon kids’ lit being littered by lawbreakers.

So, in 1970, as the Bronze Age was rising from the ashes of the Silver Age, it might have raised some eyebrows among the stuffed shirts at DC when this “Wanted” concept was selected for issue #8 of DC Special. Mort Weisinger was listed as its editor, but it was probably his associate, E. Nelson Bridwell, who took a deciding hand in gathering the stories that would headline this 64-page Giant.

They were safe bets, culled from the files of DC’s heaviest hitters: Lex Luthor and the Joker, teaming to tackle Superman and Batman; five of the Flash’s Rogues’ Gallery (Mirror Master, the Trickster, Capt. Cold, Capt.

Boomerang, and the Top), trying to trip up the Fastest Man Alive; renegade hero Sinestro, ringing his way into combat against Green Lantern; and the Shadow-Thief, ruffling Hawkman’s feathers. The comic’s cover design was eye-catching and thematically clever, with its “WANTED” logo in cautionary, red-stenciled lettering, and its parchment paper background with push pin-tacked cover segments evoking an FBI poster any kid might see when accompanying his parents to his local post office. Packaged under a beautiful cover by Murphy Anderson, artist extraordinaire and standardbearer for DC’s house style, DC Special #8 (July–Sept.

1970) tried to trick readers into thinking they were buying a comic about villains—but what we were sold was a comic starring heroes battling villains.

Not that I’m complaining, mind you. These were classic stories that made an engaging collection, one that I gleefully revisited lo, these 40-plus years after I bought my original copy at 25 cents. And truth be told, were DC Special #8 issued with the same content but packaged as “Justice League of America: All-Villains Issue,” it probably would’ve lacked the same punch that “Wanted, the World’s Most Dangerous Villains” offered.

That punch was sufficient for a return bout. One year later, DC Special #14 (Sept.–Oct. 1971) paroled “Wanted” for a second outing. In the year between issues, a price increase in comics led DC to truncate its Giants from 64 pages to 52. This smaller format now allowed for only three stories, and Bridwell—now the

Running Wild in Central City This Infantino/Anderson pinup from 1964’s Flash 80-Page Giant reappeared in the first “Wanted” edition.

TM & © DC Comics.

42 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

by

Michael Eury

project’s sole editor—returned to the pre-Trinity Big Three (sorry, Wonder Woman) of Superman, Batman, and the Flash, fighting the Toyman, the Penguin, and the Heat Wave/Capt. Cold team, respectively.

THE BAD GUYS BREAK OUT As noted in the 100-Page Super Spectaculars article, DC Comics sliced its page count from 48 to 32 pages and its cover price from 25 to 20 cents with its July 1972 cover-dated issues. Premiering that month was the first issue of an ongoing series predicated upon the success of those two DC Specials: Wanted, The World’s Most Dangerous Villains (herewith Wanted)!

The editorial powers-that-be of that era are no longer here to recall those days, but Wanted’s editor, E. Nelson Bridwell, enthusiastically told readers of his plans in his “WANTED: Your Letters” lettercol in Wanted #1 (July–Aug. 1972). He shared a lethal laundry list—including a typo of “Hugh” (instead of Hugo) Strange, a goof that no doubt drove DC’s vault-keeper E.N.B. up a wall!—of DC villains which might appear in future issues. But issue #1’s big revelation was the following announcement: “And we’ll soon have some new adventures of our bad guys and gals!”

Bridwell also suggested that those new stories might pair off villains against heroes they did not normally encounter, citing the then-current Catwoman appearance in Wonder Woman as the type of story they might see in future Wanteds.

Issue #1, once again sporting a magnificent Murphy Anderson cover, pitted three highly visible DC heroes—Batman, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow— against three old foes that might have been new to younger readers—Signalman, Puppet Master, and Clock King. Issue #2 (Sept.–Oct. 1972) once again spotlighted heavy hitters Batman and the Flash, although showing on its cover the Earth-One Batman (yellow oval around his chest insignia) while featuring a Golden Age (Earth-Two) Batman reprint inside.

With that issue, Nick Cardy took over from Murphy Anderson as the Wanted cover artist, maintaining that position for the rest of the series’ run.

Two changes commenced with Wanted #3 (Nov. 1972): the title was promoted to monthly, and editor Bridwell began to skew more toward Golden Age than Silver Age reprints, with an emphasis on heroes from DC’s B- and C-lists, and in some cases, villains that were virtually unknown to Bronze Age readers. The biggestname villain in issue #3 was recognized only by the most seasoned comics historian: the Dummy, arch-foe of the Vigilante. To call that issue’s other featured felons obscure is an act of kindness: Probably no one at DC other than E.N.B. had ever heard of the Human Fly Gang, the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl’s adversaries, or Dr. Fate’s foe Nyarl-Amen.

Wanted #3’s letters column featured a plea from reader Tim Oswald to switch to new stories and to occasionally feature villains fighting other villains. Bridwell’s issue #1 promise of new stories was softened to a response to DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

Wanted: More Cardy (left) E.N.B.’s lettercol to Wanted #6 included a house ad for the first issue of Secret Origins. (right) Yes, we love Nick Cardy covers here at BI Central! Here’s his original art to Wanted #7’s cover, courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com).

TM & © DC Comics.

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Villains Big and Small Most Bronze Age readers had never heard of (top) the Yellow Wasp (from Wanted #6) or (bottom left) Dr. Clever (from #7), but Wanted also offered more famous foes like (bottom right) Capt.

Cold (from #8).

Oswald’s letter that stated, “If sales are high enough, we hope to switch to new material very soon.”

For the rest of Wanted’s run, E.N.B. balanced his love for unfamiliar faces with more commercial choices. Issue #4, for example, featured a tussle between the Golden Age Green Lantern and Solomon Grundy, two characters well known from their Silver and early Bronze Age appearances in JLA/JSA crossovers in Justice League of America, as well as Kid Eternity, then familiar to readers of the recent 100-page Superman #245, battling Master Man. Some of Bridwell’s choices were self-indulgent: It’s unlikely any kid shelling out two dimes for Wanted ever demanded the appearances of such offbeat antagonists as the Iron Mask (vs. Doll Man, in #5), the Yellow Wasp (vs. Wildcat, #6), or Mr. Who (vs. Dr. Fate, #8). (As reader Andy Witten pointed out in Wanted #9’s lettercol, issue #6’s Wildcat foe the Yellow Wasp was mistakenly labeled as the “Golden Wasp” on its cover.)

Perhaps the weakest issue was Wanted #7 (Mar.–Apr. 1973). True, it featured dynamite cover artwork by Cardy, shared in this article in original art form. But that cover itself co-starred villainous oddities Dr. Clever (vs. Johnny Quick) and Dr. Glisten (vs. Hourman), featured in two ho-hum match-ups that cash-strapped kid consumers easily passed over. The issue’s strongest entry, a Golden Age Hawkman clash with the Gentleman Ghost, nicely rendered by a very young Joe Kubert, sadly didn’t warrant a cover shot. Bridwell was probably gun-shy about putting the Hawks vs.

Gentleman Ghost on this Wanted cover since they

TM & © DC Comics.

44 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

were currently featured on the cover of Secret Origins #1, released only a few weeks earlier. Eagle-eyed BACK ISSUE readers will note from the cover date cited above that with this issue, Wanted’s brief foray into monthly publication slowed to bimonthly.

After its promising start, Wanted was showing signs of fatigue. Market glut certainly conspired against such an off-kilter package of golden oldies, and Bridwell’s taste for the esoteric was taking its toll.

In issue #8 (June–July 1973), letterhack Gerard Triano politely took editor Bridwell to task for excluding supervillainesses, writing, “I’d still like to see an all-female issue of Wanted, though. The Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and the Cheetah are foremost in my mind, but surely there must have been some other interesting villainesses around. Think about it.” E.N.B. replied that he would consider it, while the next letter, from Jesus G. Monteagudoe, called for a Wonder Woman vs.

Baroness Paula von Gunther reprint.

Wanted came crashing to a halt as of its ninth issue.

As a last-gasp attempt to score readers, Superman returned to the series, taking on the Prankster. Also on view were the Golden Age Sandman and Sandy, tangling with the Nightshade, in a Jack Kirby story; Kirby’s Sandman reprints had recently popped up at DC as backups in The Forever People and 100-Page Super Spectacular #DC-15 (Superboy).

That last issue’s “Wanted, Your Letters!” column opened with a missive from Elmont, New York’s own Bob Rozakis, who would soon join DC’s staff for a long

DC SPECIAL #8 “WANTED, THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS VILLAINS” July–Sept. 1970 Cover artist: Murphy Anderson Editor: Mort Weisinger; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant editor Special features: “A Gallery of Batman’s Deadliest Foes” 1-pager (reprinting the 1966 Bat-villains posters of the Joker, the Penguin, Catwoman, and the Riddler); “Flash Rogues’ Gallery” pinup Reprints: • Superman and Batman vs. Lex Luthor and Joker in “Joker-Luthor, Incorporated” from World’s Finest Comics #129 (Nov. 1962) • The Flash vs. Mirror Master, the Trickster, Capt. Cold, Capt.

Boomerang, and the Top in “Who Doomed the Flash?” from The Flash #130 (Aug. 1962) • Green Lantern vs. Sinestro in “The Day 10,000 People Vanished” from Green Lantern #7 (July–Aug. 1961) • Hawkman vs. Shadow-Thief in “The Shadow-Thief of Midway City!” from The Brave and the Bold #36 (June–July 1961) DC SPECIAL #14 “WANTED, THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS VILLAINS” Sept.–Oct. 1971 Cover artist: Murphy Anderson Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Superman vs. the Toyman in “The Toyman’s Curse” from Superman #47 (July–Aug. 1947) • The Flash vs. Capt. Cold and Heat Wave in “The Heat is on for Captain Cold” from The Flash #140 (Nov. 1963)

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Batman vs. the Penguin in “The Bird Sayings Crimes!” from World’s Finest Comics #55 (Dec. 1951–Jan. 1952)

WANTED, THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS VILLAINS #1 July–Aug. 1972 Cover artist: Murphy Anderson Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Batman vs. Signalman in “The Signalman of Crime” from Batman #112 (Dec. 1957) • Green Arrow vs. Clock King in “The Crimes of the Clock King” from World’s Finest Comics #111 (Aug. 1960) • Green Lantern vs. Puppet Master in “Menace of the Giant Puppet!” from Green Lantern #1 (July–Aug. 1960) WANTED, THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS VILLAINS #2 Sept.–Oct. 1972 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Batman vs. the Joker and the Penguin in “Knights of Knavery” from Batman #25 (Oct.– Nov. 1944) • The Flash vs. the Trickster in “The Trickster Strikes Back” from The Flash #121 (June 1961) WANTED, THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS VILLAINS #3 Nov. 1972 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • The Vigilante vs. the Dummy in “The Little Men Who Were There” from Action Comics #69 (Feb. 1944)

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Dr. Fate vs. Nyarl-Amen in “[The Fish-Men of Nyarl-Amen]” from More Fun Comics #65 (Mar. 1941) Golden Age Hawkman vs. the Human Fly Bandits in “The Human Fly Bandits” from Flash Comics #100 (Oct. 1948)

WANTED, THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS VILLAINS #4 Dec. 1972 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Golden Age Green Lantern vs.

Solomon Grundy in “Fighters Never Quit” from All-American Comics #61 (Oct. 1944) • Kid Eternity vs. Master Man in “[Master Man]” from Kid Eternity #15 (May 1949) WANTED, THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS VILLAINS #5 Jan. 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Green Lantern vs. Dr. Light in “Wizard of the Light-Wave Weapons” from Green Lantern #33 (Dec. 1964) • Doll Man vs. the Iron Mask in “The Man in the Iron Mask” from Doll Man #15 (Winter 1947) WANTED, THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS VILLAINS #6 Feb. 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Starman vs. the Mist in “[Finder’s Keepers]” from Adventure Comics #77 (Aug. 1942) • Sargon the Sorcerer vs. the Blue Lama in “The Man Who Met Himself” from Sensation Comics #71 (Nov. 1947)

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Wildcat vs. the Yellow Wasp in “The Wasp’s Net” from Sensation Comics #66 (June 1947)

WANTED, THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS VILLAINS #7 Mar.–Apr. 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Johnny Quick vs. Dr. Clever in “The Adventure of the Human Streak” from More Fun Comics #76 (Feb. 1942) • Golden Age Hawkman vs. the Ghost in “The Crimes That Couldn’t Have Happened” from Flash Comics #90 (Dec. 1947) • Hourman vs. Dr. Glisten in “[Dr. Glisten’s Submarine Pirates]” from Adventure Comics #72 (Mar. 1942) WANTED, THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS VILLAINS #8 June–July 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • The Flash vs. Capt. Cold in “The Big Freeze” from The Flash #114 (Aug. 1960) • Dr. Fate vs. Mr. Who in “[Mr. Who’s Giant Spider]” from Adventure Comics #73 (Nov. 1941) WANTED, THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS VILLAINS #9 Aug.–Sept. 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Superman vs. the Prankster in “Crime’s Comedy King” from Action Comics #57 (Feb. 1943) • Sandman vs. the Nightshade in “The Adventure of the Magic Forest” from World’s Finest Comics #6 (Summer 1942)

TM & © DC Comics.

career. Rozakis beamed, “Each time you do an issue of Wanted with all Golden Age heroes, I could jump for joy,” contending that those traditional hero-vs.-villain clashes were a refreshing counterpoint to “the problem-laden heroes of today.” That lettercol concluded with E.N.B.’s unexpected announcement that, “unhappily, this is the last issue of Wanted.” During Carmine Infantino’s tenure as DC’s publisher, the trigger-happy executive was known for hitting the cancellation panic button as soon as meager sales figures reached his desk, with Wanted being just one of many Bronze Age series to quickly disappear from the stands. Bridwell advised readers to follow Secret Origins and the Super Spectaculars for more Golden Age reprints.

Curiously, no supervillainesses ever appeared in Wanted—or superheroines, for that matter, with the exception of the Golden Age Hawkgirl, who was relegated to sidekick status alongside Hawkman.

(Interestingly, not only were Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Black Canary, etc. missing from Wanted’s pages, the only leading ladies scoring cover appearances were depicted in bondage and imperiled: Lois Lane on DC Special #14 and Wanted #9, and Hawkgirl on Wanted #3.)

This gender imbalance joined the promise of new stories as a dashed hope for this short-lived series.

It’s intriguing to ponder what might have happened if Bridwell had been allowed to commission new stories in Wanted. Imagine a return match between the recently liberalized Green Arrow and old foe the Clock King. The notion of villains straying from their main adversaries invites so many possibilities: Solomon Grundy battling the Earth-One Green Lantern. Or Wildcat, a Bronze Age coulda-been-acontender, taking on Blockbuster. Or the infectious Poison Ivy branching out to Central City, driving a wedge between the dually smitten Flash and Kid Flash—and also between Barry Allen and his wife Iris. And what about villain-vs.-villain clashes? Catwoman vs. the Cheetah, anyone?

Despite its missed opportunities and Bridwell’s self-indulgences, Wanted, the World’s Most Dangerous Villains maintains a warm spot in my heart, and I’m certain many other readers and collectors feel the same. Other than the 100-Page Super Spectaculars, it’s DC’s most eclectic mix of crowd-pleasers and head-scratchers, and each cover bristles with Bronze Age charm. Given its esoteric contents, Wanted, the World’s Most Dangerous Villains is an unlikely candidate for a collected edition; yet back issues are relatively easy to find for those interested in reading these oldies.

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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THE INFERIOR 5 #11 Aug.–Sept. 1973 Cover artist: Joe Orlando Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Inferior Five in “The Coming of the Costumed Incompetents” from Showcase #62 (May–June 1966) TM & © DC Comics.

46 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

by

Michael Eury

TM & © DC Comics.

In the next article, you’ll read that DC trotted out a line of reprint titles in late 1972, reviving some of its dormant series. But during that summer, editor E. Nelson Bridwell tested the reprint market with the launch of Wanted, the World’s Most Dangerous Villains and the revival of a project dear to his heart: The Inferior Five, a feature he co-created in 1966 with artist Joe Orlando.

In a 1981 interview in Comics Feature magazine, Bridwell credited the original Inferior Five editor, Jack Miller, with brainstorming a book about inept superheroes in what he called “The Inferior Four,” a name no doubt playing off of the Fantastic Four.

Bridwell gave life to the concept by creating its quirky quintet of characters and their backstory as legacy heroes, the offspring of the Freedom Brigade.

(Instead of further describing the concept, I’ll leave that to Bridwell himself, via the text page reproduced here, from I5 #12.)

Bridwell admitted in the lettercol of Wanted #1 to being “particularly pleased” by the revival of The Inferior Five, noting that it was picking up on the original title’s numbering. The first issue (#11) went on sale June 29, 1972, re-presenting the team’s first adventure, from Showcase #62. Issue #12 followed on August 24, 1972, reprinting the team’s second outing, from Showcase #63, where the I5 tangled with takeoffs of Marvel’s Avengers.

Joe Orlando returned to the drawing board for new covers for both reprint issues, and a new logo was unveiled. The series’ title itself was slightly altered: These two issues were branded The Inferior 5, whereas the original series was The Inferior Five for its ten-issue run.

Bridwell hoped for a continuation—with new stories— at the end of I5 #12’s text page, indicating, in the series’ playfully self-deprecating tone, “If that should ever happen—ridiculous though it may seem—I promise to write like I’ve never written before—good!”

Weak sales didn’t give Bridwell that chance, but the Inferior Five has managed pop-ups in random DC books over the decades, most notably in Grant Morrison’s Animal Man #25 in 1990, in Phil Foglio’s 1991 Angel and the Ape miniseries (appropriately so, since Bridwell also co-created that concept), and in a team-up with the Legion of Substitute Heroes in 2010’s The Brave and the Bold #35. While it’s unlikely such a wacky concept will resurface in the New 52, we encourage our friends at DC to add a Showcase Presents: The Inferior Five volume to its collectededitions list. Comic readers could use a good laugh!

THE INFERIOR 5 #12 Oct.–Nov. 1973 Cover artist: Joe Orlando Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special feature: “Meet the … Heroes?” text page Reprints: • Inferior Five in “Conquer Man-Mountain—Because He’s There” from Showcase #63 (July–Aug. 1966)

by

Jim Kingman

In 1972, National Periodical Publications (DC), now DC Entertainment, had genuine reasons for concern, and not just due to the loss of its long-standing status as the #1 comic-book company in the country.

That happened in January when it was announced that Marvel Comics had surpassed DC in sales. Other discouraging factors weighing on the company: DC’s price increase of its books from 15 cents for 36 pages (approximately 22 pages of new material plus ads) to 25 cents for 52 pages (22 to 26 pages of new material plus 12 to 14 pages of reprints) had failed after 11 months (June 1971–Apr. 1972).

(In May, DC returned its comics to the standard-sized format, now at 20 cents for 24 pages of new material.) Also, throughout 1972 and 1973, DC’s superhero line suffered a setback in publishing frequency, as many monthly and eight-times-a-year titles dropped to bimonthly status because sales of most comic books were in decline. These books included previously A-list titles: Adventure Comics, Detective Comics, Batman, The Flash, Justice League of America, and World’s Finest Comics. Finally, the critically acclaimed Green Lantern (co-starring Green Arrow) and two of Jack Kirby’s much-publicized Fourth World entries, New Gods and Forever People, were canceled.

There were some bright spots, however, shining through the dimming. The Superman family of books remained solid sellers, and sales of DC’s mystery line had escalated, resulting in that genre’s books shifting from bimonthly to monthly status. Still, given DC’s drop in popularity and sales, it didn’t seem the time to be introducing a wide range of additional books, all of them reprints and almost all of them hitting the newsstands and comics spinner racks at once.

Yet that’s exactly what DC did at the end of 1972.

Jeff Rovin, who edited half of the reprint line’s eight titles when they debuted in December 1972, tells BACK ISSUE, “In 1972, before the direct market, there was a real battle for rack space to display comics. There were a finite number of slots. Marvel was publishing more titles and DC chief Carmine Infantino had to do the same or risk being squeezed out. The cost of doing all-new titles was jeff rovin prohibitive; reprints were the solution.”

Two other reprint books, Secret Origins and DC Courtesy of Comic Book Artist.

100-Page Super Spectacular, were placed on the December schedule.

Also that month, two new books were introduced, Shazam! and Sword of Sorcery, making December 1972 one of the most productive months DC had seen in years.

Three of the books, Challengers of the Unknown, Doom Patrol, and Metal Men, contained reprints of those eclectic Silver Age teams, well loved by their fans, certainly, but certainly not A-listers. Johnny Thunder, the first Western reprint to debut, was of a genre long past its prime. The first war book, Four-Star Battle Tales, had potential, as DC’s war books still had some clout. The only likely success was Legion of Super-Heroes, as the super-teen team of the 30th Century was undergoing a creative resurgence in Superboy thanks to writer Cary Bates and artist Dave Cockrum. Given the loosening of Comics Code Authority regulations, however, which gave a thrilling edge to the mystery line that it sorely needed, the reprints appeared dated, of a bygone past only a decade removed. As if to add insult to injury, one had to spend eight cents more for a story that had cost 12 cents ten years before.

Something Borrowed, Something New Nick Cardy’s original cover art to Legion of Super-Heroes #1, one of a handful of new covers commissioned for DC’s reprint line. Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com).

TM & © DC Comics.

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By Popular Demand!

This half-page house ad from late 1972 announced six of the reprint line’s titles.

TM & © DC Comics.

Challengers of the Unknown premiered as a monthly, then became a bimonthly with #79, which featured a new cover by Joe Kubert, one of the few original covers commissioned specifically for this reprint line. The title was canceled with #80, which featured a new Nick Cardy cover. The team would return in all-new adventures in Super-Team Family #8, published in September 1976. [Editor’s note: Learn more by reading the article on Super-Team Family in BACK ISSUE #66.]

DOOM PATROL The Doom Patrol had not appeared in original material since their shocking, explosive demise in Doom Patrol #121 (Sept.–Oct. 1968).

DP’s reprint book debuted in late December 1972 with #122 (Feb. 1973), Rovin reveals to BACK ISSUE how he became editor of half the line: continuing the numbering from the previous series. After the team “I went to work on-staff at DC Comics in February 1972, when I was 20. battled “The Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Menace” in the lead feature, I was a rotating assistant editor for Joe Kubert, Dorothy Woolfolk, and Robotman, Elasti-Girl, Negative Man, and the wheelchair-bound Joe Orlando. I was also the keeper of publisher Infantino’s ledger, a book Chief were given brief bios in a half-page text piece.

The second feature, “We Battled the Micro-Monster,” was a grim with a photo of every comic-book cover and the sales. When Carmine reminder of how watered down science-fiction/horror stories had decided to fight the Marvel surge with reprints—and, hopefully, to boost profits with relatively inexpensive titles—he had me go through become since the advent of the Comics Code Authority in the the ledger to find the lowest-selling titles. His reasoning: since fewer mid-1950s.

House ads for the debuts of Secret Origins and DC 100-Page Super readers had seen these comics, more people would find the material Spectacular served notice that the reprint line had sales competition within fresh. Carmine was a big booster of young talent and young ideas and its own “genre” and within the same comic-book publishing asked me to come up with suggestions for three superhero and company. My weekly allowance at that time had no chance. two non-superhero titles. (Plus, I’d had experience with the On the other hand, comic-book distribution in my home production side of Tarzan reprints for Joe Kubert.) city of Pasadena, California, was spotty and incomplete, “For the superhero titles,” Rovin continues, so I never even saw a lot of these reprint books on “Carmine didn’t want anything that might cannibalize the comics spinner racks in local convenience and Superman or Batman sales. I noticed that Showcase drug stories, which made it all the more pleasurable #72, ‘Top Gun’—a reprint—had done especially stumbling upon them as back issues years later. poorly, so: no Westerns. We were already, as I recall, Doom Patrol followed the publishing pattern running touched-up reprints in the romance titles, of Challengers, premiering as a monthly, shifting so I didn’t suggest those either. War titles sold well on to bimonthly status with #123, and then struck army bases, so I recommended we do those as the two with the cancellation axe with #124. The team non-super titles. I always loved Metal Men and Doom would return in all-new stories in Showcase #94 Patrol, and reasoned they wouldn’t hurt our biggest (Aug.–Sept.

1977), just a few months after the sellers, so those were my first choices. As for Legion: carmine infantino Challengers returned.

I was a fan, I felt that it would attract potential readers to Superboy, and the team had never had Bill Crawford, from The Amazing World of Carmine Infantino. FOUR-STAR BATTLE TALES their own comic. I was delighted when Carmine greenlit all of these!” Four-Star Battle Tales #1 (Feb.–Mar. 1973) debuted in late December Fellow reprint editor E. Nelson Bridwell rounded out the line with 1972 and stands one head and shoulder above the rest of the first wave three titles, Challengers of the Unknown, Johnny Thunder, and Trigger of the reprint line: The title lasted five issues, one more than Legion Twins (two Westerns made the cut after all). of Super-Heroes. The first two issues featured reprints of Johnny Cloud, With the “secret origin” of the reprint line revealed, I will now the Navajo Ace, from All-American Men of War, which is notable discuss the books individually. because Cloud also was appearing on a regular basis at the time as one of “The Losers” in Our Fighting Forces. Yes, the Legion also had its CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN Challengers of the Unknown returned in mid-December 1972 with own feature in Superboy, but the team rotated with Superbaby in the #78 (Feb. 1973), its numbering picking up where it left off at the end pages of that title. Cloud appeared in every issue of OFF. Alas, Cloud was gone with issue #3, replaced by dinosaurs, then of the team’s first run in late 1970 (the book was canceled with #77). an anthology format.

It reprinted early Jack Kirby-illustrated tales from Showcase and Jeff Rovin explains his tasks as reprint editor. “DC had (and still has) Challengers of the Unknown. The team was composed of four adventurers “living on borrowed time”: Ace Morgan, jet pilot; Prof Haley, deep- a library of everything they’d ever published. I had to go through the sea skindiver; Red Ryan, circus daredevil; and Rocky Davis, Olympic published stories, find the most exciting (and, again, the lowest selling), wrestling champion. Bridwell wrote the text piece, which provided and then, sadly, cut them to fit. (Page count was down from the original an overview of the Challengers’ history (and hinting that if the book run, or ad pages were up; I forget which.) Since we didn’t have a lot of was successful it might begin publishing new Challengers tales), then production talent to lavish on these comics, I couldn’t cut-and-paste. plugging all of DC’s other new books, both reprints and original, being Carmine wanted entire pages to drop out ‘clean’ with captions to cover what was missing. It worked out well enough, though the released in December and January 1973, and further into the year.

Probably the most interesting piece of information noted by purist in me bridled. I also had to write the text pages for the war Bridwell had nothing to do with the Challengers. He announced Teen titles—which gave me an excuse to interview actor Charlton Heston.

Titans was going monthly when, in fact, the title’s final issue, #43, I contacted him, not thinking he’d agree. But it turned out he was a Weird Tales and early comics fan, so he did the interview.” had been published the month before.

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Rovin’s interview with Heston appeared as part of the “Warrior” text feature in Four-Star Battle Tales #2 (Apr.–May 1973).

Writers Robert Kanigher and Bob Haney were well represented in this series, as were artists Irv Novick, Russ Heath, and Mort Drucker.

The real artistic surprise is EC alumnus Bernie Krigsten illustrating “Soldier’s Luck!” in #5 (Nov.–Dec. 1973).

JOHNNY THUNDER Johnny Thunder, DC’s Western hero of the late 1940s and 1950s (not to be confused with Johnny Thunder of the Justice Society of America), returned in his own reprint book three weeks into December 1972.

Johnny Thunder #1 (Feb.–Mar. 1973) featured two Thunder tales illustrated

by Alex Toth and a Nighthawk story illustrated by Ruben Moreira.

That was the content pattern of the series: two Thunder stories and a Nighthawk reprint, although issue #2 included a Trigger Twins tale.

Other stellar artists on board were Gil Kane, Mort Drucker, and Carmine Infantino. The prolific Kanigher scripted the Thunder tales.

Johnny Thunder lasted three bimonthly issues.

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (Feb. 1973) debuted just before Christmas 1972. It’s the only reprint book from this line that started its run with an original cover, and it is an exciting one by Nick Cardy. It makes sense, because if there was one reprint book that had the potential to be a strong hit, it was LSH. As noted above, the Legion was becoming popular again in Superboy thanks to compelling tales by Cary Bates and stylish artwork

by Dave Cockrum. In fact, the same month Legion #1 hit the stands, over in Superboy #193 Cockrum began revealing hip, new costumes for several Legionnaires. Around the publication of LSH #3, Superboy #195 introduced ERG-1, who later became the extremely popular Wildfire.

What doomed the Legion of Super-Heroes reprint series may have had nothing to do with poor sales, because in June 1973 Superboy became Superboy starring the Legion of Super-Heroes, with #197 (Sept. 1973).

DC may simply have not wanted the LSH to compete for sales with itself.

Keeping the book firmly in the future by mining DC’s past, the backup slot featured Tommy Tomorrow in stories reprinted from Action Comics.

Rovin recalls, “It was great fun to work with Carmine—who conceived and sketched most of the comics covers—on the first Legion cover.

Fanboy heaven! (No … I don’t have that sketch.)”

Although it was nice to see several Legion adventures from Adventure Comics reprinted, the real treat is the text pages, which are packed with all kinds of Legion info. LSH #1 provided a list with brief bios of then-current Legionnaires, plus passages of the Legion constitution; LSH #2 listed Legion members killed in action, the Legion of Super-Pets, the Legion Reservists, and the Legion of Substitute Heroes; LSH #3 discussed Legion tales that took place in times and places other than 30th-Century Earth; and LSH #4 discussed dramatic changes in the Legion’s lives over the years. This fun- and fact-filled information would have had no room for publication over in Superboy.

Legion of Super-Heroes began as a monthly, then dropped to bimonthly status with #2, which sported another original Nick Cardy cover, and lasted four issues.

METAL MEN Prior to the robots’ reprint debut in December with #42 (continuing the numbering of the first MM series, which was canceled in October 1969), the Metal Men had appeared earlier in the year in a new story in The Brave and the Bold #103 (Sept.–Oct. 1972), a team-up with Batman.

The state of the early ’70s robot band was remarkably different from the Metal Men’s reprinted exploits from the early 1960s. While the team’s roster—Gold, Iron, Lead, Mercury, Platinum (Tina), and Tin— hadn’t changed, their look and social standing certainly had as they had become fugitives, acquired human identities, and were later recruited as special agents of the US Government. B&B #103 rectified this, restoring them to complete robots, just in time for the reprint series.

As in Doom Patrol #122, Metal Men #42’s text page provided brief descriptions of the individual robots.

Rovin maintained an editorial presence through 2/3rds of almost all his books, but by issue #3 of their individual runs he had been replaced. “I went to work at Warren Publishing and Allan Asherman took over,” explains Rovin. “As I recall, Allan had done some of the text pages for the superhero reprints.”

Unlike their fellow super-team reprint books, Metal Men opened and closed as a bimonthly, lasting three issues. The robot band would next team with Batman in Brave and Bold #113 (June–July 1974).

Metal Men would return with all-new stories beginning with #45, published in January 1976. [Editor’s note: Discover more about the Metal Men’s Bronze Age adventures by reading BACK ISSUE #72.]

Familiar Fronts Most of DC’s reprint line reprinted covers as well, albeit with new coloring. (left) Jack Kirby’s Challengers of the Unknown #7 cover returned for (right) issue #78.

TM & © DC Comics.

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G.I. WAR TALES G.I. War Tales, the second war entry in the reprint line, hit the stands at the end of January 1973 with a cover logo very similar to G.I. Combat’s. Also on the cover: a giant green pterodactyl chewing a WWII aircraft in half while paratroopers bailed and fired upon the beast. Now that was an intriguing, impossible combination: war and dinosaurs! According to the lead story, “Guinea Pig Patrol!”, there was an area in the Pacific Ocean where magnificent creatures long thought extinct still roamed, soared, and swam, and American soldiers were unfortunate enough to cross into it after entering a mysterious and raging cloud formation. Such was the premise of DC’s “War That Time Forgot” feature that ran in the pages of Star Spangled War Stories.

Two other features, “One-Man Road Block!” and “Stragglers Never Come Back!”, were a little more realistic. Rounding out the book was the “Warrior!” text feature, which discussed the career of WWII General George S. Patton.

I highly recommend G.I. War Tales #2 (June–July 1973), the only reprint book in the entire line that doesn’t feel like a reprint. Neal Adams illustrated the lead story, a “War That Time Forgot” tale originally published in 1967. Adams’ art was dynamic from the get-go. Joe Kubert drew the second feature, first published in 1969.

At that time, Kubert’s artistic style was undergoing some dynamic shifts of its own. The new style could be seen over in Tarzan, a perfect fit for the renowned illustrator.

Just when I was convinced that not a single book in the reprint line had a letters column, one did see print in G.I. War Tales #4 (Oct.–Nov. 1973), even though it’s only two-thirds of a page.

G.I. War Tales lasted four bimonthly issues.

TRIGGER TWINS Trigger Twins was the anomaly of the reprint line, an intentional one-shot. In his text piece, “Trigger Talk,” editor Bridwell explained that due to scheduling changes the book was done-in-one, unless it sold well. Two tales, both from All-Star Western, of the redheaded brothers, Walt and Wayne, bookended a Pow-Wow Smith reprint from Western Comics. The tales were typical of the clean, noncontroversial Western comics produced during the 1950s, a genre decisively grimmer and grittier in the early 1970s as depicted over in DC’s Weird Western Tales starring Jonah Hex and El Diablo. Still, Trigger Twins was an interesting glimpse of a simpler era, and then it was gone. Bridwell’s hope for strong sales in all his reprint books never came to fruition.

“My contact with Nelson was limited,” says Rovin, “pretty much to the weekly meetings all the editors attended. What a mind and

Meet the Masters For many of DC’s younger readers, this reprint line introduced them to the previous generation’s superstars like Alex Toth, whose cover for Johnny Thunder #1 was originally produced in 1951 for All-American Western #121.

TM & © DC Comics.

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what a talent! As I recall, he shared an office with Julie Schwartz at 909 Third Avenue. That was quite a pairing, given Julie’s experience in SF and Nelson’s knowledge.”

Two additional reprint books, Boy Commandos and Black Magic, debuted during the summer of 1973. By that time, only G.I. War Tales and Four-Star Battle Tales were still being published (although not for long).

BOY COMMANDOS Boy Commandos #1 (Sept.–Oct. 1973) debuted in June of 1973.

Five installments of the team’s 1940s series were reprinted in Mister Miracle when Kirby’s Fourth World book had been in the 52-page format from early summer 1971 to spring 1972. The reprint line had almost disappeared when BC #1 hit the stands. The Boy Commandos had been well received in Mister Miracle and with writer Joe Simon back at DC producing new material it wasn’t a bad choice to test out.

Editor Bridwell provided an informative text piece on the quartet.

The Commandos had previously appeared in Detective Comics, World’s Finest Comics, and their own magazine from 1942 to 1949.

Their revived reprint series last two issues.

Boy Commandos #2 (Nov.–Dec. 1973) sported an original cover by Carmine Infantino and Joe Orlando and a text feature on “The Real Commandos” by E. Nelson Bridwell. Two Boy Commandos tales were reprinted, and then the series was done.

BLACK MAGIC Black Magic #1 (Oct.–Nov. 1973) debuted in July of 1973 with a creepy cover featuring Uncle Hugo, the “Head of the Family.”

According to the cover text, the book contained “The Strangest Stories Ever Told” and was billed as “A New Simon, Kirby Special.”

Actually, if you wanted new Joe Simon material at that time, you needed to read Prez and Champion Sports; for new, and worthy, Kirby tales, the King was on a creative tear with new releases Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth and The Demon, as well as Fourth World carryover Mister Miracle. Black Magic consisted of reprints lifted in non-chronological order mostly from the original Black Magic and a couple from Strange World of Your Dreams, both published back in the early 1950s by Prize Comics Group (which is never referenced in DC’s Black Magic). They weren’t new, but they were new to me, and while not the strangest comic-book stories I had ever read (Prez was really strange), Kirby’s earlier artistic style was strange, downright primitive, compared to the powerful work he was producing in 1973.

