During the same month as JLA #209, the World's Greatest Superheroes headlined another digest collection, with front and back covers by Gil Kane!
Inside are "In Each Man There Is A Demon", by Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin, and Joe Giella (JLA #75), "Specter in the Shadows" by Len Wein, Dillin, and Dick Giordano (JLA #105), "Wolf in the Fold" by Wein, Dillin, and Giordano (JLA #106), and "The Reverse-Spells of Zatanna's Magic" by Gerry Conway, Dillin, and Frank McLaughlin (JLA #161).
Collecting issues where new members joined is time-tested, great idea, so I only have two quibbles:
1)Hawkgirl is "skipped" over. That's probably because the issue she joined (JLA #146) isn't really about her joining, the way the above stories focused on Black Canary, Elongated Man, Red Tornado, and Zatanna, respectively. Plus, the story was extra long, so to include it would've bumped one of these.
Still, Hawkgirl gets the short shrift so much, it was a shame she couldn't be included here in some way.
2)Someone at the printers must have bumped the machine, because pages 26-27 and 74-75 are printed out of sequence, so the Black Canary story suddenly stops and we get the final page of the Red Tornado story and the cover to JLA #161, then vice-versa later on, a jarring effect.
But there is this super-cool, retro ad for JLA #209, which I really wish they had run somewhere in color, its so cool:
It took me years, but I finally found a perfectly printed copy of this digest. I suggest if you see copies of it, ask the dealer if you can open it up and check it. I never had a problem once I pointed out the printing error.
ReplyDeleteGood book otherwise. :)
Two comments:
ReplyDelete1. Zatanna and Red Tornado are both left handed??? (see signature signing back cover)
2. I can see including Firestorm in the "Just Imagine" ad because he had his own magazine at the time (didn't he?) but to bump Aquaman and Hawkman for Green Arrow and the others just seems odd, since none besides Superman actually appeared in the issue they're advertising!
My copy of this digest (bought right off the stands) is printed correctly as well, so there is hope.
ReplyDeleteSaid copy is well loved and VERY dog-earred.
Chris
I'm pretty sure my copy is correct, but I cannot find it right now.
ReplyDeleteThe omission of Hawkgirl really steamed me. Unfortunately, the story where she joined (#146) wasn't really "her story". She deserved better, but I've beat that horse already.
Hawkgirl was probably never even considered because almost no one gives a squirt about her. Talk about redundant characters. If she were Hawkboy, you wouldn't go on and on about her either.
ReplyDelete