BHOC: SUPERMAN FAMILY #195

DC's Dollar Comics program didn't wind up being the industry game-changer that new publisher Jenette Kahn had hoped it would, but it was a format that the company pursued for several years and resulted in some decently-crafted anthologies. Case in point is SUPERMAN FAMILY, which was never a great comic book but which was a … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN FAMILY #195

BHOC: SUPERMAN #334

As much as you might have thought that it would, the public debut of SUPERMAN THE MOVIE didn't really do much of anything to change the contents or direction of the SUPERMAN comics. Oh, sure, Clark Kent was brought back into the Daily Planet as a reporter (in addition to his job as a WGBS … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN #334

BHOC: SUPERBOY AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #250

Despite having followed the series for a few issues now, I still wasn't entirely a convert to SUPERBOY AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES. For whatever reason, its stories of adventure in the far future with a veritable army of super-powered characters didn't grab me the way that other comics of the time did. In some … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERBOY AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #250

BHOC: BRAVE AND THE BOLD #149

Just before this issue of BRAVE AND THE BOLD came out, the second of the two prime time specials that are collectively known as LEGENDS OF THE SUPERHEROES premiered. In contrast with the first, which contained an actual adventure story, as hammy and embarrassing and ill-considered as it was, this second one was a full-on … Continue reading BHOC: BRAVE AND THE BOLD #149

BHOC: ACTION COMICS #494

So I was back in the habit of buying ACTION COMICS every month after a short hiatus that was motivated by I don't know what. It was always a reliable purchase: never the most exciting comic book in my stack, but always dependable for an enjoyable story. A bit of a disparity had begun to … Continue reading BHOC: ACTION COMICS #494

BHOC: UNCANNY X-MEN #120

It's pretty plain to see in retrospect that UNCANNY X-MEN was the best ongoing comic book series being produced during this time. It was in the middle of a run that's become legendary over time, the collaboration between Chris Claremont and John Byrne (with editor Roger Stern an important third leg of that triumvirate, and … Continue reading BHOC: UNCANNY X-MEN #120

BHOC: AVENGERS #182

That week, another issue of AVENGERS appeared at my local 7-11, and I picked it up without even much looking at it, as the book was on my regular buy list. Which is perhaps a good thing, because I don't know that this generic cover would have enticed me into completing the sale on its … Continue reading BHOC: AVENGERS #182

BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #165

I didn't know it at the time when this issue first came out, but this would be the final issue of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA edited by its founding editor, Julius Schwartz. He remained the last connection point with the series' origination, and his aesthetic definitely influenced the direction and the flavor of the comic … Continue reading BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #165

BHOC: THE FLASH #272

It had happened again. I had missed another issue of THE FLASH. Having never seen nor bought #269, now #271 proved elusive to me. And honestly, ever since my subscription had lapsed with issue #261, I was having the devil's own time following the book regularly. You might think this would have prompted me to … Continue reading BHOC: THE FLASH #272

BHOC: DETECTIVE COMICS #483

For almost the entirety of its run, I had been a regular reader of BATMAN FAMILY. But during the famous DC Implosion, in which DC's publishing line was significantly pruned back, BATMAN FAMILY had been merged with DETECTIVE COMICS in an effort to keep the series that the company had been named after alive. Clearly, … Continue reading BHOC: DETECTIVE COMICS #483