Scott’s Classic Comics Corner: DC’s Bureau of Missing Reprints Pt. 2

CSBG Archive

by Scott | April 28, 2009 @ 7:29 AM | 33 Comments |

Following up from last week’s columns, here are the top 5 reprints DC needs to get onto bookstore shelves ASAP! These are all true classics that deserved to be shown a little more respect.

Again, if any of these have recently been published or solicited, my apologies. I’m trapped in a pre-Crisis time vortex.

5. Adventures of Rex, the Wonder Dog
Could you imagine just how cool a Showcase Presents this would make? I know that old school characters have become punch lines over the years, but these are really, really fun stories. These are stories that are well crafted, self contained and featuring creative and exciting artwork. Sure, they are a bit silly but is that really such a bad thing? Finally, these are stories you can actually read with your children. Although Alex Toth was the initial artist on the strip, it’s really Gil Kane’s baby – and he does a wonderful job of adapting Robert Kanigher’s and John Broome’s inventive strips for the four color world. In the 1950s, DC was struggling to find its identity and experimenting with many different genres, and I think they were very successful with this fun series that lasted until the end of the decade. I cannot understand how this hasn’t been reprinted yet.

4. Golden Age Robotman
Long before Cliff Steele became a member of the Doom Patrol, another Robot Man patrolled the DCU. This character was created by Jerry Siegel, but really found a nice groove when Jimmy Thompson took over the strip. It’s a lot of fun, driven by Thompson’s creative visuals – which really stand out from most of DC’s output during that era. The strip ran (between Star Spangled Comics and Detective Comics) for over a decade, so there are plenty of stories from which to choose, if DC decided to do a ‘Best Of’. I’d be upset if they didn’t include at least one story featuring Robbie, the Robot Dog.

3. Vigilante
I cannot understand why DC never got around to launching the Vigilante Archives. Mort Meskin has a legion of fans that would scoop it up in a heartbeat. Like Robotman, Vigilante ran as a back-up for well over a decade, but has received very little attention in the reprint world. It’s a shame, because this is one of the finest strips published by DC in the 40s and 50s. Perhaps it’s because the character’s always been a bit of a square peg in the round hole of the DCU – but still, these stories deserve a wider audience. We need this, if only for the chance to gaze upon the greatness of Meskin for a reasonable price. I’ve tried collective the back issues – and it’s not easy on the wallet.

2. The Lazarus Affair
In my opinion, this is possibly the greatest Batman arc of all-time and it’s a crime that it hasn’t been reprinted. Usually DC hops on the Hollywood bandwagon and releases a string of TPBs with even the most tenuous link to whatever Bat-Movie is in theatres. How did they miss the opportunity to put this at the same time as ‘Batman Begins’? This story arc, that ran in Batman #332 to #335, is rarely brought up in ‘Batman’s Greatest’ type discussions, but I can’t think of anything I’ve re-read as often as The Lazarus Affair. What makes this one so special? How about a little Ra’s Al Ghul? How about Catwoman in her purple Golden Age costume? How about the return of King Farraday? How about the sexual tension that’s about as thick as a 100 Page Super Spectacular? Of course, all of these elements are mixed together into a wonderful mélange by Marv Wolfman and drawn by the awesome team of Irv Novick and Frank McLaughlin. Novick certainly deserves to be counted among the top Batman artists, and I would use his great pencils here as proof. Of course, the Jim Aparo covers are even better! As an added bonus, we are treated to an ongoing solo Catwoman feature drawn by Don ‘Effin Newton! It has a real ‘James Bond’ feel to it and proves that Batman can do ‘international intrigue’ if handled well. It would make for a very nice, slim volume that would look great on my bookshelf.

1. Johnny Thunder in All-American Western
Two words: Alex Toth. This is perhaps the greatest western strip of the Golden Age and it showcases Alex Toth’s talent for storytelling more than any other series, with the possible exception of Zorro. Johnny Thunder’s stories (mostly written by Robert Kanigher) are entertaining and very creative. The triangular relationship between Johnny Thunder, Sheriff Tane and his son John, the pacifist schoolteacher adds a nice layer of drama. It took me years, but I finally pieced together a full run of these books – but I would be first in line if DC ever decided to come to its senses and give this series the TPB treatment. There are thousands of Toth devotees out there, and we’re all waiting on this one.

Honorable Mentions: Amethyst, Detective Chimp, Secret Six, Overland Coach, Congo Bill, Nighthawk, Night Force and many others that do not come to mind this rainy morning.

For more random talk about old funnybooks, stop by my blog Seduction of the Indifferent

Comments below

33 Comments

Grico

April 28, 2009 at 7:46 am

It’s never been clear to me why DC doesn’t just start reprinting Batman and Superman from the beginning. You should be able to have a bookshelf full of the full runs on Batman, Detective, Superman, and Action Comics in nice graphic novel format and/or showcase presents format.

