Tag Archives: Carmine Infantino

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Essential Ms. Marvel Vol. 1

Essential Ms. Marvel Vol. 1

First Published: February 2007

Contents: Ms. Marvel #1 (January 1977) to #23 (April 1979); Marvel Super-Heroes Magazine #10 (July 1992) and #11 (October 1992); and Avengers Annual #10 (1981)

Key Creator Credits: Gerry Conway, John Buscema, Chris Claremont, Jim Mooney, Sal Buscema, Carmine Infantino, Dave Cockrum, Mike Vosburg, Michael Golden, and others

Key First Appearances: Ms. Marvel, Destructor, Frank Gianelli, Tracy Burke, Deathbird, Raven Darkholme/Mystique, Rogue

Story Continues In: Essential Avengers Vol. 8

Overview: Welcome to a new era in Marvel Comics, as we dive into the adventures of Ms. Marvel. Longtime Marvel readers should already be familiar with Carol Danvers, a security officer at a military base when Captain Marvel first landed on Earth. (It will be several months before I get around to reviewing Essential Captain Marvel Vol. 1 where we see her debut, so take my word on this.)  In Captain Marvel #18, Carol is caught up in an explosion with the Kree captain. As a result, Carol Danver’s DNA now contains Kree DNA, which means she now has the same powers as Captain Marvel – superhuman strength, endurance, the ability to fly, and a precognitive sense. When Carol blacks out, her body undergoes a transformation and appears in costume (and with a new hairdo) as Ms. Marvel.

When our book starts, Carol Danvers has left the security world behind to become a magazine editor, working for the most bombastic publisher in New York City, J. Jonah Jameson. He is wanting to launch a women’s magazine and hires Danvers to oversee the publication. Being in New York puts her right in the middle of everything going on in the Marvel Universe. She crosses paths with Spider-Man and the Avengers, eventually becoming a member of that team.

While Ms. Marvel does face off against some traditional Marvel villains such as M.O.D.O.K., the Scorpion, and Tiger Shark, she also faced off against new characters created for her book. While some were lame (Steeplejack, anyone?), two new ones would come to the plague the X-Men for years. In issue #9, we meet Deathbird, who would later be revealed to be the older sister of Princess Lilandra of the Shi’ar Empire. But the big baddie came in issue #16 when the shape-shifter Mystique is introduced. Mystique will kill Carol’s boyfriend, Dr. Michael Barnett, whose murder will not be “solved” for 13 years (see Footnotes below).

What makes this Essential?: This should be an important book, more important than how it is viewed. The Carol Danvers character has been active in the Marvel Universe since her debut in 1968. Ms. Marvel was the first of four female-led books that Marvel launched in the late 1970s/early 1980s, all of which would go on to be major characters for Marvel. Outside of the first three issues, this book is written by Chris Claremont, who has proven to be one of Marvel’s best writers ever.

So why isn’t this better received or appreciated? Well, my first thought is that she is ignored because she is a derivative character. Following the lead of DC’s Supergirl and Batgirl, Ms. Marvel is a female copy of Captain Marvel. I think a lot of readers approach derivative characters just as a money grab from the publishers, who believe that readers will follow the costume regardless who is wearing the costume. That leads to my second thought – Ms. Marvel’s costume. For her first costume, she wore full-length sleeves, but bare legs, back, and belly. Her second costume was a little better – a one-piece swimsuit with a sash, thigh-high boots, and gloves that went up past the elbow. I realize that these are just characters, primarily created by men, and the goal is to sell comics, which are primarily purchased by men and boys. But neither of these outfits was extremely practical in the heat of battle nor are they necessarily appropriate for a character billed as such a strong feminist. 

Footnotes: Ms. Marvel was canceled following issue #23, despite a blurb for issue #24 (and presumed issue #25). The final stories were eventually printed in 1992 in Marvel Super-Heroes Magazine. The stories in this Essential volume are printed in story-order, so Avengers Annual #10 is printed after the Marvel Super-Heroes stories, even though it came out 10 years earlier. In addition, the cover art for issue #24 is included in this volume.

If Ms. Marvel #25 had been published, that would have been the first appearance of Rogue, Destiny, Pyro, Avalanche, and the Hellfire Club. It even establishes that Carol Danvers is friends with Wolverine. With the exception of Rogue, Chris Claremont would later introduce those other characters in the pages of Uncanny X-Men.

Avengers Annual #10 was also reprinted in Essential X-Men Vol. 3.

