In the aftermath of the recent Marvel Versus DC and DC Versus Marvel: The Amalgam Age omnibus editions, the Batman/Deadpool and Deadpool/Batman crossovers, and the recent facsimile edition of the original Marvel-DC collaboration, Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, there’s a good deal of interest in the stories that preceded the modern iterations of DC and Marvel getting together.
Originally published as a two-issue mini-series under Marvel’s Epic Comics imprint, Silver Surfer: Parable teamed Lee with French artist Moebius (Jean Giraud) for an out-of-continuity retelling of the Surfer’s rebellion against Galactus on behalf of the mostly undeserving people of Earth.
Sometimes we look at comic book series or mini-series and we sort of know immediately why it hasn’t been put out in a hardcover or trade paperback collection. At other times, though, we’re left scratching our heads and wondering why it hasn't been done. Of course sometimes there are reasons behind the scenes, things the public never hears about, but sometimes it’s just plain... weird.
A killer has returned (or is it killers?), odd alliances are made (and smashed and remade), and long-kept secrets are revealed in Batman: The Halloween – The Last Halloween. What started as the final collaboration between writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale (May 1, 1956 – June 16, 2022) turned into a phenomenal tribute to the late illustrator and a worthy end to their years-long collaboration on the early years of the Dark Knight Detective.
Following the extra-sized, standalone Conan the Barbarian #25, writer Jim Zub and artist Fernando Dagnino launched “The Conquering Crown” as a three-part arc that concludes in #28, a spectacular issue that starts with Gerardo Zaffino’s moody, evocative cover and goes from there.
In Fortune and Glory: The Musical, we find Bendis still early in the Marvel phase of his career, and he’s been recruited to write the book for Marvel’s ambitious Broadway debut (and eventual trainwreck), Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.
Because the original Marvel Comics incarnation of Battlestar Galactica started unevenly, many fans had given up or never even checked out the title by the time the June 1980 issue, Battlestar Galactica #16, arrived on the scene. And if so, boy, did they miss a gem.
This issue also reveals another piece of the puzzle about the Unknown War as it introduces Geiger readers to The Northerner, a Union soldier from a reality in which the South won the Civil War. The next issue promises his origin.
Much like Marvel Premiere or DC’s own long-running Showcase, 1st Issue Special was a launchpad for both new concepts as well as such characters as Dr. Fate getting a shot on their own. Although the series only ran 13 issues, 1st Issue Special #8 is standout as it’s the first appearance of writer-artist Mike Grell’s creation, The Warlord.
Jack Kirby gave Norrin Radd his context. Stan Lee’s words gave the character his soul. But John Buscema gave him his awesome, majestic power, and nowhere are the compelling visuals of this more on display that on the cover for Silver Surfer #4.
