| 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 1978 |
| Number of issues | 104 |
| Main character(s) | Challengers of the Unknown Flash Green Lantern Lois Lane Space Ranger Adam Strange |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Arnold Drake Robert Kanigher John Broome Jack Kirby Otto Binder |
| Artist(s) | Win Mortimer Joe Kubert Ross Andru Russ Heath Carmine Infantino |
Showcase 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 |
In 1956, DC editor Julius Schwartz assigned writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino to the company's first attempt at reviving superheroes: an updated version of the Flash that would appear in Showcase #4 (October 1956). The eventual success of the new, science-fiction oriented Flash heralded the wholesale return of superheroes, and the beginning of what fans and historians call the Silver Age of comics.[1]
Adam Strange was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky in Showcase #17 (November 1958).[2]
Kanigher and artist Ross Andru co-created the Metal Men in Showcase #37 (March-April 1962).[3]
When Steve Ditko moved to DC Comics in 1968, he created the Creeper in Showcase #73 (April 1968) with scripter Don Segall.[4] Two issues later, Ditko created the quirky team Hawk and Dove in Showcase #75 (June 1968), with writer Steve Skeates.[5]
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 Inferior Five; B'wana Beast; Anthro; 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.
| 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 |
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 |
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[6] 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. Issue #106 was included in The Creeper by Steve Ditko hardcover collection published by DC in 2010.[7] 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.
| 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 |
| 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 |
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.
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. Showcase '96 #12 was the last regular issue.
In 2005, DC began publishing thick, black-and-white reprints of older material under the umbrella title Showcase Presents.