The Golden Age craze for super heroes only truly lasted a couple of years, immediately following the debut of Superman and the entry of the United States into World War II. That said, it was a genre that was virtually unique to comic books, and so fortune-minded publishers would continue to toy with it for … Continue reading Brand Echh – Captain Flash #1
This is the single greatest issue of SUPERMAN ever put together in the character's 80 year history. Closer to home, it's the special Anniversary issue that I'm always jockeying against in my own mind when it comes to put together a book of this sort for the Marvel characters. Of course, I fail to clear … Continue reading Perfect Game – SUPERMAN #400
I’ve owned three different copies of THE STERANKO HISTORY OF COMICS Volume 1 over the years. It’s an important milestone book in the development of the hobby, but it’s also more oversized magazine than book, with saddle-stitched binding and a cover that tended to crack down the spine and separate. It fell apart easily. For … Continue reading BHOC: THE STERANKO HISTORY OF COMICS
This issue of BATMAN FAMILY featured the culmination of writer Bob Rozakis’ short Joker’s Daughter mystery, a storyline that would hereafter continue into the pages of TEEN TITANS. I picked this one up at my usual 7-11 back in the day–I was a regular reader of the series at this point, the only Batman title … Continue reading BHOC: BATMAN FAMILY #9
My youngest brother Mike was born at around the time I got this Treasury Edition, which might even explain why I got both this one and the previous SUPER-VILLAINS one, either as an affirmation of parental love in the face of a new arrival, or simply as a way of keeping me entertained as bigger, … Continue reading BHOC: LIMITED COLLECTORS’ EDITION #C-44
The Treasury Edition became the format of choice for my Father, who would occasionally bring me home a comic book from one of his frequent cigarette runs. It wasn’t long before this BATMAN treasury edition appeared. The Neal Adams figure used for this cover was only a few months old, but was dramatic as hell, … Continue reading BHOC: LIMITED COLLECTORS’ EDITION #C-25
While I was waiting for my copy of the ACTION COMICS #1 Treasury Edition, I got this 100-Page issue of BATMAN. This book too wound up getting thrown out, so I must have had it before whatever moment set my father off and doomed my small comic book collection. Consequently, because I only had it … Continue reading BHOC: BATMAN #255
Impossible to say for certain who drew this iconic beauty. It’s signed by Bob Kane, and he may have even laid it out. But it’s more likely that assistants and ghosts such as Jerry Robinson and George Roussos had a greater hand in it. Either way, you couldn’t ask for a more classic image to … Continue reading Great Covers – BATMAN #1
Possibly the quintessential BATMAN cover of the 1940s, by Fred Ray and Jerry Robinson. This image was strong enough for it to have been reused seven issues later, albeit with some other elements added in. It’s got great drama, and also illustrates the essential contrast between the shadowy Batman and the bright and carnival-style Robin.
As preserved in the personal art collection of Batman great Jerry Robinson, here’s the original artwork to that Fred Ray SUPERMAN cover.
The Tom Brevoort Experience 