Tag Archives: Gardner Fox

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Showcase Presents Green Lantern Vol. 3

Showcase Presents Green Lantern Vol. 3

First Published: May 2008

Contents: Green Lantern #39 (September 1965) to #59 (March 1968)

Key Creator Credits: John Broome, Gil Kane, Sid Greene, Gardner Fox, Murphy Anderson, and others

Key First Appearances: Krona, Major Disaster, Princess Ramia, Zborra, Charlie Vicker, Guy Gardner

Story Continues From: Showcase Presents Green Lantern Vol. 2

Story Continues In: Showcase Presents Green Lantern Vol. 4

Overview: In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil’s might, beware my power, Green Lantern’s light! With that, let’s dive into Showcase Presents Green Lantern Vol. 3.

Green Lantern is an interesting title of the era, as any type of story seems reasonable with this character. From traveling to the future or to parallel universes; or roaming the vast reaches of space to battling criminals in Coast City — it all works with the Hal Jordan character. In many ways, Green Lantern is the definitive science-fiction character of the 1960s.

Having worked with him in the Justice League-Justice Society meetings, Green Lantern has a series of solo team-ups with Green Lantern of Earth-2 in this collection. Alan Scout’s ring is powered by magic, and is vulnerable to anything made of wood, which is in complete contrast to Hal Jordan’s will-powered ring that is vulnerable to anything yellow. Let’s just hope that these two do not have to face crooks armed with yellow baseball bats.

Gil Kane’s art is the true star of the show in this volume. Although Kane’s career spans 50+ years, it is his work on Green Lantern that remains among the most-memorable of his career. This volume is an excellent example of his artistic brilliance.

Why should these stories be Showcased?: To date, each volume in this line is better than the previous. At this point, the creators (John, Gil, and Gardner) have fully established the character and his world. Now, we see Green Lantern’s universe expand, with team-ups with the Flash and Zatanna, and with the introductions of Alan Scott and Guy Gardner. (John Stewart fans, be patient – his time is coming!) As with the prior volumes, Green Lantern remains one of the titles most-impacted by the lack of color in the Showcase Presents line. Thankfully, the Silver Age comics were very diligent in explaining the Green Lantern ring’s weakness to anything yellow each and every time it occurs. Anyway, I think this would be a good spot to pick up Green Lantern if you haven’t so far. In particular, this should be a must own volume for Gil Kane fans!

Footnotes: After making appearances in The Flash and in Justice League of America, the Earth-2 Green Lantern, Alan Scott, finally makes an appearance in Green Lantern #40. Alan Scott, along with his pal Doiby Dickles, would make frequent appearances in Green Lantern going forward.

If you like this volume, try: the Green Lantern: Sector 2814 series of trade paperbacks from the last few years. These books collect the Green Lantern title from the 1980s – before, during, and following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Hal Jordan finds that he needs to walk away from his role as defender of Sector 2814. But two men – John Stewart and Guy Gardner – step forward to take on the mantle as Green Lantern of Earth. Three volumes have been released so far, collecting the work from Len Wein, Dave Gibbons, Steve Englehart, Paul Kupperberg, Joe Staton, and others. These books are an easy way to explore some great Green Lantern Corps stories that often get overlooked.

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Showcase Presents Robin Vol. 1

First Published: January 2008

Contents: Robin stories from Batman #184 (September 1966), #192 (June 1967), #202 (June 1968), #213 (July-August 1969), #217 (December 1969), #227 (December 1970), #229 (February 1971) to #231 (May 1971), #234 (August 1971) to #236 (November 1971), #239 (February 1972) to #242 (June 1972), #244 (September 1972) to #246 (December 1972), #248 (April 1973) to #250 (July 1973), #252 (October 1973), and #254 (January-February 1974); World’s Finest Comics #141 (May 1964) #147 (February 1965), #195 (August 1970), and #200 (February 1971); Robin stories from 
Detective Comics #342 (August 1965), #386 (April 1969), #390 (August 1969), #391 (September 1969), #394 (December 1969), #395 (January 1970), #398 (April 1970) to #403 (September 1970), #445 (February-March 1975), #447 (May 1975), #450 (August 1975) and #451 (September 1975); Robin stories from Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #91 (March 1966), #111 (June 1968), and #130 (July 1970); and 
Justice League of America #91 (August 1971) and #92 (September 1971)

Key Creator Credits: Gardner Fox, Frank Robbins, Gil Kane, Mike Friedrich, Irv Novick, Dick Dillin, Elliot S. Maggin, Bob Rozakis, and others

Key First Appearances: Frank McDonald, Lori Elton

Overview: For being a teenage sidekick, Robin the Boy Wonder is looking pretty good for 74 years old. Sit back and enjoy the solo tales of the most recognizable sidekick of all time.

