So there you see above, my copy of the original Justice League of America #200 from 1981, propped up there against a copy of the new Justice League of America #200 treasury-sized facsimile edition due out in your better comic shops this week, and even in mine, too.
For a long time I’ve pushed for a hardcover reprint of this, as it’s the absolute ideal of an Anniversary Issue. Written by Gerry Conway (with some assistance from Roy Thomas), the story is based in the origins of the team, presenting a sequel to those events while demonstrating the changes the League has undergone in the decades since.
And how does it do that? By pitting the original members of the team against the members that joined later, dedicating multiple chapters to the individual battles. Plus, each chapter is illustrated by perfectly-matched artists…Aquaman versus the Red Tornado? Drawn by Jim Aparo. The Flash versus Elongated Man? Drawn by Carmine Infantino? The Atom versus Green Lantern? FREAKIN’ GIL KANE:
Batman…excuse me, The Batman (they were pushing that pretty hard at the time) versus Green Arrow and Black Canary? You feel like they probably wanted that to be by Neal Adams, but instead we get Brian Bolland, who nails it perfectly.
I didn’t even mention Pat Broderick, or Dick Giordano, or Joe Kubert, or the bookends and between-chapter bits by George Pérez, who also did the wraparound cover…basically, I’m saying this is a beautiful comic. And each fight gets a swell full-page shot like that Atom/GL clash pictured above.
Now I didn’t get that hardcover I wanted, but this oversized treasury edition is a welcome second choice for getting this wonderful comic back into print. Especially at this size, which is far easier on your pal Mike’s beleaguered eyeballs.
Even after four-plus decades, the comic still holds up. It’s a delightful piece of post-Bronze Age comicking, balancing the heavy use of captions and dialogue of the era while showcasing the beautiful artwork. Conway’s story expertly weaves in and out of the individual chapters, pulling together a plotline that propels the action along while still paying homage to the Justice League tales of the past. And don’t skip Conway’s “behind the scenes” text piece in this issue, which oges into some detail about how this story was assembled.
In conclusion…just buy it already. It’s great.
Now hopefully DC will give up a similar reissue of Detective Comics #500, the other Great Anniversary Issue of the period.
I’m slightly younger than you, Mike, so the original Treasuries came out when I was a kid, and I loved them like nothing else except Star Wars. I read the FFE’s of All-Star #3 and Superman #1 more times than I could count. Still have all of them now, including upgraded copies of the ones I read to–well, not ruin but to not great condition.
Remember the ill-fated Russ Cochran plan to do Treasury-sized EC reprints? I was SO psyched for those, and only one was ever made. My retailer at the time HATED the plan, and that sentiment probably was widespread and killed the idea. Now I want all my EC’s in Artist’s Edition or Taschen XXL size.
Today the only category of comics I still consider myself a collector of is oversized ones. I even bought the first H2SH “treasury” edition (but, uh, none of the subsequent ones).
Oh, we definitely had that E.C. treasury at our shop…some things are just too beautiful for this fallen world.
I’m pulling for reprints of SUPERMAN #400 and ACTION #500 in this format.
I’m intrigued that you refer to a 1981 comic as “post-Bronze Age”. I tend to think of the Bronze Age as running from around 1970 (Adams/O’Neil on Batman and GL/GA, Kirby leaving Marvel, Spider-Man Drug Issues) to around 1985-86 (Crisis on Infinite Earths/The Dark Knight Returns/Watchmen, the shift from newsstands to specialty shops, the black & white/indy boom).
I’m curious to know what your benchmarks are for the transitions between Silver, Bronze, and Iron.
I didn’t think the Atom’s joke was remotely funny when I read this issue as a kid, and 40-plus years on I still don’t.
I vote for a treasury reprint of Batman #400. Just picture that Sienkiewicz cover oversized and foil stamped!
There are quite a few comics that DC should consider reprinting as treasury editions.
Batman no. 300 would be a good one; so would DC Special Series no. 15 –Batman Spectacular.
