This is a little bit of a cheat, but only a little bit in my eyes, as the crossover element in this story is big and prevalent, even though it doesn't quite entirely qualify as a bona fide crossover in the way most others do. As we've spoken about in the past, DC (then known … Continue reading Lost Crossovers: ADVENTURE COMICS #85
This issue of WORLD'S FINEST COMICS was another book that I borrowed from my grade school friend Donald Sims to read. I'm almost certain that it wasn't the lead story that made we want to experience it but rather the back-up reprint story. But we'll get there. At this time, WORLD'S FINEST COMICS had transitioned … Continue reading BC: WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #211
Virtually everybody who is a fan of comic books knows the story of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the young creators who came up with a character that became world-famous and changed the destiny of the entire industry, Superman, but who largely didn't get to profit from their own innovation. Most recountings of their story … Continue reading APPROVED COMICS #2 and the final collaboration between Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
It cannot be overstated just how amazing an impact was made by writer Alan Moore on comic books. He came along at exactly the right time, just as the Direct Sales Market was making it possible to do comic book stories with greater sophistication for a somewhat older audience. It was a rare thing for … Continue reading Perfect Game – SUPERMAN #423
Among the other comic books that I borrowed from my grade school friend Donald Sims in order to read them was WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #200. I was interested in it mostly due to my understanding of how centennial issues were managed: they always contained a seminal story for the series involved, and so they were … Continue reading BC: WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #200
SUPERMAN FAMILY was constantly a solid B-book, which is to say that the material contained therein never rose to the level of being a must-read. But it was a home to several well-crafted stories each issue, none of which was especially challenging. So it was a comfortable reading experience, assuming that you liked the world … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN FAMILY #196
I would occasionally venture over to my friend Don Sims' house across town, located several blocks behind my regular 7-11 haunt (which became a communal space for us on Thursdays) down on the access road that paralleled the Long Island Expressway. Don had a nice little collection of comic books, including a bunch that had … Continue reading BC: FOREVER PEOPLE #1
By 1936, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster had begun to contribute stories and features to the small line of comic books published by Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, a firm that eventually would grow into becoming DC Comics. While they'd had no success in getting anybody to bite on their sensational brainchild Superman, the pair paid the … Continue reading The Predecessors of Superman: Federal Men
This was another of the assorted comic books that my household ended up with two copies of. Not only did I pick the issue up the week it came out during my regular visit to the local 7-11, but my younger brother Ken also bought his own copy at some later point. I never entirely … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN #336
All throughout the years during which they were trying in vain to locate a buyer for their grand opus character Superman, partners Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster paid the bills by working on a variety of other features, primarily for National Allied Publications/Detective Comics Inc. Thee included such features as Slam Bradley, Spy, Radio Men,/Calling … Continue reading The Predecessors of Superman: Dr. Occult/Dr. Mystic
