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Author	Topic: The Greatest DC Stories Ever Told
JayFlip Member	posted April 18, 2002 08:43 AM quote: Originally posted by Steven Utley: *Did the Batman in the Fifties* trade paperback go on sale today, as announced? And does anyone have a list of the stories reprinted therein?** According to Diamond, it's been bumped to next week (4/24). No idea what stories are included. IP: Logged
Steven Utley Member	posted April 20, 2002 09:44 AM Well, then, in the few days remaining before Batman in the Fifties does go on sale, would anyone care to list those stories which s/he hopes to see therein? We know that there will be at least one story each devoted chiefly to Batwoman, Bat-Mite, and Ace the Bathound; that leaves perhaps a dozen slots. My own list includes: "The Batmobile of 1950," DETECTIVE COMICS # 156 (February 1950), with art by Dick Sprang "Dick Grayson, Detective," STAR SPANGLED COMICS # 111 (December 1950) "The Secret Life of the Catwoman," BATMAN # 62 (December 1950-January 1951) "The Joker's Millions," DETECTIVE COMICS # 180 (February 1952), with art by Sprang "The Gorilla Boss of Gotham City," BATMAN # 75 (February-March 1953), with art by George Roussos "The League Against Batman," DETECTIVE COMICS # 197 (July 1953), with art by Sprang "Doom in Dinosaur Hall," DETECTIVE COMICS # 255 (May 1958), with by (I think) Sheldon Moldoff "The Second Life of Batman" BATMAN # 127 (Oct. 1959), with art by Sprang IP: Logged
NecessaryImpurity Member	posted April 22, 2002 05:03 PM Diamond says "Batman in the 50s" ships this week. See http://www.diamondcomics.com/shipping/shipping_042402.txt IP: Logged
India Ink Member	posted April 22, 2002 05:20 PM Actually I'm suspecting that a lot of the stories will have Batman family members, outer space scenes, or costumed villains. Which will be too bad. Every one of the books in this series (sixties, seventies,...) has tried to pigeon hole Superman or Batman, by selecting the stories that best conform to the prejudices held about those eras. So because some think that the fifties Batman was wierd and silly (perhaps truer in fact of the early sixties Batman--although that, too, would be an oversimplification), the editors will not select stories that actually contradict this belief. I remember the goofy stories, and the family stories that were reprinted in the Giants and Super-Specs--and I even enjoyed them. But I also remember a lot of good stories that were distinguished by nothing other than entertaining me on a Sunday afternoon. I do like the Catwoman stories and the stories related to the operations and devices of B&R. But just as satisfying are the simple (but clever) detective stories, with a bunch of possible suspects that appear at the beginning and then are eliminated. Or stories that take Batman to some place far removed from Gotham where Dick Sprang gets to draw some really great backgrounds. Or stories where friends turn out to be foes, or foes turn out to be friends. One story that always stuck in my mind as a kid was the story of Bat-Hombre--where Batman goes to some Mexico like country and the Presidente pleads for Batman to train someone to become a Bat-Hombre for his nation. Batman does train one fellow to become Bat-Hombre, and all seems well, but it turns out that this guy is actually a bandito, and so Batman must pose as Bat-Hombre himself. But there are lots of fifties stories I've never read. Instead of the usual list of Batman stories, I'd like to see DC surprise me and give me some stories I've never seen. IP: Logged
JSA Jim Member	posted April 22, 2002 10:38 PM Steven, I just saw a letter of yours the other day while perusing one of my Kirby-era JIMMY OLSENs...yer quite old, my brother :-} (It was a real thrill, lemme tell ya, seein' that letter!) Jim IP: Logged
