Showcase (comics)
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Showcase has been the title of several 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, and then was revived for eleven issues from August 1977 to September 1978.
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[edit] 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 Comic Books, 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 (#6)
- Lois Lane (#9)
- Space Ranger (#15)
- Adam Strange (#17)
- Rip Hunter, Time Master (#20)
- the Silver Age Green Lantern (#22)
- the Sea Devils (#27)
- the Silver Age Atom (#34)
- the Metal Men (#37)
- the Inferior Five (#62)
- B'wana Beast (#66)
- the Creeper (#73)
- Anthro (#74)
- Hawk and Dove (#75)
- Bat Lash (#76)
- Angel and the Ape (#77)
Lois Lane (#9) and the Spectre (#60) 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 series was cancelled in 1970 with #93, featuring Manhunter 2070.
[edit] Brief revival
In August 1977 Showcase was revived for eleven issues using the original numbering, after the failure of First Issue Special, which ran from 1975-76. The revived series began with issue #95, and published the first appearance of the new Doom Patrol, 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 Comics Cavalcade and #105 was later published in Adventure Comics.
[edit] Showcase 90's
DC revived the title in 1993. Because the 1950s retailer reluctance to order new, untested series had largely vanished, replaced in the 1990s with reader enthusiasm for the "#1" issues of new series, DC published it as Showcase '93, a monthly 12-issue limited series, replaced the following year by Showcase '94 #1, 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. Showcase '96 #12 was the last regular issue.
[edit] Showcase reprint collections
DC published a trade paperback reprint collection of selected issues/stories/characters from the original Showcase series in 1992:
- The Essential Showcase: 1956-1959 (1992) TPB. Reprints issues # 1, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, and 17 from the original series.
In 2005, DC began publishing thick, black-and-white reprints of older material under the umbrella title Showcase Presents. The new line of books has been widely compared to Marvel Comics' similarly formatted Essential... line of collections, which that company has been publishing since 1996.
The series have received recognition over the years, including the 1965 Alley Award for Best Novel (an untitled story by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson in issue #55).
[edit] Reprint collection volumes
- Issue 6: Showcase Presents: Challengers of the Unknown vol 1, Showcase Presents: Superman Family (Lois Lane solo story).
- Issue 7: Showcase Presents: Challengers of the Unknown vol 1.
- Issue 11: Showcase Presents: Challengers of the Unknown vol 1.
- Issue 12: Showcase Presents: Challengers of the Unknown vol 1.
- Issue 17: Adam Strange Archives vol 1.
- Issue 18: Adam Strange Archives vol 1.
- Issue 19: Adam Strange Archives vol 1.
- Issue 22: Showcase Presents: Green Lantern vol 1.
- Issue 23: Showcase Presents: Green Lantern vol 1.
- Issue 24: Showcase Presents: Green Lantern vol 1.
- Issue 34: Atom Archives vol 1.
- Issue 35: Atom Archives vol 1.
- Issue 36: Atom Archives vol 1.
- Issue 37: Metal Men Archives vol 1.
- Issue 38: Metal Men Archives vol 1.
- Issue 39: Metal Men Archives vol 1.
- Issue 40: Metal Men Archives vol 1.
- Issue 59: Showcase Presents: Teen Titans vol 1.
- Issue 97: Power Girl TPB.
- Issue 98: Power Girl TPB.
- Issue 99: Power Girl TPB.
[edit] Trivia
- Originally, issues 94-96 of Showcase were to feature introductory stories of Jack Kirby's Fourth World series, New Gods, Forever People and Mr. Miracle. However, DC decided to capitalize on Kirby's recent move from Marvel and launch the books as full series instead of using Showcase as the standard tryout. The last page of New Gods v1#1 has a large blank space towards the lower left hand of the page, which originally contained dialog advising the readers to watch for a regular series shortly, and to check out the next issue featuring the Forever People.