The early stories have the sweet innocence of the 1960s. We get a retelling of Robin’s origin: A young Dick Grayson is the youngest member of the Flying Graysons, the star attraction of Haley’s Circus. When the circus refuses to pay off mobsters, the Graysons suffer a fatal accident, leaving Dick Grayson as a mourning orphan. Attending the circus that night is millionaire Bruce Wayne, who knows first hand the pain that Grayson is feeling. He brings the young lad into his home as a ward and makes him a partner in his war on crime as Robin.

As we enter the 1970s, Dick Grayson finally completes high school and is ready to head to college. Once he leaves Wayne Manor to attend college at Hudson University, Robin starts to shine as an independent character. He finds a steady girlfriend in Lori Elton and gets to know the Hudson Security Chief Frank McDonald both in and out of the Robin outfit. Robin’s maturation becomes a decade-long process, but we finally get to see Robin completely break free of Batman’s shadow much later in the pages of New Teen Titans.

Why should these stories be Showcased?: As one of DC’s oldest characters, Robin definitely needs to have his solo stories collected like this. The stories collected here generally fall into two categories – either a filler story to complete an issue of Batman or Detective Comics, or a genuine attempt to tell a stand-alone story and advance the character of Dick Grayson. However, Dick Grayson’s story is not complete here. It’s been 7+ years since DC released this volume and Showcase Presents Batgirl Vol. 1. My hope is that some day, DC will continue to collect Dick Grayson’s (and Barbara Gordon’s) adventures in a Showcase Presents Batman Family Vol. 1, which would ideally collect the original stories of Robin, Batgirl, Man-Bat and others from Batman Family #1 to #20.

Footnotes: The Robin story from Detective Comics #342  was also reprinted in Showcase Presents Batman Vol. 1.

The Robin story from Batman #184 was also reprinted in Showcase Presents Batman Vol. 2.

The Robin story from Batman #192 was also reprinted in Showcase Presents Batman Vol. 3.

The Robin stories from Batman #202 and #213 were also reprinted in Showcase Presents Batman Vol. 4.

The Robin story from Batman #217 was also reprinted in Showcase Presents Batman Vol. 5.

Detective Comics #400 & #401 were also reprinted in Showcase Presents Batgirl Vol. 1.

World’s Finest Comics #141 was also reprinted in Showcase Presents World’s Finest Vol. 2.

World’s Finest Comics #147 was also reprinted in Showcase Presents World’s Finest Vol. 3.

World’s Finest Comics #195 and #200 were also reprinted in Showcase Presents World’s Finest Vol. 4.

Justice League of America #91 and #92 were also reprinted in Showcase Presents Justice League of America Vol. 5.

If you like this volume, try: The New Teen Titans: Judas Contract. This was one of the best Teen Titans stories ever and definitely was among the greatest stories done by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. The main story here deals with the betrayal of the Titans by their newest member, Terra. Inserted into the team a year prior, we find out that she had been working as a mole for Deathstroke, the Terminator. Over the course of the story, we see Dick Grayson undergo his transformation into adulthood, which had it’s beginnings in this volume when Robin struck out on his own at Hudson University. By the end of the story, Dick Grayson has adopted a new identity (and costume) as Nightwing. This has been collected multiple times, as both a trade paperback and as part of The New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 2. I can’t recommend this story enough – this is one of the essential stories for Dick Grayson, for the Teen Titans, and for DC Comics.

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Showcase Presents Justice League of America Vol. 3

Showcase Presents Justice League of America Vol. 3

First Published: December 2007

Contents: Justice League of America #37 (August 1965) to #60 (February 1968)

Key Creator Credits: Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky

Key First Appearances: The Key, Royal Flush Gang (10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of Clubs), Amos Fortune, Shaggy Man

Story Continues From: Showcase Presents Justice League of America Vol. 2

Story Continues In: Showcase Presents Justice League of America Vol. 4

Overview: From their secret headquarters in Happy Harbor, we rejoin the Justice League of America in their third Showcase Presents volume. When the volume starts, the league stands strong at 10 members – the original seven plus Green Arrow, Atom, and Hawkman. Surprisingly, when this volume ends, the membership will still remain those 10 members. But more on that later, let’s get into the stories.

At the point, Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky had developed a set pattern for the title. There would be eight new issues each year, plus one reprint issue. And for two issues each year, the Justice League would team up with their friends in the Justice Society, which usually resulted in some crisis that involves the two teams working together. This volume gives us three JLA-JSA team-ups, so it’s well worth reading.

What makes this volume interesting to me is the new villains introduced here. The Key would become a long-time foe of the League in all of its incarnations, and his power and story gets updated over the years. My personal favorite foes, the Royal Flush Gang, show up led by Amos Fortune. Various iterations (or should I say, suits) will return from time to time to challenge the League, with or without Fortune.  Finally, Shaggy Man stumbles into the picture, and would make occasional appearances later on.

Now, going back to the membership. Surely being asked to join the Justice League would be highlight of any hero’s career. However, the League receives their first “No”, when an offer is extended, but rejected, by Metamorpho in issue #42. Metamorpho agrees to be an honorary member. In issue #51, Zatanna makes her first appearance in the pages of Justice League, as she finally tracks down her missing father (see Showcase Presents Hawkman Vol. 1). However, it would take the JLA another 110 issues before Zatanna is made a member.

Why should these stories be Showcased?: I really think this is a good starting point if you want to dive into the history of the Justice League. The storytelling and the artwork have leveled out, and you know what you will get from month to month. The lineup remains constant, but it does vary from issue to issue as not all 10 members show up for each case. And we see other characters make cameo appearances, which finally gives the reader a feeling that DC is developing a large shared universe of characters.

Footnotes: Justice League of America #39, #48, and #58 are 80-Page Giant reprint issues. collecting three previously published stories. The covers for these three issues are in this volume.

Justice League of America #42 is also reprinted in Showcase Presents Metamorpho Vol. 1.

Justice League of America #60 is also reprinted in Showcase Presents Batgirl Vol. 1.

If you like this volume, try: DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke. This is an incredible story set in the days of DC’s Silver Age. One of the biggest issues I have with the comics from this era is that the characters very rarely crossed over with each other. We never saw Aquaman or the Sea Devils when Superman went to Atlantis to visit Lori Lemaris, The Green Lanterns were seemingly unaware of Hawkman and the other Thanagarians. The Blackhawks fought a lot of the same types of foes as the Challengers of the Unknown. Sure, we had some minor crossovers, such as the Batman & Superman pairing in World’s Finest or the creation of the Justice League. With the New Frontier project, Darwyn Cooke brought everything and everyone together into one large story arc set in the 1950s. Following the end of World War II, many of the world’s Golden Age heroes went into seclusion due to the paranoia brought on by the Cold War. But the challenges of the 1950s brought out a new generation of super-heroes ready to face the world. Cooke’s artwork showcases the optimism of the 1950s super-hero, while his writing gives us a modern day take on times past. This story has been collected in multiple formats – I would suggest getting the Absolute edition, just to see the artwork on a larger page. However you read this story, do it! You won’t be disappointed.

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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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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 Atom Vol. 1

Showcase Presents The Atom Vol. 1

First Published: March 2007

Contents: Showcase #34 (September-October 1961) to #36 (January-February 1962); The Atom #1 (June-July 1962) to #17 (February-March 1965)

Key Creator Credits: Gardner Fox, Gil Kane, and Murphy Anderson

Key First Appearances: Ray Palmer/Atom, Jean Loring, Jason Woodrue/Plant-Master (Floronic Man), Chronos, Professor Hyatt, Enrichetta Negrini,

Story Continues In: Showcase Presents The Atom Vol. 2

Overview: Research physicist and graduate student Ray Palmer discovers that combining ultra-violet rays with material from a white dwarf star allows him to miniaturize objects. While leading a college field trip, Palmer and a group of students are trapped in a cave-in. Palmer leaves the group and finds a way to expose himself to the process to shrink himself. Palmer is able to get out of the cave and rescue the students. Crafting a red and blue costume, Ray Palmer adopts the identity of the Atom, protector of Ivy Town.

In that same issue, we meet Ray’s girlfriend, lawyer Jean Loring. Throughout the issues in this volume, Ray proposes to Jean multiple times but to no avail. (We do not see Jean’s acceptance until Showcase Presents The Atom Vol. 2.) A small supporting cast is also introduced, with Professor Hyatt, who develops the Time Pool used for many adventures, and lab assistant Enrichetta Negrini.

Jason Woodrue makes his DC Universe debut in The Atom #1, going by the name of Plant-Master. (He would get a power upgrade and a new name, Floronic Man, in the mid-1970s.) Other major foes including the time-focused Chronos and the JLA villain Dr. Light, who thinks that maybe he needs to face off against the smallest JLA member to rebuild his reputation.

Why should these stories be Showcased?: For all of the times that I have bashed the Silver Age books from DC Comics. I will go overboard in my praise for this book. This is a great collection! Some of the best comics I have read from DC Comics from the early 1960s. The Atom quickly became a mainstay in the DC Universe, becoming the second hero invited to join the Justice League and a core member for 20 years of that title. Some of these stories may seem simple, with the Atom fighting common hoods or rogue scientists. His chief foe in Chronos is introduced, who would return over and over to challenge the Atom. Gil Kane’s art, which has already been showcased in Green Lantern, is breathtaking in its simplicity. I really believe this should be part of your collection to see how good DC Comics could be in the 1960s.

Footnotes: The Atom #7 is also reprinted in Showcase Presents Hawkman Vol. 1.

If you like this volume, try: the Sword of the Atom trade paperback released in 2007. In 1983, DC released a four-issue mini-series which shook up Ray Palmer’s universe. Ray found out that Jean was cheating on him, and was unable to cope with the news. The Atom travels to South America, where he discovers the miniature Morlaidhans village. Ray rescues the village princess and battles jungle animals. Ray Palmer eventually comes to terms with the changes in his life, giving Jean his blessing for her to move forward with her life while Ray remains with the Morlaidhans. Gil Kane’s art is spectacular in this collection. The trade paperback collects the miniseries plus three subsequent specials that DC released in 1984. This is one of the best Atom stories, so do yourself a favor and track it down.

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Essential Doctor Strange Vol. 2

Essential Doctor Strange Vol. 2

First Published: March 2005

Contents: Doctor Strange #169 (June 1968) to #178 (March 1969) and #180 (May 1969) to #183 (November 1969), Avengers #61 (February 1969), Sub-Mariner #22 (February 1970), Incredible Hulk #126 (April 1970), Marvel Feature #1 (December 1971), and Marvel Premiere #3 (July 1972) to #14 (March 1974).

Key Creator Credits: Roy Thomas, Steve Englehart, Gene Colon, Frank Brunner, Barry Windsor-Smith, Dan Adkins

Key First Appearances: Satannish, the Vishanti, Shuma-Gorath

Story Continues From: Essential Doctor Strange Vol. 1

Story Continues In: Essential Doctor Strange Vol. 3 and Essential Defenders Vol. 1

Overview: Doctor Strange moves into his own title with full-length stories with this second Essential volume. This book can be broken up into three distinct parts:
* Part 1 covers Doctor Strange #169-182 and Avengers #61, with the start of new writer Roy Thomas joined quickly by Gene Colan to tell some breath-taking stories of the Sorcerer Supreme. Colan’s art is incredible in this edition and jumps off the page with pure energy.
* Part 2 covers Doctor Strange #183, Sub-Mariner #22, Incredible Hulk #126, and Marvel Feature #1, which gives us the origin story of the non-group of heroes known as the Defenders (Doctor Strange, Namor the Sub-Mariner, the Hulk, and the Silver Surfer). To get the full story arc for this, I suggest reading Essential Defenders Vol. 1, as not all parts of the complete origin are contained in this volume.
* Part 3 covers Marvel Premiere #3-14, where once again Doctor Strange is given the chance to be the lead in the book. His run would end in this title with issue #14 but picks up the next month with a new Doctor Strange #1, which can be found in Essential Doctor Strange Vol. 3. The highlight of this run is the start of Steve Englehart’s association with Doctor Strange, which would continue on for many years.

What makes this Essential?: For me, the highlight of this book is the Gene Colan art in the first part of the book. I have never been a big fan of the character of Doctor Strange, but I found myself pulled into these stories by the artwork. I don’t know if this volume is truly essential, even if you are a fan of Doctor Strange.

Footnotes: Doctor Strange #169 was the “first” issue of the character’s own title. Prior to this issue, Doctor Strange shared the Strange Tales comic with Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Strange Tales came to an end with issues #168. The title was renamed Doctor Strange for #169, keeping the previous numbering, which was the norm for this time.

Avengers #61 was also reprinted in Essential Avengers Vol. 3.

Doctor Strange #179 was not collected in this volume. The issue reprinted Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2, which has been included in Essential Spider-Man Vol. 2.

For Marvel Premiere #11, the cover and the framing sequences are included in this volume. The issue contains reprinted stories from Strange Tales #115 and #117, which were included in Essential Doctor Strange Vol. 1.

If you like this volume, try: Superman: The Phantom Zone TPB, which was recently re-released by DC Comics. The main story is written by Steve Gerber with art by Gene Colan (hence the recommendation). This was originally a mini-series from 1982. The paperback is printed on a bright white glossy paper, which accentuates Colan’s art beautifully. The story features the Phantom Zone villains (more famously featured in the Superman motion pictures) escaping to Earth and imprisoning Superman in the zone. He must travel through the different worlds of the Phantom Zone before he is able to escape and return the Kryptonian criminals to their rightful place.

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Showcase Presents Hawkman Vol. 1

Showcase Presents Hawkman Vol. 1

First Published: March 2007

Contents: The Brave and the Bold #34 (February-March 1961) to #36 (June-July 1961), #42 (June-July 1962) to #44 (October-November 1962), and #51 (December 1963-January 1964); The Atom #7 (June-July 1963); Mystery in Space #87 (November 1963) to #90 (March 1964); and Hawkman #1 (April-May 1964) to #11 (December 1965-January 1966)

Key Creator Credits: Gardner Fox, Joe Kubert, Murphy Anderson,

Key First Appearances: Katar Hol/Carter Hall/Hawkman, Shayera Hol/Shiera Hall/Hawkgirl, Mavis Trent, George Emmett, Matter Master, Shadow Thief, I.Q., Zatanna

Story Continues In: Showcase Presents Hawkman Vol. 2

Overview: From the planet Thanagar, police officers Katar and Shayera Hol travel to Earth pursuing a fugitive.  Dressing in their traditional Thanagarian police uniforms, which makes them look like human hawks, the officers make contact with the local police commissioner George Emmett before apprehending their suspect. Finding Earth interesting, Katar Hol and his wife decide to remain here and study the police methods of Earth. The citizens of Midway City (as well as the Earth) find themselves under the protection of Hawkman and Hawkgirl.

The heroes take civilian identities of Carter and Shiera Hall, archeologists and curators at the Midway City Museum. Their jobs lead them around the world on assignment, where they encounter various situations which call on them to don their wings.

Some early super-villains are introduced here which will vex the Thanagarians. The most prominent and challenging is the Shadow Thief, but other foes like I.Q. and Matter Master will reappear over and over as well. A lot of Hawkman’s opponents are criminal Thanagarians fleeing to Earth to escape prosecution.

What’s interesting with these stories for this era of the 1960s is that Hawkman interacts with a lot of other heroes. Most characters stayed in their books, never to interact with other characters in the DC Universe. In this volume, we see appearances by Aquaman, Adam Strange, the Atom, and Zatanna, making her DC Universe debut.

Why should these stories be Showcased?: This is a challenging read to get through, although it does get easier as it moves along. For Hawkman fans, this should be a must read. At this era, the origin and history of Hawkman was so simple and uncomplicated. Hawkman’s origins gets really messy over the next 40 years, so enjoy this while it remains easy to keep straight. For a DC Universe fan, you may want to skip ahead and read Showcase Presents Hawkman Vol. 2.

Honor Wings: When the stories start, Hawkman is wearing more of a rounded helmet similar to what the Earth-2 Hawkman wore, but covered in feathers. At the end of The Brave and the Bold #42, Katar Hol is recognized by leaders on Thanagar for his efforts in bringing a criminal to justice, and is awarded the Honor Wings. These are the wings we see on the side of his helmet, giving him the more traditional look of the Earth-1 Hawkman.

Footnotes: The Brave and the Bold #51 is also reprinted in Showcase Presents Aquaman Vol. 2.

The Atom #7 is also reprinted in Showcase Presents The Atom Vol. 1.

If you like this volume, try: JLA: Zatanna’s Search, a trade paperback released in 2004. When Zatanna first appeared in Hawkman #4, she was on a search for her missing father, Zatara. (Zatara had been a popular character in the Golden Age, with his debut in Action Comics #1.) Zatanna’s search carried her across the DC Universe, leading to encounters with Hawkman and Hawkgirl; Batman and Robin; Atom; Green Lantern; and Elongated Man. Her search finished up in Justice League of America #51 (found in Showcase Presents Justice League of America Vol. 3), where she once again teamed-up with the heroes she had previously encountered. All of her appearances were written by Gardner Fox, as he created what is considered to be the first company-wide story arc, albeit over a three-year period.

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Showcase Presents Green Lantern Vol. 2

Showcase Presents Green Lantern Vol. 2

First Published: February 2007

Contents: Green Lantern #18 (January 1963) to #38 (July 1965)

Key Creator Credits: John Broome, Gil Kane, Gardner Fox, Murphy Anderson

Key First Appearances: Doctor Polaris, Tattooed Man, the Shark, Black Hand, Katma Tui, Evil Star, Goldface

Story Continues From: Showcase Presents Green Lantern Vol. 1

Story Continues In: Showcase Presents Green Lantern Vol. 3

Overview: Welcome back to the continuing adventures of Green Lantern of Sector 2814. In his down time, Green Lantern unmasks to become Hal Jordan, a test pilot for Ferris Aircraft and in love with his boss, Carol Ferris.

Now that the character has been firmly established in the DC Universe, we start to explore more into the life of Hal Jordan. We see more of Hal’s brothers, Jack and Jim. We get another team-up between Green Lantern and his Justice League colleague Flash and see the developing friendship between Hal and Barry. A new Green Lantern is introduced with Katma Tui, who became the replacement Green Lantern from the planet Korugar in Sector 1417.

New villains are introduced in this volume. Some like the Shark and the Tattooed Man seem to be anchored in the Silver Age; others like Black Hand and Doctor Polaris have remained fresh and relevant across multiple decades. But no volume would be complete without Green Lantern’s primary foe, Sinestro, wielder of the yellow power ring.

Why should these stories be Showcased?: This title is getting better, but these are still not the best stories told of the character. The new villains introduced here (Black Hand, Doctor Polaris, Tattooed Man) helped expand the Green Lantern character beyond just fighting someone else with a power ring. The highlight of these issues are the covers. During this era, the covers were drawn first, and then a story was created based on the cover image. Many of these covers have become iconic images of Green Lantern. Overall, I think this is a nice volume to own, but it is not necessarily a must-own volume.

If you like this volume, try: Flash and Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold, which collects the six issue mini-series from 1997 by Mark Waid, Tom Peyer, and Barry Kitson. These stories re-examine the early team-ups between Green Lantern and the Flash, as well as shows the growing friendship between Hal and Barry. Much like the Silver Age comics, these are based on, the stories are fun adventures across time and space. Familiar faces from both characters’ books make appearances (Kid Flash, Jay Garrick and Alan Scott, Iris and Carol, Green Arrow, and others). This has been reprinted once as a trade paperback, but I believe the individual issues can still be found in back-issue bins.