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Introduction
Introduction to "Comic Book Numbering"
Comic book numbering used to be a very simple issue - each issue was incremented one number from the preceding issue in a simple natural number sequence starting at issue #1 until infinity.
Occasionally there would be some complications when a series was re-named (often when a key character in an ongoing anthology becomes popular enough for their own title), such as "The Incredible Hulk (1968)" taking over the numbering from "Tales to Astonish (1959)" or "Captain America (1968)" taking over the numbering of "Tales of Suspense (1959)".
However, DC Comics started an inadvertent trend when John Byrne re-structured the Man of Steel in the mid-1980's. All Superman comics (Action Comics and Superman) were taken offline for a few months, and a re-launch re-started Superman (1987) with a new #1, and continued the pre-existing Superman (1939) numbering with "Adventures of Superman (1987)". Superman (2006) re-merged Superman (1987) and Adventures of Superman (1987) to a single title.
Both DC and Marvel comics insisted on the occassional oddly numbered comic (0, -1 for Marvel, 1,000,000 for DC) which made continuity of numbering strange.
Marvel had a mathematical psychotic break and sold off key characters (e.g. Hulk, Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America and the Fantastic Four) to a group of artist/writers in the ill-fated "Heroes Reborn" period of about a year in the mid-1990's, each series being re-started as a new #1. This experiment lasted about a year from 1996 to 1997, where the characters were re-introduced into the "real" (616) universe of Marvel in "Heroes Return".
Marvel's marketing department, realizing that "#1" issues had extra purchase value, began randomly re-starting series to generate new #1's. Later, someone woke up and realized that they were missing the chance to capitalize on significant milestone issues (500, 600 etc.) and began to re-number the ongoing series, with mixed success. Some re-numbering was simply the inclusion of series X and series Y of the same character, with the new numbering being the sum. However, with other series, the effect was somewhat confusing (see Hulk).
This site is an attempt to make sense of the numbering issues.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Read "Graduation Day" Mini-series - DC Comics 2003
A very nicely put together story - the two teams fail in a mission to handle an unknown robot-lady and end up hospitalized. Superman appears, a little wooden and non-communicative. Turns out to be a malfunctioning robot with super-powers turned on a bunch of kids.
Not sure what I was expecting, but it turned out to be an interesting mini-series.
Monday, August 25, 2014
The Great Visit of 2014 - Superman's House
A Superman Logo and a Superman "S" from the early Shuster art adorns the fence in front of the former Siegel home. |
The plaque reads: This is the house where Superman was born. Writer Jerry Siegel (1914-1996) was a teenaged boy who lived her during the Great Depression, one of the toughest economic times for Cleveland and the country. Jerry wasn't popular. He was a dreamer, and he knew how to dream big. With his best friend, artist Joe Shuster, these two boys created a bright fantasy world of spaceships, strange planets and a a city where a young man in red an blue tights could leap over tall buildings in a single bound. They called him Superman. They didn't just give us they world's first super hero....They gave us something to believe in. |
The Superman "S" shield as depicted in early Superman works in Action Comics by artist Joe Shuster. |
On the top floor you can almost imagine the creation of Superman, and can almost glimpse him in the windows. |
Some panels are missing, but this is the lot of the teen home of Joe Shuster, the artist of the Superman creation team. These panels are from Action Comics #1, which recently sold for over $3 million. |
Parkwood is the street that connects Amor (Joe Shuster Lane) amd Kimberley (Jerry Siegel Lane). It is appropriately called "Lois Lane". |
A downloaded image of the Shuster home lot when the fence was more complete. |
A plaque marking the neighbourhood of Siegel and Shuster at E105 St. and St. Clair Ave. |
The plaque reads:
A very good book (which I picked up in Cleveland on this particular trip) is called "Super Boys: The Amazing Adventures of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster--the Creators of Superman" by Brad Ricca.
http://us.macmillan.com/superboys/bradricca |
A map can be found around Cleveland (comic book stores and elsewhere) marking milestones in the Superman creation legend. |
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Comic Company Crossovers
When I was a kid I saw the oversized Superman-Spider-Man comic on the shelves of the store. I loved that story, not just Superman and Spider-Man, but Jimmy Olsen and Clark Kent meeting Peter Parker, Perry White meeting J. Jonah Jameson.