Prior to reading Avengers Annual #10 in this Essential, readers are advised/encouraged to read Ms. Marvel’s adventures as a member of the Avengers. In particular, Avengers #200 (which can be found in Essential Avengers Vol. 9) is a must read for the proper understanding of the events of Avengers Annual #10.

If you like this volume, try: the Ultra mini-series from Image Comics. Created by the Luna Brothers, Ultra tells the story of three super-heroines who work to protect Spring City. Pearl Penalosa aka Ultra is the main star of the title and in the city. She’s beautiful and rich, but sadly single, having thrown herself into her career. How in the world does anyone find time to meet someone, much less date, when the city is in constant danger. What stood out for me were the covers to the individual eight issues – each one was modeled after a popular magazine, such as Time, Rolling Stone, People, Wired, and others. This was the breakout debut for Josh and Jon Luna, who would go on to do other series for Image Comics such as Girls and The Sword. Ultra is still available as a trade paperback, but I believe the back issues could still be easily found in the back-issue bins.

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Essential Nova Vol. 1

Essential Nova Vol. 1

First Published: March 2006

Contents: Nova #1 (September 1976) to #25 (May 1979); Amazing Spider-Man #171 (August 1977); and Marvel Two-in-One Annual #3 (1978)

Key Creator Credits: Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, John Buscema, Sal Buscema, Carmine Infantino, Gene Colan, Ross Andru, and others

Key First Appearances: Richard Rider/Nova, Charles Rider, Gloria Rider, Robert Rider, Ginger Jaye, Bernie Dillon, Caps Cooper, Condor, Powerhouse, Diamondhead, Corruptor, Sphinx, Blackout

Story Continues In: Sadly, Nova ended with issue #25 with plenty of plot threads unanswered. Many of those were resolved in the pages of Fantastic Four #206 to #214 and in ROM #24.

Overview:  Meet Rhomann Dey, a dying member of the Nova Corps, a police force from the planet Xander. Piloting his spaceship to Earth, Dey is pursued by the villainous Zorr the Conqueror. Knowing that he has little time left, Dey scans Earth to find a replacement to transfer his powers. So, meet Richard Rider, just your average teenager in the outskirts of New York City. Trying to enjoy an ice cream sundae with his girlfriend Ginger, Rider is struck by an energy beam from space. Rider wakes up later in the hospital to discover he can shoot energy beams from his eyes and now has incredible intelligence. When he concentrates, his outfit changes to the costume of the Nova Corps, complete with the bucket helmet. So what do you do when you’ve been given powers from an alien? You become Nova, America’s newest teenage super-hero.

Now, every good superhero needs a rogue’s gallery, and Nova finds himself trading blows with the likes of Powerhouse, Condor, Diamondhead, the Corruptor, and the Sphinx. He even crossed paths with long-standing villains, such as the Sandman and the Yellow Claw. Throw in a crossover with everyone’s favorite web-slinging hero, and the newest member of the Marvel universe is set.

What makes this Essential?: Nova is an interesting character, first conceived by Wolfman and Wein in the mid-1960s. Finally seeing publication in the mid-1970s, the character of Nova was tweaked to be a new version of Spider-Man: a teenage super-hero in the suburbs of New York with an alliterative name (Peter Parker, meet Richard Rider). Given his own set of re-occurring villains, Nova had to juggle the demands on his time – completely homework, hiding his dual identity from his family, and saving the world at least once a week. And yes, his origin does owe a tip of the hat to the Silver Age Green Lantern.

Like many other titles that debuted in this era, Nova may not have been the commercial success out of the gate like Amazing Spider-Man was a decade earlier, but the character did connect with a fan base. As some of those members of the fan base entered the comic book industry, they brought back into focus the characters they grew up with, leading to the Nova revival in the 1990s and 2000s.

So, the stories in this volume are adequate. A lot of them do feel like a rehash of the Lee-Ditko Amazing Spider-Man issues of years past. What makes this Essential, and why it should be read, is the legacy it built for the next generation of comic book creators and readers.

Footnotes: Nova #12 and Amazing Spider-Man #171 were also reprinted in Essential Spider-Man Vol. 8.

Marvel Two-in-One Annual #3 is also reprinted in Essential Marvel Two-in-One Vol. 2.