Joe Simon edited Black Magic throughout its nine-issue run. Nine bimonthly books—a year-and-a-half run—make Black Magic the most successful of all the reprint books discussed here. Part of its success could be attributed to timing; the mystery line—which included House of Mystery, House of Secrets, Weird War Tales, Ghosts, and The Unexpected—was popular and sold well. Black Magic, in title and content, fit the bill as a mystery book, and the covers were just as eerie as any rendered on a Joe Orlando- or Murray Boltinoff-edited horror book (although the use of the word “horror” in a title or to describe the genre in the books themselves was still strictly forbidden by the Comics Code).

Kirby did not illustrate many of the reprinted stories, and outside of the tales marked “Produced by Simon and Kirby,” no other creator credits were given. The reprints were not given their original publication information. These omissions would never have been acceptable in a Bridwell book (well, with the exception of Boy Commandos #2).

Also, the book never had a letters column; in its place were uncredited one-page short stories.

Highlights of the series include all of Black Magic #1, particularly the gruesome “Greatest Horror of Them All!” “Nasty Little Man!” in Black Magic #3 will keep you off the trains at night. What George Berger learns about the afterlife from the dying Sarah Russell drives him mad in issue #4’s “Last Second of Life!” (Given George’s reaction, it doesn’t look good.) Issue #5’s “Up There!”, where a grieving pilot receives one last look at his deceased wife, is tragic and moving.

And there’s nothing like dream analysis Simon and Kirby-style as seen in “The Woman In The Tower!”, the last story in the final issue of the series, Black Magic #9 (Apr.–May 1975).

CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #78 Feb. 1973 Cover artist: Jack Kirby Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Challengers of the Unknown in “The Isle of No Return” from Challengers of the Unknown #7 (Apr.–May 1959) • Challengers of the Unknown in “The Sorceress of Forbidden Valley” from Challengers of the Unknown #6 (Feb.–Mar. 1959) CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #79 Apr. 1973 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Challengers of the Unknown in “The Monster Maker” from Challengers of the Unknown #2 (June–July 1958) • Challengers of the Unknown in “The Human Pets” from Challengers of the Unknown #1 (Apr.–May 1958) CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #80 June–July 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Challengers of the Unknown in “The Day The Earth Blew Up” from Showcase #11 (Nov.–Dec. 1957) DOOM PATROL #122 Feb. 1973 Cover artist: Bob Brown Editor: Jeffrey Rovin Reprints: • Doom Patrol in “The AnimalVegetable-Mineral Menace” from Doom Patrol #89 (Aug. 1964) • Dr. Hugh Tendler in “We Battled the Micro-Monster” from My Greatest Adventure #76 (Feb. 1963)

Don’t Tread on Me Had DC’s Black Magic been continued, this creepy Jerry Grandenetti/Joe Simon cover would have graced issue #10. Signed original art courtesy of Heritage.

TM & © DC Comics

While DC’s reprint line failed, it was by no means the end of the reprints. With the success of 100-Page Super Spectacular, many standard-sized titles would soon expand to 100-pagers in late 1973 and early 1974, with 20 pages of new material overwhelmed by some 60 pages of reprints. The 100pagers were published throughout 1974. And then they, like the reprint line, would be gone, replaced by smaller Giants in 1975, while Infantino combated Marvel (and the fledgling Atlas line) with multiple titles again, this time with all-new material. Now that was saturation madness. I know, I was there trying to buy them all. I loved every month of it, although the flood of titles, a good portion of them canceled within a year (also shades of the reprint line), was part of what cost Infantino his job. That is a tale for another time.

DOOM PATROL #123 Mar.–Apr. 1973 Cover artist: Bob Brown Editor: Jeffrey Rovin Reprints: • Doom Patrol in “Menace of the Turnabout Heroes” from Doom Patrol #95 (May 1965) DOOM PATROL #124 June–July 1973 Cover artist: Bob Brown Editor: Murray Boltinoff Reprints: • Doom Patrol in “The Enemy within the Doom Patrol” from Doom Patrol #90 (Sept. 1964) FOUR-STAR BATTLE TALES #1 Feb.–Mar. 1973 Cover artist: Russ Heath Editor: Jeffrey Rovin Reprints: • Lt. Johnny Cloud in “Be Brave— Be Silent!” from All-American Men of War #94 (Nov.–Dec. 1962) • “Tin Pot Lottery” from Star Spangled War Stories #73 (Sept. 1958) FOUR-STAR BATTLE TALES #2 Apr.–May 1973 Cover artist: Joe Kubert

Editor: Jeffrey Rovin Reprints: • Lt. Johnny Cloud in “The Last Target” from All-American Men of War #104 (July–Aug. 1964) • “Indians Don’t Fight By the Book!” from Our Army at War #196 (Aug. 1968) FOUR-STAR BATTLE TALES #3 July–Aug. 1973 Cover artist: Russ Heath Editor: Allan Asherman Reprints: • The War That Time Forgot in “Island of Armored Giants!” from Star Spangled War Stories #90 (Apr.–May 1960) • “Cliff-hanger!” from Star Spangled War Stories #50 (Oct. 1956) • “A Stripe For St. Lo!” from Star Spangled War Stories #83 (July 1959) FOUR-STAR BATTLE TALES #4 Sept.–Oct. 1973 Cover artist: Jerry Grandenetti Editor: Allan Asherman Reprints: • “Silent Gun!” from Our Army at War #57 (Apr. 1957) • “Patrol to Nowhere!” from Our Army at War #79 (Feb. 1959) • “Frogman’s Treasure!” from Our Army at War #30 (Jan. 1955) FOUR-STAR BATTLE TALES #5 Nov.–Dec. 1973 Cover artist: Russ Heath Editor: Allan Asherman Reprints: • “Soldier’s Luck!” from Our Army at War #11 (June 1953) • “No Sunset For A Jet!” from Our Army at War #78 (Jan. 1959) • “The Three Frogmen” from G.I. Combat #72 (May 1959) JOHNNY THUNDER #1 Feb.–Mar. 1973 Cover artist: Alex Toth Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Johnny Thunder in “The City Without Guns!” from All-American Western #103 (Nov. 1948) • The Nighthawk in “The GunFighting Statue!” from Western Comics #42 (Nov.–Dec. 1953) • Johnny Thunder in “Johnny Thunder’s Last Roundup!” from All-American Western #125 (Apr.–May 1952) JOHNNY THUNDER #2 Apr.–May 1973 Cover artist: Alex Toth Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Johnny Thunder in “Battle of the War Bonnet!” from All-Star Western #73 (Oct.–Nov. 1953) • Trigger Twins in “Ambush at Arrow Hill!” from All-Star Western #96 (Aug.–Sept. 1957) • The Nighthawk in “The Amazing Quest for Nighthawk’s Identity!” from Western Comics #71 (Sept.–Oct. 1958) • Johnny Thunder in “Decoy at Canyon Pass!” from All-Star Western #74 (Dec. 1953–Jan. 1954)

JIM KINGMAN purchased his first comic book, DC’s World’s Finest Comics #211, on a family road trip in March of 1972, and has been reading and collecting comic books ever since (with no end in sight).

TM & © DC Comics.

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JOHNNY THUNDER #3 July–Aug. 1973 Cover artist: Alex Toth Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Johnny Thunder in “The Real Johnny Thunder” from All-American Western #122 (Oct.–Nov. 1951) • The Nighthawk in “Secret of the Outlaw Timepiece!” from Western Comics #75 (May–June 1959) • Johnny Thunder in “Battle For Mesa City!” from All-Star Western #71 (June–July 1953)

Reprints: • Metal Men in “The Headless Robots!” from Metal Men #14 (June–July 1965)

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1 Feb. 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Jeffrey Rovin Reprints: • Legion of Super-Heroes in “The Lad Who Wrecked the Legion!” from Adventure Comics #328 (Jan. 1965) • Tommy Tomorrow in “The Riddle of the Space Rainbow” from Action Comics #232 (Sept. 1957)

G.I. WAR TALES #1 Mar.–Apr. 1973 Cover artists: Ross Andru and Mike Esposito Editor: Jeffrey Rovin Reprints: • The War That Time Forgot in “Guinea Pig Patrol!” from Star Spangled War Stories #95 (Feb.–Mar. 1961) • “One-Man Road Block!” from Star Spangled War Stories #23 (July 1954) • “Stragglers Never Come Back!” from Star Spangled War Stories #100 (Dec. 1961–Jan. 1962)

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #2 Mar. 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Jeffrey Rovin Reprints: • Legion of Super-Heroes in “The War Between Krypton and Earth!” from Adventure Comics #333 (June 1965) • Tommy Tomorrow in “The Toys That Stopped Space Crime” from Action Comics #239 (Apr. 1958) LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #3 Apr.–May 1973 Cover artists: Curt Swan and George Klein Editor: Jeffrey Rovin Reprints: • Legion of Super-Heroes in “Computo the Conqueror!” from Adventure Comics #340 (Jan. 1966) • Tommy Tomorrow in “The Trial of Tommy Tomorrow!” from Action Comics #240 (May 1958) LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #4 July–Aug. 1973 Cover artists: Curt Swan and Sheldon Moldoff Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Legion of Super-Heroes in “Colossal Boy’s One-Man War!” from Adventure Comics #341 (Feb. 1966) • Tommy Tomorrow in “The Forbidden Robots” from Action Comics #223 (Oct. 1957) METAL MEN #42 Feb.–Mar. 1973 Cover artists: Ross Andru and Mike Esposito Editor: Jeffrey Rovin Reprints: • Metal Men in “The Deathless Doom!” from Showcase #39 (July–Aug. 1962) METAL MEN #43 Apr.–May 1973 Cover artists: Ross Andru and Mike Esposito Editor: Jeffrey Rovin

METAL MEN #44 July–Aug. 1973 Cover artist: Ross Andru and Mike Esposito Editor: Allan Asherman Reprints: • Metal Men in “Rain of the Missile Men!” from Metal Men #1 (Apr.–May 1963)

G.I. WAR TALES #2 June–July 1973 Cover artist: Russ Heath Editor: Joe Kubert Reprints: • The War That Time Forgot in “The Killing Ground!” from Star Spangled War Stories #134 (Sept. 1967) • “Suicide Volunteer” from G.I. Combat #133 (Dec. 1968–Jan. 1969) G.I. WAR TALES #3 Aug.–Sept. 1973 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Joe Kubert Reprints: • “Split-Second Target” from AllAmerican Men of War #55 (Mar. 1958) • “The G.I. Who Replaced Himself!” from All-American Men of War #38 (Oct. 1956) • “The Last Wave!” from All-American Men of War #47 (July 1957) G.I. WAR TALES #4 Oct.–Nov. 1973 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Joe Kubert Reprints: • “Four-Legged Tank!” from Star Spangled War Stories #36 (Aug. 1955) • “Soldiers of the High Wire” from Our Army at War #10 (May 1953) • “Medal For A Marine!” from Star Spangled War Stories #78 (Feb. 1959) TRIGGER TWINS #1 Mar.–Apr. 1973 Cover artists: Gil Kane and Joe Giella Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Trigger Twins in “Code of the Trigger Twins!” from All-Star Western #94 (Apr.–May 1957) • Pow-Wow Smith in “The Bandit and the Bracelet!” from Western Comics #81 (May–June 1960) • Trigger Twins in “The Unknown Hero of Rocky City!” from All-Star Western #103 (Oct.–Nov. 1958)

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BOY COMMANDOS #1 Sept.–Oct. 1973 Cover artists: Jack Kirby and Joe Simon Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Boy Commandos in “The Sphinx Speaks” from Detective Comics #66 (Aug. 1942) • Boy Commandos in “Heroes Never Die” from Boy Commandos #1 (Winter 1942–1943) BOY COMMANDOS #2 Nov.–Dec. 1973 Cover artists: Carmine Infantino and Joe Orlando Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Boy Commandos in “Nine Lives for Victory” from Boy Commandos #2 (Spring 1943) • Boy Commandos in “News from Belgium” from Boy Commandos #6 (Spring 1944) BLACK MAGIC #1 Oct.–Nov. 1973 Cover artists: Jerry Grandenetti and Creig Flessel Editor: Joe Simon Reprints: • “Maniac!” from Black Magic vol. 5 #2 (Sept.–Oct. 1954) • “The Head of the Family!” from Black Magic vol. 4 #6 (May– June 1954) • “The Greatest Horror of Them All!” from Black Magic vol. 4 #5 (Mar.–Apr. 1954) BLACK MAGIC #2 Dec. 1973–Jan. 1974 Cover artists: Jerry Grandenetti and Creig Flessel Editor: Joe Simon Reprints: • “Fool’s Paradise!” from Black Magic vol. 4 #2 (Sept.–Oct. 1953) • “The Cat People” from Black Magic vol. 4 #3 (Nov.–Dec. 1953) • “Birth After Death” from Black Magic vol. 3 #2 (Jan. 1953) • “Those Who Are About to Die!” from Black Magic vol. 3 #5 (Apr. 1953) BLACK MAGIC #3 Apr.–May 1974 Cover artists: Jerry Grandenetti and Creig Flessel Editor: Joe Simon Reprints: • “Nasty Little Man!” from Black Magic vol. 2 #12 (Nov. 1952) • “The Angel of Death!” from Black Magic vol. 2 #9 (Aug. 1952) • “The Courts of Sleep!” from Black Magic vol. 2 #8 (July 1952) BLACK MAGIC #4 June–July 1974 Cover artists: Joe Simon and Jack Kirby Editor: Joe Simon Reprints: • “The Girl the Earth Ate Up!” from Black Magic vol. 1 #6 (Aug.–Sept. 1951) • “His Father’s Footsteps!” from Black Magic vol. 1 #1 (Oct.– Nov. 1950)

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“Last Second of Life!” from Black Magic vol. 1 #1 (Oct.–Nov. 1950)

BLACK MAGIC #5 Aug.–Sept. 1974 Cover artists: Jerry Grandenetti and Creig Flessel Editor: Joe Simon Reprints: • “Strange Old Bird!” from Black Magic vol. 4 #1 (June–July 1953) • “It’s Your Funeral!” from Black Magic vol. 2 #6 (May 1952) • “Up There!” from Black Magic vol. 2 #7 (June 1952) BLACK MAGIC #6 Oct.–Nov. 1974 Cover artists: Jerry Grandenetti and Bill Draut Editor: Joe Simon Reprints: • “The Thirteenth Floor” from Black Magic vol. 2 #5 (Apr. 1952) • “Satan’s Sister!” from Black Magic vol. 1 #3 (Feb.–Mar. 1951) • “The Girl Who Walked on Water!” from Black Magic vol. 2 #5 (Apr. 1952) BLACK MAGIC #7 Dec. 1974–Jan. 1975 Cover artists: Jack Kirby and Joe Simon Editor: Joe Simon Reprints: • “The Cloak!” from Black Magic vol. 1 #2 (Dec. 1950–Jan. 1951) • “The Mary Celeste: Ship of Evil!” from Black Magic vol. 2 #11 (Oct. 1952) • “Freak!” from Black Magic vol. 2 #11 Oct. 1952 • “The Boy Who Was 2000 Years Old” from Black Magic vol. 2 #11 (Oct. 1952) BLACK MAGIC #8 Feb.–Mar. 1975 Cover artist: Jerry Grandenetti Editor: Joe Simon Reprints: • “When You Were Alive!” from Black Magic vol. 1 #1 (Oct.– Nov. 1950) • “The Girl in the Grave!” from Strange World of Your Dreams vol. 1 #2 (Sept.–Oct. 1952) • “My Dolly is the Devil!” from Black Magic vol. 1 #1 (Oct.– Nov. 1950) • “Send Us Your Dreams!” from Strange World of Your Dreams vol. 1 #2 (Sept.–Oct. 1952) BLACK MAGIC #9 Apr.–May 1975 Cover artists: Jerry Grandenetti and Creig Flessel Editor: Joe Simon Reprints: • “Yesterday You Died!” from Black Magic vol. 1 #2 (Dec. 1950– Jan. 1951) • “Who Walks In My Dream?” from Black Magic vol. 1 #5 (June–July 1951) • “The Woman In The Tower!” from Strange World of My Dreams vol. 1 #3 (Nov.–Dec. 1952)

TM

by

Michael Eury

What started in 1961 as a “Special Giant Issue” ultimately became a tried-and-true DC Comics brand.

Secret Origins #1 was DC’s fourth 80-Page Giant, preceded by three Superman Annuals (which were released biannually, by the way) and quickly followed by the first Batman Annual. Its ninepanel-grid cover foreshadowed The Hollywood Squares’ set and The Brady Bunch’s title credits, with the blurb “By Popular Demand! A SuperCollection of the Most SoughtAfter Stories Ever Published!” occupying the center spot where Paul Lynde or Ann B. Davis would later be found on TV. Co-edited by Julius Schwartz and Jack Schiff, it trotted out reprints starring DC’s Silver Age headliners—even the Challengers of the Unknown. The rest of DC’s A- and B+-list was rounded up for a sequel, More Secret Origins, which followed a few years later, published as 80Page Giant (Magazine) #8 (Mar. 1965). And a tradition began … yet one whose next phase would be eight years in coming.

Editor E. Nelson Bridwell appropriated the aforementioned blurb to top-mount the Secret Origins logo when DC’s quest for shelf-display dominance green-lighted a bimonthly Secret Origins series, hitting newsstands just before Christmas of 1972 with a Feb.–Mar. 1973 cover-dated first issue. A subtitle (appearing on the cover but not the indicia inside) promised that this comic would chronicle the origin tales “of Super-Heroes and Super-Villains,” and the first issue delivered just that: Joining the three most popular Justice Leaguers—Superman, Batman, and the Flash—was “[the Golden Age] Hawkman’s first battle with the Ghost!” Issue #1’s cover, pulsating at the reader with its vivid primary colors bouncing off a bright white background, featured artist Nick Cardy at his best, delivering a multi-character display that afforded each hero equal stature (Cardy would go on to illustrate the covers for each of Secret Origins’ seven issues). A wash technique employed on the first-issue cover faded the heroes’ and villain’s

May the Source Be with You The Duke of Data, E.N.B., credited reprints’ original sources, either in text pages or, as shown here, on title pages. The Atom’s origin, as re-presented in Secret Origins #2. (inset) The first issue of Secret Origins.

Cover by Nick Cardy.

TM & © DC Comics.

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Inside Secret Origins (top) Barry Allen gets a shock; from the Flash origin reprinted in issue #1. (center) Bridwell’s text features, like this one from Secret Origins #2, educated readers in DC lore. (bottom) The title’s lettercol header.

TM & © DC Comics.

backstories into the background, a noble attempt despite the era’s limitations in printing.

Two months later, Bridwell selected three more heavy-hitters—Supergirl, Green Lantern, and the Atom—for Secret Origins #2. For this cover, Cardy’s flashbacks of the heroes were colored normally, with no special effects.

In the absence of letters, E.N.B. offered text features in the first two issues, bringing readers up to date on the various alterations in each character’s history since the original publication of his or her reprinted adventure.

“Another hit for DC!” wrote fan Tim Oswald in the series’ first letters column, appearing in Secret Origins #3 (July–Aug. 1973), where Bridwell’s passion for Golden Age material became apparent (as it did through his Super Spectaculars and Wanted reprint selections). Wonder Woman and Wildcat, the latter of whom had been enjoying a spate of appearances with Batman in The Brave and the Bold, co-starred in that issue. A different flashback technique was utilized on issue #3’s cover: the flashback images achieved a graphite look with their line art being printed in gray on a soft yellow background.

With Bridwell’s proclivity toward reader engagement, the title’s “Original Thinking” lettercol was populated with fan requests for future origin adventures, suggestions including Adam Strange, Green Arrow and Speedy, Hop Harrigan, Air Wave, Two-Face, the Icicle, the Sea Devils, Metamorpho, Ultra the

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Multi-Alien, and Lex Luthor. E.N.B. never missed an opportunity to plug other DC books, stating in issue #4’s column, as an example, that TwoFace’s origin would soon appear in a Batman Super Spectacular.

Secret Origins #5 (July–Aug. 1973) was the series’ most ambitious issue, devoting its entire contents to the first stories starring the Ghostly Guardian, the Spectre. Two months later, the critically acclaimed Spectre series by Michael Fleisher and Jim Aparo premiered in Adventure Comics.

Issue #5 also featured a mild rebuke from reader Lyle Van Buer: “…the title is Secret Origins of SuperHeroes and Super-Villains. You’ve had only one villain so far, the Ghost.” Bridwell responded, “…we’d originally planned to try for a villain each issue. However, interest seemed to center more on heroes, according to our mail, so we’ll do some more all-hero issues—but we’ll get to the villains in time.”

At no fault of the editor’s, that would be a false promise.

There was no hint of impending doom in Secret Origins #6’s “Original Thinking” lettercol. Reader mail indicated enthusiastic support for issue #4’s reprints (the Vigilante and Kid Eternity), thanking Bridwell for choosing Golden Age material that was new to most readers and extremely rare to collectors in its original form. That issue featured a Silver/Golden Age balancing act with the Legion of Super-Heroes (in a tale produced in 1968 for a Superboy 80-Page Giant) and Blackhawk.

Two months later, there was no Secret Origins #7.

Close to a year elapsed between issue #6, which went on sale October 4, 1973, and issue #7, which went on sale July 30, 1974.

What happened? A crisis. Not on Earth-Two, or on infinite Earths, but right here on good, old “Earth-Prime.”

The OPEC oil embargo of 1973 forced gas rationing upon Americans, with trickle-down damage to other economic sectors. In the winter of 1973, paper was among the products whose availability was limited.

DC’s “prozine,” The Amazing World of DC Comics #1 (July 1974), noted the following for Secret Origins #7 in its Direct Currents listing: “Pulled off the presses during the paper crisis last winter, the last issues of this magazine and the next [Weird Worlds, issue #10] were left languishing—until now!”

“Last issues”? Was there an announcement we missed??

In Bridwell’s “Original Thinking” lettercol for Secret Origins #7, there was no explanation for the long gap between issues, and the editor concluded with a reminder of the series’ address and an invitation for letters. When he penned this column, E.N.B. apparently had no idea that this issue—featuring Robin and Aquaman, both of whom had recently gained wider visibility via ABC-TV’s Saturday morning hit cartoon, Super Friends—would be the title’s last, indicating that this lettercol was written before the issue was yanked.

(Incidentally, Rob Kelly of the blog The Aquaman Shrine notes that the Sea King’s gloves in this reprint from the Golden Age were recolored from their original yellow to green, to match the more recognizable costume of the Silver Age Aquaman.)

There was an announcement about Secret Origins’ cancellation, however, to the burgeoning fan press, but in those days the majority of comic-book consumers

had little or no access to (or awareness of) such publications.

The Comic Reader #102 (Dec. 1973) cover-featured the headline “Paper Shortage Rocks Industry.” Inside, in its “National News” (that’s National Periodicals Publications, DC’s official name at the time) section, the expansion of the company’s 100-Page Super Spectaculars line (as discussed in our lead article) was announced. “Due to this mammoth increase in the National workload,” the report read, “a number of borderline titles have had to be pared from the schedule.

These titles include WEIRD WORLDS, KORAK, PREZ, FORBIDDEN TALES OF DARK MANSION, SECRETS OF SINISTER HOUSE, CHAMPION SPORTS and SECRET ORIGINS.” TCR’s announcement included the revelation that DC’s now-widespread use of reprints in its new Super Specs line was an additional cause of Secret Origins’ demise.

But from the average reader’s perspective, with that seventh edition, Secret Origins, like so many other DC books of its era, simply vanished. Fans puzzled by the book’s erratic schedule eventually gave up and moved on.

A Final Issue Delay (inset) The Comic Reader #102 (Dec. 1973) revealed how a paper shortage affected some releases, including Secret Origins #7. Captain Marvel cover by Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom (as “Gemini” = “Jim and I,” get it?). (below) Signed Nick Cardy original art to the final SO issue, courtesy of Heritage (www.ha.com).

Captain Marvel TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc. Secret Origins, Batman and Robin, and Aquaman TM & © DC Comics.

SECRET ORIGINS #1 Feb.–Mar. 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Superman in “[The Origin of Superman]” from Action Comics #1 (June 1938) • Batman in “[The Origin of Batman]” from Detective Comics #33 (Nov. 1939) • Golden Age Hawkman in “The Ghost” from Flash Comics #88 (Oct. 1947) • The Flash in “Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt!” from Showcase #4 (Sept.– Oct. 1956) SECRET ORIGINS #2 Apr.–May 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Supergirl in “The Supergirl from Krypton!” from Action Comics #252 (May 1959) • Green Lantern in “SOS Green Lantern” from Showcase #22 (Sept.–Oct. 1959) • The Atom in “Birth of the Atom!” from Showcase #34 (Sept.– Oct. 1961) SECRET ORIGINS #3 July–Aug. 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Wonder Woman in “[The Origin of Wonder Woman]” from Wonder Woman #1 (Summer 1942) • Wildcat in “[This is the Story of Wildcat]” from Sensation Comics #1 (Jan. 1942)

SECRET ORIGINS #4 Sept.–Oct. 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • The Vigilante in “[The Origin of the Vigilante]” from Action Comics #42 (Nov. 1941) • Kid Eternity in “[The Origin of Kid Eternity]” from Hit Comics #25 (Dec. 1942) SECRET ORIGINS #5 Nov.–Dec. 1973 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • The Spectre in “[The Origin of the Spectre, Part 1]” from More Fun Comics #52 (Feb. 1940) • The Spectre in “[The Origin of the Spectre, Part 2]” from More Fun Comics #53 (Mar. 1940) SECRET ORIGINS #6 Jan.–Feb. 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Legion of Super-Heroes in “Origin of the Legion” from Superboy #147 (May–June 1968) • Blackhawk in “[The Origin of Blackhawk]” from Military Comics #1 (Aug. 1941) SECRET ORIGINS #7 Oct.–Nov 1974 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Robin in “Robin the Boy Wonder” from Detective Comics #38 (Apr. 1940) • Golden Age Aquaman in “[The Submarine Strikes]” from More Fun Comics #73 (Nov. 1941)

TM & © DC Comics.

Not that DC ever gave up on Secret Origins, however, as hinted in my introduction. There were “Secret Origins of Super-Villains” installments of the tabloidsized Limited Collectors’ Editions (see BACK ISSUE #61), a 1976 Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes book (see this issue), “Secret Origins of Super-Heroes” issues of DC Super-Stars (see this issue) and DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest (see BI #76), eight Secret Origin of… mini-comics released with Leaf Candy in 1980, 50 issues (plus an Annual, Special, and trade paperback) of an all-new Secret Origins title that launched in 1986 (we’ll eventually cover that here), a number of Secret Origins/Origin specials and miniseries attached to some of DC’s longest-running franchises, and a series of Secret Origins replica editions and fantasy comics released individually and later gathered into a hardcover. In April 2014, DC launched a new Secret Origins monthly for its New 52 incarnations.

So while this fondly remembered Bronze Age reprint title was shortlived, its tradition marches on.

Special thanks to John Wells and Rob Kelly.

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They were bigger. They were better. They were historical. They were sometimes themed. They reintroduced classic stories and characters.

They also rolled out new material. They were profitable. And they could be had for substantially less than a dollar. They were reprint Giants and their popularity grew and grew.

The reprint Giant at DC can trace its beginnings back to 1960 with the 80-Page Giants. Since there was a substantial history to draw from and eBay and the back-issue bin had yet to be devised, the Giant was a way to provide readers with classic material that would be otherwise unavailable or perhaps even unknown. It wasn’t long before it was realized they were onto a good thing and the concept only gained traction from there.

DC SPECIAL DC Special was one of the first and was kicked off with the “AllInfantino Issue,” published at the end of 1968 and featuring a sampling of some of Carmine Infantino’s best efforts, from Batman to the Flash and Adam Strange to Carmine’s purported favorite, Detective Chimp, all in one neat package for a quarter.

The themed issues continued with offerings such as “All-Teen,” “All-Girl,” and another featured artist with issue #5’s “The Secret Lives of Joe Kubert.” Included in the mix was a reprint edition dedicated to mystery stories (issue #4), and of particular note in that issue is the inclusion of a story by Jack Kirby titled “The Magic Hammer,” reprinted from Tales of the Unexpected from the 1950s. While the setting is the Old West, a mighty familiar-looking leather-strapped hammer is discovered and it’s later claimed by Thor, who explains that it had been stolen by Loki. As a matter of fact, this is not the first appearance of a Kirby-drawn Thor for DC, as “The Villain from Valhalla,” found in a Sandman story in Adventure Comics #75 from 1942 will attest. As you can see, “Ol’ Goldilocks” has a history prior to his debut in Marvel’s Journey into Mystery #83.

DC Special continued on as a series until 1977 and issue #29, though there was a break in the action between issue #15 at the end of 1971 and issue #16 from 1975. Themes bounced around between a particular character like the Viking Prince, Plastic Man, or Green Lantern to collected similar stories like “Strangest Sports Stories Ever Told”; “Wanted, the World’s Most Dangerous Villains”; and “Robin Hood and the Three Musketeers.” Before DC Special faded, however, other reprint Giants were launched, some with runs longer than others, but still carrying on the tradition.

FOUR STAR SPECTACULAR On December 11, 1975, the short-lived Four Star Spectacular hit the newsstands and spinner racks. Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell and featuring four stories showcasing four different heroes, the title mined tales as far back as the Golden Age and had two consistent headliners in Superboy and Wonder Woman with the other two heroes as “guest stars,” as explained by Bridwell in the first issue’s lettercol, “Four Thought.”

Of special interest in issue #1 (Mar.–Apr. 1976) is the Golden Age Flash tale. As explained at the top of the splash page, “This story originally appeared in ALL-FLASH COMICS in 1944—but the art of the original version was too far below modern standards to reprint the tale as it was! So we had a young artist, Edgar Bercasio, re-do the

Returning to Orbit “Super-Stars of Space” became a popular series-within-aseries with the reprint Giant DC Super-Stars. Ernie Chua’s original cover art to issue #6 is courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com).

TM & © DC Comics.

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by

Bryan D. Stroud

art using the original story and dialogue. That’s how we’ve brought you this old/new adventure of the Golden Age Flash.”

Edgar Bercasio was part of Nestor Redondo’s studio when he received this very unusual assignment, and he was kind enough to share his memories of how it came about: “The script for the Golden Age Flash story was given to me by Nestor Redondo before Christmas of 1975. I was one of ten artists at the Nestor Redondo Art Studio in Valenzuela, Bulacan, a suburb of Manila. He chose me to illustrate the script, which was sent to him

by DC Comics. Our group had just concluded a painting tour when he approached me for this assignment.

“We exchanged ideas about Flash and his movements. He expressed full confidence in my ability to interpret the character. I was excited to start right away and regarded the assignment as a great opportunity.

Nestor Redondo gave broad suggestions, but left a lot of room for me to visualize and interpret the script. I used my imagination for

the most part and recreated every scene of the story in my mind.

Mr. Redondo asked me to sketch the Flash in motion and made suggestions and improvements.

“I finished the 13 pages (layout, penciling, inking) before the four-week deadline. When I handed the finished artwork in, Mr. Redondo was so impressed that he sent the finished product to DC Comics right away.

“Shortly after its publication, Nestor Redondo was sponsored into the US by Marvel Comics Group. I stayed in the Philippines and joined Atlas Publishing. [The] Flash [story] helped me get steady work.

I illustrated series, short stories, and novels. Nestor Redondo’s older brother, Virgilio, was an established script writer and illustrator, and he was working for another publishing company known as GASI (Graphic Arts Service, Incorporated). On the strength of Flash, he hired me to illustrate his new novel called ‘Rax Aceron.’ ” Following this auspicious debut of Four Star Spectacular, issue #2 appeared with fewer pages and one less story, though the third tale was a team-up, so both heroes were featured as the other two guest stars. Editor Bridwell offered an explanation in the lettercol about the abrupt drop from 64 to 48 pages as a business decision: “A funny thing happened to this magazine on the way to the newsstand.

It shrunk. Those of you who read the text feature in the last issue will recall that I gave a rundown of features for this issue. At the time, I had a Green Lantern tale and a Blackhawk story on tap. But, costs being what they are, the number of pages available for the magazine had to be cut, necessitating a change to the lineup inside—if we were to keep four stars in it. Result—the substitution of Kid Flash and the Elongated Man for GL and Blackhawk.”

This technique was continued for a couple of more issues, using a team-up story to provide the requisite four stars, even though the book contained three stories, but toward the end, shorter tales were found, bringing the count back up to four. By then, however, the writing was on the wall and in the sixth and final issue, Nelson Bridwell bids farewell in the lettercol, but notes that there will be other reprint series, probably referring to DC Super-Stars. He also points out a fascinating addition to final issue #6, which, as usual, features a Wonder Woman reprint, this time from the Kanigher/ Andru/Esposito era, but there is also a three-page filler from 1943

Joe Kubert Was Something Special! (top) The Kubert clan, circa 1969, from DC Special #5. (bottom right) Original art to the title page of the Viking Prince issue, DC Special #12, and (bottom left) a story splash from the same issue, both courtesy of Heritage.

TM & © DC Comics.

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A Fresh Look Splash page of Edgar Bercasio’s redrawing of a Golden Age Flash oldie, from Four Star Spectacular #1. The artist is seen in the inset photo.

TM & © DC Comics.

spotlighting Etta Candy and the Holiday Girls. The splash page includes a couple of waiters in the background and in a very early example of breaking down the fourth wall, they are none other than Wonder Woman creator, William Moulton Marston, whispering to his secretary, and Harry G. Peter, the original illustrator of our favorite Amazonian Princess.

DC SUPER-STARS Late 1976 may have been the demise of Four Star Spectacular, but there were other titles to fill the reprint void. One was DC Super-Stars, which debuted at the end of 1975.

What set this series apart from the others? For starters, it began a rhythm of featuring space stories beginning with issue #2 and showcasing Adam Strange and his contemporaries in “DC Super-Stars of Space,” doing so every other issue for a while. Readers would discover within the pages of these space-themed issues such long-lost gems as the Atomic Knights, Space Ranger, Captain Comet, Tommy Tomorrow, and Space Cabby.

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Right around this time, the DC offices had an invasion of Woodchucks—the Junior Woodchucks, of course, being the young and enthusiastic crew of young staffers who, among other things, produced the Amazing World of DC Comics prozine. Several of them went on to greater heights within the industry. The roster included Steve Mitchell, Michael Uslan, and Paul Levitz.

Jack C. Harris joined the ranks of the Woodchucks a little later than the original lineup and was introduced on page 8 of Amazing World of DC Comics #4 (Jan. 1975): “Our newest Woodchuck comes to us from Wilmington, Delaware, via the Philadelphia College of Art (where he earned his B.F.A. and also taught a course on the History of Comics) and the US Army Signal Corps (which he served in Germany). Mr. Harris lists as his hobbies comics (Adam Strange and Green Lantern, especially), creative make-up, amateur theater, and movies.”

Jack was also involved with editing and other details on a few of the DC Super-Stars titles and offers BACK ISSUE some precise recollections about the series and its origins. “Initially, one of the reasons was economical; [reprint books] were inexpensive to produce, compared to the mainstream comics. Sometime in the mid-’50s, DC began saving negatives to every page of every book they published. They were stored in a vast filing room deep in the DC offices. The first practical application of this practice was Superman Annual #1 in June of 1960.

From that point on, reprints and Annuals became regular features in the DC line. Besides being cheaper to produce (they didn’t have to buy new artwork and they were not legally obligated to pay artists for reprints at the time), there was no writer to pay either.”

According to Harris, “The process was to shoot a oneand-a-half size blow-up positive stat from the negatives and send it to the production room to prepare in for publication the same way they dealt with original art.

With all the reproduction and touch-ups in the production department, it was still cheaper than paying for new scripts and art. Secondly, the fans loved them. It enabled them to own and read older tales.”

When it came to the space-themed issues, Harris recalls how they were selected, and for very good reason: “Editor E. Nelson Bridwell had put together the second all-science-fiction reprint issue of DC Super-Stars and it sold very well. It was decided, because of these sales, the book would be ‘DC Super-Stars of Space’ every other issue. Although Nelson is listed as editor for issues #2, 4, 6 and 8, it was actually I who selected the stories under Nelson’s watchful eye. He acknowledged my expertise when it came to DC science fiction. This is not to say I knew more than he did. That’s not true.

From my experience, E. Nelson Bridwell knew everything about DC Comics.”

One particularly interesting theme came with issue #9’s “The Man Behind the Gun.” Harris recalls, “Once the idea or theme was selected, everyone on the editorial staff (editors and assistants alike) would offer suggestions.

