DC's Digital Backlist - Secret Society of Super Villains spotlight!

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

A while back, I logged some week-to-week posts on DC’s digital reprint program through Comixology. It’s been a while, and their digital offerings have matured, so I thought I’d take another look at what they’re adding each week. Currently, they seem to be doing about 30 books a week. I might not list all the issue numbers going forward – if the 90s Superman titles continue moving forward at two of each a week, there’s not much value in listing each issue. But let’s take a look at this week’s, and let’s see where the patterns take us, shall we?

 

90s Superman: DC is following the 90s Superman titles (soon to be the 2000s Superman, as this week’s titles are from December 1999) pretty quickly, giving us 8 issues of the books every week. There’s a lot of material to get through, but that’s still an admirable clip. We may only have a few more weeks of this, judging by Action Comics (the one title of the bunch that doesn’t change its numbering and continues for a long while) – 761 is the most recent issue, and Action already seems to be in the digital library from 769 on. Superman, Adventures of Superman and Superman: Man of Steel have bigger gaps, though. 

Action Comics 760, 761

Adventures of Superman 574, 575

Superman 152, 153

Man of Steel 95, 96

 

Arion: 11, 12

DC has been adding two issues of Arion: Lord of Atlantis a week for the last 6 weeks. There are 35 issues and a special, so there's a way to go before the series is completed.

DC Comics Presents: 75, 76

DCCP started out at a faster pace, but has been going two a week for a little while now. There are about 20 issues to go. Bonus: More Arion this week, in issue 75!

Guy Gardner: Warrior: 33

11 issues to go.

Huntress: 19, 4-issue 1994 series

We wrap up the Cavalieri/Staton ongoing that introduced Helena Bertinelli, and then power through a Chuck Dixon mini from 1994. Will Huntress return next week, or will we move on?

Justice League America (Bwa-ha-ha) 51, 52

This one has a ways to go before having everything available.

Manhunter: 34

Four more issues till it’s all there!

Mister Miracle: 23-25

This wraps up the 70s run – Kirby and then Marshall Rogers, it’s all there! (I think DC also recently wrapped the 70s Return of the New Gods run, too.)

Superman (Bronze Age): 233

This is an interesting one. The Kryptonite Nevermore cover – I’m surprised it wasn’t available before this. Will DC continue from here? Their 70s Superman offerings on Comixology are paltry.

Wanderers: 7, 8

This 80s Legion spinoff ran 13 issues, so we’re almost there.

Wonder Woman (Silver Age): 130, 131

DC has been making silver age Wonder Woman stories available, probably wishing to expand their catalog in anticipation of the movie. At this point the silver age issues go from 112-131, with a couple of gaps.

Swamp Thing (Diggle/Dysart run): 25

4 more issues to go.

Trigger: 5

This Vertigo sci-fi series lasted 8 issues. I don’t remember it at all.

 

That’s a pretty exhaustive look at this week’s offerings. Next week, I’ll probably just note new additions (what will replace Mister Miracle? The '89 and '96 series have already been collected, so we might be in for something new. And there might be more Huntress comics that haven't been reprinted yet, but Comixology has a bunch of them listed already, and the Bat-universe is so sprawling it's tough to search), unexpected omissions, breaks from the patterns, and go forward from there. 

And to make things easy to follow:
Week 2. (April 6, 2017)

Week 3 (April 13, 2017)

Week 4 (April 20, 2017)

Week 5 (April 27, 2017)

Week 6 (May 4, 2017)

Week 7 (May 11, 2017)

Week 8 (May 18, 2017)

Week 9 (May 25, 2017)

Week 10 (June 1, 2017) -- All the golden age Wonder Woman goodness!

Week 11 (June 8, 2017)

Week 12 (June 15, 2017)

Week 13 (June 22, 2017)

Week 14 (June 29, 2017)

Week 15 (July 6, 2017)

Week 16 (July 13, 2017) -- Our Worlds at War! Underworld Unleashed!

Week 17 (July 20, 2017) -- The Great Ten! More Wonder Woman!

Week 18 (July 27, 2017) -- Batman Confidential and Deathblow? Young Heroes in Love?? Doom Patrol!

Week 19 (Aug 3, 2017) -- Some Bronze-age Batman!

Week 20 (Aug 10, 2017) -- Loeb/Sale Challengers begins!

Week 21 (Aug 17, 2017) -- Silver Age Challs!