If you like this volume, try: the new Nova series by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. Based on the Nova character introduced in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon, Sam Alexander is a young teenager growing up in Carefree, Arizona. His father has been missing for years; maybe he was out on another drunken binge, or maybe he was serving in the galactic Nova Corps. Sam’s life is turned upside down when he receives a visit from Rocket and Gamora from the Guardians of the Galaxy, offering Sam his dad’s Nova Corps helmet. Suddenly, Sam is a teenage super=hero. This is a fun book that works for all ages. I have been reading this book to my kids each month, and my son is a big “Buckethead” fan. This has been collected in hardcover and trade paperback, making it easily accessible however you choose to read it.

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Showcase Presents Adam Strange Vol. 1

Showcase Presents Adam Strange Vol. 1

First Published: August 2007

Contents: Showcase #17 (November-December 1958) to #19 (March-April 1959), Adam Strange stories from Mystery in Space #53 (August 1959) to #84 (June 1963)

Key Creator Credits: Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, Carmine Infantino

Key First Appearances: Adam Strange, Rann, Alanna, Sardath, Tornado Tyrant, Dust Devil

Overview: Deep in the heart of the Peruvian jungle, archaeologist Adam Strange is struck by a Zeta-Beam, and transported 25 trillion miles across space to the planet Rann. There he meets the lovely Alanna and her father Sardath, and is immediately thrown into a crisis that threatens the planet. Adam Strange steps up to save the day, becoming the hero of the planet. But before he can collect any kind of reward, Adam Strange is teleported back to Earth as the Zeta-Beam wears off, and now must wait three weeks before he can intercept the next Zeta-Beam in order to return to Rann.

Each story follows a basic formula — Adam Strange rushes to a point in the southern hemisphere to intercept the Zeta-Beam, often having to avoid a last second obstacle; once on Rann, he immediately encounters a new danger that threatens his adopted planet, which he valiantly triumphs over; and then finds himself returning to Earth before he has a chance to spend time with Alanna.

As predictable as the story formula may be, these are fun adventures each month. Pure science-fiction from its peak of popularity in the 1950s. Borrowing equal parts of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, Adam Strange becomes a hero using his knowledge of science to overcome a wide variety of alien races.

Why should these stories be Showcased?: There are numerous reasons why I should not like this book. I am not a huge fan of Carmine Infantino’s art style. I find the formulaic stories from this era too predictable. This is more a science-fiction book than a super-hero book. With all of that said, I really loved this Showcase. Adam Strange felt alive and full of energy. Gardner Fox builds a new universe of characters, and creates an ongoing continuity with the storyline, with past stories and characters coming back in later stories.

Footnotes: Adam Strange was the main feature in the Mystery in Space during this era, getting the cover and the lead story position each issue.

The character likeness of Sardath was modeled after DC editor Julie Schwartz, who took great pride in being used as a character in one of his books. Later on in life, Schwartz would issue an autobiography titled “Man of Two Worlds”, which is the tagline used with Adam Strange.

Showcase #17, #18, and #19 are also reprinted in Showcase Presents Showcase Vol. 1.

Mystery in Space #75 is also reprinted in Showcase Presents Justice League of America Vol. 1.

If you like this volume, try: the first space-travelling hero from Earth, with the John Carter, Warlord of Mars comic series from Marvel Comics published in the late 1970s. For those unfamiliar with John Carter, he was created in 1912 by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Set in the years following the Civil War, Virginian John Carter found himself transported from Earth to Mars, where he attracts the hand of the princess Dejah Thoris while fighting the various warring tribes on Mars. Burroughs’ series of John Carter novels has been adapted in various media, from Big Little Books to motion pictures. My personal favorite adaption is the Marvel series, written primarily by Marv Wolfman and Chris Claremont, and with art by Gil Kane, Dave Cockrum, and Ernie Colon, among others. The entire series takes place between two paragraphs of Burroughs’ first novel A Princess of Mars. This series has been collected twice in recent years — Marvel released an Omnibus volume in 2012, and Dark Horse Comics released their black and white version of an Omnibus in 2011.