I've always carried a soft spot for the crossovers. I later found that there were other crossovers, not just Marvel and DC. Here is the list I've created - ordered by companies and years. I doubt it is complete, but it probably has all the Marvel and DC crossovers.
Please let me know if there are any more.
I have included some odd titles which aren't really crossovers:
"Stan Lee's Just Imagine...." is a series where Stan Lee re-creates DC's key characters (e.g. Just Imagine Stan Lee's Batman).
The "Amalgam" comics aren't exactly crossovers, they also are re-imaginings, where a DC and Marvel character are mixed together (e.g. Batman and Wolverine, or Storm and Wonder Woman, or Superboy and Spiderman).
Title | Year | Companies | Total Issues |
Judge Dredd vs Aliens | 2003 | Dark Horse and 2000 AD | 4 |
Just Imagine – Stan Lee's | 2001 | DC (and Marvel) | 12 |
Batman & Judge Dredd - Judgement on Gotham | 1991 | DC and 2000 AD | 1 |
Batman & Judge Dredd - Vendetta in Gotham | 1993 | DC and 2000 AD | 1 |
Batman and Judge Dredd - The Ultimate Riddle | 1995 | DC and 2000 AD | 1 |
Judge Dredd & Lobo - Psycho Bikers vs Mutants from Hell | 1995 | DC and 2000 AD | 1 |
Batman & Judge Dredd - Die Laughing | 1998 | DC and 2000 AD | 2 |
Batman and Grendel - Devil's Riddle/Devil's Masque | 1993 | DC and Comico | 2 |
Batman vs Predator I | 1991 | DC and Dark Horse | 3 |
Batman vs Predator II | 1995 | DC and Dark Horse | 4 |
Superman - Aliens | 1995 | DC and Dark Horse | 3 |
Batman and Grendel - Devil's Bones | 1996 | DC and Dark Horse | 2 |
Batman vs Aliens | 1997 | DC and Dark Horse | 2 |
Batman vs Predator III | 1997 | DC and Dark Horse | 4 |
Batman - Hellboy - Starman | 1999 | DC and Dark Horse | 1 |
Batman - Tarzan - Claws of the Cat-Woman | 1999 | DC and Dark Horse | 4 |
Superman vs Terminator - Death to the Future | 1999 | DC and Dark Horse | 4 |
Green Lantern vs Aliens | 2000 | DC and Dark Horse | 4 |
Superman vs Predator | 2000 | DC and Dark Horse | 3 |
Justice League vs Predator | 2001 | DC and Dark Horse | 1 |
Superman vs. Aliens II - God War | 2002 | DC and Dark Horse | 4 |
Superman and Batman vs. Aliens and Predator | 2007 | DC and Dark Horse | 2 |
Catwoman and Vampirella | 1997 | DC and Harris | 1 |
Batman - Spawn - War Devil | 1994 | DC and Image | 1 |
Spawn and Batman | 1994 | DC and Image | 1 1 1 |
Superman and Savage Dragon - Metropolis Superman and Savage Dragon - Chicago Superman vs Spiderman |
1999 2002 1976 |
DC and Image DC and Image DC and Marvel |
1 1 |
Batman vs Hulk | 1981 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
Superman vs Spiderman | 1981 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
X-men vs New Teen Titans | 1982 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
Batman – Punisher | 1994 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
Punisher – Batman | 1994 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
Darkseid vs Galactus | 1995 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
Green Lantern – Silver Surfer | 1995 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
Spiderman – Batman | 1995 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
Amalgam Comics | 1996 | DC and Marvel | 12 |