Alonso

April 28, 2009 at 7:46 am

Great list. I’m gonna have to check a couple of these out now. Though a little more recent, I’ve always thought that DC should collect the Chaykin/Garcia-Lopez “Twilight’(1989) and my first X-men story “The Muir Island Saga”(1991) I’ve always wanted in a trade collection.

Adam

April 28, 2009 at 8:13 am

Grico: Try the Superman and Batman Chronicles series. Looks like they’re up to vol. 7 of each.

http://www.amazon.com/Superman-Chronicles-Vol-Jerry-Siegel/dp/1401207642/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240932218&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Chronicles-Vol-Bill-Finger/dp/1401204457/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240932248&sr=1-1

Scott, are you planning to do a Marvel version of Missing Reprints?

DubipR

April 28, 2009 at 8:21 am

Scott…an amazing Top 10 list. I definitely have to agree with you on the Vigilante run. Some of the best and criminally underrated DC reads is from there. You honorable mentions too, especially Night Force would rock. But my dream Showcase is an Inferior Five.

Scott

April 28, 2009 at 9:50 am

ooops

Two other big ones that I forgot to mention as honorable mentions – just missign the top 10.

Sugar & Spike
Johnny Quick

Andrew Collins

April 28, 2009 at 10:08 am

Amethyst, especially the original mini-series, would be fun to read again in collected format. As a kid of the 80′s, I’m still hoping we’ll eventually see collections of some sort for John Ostrander’s Suicide Squad, more of Levitz & Giffen’s Legion, Roy Thomas’ Arak: Son Of Thunder, All-Star Squadron, and Infinity Inc., and a host of others. John Ostrander’s The Spectre would be a great one from the 90′s too…

Graeme Burk

April 28, 2009 at 10:29 am

Amethyst, the original mini-series, would be number one on my list of reprints as well. Hell, I’d go one better and reprint them in digest format and sell them anywhere where kids might go near them. It’s the most kid-friendly, girl-friendly series DC has ever done in the past 30 years. I gave them to my Goddaughter (then 11, and into fantasy novels by the dozen) and she really liked them.

The other run of comics I’d love to see collected (but it never will be because it’s not popular in the slightest) is Dan Mishkin and Don Heck’s run on Wonder Woman. I read those for the first time two years ago and it was a total revelation– unbelievably great Wonder Woman comics with great characterization, clever use of continuity (that didn’t block the story telling) and brilliant stories. No one read it at the time because it had a past-his-prime Don Heck on the art but even that’s got its own charm. It’s one of those runs where you find yourself screaming “Why weren’t we reading this at the time!?” It’s my favourite Wonder Woman, ever.

Blue Devil, Secret Six and Sugar and Spike would make my list as well.

Dan Bailey

April 28, 2009 at 10:59 am

Neat. Was wondering just this morning how close you might be to posting your top 5.

Off the top of my head, my own DC picks would be Tomahawk, Sea Devils & … hmmm … some kind of compendium(s) of non-series war shorts. Oh, & Capt. Storm, PT Boat Captain, which I never remember buying when it was in spinner racks, though I remember the character quite well (which means I must’ve read more than one issue while sitting in the drugstore with my coke & candy).

felgekarp

April 28, 2009 at 11:13 am

I’d love to see some more Robotman, I think I’ve got one comic with one of his stories reprinted in.

Argo Plummer

April 28, 2009 at 11:16 am

I thought I was the only one who loved the Lazarus Affair. Nice to see another fan of it. Still one of the greatest Batman stories ever.

Loved your list…love your blog…love it all!!!

C. Adams

April 28, 2009 at 11:23 am

Blue Beetle, Blue Devil, and Infinity INC. should all be Showcased. Along with a second Batman and the Outsiders.

Matt Bird

April 28, 2009 at 11:29 am

I’d love to read all of those!

Grell’s Warlord is the number one missing Showcase! It’s such beautiful stuff.

It’s going to take them forever to get to Newton’s Batman with the Showcases, so they should start a separate series, starting when the two series integrated their continuity in the late 70s. And we need some Grant/Breyfogle Detective trades too! I’ve been re-reading the post-Byrne Superman comics recently (Ordway, Stern, Perez and Jurgens) and I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find it’s aged really well. It’s a shame the “Man of Steel” trade series petered out just before it got to that era.

DC would do well to adopt a series like Marvel’s ‘Visionaries”. In fact, it would make more sense since DC always had more stand alone stories. How many “Batman Visionaries” series could you imagine? Novick, Newton, Aparo, Breyfogle… The list goes on and on.

mrclam

April 28, 2009 at 11:34 am

And they also need to reprint the Shazam epic “Monster Society of Evil”!!! In fact, I’ve waited so long for it that they need to reprint it TWICE!

