- Showcase (comics)
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Showcase 
Showcase #4, featuring the Silver Age Flash.
Art by Carmine Infantino.Publication information Publisher DC Comics Schedule Monthly Format Ongoing Publication date March 1956 – September 1970
August 1977 – September 1978Number of issues 104 Main character(s) Challengers of the Unknown
Flash
Green Lantern
Lois Lane
Space Ranger
Adam StrangeCreative team Writer(s) Arnold Drake
Robert Kanigher
John Broome
Jack Kirby
Otto BinderArtist(s) Win Mortimer
Joe Kubert
Ross Andru
Russ Heath
Carmine InfantinoShowcase has been the title of several comic anthology series published by DC Comics. The general theme of these series has been to feature new and minor characters as a way to gauge reader interest in them, without the difficulty and risk of featuring "untested" characters in their own ongoing titles. The original series ran from March 1956 to September 1970 (suspending publication with issue #93), and then was revived for eleven issues from August 1977 to September 1978.
Contents
Original series
Publication history
The best-known issue of Showcase is #4, which introduced an updated version of the Flash. This is generally cited as the beginning of the Silver Age of comics, as it was followed by the successful updating of several other Golden Age superheroes, and an upswing in the popularity of comics (superheroes especially).
Other successful characters to debut in Showcase were the Challengers of the Unknown; Space Ranger; Adam Strange; Rip Hunter, Time Master; the Silver Age Green Lantern; the Sea Devils; the Silver Age Atom; the Metal Men; the Inferior Five; B'wana Beast; the Creeper; Anthro; Hawk and Dove; Bat Lash; and Angel and the Ape.
Lois Lane and the Spectre also had their own series debut in Showcase. In 1962, DC purchased an adaptation of the James Bond novel and film Dr. No, which had been published in British Classics Illustrated, and published it as an issue of Showcase. It was the first American comic book appearance of the character. The Showcase series was canceled in 1970 with issue #93, featuring Manhunter 2070.
Full list of issues
Issue # Character 1 The Fire Fighters 2 Kings of the Wild 3 The Frogmen 4 The Flash (Barry Allen) 5 Manhunters 6 Challengers of the Unknown 7 Challengers of the Unknown 8 The Flash (Barry Allen) 9 Lois Lane 10 Lois Lane 11 Challengers of the Unknown 12 Challengers of the Unknown 13 The Flash (Barry Allen) 14 The Flash (Barry Allen) 15 The Space Ranger 16 The Space Ranger 17 Adventures on Other Worlds (Adam Strange) 18 Adam Strange 19 Adam Strange 20 Rip Hunter, Time Master 21 Rip Hunter, Time Master 22 Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) 23 Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) 24 Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) 25 Rip Hunter, Time Master 26 Rip Hunter, Time Master 27 Sea Devils 28 Sea Devils 29 Sea Devils 30 Aquaman and Aqualad 31 Aquaman and Aqualad 32 Aquaman and Aqualad 33 Aquaman and Aqualad 34 The Atom (Ray Palmer) 35 The Atom (Ray Palmer) 36 The Atom (Ray Palmer) 37 Metal Men 38 Metal Men 39 Metal Men 40 Metal Men 41 Tommy Tomorrow of the Planeteers 42 Tommy Tomorrow of the Planeteers 43 James Bond (adaptation of Dr. No) 44 Tommy Tomorrow of the Planeteers 45 Sgt. Rock 46 Tommy Tomorrow of the Planeteers 47 Tommy Tomorrow of the Planeteers 48 Cave Carson Adventures Inside Earth 49 Cave Carson Adventures Inside Earth 50 I--Spy 51 I--Spy 52 Cave Carson Adventures Inside Earth 53 G.I. Joe 54 G.I. Joe 55 Doctor Fate and Hourman 56 Doctor Fate and Hourman 57 Enemy Ace 58 Enemy Ace 59 Teen Titans 60 The Spectre 61 The Spectre 62 Inferior Five 63 Inferior Five 64 The Spectre 65 Inferior Five 66 B'wana Beast 67 B'wana Beast 68 The Maniaks 69 The Maniaks 70 Leave It to Binky 71 The Maniaks with Woody Allen 72 Top Gun 73 Beware the Creeper 74 Anthro 75 The Hawk and the Dove 76 Bat Lash 77 Angel and the Ape 78 Jonny Double 79 Dolphin 80 The Phantom Stranger 81 The Way-Out World of Windy and Willy 82 Nightmaster 83 Nightmaster 84 Nightmaster 85 Firehair 86 Firehair 87 Firehair 88 Jason's Quest 89 Jason's Quest 90 Jason's Quest 91 Manhunter 2070 92 Manhunter 2070 93 Manhunter 2070 Reprint collections
In 1992, DC Comics published a trade paperback reprint collection called The Essential Showcase: 1956–1959 (ISBN 978-1563890796). This collection reprints selected stories/characters from issues #1, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, and 17 of the original Showcase series. Several other issues were included in other reprint collections.