Whichever editor had been assigned the book would have final approval and it would be their duty to commission the cover. For example, I recall issue #9 of DC SuperStars very well. During an editorial meeting, then-art director Vinnie Colletta suggested the idea of ‘The Man Behind the Gun’ theme. As soon as he suggested it, I recalled the story ‘The Secret Story of Ray-Gun 64,’ a John Broome/Frank Giacoia/Joe Giella story from Mystery in Space #5 and the ‘Super Weapon’ story from Superman #144 by Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan, and Stan Kaye. I immediately mentioned these and everyone turned to me and said, ‘Okay, you’re editing it!’ ”

Jack further remembers how the occasional editorial change was handled with these books: “If there had been mistakes or typos in the original printing, they would be corrected. In the case of the aforementioned ‘Super-Weapon’ story reprinted in DC Super-Stars #9, I had the production department change every reference of ‘Weapon-X’ in the story to the ‘X-Gun’ in keeping with the ‘Man Behind the Gun’ theme. Sometimes editorial changes were made to make the old stories match with revised histories, but I rarely agreed with this, since I thought the readers were well aware that the contents of these titles were reprints of older stories and they wanted to see the original versions.

Harris finishes up his trip down memory lane on this series with fond remembrances of the opportunity to work with editor Murray Boltinoff and to receive some top-notch training: “I remember DC Specials #22 and 23 were edited by Murray Boltinoff. At the time, I was Murray’s assistant, so I was heavily involved in collecting up the material for those books. The two Three Musketeers stories, written by Denny O’Neil and Bob Haney and drawn by George Moliterni and Lee Elias, respectively, were new. I don’t recall if they had been prepared for some other title or not, but they were Murray’s project. However, the Robin Hood and Viking Prince stories reprinted as backups were my responsibility. They had originally appeared in various issues of Brave and the Bold and Robin Hood Tales.

The Viking Prince story was written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Joe Kubert, and I just reprinted it as it had originally appeared. However, the Robin Hood stories

by Bob Haney (and illustrated by such classic artists as Kubert, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito, and Russ Heath) needed some work. Although Haney did some great work, there were lots of plot holes and illogical situations in these tales of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. I remember pointing these out and discussing them with Murray and he charged me with indicating the changes. I recall rewriting some panels, having some of the art changed and retouched, and overseeing the coloring (such as one story that had Robin bare-legged throughout the whole story). I don’t know if any of this was necessary, but it gave me some great editorial practice overseen by Murray.”

vacation or something. Chase Craig, West Coast editor for Western/Gold Key and my editor on the Hanna-Barbera comics published by Marvel, was famous for being up to a year ahead of schedule, but always cautioned that no matter how well you planned things, something would happen to screw things up.

“Eventually, many of the 32-page, 20-cent reprint books like Wanted and Secret Origins gave way to the more expensive 64- or 48-page reprint books for 50 cents, just because they brought in more profit for about the same space on the newsstand shelf.

“Nelson Bridwell was the go-to guy for most of the reprint books, as he was a walking encyclopedia when it came to comics. Other books, like DC Special, DC Super-Stars, would have ideas kicked around in an editorial conference or—like ‘Super-Stars of Magic’— someone came up with an idea.”

Gafford describes the production process: “I had to trim pages and squish panels to get the stories in ‘Magic’ to fit. The fanboy in me might have shuddered at tampering with them, but it was either that or not run them at all. As far as editorial changes, one time in

Bewitched Len Wein and Gray Morrow’s Zatanna backup from three 1971 issues of Adventure were collected in DC Super-Stars #11. Here’s a sample page.

TM & © DC Comics.

PRODUCTION SECRETS On page 28 of issue #1 of Amazing World of DC Comics (July 1974), readers are introduced to the Woodchucks, and first up is Carl Gafford: “Carl Gafford took on the job of managing editor of this magazine when he discovered that he was not working on anything between midnight and three a.m. A 21-yearold college dropout, Carl was the Glen Howard of fan publishing before coming to DC in 1973. He was recently promoted to replace Gerda Gattel as the company’s head proofreader and takes great delight in finding mistakes that everybody else misses. He claims he can proofread with his eyes closed, and he sometimes does … after working straight through a weekend on his other comics-related projects!”

Gafford later became an accomplished colorist in the production department and on at least one occasion, served as an editor, specifically for “DC Super-Stars of Magic,” issue #11 in the series. Carl graciously offers some recollections of the issue and the reprint effort at large from a production standpoint: “Comics—all comics—are published to make money. With reprints, at least, you have all the material there and you’re not waiting for an artist or writer to come back from

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Aragonés explains to BACK ISSUE that the issue came about because Adventures Comics digest I removed a reference in the third Spectre story (from Showcase #64) that had the Spectre gathering up good DC’s weird-humor title Plop! had been canceled but there was still some magic and one of the sources was an American soldier fighting in inventory, so editor Joe Orlando suggested doing a Sergio-centric issue and it was simply a matter of doing a couple more stories to Vietnam. I did not think that in 1981 that had the ‘good vibe’ fill out the book. Sergio plotted the stories, but dialogue that it might have had in 1966, the year ‘The Ballad of the was generally by someone else, much like his work on Green Berets’ was a #1 song.

Bat Lash. In this case, it was Chester P. Hazel, or as “In one way, reprint books were easier to get he is better known, Steve Skeates. Rumor has it that done ahead of schedule. For instance, I had all Steve had adopted this nom de plume due to a feud the reprints picked for Adventure Comics digest he was having with editor Joe Orlando. #494-499, the Photostats printed up, and the pages Skeates fills in the blanks for BACK ISSUE on this ready for coloring. Since for the most part they bit of history: were all series stories (Aquaman from the Skeates/ “Yes, I did indeed use the pen name Chester P. Aparo/Giordano era, Legion of Super-Heroes, the Hazel, a character I named after three nuts— Spectre, etc.), I was able to give the pages to the Chestnut, Peanut, and Hazelnut. Anyway, talk about colorists months before they were due. That way, letting bygones be bygones; it’s taken me a while the colorists did not have to rush them, and could to remember exactly why I was angry with Joe concentrate on doing a good job (and, in the case sergio aragonés [Orlando]! Joe was generally more annoying than of a couple of newbie colorists, take time to learn anything to really get angry about—like the time I how to color, with me teaching them). The Spectre and some of the Legion stories I sent to Jerry Serpe to color, one said something in one of my scripts about something being ‘different of DC’s war horses who by then was held in such little regard from all the rest’ and Joe informed me that he had fixed that up by changing the ‘from’ to ‘than’! nobody wanted to give him Okay, okay, changing correct work. I reasoned he had the English into incorrect English— original books for reference, or at no big deal there! As a matter of the very least could take his fact, Julie Schwartz, believe it or time and show the other editors not, would do that far more often he could do good work. Not than Joe! It had to be something quite a year ahead of schedule, bigger than that, and now that but still pretty good.”

I’ve finally zeroed in on it, I can Oh, and the reasoning safely say it wasn’t all that much behind the magic-themed issue? bigger after all, except that it “I sold DC on that idea as it was kinda ruined a story!” the 50th anniversary of the death Skeates continues, “It was of Harry Houdini (which plays a when I was writing [the Phantom major part in the Abra Kadabra Stranger backup] ‘Spawn of origin in the Flash reprint),” Frankenstein’ and I had a scene Gafford says. “I had to do a lot of in which the monster was rushing trimming to get it and the threethrough the woods carrying an part Zatanna story to fit. I was unconscious woman who he was already gone from DC when it trying to save when suddenly finally came out in time for he accidentally smacked the Halloween. I colored the Flash woman’s head into a tree, killing reprint, but can’t remember if her! I had what was happening either Tatjana Wood or Liz there spelled out in the caption, Berube colored the Zatana story. but Joe decided those captions Probably Tatjana. I also designed were redundant, that the art the ‘DC Super-Stars of Space’ would convey what was happening, logo, and colored the first cover so he took those captions out it appeared on. Some nice reprint (and never bothered to tell me books around that time.” about it), and, as it turned out, MADly YOURS the artist didn’t convey what Issue #13 (Mar.–Apr. 1977) had a was happening, then Joe started theme all its own in “The Wild and berating me for not writing it right, Wacky World of Sergio Aragonés.” for not putting in the proper When I mentioned that his name captions, which I had put in there was larger than anything else on but he had taken out! the cover, Sergio explained that “In Joe’s defense, he probably he already had a pretty good just forgot he took them out, but following through MAD and they anyway I snapped and told him thought it would be a good … if he was gonna ruin my stories *ahem* … draw for his fans. and blame me for his own incompetence, I didn’t want my name on the stories! ‘Use Chester P. Hazel!’ Which he actually did for a while!

Picking Up from Plop!

Not exactly a hilarious anecdote, too much anger in there, but anyway…”

So, of course, Chester P. Hazel wrote the first Aragonés tale, Story page from a “Chester P. Hazel” (Steve Skeates)/ “The 800-mile Oil Pipeline Project to Link Northslope Wells with the Sergio Aragonés collaboration from DC Super-Stars #13.

Southern Alaska Shipping Port of Valdez Incident.” Sergio laughingly says that it was the shortest story title he could think of.

TM & © DC Comics.

60 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

Patchwork Prelim Bernie Wrightson’s rough for the wraparound cover to one of the Swamp Thing reprint editions, DC Special Series #14. Courtesy of Heritage.

TM & © DC Comics.

Aragonés explains that his work is pantomime and it requires the drawing to be spontaneous and to the point and that he has spent a great deal of time over the years perfecting his approach, which has included techniques such as purchasing models and building them for reference, all in an effort to constantly improve so that the reader doesn’t get distracted. As he describes it, “Any anachronism or something out of place breaks the thread of the story. I work very hard to eliminate anything that would do that.”

When asked if the fact that this issue sported #13 had been in any way deliberate, Aragonés thought it was just a coincidence, but on the other hand he did make mention of those “Page 13” and “Room 13” one-page gags for The House of Mystery. Interestingly enough, Amazing World of DC Comics #13 (Nov. 1976) boasts a cover rendered by Sergio.

A Facebook post by Jack C. Harris offers more information about this issue: “In 1976, DC published DC Super-Stars #13, featuring the work of the amazingly talented Sergio Aragonés. In the middle of this book, is a two-page bio of Sergio that is uncredited. I do not know if the credit was clipped off or simply forgotten.

Whatever the case, I am correcting that mistake here: I WROTE THIS BIO and I was very proud of it, happy to count Sergio as a friend!”

When asked about the lead character, lovable scoundrel Donovan Flint, Michelinie shares his model: “Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. in The Fighting O’Flynn. That’s one of my favorite swashbucklers, and the name, ‘Flint,’ was a slightly altered tip of the hat to that movie.”

As to overall inspiration for the series, Dave reveals his longtime interest in the genre: “I read a lot of science-fiction novels and short stories when I was growing up, and saw every SF movie that I could get to. So I’m sure there were plenty of influences from those that found their way into Star Hunters. But while they may have provided inspiration, I wanted to do something a little different, come up with story arcs and situations that would give Hunters its own identity.”

When it was suggested that the Star Hunters debut was handled much like Showcase, Michelinie responds, “That was a decision that was made, as they say, ‘above my pay rate.’ I imagine it was a way to generate interest before the actual series started, or perhaps to give the series two ‘first issues’ to sell more copies to collectors. I really don’t know.”

An infamous moment in DC history led to Star Hunters’ demise. “There was a big upheaval at DC in 1978, which is generally referred to as ‘The DC Implosion’—an ironic twist on DC’s promotional STAR HUNTERS tagline, ‘The DC Explosion,’ ” Michelinie says. “For As DC Super-Stars began to wind down, the reprint reasons that are blurry to me, though I assume format gave way to new material, and at least in the were economic in nature, a lot of midline titles case of issue #16 (Sept.–Oct. 1977), it functioned very David Michelinie were canceled all at once. My understanding is much like the old Showcase title in that it introduced that Star Hunters was doing okay, but not great, a new series that was quickly bound for its own selfsales-wise. Had the Implosion not struck, it probably titled book as evidenced by the house ad within. It was Star Hunters, would have gone on for a while.” and writer David Michelinie shares his memories of this project: The late, great Don Newton handled art chores, much to Dave’s “Unfortunately, that was 40 years ago and these days I have trouble satisfaction: “I think Don did a terrific job, and he was great to work remembering what I did 40 minutes ago! I imagine DC asked me to with. He was a major talent, and died way too young.” come up with an original space opera to exploit.

Michelinie offers BACK ISSUE readers some behind-the-scenes “I’m pretty certain the origins, characters, and storylines were mine, information, including whether or not a Star Hunters resurrection could but Joe [Orlando] was great at making suggestions and offering ideas. be in the cards: “What few people know is that I’d planned on connecting So I’m sure there was a fair amount of Joe in the finished stories.” several different characters in a sort of Michael Moorcock-ish Eternal

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Champion riff. Donovan Flint was to be one aspect of that Champion, while two other characters I’d created at DC—sword-and-sorcery warrior Claw the Unconquered, and sword-and-science heroine Starfire—were to be two others. Since I was the creator/writer of all those characters there probably wouldn’t have been a problem with that. However, I also wanted to throw a curve into the mix by making DC’s Western anti-hero, Jonah Hex, the last reluctant member of the group. I’d hoped to bring them all together in a graphic novel where they had to forget their differences and the shock of their new awareness to save the universe from some overwhelming peril. Unfortunately, the Implosion and my leaving DC put an end to those dreams.

“I actually had my lawyer looking into the possibility of getting the rights to Star Hunters back from DC, but he seems to have abandoned me for more lucrative endeavors. And I doubt that DC would want to resurrect the series. But with the success of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy movie … who knows?”

[Editor’s note: BACK ISSUE covered Star Hunters in greater detail in issue #34.]

New material also followed in DC Super-Stars #17 (Secret Origins of Super-Heroes, including the Huntress, which BACK ISSUE explored in issue #38) and 18 (a Phantom Stranger/Deadman team-up; see BI #15 for those weird heroes’ histories).

DC SPECIAL SERIES DC Super-Stars came to an end with issue #18 at the end of 1977, but one last reprint Giant title bears mention: DC Special Series, which was rolled out with a Sept. 1977 cover-dated premiere. In some ways, DC Special Series wasn’t much of a reprint series at all, as its 27 issues were heavily tilted toward new material, with only six issues running reprints.

Among those reprint editions, the entire Len Wein/ Berni(e) Wrightson run of Swamp Thing was in the mix.

This seemed a bit unusual, as the original Swamp Thing series had seen print just a few years prior, in contrast to DC’s cornucopia of Golden and Silver Age offerings.

Wrightson is not certain as to why this was the case, but he does suggest in his humble fashion that those ten issues had been popular and have stood the test of time through further reprints. He also recalls that at the time, reprint royalties were unknown, but that the policy across the board had changed after the successful efforts to get recognition and funds to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster for the Superman properties.

Other reprints included issue #18’s war-themed stories and #19’s Secret Origins of Super-Heroes, but when the final issue rolled off the presses in 1981 it was apparent that, at least for the time period, the reprints had run their course.

But what a run it had been, with thoughtfully selected stories from across the gamut, including classic tales of superheroes, war, science fiction, mystery, and adventure, allowing the readers glimpses into the best material DC had to offer from a rich history going back in some cases 40 years. By nearly any measure, the initiative was a success and added a rich layer to the Bronze Age.

DC SPECIAL #1 “ALL-INFANTINO ISSUE” Oct.–Dec. 1968 Cover artist: Carmine Infantino Editor: Julius Schwartz Special feature: • “Meet … Carmine Infantino” 1-page filler Reprints: • Batman in “The Mystery of the Menacing Mask!” from Detective Comics #327 (May 1964) • Flash in “The Doorway to the Unknown!” from The Flash #148 (Nov. 1964) • Detective Chimp in “The Scientific Crook Catcher!” from The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #29 (Sept.–Oct. 1956) • Adam Strange in “Mystery of the Giant Footprints” from Mystery in Space #57 (Feb. 1960) • “Challenge of the Headless Baseball Team!” from The Brave and the Bold #45 (Dec. 1962–Jan. 1963) DC SPECIAL #2 “ALL-TEEN ISSUE” Jan.–Mar. 1969 Cover artist: Bob Oksner Editor: Murray Boltinoff Special features: “It’s a Teen’s World” 1-page filler; “Teen Age” 1-page filler Reprints: • Binky in “[Peg’s Photos]” from Leave it to Binky • Kenny Jackson in “[Kenny]” • Buzzy Brown in “[Most Popular Boy]” from Buzzy • Candy Foster in “[A Chat with Chuck]” from A Date with Judy • Melvin in “[Driving Lesson]” from Here’s Howie Comics #1 (1952) • Harvey Payne in “[A Date with Sue]” from Everything Happens to Harvey • Candy Foster in “[Appreciation]” from A Date with Judy • Buzzy Brown in “[Winter Sports Contest]” from Buzzy • Candy Foster in “[Class President]” from A Date with Judy • Binky in “[The Play’s the Thing]” from Leave it to Binky DC SPECIAL #3 “ALL-GIRL ISSUE” Apr.–June 1969 Cover artists: Neal Adams, Nick Cardy Editor: Mort Weisinger Reprints: • Wonder Woman in “The Cheetah’s Thought Prisoners”; unpublished Golden Age story • Supergirl in “The Maid of Menace!” from Action Comics #304 (Sept. 1963) • Black Canary in “Special Delivery Death!”; unpublished Golden Age story

• •

“Girl in the Golden Flower!” from Strange Adventures #18 (Mar. 1952) Green Lantern in “The Secret of Star Sapphire!” from Green Lantern #16 (Oct. 1962)

DC SPECIAL #4 “13 SHOCK-ENDING STORIES” July–Sept. 1969 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Joe Orlando Reprints: • “Ghost Writer” from House of Mystery #9 (Dec. 1952) • “The Magic Hammer!” from Tales of the Unexpected #16 (Aug. 1957) • “A Piece of Rope!” from House of Mystery #5 (Aug. 1952) • “Last Mile Martin” from House of Mystery #15 (June 1953) • “The Dream Lamp” from Tales of the Unexpected #1 (Feb.–Mar. 1956) • “Door of No Return?” from House of Secrets #62 (Sept.–Oct. 1963) • “Beware After Dark!” from Sensation Mystery #114 (Mar.–Apr. 1953) • “The Tree Man of Tanganyika!” from House of Mystery #30 (Sept. 1954) • “Written in the Sands!” from House of Mystery #26 (May 1954) • “The Secret of Salzo the Great!” from House of Mystery #2 (Feb.–Mar. 1952) • “Secret Locked in the Ice!” from House of Secrets #63 (Nov.–Dec. 1963) • “The Bullet Man!” from Tales of the Unexpected #17 (Sept. 1957) • “The Strange Faces of Death!” from House of Mystery #19 (Oct. 1953) DC SPECIAL #5 “THE SECRET LIVES OF JOE KUBERT” Oct.–Dec. 1969 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Joe Kubert Special features: • “The Cartoonist at Home” 5-page filler; Golden Age characters by Joe Kubert 2-page filler Reprints: • Sgt. Rock in “Eyes of a Blind Gunner” from Our Army at War #113 (Dec. 1961) • “Rider of the Winds” from Showcase #2 (May–June 1956) • Hawkman and Hawkgirl in “Menace of the Matter Master!” from The Brave and the Bold #35 (Apr.–May 1961) • Viking Prince in “Threat of the Ice King from The Brave and the Bold #18 (June–July 1958)

DC SPECIAL #6 “THE WILD FRONTIER!” Jan.–Mar. 1970 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Dick Giordano Special features: • “Behold the Wild Frontier” 2-page filler; “Death Hunt” 2-page filler Reprints: • Daniel Boone in “Son of Chief Black Fish!” from Legends of Daniel Boone #1 (Oct.–Nov. 1955) • Tomahawk in “The Junior Ghost Patrol!” from World’s Finest Comics #69 (Mar.–Apr. 1954) • Davy Crockett in “War Stick of Chief Fighting Elk!” from Frontier Fighters #4 (Mar.–Apr. 1956) • Kit Carson in “Raiders of the Oregon Trail” from Frontier Fighters #4 (Mar.–Apr 1956) • Buffalo Bill in “Young Bill—of the Pony Express!” from Frontier Fighters #6 (July–Aug. 1956) • Pow-Wow Smith in “The Tenderfoot Deputy” from Detective Comics #178 (Dec. 1951) DC SPECIAL #7 “STRANGEST SPORTS STORIES EVER TOLD!” Apr.–June 1970 Cover artist: Murphy Anderson Editor: Julius Schwartz Special feature: • “The Sports Arena” 1-page filler Reprints: • “Wonders of the Diamond!” from The Brave and the Bold #49 (Aug.–Sept. 1963) • “The Hot-Shot Hoopsters” from The Brave and the Bold #46 (Feb.–Mar. 1963) • “The Man Who Drove Through Time!” from The Brave and the Bold #48 (June–July 1963) • “Goliath of the Gridiron!” from The Brave and the Bold #45 (Dec. 1962– Jan. 1963) • “Solar Olympics of 3000 A.D.!” from Mystery in Space #39 (Aug.–Sept. 1957) DC SPECIAL #8 “WANTED, THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS VILLAINS” July–Sept. 1970 Cover artist: Murphy Anderson Editor: Mort Weisinger; E. Nelson Bridwell, assistant editor Special features: “A Gallery of Batman’s Deadliest Foes” 1-pager (reprinting the 1966 Bat-villains posters of the Joker, the Penguin, Catwoman, and the Riddler); “Flash Rogues’ Gallery” pinup

Special thanks to Jerry Boyd for a key bit of assistance in the production of this article.

BRYAN STROUD is a longtime fan of DC Comics, particularly the Silver and Bronze Ages. He has been contributing to the website of his lifelong best friend, Ron Daudt, for over a decade, doing reviews and interviews with creators; he has been fortunate to conduct over 80 to date at www.thesilverlantern.com.

Bryan co-authored the interview book Nick Cardy: Wit-Lash.

TM & © DC Comics.

62 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

Reprints: • Superman and Batman vs. Lex Luthor and Joker in “Joker-Luthor, Incorporated” from World’s Finest Comics #129 (Nov. 1962) • The Flash vs. Mirror Master, the Trickster, Capt. Cold, Capt.

Boomerang, and the Top in “Who Doomed the Flash?” from The Flash #130 (Aug. 1962) • Green Lantern vs. Sinestro in “The Day 10,000 People Vanished” from Green Lantern #7 (July–Aug. 1961) • Hawkman vs. Shadow-Thief in “The Shadow-Thief of Midway City!” from The Brave and the Bold #36 (June–July 1961) DC SPECIAL #9 “STRANGEST SPORTS STORIES EVER TOLD!” Oct.–Dec. 1970 Cover artist: Murphy Anderson Editor: Julius Schwartz Reprints: • “Challenge of the Headless Baseball Team!” from The Brave and the Bold #45 (Dec. 1962–Jan. 1963) • “Danger on the Martian Links!” from The Brave and the Bold #46 (Feb.–Mar. 1963) • “The Phantom Prize-Fighter!” from The Brave and the Bold #47 (Apr.–May 1963) • “Duel of the Star Champions!” from The Brave and the Bold #48 (June–July 1963) DC SPECIAL #10 “STOP … YOU CAN’T BEAT THE LAW!” Jan.–Feb. 1971 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: Murray Boltinoff Special feature: • “The Lighter Side of the Law” 1-page text filler Reprints: • “Nightstick” from Gang Busters #33 (Apr.–May 1953) • “The Three-Foot Sleuth!” from Gang Busters #61 (Dec. 1957–Jan. 1958) • “The Cop without a Gun” from Gang Busters #58 (June–July 1957) • “The Greatest Villain of All Time” from Showcase #5 (Nov.–Dec. 1956) • “The Hostages!” from Gang Busters #40 (June–July 1954) • “The Two Faces of Mr. X” from Showcase #5 (Nov.–Dec. 1956) • “Fire Under the Big Top” from Showcase #1 (Mar.–Apr. 1956) • “Swamp Dragnet” from Gang Busters #65 (Aug.–Sept. 1958) DC SPECIAL #11 “BEWARE … THE MONSTERS ARE HERE!” Mar.–Apr. 1971 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Joe Orlando Special features: • “Welcome to Our Monster Convention!” 1-page filler; “Moonstruck” 1-page filler; “That’s It, Kiddies!” 1-page filler Reprints: • “The House of Gargoyles!” from House of Mystery #175 (July–Aug. 1968) • “The Moon Monster” from House of Mystery #97 (Apr. 1960) • “The Creatures from Nowhere!” from House of Mystery #70 (Jan. 1958)

• • •

“Return of the Barsto Beast!” from House of Mystery #116 (Nov. 1961) “Prisoners on Beast Asteroid” from House of Mystery #113 (Aug. 1961) “The Stone Sentinels of Giant Island” from House of Mystery #85 (Apr. 1959)

DC SPECIAL #12 “THE VIKING PRINCE” May–June 1971 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • The Viking Prince in “Battle for the Dragon Ship!” from The Brave and the Bold #1 (Aug.–Sept. 1955) • The Viking Prince in “The Ice Dragon!” from The Brave and the Bold #5 (Apr.–May 1956) • The Viking Prince in “The Viking and the Mermaid!” from The Brave and the Bold #16 (Feb.–Mar. 1958) • The Silent Knight in “Duel in Forest Perilous!” from The Brave and the Bold #1 (Aug.–Sept. 1955) • The Golden Gladiator in “The Thunder of the Chariots!” from The Brave and the Bold #1 (Aug.–Sept. 1955) • Robin Hood in “Three Arrows Against Doom!” from The Brave and the Bold #9 (Dec.1956–Jan. 1957) DC SPECIAL #13 “STRANGEST SPORTS STORIES EVER TOLD!” July–Aug. 1971 Cover artist: Murphy Anderson Editor: Julius Schwartz Reprints: • “Warrior of the Weightless World!” from The Brave and the Bold #49 (Aug.–Sept. 1963) • “Super-Athlete from Earth!” from Strange Adventures #125 (Feb. 1961) • “The Fishermen of Space!” from Strange Adventures #94 (July 1958) • “The Martian Horse!” from Mystery in Space #9 (Aug.–Sept. 1952) • “The World Where Dreams Come True!” from Mystery in Space #7 (Apr.–May 1952) • “Sage of the Secret Sportsmen!” from The Brave and the Bold #47 (Apr.–May 1963) DC SPECIAL #14 “WANTED, THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS VILLAINS” Sept.–Oct. 1971 Cover artist: Murphy Anderson Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Superman vs. the Toyman in “The Toyman’s Curse” from Superman #47 (July–Aug. 1947) • The Flash vs. Capt. Cold and Heat Wave in “The Heat is On for Captain Cold” from The Flash #140 (Nov. 1963) • Batman vs. the Penguin in “The Bird Sayings Crimes!” from World’s Finest Comics #55 (Dec. 1951–Jan. 1952) DC SPECIAL #15 “PLASTIC MAN” Nov.–Dec. 1971 Cover artist: Dick Giordano Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Plastic Man in “The Origin of Plastic Man” from Police Comics #1 (Aug. 1941)

• • • •

Plastic Man in “The Man Who Can’t Be Harmed” from Police Comics #13 (Nov. 1942) Plastic Man in “Plastic Man Products” from Plastic Man #17 (May 1949) Woozy Winks in “The Private Detective” from Plastic Man #26 (Nov. 1950) Plastic Man in “The Magic Cup” from Plastic Man #25 (Sept. 1950)

DC SPECIAL #16 “SUPER-HEROES BATTLE SUPERGORILLAS” Spring 1975 Cover Artists: Curt Swan, Carmine Infantino, Ross Andru, George Klein, Joe Giella, Mike Esposito Editors: Julius Schwartz, E. Nelson Bridwell Special feature: • “Gorillas in Fact and Fiction” 1-page text feature by E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Batman in “Batman Battles the Living Beast-Bomb!” from Detective Comics #339 (May 1965) • Wonder Woman in “Wonder-Woman— Gorilla!” from Wonder Woman #170 (May 1967) • The Flash in “The Reign of the SuperGorilla!” from Flash #127 (Mar. 1962) • Superman in “Titano the Super-Ape!” from Superman #138 (July 1960)

Special features: • “Science Says You’re Wrong if You Believe That” 1-page filler; “Warriors Against the Giants” 1-page filler Reprints: • Superman in “Eterno the Immortal” from Action Comics #343 (Nov. 1966) • Green Lantern in “Captive of the Evil Eye!” from Green Lantern #53 (June 1967) • “The Indestructible Giant” from Strange Adventures #28 (Jan. 1953) • Wonder Woman in “The Human Charm Bracelet!” from Wonder Woman #106 (May 1959) DC SPECIAL #20 “GREEN LANTERN” Feb.–Mar. 1976 Cover artist: Mike Grell Editors: Julius Schwartz, E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Green Lantern in “The Challenge from 5700 A.D.!” from Green Lantern #8 (Sept.–Oct. 1961) • Green Lantern in “Riddle of the Frozen Ghost Town!” from Green Lantern #2 (Sept.–Oct. 1960) • Green Lantern in “Once a Green Lantern—Always a Green Lantern!” from Green Lantern #30 (July 1964)

DC SPECIAL #17 “GREEN LANTERN” Summer 1975 Cover artist: Mike Grell Editors: Julius Schwartz, E. Nelson Bridwell Special features: • “Green Puzzle” 1-page filler; “The Amazing Worlds of Green Lantern!” 1-page filler; “Lore of the Lantern” 1-page filler Reprints: • Green Lantern in “The World of Living Phantoms!” from Green Lantern #6 (May–June 1961) • Green Lantern in “The Secret of the Golden Thunderbolts!” from Green Lantern #2 (Sept.–Oct. 1960) • Green Lantern in “World Within the Power Ring!” from Green Lantern #26 (Jan. 1964)

DC SPECIAL #21 “SUPER-HEROES’ WAR AGAINST THE MONSTERS” Apr.–May 1976 Cover artist: Ernie Chan Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special feature: • “What Were the Dinosaurs?”

2-page filler Reprints: • Superman in “The Legion of Super Creatures” from Action Comics #326 (July 1965) • Green Lantern in “The Leap Year Menace!” from Green Lantern #3 (Nov.–Dec. 1960) • “The Big House of Monsters” from Star Spangled War Stories #132 (Apr.–May 1967) • The Marvel Family in “The Marvel Family Reaches Eternity” from The Marvel Family #7 (Dec. 1946)

DC SPECIAL #18 “EARTH-SHAKING STORIES” Oct.–Nov. 1975 Cover Artists: Curt Swan, Gil Kane, C. C. Beck, George Klein, Murphy Anderson Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special feature: • “Great Disasters of History” 2-page filler Reprints: • Superman in “The Super-Human Bomb!” from Action Comics #342 (Oct. 1966) • Green Lantern and the Flash in “The Catastrophic Crimes of Major Disaster!” from Green Lantern #43 (Mar. 1966) • Captain Marvel in “Captain Marvel Battles the Atomic Fire” from Captain Marvel Adventures #122 (July 1951)

DC SPECIAL #22 “THE THREE MUSKETEERS AND ROBIN HOOD” June–July 1976 Cover artist: Luis Dominguez Editor: Murray Boltinoff Special feature: • “Masters of the Blade and Bow” 1-page filler New story: • The 3 Musketeers in “A Monster Met on the Road to Calais” Reprints: • Robin Hood in “The Battle of the Kites!” from The Brave and the Bold #6 (June–July 1956) • Robin Hood in “The Secret of Robin Hood’s Name!” from Robin Hood Tales #14 (Mar.–Apr. 1958)

DC SPECIAL #19 “WAR AGAINST THE GIANTS” Dec. 1975–Jan. 1976 Cover artist: Ernie Chan Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell

DC SPECIAL #23 “THE THREE MUSKETEERS AND ROBIN HOOD” Aug.–Sept. 1976 Cover artist: Luis Dominguez

TM & © DC Comics.

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Editor: Murray Boltinoff Special feature: • “Musketeers Without Muskets” 1-page filler New story: • The 3 Musketeers in “The Secret of the Spanish Blade” Reprints: • Robin Hood in “Three Arrows Against Doom” from The Brave and the Bold #7 (Jan.–Feb. 1957) • Robin Hood in “Attack of the Sea Raiders” from Robin Hood Tales #7 (Jan.–Feb. 1957) DC SPECIAL #24 “THE THREE MUSKETEERS AND ROBIN HOOD” Oct.–Nov. 1976 Cover artist: Luis Dominguez Editor: Murray Boltinoff Special features: • “The First Commandos” 1-page filler; “Viking Training!” 1-page feature New story: • The 3 Musketeers in “The King and the Red-Skinned Savage!”

Reprints: • Robin Hood in “Robin Hood vs. the Merrie Men!” from The Brave and the Bold #11 (Apr.–May 1957) • The Viking Prince in “The Viking Genie!” from The Brave and the Bold #15 (Dec.–Jan. 1957-1958) DC SPECIAL #25 “THE THREE MUSKETEERS AND ROBIN HOOD” Dec. 1976–Jan. 1977 Cover artist: John Calnan Editor: Murray Boltinoff Special feature: • “Will the Real Robin Hood Please Stand Up?” 1-page filler New story: • The 3 Musketeers in “Die By the Sword” Reprints: • Robin Hood in “The Forest of Traps!” from The Brave and the Bold #7 (Aug.–Sept. 1956) • Robin Hood in “The Bow That Couldn’t Be Bent” from The Brave and the Bold #15 (Dec. 1957–Jan. 1958) • The Viking Prince in “The Outcast Viking” from The Brave and the Bold #8 (Oct.–Nov. 1956) DC SPECIAL #26 “ENEMY ACE” Feb.–Mar. 1977 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Murray Boltinoff Special features: • “The Hammer of Hell Flies Again” 1-page filler; “Fokker Dr-1 and Spad S.13” 2-page text feature from Star Spangled War Stories #139 (June–July 1968) Reprints: • Enemy Ace in “The Devil’s General” from Star Spangled War Stories #143 (Feb.–Mar. 1969) • Enemy Ace in “Enemy Ace” from Our Army at War #151 (Feb. 1965) DC SPECIAL #27 “DANGER: DINOSAURS AT LARGE!” Apr.–May 1977 Cover artists: Rich Buckler and Joe Rubinstein Editor: Paul Levitz

Special features: • “Do You Like Dinosaurs?” 1-page filler; “If This is the Future It Must be Tommy Tomorrow” 1-page filler New story: • Captain Comet, Justice League of America, and Tommy Tomorrow and the Planeteers in “Danger: Dinosaurs at Large!”

DC SPECIAL #28 “EARTH SHATTERING DISASTERS” June–July 1977 Cover artist: Al Milgrom Editor: Paul Levitz New stories: • Batman in “And the Town Came Tumbling Down!”

• Aquaman in “A Creature of Death and Darkness!”

• Legion of Super-Heroes in “The City That Stopped—Dead!”

