Showcase Presents 1st quarter 2013

[Hoy Murphy]

More of the same for early next year.

Showcase Presents: Justice League of America Vol. 6

$19.99

528 pages

January 29, 2013

Collects: Justice League of America #107-132

In this new, value-priced collection of stories from the 1970s, the Justice League of America faces foes including Felix Faust, the Shaggy Man, Eclipso, the super-power absorbing robot called Amazo, the Injustice Society, and more. Also, the team welcomes new members including The Phantom Stranger and the Elongated Man. Plus, the JLA joins forces with the Freedom Fighters, a team from an Earth where the Axis won World War II.

Showcase Present: Sgt. Rock Vol. 4

$19.99

520 pages

February 26, 2012

Collects: OUR ARMY AT WAR #181-216

Over 500 pages of classic adventures are included in this value-priced volume!

War is hell -- and no one knows that better than Sgt. Rock and the fighting men of Easy Company. These classic tales of World War II take readers deep behind enemy lines, where Easy Company never has it easy -- because battle can break out at any moment. These hard-hitting tales star the man they call Rock and the colorful members of his platoon, including Wildman, Ice Cream Soldier, Bulldozer and more, as they face the enemy in one hopeless situation after another.

In these tales, Sgt. Rock and Easy Company face the specters of battlefield cowardice and the death of an observer, meets ace pilot Johnny Cloud, is taken prisoner by German forces, and leads a new team of youthful soldiers into action.

Showcase Presents: Superman Family Vol. 4

$19.99

520 pages

March 26, 2013

Collects: SUPERMAN’S PAL JIMMY OLSEN #45-53 and SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND LOIS LANE #17-26

In these oddball stories from the start of the 1960s, Jimmy Olsen meets Tom Baker, Power Lad, an army of miniature Supermen, and Jimmy becomes "The Fat Boy of Metropolis," "Super Jimmy," "The Giant Turtle Man of Metropolis," and a wolfman. Lois Lane, meanwhile, marries Astounding Man, imagines married life with Superman, complete with super-twins, gains super powers and battles a super-powered Lana Lang.

Showcase Presents: 

STRANGE ADVENTURES Vol. 2 TP

April 2013

Collects: Strange Adventures #74-93

$19.99 US, 520 pg

Writers: John Broome, Gardner Fox, Edmond Hamilton, Otto Binder, Ed Jurist, Dave Wood, France Herron and Joe Millard

Artists: Sid Greene, Joe Giella, Gil Kane, Carmine Infantino, Bernard Sachs, John Giunta, Howard Sherman, Frank Giacoia, Jerry Grandenetti and Manny Stallman

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I'll pass on Justice League since I have all the stories in original printings, but I like Sgt. Rock reprints and I've been looking forward to another Superman Family collection for a few years now. Jimmy transforms a lot and Lois gets married a lot.

Hoy

[Philip Portelli]

The Justice League volume IS my Golden Age! If anyone is curious about Len Wein's run, this is the one to get!

[Mr. Silver Age]

I'm with you on the Rock, but I've got the issues in the others. But it is  nice to see some of these coming again. Now if they'd only do that next Superman volume

What always baffles me is the lack of information they put into these solicitations, especially for Previews and Amazon. Not listing what titles are included seems stupid. I can't believe they don't know which issues will be included, and it's pretty important information for a lot of buyers. Especially for JLA and Rock, it's not like it's an extensive list of titles, it's just a set of numbers, I think.

-- MSA

[Dandy Forsdyke]

Lois Lane, meanwhile, marries Astounding Man, imagines married life with Superman, complete with super-twins, gains super powers and battles a super-powered Lana Lang.

Worth the price of admission just for that, and what a beautiful cover by Curt Swan and either George Klein or Stan Kaye.

[Randy Jackson]

I plan on purchasing all of these.  I have the prior volumes of each, and see no reason to stop now.

[Figserello]

Regarding which issues are printed in which books, it does seem daft that Amazon doesn't print those, but perhaps it does indicate which market they are facing. The comics completist with his little notebook of missing issues and gaps in collection isn't it. These are wide-beam collections that people pick up by the volume no.

But the numbers matter to me, for all that, as well as the year the comics were printed. I find the DCU site tends to have issue numbers, even though the solicitation material is the same in all other respects. They know the market they are facing, at any rate.

I find it strange that Amazon doesn't have a 'comics' category at all, and you have to look in 'books'.

As for these collections, I'm excited about the Superman Family. Just Lois or just Jimmy would get boring, but the two interspliced is just enough variety. Putting them together was a good move. And they are still only in the early sixties. I'm going to be an old man by the time the reach the end of the Silver Age.

I loved vol 5 of the Justice League, as the title tried to show change and growth and grapple with its times. I'm very interested in reading the Wein run, as what I've read has been very good. Am I right in thinking that the Shaggy Man is the only character listed in that solicit that hadn't appeared before? Here come the 70s!

[Philip Portelli]

Though I am excited about "my" JLA stories being reprinted in order finally (C'mon DC! Dillin & Giordano deserve an Archive!!), I am looking forward to Sgt. Rock as I never really read him growing up!* Plus more Jimmy and Lois lunacy!! Though it's best if you read those in small doses!

*Did they ever go into detail about the backgrounds of Easy Company? And didn't Rock have a brother?

[Figserello]

I heard one of them was gay.

I'll get my coat...

[Luke Blanchard]

The Shaggy Man originally appeared in Justice League of America #45. If the JLA volume starts with #103 it might continue to #127. There were some new villains in the period, but none, I think, who returned pre-Crisis. Golden Eagle, who later appeared in Teen Titans, was introduced in #116. The stories were by Len Wein to #114, Denny O'Neil (#115), Cary Bates (#116, ##120-121), Elliot S. Maggin (##117-119), Martin Pasko (#122), Bates and Maggin together (##123-124) and Gerry Conway (##125-127).

 

Minor spoilers warning. The Phantom Stranger guested and was invited to join in #103 (Wein was writing his title at the time). Elongated Man joined in #105, Red Tornado in #106. Eclipso was the villain in #109. John Stewart replaced Hal Jordan for an issue, and the Red Tornado got his second costume, in #110. #111 is the Libra issue. Snapper Carr guested in #114. The Martian Manhunter, then living on New Mars, appeared in #115. Adam Strange guested in ##120-121.

[Philip Portelli]

From memory, people!! And SPOILER ALERT IS ON!!!!

#103 Felix Faust

#104 Shaggy Man, Hector Hammond

#105 The Putty Men (created by Queen Bee)

#106 T.O. Morrow

#107 The Nazis of Earth-X

#108 HITLER!!

#109 Eclipso

#110 the Key

#111 Libra and the Injustice Gang of the World

#112 Amazo (new costume, same attitude)

#113 Sandy the Golden Boy !!!

#114 Anakronus

#115 Korg--God of Rage!! (Jeez, Denny...)

#116 Matter Master

#117 the Equalizer

#118 the Adaptiods

#119 ditto

#120 BORG, Kallula, the Flying Lens, The Giant Raygun

#121 Kanjar Ro, the Cloud Creature

#122 Doctor Light

#123 Cary Bates and the Injustice Society including, for the first time, the Shade

#124 ditto

#125 Two-Face (as an ally)

#126 Two-Face (who double-crosses them), the Weaponers of Qward

#127 the Anarchist

**a polite bow** ;-)

[Philip Portelli]

Should anyone care, more on this issues

#107-108

#109

#110

#111

#113

#123-124

What can I say? They're seared into my memory banks! ;-)