Posted By Dan Greenfield on May 1, 2024 | 7 comments

Scott and Dan hit up the comics racks from 41 years ago…

This week for RETRO HOT PICKS, Scott Tipton and I are selecting comics that came out the week of May 1, 1983.

Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of April 24, 1954. Click here to check it out.

(Keep in mind that comics came out on multiple days, so these are technically the comics that went on sale between April 28 and May 4.)

So, let’s set the scene: Annnnnnd, I got nothin’. Seriously. This is easily one of the slowest — if not the slowest — news weeks since we’ve been doing RETRO HOT PICKS. Reagan was president, just for a little context. I was in the home stretch of my sophomore year in high school, for what that’s worth.

Why don’t we just jump right into the pop-culture portion of our program! The critically dismissed Flashdance was beloved by audiences and was the No. 1 movie in all the land. Between its hit songs, cut sweatshirts, music-video aesthetic and Jennifer Beals’ heart-thumpingly huge brown eyes, it was something of a phenomenon. It was at the top for only three weeks but it was one of the most successful — and influential — movies of the year.

Also in theaters was Tootsie, which was a monster hit, and teen sex comedies like Spring Break and Losin’ It, starring Tom Cruise (!) — who would become a major star later in the year when Risky Business was released in August. If you were a teenage girl, chances are you watched Valley Girl over and over. Of course, what everybody wanted to see wasn’t out yet — but fans were lapping up the trailer for Return of the Jedi:

There was also Monty Python’s Meaning of Life, with the all-time great Mr. Creosote scene. Not for the faint of heart:

The second part of the TV miniseries V — now a beloved sci-fi classic — rocked the Nielsens, followed by Dallas, The A Team, Simon & Simon and Facts of Life. The Love Boat was still on the air — and at No. 6!

The top song on the Billboard 100 was Michael Jackson’s Beat It, off the super-selling juggernaut Thriller. Other popular singles — and MTV videos — included Jeopardy by the Greg Kihn Band (No. 2); Let’s Dance by David Bowie (No. 3); the ever-charming and catchy Come on Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners (No. 4); and three songs that were practically novelties — Der Kommissar by After the Fire (No. 5), She Blinded Me With Science by Thomas Dolby (No. 7) and Mr. Roboto by Styx (No. 8.). Irene Cara’s Flashdance… What a Feeling was at No. 13.

I was still addicted to MTV but I wasn’t buying a lot of albums. Instead, I’d go to the library and take out stuff from the ’60s and ’70s. After Thriller, Frontiers by Journey (No. 2), Kilroy Was Here by Styx (No. 3), Pyromania by Def Leppard (No. 4) and Business as Usual by Men at Work (No. 5), rounded out the leader board.

Good heavens Miss Sakamoto, you’re beautiful!

—

Action Comics #545, DC. Creepy skull Brainiac is the best Brainiac. This was only his second appearance, after the previous issue’s unveiling. I get the nostalgia for Mr. Green and Pink — and love the new Mego and Super Powers figures — but the Ed Hannigan-designed revamp was spectacular. (Glad McFarlane made the Skull Ship too!)

—

Captain America #284, Marvel. I never thought of Cap as a brooding-on-the-rooftop-at-night kind of guy, but damn, what a great cover by Mike Zeck and John Beatty. This was smack in the middle of J.M. DeMatteis and Zeck’s beloved run, though interiors for this ish were handled by “Our Pal” Sal Buscema and Kim DeMulder.

—

Ronin #1, DC. I remember visiting Cleveland and these college dudes were all about Ronin. It was over my head at the time. Needless to say, Frank Miller’s next big DC project zapped me right between the eyes.

—

Detective Comics #528, DC. Doug Moench followed Gerry Conway’s underrated Bat-run to much ballyhoo. Unfortunately, it turned out to be rather uneven. And while I’m a Gene Colan fan, I never really thought his Batman work was all that great. (Sorry! Really!) Nevertheless, I was invested in the original Jason Todd’s storyline.

—

All-Star Squadron #23, DC. Featuring the debut of Amazing Man Will Everett, a superhero that Roy Thomas actually did create.

—

Green Arrow #3, DC. Back in the day when comic-book miniseries were relatively new, this one really caught my eye, thanks to the Trevor Von Eeden artwork.

—

The Amazing Spider-Man #243, Marvel. Writer Roger Stern had a real affinity for the Peter Parker side of Spidey’s life, which you saw in this issue, which is almost entirely Parkercentric.

—

Doctor Strange #60, Marvel. It may come as a surprise to today’s MCU audience, but in the old days Doctor Strange didn’t really hang out with the Avengers all that much. In an even bigger surprise, this issue features the only visit to Avengers Mansion by… Count Dracula.

—

MORE

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of April 24 — in 1954! Click here.

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of  April 17 — in 1990! Click here.

—

Primary comics sources: Mike’s Amazing World of Comics, the Grand Comics Database.