DC SPECIAL #29 “THE UNTOLD ORIGIN OF THE JUSTICE SOCIETY” Aug.–Sept. 1977 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Paul Levitz New story: • Justice Society of America in “The Untold Origin of the Justice Society” FOUR STAR SPECTACULAR #1 Mar.–Apr. 1976 Cover artist: Ernie Chan Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Superboy in “The Stolen Identities” from Adventure Comics #270 (Mar. 1960) • Wonder Woman in “[The Talking Lion]” from Sensation Comics #17 (May 1943) • Hawkman in “Attack of the Crocodile-Men!” from Hawkman #7 (Apr.–May 1965) • Golden Age Flash in “The City of Shifting Sand” from All-Flash #22 (Apr.–May 1946) FOUR STAR SPECTACULAR #2 May–June 1976 Cover artist: Ernie Chan Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Superboy in “The Secret of Krypton’s Scarlet Jungle!” from Superboy #102 (Jan. 1963) • Wonder Woman in “Gunslingers of Space!” from Wonder Woman #107 (July 1959) • Kid Flash in “Kid Flash Meets the Elongated Man!” from The Flash #130 (Aug. 1962) FOUR STAR SPECTACULAR #3 July–Aug. 1976 Cover artist: Ernie Chan Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Wonder Woman in “Undersea Trap!” from Wonder Woman #101 (Oct. 1958) • Supergirl in “Superboy in Argo City!” from Action Comics #358 (Jan. 1968) • Green Lantern in “Power Battery Peril!” from Green Lantern #32 (Oct. 1964) FOUR STAR SPECTACULAR #4 Sept.–Oct. 1976 Cover artist: Ernie Chan Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell

Reprints: • Wonder Woman in “[The Unbound Amazon]” from Sensation Comics #19 (July 1943) • Superboy in “The Wildest Weather in the World” from Superboy #62 (Jan. 1958) • Hawkman in “Amazing Return of the I.Q. Gang!” from Hawkman #7 (Apr.–May 1965) FOUR STAR SPECTACULAR #5 Nov.–Dec. 1976 Cover artist: Ernie Chan Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Superboy in “The Man Who Hunted Superboy!” from Adventure Comics #303 (Dec. 1962) • Vigilante in “The Unlucky Horseshoe” from Action Comics #194 (July 1954) • Green Arrow in “The Rainbow Archer” from Adventure Comics #246 (Mar. 1958) • Wonder Woman in “[Demon of the Depths]” from Wonder Woman #7 (Winter 1943) FOUR STAR SPECTACULAR #6 Jan.–Feb. 1977 Cover artist: Ernie Chan Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Wonder Woman in “The Wonder Woman Album!” from Wonder Woman #103 (Jan. 1959) • Superboy in “The War Between Superboy and Krypto!” from Superboy #118 (Jan. 1965) • Etta Candy and her Holiday Girls in “[The Toothache]” from Wonder Woman #5 (June–July 1943) • Blackhawk in “[The Tiger Men]” or “[Valley of the Tiger Lady]” from Blackhawk #11 (Summer 1946) DC SUPER-STARS #1 “TEEN TITANS” Mar. 1976 Cover artist: Nick Cardy Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special feature: • “Introducing the Teen Titans” 2-page filler Reprints: • Teen Titans in “Monster Bait!” from Teen Titans #11 (Sept.–Oct. 1967) • Teen Titans in “Skis of Death!” from Teen Titans #24 (Nov.–Dec. 1969) DC SUPER-STARS #2 “DC SUPER-STARS OF SPACE” Apr. 1976 Cover artist: Ernie Chan Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Adam Strange and Hawkman in “Planets in Peril!” from Mystery in Space #90 (Mar. 1964) • The Atomic Knights in “The Origin of the Atomic Knights!” from Strange Adventures #117 (June 1960) • Knights of the Galaxy in “Challenge of the Robot Knight!” from Mystery in Space #7 (Apr.–May 1952) DC SUPER-STARS #3 “SUPERBOY AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES” May 1976 Cover artists: Ernie Chan and John Calnan

Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special feature: • “The Legionnaires Who Died!”

1-page filler Reprints: • Legion of Super-Heroes in “The Adult Legion!” from Adventure Comics #354 (Mar. 1967) • Legion of Super-Heroes in “The War of the Legions!” from Adventure Comics #355 (Apr 1967) DC SUPER-STARS #4 “DC SUPER-STARS OF SPACE” June 1976 Cover artist: Ernie Chan Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Adam Strange in “Puzzle of the Perilous Prisons!” from Mystery in Space #91 (May 1964) • “Giants of the Telescope” 1-page filler from Strange Adventures #17 (Feb. 1952) • Space Ranger in “The Army of Interplanetary Beasts” from Tales of the Unexpected #45 (Jan. 1960) • Captain Comet in “Destination Doom!” from Strange Adventures #14 (Nov. 1951) DC SUPER-STARS #5 “THE FLASH” July 1976 Cover artist: Dick Giordano Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • The Flash in “The Day the Flash Aged 100 Years!” from The Flash #157 (Dec. 1965) • Kid Flash in “The Midnight Peril!” from The Flash #118 (Feb. 1961) • The Golden Age Flash in “Deal Me from the Bottom!” from All-Flash #22 (Apr.–May 1946) DC SUPER-STARS #6 “DC SUPER-STARS OF SPACE” Aug. 1976 Cover artist: Ernie Chan Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Adam Strange in “The Robot-Wraith of Rann!” from Mystery in Space #88 (Dec. 1963) • Captain Comet in “Beware the Synthetic Men!” from Strange Adventures #17 (Feb. 1952) • Tommy Tomorrow in “Journey to 1960” from World’s Finest Comics #113 (Nov. 1960) • Space Cabby in “The Luxury Limousine of Space!” from Mystery in Space #45 (Aug. 1958) DC SUPER-STARS #7 “AQUAMAN” Sept. 1976 Cover artist: Jim Aparo Editor: Joe Orlando Special feature: • “Diabolical Demons of the Depths” 2-page filler Reprints: • Aquaman in “Between Two Dooms!” from Aquaman #35 (Sept.–Oct. 1967) • Aqualad and Aquagirl in “Some Call it Noise!” from Teen Titans #30 (Nov.–Dec. 1970) DC SUPER-STARS #8 “DC SUPER-STARS OF SPACE” Oct. 1976

TM & © DC Comics.

64 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

Cover artist: Ernie Chan Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Adam Strange in “Siren of the Space Ark” from Mystery in Space #89 (Feb. 1964) • Space Ranger in “The Great Plutonium Plot” from Showcase #15 (July–Aug. 1958) • Star Rovers in “Who Saved the Earth?” from Mystery in Space #80 (Dec. 1962) DC SUPER-STARS #9 “THE MAN BEHIND THE GUN” Nov. 1976 Cover artist: Ernie Chan Editor: Jack C. Harris Special feature: • “The Guns Behind the Man” 1-page text filler Reprints: • Superman in “The Super-Gun!” from Superman #144 (Apr. 1961) • The Nighthawk in “The Gun-Fighting Statue!” from Western Comics #42 (Nov.–Dec. 1953) • “The Unsinkable Gun” from Our Fighting Forces #17 (Jan. 1957) • “The Sightless Sharpshooter” from Gang Busters #47 (Aug.–Sept. 1955) • “The Secret Story of Ray-Gun 64!” from Mystery in Space #5 (Dec. 1951–Jan. 1952) DC SUPER-STARS #10 “STRANGE SPORTS STORIES” Dec. 1976 Cover artist: Ernie Chan Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, associate New story: • Justice League of America in “The Great Super-Star Game!”

Reprints: • “The Super Athletes from OuterSpace!” from Strange Adventures #59 (Aug. 1955) • Green Lantern in “The Fight for the Championship of the Universe!” from Green Lantern #39 (Sept. 1965) DC SUPER-STARS #11 “DC SUPER-STARS OF MAGIC” Jan. 1977 Cover artist: Gray Morrow Editor: Carl Gafford Special features: • “The Great Houdini” 1-page text filler; “Conjuring through the Ages” 1-page text filler; “Magic Tricks You Can Do” 3-page filler Reprints: • Zatanna in “Zatanna the Magician!” from Adventure Comics #413 (Dec. 1971), #414 (Jan. 1972), and #415 (Feb. 1972) • The Flash in “The Case of the RealGone Flash!” from The Flash #128 (May 1962) DC SUPER-STARS #12 “SUPERBOY” Feb. 1977 Cover artist: Curt Swan Editor: Paul Levitz Special feature: • “How the Super-Family Came to Earth from Krypton” 1-page filler New story: • Superboy in “Don’t Call Me Superboy!”

Reprints: • Superboy in “The Super-Teacher from Krypton” from Adventure Comics #240 (Sept. 1957) DC SUPER-STARS #13 “THE WILD AND WACKY WORLD OF SERGIO ARAGONÉS” Mar.–Apr. 1977 Cover artist: Sergio Aragonés Editor: Paul Levitz Special features: • “Witch’s Tales” 1-pager; “Cain’s Gargoyles” 1-pager; “Cain’s Game Room” 1-pager; “Cain and Abel” 1-pager; “Sergio, Is That You?” 2-page text feature New stories: • “Wonderland” • “The 800-Mile Oil Pipeline Project to Link Northslope Wells with the Southern Alaska Shipping Port of Valdez Incident” • “Night of the Drooling Snarl” • “The Return of the Elephant” • “You Never Listen to Me Anymore!!”

DC SUPER-STARS #14 “SECRET ORIGINS OF SUPER-VILLAINS” May–June 1977 Cover artist: Jim Aparo Editor: Paul Levitz Special features: • “The Origin of Brainiac” 1-page filler; “The Origin of the Shark” 1-page filler New stories: • Gorilla Grodd in “G—as in Guardians, Green Lantern, and Gorilla Grodd!”

• Two-Face in “The Secret Origin of Two-Face—Double Take” • Dr. Light in ”Let There Be Dr. Light!”

DC SUPER-STARS #15 “SGT. ROCK AND THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER” July–Aug. 1977 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Paul Levitz Special feature: • “Secret Army Files, Sgt. Rock of Easy Company, the Unknown Soldier, and Mademoiselle Marie” 3-page filler New story: • Sgt. Rock, the Unknown Soldier, and Mademoiselle Marie in “Heap the Corpses High!”

DC SUPER-STARS #16 “STAR HUNTERS” Sept.–Oct. 1977 Cover artists: Don Newton and Bob Layton Editor: Joe Orlando Special feature: • “The Story Behind the Story” 2-page filler New story: • Star Hunters in “The Star Hunters” DC SUPER-STARS #17 “SECRET ORIGINS OF SUPER-HEROES” Nov.–Dec. 1977 Cover artists: Joe Staton and Bob Layton Editor: Paul Levitz Special features: • “Secret Origin of Secret Origins” 1-page filler; Huntress concept art 1-page filler New stories: • Green Arrow in “[Origin of Green Arrow]” • Legion of Super-Heroes in “The Secret of the Quintile Crystal!”

• The Huntress in “From Each Ending … a Beginning!”

DC SUPER-STARS #18 “DEADMAN AND THE PHANTOM STRANGER” Jan.–Feb. 1978 Cover artists: Jim Aparo Editor: Paul Levitz Special feature: • “The Story Behind the Story” 1-page filler New story: • The Phantom Stranger and Deadman in “[The Demons Inherit the Earth!]”

DC SPECIAL SERIES #1 “5 STAR SUPER-HERO SPECTACULAR” Sept. 1977 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Paul Levitz New stories: • The Flash in “How to Prevent a Flash” • Green Lantern in “He Who Slaughters” • Aquaman in “A King without a Sea!” • The Atom in “The Telephone Tangle” • Batman in “The Dead on Arrival Conspiracy” DC SPECIAL SERIES #2 “SWAMP THING” Sept. 1977 Cover artist: Bernie Wrightson Editor: Joe Orlando Special feature: • “Out of the Swamp” 1-page filler from Swamp Thing #1 Reprints: • Swamp Thing in “Dark Genesis” from Swamp Thing #1 (Oct.–Nov. 1972) • Swamp Thing in “The Man Who Wanted Forever” from Swamp Thing #2 (Dec. 1972–Jan. 1973) DC SPECIAL SERIES #3 “SGT. ROCK SPECIAL” Oct. 1977 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Joe Kubert New stories: • Sgt. Rock and Easy Co. in “Easy is Missing” • War Album: “[After the Panama Locks]” DC SPECIAL SERIES #4 “UNEXPECTED SPECIAL” Oct. 1977 Cover artist: Luis Dominguez Editor: Murray Boltinoff Special feature: • “Welcome Home—and Die!” 1-page filler New stories: • “The Corpse That Went to Camp” • “His Killer’s Keeper” • “Dead Men Don’t Talk … Often” • “Grim Joke of the Laughing Skull” • “Death Whistles a Silent Song” • “The Fiend Factor” DC SPECIAL SERIES #5 “SUPERMAN SPECTACULAR” Nov. 1977 Cover artist: José Luis García-López Editor: Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell, associate Special feature: • “Super Symposium: Should Superman Marry Lois Lane?” 4-page text feature New story: • Superman in “The Second Coming of Superman”

DC SPECIAL SERIES #6 “THE SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPERVILLAINS SPECIAL” Nov. 1977 Cover artists: Rich Buckler and Jack Abel Editor: Jack C. Harris Special feature: • “The Million and First Angle!”

1-page text feature New story: • Secret Society of Super-Villains in “Death Times Five” DC SPECIAL SERIES #7 “GHOSTS SPECIAL” Dec. 1977 Cover artist: Luis Dominguez Editor: Murray Boltinoff Special features: • “Visit from a Phantom” 1-page text feature; “You and Your Ghost” 1-page text feature New stories: • “Ghosts and the Supernatural” • “Beware the Beggars’ Feast!”

• “Madness of the Moon” • “The Dark Wings of Death” • “The Night the Totem’s Spirit Talked” • “Voice from the Grave” • “Night of the Vengeful Corpse” DC SPECIAL SERIES #8 “THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD SPECIAL” Dec. 1977 Cover artist: Jim Aparo Editor: Paul Levitz Special feature: • “Brave and the Bold” 1-page text feature New Story: • Batman, Deadman, and Sgt. Rock in “Hell is for Heroes” DC SPECIAL SERIES #9 “WONDER WOMAN SPECTACULAR” Jan. 1978 Cover artists: José Luis García-López and Dick Giordano Editor: Larry Hama Special feature: • “The Map of Paradise Island” 2-page filler New story: • Wonder Woman in “The Cosmic Quest for the Disc of Mars” DC SPECIAL SERIES #10 “SECRET ORIGINS OF SUPER-HEROES” Jan. 1978 Cover artist: José Luis García-López Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell New stories: • Dr. Fate in “This Immortal Destiny” • Lightray in “This Light A-Borning” • Black Canary in “The Canary is a Bird of Prey” DC SPECIAL SERIES #11 “FLASH SPECTACULAR” Feb. 1978 Cover artist: José Luis García-López Editor: Julius Schwartz Special feature: • “Who’s Who in Flash’s Rogues’ Gallery” 2-page filler New stories: • The Flash, Kid Flash, the Golden Age Flash, and Johnny Quick in “Beyond the Super-Speed Barrier!” (serialized in chapters)

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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DC SPECIAL SERIES #12 “SECRETS OF HAUNTED HOUSE SPECIAL” Mar. 1978 Cover artist: Jim Starlin Editor: Paul Levitz New stories: • “Secrets of the Haunted House” • “The Castaways” • “The Killer!”

• Destiny in “Cain and Abel” • “Deadly Weapon” • “Uncle Dan’s Demon!”

• “Ghost Writers” • Destiny in “[Ignored]” DC SPECIAL SERIES #13 “SGT. ROCK SPECTACULAR” Mar. 1978 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Joe Kubert Special feature: • “A Grave Situation” 1-page filler New stories: • Sgt. Rock and Easy Company in “The Oven of War!” • Panzer in “The Cauldron” • Sgt. Rock and Easy Company in “Glory Hound!”

• Panzer in “Slaughterhouse” • Sgt. Rock and Easy Company in “The Nemesis” • “The Soft Job” • “Oh—Chute!”

• Bob Kanigher’s Gallery of War: “The Fourth Death!”

DC SPECIAL SERIES #14 “THE ORIGINAL SWAMP THING SAGA” June 1978 Cover artist: Bernie Wrightson Editor: Joe Orlando Reprints: • Swamp Thing in “The Patchwork Man” from Swamp Thing #3 (Feb.–Mar. 1973) • Swamp Thing in “Monster on the Moors” from Swamp Thing #4 (Apr.–May 1973) DC SPECIAL SERIES #15 “BATMAN SPECTACULAR” June 1978 Cover artist: Marshall Rogers Editor: Julius Schwartz Special feature: • “Death Strikes at Midnight and Three” 15-page illustrated text story New stories: • Batman in “Hang the Batman” • Batman in “I Now Pronounce You Batman and Wife!”

DC SPECIAL SERIES #16 “JONAH HEX SPECTACULAR” Sept. 1978 Cover artist: José Luis García-López Editor: Larry Hama New stories: • Jonah Hex in “[Incident at the Spanish Lady Saloon]” • Jonah Hex in “The Last Bounty Hunter!”

• Bat Lash in “[Chinatown]” • Scalphunter in “Rights of Passage” DC SPECIAL SERIES #17 “THE ORIGINAL SWAMP THING SAGA” Sept. 1979 Cover artist: Bernie Wrightson

Editor: Joe Orlando Special feature: • “The Story Behind Swamp Thing” 1-page text article Reprints: • Swamp Thing in “The Last of the Ravenwind Witches!” from Swamp Thing #5 (July–Aug. 1973) • Swamp Thing in “A Clockwork Horror” from Swamp Thing #6 (Sept.–Oct. 1973) • Swamp Thing in “Night of the Bat” from Swamp Thing #7 (Nov.–Dec. 1973) DC SPECIAL SERIES #18 (DC BLUE RIBBON DIGEST) “SGT. ROCK’S PRIZE BATTLE TALES” Nov. 1979 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Paul Levitz Special feature: • “War Words,” “Mine Hunters!,” and “General Little” 1/3-page fillers; “Warriors Who Hate War” 1-page text article; “Iwo Jima” 2-page Table-Top Diorama Reprints: • Sgt. Rock in “Target—Sgt. Rock!” from Our Army at War #124 (Nov. 1962) • “The Big Marker!” from Our Army at War #76 (Nov. 1958) • “Broomstick Pilot!” from Our Army at War #69 (Apr. 1958) • “Who is Haunting the Haunted Chateau?” from Weird War Tales #10 (Jan. 1973) • “Jackpot Target!” from Our Fighting Forces #40 (Dec. 1958) • “War Bluff!” from Blackhawk #167 (Dec. 1961) • Battle Album: “Tanks” from G.I. Combat #151 (Dec. 1971–Jan. 1972) • Enemy Ace in “3 Graves to Home!” from Star Spangled War Stories #150 (Apr –May 1970) • “Patrol to Nowhere!” from Our Army at War #79 (Feb. 1959) • “Deliver: One Tank!” from Our Army at War #63 (Oct. 1957) • “Frogman Fury!” from Our Army at War #102 (Jan. 1961) • The Unknown Soldier in “Appointment in Prague” from Star Spangled War Stories #171 (July 1973) DC SPECIAL SERIES #19 (DC BLUE RIBBON DIGEST) “SECRET ORIGINS OF SUPER-HEROES” Nov. 1979 Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell New story: • Wonder Woman in “The Secret Origin of Wonder Woman” Reprints: • Wonder Woman in “The Gods of the Amazons” from Wonder Woman #105 (Apr. 1959) • Superman and Batman in “The Origin of the Superman-Batman Team” from World’s Finest Comics #94 (May–June 1958) • The Flash (guest-starring the Elongated Man) in “The Mystery of the Elongated Man!” from The Flash #112 (Apr.–May 1960) • Aquaman in “How Aquaman Got His Powers!” from Adventure Comics #260 (May 1959)

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66 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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Legion of Super-Heroes in “Brotherly Hate” from Superboy #172 (Mar. 1971) Hawkman and Hawkgirl in “The Masked Marauders of Earth!” from The Brave and the Bold #143 (Aug.–Sept. 1962) Batman and Robin in “The Origin of Robin” from Batman #213 (July–Aug. 1969) Superman (and Supergirl) in “The Supergirl from Krypton!” from Action Comics #252 (May 1959)

DC SPECIAL SERIES #20 “THE ORIGINAL SWAMP THING SAGA” Feb. 1980 Cover artist: Bernie Wrightson Editor: Joe Orlando Reprints: • Swamp Thing in “The Lurker in Tunnel 13” from Swamp Thing #8 (Jan.–Feb. 1974) • Swamp Thing in “The Stalker From Beyond” from Swamp Thing #9 (Mar.–Apr. 1974) • Swamp Thing in “The Man Who Would Not Die!” from Swamp Thing #10 (May–June 1974) DC SPECIAL SERIES #21 “SUPER-STAR HOLIDAY SPECIAL” Apr. 1980 Cover artist: José Luis García-López Editor: Len Wein New stories: • Jonah Hex in “The Fawn and the Star” • Batman in “Wanted: Santa Claus— Dead or Alive!”

• House of Mystery in “[I Don’t See Him, Guys!]”

• Sgt. Rock in “The Longest Night!”

• Legion of Super-Heroes in “Star Light, Star Bright … Farthest Star I See Tonight!”

DC SPECIAL SERIES #22 “G.I. COMBAT” Sept. 1980 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Murray Boltinoff New stories: • Haunted Tank in “Kill Today—or Be Killed Tomorrow” • “Monster of the Wermacht” • “Live—or Die—by the Cross!”

• OSS in “3 Spies—1 Grave” • “The Fortune-Cookie Fighters” • Haunted Tank in “Detour to Death!”

DC SPECIAL SERIES #23 (DC BLUE RIBBON DIGEST) “WORLD’S FINEST COMICS” Feb. 1981 Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano Editor: Jack C. Harris Reprints: • Superman and Batman in “The Composite Superman” from World’s Finest Comics #142 (June 1964) • Green Arrow in “The Menace of the Mechanical Octopus” from World’s Finest Comics #97 (Oct. 1958) • Aquaman in “The Day Aquaman Lost His Powers” from World’s Finest Comics #137 (Nov. 1963) • Superman and Batman in “The Has-Been Superman” from World’s Finest Comics #178 (Sept. 1968)

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Superman and Batman in “Superman’s Perfect Crime” from World’s Finest Comics #180 (Nov. 1968)

DC SPECIAL SERIES #24 (DC BLUE RIBBON DIGEST) “THE FLASH AND HIS FRIENDS” Feb. 1981 Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano Editor: Paul Levitz Reprints: • The Flash (guest-starring the Elongated Man) in “The Pied Piper’s Double Doom!” from The Flash #138 (Aug. 1963) • The Flash (guest-starring the Golden Age Flash, Dr. Fate, and Dr. Mid-Nite) in “The See-Nothing Spells of Abra Kadabra!” from The Flash #170 (May 1967) • The Flash (guest-starring Green Lantern) in “Trail of the False Green Lanterns!” from The Flash #143 (Mar. 1964) DC SPECIAL SERIES #25 (ALL-NEW COLLECTORS’ EDITION TABLOID) “SUPERMAN II” June 1981 Cover artist: Photo montage Editor: Joe Orlando Illustrated text articles: • “The Legend Lives On” • “The Adventure Continues…”

• “Phantom Zone” • “General Zod” • “Ursa” • “Non” • “Lex Luthor” • “Superman and Lois” • “Super-Villains Rampage” • “The Super-Battle for Survival” • “Superman’s Last Stand” • “Behind the Scenes” • “Christopher Reeve” • “Terence Stamp” • “Jack O’Halloran” • “Sarah Douglas” • “Margot Kidder” • “Superman II Mini-Portfolio” DC SPECIAL SERIES #26 (ALL-NEW COLLECTORS’ EDITION TABLOID) “SUPERMAN AND HIS INCREDIBLE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE” June 1981 Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano Editor: Len Wein Special feature: • “Superman’s First Fortress” text article New story: • Superman in “Fortress of Fear” DC SPECIAL SERIES #27 (ALL-NEW COLLECTORS’ EDITION TABLOID) “BATMAN VS. THE INCREDIBLE HULK” Sept. 1981 Cover artist: José Luis García-López Editor: Len Wein Special features: • “The Origin of Batman”/“The Origin of the Incredible Hulk” illustrated 1-pager; “Evolution of a Cover” 1-page feature New story: • Batman and the Incredible Hulk in “The Monster and the Madman”

by

Flash and Bat Lash

Dan Johnson

(left) The unpublished Demand Classics #1 would have reprinted 1961’s landmark The Flash #123, while (right) Western Classics #1 was to feature Bat Lash’s first adventure from Showcase #76.

Demand Classics cover by Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin; Western Classics cover

by James Sherman and Maurice Whitman.

TM & © DC Comics.

The infamous DC Implosion occurred shortly after I became interested The idea for the line was to present the very best stories that had in comic books. As a young fan, I didn’t understand the full ramifications shaped DC’s past and forged its universe into what it was by 1978. of the Implosion at the time it occurred. All I knew was that DC Comics For the first time, the reprints presented would have been ones the fans had announced some books that sounded really amazing, and I was wanted to read, as opposed to stories that were reprinted just to serve really looking forward to reading them, but then these comics simply as filler. “…The reprints are sometimes not the best of all possible never showed up on the spinner racks that I frequented. I thought choices, often having to be tailored to the correct length that the editor at first I had just missed out and the books had come and gone happens to need for a specific space,” wrote Mike W. Barr in without me noticing. It wasn’t until I got older, and became the letters column for Dynamic Classics #1 (Sept.–Oct. 1978). aware of the events surrounding the Implosion, that I “Not so with Dynamic Classics and her three sister realized just what had happened in 1978 and just magazines … these are reprints that we at DC are how bad things had been for DC. Sure, missing out proud of, and of the fact that we’re reprinting them.” on a comic book you wanted to read is terrible, This line was also intended to benefit the budding but that pales in comparison to the losses suffered by comic-collector’s market that was really beginning to the people who worked at the company at the time catch fire and come to the public forefront in the late in regard to lost employment and lost opportunities 1970s. This line was an effort on DC’s part to present to have the stories they created published. classic stories for readers who perhaps couldn’t find Of all the books that either never came to be, or afford the comic books these stories originally or were canceled before they had a chance to reach appeared in. As the Barr column indicated, purchasing their full potential, the ones I regret the most were the two comic books that featured the content found the ones in the “Classics” reprint line. These books in Dynamic Classics #1 would have set readers back cary burkett were intended to reprint some of the all-time greatest a whole $3.00 at the time. “They’re good stories stories that DC Comics had ever produced. In 1978, that readers would otherwise have no opportunity the only thing that fired up my imagination more than new comic to see,” wrote Barr. “That’s the main thing, but also [each book] will books were back issues owned by family members and the children of adhere to a specific, pre-chosen theme, thus making them DC’s first my parents’ friends. I always enjoyed reading old comic books, especially foray into regularly scheduled, structured reprints since the demise of the ones that had been printed before I was born. For me, it was like Wanted and Secret Origins, some years ago.” uncovering lost treasure and discovering history, all at the same time.

Only Dynamic Classics and Battle Classics ever made it to their first That being the case, had these reprint books gone forward, they issues before the plug was pulled on the line, and the stories that would have been nirvana for a young and eager collector like myself. were presented in these books, and the ones planned for subsequent DC’s Classics line was to have included four titles: Demand Classics issues, were indeed the cream of DC’s crop. (featuring stories from the 1960s), Dynamic Classics (featuring stories Dynamic Classics #1 reprinted “The Secret of the Waiting Graves,” from the early 1970s), Battle Classics (featuring classic war stories), the first Batman story by Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams, from and Western Classics (featuring classic Western stories). Of the four Detective Comics #395 (Jan. 1970), and “The Himalayan Incident,” books, only two, Dynamic Classics and Battle Classics, ever made it to the first installment of Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson’s awardthe newsstands, and even then they each only had one issue apiece. winning Manhunter series, from Detective Comics #437 (Oct.–Nov. DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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1973). Battle Classics #1 (Sept.–Oct. 1978) reprinted “Suicide from 1950s issues of All-Star Western. The first issue would have reprinted Mission” by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert, the first team-up Bat Lash’s first appearance by Sergio Aragonés and Nick Cardy from between DC’s World War II heroes, Sgt. Rock, Lt. Cloud, and Jeb Showcase #76 (Aug. 1968), and “The Silent Gun” by Robert Kanigher Stuart and the Haunted Tank (with Mlle. Marie), from The Brave and and Gil Kane, from All-Star Western #105 (Mar. 1959). the Bold #52 (Feb.–Mar. 1964).

As Burkett soon realized, reprinting the company’s older material Cary Burkett was the editor on both books, but as he explains to did pose one problem, and it is something that he indicates he would BACK ISSUE, the material had been chosen for these titles before he have been more careful about had the line continued. “I recall a came onboard. “I was to be the editor after they launched,” says lesson I learned as a fledgling editor,” says Burkett. “Joe Kubert’s stories Burkett, “but the material for the initial issues was chosen by Joe were being reprinted in Battle Classics, but there was a difference in Orlando and Paul Levitz. Actually, Paul probably made all the size between the pages of the old stories and the current comics. decisions on that.”

Reprint comics often made up for that by putting a little ‘DC While the first issue of Dynamic Classics featured Batman in the COMICS’ banner across the top of the page. I thought the banner lead story, the second issue would have begun reprinting stories from looked bad, and I thought maybe it could be eliminated by extending the Phantom Stranger series that had begun in 1969. “At that point the art just a bit at the top and bottom of the pages. The width, there was a variety of great DC material that was five/ten years old I think, was not a problem.” As Burkett found out, his decision did not and still very much in the style that was contemporary then,” says sit well with the legendary artist. “Anyway, it was not a good idea as Paul Levitz. “So I probably picked some of my favorites from that Joe Kubert let me know, in relatively polite fashion. He didn’t want his range.” While the Phantom Stranger would have replaced the Dark art extended, and I saw his point immediately. He would have drawn Knight, the plan was to run the entire Manhunter feature as the it and framed it differently if he had had that extra space. This didn’t book’s backup feature until it reached its completion. “I don’t know represent him at his best. So, I think future issues would have been specifically why the Manhunter series was chosen [for Dynamic printed with the banner if they had continued.”

Classics], other than that most fans felt it was a high-quality As to those future issues that Burkett mentions, there are series that deserved have a wider exposure,” adds Burkett. some hints on what could have come next, such as the Had Battle Classics gone on, it would have continued “Kryptonite Nevermore” story and the Enemy Ace stories, featuring Sgt. Rock, as evidenced by the cover for the but nothing solid. “Bat Lash and Manhunter certainly book’s second issue that features new artwork by Joe sound like my kind of picks,” says Levitz. “Regarding Kubert, and also by the enthusiastic plug given for long-term plans for the books: I rarely made longthe character by Barr in the Dynamic Classics editorial: term plans for reprint projects, unless it was starting “Battle Classics is likely to represent anything from a natural sequence, like Manhunter.”

DC’s many years of top-quality war magazines, but Perhaps the best clue we can get as to what will surely not neglect the noncom most generals this line could have been is DC’s next big effort at wish they were, Sgt. Rock.” Even though the book marketing reprint material: The Best of DC and DC would have been Easy Company-heavy, there were Special Blue Ribbon Digest books. Where the Classics plans to eventually work other war features in as line died way to soon, DC’s digest reprints struck well. “Battle Classics would have [had] some of the pure gold. When asked about the digest books, and paul levitz superior war stories,” says Burkett. “I would have if they were an attempt to see the Classics line’s gone to Enemy Ace fairly soon.” original mission carried through to fruition, Levitz Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons.

The other two books in the Classics line never made it past their indicates it was merely seen as an effort to branch out into new markets. initial announcements and having their covers appear in a few DC “[It was] an attempt to capitalize on the success Western and Archie house ads. Sadly, the cover for first issue of Demand Classics was partially had with their digest lines, which were distributed differently than obscured in the ads it appeared in, which is a real shame. The title regular-format comics.” [Editor’s note: For an index of DC’s digest was going to kick off by reprinting one of the most important stories books and trivia about the line, see BACK ISSUE #76.] of the Silver Age, “Flash of Two Worlds” by Gardner Fox, Carmine Still, for this comic-book fan, and many others, I’m sure, the Infantino, and Joe Giella, and the cover was a wonderful reinterpretation digest books did fill the need that the Classics line could have. At last, by artists Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin of the iconic cover of The we got the chance to read the stories that mattered, and we did Flash #123 (Sept. 1961). “I recall that Demand Classics was to focus so without paying an arm and a leg. And for on comics that had some kind of ‘historical impact’ on the DC a young comics collector like myself back Universe,” says Burkett. “ ‘Flash of Two Worlds’ certainly fit that bill, in the day, I really couldn’t have asked for since it was the comic that introduced the whole idea of Earth-Two anything more. and led eventually to the annual JLA/JSA team-ups. I think the DAN JOHNSON is a comics writer who is currently Superman story which got rid of kryptonite, at least for a time, was writing and creating features for the new line of one that was considered.” In the pipeline before the Superman Charlton Comics and is also their Chief Executive “Kryptonite Nevermore” story, however, was the “Death of Ferro Lad” Assistant Editor. His other notable comics work Legion of Super-Heroes serial from Adventure Comics, by Jim Shooter, includes Herc and Thor for Antarctic Press and several Curt Swan, and George Klein, planned to begin in the second issue books for Campfire Graphic Novels. He is also a gag writer for the Dennis the Menace comic strip and a of Demand Classics.

The final book in this lineup, Western Classics, would have featured contributing author to the short story anthology, the Bat Lash stories of the late 1960s and the Johnny Thunder feature With Great Power.

DYNAMIC CLASSICS #1 Sept.–Oct. 1978 Cover artist: Dick Giordano Editor: Cary Burkett Special feature: • Manhunter 1-page pinup by Walter Simonson Reprints: • Batman in “The Secret of the Waiting Graves” from Detective Comics #395 (Jan. 1970) • Manhunter in “The Himalayan Incident” from Detective Comics #437 (Oct.–Nov. 1973) TM & © DC Comics.

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BATTLE CLASSICS #1 Sept.–Oct. 1978 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Cary Burkett Special feature: • “Secret Army Files Profile on Johnny Cloud” 1-page filler Reprints: • Sgt. Rock, Lt. Cloud, and Jeb Stuart and the Haunted Tank (guest-starring Mlle. Marie) from The Brave and the Bold #52 (Feb.–Mar. 1964)

I was in the third grade when I read my first DC Comics “collected edition”—Signet’s 1966 Batman paperback, reprinting in black and white a handful of Golden Age adventures of the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder. My much-loved, dog-eared copy, along with a few 80-Page Giants from DC’s go-go checks era, introduced me to the earlier adventures of the Dynamic Duo to whom I was devoted, two nights a week, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel. Paperback reprints of comics—from MAD Magazine collections, to popular comic strips like Peanuts, to comic-book superheroes—were the rage in the swinging ’60s, but outside of Jules Feiffer’s seminal collection The Great Comic Book Heroes, first published in hardcover in 1965, superhero reprints were mostly relegated to inexpensive, pulp-paper formats.

As comic books’ content matured in the ’70s, so did the presentation of the stories harvested from their vaults. National Periodical Publications (DC Comics), partially motivated by the increased visibility afforded their characters through television, brokered deals with major book publishers to distribute reprint volumes, in both hardcover and softcover formats, into the traditional book market.

WORLD’S FINEST COLLECTIONS

by

Michael Eury

The first one of these I read as a young fan was Bonanza Books’ (a division of Crown Publishers, Inc.) hardcover Batman from the Thirties to the Seventies, a meaty tome of nearly 400 pages packed with Batman reprints spanning those four decades, reproduced mostly in black and white with a smattering of color pages. Its cover repurposed a pose of the Dynamic Duo rendered by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson, originally produced as a pinup in DC titles during the Bat-craze of the mid-’60s. With its entrancing purple-orange background and electric-yellow title lettering shrieking at the potential customer, no self-respecting Batman fan could ignore this book. A bonus of the book was its introduction by DC historian extraordinaire E. Nelson Bridwell; here is where I first learned fascinating trivia such as Batman and Robin’s appearances on the Superman radio series, the revelation that Bill Finger was the principal Golden Age Batman scribe, and that actor Conrad Veidt in the film The Man Who Laughs influenced the look of the Joker.

That information may be considered common knowledge by the BACK ISSUE reader of today, but in the early ’70s these were mindblowing discoveries to Bronze Age babies.

Bridwell also wrote the introduction to this book’s companion volume, Superman from the Thirties to the Seventies, which, like the Batman book, first saw print in 1971. E.N.B.’s Superman intro was another treasure trove of trivia, from which I learned about Superman’s roots as a figure of emancipation during the Great Depression, other supermen (including Philip Wylie’s Gladiator) that predated the Man of Steel, George Lowther’s 1942 Superman novel, and Clark Kent and Lois Lane’s brief marriage in the 1950s’ Superman newspaper strip (long before Bobby Ewing stepped out of a Dallas shower, Mr. and Mrs. Kent’s union was erased from continuity as a dream). What I did not learn from Bridwell’s introduction, however, was that Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

When Superman from the Thirties to the Seventies was in production, Siegel and Shuster were suing DC over the ownership of Superman, and Bridwell was directed to omit referencing their names in his text.

E.N.B.’s fingerprints are clearly visible on both DC books, but he did not edit this dynamic duo. That distinction fell to Linda Sunshine,

DC’s First Collected Edition Cover to the ultra-rare, “squishy” hardcover edition of The Great Superman Comic Book Collection. Art by José Luis García-López and Dick Giordano.

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Brave and Bold (left) The eye-popping Infantino/Anderson cover to Batman from the Thirties to the Seventies. (right) A sample title page from the Wonder Woman book.

TM & © DC Comics.

then a recent Ithaca College graduate who had just landed at Crown. as the editor and noted, “I’d probably have made some different “I grew up reading Superman comics, thanks to my cousin Barry, selections if I had done the editing,” but concluded, enthusiastically, who read nothing but comics,” Sunshine tells BACK ISSUE. Her affection “All things considered, I think Miss Sunshine (Yep, that’s her real for the Man of Tomorrow was the catalyst for the development of name) did a fine job.” what would become the first two DC Thirties to the Seventies collections.

