If there's one thing that DC has loved to do over the years, it's to explore strange story avenues and then abandon them. In some ways, that's become their history ever since CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS--it feels that you can't go but a few years anymore until everything you've read is thrown out and they … Continue reading 5BC: Would You Believe Five More Forgotten DC Retcons
When she first arrived at DC as the new publisher, Jenette Kahn instituted a pet format that she hoped would help reverse DC's fortunes in the mainstream newsstand market: the Dollar Comic. As it said right in the name, a Dollar Comic cost a buck, but you got an awful lot of material for that … Continue reading BHOC: BATMAN FAMILY #17
Bought this issue of BATMAN FAMILY at my regular 7-11. I was reading the title regularly, the only BATMAN book I was following so routinely, and I can't actually tell you why. Maybe it was the format, possibly it was that I liked the Man-Bat solo stories. But I wasn't particularly a fan of either … Continue reading BHOC: BATMAN FAMILY #16
After a few false starts and doglegs, Dave Sim found his footing as his long-running Church and State storyline began to build up steam. Now paired with Gerhard, whose elaborate and expressive environments made the Earth-Pig's world more fully realized than ever, Sim was more free to focus on plot, character, world-building and even the … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Comics of 1985
I was regularly haunting the section of the Sachem Public Library that contained books on or about comics, not just for that elusive copy of ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS (which I never did find there) but also for anything else of interest. I took out and read a bunch of books from that section, many … Continue reading BHOC: ALL IN COLOR FOR A DIME
I bought this issue of BATMAN FAMILY on my regular travels to my local 7-11, as I was following the series regularly at this point, for whatever reason. I can't say that it was a particular favorite, and now that it was all-new, the appeal of those classic reprints was gone. I chalk it up … Continue reading BHOC: BATMAN FAMILY #15
I don’t really have any strong memories of this issue of BATMAN FAMILY, apart from the fact that I would have purchased it at my local 7-11. It was, I expect, a perfectly entertaining outing, but not one that was noteworthy in any way. And ever since DC had dropped their classic reprints in favor … Continue reading BHOC: BATMAN FAMILY #14
I don’t remember all that much about this issue of BATMAN FAMILY, in that at some point I traded it to my neighbor Johnny Rantinella for some other comic or comics I wanted more. This despite the fact that the issue featured one of my favorite Batman villains of the 1960s, the Outsider. I’ve written … Continue reading BHOC: BATMAN FAMILY #13
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
This was the first all-new issue of BATMAN FAMILY, eschewing reprints in favor of completely original content. I’m pretty sure that this was another comic book that my family had two copies of when my younger brother Ken subsequently bought a copy as well, something he would do from time to time for no earthly … Continue reading BHOC: BATMAN FAMILY #11
The Tom Brevoort Experience 