|
Showcase
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, and then was revived for eleven issues from
August 1977 to September 1978.
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
* the Challengers of the Unknown (#6)
* Lois Lane (#9)
* Space Ranger (#15)
* Adam Strange (#17)
* Rip Hunter, Time Master (#20)
* the Silver Age Green Lantern (#22)
* the Sea Devils (#27)
* the Silver Age Atom (#34)
* the Metal Men (#37)
* the Inferior Five (#62)
* B'wana Beast (#66)
* the Creeper (#73)
* Anthro (#74)
* Hawk and Dove (#75)
* Bat Lash (#76)
* Angel and the Ape (#77)
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 cancelled in 1970 with #93, featuring Manhunter 2070.
|