Title Issues collected Publication date ISBN Showcase Presents: The Flash, Vol. 1 4, 8, 13–14 May 2007 1-4012-1327-8 The Flash Archives, Vol. 1 4, 8, 13–14 May 1998 978-1563891397 The Flash Chronicles, Vol. 1 4, 8, 13–14 September 2009 978-1401224714 Showcase Presents: Superman Family, Vol. 1 9 (Lois Lane solo story) March 2006 1-4012-0787-1 Showcase Presents: Superman Family, Vol. 2 10 (Lois Lane solo story) February 2008 1-4012-1656-0 Showcase Presents: Challengers of the Unknown, Vol. 1 6–7, 11–12 September 2006 1-4012-1087-2 Challengers of the Unknown Archives, Vol. 1 6–7, 11–12 July 2003 1-5638-9997-3 Adam Strange Archives, Vol. 1 17–19 2003 1-4012-0148-2 Showcase Presents: Green Lantern, Vol. 1 22–24 October 2005 1-4012-0759-6 Green Lantern Archives, Vol. 1 22–24 1993 978-1563890871 Green Lantern Chronicles, Vol. 1 22–24 May 2009 978-1401221638 Showcase Presents: The Atom, Vol. 1 34–36 June 2007 1-4012-1363-4 The Atom Archives, Vol. 1 34–36 2001 978-1563897177 Showcase Presents: Metal Men, Vol. 1 37–40 September 2007 1-4012-1559-9 Metal Men Archives, Vol. 1 37–40 May 2006 1-4012-0774-X Crisis on Multiple Earths: The Team-Ups, Vol. 1 55–56 January 2006 978-1401204709 Showcase Presents: Teen Titans, Vol. 1 59 April 2006 1-4012-0788-X Silver Age Teen Titans Archives, Vol. 1 59 2003 1-4012-0071-8 The Creeper by Steve Ditko 73 April 2010 978-1401225919 Brief revival
In August 1977, Showcase was revived for eleven issues after the failure of 1st Issue Special, which ran from 1975 to 1976. The revived series, using the original numbering, began with issue #94 and published the first appearance of the new Doom Patrol[1] and the solo adventures of Power Girl. Issue #100 had a cameo by every character that had premiered in the original run of Showcase. The series was cancelled again after issue #104 (September 1978), as part of what is commonly called the "DC Implosion". Issues #105 and #106 saw print in Cancelled Comic Cavalcade and #105 was later published in Adventure Comics. Two other series were announced before the series cancellation: The Huntress, which would have spun out of her feature in Batman Family; and World of Krypton, which was published as DC's first mini-series in 1979.
Full list of issues
Issue # Character 94 Doom Patrol 95 Doom Patrol 96 Doom Patrol 97 Power Girl 98 Power Girl 99 Power Girl 100 Special issue featuring every character from issues #1–93 101 Hawkman 102 Hawkman 103 Hawkman 104 OSS / Spies at War 105 Deadman 106 The Creeper Reprint collections
Title Issues collected Publication date ISBN Power Girl 97–99 June 2006 978-1401209681 The Creeper by Steve Ditko Includes unpublished issue #106 April 2010 978-1401225919 New Talent Showcase
In 1985–1986, DC published New Talent Showcase, which ran for 15 issues, briefly changed its title to Talent Showcase, and then ended with issue #19. For the most part edited by Karen Berger (and for a short time by Sal Amendola), the series gave new writers and artists the chance to get their "feet wet" in the comics industry. Notable creators who made their DC debuts with New Talent Showcase include Mark Beachum, Norm Breyfogle, Tom Grindberg, Steve Lightle, Mindy Newell, and Stan Woch.
Showcase 90s
DC revived the Showcase title in 1993 when the 1950s retailer reluctance to order new, untested series had largely vanished, and was replaced in the 1990s with reader enthusiasm for the "#1" issues of new series. The new series was published as Showcase '93, a monthly 12-issue limited series, replaced the following year by Showcase '94, etc. However, because unsold comics were no longer returnable, retailers had become reluctant to stock series that did not feature consistent characters and creators from month to month, and despite attempts to link the series each year to various popular characters such as Batman or Superman, reader demand was lukewarm.[citation needed] Showcase '96 #12 was the last regular issue.
Collected Edtions
- Showcase Presents: The Flash Vol. 1 (Showcase #4, 8, 13, 14)
- Showcase Presents: Challengers of the Unknown Vol. 1 (Showcase #6, 7, 11-12)
- Showcase Presents: Superman Family Vol. 1 (Showcase #9)
- Showcase Presents: Superman Family Vol. 2 (Showcase #10)
- Showcase Presents: Adam Strange Vol. 1 (Showcase #17-19)
- Showcase Presents: Green Lantern Vol. 1 (Showcase #22-24)
- Aquaman Archives 1 (Showcase #30-31)
- Showcase Presents: Atom Vol. 1 (Showcase #34-36)
- Showcase Presents: Metal Men Vol. 1 (Showcase #37-40)
- Showcase Presents: Enemy Ace Vol. 1 (Showcase #57-58)
- Showcase Presents: Teen Titans Vol. 1 (Showcase #59)
- Showcase Presents: Bat Lash Vol. 1 (Showcase #76)
- Showcase Presents: Phantom Stranger Vol. 1 (Showcase #80)
Showcase Presents
Main article: Showcase PresentsIn 2005, DC began publishing thick, black-and-white reprints of older material under the umbrella title Showcase Presents. The volumes have received acclaim, including the 1965 Alley Award for Best Novel (an untitled story by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson in issue #55).
References
- ^ McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1970s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 175. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. "Writer Paul Kupperberg and artist Joe Staton revived DC's "try-out" series from its seven-year slumber by resurrecting the super-hero team, Doom Patrol."
External links
- Showcase at the Grand Comics Database
- Showcase at the Comic Book DB
- New Talent Showcase at the Comic Book DB
- Showcase '93 at the Comic Book DB
- Showcase #55: The Glory of Murphy Anderson
- Comic Book Awards Almanac: Showcase
Categories:- 1956 comic debuts
- DC Comics titles
- Comics anthologies
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