DC Special
{{Short description|Comic book anthology series}}
{{Distinguish|DC Special Series}}
{{Infobox comic book title
| image = Dc-special01.jpg
| caption = Cover of DC Special #1 (December 1968), art by Carmine Infantino.
| schedule = Quarterly, then bimonthly
| format = Ongoing
| publisher = DC Comics
| date = December 1968–November – December 1971
Spring 1975 – August–September 1977
| issues = 29
| main_char_team =
| writers = {{List collapsed|Gerry Conway, Mark Hannerfeld, Paul Levitz, Bob Rozakis}}
| artists =
| pencillers = {{List collapsed|Rich Buckler, John Calnan, Bill Draut, Arvell Jones, Don Newton, Joe Staton}}
| inkers = {{List collapsed|Dan Adkins, Tex Blaisdell, Bill Draut, Bob Layton, Joe Rubinstein}}
| colorists = {{List collapsed|Liz Berube, Jerry Serpe, Anthony Tollin}}
| editors = {{List collapsed|Julius Schwartz (#1, 7, 9, 13, 16–17, 20)
Murray Boltinoff (#2, 10, 22–25)
Mort Weisinger (#3, 8)
Joe Orlando (#4, 11, 26, 29)
Joe Kubert (#5)
Dick Giordano (#6)
E. Nelson Bridwell (#12, 14–15, 18–19, 21)
Paul Levitz (#27–28)}}
| creative_team_month =
| creative_team_year =
| creators =
| TPB1 =
| ISBN1 =
}}
DC Special was a comic book anthology series published by DC Comics originally from 1968 to 1971; it resumed publication from 1975 to 1977. For the most part, DC Special was a theme-based reprint title, mostly focusing on stories from DC's Golden Age; at the end of its run it published a few original stories.
Publication history
DC Special began publication with an issue focusing on the work of artist Carmine Infantino and cover dated October–December 1968.{{gcdb series|id= 1852|title= DC Special}} Some of the themes the title covered were special issues devoted to individual artists such as Infantino and Joe Kubert, strange sports stories, origins of super-villains, and stories of historical literary adventure characters such as Robin Hood and The Three Musketeers. Issue #4 featured many supernatural characters and writer Mark Hanerfeld and artist Bill Draut crafted the first appearance of Abel,{{cite book|last=McAvennie|first= Michael|last2=Dolan|first2=Hannah, ed.|chapter= 1960s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|date=2010|location= London, United Kingdom|isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9 |page= 134|quote = Writer Mark Hanerfeld and artist Bill Draut introduced readers to Abel.}} who later became (along with his brother Cain) a major character in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. The series was cancelled with issue #15 (November–December 1971).{{cite book |last1=Sacks |first1=Jason |last2=Dallas |first2=Keith |title=American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s |date=2014 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |isbn=978-1605490564 |page=57}}
The book was revived four years later and continued the numbering of the original series. The final three issues featured all-new stories. Issue #27 was a book-length Captain Comet and Tommy Tomorrow story by Bob Rozakis and Rich Buckler. Artist Don Newton began his career at DC Comics with an Aquaman story in DC Special #28 (July 1977).{{gcdb|type=credit|search=Don+Newton|title=Don Newton}} That same issue introduced the Quakemaster, an enemy of the Batman co-created by writer Bob Rozakis and artist John Calnan.{{cite book|last= Manning|first= Matthew K.|editor-last = Dougall|editor-first = Alastair|chapter= 1970s|title= Batman: A Visual History|publisher= Dorling Kindersley|date= 2014|location= London, United Kingdom|page= 125|isbn= 978-1465424563|quote= A lead feature by writer Bob Rozakis and penciller John Calnan starring Batman as Gotham City suffered earthquakes.}} Paul Levitz and Joe Staton finished the series with a Justice Society of America story which revealed the team's origin.McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 175: "The genesis of comics' first superhero team...had been a mystery since the JSA's debut...Writer Paul Levitz and artist Joe Staton decided to present the definitive origin story".
With DC Special's cancellation following issue #29 (Aug.–Sept. 1977), DC immediately begin publishing the umbrella one-shot title DC Special Series, which lasted until Fall 1981.
