BHOC: FLASH #252

Boy, that’s an ugly cover. The idea is sound, but the anatomy is all over the place. And the Flash’s weird expression makes the whole thing look comical, and not in a good way. (There’s also a criminal escaping with a bag of money with a dollar sign on it, but I’m going to let … Continue reading BHOC: FLASH #252

BHOC: DC SPECIAL #29

The arrival of this issue of DC SPECIAL was the second part of a one-two origin punch that began with the origin of the Justice League about a month earlier in JLA 144. I loved these two comics, their sense of history, their primal secrets revealed for the first time. It doesn’t hurt that both … Continue reading BHOC: DC SPECIAL #29

BHOC: SUPERMAN #314

Picked this issue of SUPERMAN up at my trusty 7-11. It was the final chapter in a four-part epic that I remember really enjoying, though its age is showing a bit around the edges as i look back at it. The cover was a collaboration between Superman mainstay artist Curt Swan and industry powerhouse Neal … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN #314

BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #145

The mailman brought my subscription copy of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, another oversized installment in writer Steve Englehart’s excellent year-long run. Having left Marvel behind, Englehart agreed to do a year’s worth of Justice League stories for DC, and negotiated that they be of extra-length so that he could service the huge cast the series … Continue reading BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #145

BHOC: BLUE BEETLE #3

Two-Guys was a low-rent department store chain in the New York area in the 1970s–something of an equivalent to K-Mart years later. Because it was cheaper than most regular department stores in our area, albeit just a bit shabbier, my family shopped there frequently. And tat’s where I first came across Modern Comics. These were … Continue reading BHOC: BLUE BEETLE #3

BHOC: ACTION COMICS #473

Got this comic not at the 7-11 but rather the small candy store down the row from my barber, which carried a very small selection of titles, mostly Superman and Batman books. I can remember gripping the corner of the cover so much during the bike ride home that I left an impression in the … Continue reading BHOC: ACTION COMICS #473

BHOC: ALL-STAR COMICS #67

Now, this was an important comic book in my own personal development that had noting to do with its contents. But this issue of ALL-STAR COMICS was the first comic that I bought for myself at our neighborhood 7-11 after finally being given permission to cross the multi-lane thoroughfare Horseblock Road in order to get … Continue reading BHOC: ALL-STAR COMICS #67

BHOC: BATMAN FAMILY #12

The next comic I bought was a regular on my list: BATMAN FAMILY. The switch-over to all-new material hadn’t dampened my enthusiasm for big, oversized comics. This lovely Jim Aparo cover is a hair deceptive, though–indicating that Robin, Batgirl and Man-Bat will all be sharing linked stories in this issue, which wasn’t the case. But … Continue reading BHOC: BATMAN FAMILY #12

BHOC: FLASH #251

The arrival of a subscription copy was a welcome event all through my childhood, and so the appearance of FLASH #251 was no exception. This is one of the better covers of this era–doing a color knock-out on Iris helps to cement focus more clearly on the Flash and the Golden Glider, rather than Iris’s … Continue reading BHOC: FLASH #251

BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #144

Now this was and is a favorite comic book of mine. This issue of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA arrived in the mail via subscription. I’d been seeing ads for it for a week or two in other books, so I was primed for it. And it did not disappoint. It was one of two comics … Continue reading BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #144