SHOWCASE REPRESENTS! THREAD TWO!

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YTV in Canada is showing Justice League Unlimited again on Wednesday nights, right after Lost (not on YTV, but whatever), and this week they had an episode that "featured" the Viking Prince!
He was sort of, um, not actually present, but the Legion of Doom had discovered his ship (thanks to global warming!) and Gorilla Grodd thought that they'd be able to tease the secrets of immortality out of it!
There was a not quite animated flashback sequence telling the Viking Prince's story (which I only sorta knew from the bit in New Frontier) featuring Joe Kubert (or Joe Kubert style) art.
I could barely pay attention to the rest of the episode (even though it featured Green Arrow beating people up on a SUBMARINE) because I kept thinking about how long it's gonna be before we get a Showcase Presents Viking Prince.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 24 February 2006 15:39 (twenty years ago)

Holy shit - I just reread that issue of TNF, and totally didn't catch that it was about the Viking Prince!

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 24 February 2006 15:43 (twenty years ago)

My thirst for SHOWCASE PRESENTS ANIMA has been replaced w/ a need for SHOWCASE PRESENTS ... DAMAGE!

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 24 February 2006 15:44 (twenty years ago)

I saw that episode - it was close copies from Kubert originals (I recognised a few) for the most part, at least, but I don't think it was straight Kubert - kind of hard to tell for sure in different media.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 24 February 2006 19:58 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y298/hukl/supernewman.jpg

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 21 April 2006 15:29 (nineteen years ago)

OH, DC, HOW WE LOVE YOU.

― Amadeo (Amadeo G.), Friday, 21 April 2006 16:49 (nineteen years ago)

OH DC: WHY DON'T YOU LOVE ME LIKE YOU USED TO DO (my hair is still curly and my eyes are still blue)?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 21 April 2006 17:02 (nineteen years ago)

I started reading the Teen Titans volume last night. Bob Haney is the sloppiest of writers, but entertaining, especially when doing hip groovy teenage stuff, and I love the Nick Cardy art.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 21 April 2006 19:05 (nineteen years ago)

yeah, the Cardy art is pretty woolly. Def. shares that CARtoons/SlimJims style that I've always associated with the late 60s thanks to the discovery in the mid-80s of my uncles' comics at my grandparents farm, but there are a few moments where he's clearly grasping at Kirby as well.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 21 April 2006 19:07 (nineteen years ago)

I'm loving the Nick Cardy art too!

I scanned some images, here's a few:

http://static.flickr.com/48/132526510_2d17bc8144.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/53/132526509_43bc3c8fda_b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/44/132526508_236233ab92.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/46/132526507_df92de6dc7.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/52/132526505_23b8971512.jpg?v=0

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 21 April 2006 19:44 (nineteen years ago)

Only 3 of the 5 feature Go-Go Wonder Girl! Work on that!

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 21 April 2006 20:24 (nineteen years ago)

He has a lot more in common with Kubert and Toth than Kirby.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 22 April 2006 14:20 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, but there's one issue--maybe even just one panel (I'm looking for it right now)--where Cardy is clearing reaching for the Kirby SPRING FORWARD aesthetic.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Saturday, 22 April 2006 17:28 (nineteen years ago)

which, y'know, makes sense to me, since it feels like Teen Titans was DC's attempt at capturing the youthful energy of Marvel's stuff of the same era (much like Metamorpho reads like a one-man Fantastic Four). And there's that one story, "The Perilous Caper of the Terrible Teen" that's an obvious riff on Spider-Man.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Saturday, 22 April 2006 17:31 (nineteen years ago)

ihttp://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y298/hukl/ttbun.jpg

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Saturday, 22 April 2006 17:37 (nineteen years ago)

One thing that really strikes me as odd all through this volume is the unwillingness to credit the Teen Titans' abilities. In the last story, they are taking on a thief - no superpowers or anything. Fair enough that he can defeat Aqualad easily, since they don't happen to be underwater, but Kid Flash rushes him, he sees him coming, picks up a heavy box and throws it at him, and Kid Flash can't dodge. He beats Robin in a straight fight in two panels, then when Wonder Girl throws her lasso, he grabs it, pulls her to him (she is shown holding up Mount Rushmore in a previous issue!) and ties her up in it. The stories are full of stuff like this, and almost every issue has someone running away and in the next panel they are all standing around saying that there is no point trying to chase them. You'd think someone who can run faster than light might have some chance of overcoming a five second head start, but no. Most of the opponents are ordinary humans, and they always struggle to win fights against them.

I love Nick Cardy even more, having read this. Some of his covers are among the best I've ever seen, right up there with Joe Kubert.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 23 April 2006 14:36 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

Dear DC,

Please announce Showcase Presents Diana Prince: Wonder Woman ASAP. Thank you.

http://www.amazonarchives.com/wwseries1b.htm

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 25 May 2006 01:31 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.amazonarchives.com/Images/198pic1.gif

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 25 May 2006 01:42 (nineteen years ago)

BY DON HECK BE CURED

(Nubia?)

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 25 May 2006 01:49 (nineteen years ago)

Sufferin' Subtlety!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 25 May 2006 01:54 (nineteen years ago)

OMG ONE MORE WEEK UNTIL SHOWCASE SUpERMAN PARt TWO!!!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 5 June 2006 18:40 (nineteen years ago)

I just started reading the first one last night.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 5 June 2006 18:45 (nineteen years ago)

I tried explaining Haunted Tank to somebody last night and they practically stopped breathing through laughter.

― Vic F (Vic Fluro), Monday, 5 June 2006 19:22 (nineteen years ago)

I'm having a hard time with it. I think it might be tied at the bottom of the Showcases with Green Arrow. I'm nearly at the point where I think I'm going to have start not buying every Showcase.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 5 June 2006 19:31 (nineteen years ago)

THAT'S CRAZY TALK.

I actually found House Of Mystery possibly the hardest going, but Green Arrow probably was the worst. I have a volume of Spirit Archives (#2, I've enjoyed both of them thoroughly so far) to finish before I get to Haunted Tank.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 5 June 2006 19:39 (nineteen years ago)

I dunno, if Ralph Dibny hadn't started his internet diary, I might not have been able to muster up interest in his Showcase Presents.
House of Mystery, I've just come back to. I'm into the second half, and I'm appreciating it especially for the art, but also, I used to read a lot of short stories for young readers anthologies that were full of scary but not really stories like these.
I think my problem with the Haunted Tank is that I'm starting to realize (only a few stories in) how limited the visuals are. OH LOOK, the 900th panel of THE INSIDE OF A TANK. Maybe I'll skip ahead to the Kubert stuff.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 5 June 2006 19:43 (nineteen years ago)

Man, Aldo, when you get to the GOOD Spirit stuff (which really kicks in with Vol. 12), you're going to be having a blast. (Although it will get MUCH DARKER before the dawn--the wartime Spirits when Eisner wasn't involved at all...)

Where the hell is my Showcase Presents: Sugar & Spike?

Actually a Showcase Presents The Postwar Spirit would be a MUST.

― Douglas (Douglas), Monday, 5 June 2006 20:48 (nineteen years ago)

I want Showcase Doom Patrol! NOW! Drake and Premiani ROOL THE SKOOL!

again, if not a Showcase, I want a collection of Ditko Charlton material! or maybe a best of Charlton which would include Sarge Steel, Pete Cannon, Son of Vulcan and Nightshade. Or something with the Question, Blue Beetle, capt Atom and Hawk and Dove and the Creeper, Shade the Changing man!

― veronica moser (veronica moser), Monday, 5 June 2006 22:01 (nineteen years ago)

Actually a Showcase Presents The Postwar Spirit would be a MUST.

They're doing a slim colour best-of, innit?

― kit brash (kit brash), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 00:09 (nineteen years ago)

They did already--with, I think, the versions of a bunch of stories that Eisner retouched or redrew altogether in the '70s ("Gerhard Shnobble" is a particular offender here).

― Douglas (Douglas), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 00:13 (nineteen years ago)

Ah, I heard about it happening (w/ Gaiman intro?) but never saw a copy. I should have said that I TOTALLY AGREE that Showcase Post-War would be the greatest thing since the new Thimble Theatre editions (because, you know, it wouldn't come out until after them), but that I doubt they'd go for it given demonstrated preference for a best-of.

Then again, they might see it as another option once the Archives series has run its course (though one could argue that cheap b&w now would only serve to let people know HOW MUCH BETTER that era is and thus drive sales for the colour versions as they come out)

― kit brash (kit brash), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 05:28 (nineteen years ago)

I s'pose a good thing about the best-of having re-drawn versions in it is that they can go "right, we've reprinted that one *somewhere*, no need to clutter up the Archives with it"

― kit brash (kit brash), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 05:30 (nineteen years ago)

veronica's proposed Ditko volumes wld get my vote - i think i can live w/out sarge steel and judomaster reprints, tho

the elongated man collection will offer the rare chance to see infantino inking himself, even if the stories are the usual 60s DC piffle

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 06:13 (nineteen years ago)

also the apex of his "helping hands" caption boxes and other playfulness

― kit brash (kit brash), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 06:57 (nineteen years ago)

eww self-inking

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 14:20 (nineteen years ago)

Don't be a hater.
http://parthenonfoods.com/images/squid-can-krinos.jpg

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 14:23 (nineteen years ago)

In the "Showcase: Teen Titans" they go to Smedleyville!!

HOOOOOOOOOOOWL!!!!!

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Saturday, 10 June 2006 11:27 (nineteen years ago)

Where's Swamp Thing? Where's Aquaman?

Finally bought Teen Titans and Haunted Tank to finish off the pile. Where does one store these? Long Boxes? A separate bookshelf? I'm hooked.

Word up on the Sugar and Spike Douglas; where's my Red Tomato? AND THE LEGION?!?!?!?

The chances of a cheap Spirit reprint collection seem highly unlikely, unfortunately.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Saturday, 10 June 2006 18:27 (nineteen years ago)

Swampy gets pocket-size cheapo colour reprints. I'm still waiting for the second one of them...

― Vic F (Vic Fluro), Saturday, 10 June 2006 18:48 (nineteen years ago)

I bought Haunted Tank from the Showcase closing sale today. Not read any of it yet though bcz I'm reading the Avengers vol. 1 I also got. (As well as 3 Samurai Executioners and a Ghita collection. If Frank Thorne had been able to draw anything except nekkid barbarian women I think he would be held in much higher regard.)

I want all the Jimmy Olsen comics to come out. And a good Wonder Woman collection.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Sunday, 11 June 2006 00:23 (nineteen years ago)

Why, I wonder, do I not give a damn about the like-priced Marvel reprints from a few years later and yet get so gaga about these?

And jesus christ, where is the Batman? Are they scared to have squarejawed smilin' bruce wayne out in the open in the midst of his dark return? T'hell with that nonsense, I want Batmutt!

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Sunday, 11 June 2006 04:48 (nineteen years ago)

It's coming! In August, I think!

― David R. (popshots75`), Sunday, 11 June 2006 05:52 (nineteen years ago)

what's wrong with me that i don't want to buy any of these Weisinger-Fox-Broome-Haney era all-plot, no-characterization opusuzzes? I've come thisclose to getting the JLA one, but I can't bring myself to do it.

― veronica moser (veronica moser), Sunday, 11 June 2006 13:18 (nineteen years ago)

Thr JAL one is more or less unreadable thanks to Snapper Carr.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 12 June 2006 07:02 (nineteen years ago)

I think you mean more or less Un-unreadable thanks to Snappy C.

Somehow I'm still reading ONE Jimmy Olsen story (from the Showcase Pres: Superman Family) every second day or so, and I'm starting to side with Lex Luthor. Like, the post-Byrne Luthor who believes that Superman diminishes HUMAN accomplishment and HOLDS US BACK and makes us supersubserviant.
Jimmy is clearly ALL OF HUMANITY and remains a perpetual teenager because Superman CONSTANTLY circumvents OUR/JIMMY'S passage into adulthood.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 12 June 2006 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

also, Showcase Superman Vol. 2 doesn't seem to be shipping this week as previously announced.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 12 June 2006 14:55 (nineteen years ago)

You're not not wrong there!

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 12 June 2006 15:30 (nineteen years ago)

You just are afraid to embrace yr queer sensations.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 12 June 2006 15:38 (nineteen years ago)

Is this the thread where I can say that I'm finally starting to "get" the Showcase Superman vol. 1?

― c(''c) (Leee), Monday, 12 June 2006 18:51 (nineteen years ago)

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2917/964/400/snapper%20head.jpg

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 12 June 2006 19:02 (nineteen years ago)

I have been cutting the second half of Haunted Tank with this little beauty and it makes far more sense.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 13 June 2006 06:56 (nineteen years ago)

As I said on the shipping thread, Supes Vol 2 did ship this week, or at least it did to me.

And jesus christ, where is the Batman? Are they scared to have squarejawed smilin' bruce wayne out in the open in the midst of his dark return? T'hell with that nonsense, I want Batmutt!

Confirmed for August. CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN for September, which should be Kirby-tastic.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 16 June 2006 11:51 (nineteen years ago)

Oh sweet! Riddles from the ages lurking beyond the bridge without a name! Plus in their early days they were all attempting suicide every other minute.

― Vic F (Vic Fluro), Friday, 16 June 2006 13:25 (nineteen years ago)

SEE, SUPERMAN, YOU WERE JEALOUS!

Surely, Superman's contractual last panel winks count as some next-level fourth-wall smashing hijinks!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 22 June 2006 17:15 (nineteen years ago)

Oh yeah, and I'm going to dig up Jerry Siegel's grave so I can punch him in the face for the cop-out ending on the Superman-meets-Superboy and they must fight to the death or let Lana or Lois (their choice!) die.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 22 June 2006 19:38 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

SKIDMORE rates the Showcase volumes on Freaky Trigger. I think he overrates "Superman" (I like both "Teen Titans" and "Jonah Hex" better) and underrates "House Of Mystery" (SErgio Aragones!), but I suspect I am alone in this stance. Bang up job an' all.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Saturday, 29 July 2006 12:24 (nineteen years ago)

OMG at next showcase lineup on Amazon: Unknown Soldier, Phantom Stranger, Shazam (ohgodccbeck70sweirdness!!!), Challengers, Bob Kane Gardner Fox Batman.
Yay

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 1 August 2006 19:30 (nineteen years ago)

STILL: No Flash.

― My "jesus had sex" book will be the best "jesus had sex" book of all. (Johnny Lo, Tuesday, 1 August 2006 21:01 (nineteen years ago)

as may have been ranted on another thread already, 70s Captain Marvel eats 1x dick and even Beck hated it.

― kit brash (kit brash), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 16:12 (nineteen years ago)

(I won't start the "Bob Kane" bitching again)

― kit brash (kit brash), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 16:13 (nineteen years ago)

yes kit i was gonna search + link to the thread where you so rightly demystified 70s beck shazam comics, and also to the thread where you so rightly demystified the whole 'Bob Kane' BS, but I eventually succumbed to whats-the-bloody-pointism, one can only do so much, perhaps we shldn't care abt the 'facts' etc

i prob said at the time, somewhere, that 40s/50s Fawcett Shazam stuff is another deal altogether, a 'best of' from that era (not a chronological reprinting, which is what makes most of the Showcase bks so indigestible) wld be great

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 18:15 (nineteen years ago)

There's still a measure of truthiness in refering to the "Bob Kane Era", or "'Bob Kane' Era" of Batmansur.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 18:21 (nineteen years ago)

ok, inasmuch as the Kane 'signature' appeared on Batman comics well into the 60s, yeah there was a 'Kane era' - but to credit Kane w/ any significant contribution to the art/script past abt 1940 is simply wrong, not to say unfair to jerry robinson, dear old dead bill finger, sheldon moldoff, jim mooney, dick sprang etc etc - there can't be more than abt 3 'Kane Fox' Batman comics ever, if that, and even then, Kane's contribution wldn't have amounted to much more than crude pencils/basic layouts/some slight retouching of faces/capes etc

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 20:12 (nineteen years ago)

Could be wrong, but I should think that by the time Gardner Fox was writing anything Batty, that Kane's studio wasn't even the exclusive artist anymore - isn't this going to be wacky '60s action? DC had negotiated permission to hire freelancers by then, to supplement the fiendish public appetite for Bat-action, no? So he might not even have signed a cheque, let alone ever having been in the same room as the pages, let alone leaning over and inking Robin's cheeky grin on his way to lunch.

And yeah, not reprinting ACTUAL Captain Marvel when you've got Jeff Smith doing a cover version of Monster Society Of Evil (first super-hero long-form story evs) and should be wanting to prime an audience for what's good about that is dopey²

― kit brash (kit brash), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 22:04 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

OH BATMAN YOU ARE SO AWESOME AND FATHERLY AND ALSO VERY GAY.
Probably the most overt (that I've seen at least) use of the Julie Schwartz "write a story about the cover" model.
I LOVE THE MAN WHO QUIT THE HUMAN RACE.
Also, whatever happened to Policewoman Pat Powell? Possible post-52 hook-up for Montoya??? (unless Montoya died last week, since I didn't get last week's issue!!!)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 4 September 2006 19:33 (nineteen years ago)

do i get this?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 4 September 2006 21:53 (nineteen years ago)

Every time someone buys Showcase Presents Batman, a little part of Frank Miller dies.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 5 September 2006 00:27 (nineteen years ago)

i dont get it. why? cuz it goes against everything his batman is? sorry im dimb.

― chaki (chaki), Tuesday, 5 September 2006 00:36 (nineteen years ago)

yeah, that's all.
the comment was based on an introduction to DKR, I think by FM himself, about, y'know, how Batman needed to be saved from his supposed goofiness. There were some things that I found particularly recoiling (though I can't think of anything offhand), and sorta hypocritical, as there are plenty of obvious nods to Adam West in both DKR and Year One (and wtf is ASB&RTBW if not a recampification of Batman?).

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 5 September 2006 00:45 (nineteen years ago)

Miller's Batman is goofy as the Showcase stuff, just more homicidal.
I can see that clearly now.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 5 September 2006 03:18 (nineteen years ago)

Hey, why no Showcase Flash?

― M. V. (M.V.), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 03:05 (nineteen years ago)

not gay enough

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 03:06 (nineteen years ago)

"House Of Mystery" is so underrated. That Gil Kane gets trapped in his own book thing, omg!

"That did it! Nobody talks to Gil Kane like that! If you weren't so far beneath my contempt I'd pick your brains out - instead I'll do some research for my private outside character...and KILL YOU!"

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 09:03 (nineteen years ago)

I'm halfway through Metamorpho, baby. I love the incessant employment of stereotypes. Although it has me wondering if they've PC'd it up any.

― barefoot manthing (Garrett Martin), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 12:19 (nineteen years ago)

halfway through jonah hex here all i can say is: awesomey

― chaki (chaki), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 15:58 (nineteen years ago)

Ok, so I just learned on Douglas' blog that the House Of Mystery is in continuity, while Cain's stories needn't be. But the Gil Kane thing isn't a story - Cain adresses the artist at the top of the page, but makes no mention of actually *telling* anything, he just threatens him a bit for being on page thirteen. And later on in the comic, Cain meets Kane, and is ultimately responsible for his demise.

So, I am happy to announce that, in current DC Comics continuity, Gil Kane is trapped in his own art. Betcha Grant Morrison doesn't feel so special now for being a DC comics character.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Sunday, 10 September 2006 10:07 (nineteen years ago)

And I'm reading "Elongated Man" right now. Doubles as a "Showcase Presents: Flash" for the first few issues!

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Sunday, 10 September 2006 10:14 (nineteen years ago)

Anything that came out before 3 weeks ago is in storage, so I forget I have it, and whenever I see "BONUS: ELONGATED MAN MYSTERY" on the cover of Detective Comics in the Showcase Batman, I'm like, "ooh, I'd like to read that!"

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Sunday, 10 September 2006 19:59 (nineteen years ago)

Since Grant Morrison had read 1grillion x Julie Schwarz, I bet he never felt so special for being a DC Comics character.

― Kit (kit brash), Sunday, 10 September 2006 20:07 (nineteen years ago)

AWESOME

― Douglas (Douglas), Monday, 11 September 2006 04:05 (nineteen years ago)

SHOWCASE WHO'S WHO = THANKS, BUT NO THANKS.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 16:36 (nineteen years ago)

but could prove useful for general DC ignorami like me.

reading the Marvel Handbook straight through when I was 9 was very beneficial.

― barefoot manthing (Garrett Martin), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 16:48 (nineteen years ago)

"You... You're Bruce Wayne... AND I HATE YOU!" will be my standard greeting from now on.

Did anyone else spot the Batman title-page credit to Waid for lending his private stash?

― c('°c) (Leee), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 17:52 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, he gets those in almost every Showcase. Dude's got issues.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 18:24 (nineteen years ago)

*groan*

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Thursday, 14 September 2006 07:14 (nineteen years ago)

I'm leaving work in an hour, and will stop by the store on the way home. I've got a $50 windfall to blow. What Showcase(s) should I get next? I'm currently leaning towards Teen Titans or Superman Family. Already read Superman Vol. 1, Metamorpho, Batman, Green Lantern, and the Justice League. Eventually I shall read Jonah Hex, most definitely, but I don't know if I want to quit the Silver Age silliness quite yet.

― barefoot manthing (Garrett Martin), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 19:26 (nineteen years ago)

Teen Titans, dude.
Superman Vol. 2 is okay, Superman Family is BRILLIANT (probably even better than Super Vol.1), but if it's Silly Age GO-GO Goodness you want...

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 19:32 (nineteen years ago)

People are fascinated by descriptions of that first Superman book. My wife, who tolerates my comics talk but would never actually read one herself (other than Owly), has been talking about reading Superman. Another lady friend, who's into comics but only recent stuff, is also highly intrigued. I think they're only interested out of disbelief.

― barefoot manthing (Garrett Martin), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 20:03 (nineteen years ago)

"The Dilemma of the Detective's Daughter" -- heavens! Why am I so amused by chauvanistic portrayals of the fairer sex?

― c('°c) (Leee), Friday, 22 September 2006 03:45 (nineteen years ago)

How the frug did Zatanna get introduced in such a magic-hating era? Does anyone have that Zatanna's search trade?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Saturday, 23 September 2006 21:47 (nineteen years ago)

Some new names up:

Challengers, Phantom Stranger, Unknown Soldier, Shazam, JLA Vol 2, Brave & Bold.

WHERE THE DAFFY DUCK IS FLASH VOL 1?

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 29 September 2006 07:52 (nineteen years ago)

Wasn't Brave and the Bold an anthology?

Superman Family is better than Superman. Dude works best as deus ex machina.

― barefoot manthing (Garrett Martin), Friday, 29 September 2006 12:14 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, B&B is a Batmang team-up book.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 29 September 2006 12:40 (nineteen years ago)

That line up is aces. I want PLOP.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Friday, 29 September 2006 13:25 (nineteen years ago)

Might pass on Shazam and JLA2

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 29 September 2006 21:59 (nineteen years ago)

three months pass...

SHOWCASE B&B: Batman Team-Up = OOOOOOOHHHH YEAH! The second issue, where the "team-up" is with pre-Loring Eclipso is BATSPANKulous, "BUT WHO HAS A CURE FOR BATMAN'S BROKEN HEART?"
God Bless You, Bob Haney, Wherever You Are.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 26 January 2007 17:00 (nineteen years ago)

I KNEW THIS THREAD EXISTED!!!

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Friday, 26 January 2007 18:25 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, this would be a good time for me to say that I am really, really enjoying the Shazam volume. It's from the 70s, but it's all silly and old fashioned and WHOLESOME, and the CC Beck art is bold and caroonish and appealing. My favorite at the moment is this one issue in which Billy and his girlfriend go to get some cheeseburgers at the pharmacy, and Doc insists that they eat his special SUPER-ENERGIZED GELATIN, "chock-full of all the vitamins and minerals you need!" Unfortunately, something goes wrong and the gelatin gets out of control, flooding the city! Billy has to become Captain Marvel in order to eat it all. Also, some tramps and miscellaneous chubby people on the street help out. For his efforts, Captain Marvel is awarded with the WORLD'S MIGHTIEST HERO, which is a sandwich about twice the size of his body.

― M Perpetua (mperpetua), Friday, 26 January 2007 18:37 (nineteen years ago)

some of them Shazam stories are written by Denny "Super heroes aren't just for kids, like they can get all fucked up on skag and shit" O'Neil, right Matt?

― veronica moser (veronica moser), Friday, 26 January 2007 20:16 (nineteen years ago)

A few of them, but it's mostly written by either Elliot Magin or E. Nelson Bridwell.

There's a bit of art by Dave Cockrum, too.

― M Perpetua (mperpetua), Friday, 26 January 2007 20:34 (nineteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

I like the Shazam volume! It's just totally different from anything else DC has put out in the "Showcase" line, so explicitly kid-focused and light-hearted, even during an era where all of DC's stuff was "for kids" (well, to some extent - I mean, the 70's already had Jonah Hex and the Green Lantern/Green Arrow thing. But Shazam would look this way even if it had been published alongside the Superman Showcase stuff.

― Daniel_Rf, Thursday, 22 February 2007 11:49 (nineteen years ago)

I enjoyed the Shazam volume quite a bit too, I must say. Yes, it's overly kid-friendly, but at least it's never boring.

I am cooling slightly on Aquaman with a hundred pages to go after the third AHA! IT WAS THE MYSTERY FAMOUS SEA PIRATE ALL ALONGS! story in succession. And the second OH NOES! FLOATING ICEBERG ROBOT SHIP PIRATES! story. Although AQUA JIMMY OLSEN made up for it.

― aldo, Thursday, 22 February 2007 13:15 (nineteen years ago)

OH NOES, I didn't get the Shazam!

― Dr. Superman, Thursday, 22 February 2007 15:49 (nineteen years ago)

Shazam is the best morning commute, train-reading material ever. I blitzed through like fifty pages in a half hour this morning. Usually, on the way to work, I could only make it through a couple of those eight-page Superman stories before having to take a nap.

― Garrett Martin, Monday, 26 February 2007 19:36 (nineteen years ago)

Ha, ha. Aquaman gives me the nap.

― Dr. Superman, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 23:37 (nineteen years ago)

I've only got the first Superman showcase. I'm tempted by the Green Lantern, Green Arrow & Batman ones. Any of those I should avoid?

― treefell, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 14:31 (nineteen years ago)

Green Arrow is a snoozefest. Green Lantern is pretty much a romance comic for big sections, except where he's making fun of eskimos or IN QUARD.

― aldo, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 17:11 (nineteen years ago)

It's ALMOST worth it for the panels where he enters Qward though. Garsh, I loves that Gil Kane cosmic stuff.

― Dr. Superman, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 17:49 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I'm being unduly harsh on it. It's not dreadful, but it's not exactly as good as you'd like to think it is. On the other hand, it is cheaper than the rest.

I'd still recommend the Jonah Hex volume pretty much unreservedly. And Metamorpho is much better than people think it is.

― aldo, Thursday, 1 March 2007 14:16 (nineteen years ago)

I read about a Superman comic where Mxyzsptlk reverses the genders of everyone on Earth -- except for Superman's! Tell me that this is collected!

― Leee, Thursday, 1 March 2007 17:29 (nineteen years ago)

That story shd be in continuity as evidence that Superman reproduces asexually. Because he does.

― David R., Thursday, 1 March 2007 18:28 (nineteen years ago)

SHOWCASE AQUAMAN = SHOWCASE AQUALAD IS RUBBISH. Also FAR TOO MUCH QUISP.

SHOWCASE GREEN LANTERN = SHOWCASE RACIST INUIT TOLERATOR

― Vic Fluro, Tuesday, 6 March 2007 00:09 (nineteen years ago)

I think I found the gender-switching issue. Apparently it's from 1980!

― Leee, Tuesday, 6 March 2007 00:41 (nineteen years ago)

third panel:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c111/Phoenix_Skyborne/Full%20Comic%20Scans/s34905.jpg

"How can I be able to pass through it going in, but [i]un[/i]able to penetrate going out--unless the barrier was 'erected' after I arrived here? In which case, it has all the earmarks of a trap!"

Pretty loaded language for a genderbending issue!

― Dr. Superman, Tuesday, 6 March 2007 05:03 (nineteen years ago)

OMG I read that Superman book when I was a wee lad! That explains SO MUCH!

― David R., Tuesday, 6 March 2007 05:08 (nineteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

for some reason I have the strongest urge to read myself some war comics. I'm leaning towards Unknown Soldier, but figured I'd see if anybody could make a case for Haunted Tank, instead. Amazing concept behind, HT doesn't seem to have much over Unknown Soldier.

― Garrett Martin, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 01:37 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.amazonarchives.com/Images/198pic1.gif

I drew nipples onto this picture in, what?, 1969 (I was 12). My friend saw it and said, "Holy shit, you can see her tits."

― M.V., Wednesday, 28 March 2007 01:59 (eighteen years ago)

OMG Legion of Super Heroes SO GOOD

Haunted tank is fun, but stupid.

― forksclovetofu, Saturday, 7 April 2007 02:25 (eighteen years ago)

"Haunted Tank" is really, like, offensively stupid. It's the one "Showcase" I couldn't get more than a few issues in, cos it actually made me *angry*. Normally "Showcase" stupidity gives me the roffles and a vague impulse to hug whoever wrote the thing, but somehow "Haunted Tank" is a bridge too far.

― Daniel_Rf, Saturday, 7 April 2007 11:11 (eighteen years ago)

For some reason, I am still working through Unknown Soldier, despite the fact that it's just as boring as Haunted Tank, Green Arrow, Phantom Stranger and Challengers of the Unknown. PLUS, I already know how Unknown Soldier ends. We win WW2.

― Dr. Superman, Sunday, 8 April 2007 04:18 (eighteen years ago)

I'm sort of ok with "Phantom Stranger", mostly because of Dr.13's endless assholeism.

― Daniel_Rf, Sunday, 8 April 2007 11:21 (eighteen years ago)

I just can't justify buying one of these damn things if they are all typical Fox/Kanigher style "all plot/ no characterization" jamborees.

Give me Doom Patrol, DC gods! salute the departed Arnold Drake!

― Veronica Moser, Monday, 9 April 2007 21:47 (eighteen years ago)

if that's what they call plot...

― Dr. Superman, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 00:46 (eighteen years ago)

re: SP:LOSH

NOVA EXPRESS BEGINS SHOCKER!!!

― Dr. Superman, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 20:56 (eighteen years ago)

Mmm, a Doom Patrol showcase would be fantabulous. I bought the first 2 archives, but frankjly that used up all the money I had, and so I can't buy any more, ever. Although I did just buy and enjoy (in a dodgy sort of way) 'It Rhymes With Lust', Drake's "Illustrated (Crime) Novel" of the 1950s.

― James Morrison, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 04:28 (eighteen years ago)

Unknown Soldier is pretty great until Kubert disappears. Then it only becomes readable if you keep telling yourself it's really Haney's WWII super-spy Bruce Wayne beneath all those masks and bandages.

― Garrett Martin, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 13:57 (eighteen years ago)

I just found out what It Rhymes With Lust is! It's been at eye level on the new release shelf for a few weeks. I should get it today!

― Dr. Superman, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 14:43 (eighteen years ago)

They reprinted the entirety of It Rhymes With Lust in last year's anniversary issue of the Comics Journal. It's not quite as awesome as I was hoping.

― Garrett Martin, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 15:29 (eighteen years ago)

But WHAT rhymes with lust?

― David R., Wednesday, 11 April 2007 18:28 (eighteen years ago)

http://editoon.com/pix/sandbox/stardust.jpg

― Garrett Martin, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 18:42 (eighteen years ago)

North America=green
Central America=yellow
South America=orange
Saturn=pink and perilously close to Earth

― M.V., Wednesday, 11 April 2007 19:33 (eighteen years ago)

among other things

― M.V., Wednesday, 11 April 2007 19:35 (eighteen years ago)

I disagree slightly on Unknown Soldier - I think it comes into its own when every issue he HAS TO KILL AN INNOCENT GURL or it turns out that the guy he has to rescue IS A TRAITOR. This all culminates in that great story where the lovesick dame must choose whether to shoot US or the Nazi spy who has WON HER HEART. She blows the spy away - but on the last page reveals that SHE MEANT TO SHOOT UNKNOWN SOLDIER - AND MISSED!!!

I found that insanely thrill-powered for some reason.

― Vic Fluro, Thursday, 12 April 2007 16:34 (eighteen years ago)

one month passes...

Matthew points out on the other thread that the Marvel Essentials are more likely to reprint significant parts of continuity than the Showcases. So here's a question: what from DC's archives would make more compelling or "important" Showcase volumes? Assume that the construction principle applies (they need to be comprehensive reprintings of every issue, beginning either with #1 or with some kind of very big historical point, e.g. the start of the Silver Age) but that the legal principle doesn't (i.e. comics from between 1976 and 1988 are fair game).

Besides that "sources of 52" volume I mentioned back on 52 Pickup, I'd love to see:
The post-war Spirit
Showcase (!!--yes, this would overlap with some of the others, but I bet it'd be fun)
DC Comics Presents (the Superman team-up title from the '70s)
All-Star Squadron (Roy Thomas continuity fetishism!)
The Giffen-DeMatteis-era Justice League
Kamandi

Plus I still want a Sugar & Spike Showcase!
And I'd love to see some of DC's old romance stuff get reprinted, especially stuff with covers like this.

― Douglas, Sunday, 13 May 2007 17:16 (eighteen years ago)

The thing I'd want more than anything else would be Paul Levitz's Legion of Super Heroes (especially the stuff with Giffen), but I kinda know that there are logistical reasons why that will probably never happen.

― Mr. Perpetua, Sunday, 13 May 2007 21:00 (eighteen years ago)

Saga Of The Swamp Thing.

― aldo, Monday, 14 May 2007 13:18 (eighteen years ago)

Oooh, that's a good one too!

It's really frustrating -- there's a lot of DC and Marvel stuff from the 80s I'd like to read, but it's all out of print because that's exactly the time when the contracts started getting good for the creators, and so the cost of reprinting that stuff shoots up and the publishers opt to skip over it unless it's a surefire seller.

― Mr. Perpetua, Monday, 14 May 2007 13:37 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, Levitz/Giffen LOSH for sure
the 80s (and maybe 70s?) Sgt. Rock
the post-Neal Adams Green Lantern/Green Arrow
perhaps a "short-lived" villains book compendium collecting the Joker and Secret Society of Supervillains
DC Presents
I've just been looking through Who's Who and Ernie Colon's Amethyst art looks pretty great, so that.

― Dr. Superman, Monday, 14 May 2007 15:09 (eighteen years ago)

Post-Adams GL/GA is not too far away--at the current rate, vol. 4 of Green Lantern will get us up to the beginning of the Adams era, and vol. 5 might even get us up to Mike Grell. (Well, aside from the late-'70s problem.)

― Douglas, Monday, 14 May 2007 15:23 (eighteen years ago)

I am kinda excited about GL vol 3 (which isn't even solicited), since, like the early stuff is quite hallowed, and then the Adams stuff is ur-reprinted, but, like, what was going on in the late 60s??? Kane stayed with the book right up to Adams taking over, no?

― Dr. Superman, Monday, 14 May 2007 15:25 (eighteen years ago)

^^^questions I don't want answered (possibly ever) btw

― Dr. Superman, Monday, 14 May 2007 15:30 (eighteen years ago)

Check out page 511 of "Showcase: Shazam!" for a Ned Ragget sighting!

― Daniel_Rf, Monday, 21 May 2007 01:41 (eighteen years ago)

Showcase Prez: Suicide Squad in November!

― Dr. Superman, Thursday, 31 May 2007 20:12 (eighteen years ago)

For a second, I thought you wrote Showcase: Prez, which would be a delightful mindblower.

― R Baez, Friday, 1 June 2007 19:36 (eighteen years ago)

a Joe Simon Showcase - w/ Brother Power the Geek and The Green Team as well as Prez - wld be much more entertaining than the fuckin flash

― Ward Fowler, Friday, 1 June 2007 22:28 (eighteen years ago)

I think they're gonna HAVE to do sugar and spike sooner or later right?
BOB HOPE!

― forksclovetofu, Sunday, 3 June 2007 05:12 (eighteen years ago)

Been reading the Simon stories from the seventies and they are positively bonkers, a Showcase would be great, only it would be only 100 pages long :P
Brother Power, especially, is really great, with its idea of hippiness and its protagonist who only wants to do good but ends up being shot into space or things like that.

― Amadeo, Sunday, 3 June 2007 20:11 (eighteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

So when I picked up "Showcase: The War That Time Forgot", I had this idea that the main premise was about WWII soldiers from both sides getting trapped on a tropical island, where they had to fight each other and also dinosaurs. But so far the volume works a pretty steady formula: U.S. soldiers get lost somewhere in the pacific, WTF DINOSAURS, act heroic and get rescued (and apparently forget to warn the rest of the army that WTF DINOSAURS.) So did I just dream this other premise up? Is it from a different comic?

Also, the artists aren't very scientific w/r/t the beasts themselves, are they? Those are some huge ass pterodactyls that keep showing up, they look like they could spar with a t-rex!

― Daniel_Rf, Friday, 22 June 2007 13:10 (eighteen years ago)

TWTTF really picks up speed once Mac and his robot buddy appear.

Those stories were written by a computer, I think. Kanigher entered in various factors and situations and hit a button, then Andru drew up whatever popped out of the couch-sized printer three weeks later.

― Garrett Martin, Friday, 22 June 2007 13:18 (eighteen years ago)

not gonna buy another Showcase volume until they do Plop!

― Ward Fowler, Friday, 22 June 2007 16:49 (eighteen years ago)

did not buy Atom or Flash--saving all my love for Superman Family.

― Dr. Superman, Saturday, 23 June 2007 01:35 (eighteen years ago)

Flash was surprisingly fun, I thought. But I've always loved that guy. I used to be him at recess every day in kindergarten.

They're putting these things out way too fast. They should scale 'em back to one a month.

― Garrett Martin, Saturday, 23 June 2007 04:00 (eighteen years ago)

one month passes...

Am enjoying Martian Manhunter quite a bit. The art is quite good for a back-up strip, and the early stories where the detective angle is most prominent are quite exciting. I also like the way JJ calls humans "Earthians" and his various attempts at a catchphrase--most notably "Shades of Saturn!"
But the BEST is when he joins the circus undercover and "By mere concentration, my powers enable me to grow a goatee in an instant!"

― Dr. Superman, Monday, 30 July 2007 15:52 (eighteen years ago)

Martin Skidmore told me the Martian Manhunter has a brother called T'omm, I don't know whether to believe him or not

― Ward Fowler, Monday, 30 July 2007 18:17 (eighteen years ago)

four weeks pass...

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=127206

Bad news for everyone waiting for Atomic Knights and Suicide Squad books...

― James, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 21:06 (eighteen years ago)

I like how in LOSH time is treated as a spatial dimension.

― Leee, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 21:11 (eighteen years ago)

Way to go, DC. Suicide Squad was the first Showcase volume that I was actually planning on buying. You really are attempting to completely alienate me at this point, aren't you? It's like I don't even know you anymore.

― Deric W. Haircare, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 21:37 (eighteen years ago)

DC would have lost a LOT of money if they'd release the Showcase volumes that they scrapped. They are actually being really generous about a lot of this stuff, but they've got to draw a line someplace, you know? It's a business.

― Mr. Perpetua, Thursday, 30 August 2007 03:09 (eighteen years ago)

According to DC collected editions editor Bob Greenberger:

"DC pays a royalty based on a percentage of the cover price to writers, pencillers,and inkers to all material published prior to 1976 and after 1997. For the period in between, the vouchers that were in use called for a set reprint fee to be paid. In some cases, the amount of contractually obligated reprint fees makes the budget for a proposed collection unprofitable. In those cases, DC will either scrap the project or ask the talent involved to waive the reprint fee in lieu of the standard royalty arrangement. If the parties agree, then everyone benefits."

― Mr. Perpetua, Thursday, 30 August 2007 03:10 (eighteen years ago)

That actually seems like a pretty good reason for the cancellation.

But FUCKING BOO to JLA Vol 3. After the snoozefest that was Vol 2, this may be the first one I pass on.

― aldo, Thursday, 30 August 2007 09:34 (eighteen years ago)

Batman 2 is also pretty lousy. I don't find it at all hard to believe that Detective Comics was THIS CLOSE to cancellation before the TV show hit. Though, oddly, the Detective stuff is usually pretty good, what with the Infantino art and the Outsider mystery!
Also, let me reiterate: Showcase Wonder Woman is from the late 50s and is BLANDBLANDBLAND.

― Dr. Superman, Thursday, 30 August 2007 09:42 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, you're right, Batman 2 was teh sukc. Given it features the famous "I'm going to stay at home and watch myself" go-go check period that probably shouldn't have been a surprise.

I may well take your advice on WW.

― aldo, Thursday, 30 August 2007 10:22 (eighteen years ago)

Super-Horse is such a jerk and faker to Proty II!! >=(

― Leee, Thursday, 13 September 2007 05:10 (eighteen years ago)

was so close to getting B-man and the Outsiders, but am already straining house structure with all the others and will be moving soon

― Dr. Superman, Thursday, 13 September 2007 07:15 (eighteen years ago)

Agh. I go out of town and they cancel the ONE Showcase I was actively waving the flag for (that being Atomic Knights)? Sigh.

― Douglas, Thursday, 13 September 2007 19:30 (eighteen years ago)

I wish DC would put out some later runs Batman, Detective or Brave & the Bold into Showcase.

Gene Colan did Detective for a long time in the 80s and his stuff would look really good in black and white. I am eventually going to get one of those Essential Tomb of Dracula's for just that reason.

― earlnash, Saturday, 15 September 2007 03:58 (eighteen years ago)

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