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Showcase (comics)
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Showcase has been the title of several 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.
best-known issue of Showcase is #4, which introduced an updated version of the Flash.
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Encyclopedia
Showcase has been the title of several 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.
Original Series
Publication history
The best-known issue of Showcase is #4, which introduced an updated version of the Flash. This is generally cited as the beginning of the Silver Age of Comic Books, as it was followed by the successful updating of several other Golden Age superheroes, and an upswing in the popularity of comics (superheroes especially).
Other successful characters to debut in Showcase were
Lois Lane (#9) and the Spectre (#60) 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 series was canceled in 1970 with #93, featuring Manhunter 2070.
Full list of issues
Unpublished stories
Originally, issues 94-96 of Showcase were to feature introductory stories of Jack Kirby's Fourth World series, New Gods, Forever People and Mr. Miracle. However, DC decided to capitalize on Kirby's recent move to DC from Marvel, and launch the books as full series instead of using Showcase as the standard tryout. The last page of The New Gods vol. 1 has a large blank space towards the lower left hand of the page, which originally contained dialog advising the readers to watch for a regular series shortly, and to check out the next issue featuring the Forever People.
Reprint collections
DC published a trade paperback reprint collection of selected issues/stories/characters from the original Showcase series in 1992:
| Collection | Date | Issues |
|---|
| The Essential Showcase: 1956-1959 | (1992) | Reprints issues # 1, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, and 17. |
| Collection | Date | Issues |
|---|
| Showcase Presents: The Flash vol 1 | | includes issue 4, 8, 13-14. | | Showcase Presents: Superman Family | | includes issue 6: (Lois Lane solo story). | | Showcase Presents: Challengers of the Unknown vol 1 | | includes issue 7, 11 - 23. | | Adam Strange Archives vol 1 | | includes issue 17 - 19. | | Showcase Presents: Green Lantern vol 1 | | includes issue 22 - 23. | | Atom Archives vol 1 | | includes issue 34 - 36. | | Metal Men Archives vol 1 | | includes issue 37 - 40. | | Showcase Presents: Teen Titans vol 1 | | includes issue 59. |
Brief revival
In August 1977 Showcase was revived for eleven issues using the original numbering, after the failure of 1st Issue Special, which ran from 1975-76. The revived series began with issue #94, and published the first appearance of the new Doom Patrol 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. 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 1st mini-series in 1979.
Full List of Issues
| 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 to 93 | | 101 | Hawkman | | 102 | Hawkman | | 103 | Hawkman | | 104 | OSS / Spies at War | | 105 | Deadman | | 106 | The Creeper | |
Reprint Collections
| Collection | Date | Issues |
|---|
| Power Girl TPB. ISBN 978-1401209681 | 2006 | includes issue 97 - 99 |
New Talent Showcase
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.
Showcase 90's
DC revived the Showcase title in 1993. Because the 1950s retailer reluctance to order new, untested series had largely vanished, replaced in the 1990s with reader enthusiasm for the "#1" issues of new series, DC published it as Showcase '93, a monthly 12-issue limited series, replaced the following year by Showcase '94 #1, etc. However, because unsold comics were no longer returnable, retailers had become reluctant to stock series that did not feature consistent characters and creators from month to month, and despite attempts to link the series each year to various popular characters such as Batman or Superman, reader demand was lukewarm. Showcase '96 #12 was the last regular issue.
Showcase Presents
In 2005 DC began publishing thick, black-and-white reprints of older material under the umbrella title Showcase Presents. The volumes have received acclaim, including the 1965 Alley Award for Best Novel (an untitled story by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson in issue #55).
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