Monday 24 January 2022

THE ESSENTIAL SHOWCASE 1956-1959... (A FABULOUS FLASHBACK)

Copyright DC COMICS

Back in 1992, DC COMICS released a nice little softcover edition called The ESSENTIAL SHOWCASE 1956-1959, and it's a right little cracker.  Containing milestone issues, it features the first appearances of FIREMAN FARRELL, the Silver Age FLASHCHALLENGERS Of The UNKNOWNADAM STRANGE, plus LOIS LANE in her first solo magazine adventures, which later led to her own long-running title.

Incidentally, I've only shown the splash pages of the first story in those issues that contain more than one, so there's actually more content than you'd think from a glance at the images which follow.  The book is a nice little collectors' item and chances are you'll be able to track one down on eBay should you feel so inclined.

While you're thinking about it, you can pore over the power- packed piccies that I now present for your personal perusal within the peaceful perimeters of your own home.  Nice, ain't I?
















10 comments:

Spirit of '64 said...

Makes me feel very old....can't believe it came out 30 years ago.
A nice little compilation.

Kid said...

Neither can I. Frightening, isn't it?! How can 30 years go by so fast?

McSCOTTY said...

I wasn't aware Lois Lane started in Showcase I always thought she went straight to her own comic and had had her own title since the late 1940s.

Kid said...

Nah, started in Showcase, McS - as did The Flash (Silver Age) and The Challengers. Others as well, probably.

baggsey said...

Any idea why Showcase stopped? Did DC run out of ideas for new comics, or did readers stop suggesting new ideas? Looking at the range of comics published today by DC, there seem to be a million Batman titles and not much else. Marvel seems to be on the same track - publishing multiple books about a single character. Perhaps both companies have so much IP and so many characters that they don't see the need for new content?

Kid said...

I'd guess circulation eventually declined to such an extent that it was no longer profitable to produce it, B. Number 93 was the last issue in 1970, though it was revived for 11 issues in 1977. Incidentally, originally New Gods was planned to be #94, before it was decided to launch it in its own mag. There was a DC mag called New talent Showcase in 1984, but I think I only bought the first three issues. In the '90s, Showcase was relaunched yet again for around three years, before again being cancelled.

ianintheuk said...

Off subject but I would like to know if you are going to review the new SPIDER book being published next week.

Kid said...

I'm certainly going to be buying it, so I may possibly review it - time will tell.

Phil S said...

Reminds me of when Adventure Comics, Brave and the bold and World’s Finest were all cancelled. In my opinion bad moves- in retrospect. At the time we all thought ok low sales cancel . Now we realize certain titles have leftover readers or readers who like the concept of a book. Team up books of Superman and Batman and Batman and guess hero.
World’s Finest got killed when DC decided to make Bats and Supes enemies. Then later- they decided to give them team up book called - Batman and Superman.

Kid said...

Can't really blame DC (or any company) for cancelling mags with low sales though, PS. If they're losing money, they've got to go. Sure, they'll use a similar format again, but sometimes that's the triumph of hope over experience.



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...