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Essential Spider-Woman Vol. 1

Essential Spider-Woman Vol. 1

First Published: December 2005

Contents: Marvel Spotlight #32 (February 1977); Marvel Two-In-One #29 (July 1977) to #33 (November 1977); Spider-Woman #1 (April 1978) to #25 (April 1980)

Key Creator Credits: Marv Wolfman, Mark Gruenwald, Archie Goodwin, Sal Buscema, Carmine Infantino, Jim Mooney, Ron Wilson, and others

Key First Appearances: Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman, Jonathan Drew, Merriam Drew, Jerry Hunt, Magnus, Brothers Grimm, Madame Doll, Needle, Gypsy Moth, Lindsay McCabe, Scotty McDowell 

Story Continues In: Essential Spider-Woman Vol. 2

Overview:  Living with her parents near Wundagore Mountain, young Jessica Drew becomes deathly ill from uranium poisoning. Jessica’s father injects her with an experimental serum based on irradiated spiders’ blood to save her life, but it puts her into suspended animation while her body heals. When she comes out of it as a young adult, she finds that she has powers similar to that of a spider – climbing walls, gliding on wind currents, and a venom blast. Recruited by Hydra, Jessica Drew takes on the name of Spider-Woman and is assigned a task to kill Nick Fury. So begins the adventures of Marvel’s newest superhero!

Jessica eventually flips sides, and works for S.H.I.E.L.D. as a double agent, spying on Hydra. She gets involved in a convoluted adventure with the Thing in Marvel Two-In-One, which lead into Jessica getting her own title and returning back to the United States.

Early on in the series, Spider-Woman battles an assortment of macabre characters, such as Magnus, Morgana le Fay, and the Brothers Grimm. She develops a friendship with actress Lindsey McCabe, who would become a long-time companion even after this title ended. She also opens an investigation agency with Scotty McDowell, who does the office work from his wheelchair while Jessica does the leg work on the streets.

What makes this Essential?: My personal opinion is that this collection (and character) is a train wreck. “Spider-Woman” was created solely to protect Marvel from having an another comic book publisher creating a character with that name, by trying to sponge off of the Spider-Man property. (To protect other possible trademark infringement, other debuts in this era also include She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel.) Originally, Spider-Woman was to be a spider that had been evolved into a human – thankfully that origin went away. Despite the namesake, writers Marv Wolfman and Mark Gruenwald avoided using Spider-Man in a cameo appearance, although he finally did show up in issue #20 towards the end of Gruenwald’s run. Even though she wore a costume, this title felt more like a horror or monster book, along with the lines of Werewolf By Night or Tomb of Dracula. Despite all of these handicaps, the Spider-Woman character has survived and flourished over the years, most notably under the direction of Brian Michael Bendis in the pages of New Avengers.  If you are a big fan of Jessica Drew, consider getting this just to understand how far the character has come since she first debuted.

Footnotes: Marvel Two-In-One #29 to #32 are also reprinted in Essential Marvel Two-in-One Vol. 2.

Marvel Two-In-One #33 is also reprinted in Essential Marvel Two-in-One Vol. 2 and Essential Marvel Horror Vol. 2.

If you like this volume, try: reading the Alias series from Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos. Jessica Jones is a superhero turned private investigator. She went to high school with Peter Parker. As the superhero Jewel, she was once an Avenger. Now, life is just scraping by from one assignment to the next. Her circle of friends includes Luke Cage, Carol Danvers, and Jessica Drew. This series was part of the Marvel MAX line, which was designed to tell R-rated stories set within the Marvel Universe. The series ran for 28 issues and was replaced by the short-lived title The Pulse, which really was Alias without the MAX heading. Alias has been collected in multiple formats, including an Omnibus. Jessica Jones is one of the featured characters in the Marvel/Netflix deal, so catch up on Alias now.

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Showcase Presents Batgirl Vol. 1

First Published: July 2007

Contents: Batgirl stories from: Detective Comics #359 (January 1967), #363 (May 1967), #369 (November 1967), #371 (January 1968), #384 (February 1969), #385 (March 1969), #388 (June 1969), #389 (July 1969), #392 (October 1969), #393 (November 1969), #396 (February 1970), #397 (March 1970), #400 (June 1970), #401 (July 1970), #404 (October 1970) to #424 (June 1972); World’s Finest Comics #169 (September 1967) and #176 (June 1968); 
Batman #197 (December 1967) and #214 (August 1969); Justice League of America #60 (February 1968); The Brave and The Bold #78 (June-July 1968); Adventure Comics #381 (June 1969); Superman #268 (October 1973) and #279 (September 1974); and Superman Family #171 (June/July 1975)

Key Creator Credits: Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, Frank Robbins, Gil Kane, Don Heck, Curt Swan, Mike Friedrich, and others

Key First Appearances: Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, Jason Bard

Overview: Meet Barbara Gordon, librarian and daughter of Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon. With an invitation to the Gotham City Policeman’s Masquerade Ball, Barbara is making a female-fitting version of the Batman costume. While on the way to the ball, Barbara encounters a robbery in progress, and jumps in to stop the crime. Later on, she can’t stop thinking about the rush she experienced as a crime-fighter. Making her costume more practical for physical activity, Barbara joins the Dynamic Duo as a protector of Gotham City, as Batgirl.

