Posted By Dan Greenfield on Oct 18, 2024 | 1 comment

PLUS: A special reprint of a beloved classic…

This is a new record: DC Comics in January is releasing seven — COUNT EM, SEVEN — Facsimile Editions, which is far and away the most published by a Big Two company in a single month, to date.

Not just that, there’s an eighth publication that, while not a Facsimile Edition, scratches that same itch.

Three of them are Silver and Bronze Age classics, including 1976’s Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-48: Superman vs. the Flash; 1980’s DC Comics Presents #26, featuring the debut of the New Teen Titans; and 1960’s The Brave and the Bold #29, the second appearance of the Justice League of America. There is also Crisis on Infinite Earths #10, continuing that series’ monthly, 12-issue Facsimile run. Details are below.

In addition, DC is publishing Facsimile Editions of the first two issues of the classic Jeph Loeb-Jim Lee Hush storyline and Loeb and Tim Sale’s The Long Halloween #1. You can click here for the details on those issues.

But that’s not all! There will also be a special reprint of Len Wein, Jim Aparo and John Byrne’s complete 1980 classic The Untold Legend of the Batman, the first intentional miniseries in comics history. Click here for the lowdown.

Meanwhile, dig these official solicitations, just released by DC:

—

LIMITED COLLECTORS’ EDITION #C-48 FACSIMILE EDITION: SUPERMAN VS. THE FLASH

Written by E. NELSON BRIDWELL and JIM SHOOTER
Art by CURT SWAN, ROSS ANDRU, NEAL ADAMS, CARMINE INFANTINO, GEORGE KLEIN, and DICK GIORDANO
Cover by CARMINE INFANTINO, JOSÉ LUIS GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, and BOB OKSNER

$14.99 US | 56 pages
ON SALE 1/22/25

The greatest races of all time between Superman and the Flash are reproduced in this tabloid-size facsimile of the 1976 Limited Collectors’ Edition classic. In addition to tales of super-speed, this issue includes bonus features like a tour of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude drawn by Neal Adams and “How to Draw the Flash!” by Carmine Infantino. Test your knowledge with a Flash puzzle and be sure to buy a second copy to cut out the tabletop diorama on the back cover.

—

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #29 FACSIMILE EDITION

Written by GARDNER FOX
Art by MIKE SEKOWSKY, BERNARD SACHS, and JOE GIELLA
Cover by MIKE SEKOWSKY and MURPHY ANDERSON

$4.99 US | 32 pages
ON SALE 1/8/25

The Justice League of America, in their second-ever appearance, face the “Challenge of the Weapons Master!” The fame of the JLA’s exploits has spread not just across the Earth but throughout the ages. In the far-future year of 11960, the arch-criminal Xotar is unsure which of his fantastic weapons to use to make his last stand against the interstellar police. Having read an entry in Wonder Woman’s ancient diary that says he traveled into the past to battle the JLA, he does just that to find out which of his weapons was the one that defeated the World’s Greatest Heroes.

—

DC COMICS PRESENTS #26 FACSIMILE EDITION

Written by JIM STARLIN and MARV WOLFMAN
Art by JIM STARLIN, GEORGE PÉREZ, DICK GIORDANO, and STEVE MITCHELL
Cover by JIM STARLIN

$4.99 US | 48 pages
ON SALE 1/1/25

Separating himself from his body, Hal Jordan survives an attack from a creature named N’Gon. Summoning Superman, can the astral form of Hal Jordan warn his friend in time that the body of Green Lantern is controlled by an evil creature?

This landmark issue also includes the special sneak-preview introduction of the New Teen Titans, featuring the first appearance of the new team and the debut of Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire.

—

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #10 FACSIMILE EDITION

Written by MARV WOLFMAN
Art by GEORGE PÉREZ and JERRY ORDWAY
Cover by GEORGE PÉREZ

Foil variant cover by GEORGE PÉREZ ($5.99 US)
Blank sketch cover ($4.99 US)

$3.99 US | 32 pages
ON SALE 1/15/25

The Spectre emerges at a crucial moment to put an end to the mindless battles across the five surviving Earths. The Anti-Monitor lives and has returned to the very beginning of time to change the course of history and eliminate all the Earths and life itself. Can our heroes and the mystical might of the Spectre overcome the Anti-Monitor, or will it be “Death at the Dawn of Time!”?

—

Several thoughts:

— The biggest surprise for me is B&B #29. It’s often forgotten that the League didn’t immediately jump into its own comic after its debut in B&B #28. Neat.

— No foil or sketch covers for Brave and the Bold, Superman vs. the Flash or DC Comics Presents #26. At least not announced. Saves me some dough, though. (I dig both when it comes to DC Facsimiles.)

— I know, I know. DC didn’t call its tabloids “treasury editions.” Marvel came up with the name. But it has stuck as a generic term, so that’s what we use.

— Obligatory Price Comparison #1: An unslabbed, high-grade original Superman vs. the Flash recently sold on eBay for $91.

— Obligatory Price Comparison #2: An unslabbed, decent-looking original Brave and the Bold #29 went for $403.

— Obligatory Price Comparison #3: An unslabbed, high-grade original DC Comics Presents #26 sold for $200.

—

MORE

— Complete Classic THE UNTOLD LEGEND OF THE BATMAN to Be Re-Released As a Special Edition. Click here.

— BATMAN: HUSH and THE LONG HALLOWEEN to Get Facsimile Edition Releases. Click here.