Scott and Dan hit up the comics racks from 41 years ago…
This week for RETRO HOT PICKS, Scott and I are selecting comics that came out the week of Jan. 21, 1985.
Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of Jan. 14, 1973. Click here to check it out.
(Keep in mind that comics came out on multiple days, so these are the comics that went on sale between Jan. 18 and Jan. 24.)
And dig that banner by Walt Grogan — new for 2026! We’ve got four of them — one each for the Golden, Silver, Bronze and Modern Ages.
A massive cold front covered the continental United States from Jan. 20 to 22 that led to at least 126 human deaths, countless deaths of wild and domestic animals, widespread infrustructure damage, and extraordinary crop losses, including 90 percent of Florida’s citrus. The state called it the Freeze of the Century and the industry cited loses of $1.2 billion.
The low temps themselves are mind blowing. Examples:
— Chicago: -27 degrees Fahrenheit, with a wind chill of -60
— Pittsburgh: -18 degrees, the coldest morning since 1899, according to records
Then, farther south:
— Knoxville, Tenneseee: -24 degrees
— Charlotte, N.C.: -5 degrees
— Gainesville, Florida: 10 degrees
— Miami: 37 degrees
President Reagan’s second inauguration had to move inside. He took a private oath Jan. 20 but a public one in the Capitol Rotunda the next day.
It wasn’t quite as bad in California, where Super Bowl XIX was played in Stanford, with a game-time temperature of 53 degrees. So, it was cool but hardly disruptive. Nevertheless, it was the fifth-coldest Super Bowl at kickoff. In any event, my beloved Dolphins, led by quarterback Dan Marino — still one of the best I’ve ever seen — got shellacked by Joe Montana’s San Francisco 49ers, 38-16. I did not take it well. It’s also the last time Miami has made it to the big game. Sigh.
The Niners’ Roger Craig
Eddie Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop was a box-office juggernaut. As a high-school senior, I don’t think I knew anyone who hadn’t seen it. The unfairly maligned 2010, starring Roy Scheider, was released in December and was a hit. It’s a perfectly fine sci-fi flick, it’s just not 2001: A Space Odyssey — but then nothing is. Released this week was the neo-noir Blood Simple, the debut film for Joel and Ethan Coen. Supergirl, released at the end of November, was a bomb but may have been playing at a few second-run screens here and there.
The Super Bowl was, as usual, the big winner in the TV ratings. Other top shows at the time included The Cosby Show, in its first season; Dallas; Dynasty; Knots Landing; Miami Vice; 60 Minutes; Family Ties; Murder, She Wrote; and The A-Team.
The Billboard charts were turning decidedly toward power ballads. Other than the top-selling Madonna hit Like a Virgin, which caused no small amount of pearl clutching, there was All I Need by Jack Wagner; You’re the Inspiration by Chicago; and I Want to Know What Love Is by the blandly generic Foreigner. Meanwhile, Bruce Springsteen’s grossly misunderstood Born in the USA was also among the sales leaders, even though every meathead in the country thought it was some sort of flag-waving anthem meant to glorify the Reagan ’80s. It was not.
The albums Like a Virgin, Born in the U.S.A., Prince’s Purple Rain, and Wham’s Make It Big dominated boom boxes, turntables, and CD players, which were rapidly rising in popularity. John Fogerty’s comeback album Centerfield had just been released. By the summer, its title track would become phenomenally popular among baseball fans and remains a stadium staple decades later.
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Dan Greenfield, editor, 13th Dimension
Detective Comics #549, DC. Up to this point, Detective Harvey Bullock was generally portrayed as a one-note character, an asshole Gotham cop who really disliked Batman. He was also originally corrupt, and undercut Commissioner Gordon to the point where the latter had a heart attack. Bullock softened somewhat after that, but this issue, by Doug Moench, Pat Broderick and Bob Smith, substantially broadened his character, showing him to be a devoted fan of old movies and a man of emotional depth.
It was a turning point for one of Batman’s supporting cast and really helped in making Bullock a more likeable, nuanced member of the Gotham scene. Nice old-school, movie-poster-style cover by Broderick.
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Daredevil #218, Marvel. You’re right, Officer. It can’t.
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Action Comics #566, DC. You have to love it whenever Popeye — I mean, “Captain Strong” — shows up. That cover, by the way, is by the rather strange pairing of penciller Marshall Rogers and inker Jerry Ordway.
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All-Star Squadron #44, DC. Just taking a moment to appreciate Hourman’s costume, one of my faves from the Golden Age. Still not sure how that yellow cowl is black in the front, though, but I dig it.
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American Flagg! #20, First. Requisite reminder that the ’80s were much more than the Big Two.
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Scott Tipton, contributor-at-large, 13th Dimension
America vs. the Justice Society #4, DC Comics. I still have a soft spot for this JSA retrospective series, even though Crisis rendered it almost entirely moot.
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Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham #1, Marvel. I was in for this new series, 100 percent.
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The New Mutants #27, Marvel. There was a time when Warlock and Doug Ramsey were my favorite crime-fighting duo.
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The Thing #23, Marvel. You ask me, Ben shoulda pounded the crap out of Johnny Storm when he got home. IYKYK.
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MORE
— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of January 7 — in 1992! Click here.
— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of December 31 — in 1968! Click here.
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Comics sources: Mike’s Amazing World of Comics and the Grand Comics Database.
