Scott and Dan pick the comics they’re most looking forward to…
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Dan Greenfield, editor, 13th Dimension
Hey, how about that fancy new banner by our man Walt Grogan! What an ace he is!
Now, on to the picks:
Swamp Thing 1989 #1, DC. Not billed as such, but this is basically DC’s latest “Fauxsimile Edition” — printing Rick Veitch’s long-unpublished story originally scheduled for 1989’s Swamp Thing #88. (DC was antsy about a story where Swamp Thing meets Jesus, and halted it. Veitch quit in protest.) This issue, which includes period ads and whatnot, is the first in a four-issue miniseries that brings Veitch’s aborted run to its proper conclusion.
Includes this evocative variant cover by the late Michael Zulli, the story’s original artist, completed before he died in 2024:
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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #3 Facsimile Edition, DC. One of the two or three best Joker stories ever. A fitting ending for his kind.
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The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: “Back To The Savage Land” — Barry Windsor-Smith at Marvel Vol. 1, Fantagraphics. Boy that’s some title. Launches Fantagraphics’ latest series of high-end Marvel collections. The next one is on Steranko.
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Scott Tipton, contributor-at-large, 13th Dimension
DC Finest: The Joker — The Last Ha Ha, DC. Classic Bronze Age Joker tales, including his 1970s solo series. Scripts from Denny O’Neil, David V. Reed, Elliott S! Maggin and more!
Dan adds: It’s worth noting that this includes 1976’s hilariously weird The Joker #10, which didn’t see the light of day for more than 40 years, until it was finally printed in The Joker: The Bronze Age Omnibus. While I would love to see this as a “Fauxsimile Edition,” getting in a DC Finest volume is an improvement since omnibi are so unwieldy.
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The Rocketeer: Thrills, Spills, and Chills, IDW. Along with Dave Stevens’ original classic, this collection features Rocketeer tales from a Murderer’s Row of talents, including Darwyn Cooke, Bruce Timm, Kurt Busiek, John Byrne, Dave Gibbons, Walt Simonson and more.
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Nerd Inferno: The Essential Evan Dorkin, Dark Horse. The Eltingville Club, Milk and Cheese and so much more from Evan Dorkin’s darkly hilarious body of work, all in a big fat paperback.
April 27, 2026
In regards to the Swamp Thing “Fauxsimile Edition,” I wish DC would do something similar and hire Alan Davis to redraw chapters two through four of Batman: Year Two. Whatever one’s opinions of Todd McFarlane’s artwork (I personally don’t like it, but reasonable people can disagree), going from Davis to McFarlane in the middle of that story was incredibly distracting and visually dissonant in that their styles are not remotely similar (and going from Alfredo Alacala inks on McFarlane on chapters two and three to McFarlane’s inks on chapter four was equally as dissonant). It was like watching a four-episode TV series in which they replaced the cast three times. Create an alternate version of the story that is stylistically unified, and keep both versions in print.
Rocketeer is one of those characters who, for me, only works when it was drawn by Dave Stevens. No shade on continuing the property with other artists following his death (I’m sure his estate profits from it, and it keeps the property alive), but it just doesn’t work for me.
April 27, 2026
>> Rocketeer is one of those characters who, for me, only works when it was drawn by Dave Stevens.
>>>
I’m okay with other stories but none have come remotely close to the magic of Stevens’ run. I’m also okay the character’s story would have just ended with that initial adventure. Things don’t have to gone on forever. There can be an end to the story.
>>> (I’m sure his estate profits from it…
>>
I hope that is the case. Too often publishers seem to cut out the creators from “their” work. To that end, I’m all for your idea and support giving some new work to Alan. If he’s interested in doing it. I’d buy that.
As for modern DC and Swamp Thing, I’m not going there and I’ll leave it at that.
April 27, 2026
While you’re at it, have Alan Davis remove the yellow oval from Batman’s chest; just so it matches the graphic depictions of Batman both in Year One and the flashback sequences of Year Three.
April 29, 2026
Yeah, I’d forgotten how much I disliked the art until after i preordered them…
April 27, 2026
Welcome back Dan, hope you had a memorable time in Australia.
April 27, 2026
I did! Thanks!