Steven Utley Member	posted April 23, 2002 04:19 PM I am not neither old! I'm seasoned! IP: Logged
James Friel Member	posted April 23, 2002 04:58 PM Durn whippersnappers.... IP: Logged
Steven Utley Member	posted April 24, 2002 04:54 PM i]Batman in the Fifties[/i] went on sale today. The only stories included from my list above are: "The Batmobile of 1950" "The Secret Life of the Catwoman" The other 14 stories are: "The Secret of Batman's Utility Belt" "The True History of Superman and Batman" "The 100 Batarangs of Batman" "Ace, the Bat-Hound" "The Batwoman" "The Second Boy Wonder" "Batman Meets Bat-Mite" "The Man Behind the Red Hood" "Two-Face Strikes Again" "The Ice Crimes of Mr. Zero" "The Batman of Tomorrow" "Batman -- The Superman of Planet X" "The Creature from the Green Lagoon" "The Interplanetary Batman" Now, I mean to enjoy reading this collection, but it isn't quite the collection I'd hoped it would be. IP: Logged
India Ink Member	posted April 24, 2002 06:08 PM It's what I expected but not what I hoped for. I felt miserable buying it, but I bought it just the same. I do like some of these stories, which have been reprinted before, so it'll be handy to have them available on my shelf--but I really wish they would have printed stories I've never seen or some of my favourite detective stories. Sometime when I have a chance, I'll look through my old reprints and compile a list of some of the great detective tales from there. But since my collection is limited, I'd appreciate any nominations from others for the best Batman detective cases of the fifties. IP: Logged
Steven Utley Member	posted April 24, 2002 07:29 PM The stories in Batman in the Fifties are: "The Batmobile of 1950" "The Secret of Batman's Utility Belt" "The True History of Superman and Batman" "The 100 Batarangs of Batman" "Ace, the Bat-Hound" "The Batwoman" "The Second Boy Wonder" "Batman Meets Bat-Mite" "The Secret Life of the Catwoman" "The Man Behind the Red Hood" "Two-Face Strikes Again" "The Ice Crimes of Mr. Zero" "The Batman of Tomorrow" "Batman -- The Superman of Planet X" "The Creature from the Green Lagoon" "The Interplanetary Batman" Only a couple of these were on my own list of '50s favorites, and several are already available in the replica Batman Annual, The World's Finest Comics Archives, and The Greatest Joker and 1950s Stories Ever Told, so it isn't quite the collection I had hoped for. Well, there's still Superman in the Fifties to come. IP: Logged
Steven Utley Member	posted April 24, 2002 07:30 PM Sorry, folks -- I thought I was posting on the BATMAN IN THE FIFTIES thread. IP: Logged
India Ink Member	posted April 24, 2002 09:02 PM And if DC had to reprint stories of costumed crooks, I would have liked to have seen the first Killer Moth story. I don't believe I've ever read this--and I don't know if it's ever been reprinted. As I understand it Killer Moth is like the evil version of Batman... IP: Logged
India Ink Member	posted April 25, 2002 05:56 PM Okay, from my limited research of reprints, here's some nominations for THE DARKNIGHT DETECTIVE IN THE FIFTIES (DET=Detective Comics; BM=Batman; WF=World's Finest Comics; r.=reprinted) i: whodunnits "The Death-Cheaters of Gotham City!" BM 72, Aug-Sept '52 (r. BM 233, G-85). "The Murder of Bruce Wayne" WF 58, May-June'52 (r. BM 233, G-85). "Murder at Mystery Castle" TEC 246, Aug '57 (r. Best of DC--Batman, BLUE RIBBON DIGEST 2). "The Cime Predictor" BM 77, June-July '53 (r.BATMAN from the 30s to the 70s). "The Deep-Sea Diver Mystery" BM 83, Apr. '54 (r. LIMITED COLLECTOR'S EDITION--Batman, C-44). honourable mention: "The Man with a Thousand Eyes!" WF 43, Dec '49-Jan '50 (r. BM 258). ii: the WORLD'S greatest detective "City Without Guns" TEC 196, June'53 (r. BM 223, G-73). "Batman of the Mounties" BM 78, Aug-Sept '53 (r. BM 223, G-73). "Journey to the Top of the World" BM 93, Aug '55 (r. BM 233, G-73). "Around the World in 8 Days" TEC 248, Oct '57 (r. BM 223, G-73). "Batman Indian Chief!" BM 86, Sept. '54 (r. BATMAN from the 30s to the 70s). "The Batmen of All Nations" TEC 215, Jan '55 (r. WF 180). hounourable mention: "Ride, Bat-Hombre, Ride!" BM 56 Dec '49-Jan'50 (r. BM?, G-?). iii: trade secrets "The Guardian of the Bat-Signal!" BM 85, Aug '54 (r. BM 254). "The Thousand and One Trophies of Batman!" TEC 158, Apr '50 (r. BM 256). "The Secret of Batman Island" BM 119, Oct '58 (r. BM 256). "the Strange Costumes of Batman!" TEC 165, Nov '50 (r. BM 259). "1001 Inventions of Batman" BM 109, Aug '57 (r. BM 261). "Voyage of the First Batmarine" BM 86, Sept '54 (r. BATMAN from the 30s to the 70s). iv: traps, lies, and impersonations "Batman, jr." TEC 231, May '56 (r. BM 185, G-27). "The Menace of False Face" BM 113, Feb '58 (r. BM 198, G-43). "Vicki Vale's Secret" BM 73, Oct-Nov '52 (r. BM 208, G-55). "The Crime of Bruce Wayne" Tec 249, Nov '57 (r. BM 233, G-85). "Mr. Roulette's Greatest Gamble" BM 75, Feb-Mar '53 (r. BM 238, DC-8). "The Masterminds of Crime!" BM 70, Apr-May '52 (r. BM 238, DC-8). "The Bullet-Hole Club!" WF 50, Feb-Mar '51 (r. BM 254). "The Guardian of 100 Cities" BM 95, Oct '55 (r. BM 259). "The Great Batman Swindle" TEC 222, Aug '55 (r. BM 259). "The Failure of Bruce Wayne" BM 120, Dec '58 (r. BM 259). "Mayor Bruce Wayne" TEC 179, Jan '52 (r. BM?, G-?). "His Majesty, King Batman" BM 96, Dec '55 (r. BM?, G-?). IP: Logged
India Ink Member	posted April 25, 2002 09:07 PM I gave only honourable mention to "The Man with a Thousand Eyes" and "Ride, Bat-Hombre, Ride!" because those stories both had Dec-Jan original cover dates, meaning they came out at the end of the 40s, just before the 50s began, so I felt I couldn't include them much as I really liked both of them. And I didn't know the exact issue number for the Giant that contained "Ride, Bat-Hombre, Ride," "Mayor Bruce Wayne," and "His Majesty, King Batman" because my copy is missing its cover and several pages. In fact the Bat-Hombre story, which was the first story in the collection I believe, is almost gone--an indication of just how much I loved these stories. It's the comics I loved most as a kid that have suffered the most damage. But looking it up on the net, I've now found that the Giant was BATMAN 193, G-37. IP: Logged
Steven Utley Member	posted April 26, 2002 04:56 PM Rather than grouse further about the shortcomings of Batman in the Fifties, I shall instead post a list of stories I hope to see in Superman in the Fifties. Most of these have not been reprinted since the early 1960s; a few have never been reprinted. "It," ACTION COMICS # 162 (Nov. 1951), with art by Wayne Boring. "The Alien Who Conquered Superman," ACTION COMICS # 165 (Feb. 1952), with art by Boring. "The Menace of Planet Z," ACTION COMICS # 168 (May 1952), with art by Boring. "The Thing from 40,000 A.D.," SUPERMAN # 87 (Feb. 1954), with art by Boring. "Superboy Meets Superman," SUPERBOY # 47 (March 1956), by Otto Binder, Curt Swan, and George Klein. "The Boy Who Killed Superman," SUPERMAN'S PAL JIMMY OLSEN # 28 (April 1958), with art by Swan and Klein. "The Secret of the Sorcerer's Treasure," WORLD'S FINEST COMICS # 103 (Aug. 1959), with art by Dick Sprang. IP: Logged
NecessaryImpurity Member	posted April 26, 2002 05:00 PM quote: Originally posted by Steven Utley: "The Thing from 40,000 A.D.," SUPERMAN # 87 (Feb. 1954), with art by Boring. Why do they always come from 40,000 A.D.? They NEVER come from 40,007 A.D. IP: Logged
India Ink Member	posted April 26, 2002 05:54 PM I'm trying to imagine what the theme of a fifties Superman would be--since all these collections have some theme imposed upon them. They really can't go with the "Superman Family" angle since the real family stories were in the 1960s. They could concentrate on the last two years of the 50s when the Weisinger era really got started. Personally, I'd be happy if half the book was filled with Lois Lane stories and the other half was filled with Jimmy Olsen stories. IP: Logged