The issues
| class="wikitable" | |||
| Issue | Title | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1
| All-Infantino Issue | align="center"|Fall 1968 | Reprints The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #29, The Brave and the Bold #45, Detective Comics #327, The Flash #148, and Mystery in Space #57 | |||
| 2
| Top Teen Favorites | align="center"|Winter 1969 | Reprints Everything Happens to Harvey #4 | |||
| 3
| All-Girl Issue | align="center"|Spring 1969 | Reprints stories from Action Comics #304, Green Lantern #16, and Strange Adventures #18. Also includes previously unpublished Black Canary and Wonder Woman stories.{{Gcdb issue|id= 22630|title= DC Special #3}} | |||
| 4
| 13 Shock-Ending Stories | align="center"|July–Sept. 1969 | Original framing story followed by reprints from House of Mystery #2, 5, 15, 19, 26, 30, 62–63, 68; Sensation Comics #114; and Tales of the Unexpected #1, 16–17. | |||
| 5
| The Secret Lives of Joe Kubert | align="center"|Fall 1969 | Reprints stories from The Brave and the Bold #18, 35; Our Army at War #113; and Showcase #2 | |||
| 6
| The Wild Frontier! | align="center"|Winter 1970 | Reprints stories from Detective Comics #178; Frontier Fighters #4, 6; The Legends of Daniel Boone #1; and World's Finest Comics #69 | |||
| 7
| Strangest Sports Stories Ever Told! | align="center"|Spring 1970 | Reprints stories from The Brave and the Bold #45–46, 48–49; and Mystery in Space #39 | |||
| 8
| Wanted! The World's Most Dangerous Villains | align="center"|Summer 1970 | Reprints stories from The Brave and the Bold #36, The Flash #130, Green Lantern #7, and World's Finest Comics #129 | |||
| 9
| Strangest Sports Stories Ever Told! | align="center"|Fall 1970 | Reprints stories from The Brave and the Bold #45–48 | |||
| 10
| Stop!... You Can't Beat The Law! | align="center"|Jan.–Feb. 1971 | Reprints stories from Gang Busters #33, 40, 58, 61, 65; and Showcase #1, 5 | |||
| 11
| Beware... The Monsters Are Here! | align="center"|March–April 1971 | Reprints House of Mystery #70, 85, 97, 113, 116, and 175 | |||
| 12
| The Viking Prince | align="center"|May–June 1971 | Also featuring the Silent Knight, Robin Hood, and the Golden Gladiator. | |||
| 13
| Strangest Sports Stories Ever Told! | align="center"|July–Aug. 1971 | Reprints The Brave and the Bold #47, 49; Mystery in Space #7, 9; and Strange Adventures #94, 125 | |||
| 14
| Wanted! The World's Most Dangerous Villains! | align="center"|Sept.–Oct. 1971 | Reprints The Flash #140, Superman #47, and World's Finest Comics #55 | |||
| 15
| Plastic Man | align="center"|Nov.–Dec. 1971 | Reprints Plastic Man #17, 25-26; and Police Comics #1, 13 | |||
| 16
| Super-Heroes Battle Super-Gorillas | align="center"|Spring 1975 | Reprints Detective Comics #339, The Flash #127, Superman #138, and Wonder Woman #170 | |||
| 17
| Presents Green Lantern | align="center"|Summer 1975 | Reprints Green Lantern #2, 6, and 26 | |||
| 18
| Presents... Earth Shaking Stories | align="center"|Oct.–Nov. 1975 | Reprints Action Comics #342, Captain Marvel Adventures #122, and Green Lantern #43 | |||
| 19
| War Against the Giants | align="center"|Dec. 1975–Jan. 1976 | Reprints Action Comics #343, Green Lantern #53, Strange Adventures #28, and Wonder Woman #106 | |||
| 20
| align="center"|Feb.–March 1976 | Reprints Green Lantern #2, 8, and 30 | |||
| 21
| Super-Heroes' War Against the Monsters | align="center"|April–May 1976 | Reprints Action Comics #326, Green Lantern #3, Marvel Family #7, and Star Spangled War Stories #132 | |||
| 22
| The 3 Musketeers and Robin Hood | align="center"|June–July 1976 | Reprints The Brave and the Bold #6, and Robin Hood Tales #14 | |||
| 23
| The 3 Musketeers and Robin Hood | align="center"|Aug.–Sept. 1976 | Reprints The Brave and the Bold #9, and Robin Hood Tales #7 | |||
| 24
| The 3 Musketeers and Robin Hood | align="center"|Oct.–Nov. 1976 | Reprints The Brave and the Bold #11 and 15 | |||
| 25
| The 3 Musketeers and Robin Hood | align="center"|Dec. 1976–Jan. 1977 | Reprints The Brave and the Bold #7-8, and 15 | |||
| 26
| align="center"|Feb.–March 1977 | Reprints Our Army at War #151, and Star Spangled War Stories #143 | |||
| 27
| Danger: Dinosaurs at Large! | align="center"|April–May 1977 | Original Captain Comet and Tommy Tomorrow story | |||
| 28
| Earth Shattering Disasters | align="center"|June–July 1977 | Original stories featuring Batman, Aquaman, and the Legion of Super-Heroes | |||
| 29
| The Untold Origin of the Justice Society | align="center"|Aug.–Sept. 1977 | Original story about the Justice Society of America |
Collected editions
- Black Canary Archives includes the Black Canary story from DC Special #3, 224 pages, December 2000, {{ISBN|978-1563897344}}
- Secret Society of Super Villains Vol. 2 includes DC Special #27, 328 pages, May 2012, {{ISBN|978-1401231101}}
- Legion of Super-Heroes Archive Vol. 13 includes the Legion of Super-Heroes story from DC Special #28, 240 pages, May 2012, {{ISBN|978-1401234393}}
- Justice Society Vol. 1 includes DC Special #29, 224 pages, August 2006, {{ISBN|1-4012-0970-X}}
- Showcase Presents: All-Star Comics Vol. 1 includes DC Special #29, 448 pages, September 2011, {{ISBN|978-1401233037}}
See also
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{comicbookdb|type=title|id=7171|title=DC Special (1968)}}
- {{comicbookdb|type=title|id=7172|title=DC Special (1975)}}
- [http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=648 DC Special] at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
- Daily Planet, volume 77, #2 (January 10, 1977) house advertisement for [http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/gallery.php?page=planet&id=1422 DC Special #27] at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
Category:Comics by Gerry Conway
Category:Comics by Paul Levitz