DC Special

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DC Special
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Cover of DC Special #1 (December 1968).
Art by Carmine Infantino.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
Schedule Quarterly, then bi-monthly
Format Ongoing
Publication date December 1968 – November/December 1971
Spring 1975 – August/September 1977
Number of issues 29
Creative team
Writer(s) Gerry Conway, Mark Hannerfeld, Paul Levitz, Bob Rozakis
Penciller(s) Rich Buckler, John Calnan, Bill Draut, Arvell Jones, Don Newton, Joe Staton
Inker(s) Dan Adkins, Tex Blaisdell, Bill Draut, Bob Layton, Joe Rubinstein
Colorist(s) Liz Berube, Jerry Serpe, Anthony Tollin
Editor(s) Paul Levitz

DC Special was a comic book anthology series published by DC Comics originally from 1968 to 1971; it resumed publication from 1975 to 1977. For the most part, DC Special was a theme-based reprint title, mostly focusing on stories from DC's Golden Age; at the end of its run it published a few original stories.

Some of the themes the title covered were special issues devoted to individual artists like Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert, strange sports stories, origins of super-villains, and stories of historical adventurers like Robin Hood and the Three Musketeers. Issue #4 featured many supernatural characters and was the first appearance of Abel, who later went on (along with his brother Cain) to become a major character in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman.

With DC Special's cancellation following issue #29 (Aug./Sept. 1977), DC immediately begin publishing the umbrella one-shot title DC Special Series, which lasted until Fall 1981.

The issues[edit | edit source]

Issue Title Date Notes
1 All-Infantino Issue Fall 1968 Reprints The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #29, The Brave and the Bold #45, Detective Comics #327, The Flash #148, and Mystery in Space #57
2 Top Teen Favorites Winter 1969 Reprints Everything Happens to Harvey #4
3 All-Girl Issue Spring 1969 Reprints stories from Action Comics #304, Green Lantern #16, and Strange Adventures #18
4 13 Shock-Ending Stories July/Sept. 1969 Original framing story followed by reprints from House of Mystery #2, 5, 15, 19, 26, 30, 62-63, 68; Sensation Comics #114; and Tales of the Unexpected #1, 16-17.
First appearance of Abel (of Cain and Abel).
5 The Secret Lives of Joe Kubert Fall 1969 Reprints stories from The Brave and the Bold #18, 35; Our Army at War #113; and Showcase #2
6 The Wild Frontier! Winter 1970 Reprints stories from Detective Comics #178; Frontier Fighters #4, 6; The Legends of Daniel Boone #1; and World's Finest Comics #69
7 Strangest Sports Stories Ever Told! Spring 1970 Reprints stories from The Brave and the Bold #45-46, 48-49; and Mystery in Space #39
8 Wanted! The World's Most Dangerous Villains Summer 1970 Reprints stories from The Brave and the Bold #36, The Flash #130, Green Lantern #7, and World's Finest Comics #129
9 Strangest Sports Stories Ever Told! Fall 1970 Reprints stories from The Brave and the Bold #45-48
10 Stop!... You Can't Beat The Law! Jan./Feb. 1971 Reprints stories from Gang Busters #33, 40, 58, 61, 65; and Showcase #1, 5
11 Beware... The Monsters Are Here! March/April 1971 Reprints House of Mystery #70, 85, 97, 113, 116, 175
12 The Viking Prince May/June 1971 Also featuring the Silent Knight, Robin Hood, and the Golden Gladiator.
Reprints The Brave and the Bold #1, 5, 9, 16
13 Strangest Sports Stories Ever Told! July/Aug. 1971 Reprints The Brave and the Bold #47, 49; Mystery in Space #7, 9; and Strange Adventures #94, 125
14 Wanted! The World's Most Dangerous Villains! Sept./Oct. 1971 Reprints The Flash #140, Superman #47, and World's Finest Comics #55
15 Plastic Man Nov./Dec. 1971 Reprints Plastic Man #17, 25-26; and Police Comics #1, 13
16 Super-Heroes Battle Super-Gorillas Spring 1975 Reprints Detective Comics #339, The Flash #127, Superman #138, and Wonder Woman #170
17 Presents Green Lantern Summer 1975 Reprints Green Lantern #2, 6, 26
18 Presents... Earth Shaking Stories Oct./Nov. 1975 Reprints Action Comics #342, Captain Marvel Adventures #122, and Green Lantern #43
19 War Against the Giants Dec. 1975/Jan. 1976 Reprints Action Comics #343, Green Lantern #53, Strange Adventures #28, and Wonder Woman #106
20 Green Lantern Feb./March 1976 Reprints Green Lantern #2, 8, 30
21 Super-Heroes' War Against the Monsters April/May 1976 Reprints Action Comics #326, Green Lantern #3, Marvel Family #7, and Star Spangled War Stories #132
22 The 3 Musketeers and Robin Hood June/July 1976 Reprints The Brave and the Bold #6, and Robin Hood Tales #14
23 The 3 Musketeers and Robin Hood Aug./Sept. 1976 Reprints The Brave and the Bold #9, and Robin Hood Tales #7
24 The 3 Musketeers and Robin Hood Oct./Nov. 1976 Reprints The Brave and the Bold #11, 15
25 The 3 Musketeers and Robin Hood Dec. 1976/Jan. 1977 Reprints The Brave and the Bold #7-8, 15
26 Enemy Ace Feb./March 1977 Reprints Our Army at War #151, and Star Spangled War Stories #143
27 Danger: Dinosaurs at Large! April/May 1977 Original Captain Comet story
28 Earth Shattering Disasters June/July 1977 Original stories featuring Batman, Aquaman, and the Legion of Super-Heroes
29 The Untold Origin of the Justice Society Aug./Sept. 1977 Original story about the Justice Society of America[1]

Collected editions[edit | edit source]

  • Secret Society of Super Villains Vol. 2 includes DC Special #27, 328 pages, May 2012, ISBN 978-1401231101
  • Justice Society Vol. 1 includes DC Special #29, 224 pages, August 2006, ISBN 1-4012-0970-X

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 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. The genesis of comics' first superhero team...had been a mystery since the JSA's debut...Writer Paul Levitz and artist Joe Staton decided to present the definitive origin story. 

External links[edit | edit source]

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