MIDWEEK SALE BLAST (Aug 22, 2017): Wildstorm!

Week 22 (Aug 24, 2017) -- Holding pattern...

Week 23 (Aug 31, 2017) -- chugging along

Week 24 (Sept 7, 2017) -- Same old, but with newer Challengers

Week 25 (Sept 14, 2017) -- Baron/Jones Deadman debuts

Week 26 (Sept 21, 2017) -- Holding steady, with more Deadman

Week 27 (Sept 28, 2017) -- Deadman in Action Comics Weekly?

Week 28 (Oct 5, 2017) -- A slow swerve into Batman

Week 29 (Oct 5, 2017) -- Doom Patrol finishes in the smallest week ever

The Gap List: a list of unexplained or awkward skips.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

With two more weeks of 2023 under our belts, let's see what the DC digital archives have brought us!

Stormwatch 35: By Drew Bitner & Renato Arlem. Chapter 5 of the Fire From Heaven crossover. (15 issues to go.)

Gen 13 23, 34:  By Brandon Choi & Al Rio. More time-travel shenanigans.  

Secret Society of Super-Villains 15: By Bob Rozakis and Mike Vosburg. The super-villains begin their assault on the Justice Society! This is the final issue of the series, but so far DC Special 6 and Super-Team Family 13 & 14 are only available in the collection Secret Society of Super-Villains volume 2 (for Ultra subscribers only). The volume also contains the group's next appearance, in JLA 166-168, which are also available as individual issues.

Batman: Journey Into Knight 1, 2: By Andy Helfer and Tan Eng Huat. I can't find confirmation of this anywhere, but from the look of Batman's costume and the "Dark Knight Dawning" blurb on the cover of issue 1, this looks like an untold tale set shortly after Batman: Year One.   (10 issues to go)

Artemis: Requiem 2, 3: By William Messner-Loebs and Ed Benes. Artemis takes the code-name Requiem and works with a group of ghost-hunters. Hips don't lie. (3 issues left)

Justice Society of America 1: By Len Strazewski and Mike Parobeck. The JSA decides to come out of retirement. A fondly remembered series finally joins the DCUI! (9 issues left)

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

This is the reading order of the Fire from Heaven crossover that I pulled from Wikipedia. I've bolded the issues that already appear on DCUI. As you can see, there's still a lot missing.

Prelude

Fire From Heaven #½
Sword Of Damocles #1
Sigma #1
Deathblow #26

Chapters

Fire From Heaven #1
Backlash #19
Gen¹³ #10
Wetworks #16
Stormwatch #35
Sigma #2
WildC.A.T.s #29
Deathblow #27
Gen¹³ #11
Backlash #20
Wetworks #17
Stormwatch #36
WildC.A.T.s #30
Sigma #3

Finale:

Sword Of Damocles #2
Fire From Heaven #2
Deathblow #28

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Here are this week's archival goodies!

Stormwatch 36: By Drew Bitner, Scott Clark, & Renato Arlem. Chapter 6 of the Fire From Heaven crossover; I've bolded it in the crossover list above. (14 issues to go.)

Gen 13 23, 34:  By Brandon Choi, Gary Frank, and Al Rio. This is part of Wildstorm's "New Horizons" initiative -- a line-wide jumping-on point from June 1997 -- it's got a wrap-around cover and a recap page. The team has escaped a brutal future (in 2027!) and now they've come back to the present (1997) to prevent it!  

Batman: Journey Into Knight 3: By Andy Helfer and Tan Eng Huat. Batman continues his investigation into a mysterious plague in Gotham.   (9 issues to go)

Artemis: Requiem 4: By William Messner-Loebs and Ed Benes. Artemis goes on a talk show to discuss demon-hunting. (2 issues left)

Justice Society of America 2: By Len Strazewski and Mike Parobeck. The Atom and Wildcat join Flash and Green Lantern on the team. We also check in with the Hawks. The JSA keeps foiling the plans of a mysterious mummy-type person. Low-key adventure, and Mike Parobeck's art is SO much fun. I was 22 when this came out in 1992...and the JSAers, due to magic, were feeling "around 60" even though they were older. Now I'm 53, and crimefighting at 60 honestly seems more plausible to me from this vantage point (for someone who actually stayed in shape, that is). Back then it seemed impossibly old. (8 issues left)

Also JSA 1 has blessed me with this panel, which I intend to deploy with all necessary sarcasm.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Let's look what last week's archives have brought us!