Both Superman… and Batman from the Thirties to the Seventies “This was such a long time ago, I can barely remember,” Sunshine hardcovers originally retailed for $10.00. admits. “I believe that I brought the idea to Crown because I was a comic-book nerd from way back. What I do remember is that I “A SYMBOL OF THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT” contacted Carmine Infantino at DC to talk about the idea of a Some fans mistakenly recall there being a Wonder Woman from the Superman collection and my boss told me to take him out to dinner. Forties to the Seventies volume from Crown’s Bonanza Books. No such I was given $30 (in cash) for the dinner. (I did not have a credit card book exists. Crown/Bonanza (by special arrangement with Holt, Rinehart & Winston) did release a hardcover Wonder Woman title at the time.) It was my very first ‘business’ dinner and when in 1972, but its presentation was a dramatic departure from Carmine ordered a $25 bottle of wine, I almost fainted. the volumes spotlighting the Amazon Princess’ Justice He saw me go pale and asked what was wrong. When League companions.

I told him I only had $30, he laughed for about a half Instead of offering decades-spanning career hour. It was my fondest memory of working with glimpses, the 200-page Wonder Woman book DC. Carmine was a real character, super charming celebrated DC’s premier superheroine as an icon for and very supportive of what I wanted to do in feminism and social justice. Its reprints—all published terms of the [Superman] book. I was very sad when in color, unlike the Superman and Batman books— I read of his passing not so long ago.” (Carmine hailed from the Amazing Amazon’s heyday, stories Infantino died April 4, 2013.) originally issued between late 1941 and late 1945, Sunshine and her Crown colleagues worked when Wonder Woman’s bracelets deflected oppression closely with DC’s resident uber-fan in selecting as effortlessly as they did bullets. These Golden stories for the Superman and Batman compilations.

Age reprints were gathered within four sections: “E. Nelson Bridwell!!! Another real character,” linda sunshine Origins, Sisterhood, Politics, and Romance.

Sunshine beams. “He was the expert and we all Wonder Woman was branded as a “Ms. Book” totally deferred to him in terms of content. He and included an introduction and chapter prefaces knew the material better than any other human being, including the writers and artists at DC. I remember him as being really socially by Gloria Steinem, who launched Ms. Magazine the same year this awkward but incredibly brilliant about the comics. He decided which collection was released. In her introduction, Steinem wrote: “Wonder Woman symbolizes many of the values of the women’s culture that issues to use in the book[s].”

Bridwell, in his “A Look Through the Super Spectacles” letters feminists are now trying to introduce into the mainstream: strength column in DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #DC-14 (Feb. 1973, and self-reliance for women; sisterhood and mutual support among starring Batman), presented a slightly different perspective regarding women; peacefulness and esteem for human life; a diminishment story selection when responding to fan Rich Morrissey’s lengthy letter of both ‘masculine’ aggression and of the belief that violence is the of praise for Crown’s Batman book. Morrissey offered a few minor only way of solving conflicts.” Further distancing this volume from editorial quibbles, assuming that E.N.B. had edited the Batman and the traditional comic-book compendium was its inclusion of feminist Superman books, as neither volume carried an editorial credit. “…I only psychologist Phyllis Chesler’s 16-page “The Amazon Legacy: An wrote the introductions for the Superman and Batman books,” Interpretive Essay.” Wonder Woman’s designer was Bea Feitler, Bridwell stated. “I did not edit them.” Bridwell identified Linda Sunshine Ms. Magazine’s art director.

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While this product of the Women’s Lib movement may have been of little interest to DC’s predominantly male, kid readership, in 1972 Wonder Woman offered a rare reminder of the character’s traditional adventures, since in the pages of her DC comic the heroine was still in her non-powered “Diana Prince—Wonder Woman” phase.

Inspired by one of television’s first empowered women, Emma Peel of the British import The Avengers, DC’s Princess Diana had forsaken her Amazonian superpowers, her golden lasso and invisible plane, and her star-spangled Wonder Woman identity, instead employing martial arts and embarking upon globetrotting adventures with her sightless companion, I-Ching (see BACK ISSUE #17 for an exploration of this era of Wonder Woman). It is within Wonder Woman’s introduction that Steinem very famously decried this interpretation of the Amazing Amazon, writing, “She was a female James Bond, but far more boring since she was denied his sexual freedom.”

Wonder Woman was published in hardcover at $12.95 and in softcover at $6.95, but today one might have more luck locating Wonder Woman’s invisible plane than finding a hardcover copy with a mint-condition dust jacket.

FAMOUS FIRSTS AND MAGIC WORDS As chronicled in the tabloid-sized special issue of BACK ISSUE, #61, a beloved format of the early Bronze Age was the treasury edition, which re-presented classics—and later presented new material—in a super-size. During the ’70s, DC published nine issues of Famous First Edition (FFE), exact reprints of the company’s most significant comic books—right down to their original ads! FFE began and ended its run with the “C” numbering of the umbrella title Limited Collectors’ Edition, but was published as Famous First Edition for its fourth through eighth editions, those issues adopting their own “F” numbering.

The line began in 1974 with #C-26: Action Comics #1 (Superman’s debut appearance), which was followed in 1974 and 1975 by #C-28: Detective Comics #27 (first Batman), #C-30: Sensation Comics #1 (first Wonder Woman), #F-4: Whiz Comics #2 (first Captain Marvel/Shazam!), #F-5: Batman #1, #F-6: Wonder Woman #1, #F-7: All-Star Comics #3 (first Justice Society of America), and #F-8: Flash Comics #1 (first Golden Age Flash and Hawkman). Amid the hullaballoo surrounding the 1978 release of the blockbuster Superman: The Movie, a final Famous First Edition, reprinting Superman #1, was issued that year as Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-61. The Superman #1 FFE was also released in a Whitman variant as well as a limited-edition softcover format inside a slipcase, with each of its 250 copies signed by Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (who by then had made peace with DC’s lawyers, at least for a while).

DC’s FFEs were, like the company’s other tabloids, published with thicker-stock covers that clearly identified the contents as a reprint. Inside of all but the Wonder Woman, All-Star, and Flash editions was a second cover, on traditional cover stock, reissuing the title’s original covers—front, back, and inside front and inside back.

However, if the outer cover were removed, the comic appeared to be the real deal, the only discernible difference being its larger size.

Unscrupulous dealers and collectors have tried to pass off these FFE-cover-removed editions as actual vintage comics. For example, The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide offers this notice with its description of Superman #1’s FFE: “WARNING: This comic is an exact duplicate of the original except for its size. DC published it in 1978 with a second cover titling it as a Famous First Edition. There have been many reported cases of the outer cover being removed and the interior sold as the original edition.”

Many fans are unaware of FFE’s hardcover variants. The polemic Lyle Stuart, who in the 1950s worked as EC Comics’ business manager,

had by the 1970s become a magnet for controversy after publishing off-kilter books such as William Powell’s counterculture bible, The Anarchist Cookbook, and Penelope Ashe’s Naked Came the Stranger, a trash novel actually written (quite poorly, by design) by seasoned journalists determined to make a statement of how low the American literary scene had sunk. In 1974, Lyle Stuart, Inc. partnered with DC to produce hardcover editions of five of its Famous First Editions: Action, Detective, Sensation, Whiz, and Wonder Woman. Originally retailing for $5.00, these rarities in high grades usually command at least $100 per copy today.

Meanwhile, some of the classics seen in Famous First Edition found a new home in a mass-market trade publication. In 1976, Crown’s Harmony Publishing division, which Linda Sunshine helped develop, produced a 248-page full-color hardcover book called Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes, a primer to the company’s stable of headliners.

Secret Origins re-presented, in most cases, origins of both the Golden and Silver Age versions of the characters—for example, for Hawkman, the Golden Age premier tale from Flash Comics (drawn by Shelly Moldoff) was followed by the Silver Age Hawkman debut from The Brave and the Bold (drawn by Joe Kubert); Gardner Fox wrote both stories. For Superman and Wonder Woman, however, “modern” origins from 1973 supplanted Silver Age stories, hailing from, respectively, The Amazing World of Superman, Metropolis Edition and Wonder Woman #206.

The book concluded with a pair of origins of heroes acquired by DC from former competitors: Captain Marvel (from Fawcett) and Plastic Man (from Quality). Curiously, Captain Marvel’s then-recent return in 1972’s Shazam! #1 was excluded—even stranger when one considers that DC’s inaugural Captain Marvel tale was scripted

by Dennis O’Neil, who served as text editor of Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes.

O’Neil penned the chapter prefaces for each of the Super DC Heroes, providing pithy accounts of the characters’ roots. Denny courteously acknowledged those who helped him gather historical information and produce the volume: E. Nelson Bridwell (described

DC Spotlight Neal Adams’ gorgeous superstar-rich cover to the hardcover edition of Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes.

TM & © DC Comics.

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by O’Neil as the “possessor of a truly awesome memory”), Allan Asherman, mythology expert Maxine Fleckner, Sol Harrison, Joe Kubert, Gil Kane, Pete Costanza, Sheldon Mayer (to whom the book was dedicated), and Warner Books’ Leonore Fleischer. Even with that who’s who of comics involved, a glaring typo still managed to worm its way into the Superman chapter preface, but we forgive all concerned for the misspelling of THE Superman artist’s name as Curt “Swann.”

Crown/Harmony’s hardcover Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes was sold for $10.95. A softcover edition, from Warner Books, retailed for $6.95.

In 1977 Crown’s Bonanza Books produced a companion to its earlier Superman and Batman volumes, Shazam! from the Forties to the Seventies, prompted in part by the original Captain Marvel’s increased visibility from Filmation’s live-action Shazam! Saturday morning television show. For this project, Nelson Bridwell assumed the full (freelance) editorial chores, and once again delivered an incisive introduction to the selection of classics, which were reprinted in black and white with some color pages. Retailing for $10.00, Shazam! from the Forties to the Seventies was issued only once and as a result is very hard to find in the collectors’ market, usually commanding prices of around $100 or more per copy.

The Batman and Superman books enjoyed multiple reprintings, with the Superman volume being updated in the 1980s.

A TRIO OF “BEST OF” BOOKS By the time Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes and Shazam! from the Forties to the Seventies were released, Fireside Books, a trade-paperback imprint of publishing stalwart Simon & Schuster, had produced a variety of Marvel Comics reprint editions for the mass market, beginning with Origins of Marvel Comics in 1974 (for more, see Dewey Cassell’s “Reading by Fireside” article in BACK ISSUE #49).

Fireside continued the Marvel editions throughout the 1970s, augmenting the reprint line with new publications including The Mighty Marvel Comics Strength and Fitness Book and How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way.

Solid Gold This DC house ad from late 1973 announced the Famous First Editions by noting the recent sale of a copy of Action #1 for $1800. (In August 2014, a 9.0-condition copy of Action #1 was sold for $3.2 million in an eBay auction.)

Also, note that a Superman #1 FFE was listed in this ad, although it didn’t appear until five years later.

TM & © DC Comics.

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In 1979, Fireside published two “Best of” softcovers featuring DC Comics material and spotlighting its battle and love genres: America at War—The Best of DC War Comics and Heart Throbs—The Best of DC Romance Comics, both retailing for $6.95. Fireside’s final foray into comics-reprint trade paperbacks was 1980’s Mysteries in Space—The Best of DC Science Fiction Comics, which sold for a dollar more than the previous editions, for $7.95.

Whereas Crown Publishers, Inc. had been the primary source of DC Comics reprint books throughout most of the decade, this shift to a new publisher was brokered by the same book editor who originally united DC and Crown: Linda Sunshine. “I went to work at Fireside in the late 1970s (I think 1978) and brought along my contacts with DC,” Sunshine recalls. The DC deal “was one of the first projects I signed upon arriving at Simon & Schuster.” Despite her background as a Superman fan, Fireside’s Marvel line offered Linda some perks: “I also got to meet Stan Lee.” Noted comics historian and Batman movie co-producer Michael Uslan edited the America at War and Mysteries in Space editions. As Uslan explains in his exclusive interview in this issue, he had attracted the eye of DC’s president, Sol Harrison, and publisher, Carmine Infantino, from media coverage afforded his college-accredited class on comic books. Uslan became one of DC’s Junior Woodchucks—the company’s legendary fan-turned-pro junior staff of the 1970s—and sponged up as much DC data as possible, from poring over bound volumes in the library to being regaled by the old-timers on staff like writer/editor Robert Kanigher.

Linda Sunshine believed that Uslan was the perfect candidate to edit the Fireside DC line. “I was the publisher and hired Michael to edit the books,” she says. “He also had an encyclopedic knowledge of comic-book history and great enthusiasm for the project. He was wonderful to work with.”

While Uslan was involved behind the scenes with the Heart Throbs edition, Sunshine felt that these romance comics needed a female editorial voice. Enter editor “Naomi Scott”—a pseudonym for Manuela Soares, who today is a professor at New York City’s Pace University. “Linda Sunshine had bought my first book, The Soap Opera Book, while she was at Harmony Books, a division of Crown, and we became friends,” Soares tells BACK ISSUE. “A couple of years later, we were discussing the work she was doing with DC. I read comics growing up—my favorites included The Fantastic Four, Superman, Batman, Hulk, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and yes, even titles like Archie and Walt Disney Comics. I had discovered romance comics as a ten-year-old when I came across my aunt’s teenage stash of them gathering dust in the attic. I read them all and found I had a few things to say when Linda and I talked about them. It was a great opportunity to look more closely at the romance genre, and since I had been writing about pop culture, it seemed like a logical progression.”

Although she was familiar with romance comics, Soares brought herself up to speed with the genre by spending hours in DC’s library “reading comic after comic. I worked mostly with Linda, who was my editor, talking to her on a regular basis about what I was finding in the archives and discussing which comics I’d chosen for the collection and why.”

At the time Heart Throbs was produced, Soares was a senior editor at Harmony Books, making her Fireside Books project a freelance one—necessitating her use of a pen name. “Freelance writing and editorial work were frowned upon for a senior editor at my company,” she reveals. “Perhaps they thought it would divert my attention. So I used a pseudonym. At a party with friends, we had a contest to come up with the best name and ended up with Naomi Scott.”

When developing the DC line for Fireside, Sunshine and Uslan intentionally elected to sidestep superheroes— which had been well represented by Crown’s trade volumes—to instead showcase DC Comics’ other genres.

In addition to war, romance, and sci-fi, a “Best of the West” edition was planned, to be followed by a frontier fighters (Tomahawk, etc.) volume and other genre collections. (Uslan discusses the line’s unrealized future plans in his interview in this issue.)

Yet those plans for additional volumes fizzled, as the Fireside DC line went no further than the initial three collections: “For same reason all books end, because it didn’t sell very well,” Sunshine says. “I understand that the original editions are worth some money today and Michael and I have regretted not stocking up on more copies.”

All three Fireside DC books were simultaneously released in hardcover and softcover editions. According to the 2014–2015 Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, their NM- (9.2) values are: America at War: (HC) $200, (SC) $115.

Heart Throbs: (HC) $290, (SC) $160.

Mysteries in Space: (HC) $145, (SC) $85.

Wonder Women (top) Front and back covers to the hard-to-find hardcover edition of the Sensation #1 FFE. (bottom) Jay Scott Pike’s cover to Heart Throbs, edited by “Naomi Scott.”

TM & © DC Comics.

DC’s FIRST COLLECTED EDITION In the 1980s, as the direct-sales market was beginning to take root, comics publishers no longer needed to involve an outside party for their book-format reprint editions, and by decade’s end the collected edition as we know it today had fully developed. DC tested that market in 1981 by publishing its very first collected edition, The Great Superman Comic Book Collection. This 208-page, full-color softcover, which sold for $6.95, was edited by Laurie Sutton and included—you guessed it!—an E. Nelson Bridwell introduction. The book re-presented a carefully selected assortment of “Time-Honored Classics” from the Silver and Bronze Ages, manuela soares including a colorized version of the Superman origin tale first produced in Courtesy of Pace University. black and white (with washtones) for 1973’s tabloid The Amazing World of Superman, Metropolis Edition, a story which had previously appeared in color in the aforementioned Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes book. (These were the second and third reprintings of this tale in color, however; its first color presentation appeared in a Superman tabloid, Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-31, Oct.–Nov. 1974.)

The Great Superman Comic Book Collection received no promotion, and most fans of the era didn’t know of

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its existence until discovering it on the stands. I remember being puzzled by it when spying a copy in a comics shop in the ’80s. I wasn’t alone. “I, too, stumbled across the trade paperback version in my local comics store upon release sometime in 1981, and it stunned me, too, having been unannounced,” says comics writer Mark Waid.

Deepening the mystery of The Great Superman Comic Book Collection is the fact that this trade paperback was not the first edition of this book that was produced!

The collection was at first printed as a hardcover that was distributed by DC Comics’ staffers to VIPs and guests. As a giveaway, it carried no price tag—adding further confusion to collectors who have encountered this rarity in the marketplace.

Also, the texture of the hardcover’s binding is uncharacteristic of comics publishing. It’s covered with a soft vinyl, giving it a “squishy” feel not unlike that of some books produced for very young children (to my knowledge, DC received no reports of toddlers teething on The Great Superman Comic Book Collection). Mark Waid owns one: “I got my copy from [DC’s] PR woman, Peggy May, as a gift when I first visited the offices back in 1984. It’s identical in every way to the softcover except the vinyl hardcover binding—which is virtually impossible to explain, as it has a weird, cushion-y feel to the front and back covers, which are thick and seem stuffed with a thin layer of foam.”

Laurie Sutton, the project’s editor, tells BACK ISSUE, “Although I was credited as the editor, I was placed on the project after all the story selections had been made. I had no input on the stories to be reprinted. E. Nelson Bridwell deserves that credit as far as I can recall. I was working with Joe Orlando in the licensing/special projects department of DC at the time, and this book was run through this department. My main task was to take the book through its production phases.”

Sutton contacted Paul Levitz for a memory-refresher, and shares more behind-the-scenes information about The Great Superman Comic Book Collection: “Paul tells me that it was a test for selling books of this sort through alternative channels such as ads inserted into credit-card bills,” Laurie says. “The fact that there is no price printed on the hardcover book might be because the book was not meant for general retail. The only format [originally] published was the ‘puffy cover’ hardcover book (ISBN 0446303569). There was no softcover version at that time that I recall. Paul speculates that [the softcover] might have been reprinted for the direct market, later. So, the hardcover was the first, main version. The softcover was a secondary reprint. I don’t know what the print run was for the hardcover. Whatever it was, it’s probably a collectors’ item now!”

Laurie Sutton is right: This is a tough edition to find in the collectors’ market, especially in its rare hardcover form.

However, it is highly recommended for both its classic story collection (“How Luthor Met Superboy!”, “The Supergirl from Krypton!”, and more) and its significance as DC’s first collection edition.

The final DC collected edition from the Bronze Age included in our survey is Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties, once again from Crown Publishing, published at a slightly smaller size than its predecessor and retailing for $15.95. Released during a marketing blitz for the 1983 film Superman III, this edition features substantial revisions from its predecessor, as the following index attests.

If you are a diehard DC reader, these early collected editions deserve spots in your home library.

BATMAN FROM THE THIRTIES TO THE SEVENTIES 1971 Crown Publishing/Bonanza Books Page count: 360 Cover artists: Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson Editor: Linda Sunshine Special features: • Dedication by DC publisher Carmine Infantino; 8-page introduction by E. Nelson Bridwell; 2-page Batman Bibliography; “Other Media in Which Batman Appeared” 2-page text feature Reprints: • Cover to Batman #1 (Spring 1940) “Batman in the 30s & 40s” cover gallery featuring Detective Comics #27, 31, 33, 38, 37, and 120 and Batman #9, 11, 17, 20, 37, and 50 • “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate” from Detective Comics #27 (May 1932) • “Who He is and How He Came to Be!” from Batman #1 (Spring 1940) • “The Joker” from Batman #1 (Spring 1940) • “Here Comes Alfred!” from Batman #16 (Apr.–May 1943) • “The Batman Meets Doctor Death” from Detective Comics #29 (July 1939) • “Robin the Boy Wonder” from Detective Comics #38 (Apr. 1940) • “Clayface” from Detective Comics #40 (June 1940) • “The Riddler” from Detective Comics #140 (Oct. 1948) • “The Man Behind the Red Hood!” from Detective Comics #168 (Feb. 1951) • “The Origin of the Bat-Cave!” from Detective Comics #205 (Mar. 1954) • “Batman in the 50s” cover gallery featuring Batman #57, 59, 63, 67, 68, 72, 78, 83, 87, 109, 113, and 118 • Superman and Batman in “Superman’s and Batman’s Greatest Foes!” from World’s Finest Comics #88 (Feb. 1951) • “The Man Who Wrote the Joker’s Jokes” from Batman #67 (Oct.–Nov. 1951) • “The New Crimes of Two-Face” from Batman #68 (Dec. 1951– Jan. 1952) • “The Crime Predictor” from Batman #77 (June–July 1953) • “Two-Face Strikes Again!” from Batman #81 (Feb. 1954) • “The Voyage of the First Batmarine” from Batman #86 (Sept. 1954) • “Batman—Indian Chief!” from Batman #86 (Sept. 1954) • “Ace, the Bat-Hound” from Batman #92 (June 1955) • “The Batwoman” from Detective Comics #233 (July 1956) • “The Challenge of the Batwoman” from Batman #105 (Feb. 1957) • “Batman in the 60s” cover gallery featuring Batman #129, 146, 156, 165, 168, 175, 184, 192, 194, 200, and 205

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Superman and Batman in “Bat-Mite Meets Mr. Mxyzptlk” from World’s Finest Comics #113 (Nov. 1960) “The Second Batman and Robin Team” from Batman #131 (Apr. 1960) “Bat-Girl!” from Batman #139 (Apr. 1961) “Bat-Mite Meets Bat-Girl” from Batman #144 (Dec. 1961) “Prisoners of Three Worlds (Chapter 1),” “Death from Beyond (Chapter 2),” and “Dimension of Doom (Chapter 3),” from Batman #153 (Feb. 1963) “Batman in the 70s” cover gallery featuring Batman #221, 230, 231, 232, and 234 and Detective Comics #395, 397, 399, 400, 402, 403, and 413 “One Bullet Too Many!” from Batman #217 (Dec. 1969) “The Million-Dollar Debut of Batgirl” from Detective Comics #359 (Jan. 1967) “The Secret of the Waiting Graves” from Detective Comics #395 (Jan. 1970) “Man or Bat?” from Detective Comics #402 (Aug. 1970) “The Demon of Gothos Mansion” from Batman #227 (Dec. 1970)

SUPERMAN FROM THE THIRTIES TO THE SEVENTIES 1971 Crown Publishing/Bonanza Books Page count: 360 Cover artists: main figure: Wayne Boring (redrawn); background panels: Joe Shuster (redrawn) Editor: Linda Sunshine Special features: • Dedication by DC publisher Carmine Infantino; 9-page introduction by E. Nelson Bridwell; Bibliography/ “Other Media in Which Superman Has Appeared” 2-page text feature Reprints: • Cover to Action Comics #1 (June 1938) • Cover to Superman #1 (Summer 1939) • “Superman in the 1930s & 1940s” cover gallery featuring Superman #12, 14, 17, 28, 23, 26, 29, 32, 38, 41, 45, and 50 • “[Two-Page Origin of Superman]” from Superman #1 (Summer 1939) • “[Clark Kent Gets a Job]” from Superman #1 (Summer 1939) • “[The Coming of Superman]” from Action Comics #1 (June 1938) • “[Revolution in San Monte]” from Action Comics #2 (July 1938) • “[Luthor’s Earthquake Machine]” from Superman #4 (Spring 1940) • “[The Dukalia Spy Ring]” from Superman #10 (May–June 1941) • “[The Light]” from Superman #13 (Nov.–Dec. 1941) • “[The Archer]” from Superman #13 (Nov.–Dec. 1941) • “[The Saboteurs]” from Superman #15 (Mar.–Apr. 1942) • Superboy in “How Clark Kent Met Lois Lane” from Adventure Comics #128 (May 1948) • “Man or Superman?” from Superman #17 (July–Aug. 1942) • “Case of the Funny Paper Crimes” from Superman #19 (Nov.–Dec. 1942)

Special thanks to John Wells for allowing me to pester him with numerous questions; Michael Uslan, Linda Sunshine, Manuela Soares, and Laurie Sutton, for dusting off their memories; Bob Greenberger, Paul Levitz, and Mark Waid, for additional info; and my brother John Eury for the loan of the Wonder Woman book.

TM & © DC Comics.

74 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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“Superman, Matinee Idol” from Superman #19 (Nov.–Dec. 1942) “America’s Secret Weapon!” from Superman #23 (July–Aug. 1943) “The Mysterious Mr. Mxyztplk” from Superman #30 (Sept.–Oct. 1944) “Lois Lane, Superwoman!” from Superman #45 (Mar.–Apr. 1947) “The Origin of Superman!” from Superman #53 (July–Aug. 1948) “Superman in the 1950s” cover gallery featuring Superman #60, 66, 71, 76, 86, 101, 103, 110, 123, 131, 132, and 133 Superman (guest-starring Orson Welles) in “Black Magic on Mars!” from Superman #62 (Jan.–Feb. 1948) Superman (guest-starring Batman) in “The Mightiest Team in the World!” from Superman #76 (May–June 1952) “The Girls in Superman’s Life!” from Superman #78 (Sept.–Oct. 1952) “The Terrible Trio!” from Superman #88 (Mar. 1954) An Untold Tale of Superman: “The Girl in Superman’s Past!” from Superman #129 (May 1959) “Superman in the 1960s” cover gallery featuring Superman #160, 161, 169, 171, 173, 174, 175 (alternate version), 181, 191, 204, and 209 “The Untold Story of Red Kryptonite!” from Superman #139 (Aug. 1960) “The Son of Bizarro! (Part 1),” “The Orphan Bizarro! (Part 2),” and “The Supergirl Bizarro! (Part 3)” from Superman #140 (Oct. 1960) “Superman Meets Al Capone!” from Superman #142 (Jan. 1961) “Superboy’s First Public Appearance!” from Superman #144 (Apr. 1961) Cover to Superman #233 (Jan. 1971) “Superman in the 1970s” cover gallery featuring Superman #223, 224, 225, 226, 236, and 237 and Action Comics #388, 389, 393, 394, 399, and 400 “The Pied Piper of Steel” from Action Comics #398 (Mar. 1971) “Superman Breaks Loose” from Superman #233 (Jan. 1971) “Superman, You’re Dead … Dead … Dead!” from Action Comics #399 (Apr. 1971) Superman (vs. Supergirl) in “The Duel of Doom!” from Action Comics #400 (May 1971)

WONDER WOMAN 1972 Crown Publishing/Bonanza Books (Hardcover)/Holt, Rinehart & Winston/Warner Books (Softcover) Page count: 200 Cover artist: Harry G. Peter Designer: Bea Feitler Special features: • A “Ms. Book.” 7 intermittent pages of text features by Gloria Steinem; “The Amazon Legacy: An Interpretive Essay” 16-page text feature by Phyllis Chesler Reprints: • “Introducing Wonder Woman” (partial reprint) from All-Star Comics #8 (Dec. 1941–Jan. 1942) • “[Wonder Woman Arrives in Man’s World]” from Sensation Comics #1 (Jan. 1942)

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“Battle for Womanhood” from Wonder Woman #5 (June–July 1943) “The Icebound Maidens” from Wonder Woman #13 (Summer 1945) “The Girl with the Gun” from Sensation Comics #20 (Aug. 1943) “The Redskins’ Revenger” from Wonder Woman #17 (May–June 1946) “When Treachery Wore a Green Shirt!” from Sensation Comics #81 (Sept. 1948) “The Mysterious Prisoners of Aglonia” from Sensation Comics #62 (Feb. 1947) “The Girl from Yesterday!” from Wonder Woman #38 (Nov.– Dec. 1949) Wonder Woman in “The Five Tasks of Thomas Tighe!” from Wonder Woman #38 (Nov.–Dec. 1949) “The Lawbreakers’ League” from Sensation Comics #46 (Oct. 1945) “The Case of the Girl in Braces” from Wonder Woman #50 (Feb. 1946) “The Crime of Boss Brekel!” from Sensation Comics #51 (Mar. 1946)

FAMOUS FIRST EDITION/LIMITED COLLECTORS’ EDITION #C-26 “ACTION COMICS #1 (June 1938)” 1974 DC Comics (Softcover tabloid-sized comic)/Lyle Stuart, Inc. (Hardcover) Page count: 72 Cover artist: Joe Shuster Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Superman in “[Revolution in San Monte, Part 1]” • Chuck Dawson in “[untitled]” • Zatara in “[The Mystery of the Freight Train Robberies]” • Sticky-Mitt Stimson in “[untitled]” • The Adventures of Marco Polo in “[untitled]” • Pep Morgan in “[untitled]” • Scoop Scanion in “[untitled]” • Tex Thomson in “[untitled]” FAMOUS FIRST EDITION/LIMITED COLLECTORS’ EDITION #C-28 “DETECTIVE COMICS #27 (May 1939)” 1974 DC Comics (Softcover tabloid-sized comic)/Lyle Stuart, Inc. (Hardcover) Page count: 72 Cover artist: Bob Kane Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Batman in “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate” • Speed Saunders, Ace Investigator in “The Killers of Kurdistan” • Buck Marshall in “Bullet Bluff” • Spy in “[untitled]” • Crimson Avenger in [Murder on the Oceanic Line Docks]” • Bruce Nelson in “[untitled]” • The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu! in “[untitled]” • Cosmo, the Phantom of Disguise in “[untitled]” • Plain Clothes Pete in “[untitled]” • Slam Bradley in “[untitled]” FAMOUS FIRST EDITION/LIMITED COLLECTORS’ EDITION #C-30 “SENSATION COMICS #1 (Jan. 1942)” 1974

DC Comics (Softcover tabloid-sized comic)/Lyle Stuart, Inc. (Hardcover) Page count: 72 Cover artist: Harry G. Peter (Wonder Woman figure), Jon L. Blummer Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Wonder Woman in “[untitled]” • Black Pirate in “[untitled]” • Mr. Terrific in “[untitled]” • The Gay Ghost in “[untitled]” • Little Boy Blue in “[untitled]” • Wildcat in “[untitled]” FAMOUS FIRST EDITION #F-4 “WHIZ COMICS #2 (Feb. 1940)” Oct.–Nov. 1974 DC Comics (Softcover tabloid-sized comic)/Lyle Stuart, Inc. (Hardcover) Page count: 72 Cover artist: C. C. Beck Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Captain Marvel in “[untitled]” • Ibis the Invincible in “[untitled]” • Golden Arrow in “[untitled]” • Spy Smasher in “[untitled]” • Scoop Smith in “[untitled]” • Lance O’Casey in “[untitled]” • Dan Dare in “[untitled]” FAMOUS FIRST EDITION #F-5 “BATMAN #1 (Spring 1940)” Dec. 1974–Jan. 1975 DC Comics Page count: 72 Cover artist: Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special features: • “Meet the Artist!” 1-page Bob Kane biography; Batman 1-page pinup Reprints: • Batman in “The Legend of the Batman—Who He is and How He Came to Be” from Detective Comics #33 (Nov. 1939) and 34 (Dec. 1939) • Batman in “[The Joker]” • Major Bigsbe an’ Botts in “[untitled]” • Batman in “[The Giants of Hugo Strange]” • Batman in “[The Cat]” • Ginger Snap in “[untitled]” FAMOUS FIRST EDITION #F-6 “WONDER WOMAN #1 (Summer 1942)” Apr.–May 1975 DC Comics Page count: 68 Cover artist: Harry G. Peter Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special features: • “Introducing Miss Alice Marble as Associate Editor of Wonder Woman!” 1-page feature; “Wonder Women of History: Florence Nightingale” 4-page text feature Reprints: • Wonder Woman in “Who is She?” • Wonder Woman in “[The Origin of Wonder Woman]” • Wonder Woman in “Wonder Woman Goes to the Circus!”

• Wonder Woman in “[Wonder Woman vs. the Prison Spy Ring]” • Sweet Adeline in “Songs without Music” • Wonder Woman in “The Greatest Feat of Daring in Human History!”

FAMOUS FIRST EDITION #F-7 “ALL-STAR COMICS #3 (Winter 1940)” June–July 1975 DC Comics Page count: 68 Cover artist: Everett E. Hibbard Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Justice Society of America in “[First Meeting of the JSA]’; 8 chapters (The Flash, Hawkman, the Spectre, Hour-Man [Hourman], Sandman, Dr. Fate, the Atom, and Green Lantern); Conclusion • Johnny Thunder in “Guarding an Heiress” FAMOUS FIRST EDITION #F-8 “FLASH COMICS #1 (Jan. 1940)” Aug.–Sept. 1975 DC Comics Page count: 68 Cover artist: Sheldon Modoff Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special feature: • “ ‘Flash’ Stamps” 1-page history of Polish postage stamps Reprints: • The Flash in “[The Origin of the Flash]” • Cliff Cornwall in “[untitled]” • Hawkman in “[The Origin of Hawkman]” • Johnny Thunder (and Thunderbolt) in “[The Kidnapping of Johnny Thunder]” • “Flash” Picture Novel: The Demon Dummy, Part 1” • The Whip in “[The Origin of the Whip]” FAMOUS FIRST EDITION/LIMITED COLLECTORS’ EDITION #C-61 “SUPERMAN #1 (Summer 1939)” Mar. 1979 DC Comics Page count: 72 Cover artist: Leo O’Mealia Editor: Joe Orlando, Paul Levitz Special features: • Supermen of America Charter Member invitation, 1-page; “Scientific Explanation of Superman’s Amazing Strength!”