Steven Utley Member	posted May 04, 2002 01:09 AM If I am to judge from the volumes already published, Superman in the Fifties[i/] will probably contain stories readily available in [i]The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told and the replicated Superman Annual. We'll get "The Super-Key to Fort Superman," "The Supergirl from Krypton," Lori Lemaris, Krypto the Super-Dog, Beppo the Super-Monkey, Mr. Myxypltk, the shrunken city of Kandor, a story in which Lois Lane tries to discover Superman's secret identity, and one in which Jimmy Olsen mutates into a red merkin. IP: Logged
Steven Utley Member	posted May 04, 2002 01:11 AM I do have the damnedest time with those italicization commands. IP: Logged
Joseph Bennett Member	posted May 04, 2002 05:10 PM Good evening, Hadn't notice this wonderful thread before!!! I've got the six first volumes in tpb and the golden age one. Are there more greatest stories volumes??? Also, since they made a Joker volume, I wish they'd make a Luthor one... There's the fact that I'm a huge Superman fan (and I don't mean in pounds...)and biggest reason why is because the character of Luthor has had a big evolution. I'd say he's evolved much more than the Joker. From the mad scientist, to the Supervillain, and to the business man. Opinions? Joey. ------------------ Great comic book sale! http://www.freewebz.com/bookss/index.htm IP: Logged
Steven Utley Member	posted May 04, 2002 07:34 PM Welcome, Joseph. Speaking of Luthor, does anyone happen to know the title and publication date of a 1950s story, illustrated by Wayne Boring, in which the criminal genius invents spacesuit-looking attire that enables him to leach power from Superman? It was reprinted in a digest during the 1980s. IP: Logged
Steven Utley Member	posted May 04, 2002 07:38 PM Whoops, sorry, I mean to answer Joseph Bennett's question. You have the complete set, sir, if you have the following volumes: THE GREATEST SUPERMAN STORIES EVER TOLD THE GREATEST BATMAN STORIES EVER TOLD (two volumes -- three, if you count the Riddler/Two-Face collection published in conjunction with Batman Forever) THE GREATEST JOKER STORIES EVER TOLD THE GREATEST GOLDEN AGE STORIES EVER TOLD THE GREATEST 1950s STORIES EVER TOLD THE GREATEST TEAM-UP STORIES EVER TOLD THE GREATEST FLASH STORIES EVER TOLD IP: Logged
India Ink Member	posted May 04, 2002 07:39 PM Hm, if it's the one I'm thinking of, it was reprinted in a Giant before the digest. I'd completely forgotten about it, until you mentioned it Steve, but now I have to go look for it when I get home. Maybe with the success of Smallville (and its version of Lex), a Luthor greatest stories could be something DC would consider. IP: Logged
Steven Utley Member	posted May 05, 2002 09:46 AM Hmm, The Greatest Luthor Stories Ever Told -- if that isn't an invitation to this compulsive list-maker, I don't know what is. While I cogitate on the matter, let me put forth the admission that my favorite story from the John Byrne era is "Metropolis 500 Miles." We always knew the guy was evil, of course, but evil is the least any self-respecting comic-book villain should aspire to -- this little vignette reveals Lex to be a sadistic sumbitch. IP: Logged
India Ink Member	posted May 05, 2002 04:55 PM Actually I was confusing two different stories. I was thinking of "Superman's New Uniform!" (Action Comics no. 236, Jan. '58) which was reprinted in Superman 207, G-48. But I gather Steve Utley was talking about "The Super-Outlaw of Metropolis" (Superman no. 106, July '56), yet I wasn't able to find the digest it was reprinted in. IP: Logged

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