Stormwatch 37: By Warren Ellis and Tom Raney. Warren Ellis jumps on board, and Stormwatch begins its march toward its relaunch as The Authority. With the recent announcement of an Authority movie, this feels like corporate synergy to me! (13 issues to go.)

Gen 13 26:  By John Arcudi, Gary Frank. More repercussions of the team's time-travel trip, as Fairchild ruminates on the dark nauture of the future's John Lynch.  

Batman: Journey Into Knight 4: By Andy Helfer and Tan Eng Huat. Batman continues his investigation into a mysterious plague in Gotham. Some bad people have plans for the Carrier! (8 issues to go)

Artemis: Requiem 5: By William Messner-Loebs and Ed Benes. Artemis encounters a demon toddler. (1 issue left)

Justice Society of America 3: By Len Strazewski and Mike Parobeck. Dr. Mid-Nite rejoins the team, and the mysterious villain is revealed! (7 issues left)

Also, coming in February: Artemis concludes! Gen 13, Stormwatch, Journey Into Night, and Justice Society continue! And joining the lineup... Whiz Comics and Captain Marvel Adventures...the first golden age books we've gotten in a long time! Thanks, Corporate Synergy!

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Been busy, so I missed another week. That makes two weeks for the archives roundup... so let's get to it!

Stormwatch 38 & 39: By Warren Ellis and Tom Raney. A Stormwatch member dies. Things heat up. America has a secret, and the Weatherman knows it. (11 issues to go.)

Gen 13 27 & 28:  By John Arcudi, Gary Frank. Grunge and Burnout have a big fight and get arrested by the NYPD. Plus, a giant robot attacks! I haven't read much Gen13, but I have to admit, Arcudi and Frank is a pretty tempting creative team.

Batman: Journey Into Knight 5 & 6: By Andy Helfer and Tan Eng Huat. Batman caught between international terrorists and the FBI, in pursuit of the Carrier! (6 issues to go)

Artemis: Requiem 6: Final issue! Will Artemis be hunted on earth, or rule by the side of her demon husband in hell? By William Messner-Loebs and Ed Benes. 

Justice Society of America 4 & 5: By Len Strazewski and Mike Parobeck. The final battle against the Ultra-Humanite, and the introduction of Jesse Quick! (5 issues left)

And introducing: 
Captain Marvel Adventures 124: By Otto Binder, Pete Costanza, C.C. Beck, Al Liederman. Pandora's box is opened, and now Captain Marvel has to pick up the pieces. Plus other stories, including one starring Tightwad Tad! This is the first issue of this title on DCUI.

[PowerBook Pete, the Mad Mod]

Wow! I may have to join DCUI.

Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod) said:

And introducing: 
Captain Marvel Adventures 124: By Otto Binder, Pete Costanza, C.C. Beck, Al Liederman. Pandora's box is opened, and now Captain Marvel has to pick up the pieces. Plus other stories, including one starring Tightwad Tad! This is the first issue of this title on DCUI.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

They haven't released their plans for March yet, but there's at least two more issues of Captain Marvel Adventures along with Whiz Comics #2 coming in February. I'm hoping for more in March! 

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

DC has released their March archive plans, and everything's on track to continue: Gen 13, Stormwatch, Captain Marvel Adventures, JSA, and Batman: Journey Into Knight. Those last two conclude on the last week in March, so we'll have two open slots when April begins!

This week we've got:

Stormwatch 40: By Warren Ellis and Tom Raney. A mutated corpse, a downed plane, a bloodstained church. Of course it's Warren Ellis. (10 issues to go.)

Gen 13 29:  By John Arcudi, Gary Frank. Grunge is stuck in rock form because his hand is missing.

Batman: Journey Into Knight 7: By Andy Helfer and Tan Eng Huat. Batman almost finds romance, but then he gets sad again. (5 issues to go)

Captain Marvel Adventures 125: By Otto Binder, Pete Costanza, C.C. Beck, Al Liederman. Two Dr. Sivanas? (Doctors Sivanae?) Holy Moly!

And also, for this week only (bumping JSA for a week):

Whiz Comics 2: By Bill Parker, CC Beck, and more. The complete golden age classic, with Captain Marvel, Ibis the Invincible, Spy Smasher, and more!