1-page filler; Superman 2-page text story; 1-page pinup of (Golden Age) Superman; 1-page pinup of future (modern) Superman Reprints: • “[The Origin of Superman]” • “[Clark Kent Gets a Job]” • “[The Coming of Superman!]” from Action Comics #1 (June 1938) • “[Revolution in San Monte]” from Action Comics #1 (June 1938) • “[The Blakely Mine Disaster]” • “[Superman Plays Football]” SECRET ORIGINS OF THE SUPER DC HEROES 1976 Harmony Books (Hardcover)/Warner Books (Softcover) Page count: 248 Cover artist: Neal Adams Text editor: Dennis O’Neil Reprints: • Superman in “[One-Page Origin of Superman]” from Action Comics #1 (June 1938)

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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Superman in “The Origin of Superman!” from The Amazing World of Superman, Metropolis Edition #nn (1973) Batman in “The Legend of the Batman—Who He is and How He Came to Be!” from Batman #1 (Spring 1940) Batman in “The Origin of the Batman!” from Batman #47 (June–July 1948) Wonder Woman in “[The Origin of Wonder Woman]” from Wonder Woman #1 (Summer 1942) Wonder Woman in “War of the Wonder Women!” from Wonder Woman #206 (June–July 1973) The Golden Age Flash in “[The Origin of the Flash]” from Flash Comics #1 (Jan. 1940) The Silver Age Flash in “The Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt!” from Showcase #4 (Sept.–Oct. 1956) The Golden Age Green Lantern in “[The Origin of the Green Lantern]” from All-American Comics #16 (July 1940) The Silver Age Green Lantern in “SOS—Green Lantern!” from Showcase #22 (Sept.–Oct. 1959) The Golden Age Hawkman in “[The Origin of Hawkman]” from Flash Comics #1 (Jan. 1940) The Silver Age Hawkman in “Creature of a Thousand Shapes!” from The Brave and the Bold #34 (Feb.–Mar. 1961) The Golden Age Green Arrow in “The Birth of the Battling Bowman” from More Fun Comics #89 (Mar. 1943) The Silver Age Green Arrow in “The Green Arrow’s First Case” from Adventure Comics #256 (Jan. 1959) The Golden Age Atom in “Introducing the Mighty Atom” from All-American Comics #19 (Oct. 1940) The Silver Age Atom in “Birth of the Atom!” from Showcase #34 (Sept.–Oct. 1961) Shazam! in “[Introducing Captain Marvel]” from Whiz Comics #2 (Feb. 1940) Plastic Man in “[The Origin of Plastic Man]” from Police Comics #1 (Aug. 1941)

SHAZAM! FROM THE FORTIES TO THE SEVENTIES 1977 Crown Publishing/Harmony Books Page count: 360 Cover artist: Kurt Schaffenberger Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special features: • 8-page introduction by E. Nelson Bridwell; “Bibliography of Comic Magazine Appearances of the Marvel Family” 2-page text feature Reprints: • “Shazam in the 1940s” cover gallery featuring America’s Greatest Comics #1; Captain Marvel Adventures #1, 25, 36, and 100; Captain Marvel, Jr. #1 and 26; Marvel Family #1 and 10; Mary Marvel #1; and Whiz Comics #57 • Cover to Whiz Comics #2 (Feb. 1940) • Captain Marvel in “[Captain Marvel]” from Whiz Comics #2 (Feb. 1940) • Captain Marvel in “[The Origin of Sivana]” from Whiz Comics #15 (Mar. 1941) • Captain Marvel in “[The Origin of Captain Marvel, Jr.]” from Whiz Comics #25 (Dec. 1941) • Captain Marvel in “Captain Marvel Introduces Mary Marvel” from Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (Dec. 11, 1942)

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Captain Marvel in “The Monster Society of Evil Chapter 1: The Pearl of Peril” from Captain Marvel Adventures #22 (March 26, 1943) Captain Marvel, Jr. in “Baffin Land” from Captain Marvel, Jr. #12 (Oct. 1, 1943) Captain Marvel, Jr. in “Captain Marvel, Jr. Meets Himself in the Future” from Captain Marvel, Jr. #17 (Mar. 1, 1944) Captain Marvel in “Oklahoma City” from Captain Marvel Adventures #34 (Apr. 1944) Captain Marvel in “The Monster Society of Evil Chapter 25: The End of Mr. Mind” from Captain Marvel Adventures #46 (May 1945) Marvel Family in “The Mighty Marvels Join Forces” from The Marvel Family #1 (Dec. 1945) Captain Marvel in “Uncle Marvel’s Wedding” from Captain Marvel Adventures #59 (Apr. 26, 1946) Marvel Family in “Aunty Anti Marvel” from The Marvel Family #2 (June 1946) Mary Marvel (guest-starring Bulletgirl) in “The Riddles of Death” from Mary Marvel #8 (Dec. 1946) Mary Marvel in “The Horrid Hermit” from Mary Marvel #8 (Dec. 1946) Marvel Family in “The Sivana Family Strikes, Part 1” from The Marvel Family #10 (Apr. 1947) Mary Marvel in “Part 2: The Sinking of Atlantis” from The Marvel Family #10 (Apr. 1947) Captain Marvel in “Part 3: Captain Marvel Faces Dangers in the Deep” from The Marvel Family #10 (Apr. 1947) Captain Marvel, Jr. in “Part 4: Atlantis Rises Again” from The Marvel Family #10 (Apr. 1947) Marvel Family in “Part 5: The Battle of the Age!” from The Marvel Family #10 (Apr. 1947) Captain Marvel in “Captain Marvel and the Talking Tiger” from Captain Marvel Adventures #79 (Dec. 1947) Captain Marvel in “The Return of Mr. Tawny” from Captain Marvel Adventures #82 (Mar. 1948) Mary Marvel in “Mary Marvel and the Flying Shoes” from Mary Marvel #25 (June 1948) Captain Marvel in “Captain Marvel Battles the Plot Against the Universe, Part 1” from Captain Marvel Adventures #100 (Sept. 1949) Captain Marvel in “Part 2: The Invasion of the Rock of Eternity” from Captain Marvel Adventures #100 (Sept. 1949) Captain Marvel in “Part 3: The Evil Element” from Captain Marvel Adventures #100 (Sept. 1949) Captain Marvel in “Part 4: The Marvelium Trap” from Captain Marvel Adventures #100 (Sept. 1949) Captain Marvel, Jr. in “The Voodoo Clock!” from Captain Marvel, Jr. #78 (Oct. 1949) “Shazam in the 1950s” cover gallery featuring Captain Marvel Adventures #130 and 142; Captain Marvel, Jr. #105 and 118; Marvel Family #75, 86, and 89; Master Comics #132; Whiz Comics #146, 149, and 157; and Xmas Comics #7 Captain Marvel in “The Return of the Ancient Villain” from Captain Marvel Adventures #125 (Oct. 1951) Captain Marvel in “Captain Marvel Battles Double Doom” from Captain Marvel Adventures #130 (Mar. 1952)

76 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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Captain Marvel, Jr. in “Captain Marvel, Jr. and the Fourth Dimension Elephant” from Captain Marvel, Jr. #119 (June 1953) Marvel Family in “The Marvel Family Fights the Featured Fury” from The Marvel Family #86 (Aug. 1953) “Shazam in the 1970s” cover gallery featuring Shazam! #1, 2, 26, and 28; Justice League of America #137; and Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-21 Captain Marvel in “The World’s Wickedest Plan” from Shazam! #1 (Feb. 1973) Captain Marvel, Jr. in “The Mystery of the Missing Newsstand!” from Shazam! #9 (Jan. 1974) Captain Marvel in “The Bicentennial Villain” from Shazam! #25 (Sept.–Oct. 1976) Captain Marvel in “The Case of the Kidnapped Congress” from Shazam! #26 (Nov.–Dec. 1976) Mary Marvel in “Secret of the Smiling Swordsman!” from Shazam! #19 (July–Aug. 1975)

AMERICA AT WAR—THE BEST OF DC WAR COMICS 1979 Simon & Schuster/Fireside Books (Hardcover and Softcover) Page count: 248 Cover artist: Joe Kubert Editor: Michael Uslan Special features: • 8-page introduction by Michael Uslan; “DC War Comics Bibliography” 3-page text feature; “Index to DC’s 1950s Frontier War Comics” 1-pager Reprints: • Cover to Boy Commandos #4 (Fall 1943): intro page to 1940s section • Blackhawk in “[The Origin of Blackhawk]” from Military Comics #1 (Aug. 1941) • Hop Harrigan in “[Experimental Mission]” from All-American Comics #48 (Mar. 1943) • Boy Commandos in “The Romance of Rip Carter” from Detective Comics #82 (Dec. 1943) • Superman in “[Clark Kent Tries to Join the Army]” from Superman newspaper strip • Superman in “I Sustain the Wings” from Superman #25 (Nov.–Dec. 1943) • Cover to G.I. Combat #54 (Nov. 1957): intro page to 1950s section • “Push-Button War” from Our Army at War #67 (Feb. 1958) • Sgt. Rock in “The Rock and the Wall!” from Our Army at War #83 (June 1959) • Cover to Our Fighting Forces #49 (Sept. 1959) • Gunner and Sarge in “Blind Gunner!” from Our Fighting Forces #49 (Sept. 1959) • Mlle. Marie in “T.N.T. Spotlight” from Star Spangled War Stories #87 (Nov. 1959) • Cover to Our Army at War #112 (Nov. 1961): intro page to 1960s section • Haunted Tank in “Introducing—the Haunted Tank” from G.I. Combat #87 (Apr.–May 1961) • Enemy Ace in “Killer of the Skies!” from Showcase #57 (July–Aug. 1965) • Sgt. Rock in “What’s the Color of Your Blood?” from Our Army at War #160 (Nov. 1965)

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The War That Time Forgot in “The Killing Ground” from Star Spangled War Stories #134 (Aug.–Sept. 1967) Cover to Our Fighting Forces #102 (Aug. 1966) Capt. Hunter in “Cold Steel for a Hot War!” from Our Fighting Forces #102 (Aug. 1966) Cover to Army at War #1 (Oct.–Nov. 1978): intro page to 1970s section “The Glory Boys” from Our Army at War #235 (Aug. 1971) Cover to Our Army at War #233 (June 1971) Sgt. Rock in “Head-Count” from Our Army at War #233 (June 1971) USS Stevens in “Kamikaze” from Our Army at War #235 (Aug. 1971) Cover to Star Spangled War Stories #183 (Nov.–Dec. 1974) Unknown Soldier in “8,000 to One” from Star Spangled War Stories #183 (Nov.–Dec. 1974) “The Pool” from Weird War Tales #3 (Jan.–Feb. 1972)

HEART THROBS—THE BEST OF DC ROMANCE COMICS 1979 Simon & Schuster/Fireside Books (Hardcover and Softcover) Page count: 256 Cover artist: Jay Scott Pike Editor: Naomi Scott Special features: • 8 pages of chapter-header text introductions (see below) Reprints: • “Chapter 1: True Love” (4-page intro) • Full-page covers to Young Romance #150 (Oct.–Nov. 1967), Young Love #52 (Nov.–Dec. 1965), Girls’ Love Stories #73 (Sept. 1960), Girls’ Romances #113 (Dec. 1965), Secret Hearts #56 (July 1959), and Girls’ Romances #115 (Mar. 1966) • “Dangerous Corner” from Girls’ Romances #19 (Feb.–Mar. 1953) • “Impatient Heart” from Secret Hearts #26 (Feb.–Mar. 1955) • Cover to Heart Throbs #54 (Apr.–May 1966) (Beatles cover) • “Tragic Bargain” from Girls’ Love Stories #16 (Mar.–Apr. 1952) • “Forbidden Future” from Girls’ Love Stories #15 (Jan.–Feb. 1952) • “Desperate Heart” from Girls’ Romances #21 (June–July 1953) • “Blame It on My Heart” from Heart Throbs #48 (Aug.–Sept. 1957) • “One Man in a Million” from Girls’ Love Stories #66 (Nov. 1959) • “No Happy Returns” from Girls’ Love Stories #24 (July–Aug. 1953) • “Once to Every Girl” from Secret Hearts #22 (June–July 1954) • “One Reckless Moment” from Girls’ Romances #13 (Feb.–Mar. 1952) • “In Favor of Love” from Young Romance #128 (Feb.–Mar. 1964) • “Like Father, Like Daughter” from Heart Throbs #130 (Feb.–Mar. 1971) • “My Mother, the Mantrap” from Falling in Love #131 (Apr. 1972) • “The Truth About Love” from Heart Throbs #52 (Feb.–Mar. 1958) • “A Love Like Ours” from Falling in Love #9 (Jan.–Feb. 1957) • “Chapter 2: Contemporary Romance” (1-page intro) • “No Love for Miss Goody TwoShoes!” from Heart Throbs #128 (Oct.–Nov. 1970) • “Full Hands, Empty Heart” from Young Romance #194 (July– Aug. 1973) • “That Strange Girl” from Young Romance #197 (Jan.–Feb. 1974) • “Chapter 3: The Serials” (1-page intro) • Mary Robin, R.N. in “No Tomorrow for My Heart” from Young Love #41 (Jan.–Feb. 1964)

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Mary Robin, R.N. in “No Cure for Love” from Young Love #39 (Sept.–Oct. 1963) 3 Girls—Their Lives—Their Loves in “Episode 7” from Heart Throbs #108 (June–July 1967) Bonnie Taylor in “Flight 101 for Heartbreak” from Young Romance #126 (Oct.–Nov. 1963) “Chapter 4: From the Man’s Point of View” (1-page intro) “I’ll Care for You” from Falling in Love #11 (May–June 1957) “Someone to Remember” from Young Love #40 (Nov.–Dec. 1963) “Man’s View” from Young Romance #175 (Oct. 1971) “Chapter 5: Advice to the Lovelorn” (1-page intro) “Julia Roberts’ Romance Report” (2-page letters column) from Girls’ Romances #14 (Apr.–May 1952) “Oddities in Romance” (1-page filler) from Secret Hearts #27 (Apr.–May 1955) “You Can Be Beautiful” (1-page text column) from Young Romance #143 (Aug.–Sept. 1966) “Test Yourself” text article: “Are You Ready to Go Steady” (1 page) from Young Romance #174 (Sept. 1971) “As Jane Ford Sees It” (2-page letters column) from Young Love #46 (Nov.–Dec. 1964) “Do’s and Don’ts of Dating by Page Peterson” (1-page filler) from Falling in Love #125 (Aug. 1971) “Want to Keep Him in Love with You?” (1-page text article) from Young Love #98 (Aug. 1972) “Test Yourself” (2-page text article): “Do You Understand Men?” from Young Love #98 (Aug. 1972) “Marc—On the Man’s Side” (1-page text article) from Young Love #99 (Sept. 1972)

MYSTERIES IN SPACE—THE BEST OF DC SCIENCE FICTION COMICS 1980 Simon & Schuster/Fireside Books (Hardcover and Softcover) Page count: 252 Cover artist: Murphy Anderson Editor: Michael Uslan Special features: • Introduction by Michael Uslan; “DC Science-Fiction Comic Book Bibliography” 2-page text feature; “DC Science-Fiction Checklist” 2-page text feature Reprints: • Cover to Tales of the Unexpected #84 (Aug.–Sept. 1964): intro page to “Aliens Visit Earth Today” section • “Stories from Space” from Mystery in Space #1 (Apr.–May 1951) • “Do Not Open Till Doomsday” from Strange Adventures #36 (Sept. 1953) • “The Unknown Spaceman” from Mystery in Space #11 (Dec. 1952– Jan. 1953) • “Missing: One Alien” from Tales from the Unexpected #84 (Aug.– Sept. 1964) • Cover to From Beyond the Unknown #16 (June–July 1972): intro page to “Life in Space Today” section

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“The Aliens Who Raided New York!” from Strange Adventures #134 (Nov. 1961) • Cover to House of Mystery #151 (June 1965): intro page to “Contemporary Space Heroes” section • Manhunter from Mars in “The Strange Experiment of Dr. Erdel” from Detective Comics #225 (Nov. 1955) • Captain Comet in “The Guardians of the Clockwork Universe” from Strange Adventures #22 (July 1952) • Cover to The Brave and the Bold #47 (Apr.–May 1963): intro page to “Future Life on Earth” section • “Escape from Earth” from Mystery in Space #61 (Aug. 1960) • “It’s a Woman’s World” from Mystery in Space #8 (June–July 1952) • Strange Sports Stories: “The Saga of the Secret Sportsmen” from The Brave and the Bold #47 (Apr.–May 1963) • “The Last Television Broadcast on Earth” from Mystery in Space #28 (Oct.–Nov. 1955) • Space Museum in “Revolt of the Spaceships!” from Strange Adventures #112 (Jan. 1960) • Cover to Mystery in Space #35 (Dec. 1956–Jan. 1957): intro page to “Future Life in Space” section • “The Sky-High Man” from Mystery in Space #49 (Feb. 1959) • “The Counterfeit Earth” from Mystery in Space #35 (Dec. 1956–Jan. 1957) • “The Mad Planet” from Mystery in Space #19 (Apr.–May 1954) • Cover to Tales of the Unexpected #78 (Aug.–Sept. 1963): intro page to “Space Heroes of the Future” section • Space Cabby in “Follow the SpaceLeader” from Mystery in Space #42 (Feb.–Mar. 1958) • Star Hawkins in “The Case of the Vanishing Robots” from Strange Adventures #125 (Feb. 1961) • Tommy Tomorrow in “Columbus of Space” from Real Fact Comics #6 (Jan.–Feb. 1947) • Tommy Tomorrow in “The Super Planeteers” from Action Comics #205 (June 1955) • Atomic Knights in “Rise of the Atomic Knights” from Strange Adventures #117 (June 1960) • Star Rovers in “Where is the Paradise of Space?” from Mystery in Space #74 (Mar. 1962) • Space Ranger in “The Great Plutonium Plot” from Showcase #15 (July–Aug. 1958) • Cover to Mystery in Space #75 (May 1962): intro page to “DC’s Greatest Space Hero” section • Adam Strange in “Secret of the Eternal City” from Showcase #17 (Nov.–Dec. 1958) • Adam Strange (guest-starring the Justice League of America) in “The Planet That Came to a Standstill!” from Mystery in Space #75 (May 1962) THE GREAT SUPERMAN COMIC BOOK COLLECTION 1981 DC Comics (Hardcover and Softcover) Page count: 208 Cover artists: José Luis García-López and Dick Giordano

Editor: Laurie S. Sutton Special features: • 2-page introduction and 1-page story introductions by E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Superman in “The Origin of Superman!” from The Amazing World of Superman, Metropolis Edition #nn (1973) • Cover to Adventure Comics #271 (Apr. 1960) • Superboy in “How Luthor Met Superboy!” from Adventure Comics #271 (Apr. 1960) • Cover to Action Comics #252 (May 1959) • Superman in “The Supergirl from Krypton!” from Action Comics #252 (May 1959) • Cover to Superman #141 (Nov. 1960) • Superman in “Superman’s Return to Krypton!” (3-part novel) from Superman #141 (Nov. 1960) • Lois Lane in “Three Nights in the Fortress of Solitude!” from Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #14 (Jan. 1960) • Cover to Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #16 (Oct.–Nov. 1956) • Jimmy Olsen in “The Boy of Steel” from Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #16 (Oct.–Nov. 1956) • Cover to Superman #167 (Feb. 1964) • Superman in “The Team of Luthor and Brainiac!” (3-part novel) from Superman #167 (Feb. 1964) • Cover to Superman #296 (Feb. 1976) • Superman in “Who Took the Super Out of Superman!” from Superman #296 (Feb. 1976) • Superman in “Clark Kent Forever— Superman Never!” from Superman #297 (Mar. 1976) • Superman in “Clark Kent, Get Out of My Life!” from Superman #298 (Apr. 1976) • Superman in “The Double-orNothing Life of Superman!” from Superman #299 (May 1976) SUPERMAN FROM THE THIRTIES TO THE EIGHTIES 1981 Crown Publishing (Hardcover with dust jacket) Page count: 384 Cover artists: main figure: José Luis García-López and Dick Giordano; background: cover montage by various artists Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell Special features: • Foreword by DC publisher Jenette Kahn; 8-page introduction by E. Nelson Bridwell Reprints: • Cover to Action Comics #1 (June 1938) • Cover to Superman #1 (Summer 1939) • “Superman in the 1930s” cover gallery featuring Action Comics #7, 13, and 15 • “Superman in the 1940s” cover gallery featuring Superman #4, 7, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26, 29, 32, 38, 41, 45, and 50 • “[Revolution in San Monte], parts 1 and 2,” from Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and 2 (July 1938) • “[Luthor’s Earthquake Machine]” from Superman #4 (Spring 1940)

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“[The Dukalia Spy Ring]” from Superman #10 (May–June 1941) “[The Sky Sub]” from Superman #10 (May–June 1941) “[The Light]” from Superman #13 (Nov.–Dec. 1941) “[The Archer]” from Superman #13 (Nov.–Dec. 1941) Superboy in “How Clark Kent Met Lois Lane” from Adventure Comics #128 (May 1948) “Man or Superman?” from Superman #17 (July–Aug. 1942) “Case of the Funny Paper Crimes” from Superman #19 (Nov.–Dec. 1942) “Superman, Matinee Idol” from Superman #19 (Nov.–Dec. 1942) “America’s Secret Weapon!” from Superman #23 (July–Aug. 1943) “The Mysterious Mr. Mxyztplk” from Superman #30 (Sept.–Oct. 1944) “The Battle of the Atoms!” from Superman #38 (Jan.–Feb. 1948) “Lois Lane, Superwoman!” from Superman #45 (Mar.–Apr. 1947) “Superman in the 1950s” cover gallery featuring Superman #60, 66, 71, 76, 87, 101, 110, 113, 118, 119, 122, 123, 124, 127, 129, 131, 133, and 135 and Action Comics #201, 224, and 227 “Superman in the 1960s” cover gallery featuring Action Comics #285, 340, 356, 358, 359, 361, and 364 and Superman #155, 158, 161, 164, 169, 171, 173, 174, 175, 181, 183, 191, 198, 204, 206, and 209 Superman (guest-starring Orson Welles) in “Black Magic on Mars!” from Superman #62 (Jan.–Feb. 1948) “The Girls in Superman’s Life!” from Superman #78 (Sept.–Oct. 1952) “The Terrible Trio!” from Superman #88 (Mar. 1954) An Untold Tale of Superman: “The Girl in Superman’s Past!” from Superman #129 (May 1959) “The Supergirl from Krypton!” from Action Comics #252 (May 1959) “The Super-Duel in Space!” from Action Comics #242 (July 1958) Superboy in “How Luthor Met Superboy!” from Adventure Comics #271 (Apr. 1960) “The Showdown Between Luthor and Superman!” from Superman #164 (Oct. 1963) “Superman in the 1970s” cover gallery featuring Superman #249, 250, 265, 273, 296, and 307 and Action Comics #400 “Superman in the 1980s” cover gallery featuring Superman #322, 323, 340, 344, and 363 “The Origin of Superman!” from The Amazing World of Superman, Metropolis Edition #nn (1973) “The Pied Piper of Steel” from Action Comics #398 (Mar. 1971) “Superman Breaks Loose” from Superman #233 (Jan. 1971) “Superman, You’re Dead … Dead … Dead!” from Action Comics #399 (Apr. 1971) “The Miraculous Return of Jonathan Kent” from Action Comics #507 (May 1980) “The Secret World of Jonathan Kent” from Action Comics #508 (June 1980)

TM & © DC Comics.

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78 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

by

Michael Eury

interview conducted October 3, 2014 and transcribed by Steven Thompson

Batman TM & © DC Comics.

MICHAEL EURY: How did this deal with Fireside originate?

MICHAEL USLAN: This actually begins with—a little background—my teaching the first-ever accredited course on comic books, which was 19—I think it was ’72. As a result of the worldwide extensive publicity that course got, I received a call from Sol Harrison, vice president of DC Comics, who said to me, “Carmine Infantino and I have been reading about you in newspapers, we’ve been watching you on TV shows. We’ve been listening to you on radio talk shows, and we think you’re a very innovative young man. We’d like to fly you to New York to discuss ways we might be able to work together.” And they did. And that led to my job at DC Comics. There was no word “intern” at that point.

They just called us Junior Woodchucks. I started at DC six months after the little scrawny kid, Paul Levitz.

[Eury laughs] Whatever happened to him I don’t know.

We had the Junior Woodchucks at DC Comics, and then they put me on retainer when I went back to school at Indiana University, so it was a really great situation. Sol became my mentor. He also knew that I was absolutely fascinated with the history of comics and often I would pass up lunch with the boys to sit with Sol and Jack Adler and sometimes Julie Schwartz and, oh … [Robert] Kanigher, [Joe] Kubert, or [Murray] Boltinoff. [Joe] Orlando … whoever it was. I was just soaking up their stories and asking a zillion—probably annoying—questions as I could. But that was me.

There were a lot of lunches and I made friends with Gerta Gattel, who was in charge of the archive of the DC library. And knowing my passion for the history, she would often let me go in there and sit in the vault and read volumes of comics so I could eventually say I read every DC comic. That was my world back then.

And very much so.

Through Sol, I wound up acquiring the [motion picture] rights to Batman in 1979. He introduced me to the man at Warner Books that we negotiated the deal with and, on October 3rd, 1979, I acquired the rights to Batman. And the rest, as they say, is history!

But while I was working with Sol, Sol approached me and said, “Michael, I know how you know our entire library. You know all these characters, you know the history, you love all of this. We’ve just signed a new contract with Simon & Schuster. They have a division, Fireside Books,” which, my memory tells me, had already been doing some books with Marvel.

EURY: You’re correct. They started with Origins of Marvel Comics in ’74. But it took several years, as you’re aware, before DC signed on with them.

USLAN: Right. Well, now they had the contract to start to do trade paperbacks and potentially hardback books with Fireside on DC. So he asked me if I would write, edit, and be the guy to work with the editor at Simon & Schuster who was in charge of it and do the series. And I said, “Absolutely!” He introduced me to someone who—while I haven’t seen her in a number of years—we became fast friends. Linda Sunshine, one of the greatest book editors that you’ll ever want to meet. Linda was the queen of Simon & Schuster. She loved the world of comics. She was involved in doing the Marvel books and her assistant at the time, her aide-de-camp, was Bobbi Jackson. Bobbi is the daughter of Woody Gelman, one of the most important figures in the history of comics fandom and even underground comics. He had a lot to do with the Spirit and Will Eisner. Woody was one of the first fan publishers of a lot of great comic-book and comic-strip material.

Fireside Hardcover Joe Kubert’s spellbinding America at War wraparound cover was printed onto the dustjacket of this rare hardcover edition of the 1979 book.

TM & © DC Comics.

EURY: Linda Sunshine also edited those Crown books, the Batman USLAN: Yeah, and it’s a shame because he also had the bestseller and Superman ones in the early ’70s. in the Superman line, Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, USLAN: She’s just marvelous. Meeting Linda was a great moment for when that was cracking. G.I. Combat was always near the top of the me in my life. We really worked hand-in-hand. Bobbi Jackson would sales chart for DC, so [Murray] had his group of books and he had help do all of this stuff as well. the touch! He really, truly did.

Going in, the overall idea was to do a “Best of DC Comics” series I would sit and talk to Joe Kubert, to Murray, to Bob Kanigher … of books, and I was excited because we would start with these three I was one of the only people I think Kanigher would talk to! [Eury laughs] and I was already planning the “Best of DC Westerns,” and just kind We happened to have a very nice relationship, which was very rare of go through a lot of different genres. They really wanted to put the for Bob with, I think, anybody! Ultimately that was cemented when focus outside the superheroes. So it gave us an opening that he read the introduction I wrote for America at War and felt, even to this day books rarely get. If you look at the entire at last, somebody had given him credit, as opposed to Marvel Masterworks series, you get maybe two volumes just credit going to Kubert and the artists. He was so of Rawhide Kid and Kid Colt, Outlaw and Two-Gun Kid, appreciative of it that he was always willing to talk you know … a lot of these have never even shown with me and share with me, and that was an unusual up! Certainly, in the DC Archives series, it’s the same situation to be in. [with material that has not been reprinted]. You’ve So with input from those guys, and knowing the got all of this beautiful Alex Toth and Carmine books as well as I did, I went into the library to pick Infantino, Gil Kane, Murphy Anderson, etcetera, though it and try to figure out what to represent. etcetera, great work on their Westerns, which really I remember at first I must have had a thousand predated and established the look and quality for pages. That was my initial cut. I knew I could do an what would become the Silver Age of Comics. entire volume just on Sgt. Rock, or an entire volume So we had great and grand ideas for the entire just on Enemy Ace. long-term venture. The decision was made: Let’s In talking with Linda, we mapped it out that bob kanigher start with the war books. So I, then, pretty much off there should be representation from different eras, the top of my head knew a lot of what I wanted. so it wouldn’t simply be the best of DC war comics Courtesy of Bob Rozakis.

EURY: What was the reason for a war book being first? but it really was an overview of the best of DC war comics. We had to USLAN: In the ’70s, Sgt. Rock was a huge seller for DC—a huge seller. deal with the ’40s, and with Vietnam, so Captain Hunter had to be G.I. Combat had consistently been a great seller. [G.I Combat editor] represented. I’d call it more of an overview of the best rather than Murray Boltinoff doesn’t get a lot of attention today from fandom, really the best of the war comics that DC had ever done. the comic-book historians, and I spent a lot of time with him. Murray EURY: You even threw in Superman, as well [“Clark Kent Tries to Join was in the OSS, working with Wild Bill Donovan in World War II. A very, the Army” from the Superman newspaper strip and “I Sustain the very interesting man! The books that he edited really turned out to be Wings” from 1943’s Superman #25]. a lot of sales gold! There was a stretch of time he had the bestselling USLAN: I did, and that was important to me. In the 1970s, that story Batman book with what he was doing with Brave and Bold. was great lore and historians—or people who wanted to be comic-book EURY: As a kid, that was my favorite comic so I’m definitely aware of historians—knew about this story but nobody had any proof of it. They Murray’s golden touch, too, and we do give him a shout-out from couldn’t find the comic book that supposedly had this thing. So I sat time to time in BACK ISSUE. But I agree with you that he’s been largely down to track it down and it turned out it was in the strips! I wanted to ignored by historians, and the contemporary fan, of course, would make sure that finally was visible to people who cared about the history really not know him from Adam. of comics and the history of Superman. It really fit in well. There was DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

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Meet Tommy Tomorrow (left) Mysteries of Space included Tommy Tomorrow’s first appearance, “Columbus of Space,” which was originally published in Real Fact Comics #6 (Jan.–Feb. 1947). (right) While Uslan’s Mysteries in Space picks spotlighted DC’s best sci-fi artists, characters, and stories, he played favorites by selecting this lesser-known 1964 adventure from Tales of the Unexpected #84. Cover art by Dick Dillin and Sheldon Moldoff.

TM & © DC Comics.

another story, which is “Superman Goes to War,” that I think ran in Life Magazine. [Editor’s note: “How thing to preserve to that point Looking at it now, I Superman Would End the War” was published in the remember there was another issue that we had to deal February 27, 1940 edition of Look (not Life) Magazine. with, which was the frontier war comics that DC did.

Thanks to Steven Thompson for pointing us in the right The decision was finally made that we would NOT direction.] That was one of the things that I tried to include any of that and save that for a future “Best of” make the cut, but I was cut down on including that one. volume, so I simply added an index on the last page including DC’s Frontier Fighters, Legends of Daniel EURY: Was that because of space considerations?

USLAN: Yeah, I think ultimately it was because of Boone, Tomahawk, and Star Spangled Comics that space considerations, or they didn’t want too much featured Tomahawk. But the intent was to make a Superman. The whole object of this was to get away separate volume from that.

EURY: Do you remember who made that decision? from the superheroes.

USLAN: Ultimately, Linda Sunshine made Do you know that there is an error in all the decisions. We would have talked the war book? I died a thousand deaths to Sol Harrison for sure and wouldn’t when I saw it! It’s “The Pool” from Weird have just made them unilaterally. It War Tales #3 (Jan.–Feb. 1972). This was probably would have been me, Linda, a really beautiful story that was by Sol, and Bobbi Jackson in on any Len Wein and Marv Wolfman, drawn of those conversations. It’s possible

by Russ Heath. It started out with Bobbi might not have been in on cavemen. Then it flipped to soldiers, any of the conversations but that’s then it flipped to cavemen, then it probably how it went. flipped to soldiers. It was telling two EURY: Anything else about America stories simultaneously in parallel at War you’d like to share? That’s a structure. At Simon & Schuster, in the striking Kubert cover. It’s beautiful. printing of it, rather than pay attention sol harrison USLAN: That’s a gorgeous, gorgeous to the page numbers, whoever did it cover by Joe, and he had full creative made the assumption the caveman Courtesy of Bob Rozakis. rein to do whatever the heck he story comes first and the soldier story comes second rather than alternating pages. That just killed me! It’s still wanted for this. totally readable and nobody who didn’t know the EURY: I like your indexes and bibliographies at the end. original story—unless they looked at the page numbers You were sort of picking up the torch that Nelson being odds and evens—really wouldn’t know that there Bridwell had started five, six years earlier with the Super Spectaculars and really going into detail for the was something wrong. But that just floored me.

EURY: Wow. Heart-stopper. What about the bibliographies DC reader, sharing that level of information that many of were only starting to discover, through fanzines or in these books?

USLAN: The bibliography at the back was my idea, maybe All in Color for a Dime. To have that information where, at least up until that time, I wanted to document there was very helpful. what war-related comic books DC had published or USLAN: I appreciate that, and that was certainly its what war-related features DC had published. I thought intent. I love the fact that I got a Mort Drucker for historical purposes, that would kind of be a good Mademoiselle Marie [story] in there.

80 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

EURY: You covered the gamut. I’m impressed with how the major war characters were represented there and different genres, as well, with the inclusion of the Weird War story at the back of the book.

USLAN: Beyond that, it was important to me that we had a good representation of the good artists as well.

So if you look through it, we’ve got Blackhawk, which had art—I know it says Chuck Cuidera, but I have sat with Will Eisner on many occasions and Eisner created Blackhawk. Eisner was a part of this. You only have to look at certain panels where it becomes very, very obvious. Over the years, I’ve been sitting next to Will when Chuck Cuidera made a lot of comments about the creation of Blackhawk and Will was just quietly shaking his head. I said, “You need to say something.”

He goes, “It’s more important to him than it is to me.

Let’s just keep quiet.”

EURY: That was very gracious of him.

USLAN: It really was. I thought Hop Harrigan was important because of the radio show and the serial, that we shouldn’t forget that. The idea of Simon and Kirby being represented here on Boy Commandos.

So again, taking a look just from the standpoint of artists was important. And then we have [John] Severin, Kubert, Russ Heath, [Ross] Andru and [Mike] Esposito, Mort Drucker, Jack Abel…

EURY: DC’s previous 80-Page Giants and the Super Spectaculars—the Sgt. Rock or Our Army at War volumes—tended to be a bit Kubert-heavy. This Fireside volume was balanced in its artistic representation, still giving props to Joe Kubert, though!

USLAN: Oh, yeah. You absolutely had to do that.

We’ve got an Alex Toth, a Neal Adams. I’m proud of this book. I think we did a really great job at that time.

Moving to Mysteries in Space, that was an interesting challenge. I laid out the cover. I said, if this is going to represent DC science fiction—the giant Earth with an arrow going through it—I need Adam Strange, I need flying gorillas, an outer-space setting. I laid that out and then Murphy Anderson drew this, and I got the biggest smile on my face when I saw it the first time.

EURY: Oh, I bet you did. It’s a glorious piece of art.

I love it.

USLAN: You have to understand, too, I was kind of mentored the whole comic-book business and the

world of the Golden Age comics by Otto Binder. Otto, who is most famous for being the driving creative force on the writing of Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family in the ’40s and ’50s, then went over to DC Comics where he co-created Supergirl, Legion of Super-Heroes, Brainiac, the Fortress, Krypto… The list goes on and on of everything he did.

Otto was a science-fiction writer—a famous sciencefiction writer—often writing under the pen name Eando Binder. In the early days, he wrote with his brother, Earl, and Eando stood for “E and O,” Earl and Otto Binder.

When Earl got out of it, Otto kept the pen name.

Adam Link, of course, is his most famous sciencefiction work. But he also did so many great sciencefiction stories for Julie Schwartz, in particular. I wanted to make sure Otto’s work was represented in here as well. The quality of his work certainly gave us many opportunities to see that that would happen.

In the era that I was growing up in, my favorite writers were Julie’s writers, Gardner Fox and John Broome, and I knew also that this volume was going to be heavily oriented to their work as well. So going in I remember sitting with Linda trying to figure out how we were going to approach this. That’s when we kind of came up with “aliens” … there was “today” and “in the future.” Then there was “aliens visit Earth,” “space heroes,” “life in space”—as opposed to Earth— “the future,” “superheroes of the future.” These were the ways we began to structure the book.

EURY: That worked well. Aliens Visit Earth Today, Contemporary Space Heroes, etc., Future Life on Earth— those chapters were a really clever way to enable you to search for stories to fit those specific themes. Did you have some stories in mind as you approached this volume that were “must haves” in the book?

USLAN: Absolutely. At first I had a prejudice for Julie’s work and a prejudice against Jack Schiff’s work.

Jack Schiff as an editor—his books never appealed to me. His reign on Batman—with Batman being SuperBatman and Robot Batman and Genie Batman and the Super-Batman of Planet X [Eury laughs]—that never truly worked for me. When he took over Adam Strange, I thought it was the end of the world. I was never a Space Ranger fan. I was always an Adam Strange fan. I was not somebody that loved bug-eyed

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

She’s No Princess Uslan recommended to Heart Throbs editor “Naomi Scott” to include “That Strange Girl” in Fireside’s romance collection. Here’s an original art panel (presumably by the Vince Colletta studio) from that story’s original cover appearance in Young Romance #197.

Courtesy of Heritage TM & © DC Comics.

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There’s No Pretty Woman Giving This Advice Advice columns were staples of DC romance titles. A “Julia Roberts’ Romance Report” was among the advice columns reprinted in Fireside’s Heart Throbs—and in this interview Michael Uslan reveals the true identity of DC’s love expert!

TM & © DC Comics.

monsters, which he tended to favor. So I had to deal with what I knew and acknowledge it as my own personal prejudice in terms of making this work.

So we start out in terms of art, and as you saw from America at War, I not only go by the stories or the characters, I also would like the great artists represented. So I picked out a Frank Frazetta story and a Virgil Finlay story from the earlier days of Strange Adventures and Mystery in Space. I thought that would also be helpful to sales if they could promote that to fans as well. Going in, the one Jack Schiff story that I wanted to see in here was my one favorite one called “Missing: One Alien.” I was a kid sick, stuck in bed, when my dad came in from work and brought me a dollar’s worth of comic books—ten comic books! I will never forget this particular story, and I even used the cover in this book as the introduction to the section on Aliens Visit Earth Today. So that’s just personal preference.

