Now that is a cover. You really have to wonder what the folks in charge of some of the comic books of this era were thinking when they commissioned such a piece. It’s certainly attention-getting, but only because it’s so downright weird. I picked up this issue of ACTION COMICS having already purchased and read … Continue reading BHOC: ACTION COMICS #469
Apropos of nothing except giving a sense of the timeframe, but shortly before I bought this issue of SUPERMAN, I saw the film ROCKY in theaters for the first time. It was the birthday party for my next door neighbor Johnny Rantinella, and among other festivities, a gaggle of kids were taken out to the … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN #311
Another subscription copy of the giant JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA run that Steve Englehart was producing with artist Dick Dillin. This issue in particular wasn’t really to my taste as a kid. Partly that’s because it’s a story that focuses on the Atom, Aquaman and the Elongated Man almost exclusively, and while I liked all … Continue reading BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #142
Subscription copy time! I can remember bringing this issue of FLASH and the previous one to school not too long after this–I recall it because, after talking them up and showing them around, some other kid wanted to subscribe, so, checking first that it wasn’t against a story page, I dutifully cut out the subscription … Continue reading BHOC: FLASH #249
Shortly afterwards, my mailman delivered my other subscription title, FLASH, which was also sporting a Neal Adams cover this month. It’s a pretty intense cover for this series not in keeping with the tone of the strip (or even this particular issue.) But it is extremely eye-catching and intriguing, which is the whole point. I’m … Continue reading BHOC: FLASH #246
In 1976, there wasn’t a more popular or elusive artist in all of comics than Neal Adams. I was only nine years old at the time, but even then I was aware of who he was, information gleaned from assorted letters page praise from awestruck fans. But by this point, it was a rare thing … Continue reading BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #138
Quite possibly at the same time that my brother Ken got yesterday’s copy of G.I. COMBAT, I bought this issue of DETECTIVE COMICS, thus beginning a short stint of regularly buying the title. Some of it, I’m sure, is that I knew the Signalman from a reprint in an issue of BATMAN FAMILY. Can you … Continue reading BHOC: DETECTIVE COMICS #466
My subscription copy of FLASH arrived next. It wasn’t an especially memorable issue. The thing I can recall the most is that somewhere–maybe the previous issue’s letters page–I had read the title of the story, “Who Put The Zing In The Flash” and intuited that perhaps we’d be getting a story that delved into mysteries and … Continue reading BHOC: FLASH #245
For whatever reason, after Len Wein did the Justice League/Justice Society crossover that brought back the Seven Soldiers of Victory, somebody–Julie Schwartz maybe–seemed to decide that it wasn’t enough to simply bring these two venerable teams together, there needed to be a third group. So this year, that group would be comprised of the heroes … Continue reading BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #135
Summer was upon us. I had finished Third Grade and had another seemingly-eternal vacation stretched out before me. Over at DC Comics, the first moves by new incoming Publisher Jenette Kahn began to appear on the comic book racks. This included the DCTV initiative. There were a number of programs based on properties controlled by … Continue reading BHOC: SHAZAM #25
The Tom Brevoort Experience 