Early on, Batgirl was brought in every couple of issues to help Batman and Robin with whatever case they may be working on. But her popularity grew as a character, earning her a back-up feature role in the pages of Detective Comics. While most of these stories are one-and-done, towards the end of this run an ongoing story arc was introduced by Frank Robbins and Don Heck. Barbara reveals her secret identity to her father, who being a good cop had already deduced her secret. Barbara gets elected to Congress to help represent Gotham City in Washington, D.C.

Why should these stories be Showcased?: Batgirl was created at the request of the producers of the Batman television show, hoping to add a new female character to the show’s third season. Appropriately enough, her first comic appearance was titled “The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!” The show helped cement Barbara Gordon’s place in the Batman universe, and the writers and artists found ways to take advantage (albeit slowly) of this incredible character. This is a great volume to own, and share with readers of all ages. My only complaint about this volume is the cover image they chose for this volume (Page 1 from Detective Comics #371). Seriously, could DC find a more sexist image to use? I understand that Batgirl was not used on many covers during the time frame that this book covers, but the covers to Detective Comics #359 or #369 would have been much better choices to use over the cover image above.

Footnotes: The stories from Detective Comics #359, #363, #369, & #371, and Batman #197 were also reprinted in Showcase Presents Batman Vol. 3.

Batman #214 was also reprinted in Showcase Presents Batman Vol. 4.

Detective Comics #400 & #401 were also reprinted in Showcase Presents Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1.

The Brave and The Bold #78 was also reprinted in Showcase Presents The Brave and the Bold Batman Team-Ups Vol. 1.

World’s Finest Comics #169 was also reprinted in Showcase Presents World’s Finest Vol. 3.

World’s Finest Comics #176 was also reprinted in Showcase Presents World’s Finest Vol. 4.

Justice League of America #60 was also reprinted in Showcase Presents Justice League of America Vol. 3.

If you like this volume, try: tracking down a copy of The Brave and the Bold #33 (June 2010), during the J. Michael Straczynski run on the book. This story is set in the days prior to the events of Batman: The Killing Joke (and if you need info on why that book is important, you probably shouldn’t be reading this blog). Zatanna has had premonitions of events coming up in Barbara Gordon’s life, so she and Wonder Woman take Babs out on the town for a night of fun. Cliff Chiang draws a beautiful yet realistic female figure, and was a perfect choice for this issue. This issue was collected in the Team-ups of the Brave and the Bold hardcover, which collected the JMS issues of The Brave and the Bold.

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Showcase Presents Batman Vol. 2

Showcase Presents Batman Vol. 2

First Published: June 2007

Contents: Batman #175 (November 1965) to #188 (December 1966), Batman stories from Detective Comics #343 (September 1965) to #358 (December 1966)

Key Creator Credits: John Broome, Carmine Infantino, Gardner Fox, Sheldon Moldoff, Murphy Anderson, Robert Kanigher, and others

Key First Appearances: Poison Ivy, Tiger Moth, Blockbuster, Outsider, Cluemaster, Doctor Tzin-Tzin

Story Continues From: Showcase Presents Batman Vol. 1

Story Continues In: Showcase Presents Batman Vol. 3

Overview: Welcome back to the Silver Age of Batman comics. Once again, these stories are generally one-and-done stories, although some plot lines may run over several issues from time to time.

Picking up where the first volume left off, we finally find out the identity of the mysterious Outsider that had been plaguing Batman and Robin for the past year. Once that case has been resolved, loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth is able to return to service at Wayne Manor, and dear old Aunt Harriet quickly fades into the background.

The highlights of the stories in this volume include the new villains that are introduced to Batman’s Rogues Gallery. The deadly Poison Ivy makes her debut, appearing in two issues. (Strangely, she then went into hibernation, as she didn’t become a prominent Batman foe until the late 1970s.) Similarly, Blockbuster made a handful of appearances but did not become prominent for several years.

The creators of the comics give a nod of the hat to the popularity of the Batman TV series with Batman #183. A hood posing as an injured Batman tries to get Robin to take him back to the Batcave. Robin recognizes the fake, as this Batman does not have the yellow chest symbol. So Robin takes him to a fake Batcave that the duo had set up. Robin suggests that the faux Batman rest up by watching the popular TV documentary that shares their exploits. The hood is eventually revealed when the real Batman shows up.