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

The last two weeks have been smooth sailing for DC Ultra's archives...  Here's what was released:

Stormwatch 40: By Warren Ellis and Tom Raney. Synergy investigates people with latent superpowers, and the triple gods of a doomsday cult are destroying Tokyo. (8 issues to go.)

Gen 13 30 & 31:  By John Arcudi, Gary Frank. A vacation in the Florida Keys...with zombies! And Caitlin is reunited with her father. 

Batman: Journey Into Knight 8 & 9: By Andy Helfer and Tan Eng Huat. Investigating a series of fires, Batman comes face to face with a 13-year-old arsonist. (3 issues to go)

Captain Marvel Adventures 126 & 127: By Otto Binder, Pete Costanza, C.C. Beck, Al Liederman. Classic Golden Age Cap stories, like "“Captain Marvel and the Creeping Horror” (saving a farm from tar!) and "Sivana’s Vodoo Curse!"

Justice Society of America 6 & 7: By Len Strazewski and Mike Parobeck. The JSA travels to Bahdnesia, home of Johnny Thunder’s Thunderbolt, to discover why the Bahdnesians are missing! (3 issues left)

I'll be away for the next two weeks -- like Gen13, I'm taking a vacation, and like the JSA, I'm traveling to an exotic land and having adventures! -- but DC is on track to continue all of these books throughout March.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

OK, here are the classic comics DC has added in the two weeks I've been gone!

Stormwatch 43 & 44: By Warren Ellis and Tom Raney. Spotlights on Jack Hawksmoor and Jenny Sparks...with a Gil Kane cover on the Jenny Sparks issue! (6 issues to go.)

Gen 13 32 & 33:  By John Arcudi, Gary Frank. The Gen13 kids are caught in a hurricane. And then encounter a giant toddler. Honestly, I feel like I might have missed the boat on this book once Arcudi and Frank took over. This looks like fun stuff! 

Batman: Journey Into Knight 10 & 11: By Andy Helfer and Tan Eng Huat. Continuing a look at the early days of Batman: He goes to a shrink! (1 issue to go)

Captain Marvel Adventures 128 & 129: By Otto Binder, Pete Costanza, C.C. Beck, Al Liederman. Classic Golden Age Cap stories, like "Mr. Tawny's Pleasure Peril” and "Captain Marvel and the Robot Hunt." I don't know how long these will last now that the Shazam sequel has opened, but I'm glad we're getting these for as long as we are.

Justice Society of America 8 & 9: By Len Strazewski and Mike Parobeck. The world turns against the JSA...and Hawkman is behind it? (1 issue left)

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Here's this week's DC backlist!

Stormwatch 45: By Warren Ellis and Tom Raney. Battalion has been taken prisoner, and must stop the terrorists Mamba Team Militia! (5 issues to go.)

Gen 13 34:  By John Arcudi, Gary Frank & Art Adams. Rainmaker and Freefall go back to NYC to track down Sarah's crush. This is the last issue DC is reprinting for a while, although Arcudi and Frank's run continues through issue 41. (DC itself started publishing the book with issue 37; prior to that it was an Image book, although part of the Wildstorm imprint either way.)

Batman: Journey Into Knight 12: By Andy Helfer and Tan Eng Huat. Batman vs. the Joker. (final issue)

Captain Marvel Adventures 130: By Otto Binder, Pete Costanza, C.C. Beck, Al Liederman. “Captain Marvel Battles Double Doom” -- meaning Sivana and King Kull.  Also features "Captain Marvel and the Famine Foiler” and “Captain Marvel Battles the Mysterious Invisible Monster.”

Justice Society of America 10: By Len Strazewski and Mike Parobeck.It's the JSA vs Kulak for a last hurrah! (final issue)

At this point, DC is either wrapping up of moving on from every book but Stormwatch, which had 5 issues left to go. More on what's coming up in the next post.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

In April, DC turns over a new leaf, only continuing Stormwatch. Here's what we're getting:

Eclipso: The Darkness Within -- the bookend chapters of an event that crisscrossed through DC annuals. I'll look into which are available so far.

Creature Commandos: An 8-issue miniseries from 2000.

Superman: Day of Doom: a 4-issue miniseries from 2002.

Who's Who in the DC Universe/Who's Who Update (the looseleaf version -- although why we're only getting one issue of the original project before 2 issues of the later update is anyone's guess.)

Thrillkiller -- we've got the original miniseries in April -- will the Thrillkiller 62 one-shot arrive in May?