Batman – Captain Amieica | 1996 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
DC vs Marvel | 1996 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
DC vs Marvel – All Access | 1996 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
Silver Surfer – Superman | 1996 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
All Access Unlimited | 1997 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
Amalgam Comics | 1997 | DC and Marvel | 12 |
Batman – Spiderman | 1997 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
Daredevil – Batman | 1997 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
Hulk vs Superman | 1999 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
Superman – Fantastic Four | 1999 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
Batman – Daredevil | 2000 | DC and Marvel | 1 |
The Darkness - Batman | 1999 | DC and Top Cow | 1 |
JLA - Witchblade | 2000 | DC and Top Cow | 1 |
JLA and Cyberforce | 2005 | DC and Top Cow | 1 |
The Darkness and Superman | 2005 | DC and Top Cow | 2 |
Planetary Batman - Night on Earth | 2003 | DC and Wildstorm | 1 |
Batman and Danger Girl | 2005 | DC and Wildstorm | 1 |
Witchblade - Darkchylde | 2000 | Image and Top Cow | 1 |
Tomb Raider - The Darkness | 2001 | Image and Top Cow | 1 |
The Darkness & Tomb Raider | 2005 | Image and Top Cow | 1 |
The Darkness and Vampirella | 2005 | Image and Top Cow | 1 |
Misc Witchblade issues | Image and Top Cow | 16 | |
The Punisher Meets Archie | 1994 | Marvel and Archie | 1 |
Shi and Daredevil - Honour thy Mother | 1997 | Marvel and Crusade Comics | 1 |
Wolverine Shi - Dark Night of Judgment | 2000 | Marvel and Crusade Comics | 1 |
Marvel Zombies vs Army of Darkness | 2007 | Marvel and Dynamite | 5 |
Backlash and Spider-Man | 1996 | Marvel and Image | 2 |
Badrock and Wolverine | 1996 | Marvel and Image | 1 |
Deathblow and Wolverine | 1996 | Marvel and Image | 2 |
Spider-Man and Gen 13 | 1996 | Marvel and Image | 1 |
Spiderman and Badrock | 1997 | Marvel and Image | 2 |
Avengers and Ultraforce | 1995 | Marvel and Malibu | 2 |
Nightman vs Wolverine | 1995 | Marvel and Malibu | 1 |
Prime and Spiderman - What's A Hero Anyway | 1995 | Marvel and Malibu | 1 |
Prime vs The Incredible Hulk | 1995 | Marvel and Malibu | 1 |
Rune vs Silver Surfer | 1995 | Marvel and Malibu | 2 |
Ultraforce and Spiderman | 1996 | Marvel and Malibu | 1 |
Devil's Reign | 1996 | Marvel and Top Cow | 9 |
Ballistic and Wolverine | 1997 | Marvel and Top Cow | 1 |
Daredevil and Shi - Blind Faith | 1997 | Marvel and Top Cow | 1 |
Wolverine and Witchblade | 1997 | Marvel and Top Cow | 1 |
The Darkness - Hulk | 2004 | Marvel and Top Cow | 1 |
Witchblade and Wolverine | 2004 | Marvel and Top Cow | 1 |
The Darkness - Wolverine | 2006 | Marvel and Top Cow | 1 |
Cyber Force and X-Men | 2007 | Marvel and Top Cow | 1 |
Unholy Union | 2007 | Marvel and Top Cow | 1 |
Witchblade and Punisher | 2007 | Marvel and Top Cow | 1 |
Magdalena - Daredevil - The Devil in Longhand | 2008 | Marvel and Top Cow | 1 |
Team X and Team 7 | 1996 | Marvel and Wildstorm | 1 |
WWIII | 1997 | Marvel and Wildstorm | 4 |
Painkiller Jane vs. Darkness | 1997 | Top Cow and Event Comics | 1 |
Witchblade Devi | 2008 | Top Cow and Virgin Comics | 1 |