DC Challenge
DC Challenge was a 12-issue comic book series produced by DC Comics from November 1985 to October 1986, as a round robin experiment in narrative. The book's tagline was "Can You Solve It Before We Do?"; reputedly, it was conceived during a rooftop party at a comic book convention.[1]
The premise of DC Challenge was that each chapter would be written by a different author and illustrated by a different artist;[2] no consultation between authors was permitted. As well, each chapter would end in a seemingly impossible cliffhanger (from which that chapter's author had to have planned a viable escape), and the name of the next chapter would be provided. Authors were free to use any character or concept from DC's (then) 50 years of publication, with the exception of those whose appearances they were currently writing.
The last issue of DC Challenge was a collaborative effort by six of the twelve writers. Dick Giordano had been the series original editor but turned the job over to Robert Greenberger before the first issue was published.
Authors who participated in the DC Challenge
The Issues
- Issue 1 - "Outbreak!" by Mark Evanier; art by Gene Colan & Bob Smith (Nov. 1985)[3]
- Issue 2 - "Blinded By the Light" by Len Wein & Chuck Patton; inked by Mike DeCarlo (Dec. 1985)[4]
- Issue 3 - "Viking Vengeance" by Doug Moench; art by Carmine Infantino & Bob Smith (Jan. 1986)[5]
- Issue 4 - "Atomic Nights" by Paul Levitz; art by Gil Kane & Klaus Janson (Feb. 1986)[6]
- Issue 5 - "Thunderbolts and Lightning" by Mike W. Barr; art by Dave Gibbons & Mark Farmer (Mar. 1986) (NOTE: Official title for Issue 5 was to be "If There's a Hole in Reality, Is Life a Cosmic Donut?")[7]
- Issue 6 - "A Matter of Anti Matter" by Elliot S. Maggin & Dan Jurgens; inked by Larry Mahlstedt (Apr. 1986) (and featuring Albert Einstein)[8]
- Issue 7 - "Don't Bogart That Grape . . . Hand Me the Gas Pump!" by Paul Kupperberg; art by Joe Staton & Steve Mitchell (May 1986)[9]
- Issue 8 - "If This Is Love, Why Do My Teeth Hurt?" by Gerry Conway; art by Rick Hoberg, Dick Giordano, & Arnie Starr(June 1986)[10]
- Issue 9 - "All This and World War, Too!" by Roy Thomas; art by Don Heck (July 1986)[11]
- Issue 10 - "Jules Verne Was Right!" by Dan Mishkin; art by Curt Swan & Terry Austin (Aug. 1986)[12]
- Issue 11 - "How Can You Be In Two Places At Once When You're Not Anywhere At All?" by Marv Wolfman & Cary Bates; art by Keith Giffen & Dave Hunt (Sept. 1986)[13]
- Issue 12 - "Prologue" by Mark Evanier; art by Dan Spiegle * "Phase 12.1: Fathers Against Suns" by Mark Evanier; art by Denys Cowan & Rodin Rodriguez * "Phase 12.2" by Dan Mishkin; art by Luke McDonnell & Rick Magyar * "Phase 12.3" by Roy Thomas; art by Stan Woch & Jan Duursema * "Phase 12.4" by Gerry Conway; art by Steve Lightle & Gary Martin * "Phase 12.5" by Len Wein; art by Ross Andru & Frank McLaughlin * "Phase 12.6 Final Phase" by Mark Evanier & Marv Wolfman; art by Tom Mandrake (Oct. 1986)[14]
References