Why should these stories be Showcased?: When I was a kid, I would search for comics at whatever store my parents would be shopping at that day. I would go through the spinner rack trying to decide what comics I would want to take home with me, based on the cover image and what characters would be in the book. I would often go with the team books like Justice League of America or The Avengers just because it would offer me so many heroes for my 35 cents. Once I had identified which comics I wanted, I would then peruse other comics, to absorb as much of the material as I could before it was time to check out.

Using that same criteria, I would probably mark this as a book to buy and take home with me. This volume gives us plenty of Batman team-ups, with Robin, Elongated Man, Atom and others. We get the classic Batman villains such as Joker and Riddler, plus the introductions of Poison Ivy and Blockbuster, both who would cause Batman trouble for years to come. Finally, this volume gives us the conclusion to the Outsider mystery which started in the stories found in Showcase Presents Batman Vol. 1. This may not be the greatest collection of Batman stories, but you get your money’s worth with the stories in this volume. Sadly, it will cost you more than 35 cents to buy this collection.

Footnotes: The Robin story from Batman #184 is also reprinted in Showcase Presents Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1.

The Batman story from Detective Comics #343 is also reprinted in Showcase Presents The Elongated Man Vol. 1.

If you like this volume, try: Batman: The Strange Deaths of Batman, a trade collecting various Batman stories depicting the death of the Caped Crusader. The first story is Detective Comics #347, which is collected in this Showcase. My favorite arc is from Batman #291 to #294, where a mock trial is held when multiple villains are trying to take credit for killing Batman. Ra’s al Ghul serves as the judge, Two-Face is the prosecutor, and claims are heard from Catwoman, Riddler, Joker and Lex Luthor on how they killed Batman. The stories cover a 35-year span, so this is a good way to see a variety of characters, and how Batman has changed over the years. The trade was released in 2009.

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Showcase Presents The Flash Vol. 1

Showcase Presents The Flash Vol. 1

First Published: March 2007

Contents: Flash Comics #104 (February 1949); Showcase #4 (October 1956), #8 (June 1957), #13 (April 1958), and #14 (June 1958); and The Flash #105 (February-March 1959) to #119 (March 1961)

Key Creator Credits: Robert Kanigher, Carmine Infantino, Joe Kubert, John Broome, Joe Giella, Frank Giacoia, and Murphy Anderson

Key First Appearances: Barry Allen/Flash, Iris West, Turtle Man, Captain Cold, Mr. Element/Doctor Alchemy, Mirror Master, Solovar, Gorilla Grodd, Gorilla City, Pied Piper, Weather Wizard, Wally West/Kid Flash, Ralph Dibny/Elongated Man, Trickster, Captain Boomerang, Sue Dibny

Story Continues In: Showcase Presents The Flash Vol. 2

Overview: Police scientist Barry Allen leads a pretty slow life. He has a girlfriend, reporter Iris West, but he constantly shows up to their dates late. When working late one night, a freak bolt of lightning strikes the police lab, and Barry Allen finds himself doused in a unique mix of chemicals. As a result, Barry finds that he can run and move at super speed. Barry develops a special suit and borrows the code name from his favorite comic book character, and a new Flash is born. So begins the Silver Age of comics!

In the 19 issues of Showcase and The Flash, we are treated to an incredible development of a character and his supporting cast. We are introduced to Iris’ nephew, Wally West, who happens to be the president of his local chapter of the Flash fan club. In a near duplication of the same unique accident, Wally finds himself covered in the same chemicals, making him the Kid Flash. Another hero is introduced when Julie Schwartz wanted a Plastic Man-type character, so John Broome and Carmine Infantino introduce the Elongated Man, who broke with tradition and embraced his celebrity by not having a secret identity.

More importantly, we meet the core group of villains which would torment Barry (and later Wally) for years to come. The Flash’s Rogues Gallery is just as great as those of Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man, with the majority of them introduced in this very volume.

Why should these stories be Showcased?: This is a great volume, and these stories should absolutely be showcased. Barry Allen’s Flash is truly a science fiction hero disguised in a super-hero comic. With his super-speed, he can travel anywhere in the world in a blink of an eye. Heck, he finds he can travel in time and between worlds just by altering his internal vibrations. His scientific knowledge is just as key to solving some cases as is his speed ability.