Ethan Shuster

April 28, 2009 at 11:41 am

One of my favorite things about the Justice League Unlimited cartoon series was the prominent use of characters like Vigilante. He even had a semi-starring role in an episode involving Thanagarians. I wouldn’t be surprised if he showed up in a Batman: The Brave and the Bold some time.

Dan Bailey

April 28, 2009 at 11:57 am

>>And they also need to reprint the Shazam epic “Monster Society of Evil”!!! In fact, I’ve waited so long for it that they need to reprint it TWICE!

That one’s been announced.

mrclam

April 28, 2009 at 12:42 pm

Dan–is this the “real” one from Fawcett or the Jeff Smith redux? If the former–thanks! You really made my day!

Dan Bailey

April 28, 2009 at 1:11 pm

mrclam –

It’s the Fawcett original. I’ll go hunting for the link …

http://www.amazon.com/DC-Classics-Library-Monster-Society/dp/1401225179/ref=reg_hu-wl_list-recs

Anonymous

April 28, 2009 at 1:12 pm

I don’t understand why DC (and Marvel is guilty of this too) keep starting their reprints from the beginning. Why not start with the runs that get the most accolades? I know, I know, then the numbering’s all off, and while they could just figure out the numbering in advance, if they publish out of order people get ornery.

But, still, why aren’t there more collections of the early Wolfman Teen Titans and of the mid-to-late 70′s Cockrum Legion? or Aparo-era Detective?

chad

April 28, 2009 at 1:15 pm

the reason dc has not given the titles on the list reprints could be due to thinking not enough fan support to okay the cost to do so or maybe like Rex and vigilantie legal issues with the creators over royalities could be the reason no reprinting of the stories. though it s proably due to dc thinking not enough fan support to go ahead with the things

Tom Fitzpatrick

April 28, 2009 at 1:52 pm

One issue that I’d kill to have reprinted (or at least published) is the pulped issue of Hellblazer by Warren Ellis and Phil Jimenez.

Another series that I’d like to see reprinted is Miracleman by Moore/Gaiman and various (I know it’s not DC or MARVEL, but what the heck).

McK

April 28, 2009 at 1:56 pm

Grell’s Warlord is the number one missing Showcase! It’s such beautiful stuff.

Coming in September and not a moment too soon!

http://www.amazon.com/Showcase-Presents-Warlord-Vol-1/dp/1401224733/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240952190&sr=8-1

Matt Bird

April 28, 2009 at 2:00 pm

Hey, I followed that “Monster Society” link and I was pleased to see a Warlord Showcase and even a 9.99 Bat Lash Showcase, both scheduled for later this year. Great news! The “Monster Society” volume looks good too, but it’s got a pretty big spoiler on the cover!

Stephen

April 28, 2009 at 2:03 pm

“But, still, why aren’t there more collections of the early Wolfman Teen Titans and of the mid-to-late 70’s Cockrum Legion? or Aparo-era Detective?”

I never understood this, either. The Showcase volumes are great, but… you don’t get people addicted to drugs without giving them a taste of the good stuff, first. Sure, it would make it tougher to order the volumes, but I’m sure it would be easy enough to get around that (have them organised by year, rather than volume, for instance). Part of the reason BATO and Brave & The Bold were the Showcases I most wanted was because they generally got straight to the best material.

Aaron King

April 28, 2009 at 3:49 pm

Hell yes on Jimmy Thompson. Such an amazing cartoonist.

Andrew Collins

April 28, 2009 at 8:59 pm

Oh, and to my earlier list, let me add FIRESTORM. Such a fun comic, probably DC’s most “Marvel-esque” series and one that I’m surprised has never received a Showcase or anything. I’d love to see it reprinted, starting with the 1970′s series by Conway and working all the way up through Ostrander’s great run at the end of the 80′s.

Edo Bosnar

April 29, 2009 at 1:47 am

I wanted to wait for both installments before commenting: interesting picks – I utterly and absolutely agree with Shade the Changing Man especially, and the Vigilante looks fascinating. I would add two that I don’t think have been collected, at least not in color TPBs: the original 5-issue run of Ragman (his one or two appearances in Brave&Bold could be added to beef up the volume), and (I realize this has probably been mentioned many times before elsewhere) Simon and Kirby’s 6-issue Sandman series from the 1970s – I haven’t read it since I was a kid, but I remember it being pretty weird and fun.
Also, does anyone know if “Jemm, Son of Saturn” was ever collected in any form? My own web searches have come up with nothing, so I’m assuming it wasn’t. Anyway, that’s definitely one that I would add to this list…

Citizen Scribbler

April 29, 2009 at 5:29 am

I love a lot of the choices here. I’m gonna chime in and suggest The Sundevils by Roy Thomas (I believe) and also Silverblade, which is just too weird for words. And it’d be nice to have a collector’s edition of Superman: The Secret Years, which is just terrific Superman stuff with the incomparable Curt Swan doing the honors on art.

-Citizen Scribbler