I got Carmine Infantino’s work in here. I knew I had to have the first Martian Manhunter, as a character, appear here, as there is an argument that he is the first Silver Age hero and certainly if you look at him in conjunction with Showcase #4, inarguably, that’s the beginning of the Silver Age. Captain Comet was a character that I wanted to include and that, to me, represented some fabulous Murphy Anderson artwork. Murphy was probably my favorite artist of the Silver Age comics. And I also made sure we had Atomic Knights in here as well.

EURY: And then you’ve got the B-list sci-fi characters—Star Hawkins and Space Cabby!

USLAN: Yeah. I got in Space Museum…

Space Cabby, I always thought should have been a Danny DeVito movie, in his heyday. [Eury laughs] It really should’ve.

Star Hawkins, I thought was important to show what was, to me, Maltese Falcon of outer space. And I think it was designed that way.

EURY: To go back to Space Cabby for a minute, Boeing and NASA recently made a deal to create space taxis, which reminded me of Space Cabby.

USLAN: I actually tried to set it up as a movie and I pitched it! I said, “Picture Han Solo getting absolutely drunk in the Star Wars cantina scene and unable to drive.”

EURY: [laughs] With the success of Guardians of the Galaxy, maybe this one needs to be dusted off and pitched again!

USLAN: I couldn’t agree with you more. There’s a lot of fun things that could be done with that.

So I did also find a super-rare story. Everybody had seen reprints of Tommy Tomorrow—the ones done by either Curt Swan or Jim Mooney—but nobody had ever seen reprinted the first Tommy Tomorrow story from Real Fact Comics. So, to me, getting them to agree to do “Columbus of Space” was of very historic significance.

EURY: Has that ever been reprinted anywhere else?

USLAN: I’m gonna go out on a limb and say it’s never been reprinted since … unless it’s popped up in one of the hardcover DC collections that I’m not thinking of. [Editor’s note: A post-interview search revealed 82 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

that “Columbus of Space” was reprinted a second time, in DC’s rare 1999 trade paperback, Pulp Fiction Library: Mystery in Space.]

EURY: Was Julie Schwartz consulted on this at all?

USLAN: No. EURY: What was his reaction to it when it came out? I would assume that he would have found great favor with this book.

USLAN: Well, if he really liked it, he would have just said to me, “Michael, I wanna tell you. This didn’t stink!” [laughter] He enjoyed it. He would have preferred it to be all of his work, and probably had to wrestle with the fact that there’s a Space Ranger story in here and some other stuff like “Missing: One Alien.”

But I had to go and make sure there was enough representation across the board.

When it came time for Adam Strange, there was no question in my mind, if we had the room, it had to be the Indiana Jones story, which is his origin. I’ll never forget buying the Secret Origins Annual in 1960 or ’61. It had the origin of Adam Strange, and I’m reading it and it was, like, the first five or six pages or something, and then we never got the rest of the story. It was important to me to make sure that we had the whole story here. And “The Planet That Came to a Standstill,” which brings the Justice League into this volume. So once again, even though they put a ban on superheroes, I did manage to slip not only Adam Strange into this volume but also Martian Manhunter and the Justice League of America, so I consider that a pyrrhic victory.

With Heart Throbs, I was deeply involved with this with Linda.

The feeling was—and I don’t remember now if it emanated with Simon & Schuster or with me—that it really should be a woman who writes this introduction and edits this and has a point of view. It really should be that. So rather than filing a lawsuit against them for discrimination, I instead quietly worked with them. [Eury laughs] “Naomi Scott” is a pseudonym, and I’m trying to remember her real name. Linda will know. [Editor’s note: As reported in the previous article, “Naomi Scott” is actually Manuela Soares.] But she was not really familiar with this material, so I kind of gave her to the list and steered her to the stories that I thought needed to be included in here and had a lot of input into this introduction. I don’t want to take anything away from her. These are her words. But you could list me as the quiet consigliore on this one in terms of telling her the history of romance comics—how they started, how they evolved, who the artists were, who the writers were—so she would have that kind of a background in it.

EURY: I think even the thematic structure shows of Heart Throbs suggests that you quietly had your hands on this as well, rather than it being just a random selection of romance stories.

USLAN: And so did Linda Sunshine. Don’t take anything away from Linda. Linda was actively involved in these things. She was creative, she was knowledgeable, she played nice in the sandbox with everybody.

It was a sheer delight to work with her.

But I think as you go through it you’ll see a number of really, really classic artists working on this. You won’t see the meticulous attention

to detail like me making sure every writer and artist got appropriate credit. They were a little bit more lackadaisical about that with this book.

One of the things I told her she must include is the story “That Strange Girl.” “That Strange Girl” was put out under the editorship of Joe Simon.

After Dorothy Woolfolk left and Deborah [Anderson] left, Joe came in to DC, and since he had been the co-creator of all romance comics, Carmine [Infantino] had him take it over. This is the first story in the history of comics—I should say Code-approved comics—that deals with a lesbian issue! It is very subtle the way they do it, but it was a very important milestone at the time. The art looks like … maybe Jerry Grandenetti … or maybe Bill Draut. It was certainly one of Joe Simon’s stable of artists that he worked with. [Editor’s note: Grand Comics Database (www.comics.org) credits the story to Grandenetti, with Creig Flessel inks. It originated in Young Romance #197 and is indexed in this issue’s Super Spectaculars feature.]

Oh … there’s also Advice to the Lovelorn. What Naomi did not know was that many of these Advice to the Lovelorn columns were written by … guys! At DC. EURY: I’ve been told that before.

USLAN: Allan Asherman was a dear friend of mine and he had been my associate editor on some of the stuff that I’d done back when I was doing The Shadow and Beowulf and things. But Allan—who was a typical comic-book fanboy back in the ’60s and ’70s, which, like the rest of us, meant we were date-challenged [Eury laughs]—Allan was writing a lot of these columns! It was him that was giving all of these women advice! [laughter] EURY: What else do you remember about these reprint editions?

USLAN: What else do I remember about this? I do remember being disappointed we couldn’t do the Western volume as [one of the first three] but they wanted to do this one [Heart Throbs]. But that was out of my control.

EURY: My obvious follow-up question to this is, what happened to the line? One would assume that these books under-performed if there was no continuation, but there could have been other factors.

USLAN: So that’s kind of what I remember best about the series and then, ultimately, the real disappointment in not being able to go forward with the other volumes we had already planned, especially the Best of the West. Man, I already had stories picked out for it.

It was very sad.

EURY: The Western volume didn’t go any further than just a concept itself and your picking out stories, right?

There wasn’t, say, a cover?

USLAN: No, there was no cover. I had not yet started to write the introduction. I was just culling the stories and pulling that list together. But I believe as we got into the ’80s, even the Marvel books stopped or slowed up.

EURY: They did! Mysteries in Space is the very last Fireside comics edition. The Marvel ones were drying up right when the DCs started to come out.

USLAN: I think it was a case of DC just getting into the action too late. When Stan’s Origins of Marvel Comics came out, [DC] should have jumped on. DC made the same mistake with the black-and-white magazines.

EURY: In addition to a Western volume, there was a frontier volume planned.

USLAN: We talked about a Frontier Fighters volume.

EURY: What about horror, the mystery books?

USLAN: We talked about a humor volume. There had to have been talk of an adventure/fantasy volume.

And a mystery volume.

EURY: If DC had jumped in just a couple of years earlier, these probably would have come out.

USLAN: I’m sure they would’ve. They missed the boat.

They missed the market. Obviously the sales weren’t enough to sustain it. Judging from the prices these books get now, there’s not a lot of copies in circulation, so it all adds up to something.

EURY: Paul Levitz has joked many times that once DC jumps on a trend, it has to be dead! [laughter] Anything else you wish to share about these Fireside books?

USLAN: I would just add I’ve been, over the years, close to Joe Kubert, and in the last number of years, we’d get together about every other month for lunch.

He was so happy and proud of that book [America at War]. He really was. Meant a lot to him. I know how much it meant to Bob Kanigher. If nothing else, that makes the whole thing worthwhile to me.

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

When Pigs Primates Fly Lots of Julie Schwartz’s sci-fi gimmicks are showcased on the cover of the final Fireside Books DC edition, Mysteries in Space. Cover art by Murphy Anderson, from a cover design

by Michael Uslan.

TM & © DC Comics.

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Chop Shop An example of the reformatting required to transform a traditional comic book into a paperback. (left) A page from Action Comics #500. (right) That page’s first four panels repurposed as two pages of The Superman Story.

Scans courtesy of John Wells.

TM & © DC Comics.

84 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

Chris Marshall

If a comic book wasn’t easy enough to take with you anywhere you went, DC Comics made it a little easier in the 1970s with a series of paperbacks—or “pocketbooks”—that allowed classic comic-book stories to fit in the palm of your hand.

In 1972, DC made an arrangement with the Paperback Library to publish two black-and-white paperbacks with reprints of its award-winning Green Lantern and Green Arrow team-up adventures. Measuring four inches by seven inches, these paperbacks were some of DC’s earliest collected editions.

Volume 1 even reprinted Green Lantern Hal Jordan’s origin story from Showcase #22 (Sept.–Oct. 1959).

DC came back to the “pocketbook” format in 1977, this time making a business deal with Tempo Books. Six paperback volumes were published— Batman, Justice League of America, Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, Superman, Wonder Woman, and World’s Finest—collecting stories from the 1940s, ’50s, ’60s, and early ’70s. Tempo Books also released all six volumes in a hard-tofind slipcase (see inset). Why and how these particular stories were chosen remains a mystery, as there are no discernible themes running through the books, nor is there a focus on a particular artist, writer, or villain.

TM & © DC Comics.

by

GREEN LANTERN AND GREEN ARROW 1 Jan. 1972 Paperback Library Cover artist: Neal Adams Reprints: • Green Lantern in “SOS Green Lantern” from Showcase #22 (Sept.–Oct. 1959) • Green Lantern with Green Arrow in “No Evil Shall Escape My Sight” from Green Lantern #76 (Apr. 1970) • Green Lantern with Green Arrow in “Journey to Desolation” from Green Lantern #77 (June 1970) GREEN LANTERN AND GREEN ARROW 2 June 1972 Paperback Library Cover artist: Neal Adams Reprints: • Green Lantern with Green Arrow in “A Kind of Loving, A Way of Death” from Green Lantern #78 (July 1970) • Green Lantern with Green Arrow in “Ulysses Star is Still Alive” from Green Lantern #79 (Sept. 1970) BATMAN Nov. 1977 Tempo Books Cover artists: Neal Adams and Dick Giordano Reprints: • “Ghost of the Killer Skies” from Detective Comics #404 (Oct. 1970) • “Walk, Batman—to Your Doom!” from Batman #173 (Aug. 1965) • “Half an Evil” from Batman #234 (Aug. 1971) • “The Riddle-less Robberies of the Riddler” from Batman #179 (Mar. 1966) JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Dec. 1977 Tempo Books Cover artist: Nick Cardy Reprints: • “Skyjack at 22,300 Miles!” from Justice League of America #130 (May 1976)

• •

“Takeover of the Earth-Masters!” from Justice League of America #118 (May 1975) “Winner Takes the Earth!” from Justice League of America #119 (June 1975)

SUPERBOY AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES 1977 Tempo Books Cover artists: Neal Adams and Dick Giordano Reprints: • Superboy in “Superboy’s Darkest Secret!” from Superboy #158 (July 1969) • Legion of Super-Heroes in “The Six-Legged Legionnaire!” from Adventure Comics #335 (Apr. 1967) • Legion of Super-Heroes in “Curse of the Blood-Crystals!” from Superboy #188 (July 1972) • Legion of Super-Heroes in “The Legionnaires Who Never Were!” from Action Comics #392 (Sept. 1970) SUPERMAN 1978 Tempo Books Cover artist: Wayne Boring Reprints: • “The Story of Superman’s Life” from Superman #146 (July 1961) • “Superman’s Mermaid Sweetheart” from Superman #135 (Feb. 1960) • “Superman’s Greatest Secret” from Superman #151 (Feb. 1962) • “The Legion of Super-Villains” from Superman #147 (Aug. 1961) • “When Superman Lost His Memory” from Superman #178 (July 1965) WONDER WOMAN 1978 Tempo Books Cover artist: H. G. Peter Reprints: • “[Wonder Woman’s Lasso]” from Sensation Comics #6 (June 1942) • “The Bird Who Revealed Wonder Woman’s Identity” from Wonder Woman #76 (Aug. 1955) • “Wonder Woman’s Wedding Day” from Wonder Woman #70 (Nov. 1954)

• • •

“The Secret Invasion” from Wonder Woman #63 (Jan. 1954) “The Talking Tiara” from Wonder Woman #66 (May 1954) “The Origin of the Amazon Plane” from Wonder Woman #80 (Feb. 1956)

WORLD’S FINEST 1978 Tempo Books Cover artists: Curt Swan and Sheldon Moldoff Reprints: • “Batman, Son of Krypton” from World’s Finest Comics #146 (Dec. 1964) • “The Destroyer of Krypton” from World’s Finest Comics #146 (Dec. 1946) • “The Menace of the Atom Master” from World’s Finest Comics #101 (May 1959) • “The Day Superman Betrayed Batman” from World’s Finest Comics #97 (Oct. 1958) • “The Duplicate Man” from World’s Finest Comics #106 (Dec. 1959) THE NEW TEEN TITANS Jan. 1982 Tor Books Cover artists: George Pérez and Dick Giordano Editor: Marv Wolfman Reprints: • “Between Friend and Foe” from DC Comics Presents #26 (Oct. 1980) • “The New Teen Titans” from The New Teen Titans #1 (Nov. 1980) • “Today … the Terminator!” from The New Teen Titans #2 (Dec. 1980) • “The Fearsome Five!” from The New Teen Titans #3 (Jan. 1981) SWAMP THING Apr. 1982 Tor Books Cover artist: Bernie Wrightson Reprints: • “Dark Genesis!” from Swamp Thing #1 (Oct.–Nov. 1972)

• •

“The Man Who Wanted Forever” from Swamp Thing #2 (Dec. 1972–Jan. 1973) “The Patchwork Man” from Swamp Thing #3 (Feb.–Mar. 1973)

WORLD OF KRYPTON June 1982 Tor Books Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano Reprints: • “The Jor-El Story” from World of Krypton #1 (July 1979) • “This Planet is Doomed!” from World of Krypton #2 (Aug. 1979) • “The Last Days of Krypton” from World of Krypton #3 (Sept. 1979) THE UNTOLD LEGEND OF THE BATMAN Aug. 1982 Tor Books Cover artist: José Luis García-López and Dick Giordano Reprints: • “In the Beginning” from Untold Legend of the Batman #1 (July 1980) • “With Friends Like These…” from Untold Legend of the Batman #2 (Aug. 1980) • “The Man Behind the Mask!” from Untold Legend of the Batman #3 (Sept. 1980) THE WORLD’S GREATEST SUPERHEROES PRESENTS SUPERMAN 1982 Tor Books Cover artist: José Luis García-López Editor: Andrew Helfer Reprints: • Superman, Flash, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman in “Vandal Savage Strikes!” from The World's Greatest Superheroes newspaper strip (Apr. 3, 1978–July 1, 1978) THE SUPERMAN STORY 1983 Tor Books Cover artist: José Luis García-López Reprints: • “The Life Story of Superman” from Action Comics #500 (Oct. 1979)

TM & © DC Comics.

In 1982, Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, a publisher of fantasy and science-fiction titles, began a similar DC paperback series to that of Tempo Books. But the format was the only thing in common. Instead of randomly chosen adventures, these books collected consecutive issues of popular comics starting with The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez (that volume included the team’s origin story from DC Comics Presents #26). Tor also capitalized on the 1982 Swamp Thing movie directed by Wes Craven by releasing classic Swamp Thing material by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson. “Origin” books followed, featuring Superman’s roots in World of Krypton and Batman’s early days in Untold Legends of the Batman, respectively reprinting those miniseries. A paperback that collected the first story arc of the newspaper comic strip The World’s Greatest Superheroes soon followed, and to round out the series, Tor Books published

The Superman Story, re-presenting 1979’s Action Comics #500 in paperback.

For someone who had never read the original comics, the stories reprinted in all three series of these paperbacks flow from one page to the next. However, to adapt material formatted for the larger comicbook page to the smaller paperback page, many panels had to be cropped or resized, page layouts were altered as single pages of comic books were split over two or more paperback pages, and some of the lettering had to be edited as well. It’s not for me to say if these stories hold up today, but as an aficionado of reprints, it is wonderful to see these examples of one of the predecessors to the modern collected edition.

Collected Comics Library’s (www.collectedcomicslibrary.com) CHRIS MARSHALL is a dad, husband, writer, and co-contributor for the book Romita Legacy – Interviews with John Romita, Sr. and John Romita, Jr. (Dynamic Forces).

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The series was called The Masterworks Series of Great Comic Book Artists. Its intent was to showcase the DC Comics work of some of the most celebrated artists of the era—Frank Frazetta, Berni (today Bernie) Wrightson, and Neal Adams—and its purpose was to give Phil Seuling an exclusive that no one else had access to, one that highlighted his favorite artists. “This was very early in the evolution of the comic-shop market, and one of the first things done specifically for those stores by DC,” Paul Levitz informs BACK ISSUE. “I don’t recall the numbers any more, but I think a modest quantity was distributed.”

PHIL SEULING Phil Seuling (1934–1984) was a born-and-raised New Yorker.

With a Bachelor of Arts from CCNY he worked as a high school

by S t e phan Friedt English teacher. On the side he bought and sold comic books and ran a bookstore. Without Phil Seuling, comic books and comic-book fandom could very well have looked different today. In 1968, Phil created and ran the first International Convention of Comic Art, which morphed into the New York Comic Art Convention the following year, establishing what we now consider the norm for a comic convention.

In 1972, he established Sea Gate Distributors, the first direct distributor for comic shops and establishing the concept of direct distributing. Soon, Sea Gate was the exclusive distributor for DC, Marvel Comics, and Archie Comics.

By the late 1970s, Phil had established a network of sub-distributors around the United States and held a monopoly on comic-book distribution. That led to a lawsuit against Marvel, DC, and others over their exclusive contracts with Sea Gate, which in turn broke Sea Gate’s monopoly. By the early 1980s, Phil was looking for something that would be an exclusive to his distribution company and set it apart from all of his new rivals. Working with his connections with DC’s management, Seuling brought The Masterworks Series of Great Comic Book Artists to life in 1983. The series ran for three issues, with two issues more in the works that were never published. The only way to get copies wholesale was through Sea Gate.

According to Roy Thomas, Phil Seuling “was both a very generous individual, and a sometimes willfully aggressive blowhard. I personally liked him from the first time we met in person, a couple of weeks after I moved to New York City, and played poker at his home many times, as well as other social occasions … but he often set my teeth on edge because he seemed sometimes to go out of his way to spark an argument. Yet if you needed a guy to come through for you, he’d do it, and I tried to return the favor. He was a visionary of sorts, having come to me in the early 1970s [while Thomas was Marvel Comics’ editor-in-chief] and got me to introduce him to Sol Brodsky at Marvel so he phil seuling could discuss his direct-market plan … but then he seems to have tried to carve himself out a monopoly. I was annoyed at him (though we never discussed the matter) when he broke up his marriage … but I remained friends with both him and his ex-wife Carol. I was very sorry when I learned he had passed away.”

Comics historian Robert Beerbohm says, “Let me think of how to condense Phil Seuling down to a sentence or two. That will be very “The Pride of Any Collection” hard to do. He was larger than life and needs a couple paragraphs to do him justice.” Beerbohm wrote extensively about Seuling and the DC Comics house ad promoting Phil Seuling/Sea Gate creation of direct distributing in his two-part article “Secret Origins of Distributors’ The Masterworks Series of Great Comic Book Artists. the Direct Market” in TwoMorrows’ Comic Book Artist, issues #6 (Fall 1999) and 7 (Feb. 2000).

Shining Knight TM & © DC Comics.

86 • BACK ISSUE • DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

Shining Stars (top) Who better than the legendary Frank Frazetta (inset) to launch Phil Seuling’s cherrypicked reprint series? From the first issue. (bottom) Can you find artist Bernie Wrightson and writer Steve Skeates in this panel from their oft-reprinted tale “The Gourmet”? From Masterworks Series #3.

TM & © DC Comics.

FRANK FRAZETTA In 1983, Frank Frazetta (1928–2010) was well known to comic fans. His artwork had graced the covers of favorite paperbacks like Conan from Robert E. Howard and Tarzan from Edgar Rice Burroughs; record albums

by Molly Hatchet and Nazareth; movie posters for What’s New Pussycat? and other films; magazine covers for Jim Warren’s Creepy, Eerie, Blazing Combat, and Vampirella; and that’s not to mention the years he spent on drawing comic books for DC and EC, among others. When The Masterworks Series of Great Comic Book Artists debuted, Frazetta was making headlines with his work on the animated film Fire and Ice with director Ralph Bakshi and with the opening of his gallery in conjunction with a museum in his name.

The first two issues of Masterworks highlighted Frazetta’s work for DC on the Shining Knight, a character first seen in Adventure Comics #66 (Sept. 1941). Sir Justin was a knight of King Arthur’s Round Table. His quest was to avenge the death of Queen Guinevere’s cousin, Sir Fallon. On his quest he frees Merlin from captivity, and in return Merlin enchants his sword, armor, and horse. Frazetta’s stint as the Shining Knight artist was in the early 1950s. Issue #2 of Masterworks also included a Western story and a science-fiction story drawn by Frazetta.

BERNI WRIGHTSON Inspired by Frank Frazetta, Berni(e) Wrightson started at DC Comics in the late 1960s doing stories in anthology titles and soon included work for Marvel in the same field. In the early 1970s, along with writer Len Wein, he captivated comic-book fans with his work on Swamp Thing. Through the 1970s and into the 1980s, Wrightson wowed fans with beautiful portfolios, posters, prints, and fan-favorite stories for Warren magazines, and became one quarter of the worldrenown art collective known as The Studio, joining Michael Kaluta, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Jeffrey Jones.

The Masterworks Series of Great Comic Book Artists #3 collected some of Wrightson’s best horror work for DC, including the award-winning “The Gourmet,” from 1973’s Plop! #1, from which the Masterworks cover was taken. Due to an illness, Wrightson was unable to respond to queries about this issue.

However, the writer of “The Gourmet,” Steve Skeates, tells BACK ISSUE, “ ‘The Gourmet,’ quite definitely my most reprinted story—every other year it seems to show up in something or other—was originally produced for Plop! and made the scene in the very first issue of that crazed humor comic, and rather immediately won Berni and myself ACBA Shazam Awards. Joe Orlando was the editor who bought the story and figured Berni would be the perfect artist for the piece! In the first panel of the last

page of ‘The Gourmet,’ Berni threw himself and me into the story! I’m behind the counter, impersonating a cook and complaining about the flies! Berni’s on the other side of the counter, watching his girlfriend comb her hair! As for the Masterwork Series, this is the first I’ve even heard of it—something to add to the list of things DC owes me at least a freebie copy of, and probably some royalty and reprint moolah as well!”

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Fourth World The cover to the unpublished The Masterworks Series of Great Comic Book Artists #4, spotlighting Neal Adams.

TM & © DC Comics.

NEAL ADAMS In 1983, Neal Adams needed no introduction to anyone familiar with comic books. His work on comics garnered fans from its very beginnings in the very early 1960s with work for Archie Comics, the newspaper strip Ben Casey, and acclaimed work for Warren magazines. He hit DC with stories in every genre, including the humor series The Adventures of Jerry Lewis and The Adventures of Bob Hope. When he turned his distinctive and realistic art style to hundreds of covers and the series The Spectre, Deadman (in Strange Adventures), Batman, and Green Lantern, and more covers and titles for Marvel like X-Men and Avengers in the 1970s, fans could not get enough!

Adams’ DC horror stories were slated for the never-realized Masterworks issue #4, and his war stories for the aborted issue #5.

I asked Neal Adams if he had any involvement in the series, or knew which of his stories might have been in the lineup. He replied via email, “I know nothing about such a series. I did not approve such a series.”

Paul Levitz adds, “The specific books were Phil’s idea. I don’t recall the artists being consulted. I suspect Phil chose the stories himself. My records indicate that I didn’t. I didn’t even recall we had discussed other issues, only that Phil had a sincere joy in the work of each of the artists chosen. That was probably the best part of the project.”

Anthony Tollin recolored all but one of the Masterworks reprints.

The Masterworks Series of Great Comic Book Artists abruptly ended after the publication of its third issue with Phil’s death from a rare liver disease in 1984.

Sea Gate Distributing closed the following year, emphasizing the level of involvement Phil had in everything he was connected to.

STEPHAN FRIEDT is senior administrator of www.comicspriceguide.com.

THE MASTERWORKS SERIES OF GREAT COMIC BOOK ARTISTS #1 FRANK FRAZETTA/ “SHINING KNIGHT” Spring 1983 Cover artist: Frank Frazetta Editor: Uncredited Special feature: • “Frank Frazetta: The Art World’s Shining Knight” 1-page profile by Allan Asherman Reprints: • Shining Knight in “The Ten-Century Lie!” from Adventure Comics #150 (Mar. 1950) • Shining Knight in “Sir Justin, Bronco Buster” from Adventure Comics #151 (Apr. 1950) • Shining Knight in “The Duel of the Flying Knights!” from Adventure Comics #153 (June 1950) • Shining Knight in “The Imitation Knight” from Adventure Comics #155 (Aug. 1950) • Shining Knight in “Camelot U.S.A.” from Adventure Comics #157 (Oct. 1950)

• • • •

THE MASTERWORKS SERIES OF GREAT COMIC BOOK ARTISTS #2 FRANK FRAZETTA/ “SHINING KNIGHT AND OTHER TALES” July 1983 Cover artist: Frank Frazetta Editor: Uncredited Reprints: • Shining Knight in “Knight of the Future! ” from Adventure Comics #159 (Dec. 1950) Shining Knight in “The Flying Horse Swindle!” from Adventure Comics #161 (Feb. 1951) Shining Knight in “The Knight in Rusty Armor!” from Adventure Comics #163 (Apr. 1951) “Botalye—Immortal Indian Warrior” from Jimmy Wakely #7 (Sept.–Oct. 1950) “Spores From Space!” from Mystery in Space #1 (Apr.–May 1951)

TM & © DC Comics.

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THE MASTERWORKS SERIES OF GREAT COMIC BOOK ARTISTS #3 BERNI WRIGHTSON/ “THE MACABRE” Oct. 1983 Cover artist: Bernie Wrightson Editor: Uncredited Special feature: • “Berni Wrightson: An Artist of Fearsome Skills” 1-page profile by Allan Asherman Reprints: • “Molded In Evil” from Plop! #5 (May–June 1974) • “The Secret of the Egyptian Cat” from House of Mystery #186 (May–June 1970) • “House of Madness!” from House of Mystery #188 (Sept.–Oct. 1970) • “The Gourmet” from Plop! #1 (Sept.– Oct. 1973)

by

J o h n Tr u m b u l l

In the early 1980s, with DC Comics’ 50th anniversary fast approaching, the occasion became as much about celebrating DC’s past as preparing for its future. Executive editor Dick Giordano teased in his August 1983 Meanwhile… column, “We’re planning a reprint line that I’m excited about! Generally, I think of reprints as being in a class with kissing your sister, something that one does out of obligation.

Not these reprints! More on them in a future column. The businesstypes around here get nervous when I start gushing prematurely about pet projects.”

Giordano certainly had reason to be excited. While most reprints came in the typical newsprint comic-book format, these collections were double-sized, 48 pages (containing two to three issues’ worth of material), and printed on heavier, whiter Baxter paper stock, often with wraparound covers [Author’s note: Marvel Comics’ deluxe reprints of the 1980s will be covered in BACK ISSUE #86].

Giordano explained his reprint philosophy in his June 1984 Meanwhile… column: “First off, we pay the highest reprint rates currently being paid to creators. This means that the difference in cost to us between all-new art, and reprinting existing art has been narrowed to the point where there exists no overwhelming profit motive to reprint, since production and shipping costs are fixed.

Secondly, we choose only material that deserves to be reprinted … material that has stood the test of time and has, in our opinion, earned the status of ‘classic,’ and we’ll only release one title per month. Last, we heap lots of T.L.C. on the best of DC’s past … we give the material the attention that it deserves, and, wherever possible, invite the original creator(s) to join us in the preparing the original material for publication.”

GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW With an October 1983 cover date, DC’s reprint series debuted with a comics milestone: Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams’ Green Lantern/ Green Arrow, where superheroes tackled contemporary problems like race, pollution, overpopulation, and drugs. These stories also introduced Speedy’s drug addiction and African-American Green Lantern John Stewart. The new editions featured text pieces, interviews, an O’Neil/Adams checklist, and new colors by Cory Adams.

DC hired Neal Adams to provide new covers for the seven-issue series. As Adams recalls, “They didn’t want them to seem SO much like reprints. The thought in mind was it made it seem like a new product. They felt, ‘Well, if we get Neal to do new covers, of course we’re going to sell more copies.’ Which, of course, they did.”

Nevertheless, issue #5 featured a recolored version of his famous “Speedy is a junkie” cover from Green Lantern #85 (Aug. 1971).

Adams states, “I don’t think people really wanted a new [cover] on that one. I think that one pretty much said it.”

Adams didn’t worry about the 1970s stories appearing dated.

“I don’t think people have actually gone beyond those in comic books since then. I don’t see a lot of comic books that deal with topical situations very much. I don’t see comic books that deal realistically with political issues. I see delving into fantasy, I see killing populations of cities in comic books, I see fantasy stories with characters that are totally unbelievable, but I don’t see any appreciable direction toward reality in dealing with social issues. So I think those books are probably as topical today as they were back then. I don’t think that we’ve passed them up, I think we’re trying to catch up to them.”

Kirby’s Coming (Back)!

DC produced this poster to promote its deluxe reprinting of Jack Kirby’s Fourth World anchor, The New Gods. Art

by Kirby and Mike Royer.

TM & © DC Comics.

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Armed and Dangerous Walter Simonson’s magnificent Manhunter gets ready for action in this 1977 program book for BAYCON III (serving San Francisco and Oakland). Contributed

by Jerry Boyd.

TM & © DC Comics.

MANHUNTER

NEW GODS

Next up was a 72-page reprint of “Manhunter,” Archie Goodwin and Walter Simonson’s seminal backup series from Detective Comics. Manhunter featured Golden Age hero Paul Kirk, fighting against the evil Council that revived him from death. While Excalibur Enterprises produced a black-and-white edition of the series in 1979, this was the first Manhunter collection from DC, with Archie Goodwin’s introduction from the 1979 edition and new colors by Klaus Janson.

Walter Simonson recalls, “I think Archie is the one who suggested Klaus as the colorist for the 1984 reprint.

That was back in the days of pre-computer color.

Companies were experimenting with some different papers (and even printing approaches) at about that time. The various paper stocks took ink quite differently, and it took colorists a little time to adjust to that.

You really had to see the work in print to see how the color reproduced. I thought Klaus did an excellent job of matching his coloring to the paper of the reprint, and I was very happy with the final book. I was happy to do a new cover for it.”

By 1984, Jack Kirby’s Fourth World characters of Darkseid and the New Gods were back in the limelight, showing up on TV’s Super Friends and in Kenner’s Super Powers toy line. The time was right to reprint the New Gods series, giving Jack Kirby a chance to finally finish his Fourth World saga. The six-issue series reprinted New Gods #1–11, with half of the final issue leading into the grand finale graphic novel The Hunger Dogs. However, Kirby’s other Fourth World series Mister Miracle, The Forever People, and Jimmy Olsen were not reprinted, giving new readers an incomplete view of Kirby’s entire epic. The New Gods reprint series featured wraparound covers by Jack Kirby, articles by Mark Evanier, and a column by Kirby himself in the final issue.

walter simonson © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons.

MAN-BAT VS. BATMAN Man-Bat vs. Batman, a one-shot reprinting the three Man-Bat stories of Frank Robbins and Neal Adams from Detective Comics, followed with a December 1984 cover date. Artist Adams’ main regret on the Man-Bat reprints was the new coloring: “They should not have been recolored. There’s nothing wrong with Adrienne Roy, but the difficulty was that DC Comics lost their [original] color separations, so they were recolored. They had no choice. They lost them. And since other people recolored them, I did not approve of those colors. The original coloring is the way I wanted to have it.”

THE IMMORTAL DR. FATE The Immortal Dr. Fate, a three-issue collection of Fate’s backup stories from The Flash, began next, with a January 1985 cover-date premiere. Issue #1 contained the Pasko/Simonson Dr. Fate revival from 1st Issue Special, along with a Paul Levitz/Joe Staton origin and a Golden Age tale.

While writer Martin Pasko was not involved with the reprints, he says, “When I finally caught up with them I saw that they had been re-separated, and the reproduction of the art was much improved. The originals had been done when the industry was still using plastic printing plates, which could cause thinner line weights on the black plate to print as ‘squiggly’—especially past a thousand copies into the run—so there was a lot of crudeness and sloppiness in the original books, particularly a lot of color printed off-register. But all that was scrupulously corrected in the reprints. The collections are a much better way to experience these stories for the first time, I think. And I love the new covers Walt Simonson and Keith Giffen and his inkers did for them.”

DEADMAN Next, DC’s deluxe reprints returned to Neal Adams with Deadman. Adams again drew new covers for the seven-issue series, and as The New Gods led into The Hunger Dogs, these reprints led into a new Deadman miniseries by Andy Helfer and José Luis García-López that started where Deadman’s original Strange Adventures stories left off. This removed several subsequent Deadman stories from continuity, including the Neal Adamsillustrated backups from Aquaman.

Adams disagreed with this, stating, “The official Deadman stories from my point of view are the stories that I did. The rest of it is just what people started to mess around with.

I don’t think this is egotistical to say, as good as

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José Luis García-López is as an artist, and he is brilliant, in my opinion, that’s an awfully hard act to follow, the Deadmans that I did. And the flavor of them were not Deadman stories. There was not the anguish, there was not the torment … it was beautifully done stories about a character in a red costume who seemed to be a ghost.”

SHADOW OF THE BATMAN Shadow of the Batman followed, reprinting the Detective Comics run by Steve Englehart, Walter Simonson, and Marshall Rogers (dubbed “the definitive Batman” when first published in 1977). The five-issue series featured new wraparound covers and coloring

by Marshall Rogers, greatly enhancing the mood.

As writer Steve Englehart recalls, “[Marshall] wanted them to be everything he envisioned.” Several backup reprints by Rogers filled out the issues nicely.

Issue #4 opened with an essay by Englehart entitled “It was a Dark (but not stormy) Knight…”, detailing why Batman’s world may be crazy, but he isn’t. As Englehart explains, “Other people had started saying the Batman was insane, so this was my response.”

Shadow of the Batman #5 featured the classic introduction of Clayface III by Len Wein and Marshall Rogers, a story that Englehart would’ve preferred to be reprinted elsewhere.

“All due respect to Len, but I wrote my story as a complete story, with a neal adams definite ending, so that’s how I envision it. Len’s work with Marshall © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. should be separate.”

ROOTS OF THE SWAMP THING As Swamp Thing was a critically acclaimed book in 1986, it was no surprise that DC selected the original series for reprinting. Roots of the Swamp Thing presented the first ten issues of the 1970s horror classic by creators Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson. Issue #1 featured a new painted cover by Wrightson, with #3 containing a text piece by then-current Swamp Thing writer Alan Moore. The fifth and final issue also included Swamp Thing’s first appearance from House of Secrets #92 (July 1971), a tale that Moore had brought into continuity the year before.

IRONWOLF DC’s most obscure choice for reprinting was undoubtedly Howard Chaykin’s IronWolf in 1987, a science-fiction series that appeared in the final three issues of Weird Worlds. The one-shot featured a painted cover by Chaykin and a new IronWolf logo by letterer Todd Klein. Reprint editor Mike Gold recalls, “Back in those

DC’s Other Ghostly Guardian (top) Deadman, as rendered by Neal Adams in an undated illo from the archives of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). (bottom) Space limitations won’t allow us to show the deluxe series’ spectacular wraparound covers, but here’s a stunning sample by Marshall Rogers, from Shadow of the Batman #2.

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Battling Bowman Adam Kubert’s back cover to The Best of the Brave and the Bold #4, spotlighting Robin Hood, an old-time B&Ber featured in a backup.

TM & © DC Comics.

THE WRATH OF THE SPECTRE! Starting with a May 1988 cover date was The Wrath of the Spectre!, a four-issue series reprinting the classic Adventure Comics run by Michael Fleisher and Jim Aparo, where a vengeful Spectre meted out horrific deaths to criminals as ironic punishments. Much like previous reprints, the last issue completed some unfinished business, as Jim Aparo returned to pencil three unused Michael Fleisher scripts from 1975.