In addition, from a historical perspective, the debut of the Flash is considered to be the start of the Silver Age of comics. Gardner Fox dipped into the archive by resurrecting a character name and giving it a new story that would be appealing to the mid-1950s audience. Based on this success, DC would repeat this many times, with the new Silver Age debuts of Green Lantern, Hawkman, the Atom, and the Justice League of America. (Stan Lee would borrow this trick years later when he introduced a new Human Torch in Fantastic Four #1 in 1961.)

Flash Comics: This volume contains the Golden Age Flash story from Flash Comics #104. Even though the book was Flash Comics, it was an anthology title featuring stories featuring Hawkman, Black Canary, the Atom, Johnny Thunder, and other Golden Age heroes. Issue #104 was the final issue of Flash Comics. When DC decided to give Barry his own title in 1958, they named his book The Flash. The book took over the numbering from the defunct Flash Comics, so the first issue of the ongoing Barry Allen series is #105.

Footnotes: Showcase #4, #8, #13, and #14 are also reprinted in Showcase Presents Showcase Vol. 1.

The Flash #112, #115, and #119 are also reprinted in Showcase Presents Elongated Man Vol. 1.

If you like this volume, try: Tom Kater’s podcast series, Tom Vs. The Flash. Kater used to run a blog where he would write reviews of the original Justice League of America series. He switched formats midway through the JLA run, going away from the blog and doing the reviews as podcasts. When he finished Tom vs. the JLA podcasts, he then started the Tom vs The Flash podcasts. These podcasts reviewed the early Showcase issues, and then Flash #105 to #350. When he finished Flash, he moved over to Aquaman, and most recently Jimmy Olsen. His podcasts offer brilliantly witty reviews and observations on the comics, pointing out the plot holes and the absurdities of the comics. These podcasts can still be found as free downloads on the iTunes podcast store, so track them down and listen to the podcasts while reading this volume.

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Showcase Presents Batman Vol. 1

First Published: August 2006

Contents: Batman #164 (June 1964) to #174 (September 1965),  Batman stories from Detective Comics #327 (May 1964) to #342 (August 1965)

Key Creator Credits: John Broome, Carmine Infantino, Gardner Fox, Sheldon Moldoff, Bob Kane, France Herron, Bill Finger, Murphy Anderson

Key First Appearances: Aunt Harriet Cooper, Outsider (heard but not seen in several issues. His first actual appearance will occur in Detective Comics #356, collected in Showcase Presents Batman Vol. 2), Mystery Analysts of Gotham City

Story Continues In: Showcase Presents Batman Vol. 2

Overview: Welcome to the Silver Age of Batman comics. These issues are considered to be the point where Batman and Robin crossed over from the Golden Age adventures to the Silver Age. This is notably shown by the change to Batman’s costume, with the yellow oval added to the chest behind the bat emblem.

While most of these stories are one-and-done, we do see the seeds being planted for monthly continuity in the books. The Mystery Analysts of Gotham City are introduced, a team of detectives and novelists that assist Batman with some cases. The Outsider’s name starts coming up as a mysterious villain pulling the strings of many cases for the Dark Knight. As always, the familiar faces of Batman’s rogues gallery, such as the Joker, Penguin, and the Riddler, make multiple appearances in this volume. Friends of Batman show up, like the Elongated Man and Zatanna, for team-ups that would soon become the norm in the pages of The Brave and The Bold.

Finally, for those fans of the 1966 television series, you may be surprised to learn that Harriet Cooper was a character in the comics before she was introduced on the show. Dick Grayson’s aunt moved in to stately Wayne Manor in Detective Comics #328 following the death of Alfred Pennyworth. (No worries, faithful reader! We will see the return of Alfred in the next volume!) Much like the show, Bruce and Dick must often develop wild excuses to get away from Aunt Harriet to respond to the call of the Bat-Signal!

Why should these stories be Showcased?: Batman is an interesting character. Much like Superman, the character changes to more closely reflect the era around him. The 1940s gave us a detective and the 1950s gave us a sci-fi super hero. With this volume, we see Batman start to become the celebrity of Gotham City, bordering on pop culture icon. This is a night and day difference from the Batman we have seen for the last 30 years in comics and film. If you are OK with Batman cracking jokes and smiling, then pick up this collection. If you want the dark and grim detective, hold off for volumes 4 and 5 down the road.

Footnotes: During this era, Bob Kane is credited for the art in several issues in this era. However, Kane often employed “ghost” artists, such as Sheldon Moldoff and Dick Sprang, to draw pages in the style of Kane.