Also, the Famous First Editions are worthy of being reprinted again in Treasury Size.
And to supplement All-Star Comics no. 3, the first appearance of the JSA, I would suggest reprinting DC Special no. 29, “The Untold Origin of the Justice Society.” I would even suggest a JSA related Treasury edition which reprints the first Golden Age appearances of Jay Garrick/Flash, Alan Scott/Green Lantern, Carter Hall/Hawkman, Kent Nelson/Dr. Fate, Rex Tyler/Hour Man, Wesley Dodds/Sandman, Jim Corrigan/Spectre, Al Pratt/Atom, Johnny Thunder, Charles McNider/Dr. Mid-Nite, Ted Knight/Starman, Wonder Woman, Ted Grant/Wildcat, Terry Sloane/Mr. Terrific, Dinah Drake/Black Canary, Superman and Batman–as it would be very cool to have all of those first appearances published in one giant comic.
And why not reprint the entire original Swamp Thing run by Wein and Wrigtson in several Treasury editions? Or how about the Denny O’Neil and Mike Kaluta run of The Shadow? Or the Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams run of Green Lantern/Green Arrow?
Or The Legion of Super-Heroes “The Great Darkness Saga” by Levitz and Giffen?
I probably already wrote something to this effect before, but I also think that DC should be putting out either treasury edition sized–or even standard sized 80 to 100 page giants–editions which compile the first appearances of various characters from the company’s vast acquisitions.
I could see one or two of these for the Fawcett Comics acquisitions: The Shazam/Marvel Family characters first appearances (Billy Batson, Freddy Freeman, Mary Bromfield, Dudley H. Dudley, Teth-Adam, Hoppy, etc.); and then the first appearances of all the other Fawcett superheroes who were published in the ’40s: Bulletman & Bulletgirl, Spy Smasher, Minute-Man, Ibis the Invincible and Princess Taia, Golden Arrow, Mr. Scarlet & Pinky, Phantom Eagle, Commando Yank, Radar the International Police Man, El Carim –Master of Magic, Devil’s Dagger, Diamond Jack, Red Gaucho, Warlock the Wizard, and Master Man–the first Fawcett Comics Superman knockoff character who was forced to hang it up. Also, I’m not certain if DC Comics has the rights to use Captain Midnight, and Nyoka the Jungle Girl, but if so, it would be cool to see their first Fawcett appearances as well. I figure all of these characters debuts could be squeezed into a few treasury editions or 100 Page Giants.
And the same situation applies to main Quality Comics characters which DC acquired. Several treasury editions–or standard sized 80 to 100 Page Giants– compiling the first appearances of many of these characters would be appreciated. Of course, the main Freedom Fighters characters: Uncle Sam, Doll Man, The Ray, Phantom Lady, Black Condor, Human Bomb, and Firebrand. But also, Plastic Man, Midnight, Blackhawk, Doll Girl, Wildfire, Red Bee, Manhunter, Quicksilver/Max Mercury, Kid Eternity, The Spider Widow & The Raven, Red Torpedo, Blue Tracer, Jester, Lady Luck, Neon the Unknown, The Clock, Alias the Spider, 711 & Destiny, Bozo the Iron Man, Hercules, Invisible Hood, Zero the Ghost Detective, The Whistler, USA–the Spirit of Old Glory, Wonder Boy, Madam Fatal, Magno, Merlin, Miss America, Tor, Mr. Mystic, The Great Defender (Stormy Foster), Captain Triumph, Ghost of Flanders, Torchy, Margo The Magician, The Marksman, and G-2.
If nothing else DC should consider releasing a Fawcwett Characters compendium and a Quality Characters compendium with the first appearances of these characters just to establish ownership of them–because quite a few of them DC has never used.
And DC should also really consider releasing some facsimile editions of the Quality Comics ’50s pre-code horror comic “Web of Horror,” and also the Fawcett Comics issues of “This Magazine is Haunted” and “Worlds of Fear.” They would sell!