As the 1940s transitioned into the 1950s, the heyday of the typical costumed super hero appeared to be in its twilight. While big marquee characters such as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman continued to post sufficient sales to continue in their respective titles, all across the field, other less fortunate crusaders were hanging up their … Continue reading The First Silver Age DC Super Hero
From a fan engagement point of view, there was probably no more galvanizing comic book at the start of the Silver Age of Comics than JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA. Fans--particular Dr. Jerry Bails, who pretty much founded super hero fandom with his associate Roy Thomas--had campaigned to get a new, updated version of the Justice … Continue reading WC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #18
During that first excursion to Ed's Coins and Stamps, I did what I always tended to do in these situations: I bought the oldest issue of a key comic book series that I could afford. In this instance, that turned out to be THE FLASH #130, which was my oldest issue of the title for … Continue reading BHOC: THE FLASH #130
A good deal away from my family's home in Farmingville was the Sun-Vet Mall, situated at the intersection of Sunrise Highway and Veteran's Highway. It was too distant to be any sort of regular shopping destination for my parents, but they did wind up going there occasionally despite the distance--there must have been some specific … Continue reading BHOC: FLASH #179
It's been well covered over the years that in 1964, with sales flagging thanks to editor Jack Schiff clinging to an outdated approach to the character as the Silver Age blossomed, the reins of the Caped Crusader's two titles were handed over to editor Julie Schwartz, in the hopes that Schwartz, who'd had a lot … Continue reading WC: DETECTIVE COMICS #329
It's an argument that comes up every couple of months like clockwork, especially when some new film or television project is announced. There are always those that espouse that Batman, in order to be treated realistically, should carry and use a gun. And these people inevitably point to the character's earliest days as justification, talking … Continue reading When Batman Used A Gun
As usual, I picked up the new issue of SUPERMAN on my weekly trip down to my neighborhood 7-11, the main source for my regular comic book fix. Earlier, comic books had been more readily available in card and candy stores dotted around the area, but one by one, they had stopped carrying them, so … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN #328
If there was a super hero title during the Silver Age of Comics that organized comic book fandom just didn't care for, then WONDER WOMAN was that series. Year after year, it would be voted the title most in need of improvement, its silly and often hallucinatory stories not really appealing to the slightly-older fan … Continue reading WC: WONDER WOMAN #107
I picked up this new issue of ACTION COMICS on my weekly jaunt to the local 7-11 on Thursday when the new comics came in. It was the second-to=last issue that I purchased for a while. It's clear looking over the DC books of this period that the firm is still targeting a different audience … Continue reading BHOC: ACTION COMICS #487
I believe I picked up this issue of GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW during that same trip to Heroes World with my father after work. This was the first issue released since the DC Explosion, and much to my approval, a back-up series had been added featuring the original Green Lantern of Earth-2. I was a huge … Continue reading BHOC: GREEN LANTERN #108
The Tom Brevoort Experience 