The Robin story from Detective Comics #342  was also reprinted in Showcase Presents Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1.

If you like this volume, try: Batman: Earth One by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank. Yes, this gives us a version of the “dark detective”, but it also gives the reader an easy introduction to Batman based in a more current era. Bruce Wayne still tragically loses his parents in Crime Alley, but he is then raised by Alfred Pennyworth, who has a Special Forces background to better protect young Bruce. We see a Batman that physically struggles to fight thugs or give chase while wearing a heavy costume complete with cape. Batman faces down a crime organization led by the Penguin, who is more a ruthless businessman and less a waddling bird-man. This is a great way to introduce Batman to a new reader without the 75 years of continuity baggage behind him.

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Showcase Presents The Elongated Man Vol. 1

Showcase Presents The Elongated Man Vol. 1

First Published: July 2006

Contents: The Flash #112 (April-May 1960), #115 (September 1960), #119 (March 1961), #124 (November 1961), #130 (August 1962), #134 (February 1963), and #138 (August 1963); Elongated Man stories from Detective Comics #327 (May 1964) to #371 (January 1968)

Key Creator Credits: John Broome, Joe Giella, Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, Sid Greene

Key First Appearances: Ralph Dibny/Elongated Man, Sue Dibny

Overview: Ralph Dibny is an amateur detective and chemist. Curious as to how the India Rubber Men of the circus gain their abilities to stretch their bodies, Ralph finds a common element in their fondness for the Gingold soft drink. The basis of the drink comes from a little known tropical fruit, gingo. Swallowing a highly-concentrated gingo extract, Ralph finds that he can now stretch his body. Quickly developing a special stretch nylon costume, Ralph names himself the Elongated Man and begins his career as a super-hero.

Initially created as a supporting character for the Flash, his popularity quickly led to his own re-occuring stories in Detective Comics. Alongside his new bride Sue, Ralph travelled the country in his convertible looking for another mystery to solve. He quickly ditched his mask, becoming one of the first super-heroes to go public like that. His adventures often crossed paths with other heroes of the era, such as Batman, Green Lantern, and Zatanna.

Why should these stories be Showcased?:  The Elongated Man could be considered as a character ahead of his time. Ralph took no measures to protect his identity, and rather embraced his celebrity status. He craved the spotlights and attention they received everywhere they travelled. I wonder if a fresh take on the character in today’s modern-age, with cell phones and paparazzi, might succeed?

But looking at these stories from the 1960s collected in this volume, I think Elongated Man is a great character to have around to support other characters, such as Batman or the Flash, or later when he would join the Justice League of America. When he is headlining his own feature, the stories fall into a predictable formula – Ralph and Sue travel to a new town; Ralph sees a newspaper headline that causes his nose to twitch; he goes undercover to solve the mystery; and he stops the antagonists, often by stretching his body to his limits. Overall, I think this volume is nice-to-have, but it is not necessarily a must-own volume.

Footnotes: According to lore, Julie Schwartz wanted John Broome and Carmine Infantino to create a Plastic Man-type character to interact with the Flash in his comic. Reportedly, Schwartz was unaware the DC owned the rights to Plastic Man, as DC has purchased the rights to the Quality Comics characters when that publisher folded in 1956. DC could have used the character or even just the name “Plastic Man”, as was the trend at DC in the early days of Silver Age to reuse Golden Age character names, in the Flash title. This oversight helped lead to the creation of the Elongated Man.

As of this writing, there has not been a second volume issued for Elongated Man. The back-up stories featuring Ralph and Sue continued for many years, albeit sporadically at times, in the pages of Detective Comics and The Flash. There may not be enough material for a full-size Showcase Presents volume (500-600 pages), but surely a smaller volume, like what was done for Showcase Presents Eclipso or Showcase Presents Dial H for Hero, could be considered to help collect the remaining Elongated Man stories that would not be collected elsewhere.

If you like this volume, try: tracking down the 1992 Elongated Man mini-series. It has not been collected, so you may have to dive into some quarter bins to find this. The story is written by Gerard Jones. The story is fine, but the real reason to pick it up is for the art. The late Mike Parobeck introduced an art style best associated with the DC animated universe of the early 1990s. It looks simple and smooth and full of energy. The look of his characters appears to be a homage to Infantino, but without the square-set jawlines. Whether it is this title, the 1990s Justice Society of America title, or The Batman Adventures title that complimented the animated show, everyone should check out Parobeck’s work.