Editor Robert Greenberger recalls, “I was already handling The Spectre title, so it was a natural fit. Paul [Levitz] still had the three undrawn Fleisher scripts from the days he was [Joe] Orlando’s assistant editor—a good editor threw nothing of value out back then. We worked out Jim Aparo’s schedule to free him for the covers and the three stories although we knew he’d need an inker. (I have the cover art to issue #3 as a gift from Jim, which is a delight.) Talk about your dreams coming true—handling the final stories of a beloved series, one I really enjoyed reading as a kid.

“However, as its editor, I also knew that the series had gained a reputation and since this was the first time it was being reprinted, it needed context. I hired Peter Sanderson to write up all the background pieces that ran on the inside covers to the four issues, which stands as the definitive background for the series.

“It also fell to me to find stories to round out the page counts, allowing me to spotlight more of Jim’s excellent work including the award-winning [House of Mystery tale] ‘The Demon Within’.”

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days I was allowed to art-direct my covers (I think it was easier than fighting with me), which was just about the only real creative contribution I made to the book.”

THE SAGA OF RA’S AL GHUL Tying in to 1987’s Batman: Son of the Demon graphic novel, The Saga of Ra’s al Ghul presented the original Denny O’Neil-written stories of “The Demon’s Head” and his daughter Talia, taking Batman on a globetrotting adventure from the heights of the Himalayas to the dunes of the desert.

This four-issue series included the Bob Brown and Irv Novickillustrated Ra’s al Ghul stories skipped in many other collections. Neal Adams recalls, “Before, it was very vague. Unless you were a reader who was a reader reader, and not a visual person, it almost seemed as though the Ra’s al Ghul story started when I started. I think when I jumped in, it made the thing real. So it wasn’t that I didn’t pay attention [to stories others drew], it was almost like I took those as rough storyboards and I went on and did the finished piece.”

The Saga series was rounded out with backups reprinting several Neal Adams-illustrated short stories, including obscure selections like the Western hero El Diablo. When asked if he had any input into the backup selections, Adams responds, “No, not really. What it was was, I think that certain people had certain attachments to certain stories, like El Diablo was sort of a dark Batman of the range and a lot of people wanted to see that printed again, because they hadn’t seen me do Westerns and horses. And they dug it.”

Issue #4 featured a brand-new cover by Neal Adams and Rudy Nebres, taking over from Batman: Son of the Demon artist Jerry Bingham. Adams attributes #4’s brand-new coloring by Cory Adams and Liz Berube to another case of lost separations.

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For its final set of deluxe reprints in 1988, DC featured Neal Adams’ very first Batman stories, produced with writer Bob Haney for the Batman team-up title The Brave and the Bold. Interestingly, The Best of the Brave and the Bold reshuffled these team-ups into the order of B&B issues #85, 81, 82, 80, 93, and 83. Presumably, this was so the bestselling Green Arrow and Teen Titans could open and close the series strong (Adams’ Batman/Deadman team-ups were omitted, as they’d recently been reprinted in the Deadman series of 1985). The six-issue series featured new covers by José Luis García-López, with backups from the Silver Age of B&B, showcasing the Viking Prince, the Golden Gladiator, the Silent Knight, and Robin Hood.

Neal Adams was grateful that The Best of B&B gave his stories with Bob Haney some overdue recognition. “I would argue that the richness of [Haney’s] scripts is one of the things that really sold the audience on loving those stories and convincing my editor Julie [Schwartz] that I should be doing Batman, because the fans just loved those things,” Adams recalls. “Later on, people forgot the contribution that Bob Haney has made. Haney’s stories were rich in fabric and texture and they seemed longer. They seemed like twice as long as a regular story. There’s so much there.”

The Best of the Brave and the Bold proved to be the last of DC’s deluxe reprint series. As to why the series was discontinued, DC production manager Bob Rozakis states, “I would say it was the rise of the trade paperbacks that did them in. The trade paperbacks could go into Borders and Barnes & Noble and had an infinite shelf-life, where the reprints didn’t.” But the series fulfilled its mandate of presenting classic DC stories in an upgraded format to old and new audiences alike. As Neal Adams says, “Some people’s work is a bit more timeless than others. Certainly the Green Lantern/Green Arrow stories are quite timeless. Ra’s al Ghul, very timeless. There’s no time that that should be. You don’t have to put dates on ’em. It could be next year. Because certain things last over time.”

JOHN TRUMBULL is still in his original printing. Thanks to Neal Adams, Steve Englehart, Mike Gold, Robert Greenberger, Martin Pasko, Bob Rozakis, and Walter Simonson for sharing their memories with BACK ISSUE, and to Carolyn Wallace for proofreading assistance.

THE BEST OF THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #1 Oct. 1988 Cover artist: José Luis García-López Editor: Renee Witterstaetter Special feature: • “The Brave and the Bold: An Overview” text piece by Mark Waid Reprints: • Batman and Green Arrow in “The Senator’s Been Shot!” from The Brave and the Bold #85 (Sept. 1969) • The Viking Prince in “Battle for the Dragon Ship” from The Brave and the Bold #1 (Sept. 1955) • The Golden Gladiator in “The Thunder of the Chariots” from The Brave and the Bold #1 (Sept. 1955) • The Silent Knight in “The Shield of Terror” from The Brave and the Bold #5 (May 1956) THE BEST OF THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #2 Nov. 1988 Cover artists: José Luis García-López (front cover), Andy Kubert (back cover) Editor: Renee Witterstaetter Special feature: • “Neal Adams: Giving his best for ‘The Bold’ ” featuring a checklist of his DC work Reprints: • Batman and the Flash in “But Bork Can Hurt You!” from The Brave and the Bold #81 (Jan. 1969) • The Viking Prince in “The Ice Dragon” from The Brave and the Bold #5 (May 1956) • Robin Hood in “The Forest of Traps” from The Brave and the Bold #7 (Sept. 1956) • The Viking Prince in “Invasion of the Sea Eagles!” from The Brave and the Bold #7 (Sept. 1956) THE BEST OF THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #3 Dec. 1988 Cover artists: José Luis García-López (front cover), Andy Kubert (back cover) Editor: Renee Witterstaetter Special feature: “Joe Kubert: A Little Bit of Luck and a Lot of Talent” featuring a checklist of his DC work Reprints: • Batman and Aquaman in “The Sleepwalker from the Sea!” from The Brave and the Bold #82 (Mar. 1969) • The Viking Prince in “The Threat of the Phantom Vikings!” from The Brave and the Bold #2 (Nov. 1955) • The Golden Gladiator in “The Sword of Attila!” from The Brave and the Bold #2 (Nov. 1955) • Robin Hood in “The Battle of the Kites!” from The Brave and the Bold #6 (July 1956)

THE BEST OF THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #4 Winter 1988 Cover artists: José Luis García-López (front cover), Andy Kubert (back cover) Editor: Renee Witterstaetter Special feature: • “Russ Heath: Artist of Fantasy and Reality” featuring a checklist of his DC work Reprints: • Batman and the Creeper in “And Hellgrammite is His Name!” from The Brave and the Bold #80 (Nov. 1968) • The Viking Prince in “Monster of the Viking Sea!” from The Brave and the Bold #12 (July 1957) • The Golden Gladiator in “The Invisible Wall!” from The Brave and the Bold #3 (Jan. 1956) • Robin Hood in “The Apple of Peril!” from The Brave and the Bold #12 (July 1957) THE BEST OF THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #5 Holiday 1988 Cover artists: José Luis García-López (front cover), Andy Kubert (back cover) Editor: Renee Witterstaetter Special feature: • “Writers in a Visual Medium” text piece by Peter Sanderson Reprints: • Batman in the House of Mystery in “Red Water, Crimson Death” from The Brave and the Bold #93 (Jan. 1971) • The Viking Prince in “The Ghost Ship!” from The Brave and the Bold #14 (Nov. 1957) • The Golden Gladiator in “Captive Champion!” from The Brave and the Bold #4 (Mar. 1956) • Robin Hood in “The Secret of Sherwood Forest” from The Brave and the Bold #14 (Nov. 1957) THE BEST OF THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #6 Jan. 1989 Cover artists: José Luis García-López (front cover), Andy Kubert (back cover) Editor: Renee Witterstaetter Special feature: • “From the Creators Who Were There: Comic Books: Then and Now” text piece by Renee Witterstaetter Reprints: • Batman and the Teen Titans in “Punish Not My Evil Son” from The Brave and the Bold #83 (May 1969) • The Viking Prince in “Peril of the Burning Sea!” from The Brave and the Bold #9 (Jan. 1957) • Robin Hood in “Robin Hood vs. the Merrie Men!” from The Brave and the Bold #11 (May 1957)

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The Viking Prince in “The Outcast Viking!” from The Brave and the Bold #8 (Nov. 1956)

DEADMAN #1 May 1985 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Nicola Cuti Special features: • Text pieces on Deadman co-creators Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino by Nicola Cuti Reprints: • Deadman in “Who Has Been Lying in My Grave?” from Strange Adventures #205 (Oct. 1967) • Deadman in “An Eye for an Eye” from Strange Adventures #206 (Nov. 1967) • “The Game” from House of Mystery #178 (Feb. 1969) DEADMAN #2 June 1985 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Nicola Cuti Special features: • Deadman checklist by Paul Levitz and Nicola Cuti; Deluxe Reprint Forum Reprints: • Deadman in “What Makes a Corpse Cry?” from Strange Adventures #207 (Dec. 1967) • “Second Choice” from House of Secrets #85 (May 1970) • Deadman in “How Many Times Can a Guy Die?” from Strange Adventures #208 (Jan. 1968) DEADMAN #3 July 1985 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Nicola Cuti Special features: • “Vashnu and Rama Kushna” text piece by Nicola Cuti; Deluxe Reprint Forum Reprints: • Deadman in “How Many Times Can a Guy Die? Part 3” from Strange Adventures #209 (Feb. 1968) • “Second Choice Part 2” from House of Secrets #85 (May 1970) • Deadman in “Hide and Seek” from Strange Adventures #210 (Mar. 1968) DEADMAN #4 Aug. 1985 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Nicola Cuti Special feature: • “Deadman’s Chest” text pages, reprinting letters from Strange Adventures Reprints: • Deadman in “How Close to Me My Killer?” from Strange Adventures #211 (Apr. 1968) • “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty!” from The Witching Hour #8 (May 1970)

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Deadman in “The Fatal Call of Vengeance” from Strange Adventures #212 (May 1968)

DEADMAN #5 Sept. 1985 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Nicola Cuti Special feature: • “Deadman’s Chest” text pages, reprinting letters from Strange Adventures Reprints: • Deadman in “The Call From Beyond!” from Strange Adventures #213 (Aug. 1968) • Batman and Deadman in “The Track of the Hook” from The Brave and the Bold #79 (Sept. 1968) DEADMAN #6 Oct. 1985 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Nicola Cuti Special feature: • Dick Giordano text piece by Nicola Cuti Reprints: • Deadman in “To Haunt a Killer” and “No Better Than the Hook” from Strange Adventures #214 (Oct. 1968) • Deadman in “A New Lease on Death” and “Can Vengeance Be So Hollow?” from Strange Adventures #215 (Dec. 1968) DEADMAN #7 Nov. 1985 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Nicola Cuti Special feature: • Interview with Neal Adams and Dick Giordano by Nicola Cuti Reprints: • Deadman in “All This Has Gone Before But I Still Exist” from Strange Adventures #216 (Feb. 1969) • Batman and Deadman in “You Can’t Hide From a Deadman!” from The Brave and the Bold #86 (Nov. 1969) GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW #1 Oct. 1983 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Roger Slifer Special features: • Editorial by Roger Slifer; Introduction by Dennis O’Neil Reprints: • Green Lantern and Green Arrow in “No Evil Shall Escape My Sight!” from Green Lantern #76 (Apr. 1970) • Green Lantern and Green Arrow in “Journey to Desolation!” from Green Lantern #77 (June 1970) GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW #2 Nov. 1983 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Roger Slifer

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Special feature: • “Dick Giordano Talks About Green Lantern/Green Arrow” text piece Reprints: • Green Lantern and Green Arrow in “A Kind of Loving, A Way of Death!” from Green Lantern #78 (July 1970) • Green Lantern and Green Arrow in “Ulysses Star is Still Alive!” from Green Lantern #79 (Sept. 1970) GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW #3 Dec. 1983 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Roger Slifer Special feature: • Introduction by Mike W. Barr Reprints: • Green Lantern and Green Arrow in “Even an Immortal Can Die!” from Green Lantern #80 (Oct. 1970) • Green Lantern and Green Arrow in “Death Be My Destiny” from Green Lantern #81 (Dec. 1970) GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW #4 Jan. 1984 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Roger Slifer Special feature: • A Denny O’Neil/Neal Adams Index Reprints: • Green Lantern and Green Arrow in “How Do You Fight a Nightmare?” from Green Lantern #82 (Feb.–Mar. 1971) • Green Lantern and Green Arrow in “…And a Child Shall Destroy Them!” from Green Lantern #83 (Apr.–May 1971) GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW #5 Feb. 1984 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Roger Slifer Reprints: • Green Lantern and Green Arrow in “Peril in Plastic” from Green Lantern #84 (June–July 1971) • Green Lantern and Green Arrow in “Snowbirds Don’t Fly” from Green Lantern #85 (Aug.–Sept. 1971) GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW #6 Mar. 1984 Cover artist: Neal Adams Editor: Roger Slifer Reprints: • Green Lantern and Green Arrow in “They Say It’ll Kill Me … But They Won’t Say When!” from Green Lantern #86 (Oct.–Nov. 1971) • Green Lantern (introducing John Stewart) in “Beware My Power” from Green Lantern #87 (Dec. 1971–Jan. 1972) • Green Arrow in “What Can One Man Do?” from Green Lantern #87 (Dec. 1971–Jan. 1972) GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW #7 Apr. 1984 Cover artist: Neal Adams

Editor: Roger Slifer Reprints: • Green Lantern and Green Arrow in “…And Through Him Save a World…” from Green Lantern #89 (Apr.–May 1972) • Green Lantern and Green Arrow in “The Killing of an Archer!” from The Flash #217 (Aug.–Sept. 1972) • Green Lantern and Green Arrow in “Green Arrow is Dead!” from The Flash #218 (Oct.–Nov. 1972) • Green Lantern and Green Arrow in “The Fate of an Archer” from The Flash #219 (Dec. 1972–Jan. 1973) THE IMMORTAL DOCTOR FATE #1 Jan. 1985 Cover artist: Walter Simonson Editor: Nicola Cuti Reprints: • Dr. Fate in “This Immortal Destiny: The Secret Origin of Doctor Fate” from DC Special Series #10 (Jan. 1978) • Dr. Fate in “The Search For Wotan” from More Fun Comics #56 (June 1940) • Dr. Fate in “The Mummy That Time Forgot” from 1st Issue Special #9 (Dec. 1975) THE IMMORTAL DOCTOR FATE #2 Feb. 1985 Cover artists: Keith Giffen and Gary Martin Editor: Nicola Cuti Reprints: • Dr. Fate in “Apocalypse of the Fifth Sun!” from The Flash #306 (Feb. 1982) • Dr. Fate in “Twilight of the Fifth Sun” from The Flash #307 (Mar. 1982) • Dr. Fate in “Dawn of the Sixth Sun” from The Flash #308 (Apr. 1982) • Dr. Fate in “Tomorrow is Forever” from The Flash #309 (May 1982) THE IMMORTAL DOCTOR FATE #3 Mar. 1985 Cover artists: Keith Giffen and Gary Martin Editor: Nicola Cuti Reprints: • Dr. Fate in “American Gothic” from The Flash #310 (June 1982) • Dr. Fate in “Rogue Gods” from The Flash #311 (July 1982) • Dr. Fate in “Blood on the Sun” from The Flash #312 (Aug. 1982) • Dr. Fate in “Crimson Testament” from The Flash #313 (Sept. 1982) IRONWOLF Mar. 1987 Cover artist: Howard Chaykin Editor: Mike Gold Special features: • Text pieces by Mike Gold and Howard Chaykin Reprints:

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IronWolf in “IronWolf” from Weird Worlds #8 (Dec. 1973) IronWolf in “Though This Be Madness…” from Weird Worlds #9 (Feb. 1974) IronWolf in “Home World” from Weird Worlds #10 (Nov. 1974)

MAN-BAT VS. BATMAN #1 Dec. 1984 Cover artist: Neal Adams (reprinted from Detective Comics #402) Editor: Nicola Cuti Special feature: • Man-Bat pinup by Frank Robbins (reprinted from the cover of Detective Comics #429) Reprints: • Batman and Man-Bat in “Challenge of the Man-Bat” from Detective Comics #400 (June 1970) • Batman and Man-Bat in “Man or Bat?” from Detective Comics #402 (Aug. 1970) • Batman and Man-Bat in “Marriage: Impossible” from Detective Comics #407 (Jan. 1971) MANHUNTER SPECIAL #1 May 1984 Cover artist: Walt Simonson Editor: Roger Slifer Reprints: • “Manhunter: The Tale Behind the Tales” introduction by Archie Goodwin from Manhunter: The Complete Saga! (1979) • Manhunter in “The Himalayan Incident” from Detective Comics #437 (Oct.–Nov. 1973) • Manhunter in “The Manhunter File” from Detective Comics #438 (Dec. 1973–Jan. 1974) • Manhunter in “The Resurrection of Paul Kirk” from Detective Comics #439 (Feb.–Mar. 1974) • Manhunter in “Rebellion!” from Detective Comics #440 (Apr.– May 1974) • Manhunter in “Cathedral Perilous” from Detective Comics #441 (June–July 1974) • Manhunter in “To Duel the Master” from Detective Comics #442 (Aug.–Sept. 1974) • Batman and Manhunter in “Gotterdammerung” from Detective Comics #443 (Oct.–Nov. 1974) NEW GODS #1 June 1984 Cover artists: Jack Kirby and Mike Thibodeaux Editor: Nicola Cuti Special feature: • “The Source” text piece by Mark Evanier Reprints: • New Gods in “Orion Fights For Earth!” from New Gods #1 (Feb.–Mar. 1971) • New Gods in “O’ Deadly Darkseid” from New Gods #2 (Apr.–May 1971)

NEW GODS #2 July 1984 Cover artists: Jack Kirby and Mike Royer Editor: Nicola Cuti Special feature: • “The Source” text piece by Mark Evanier Reprints: • New Gods in “Death is the Black Racer!” from New Gods #3 (June–July 1971) • New Gods in “O’Ryan Gang and the Deep Six” from New Gods #4 (Aug.–Sept. 1971) NEW GODS #3 Aug. 1984 Cover artists: Jack Kirby and Mike Royer Editor: Nicola Cuti Reprints: • New Gods in “Spawn” from New Gods #5 (Oct.–Nov. 1971) • New Gods in “The Glory Boat!” from New Gods #6 (Dec. 1971–Jan. 1972) NEW GODS #4 Sept. 1984 Cover artists: Jack Kirby and Mike Royer Editor: Nicola Cuti Special feature: • “The Source” text piece by Mark Evanier Reprints: • New Gods in “The Pact!” from New Gods #7 (Feb.–Mar. 1972) • New Gods in “The Death Wish of Terrible Turpin!” from New Gods #8 (Apr.–May 1972) NEW GODS #5 Oct. 1984 Cover artists: Jack Kirby and Mike Royer Editor: Nicola Cuti Reprints: • New Gods in “The Bug!” from New Gods #9 (June–July 1972) • New Gods in “Earth—the Doomed Dominion” from New Gods #10 (Aug.–Sept. 1972) NEW GODS #6 Nov. 1984 Cover artists: Jack Kirby and Mike Royer Editor: Nicola Cuti Special feature: • “Kirby on Survival” text piece by Jack Kirby New story: • New Gods in “Even Gods Must Die!” Reprints: • New Gods in “Darkseid and Sons!” from New Gods #11 (Oct.–Nov. 1972) ROOTS OF THE SWAMP THING #1 July 1986 Cover artist: Berni Wrightson Editor: Barbara Randall

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Special feature: • 1-page biography of Len Wein Reprints: • Swamp Thing in “Dark Genesis!” from Swamp Thing #1 (Oct.–Nov. 1972) • Swamp Thing in “The Man Who Wanted Forever” from Swamp Thing #2 (Dec. 1972–Jan. 1973) ROOTS OF THE SWAMP THING #2 Aug. 1986 Cover artist: Berni Wrightson (reprinted from Swamp Thing #3) Editor: Barbara Randall Special feature: • 1-page biography of Berni Wrightson Reprints: • Swamp Thing in “The Patchwork Man” from Swamp Thing #3 (Feb.–Mar. 1973) • Swamp Thing in “Monster on the Moors!” from Swamp Thing #4 (Apr.–May 1973) • Introductory pages from House of Mystery #203 (June 1972) and House of Mystery #206 (Sept. 1972) ROOTS OF THE SWAMP THING #3 Sept. 1986 Cover artist: Berni Wrightson (reprinted from Swamp Thing #5) Editor: Barbara Randall Special features: • “Special Swamp Thing Commentary” text piece by Alan Moore; 1-page Joe Orlando biography Reprints: • Swamp Thing in “The Last of the Ravenwind Witches!” from Swamp Thing #5 (July–Aug. 1973) • Swamp Thing in “A Clockwork Horror” from Swamp Thing #6 (Sept.–Oct. 1973) • “Night Prowler!” from House of Mystery #191 (Mar.–Apr. 1971) ROOTS OF THE SWAMP THING #4 Oct. 1986 Cover artist: Berni Wrightson (reprinted from Swamp Thing #7) Editor: Barbara Randall Reprints: • Swamp Thing in “Night of the Bat” from Swamp Thing #7 (Nov.–Dec. 1973) • Swamp Thing in “The Lurker in Tunnel 13!” from Swamp Thing #8 (Jan.–Feb. 1974) • “He Who Laughs Last…” from House of Mystery #221 (Jan. 1974) ROOTS OF THE SWAMP THING #5 Nov. 1986 Cover artist: Berni Wrightson (reprinted from Swamp Thing #9) Editor: Barbara Randall Reprints: • Swamp Thing in “The Stalker From Beyond!” from Swamp Thing #9 (Mar.–Apr. 1974) • Swamp Thing in “The Man Who Would Not Die!” from Swamp Thing #10 (May–June 1974)

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Swamp Thing in “Swamp Thing” from House of Secrets #92 (June–July 1971)

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THE SAGA OF RA’S AL GHUL #1 Jan. 1988 Cover artists: Jerry Bingham and Dick Giordano Editor: Julius Schwartz Reprints: • Batman in “…Into The Den of the Death-Dealers!” from Detective Comics #411 (May 1971) • Batman in “Daughter of the Demon” from Batman #232 (Jun. 1971) • El Diablo in “Night of the Living Dead!” from Weird Western Tales #13 (Aug.–Sept. 1972) THE SAGA OF RA’S AL GHUL #2 Feb. 1988 Cover artists: Jerry Bingham and Dick Giordano Editor: Julius Schwartz Reprints: • Batman in “Swamp Sinister” from Batman #235 (Sept. 1971) • Batman in “Vengeance for a Dead Man!” from Batman #240 (Mar. 1972) • Batman in “The Secret of the Waiting Graves” from Detective Comics #395 (Jan. 1970) THE SAGA OF RA’S AL GHUL #3 Mar. 1988 Cover artists: Jerry Bingham and Dick Giordano Editor: Julius Schwartz Reprints: • Batman in “Bruce Wayne— Rest in Peace!” from Batman #242 (Jun. 1972) • Batman in “The Lazarus Pit!” from Batman #243 (Aug. 1972) • “The Widow’s Walk” from House of Mystery #179 (Mar.–Apr. 1969) THE SAGA OF RA’S AL GHUL #4 Apr. 1988 Cover artists: Neal Adams and Rudy Nebres Editor: Julius Schwartz Reprints: • Batman in “The Demon Lives Again!” from Batman #244 (Sept. 1972) • Batman in “The Bruce Wayne Murder Case!” from Batman #245 (Oct. 1972) • Batman in “A Vow from the Grave!” from Detective Comics #410 (Apr. 1971) SHADOW OF THE BATMAN #1 Dec. 1985 Cover artist: Marshall Rogers Editor: Julius Schwartz Reprints: • Batman in “…By Death’s Eerie Light!” from Detective Comics #469 (May 1977)

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Batman in “The Origin of Dr. Phosphorus” from Detective Comics #469 (May 1977) Batman in “The Master Plan of Dr. Phosphorus!” from Detective Comics #470 (June 1977) “Hell Park” from House of Mystery #274 (Nov. 1979)

SHADOW OF THE BATMAN #2 Jan. 1986 Cover artist: Marshall Rogers Editor: Julius Schwartz Reprints: • Batman in “The Dead Yet Live” from Detective Comics #471 (Aug. 1977) • Batman in “I Am the Batman!” from Detective Comics #472 (Sept. 1977) • Tales of the Great Disaster in “A Canterbury Tail” from Weird War Tales #51 (Mar. 1977) SHADOW OF THE BATMAN #3 Feb. 1986 Cover artist: Marshall Rogers Editor: Julius Schwartz Reprints: • Batman in “The Malay Penguin!” from Detective Comics #473 (Nov. 1977) • Batman in “The Deadshot Ricochet” from Detective Comics #474 (Dec. 1977) • Tales of the Great Disaster in “Calamity from the Clyde” from Weird War Tales #52 (Apr. 1977) SHADOW OF THE BATMAN #4 Mar. 1986 Cover artist: Marshall Rogers Editor: Julius Schwartz Special feature: • “It was a Dark (but not stormy) Knight…” text piece by Steve Englehart Reprints: • Batman in “The Laughing Fish!” from Detective Comics #475 (Feb. 1978) • Batman in “Sign of the Joker!” from Detective Comics #476 (Mar.–Apr. 1978) • “Viewpoints” from Mystery in Space #111 (Sept. 1980) SHADOW OF THE BATMAN #5 Apr. 1986 Cover artist: Marshall Rogers Editor: Julius Schwartz Reprints: • Batman in “The Coming of …

Clayface III!” from Detective Comics #478 (July–Aug. 1978) • Batman in “If a Man Be Made of Clay…!” from Detective Comics #479 (Sept.–Oct. 1978) • “The Devil’s Plague” from House of Mystery #254 (Sept.–Oct. 1977) WRATH OF THE SPECTRE! #1 May. 1988 Cover artist: Jim Aparo Editor: Robert Greenberger Special feature:

•

“The Four Lives of… the Spectre!” text piece by Peter Sanderson Reprints: • The Spectre in “The Wrath of … the Spectre” from Adventure Comics #431 (Jan.–Feb. 1974) • The Spectre in “The Anguish of … the Spectre” from Adventure Comics #432 (Mar.–Apr. 1974) • The Spectre in “The Swami and … the Spectre” from Adventure Comics #433 (May–June 1974) • The Adventurers’ Club in “The Adventurers’ Club” from Adventure Comics #426 (Feb. 1973) WRATH OF THE SPECTRE! #2 June 1988 Cover artist: Jim Aparo Editor: Robert Greenberger Special feature: • “The Dark Justice of … the Spectre!” text piece by Peter Sanderson Reprints: • The Spectre in “The Nightmare Dummies and … the Spectre” from Adventure Comics #434 (July–Aug. 1974) • The Spectre in “The Man Who Stalked … the Spectre” from Adventure Comics #435 (Sept.–Oct. 1974) • The Spectre in “The Gasmen and … the Spectre” from Adventure Comics #436 (Nov.–Dec. 1974) WRATH OF THE SPECTRE! #3 July 1988 Cover artist: Jim Aparo Editor: Robert Greenberger Special feature: • “The Wrath Against … the Spectre!” text piece by Peter Sanderson Reprints: • The Spectre in “The Human Bombs and … the Spectre” from Adventure Comics #437 (Jan.–Feb. 1975) • The Spectre in “The Spectre Haunts the Museum of Fear” from Adventure Comics #438 (Mar.–Apr. 1975) • The Spectre in “The Voice That Doomed … the Spectre” from Adventure Comics #439 (May–June 1975) • The Spectre in “The Second Death of the … Spectre” from Adventure Comics #440 (July–Aug. 1975) WRATH OF THE SPECTRE! #4 Aug. 1988 Cover artist: Jim Aparo Editor: Robert Greenberger Special feature: • “The Sudden End of … the Spectre!” text piece by Peter Sanderson New stories: • The Spectre in “The Arson Fiend and … the Spectre!”

• The Spectre in “The Maniac and … the Spectre!”

• The Spectre in “The Voodoo Hag of Doom!”

Reprints: • “The Demon Within!” from House of Mystery #201 (Apr. 1972)

TM & © DC Comics.

DC Bronze Age Giants and Reprints

•

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SHIPPING IN JULY: THE INCREDIBLE HERB TRIMPE

From running the first photostat machine at Marvel Comics to being the first to illustrate Wolverine, no other member of the Marvel Bullpen has had such a varied and remarkable career as HERB TRIMPE. He drew licensed characters based on toys such as G.I. Joe, Godzilla, and Transformers, which went on to become blockbuster movies. He drew runs of super-heroes like Iron Man, Defenders, Captain Britain, and even Marvel’s flagship character Spider-Man. But he’s best known for his definitive eightyear stint drawing the INCREDIBLE HULK. This book chronicles the life and art of Trimpe through his own voice, as well as the voices of friends and colleagues like STAN LEE, TOM DEFALCO, ROY THOMAS, JOHN ROMITA, BILL PECKMANN, SAL BUSCEMA, JOE SINNOTT, LARRY HAMA, DOUG MOENCH, ELIOT BROWN, LEN WEIN, RON FRENZ, STEVE ENGLEHART, and his son ALEX TRIMPE. Their testimony to his talent and his legacy of artwork leave no wonder why he has been dubbed “The Incredible Herb Trimpe.” By DEWEY CASSELL and AARON SULTAN. SHIPS JULY 2015!

(160-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $34.95 (Digital Edition) $7.95 • ISBN: 9781605490625

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JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR (4 issues)

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ALTER EGO (8 issues)

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KIRBY COLLECTOR #65

BRICKJOURNAL #35

BACK ISSUE #82

BACK ISSUE #83

BACK ISSUE #84

History in LEGO Bricks! LEGO pro RYAN McNAUGHT on his LEGO Pompeii and other projects, military builder DAN SISKIND on his BrickMania creations, and LASSE VESTERGARD about his historical building, JARED K. BURKS on minifigure customizing, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons by DAMIEN KEE, and more!

“Bronze Age Events!” With extensive coverage of the Avengers/Defenders War, JLA/JSA crossovers, Secret Wars, Crisis’ 30th anniversary, Legends, Millennium, Invasion, Infinity Gauntlet, and more! Featuring the work of SAL BUSCEMA, DICK DILLIN, TODD McFARLANE, GEORGE PÉREZ, JOE STATON, LEN WEIN, MARV WOLFMAN, MIKE ZECK, and more. Plus an Avengers vs. Defenders cover by JOHN BYRNE.

“International Heroes!” Alpha Flight, the New X-Men, Global Guardians, Captain Canuck, and Justice League International, plus SpiderMan in the UK and more. Also: exclusive interview with cover artists STEVE FASTNER and RICH LARSON. Featuring the work of JOHN BYRNE, CHRIS CLAREMONT, DAVE COCKRUM, RICHARD COMELY, KEITH GIFFEN, KEVIN MAGUIRE, and more! Alpha Flight vs. X-Men cover by FASTNER/LARSON.

“Supergirl in the Bronze Age!” Her 1970s and 1980s adventures, including her death in Crisis on Infinite Earths and her many rebirths.

Plus: an ALAN BRENNERT interview, behind the scenes of the Supergirl movie starring HELEN SLATER, Who is Superwoman?, and a look at the DC Superheroes Water Ski Show.

With PAUL KUPPERBERG, ELLIOT MAGGIN, MARV WOLFMAN, plus a jam cover recreation of ADVENTURE COMICS #397!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships June 2015

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KIRBY COLLECTOR #66

ALTER EGO #134

ALTER EGO #135

ALTER EGO #136

ANYTHING GOES (AGAIN)! Another potpourri issue with a comparison of Jack Kirby’s work vs. the design genius of ALEX TOTH, a lengthy Kirby interview, a look at Kirby’s work with WALLY WOOD, MARK EVANIER and our other regular columnists, unseen and unused Kirby art from JIMMY OLSEN, KAMANDI, MARVELMANIA, Jack’s COMIC STRIP & ANIMATION WORK, and more!

DOUBLE-TAKES ISSUE! Features oddities, coincidences, and reworkings by both Jack and Stan Lee: the Galactus Origin you didn’t see, Ditko’s vs. Kirby’s Spider-Man, how Lee and Kirby viewed “writing” differently, plus a rare KIRBY radio interview with Stan, MARK EVANIER and our other regular columnists, unseen and unused pencil art from FANTASTIC FOUR, 2001, CAPTAIN VICTORY, BRUCE LEE, & more!

Celebrates SOL BRODSKY—Fantastic Four #3-4 inker, logo designer, and early Marvel production manager! With tributes by daughter and Marvel colorist JANNA PARKER, STAN LEE, HERB TRIMPE, STAN GOLDBERG, DAVID ANTHONY KRAFT, TONY ISABELLA, ROY THOMAS, and others! Plus FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT, BILL SCHELLY, and more! Cover portrait

by JOHN ROMITA!

LEN WEIN (writer/co-creator of Swamp Thing, Human Target, and Wolverine) talks about his early days in comics at DC and Marvel! Art by WRIGHTSON, INFANTINO, TRIMPE, DILLON, CARDY, APARO, THORNE, MOONEY, and others! Plus FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America), MR. MONSTER’s Comic Crypt, the Comics Code, and DAN BARRY! Cover by DICK GIORDANO with BERNIE WRIGHTSON!

BONUS 100-PAGE issue as ROY THOMAS talks to JIM AMASH about celebrating his 50th year in comics—and especially about the ‘90s at Marvel! Art by TRIMPE, GUICE, RYAN, ROSS, BUCKLER, HOOVER, KAYANAN, BUSCEMA, CHAN, VALENTINO, and others! Plus FCA, MR. MONSTER’s Comic Crypt, AMY KISTE NYBERG on the Comics Code, and a cover caricature of Roy by MARIE SEVERIN!

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DRAW! #31

FREE 2015 TWOMORROWS CATALOG

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #7 COMIC BOOK CREATOR #8 COMIC BOOK CREATOR #9

BERNIE WRIGHTSON interview on Swamp Thing, Warren Publishing, The Studio, Frankenstein, Stephen King, and designs for movies like Heavy Metal and Ghostbusters, and a gallery of Wrightson artwork! Plus 20th anniversary of Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror with BILL MORRISON; and interview Wolff and Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre's BATTON LASH, and more!

MIKE ALLRED and BOB BURDEN cover and interviews, “Reid Fleming, World’s Toughest Milkman” cartoonist DAVID BOSWELL interviewed, a chat with RICH BUCKLER, SR. about everything from Deathlok to a new career as surrealistic painter; plus the late STAN GOLDBERG speaks; the conclusion of our BATTON LASH interview; STAN LEE on his European comic convention tour, and more!

JOE STATON on his comics career (from E-MAN, to co-creating The Huntress, and his current stint on the Dick Tracy comic strip), plus we showcase the lost treasure GODS OF MOUNT OLYMPUS drawn by Joe! Plus, Part One of our interview with the late STAN GOLDBERG, why JOHN ROMITA, JR. is the best comic book artist working, we quiz PABLO MARCOS about the days of Marvel horror, plus HEMBECK!

How-to demos & interviews with Philadelphia artists JG JONES (52, Final Crisis, Wanted, Batman and Robin) and KHOI PHAM (The Mighty Avengers, The Astonishing SpiderMan, The Mighty World of Marvel), JAMAR NICHOLAS reviews of art supplies, JERRY ORDWAY demos the “ORD-way” or drawing, and Comic Art Bootcamp by MIKE MANLEY and BRET BLEVINS! JG Jones cover! Mature readers only.

Features all available back issues and books! Download the INTERACTIVE PDF DIGITAL EDITION (click on any item, and you’ll automatically be taken to its page on our website to order), or for a FREE PRINTED COPY, just call, e-mail, write us, or go online to request one, and we’ll mail it to you at no cost (customers outside the US pay a nominal shipping fee)!

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