Sunday, January 03, 2021

Comics on the Shelf -- DC-1

My comic book collection is all about the comics that I had (or would have had in a perfect world) as a kid. My planned collection contains books published in a 10 year period between 1974 to 1983. All told, when I am done, I will have 2000 comic books.

For now, as part of my "on the shelf" series, I will talk about the books that I've bought so far. Obviously, (or maybe not so obviously -- it is me, after all) I won't talk about every comic on the shelf. There are far too many for that. I'll just hit, what are for me, the high points, thus far.

On the DC-1 Shelf are issues of Action Comics, Adventure Comics,  All-Star Comics, All Star Squadron, Aquaman, and Batman.


I have Action Comics #480-500. I love the 4 issue story arc in #480-483 that pits Superman against the super android: Amazo, and features the Supermobile!


Adventure Comics #435 features the Spectre with amazing art by Jim Aparo, and the Aquaman backup is the first solo appearance of Aquaman in my collection. I have Adventure #435-466. This spans Aquaman's first solo appearance and carries through the title's Dollar Comics phase. I LOVE all things Dollar Comics, and I am choosing Adventure’s first Dollar Comics issue to feature.


All-Star Comics #57 was published in March of 1951. My run begins with #58 published in February of 1976 - 25 years later! I have every issue published until the series was canceled with #74 in October of 1978. The series survived for only 17 issues. My favorite issue has to be the first one. #58 featured a cover by Mike Grell, interior art by the immortal Wally Wood, and it introduced the world to Power Girl!


All Star Squadron is the spiritual successor to All Star Comics. These issues feature early art by the amazing Jerry Ordway. Of the ones that I currently own, I am going to pick issue #15 as my favorite. It’s part of an epic multi-part crossover between the Justice League of America, the Justice Society, and the All Star Squadron! The issue is inked by the aforementioned Mr. Ordway, and features a cover by Joe Kubert!


Aquaman graduated from the pages of Adventure Comics for a short span. (Adventure changed to feature Superboy.) The run is very short, #57-63 (7 issues.) When Adventure switched to the Dollar Comic format, Aquaman returned to those pages. For my favorite of these, I pick #58. It has great art by Jim Aparo for the lead story. It features a flashback retelling of Aquaman’s origin, and it has the first part of a backup story starring: Mera, with art by Juan Ortiz and Vince Colletta.


Only 4 issues of Batman on this shelf, #287-290. These issues feature 2 two-issue stories by David V. Reed and drawn by Mike Grell. Hard to pick a favorite among these as they are all four excellent issues. I will pick #287 because it features the Penguin, and that cover is outlandish!
 

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