RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale This Week — in 1987!

Scott and Dan hit up the comics racks from 35 years ago!

NOTE: Aaaaand, we’re back! Been sick. Feeling better. Ready to start posting again. This originally was scheduled to run on Wednesday, as usual, but we’re still in the same week so here you go! Dig it! — Dan

This week for RETRO HOT PICKS, Scott Tipton and I are selecting comics that came out the week of Jan. 5, 1987.

Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of Dec. 29, 1973. 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 Jan. 2 and Jan. 8.)

So, let’s set the scene: Ronald Reagan was in his second term as president. The Eddie Murphy flick The Golden Child was tops at the box office despite generally weak reviews.

As usual during this period, The Cosby Show was No. 1 in the Nielsens. Other popular shows, however, included Family Ties, Cheers, 60 Minutes… and The Golden Girls.

The incredibly catchy Walk Like an Egyptian by the Bangles topped the Billboard 100 while the box set Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Live/1975-1985 was the best selling album.

Wayo. Wayo.

Dan Greenfield, editor, 13th Dimension

Batman #406, DC. “They’ve Got Him CORNERED. They’ve Got Him OUTNUMBERED. They’ve Got Him TRAPPED. They’re in TROUBLE…” Part 3 of one of the absolute greatest Batman stories ever — Batman: Year One, by Miller, Mazzucchelli and Lewis. How many great scenes are there in this one issue alone? Batman bringing down the GCPD SWAT team all by himself — and disappearing into a cloud of ravenous bats? Philandering Jim Gordon brooding on the edge of his bed, gun in hands, while his pregnant wife sleeps beside him? Selina Kyle putting on her Catwoman outfit for the first time? Batman saving the cat? I could keep going

Scott adds: Coming only months after The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One was another revelation, cementing Frank Miller’s gift for writing the character, and popularizing the lean and mean look for the Caped Crusader that later creators would often turn to for inspiration.

Watchmen #8, DC. Oh, yeah! This minor comics experiment was going on! Seriously, I’m not sure what’s left to say about Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ masterpiece. How about this: I didn’t like it when it first came out, didn’t finish it, and only picked it up again about 15-20 years later. I just wasn’t ready for it the first time around. Smartest superhero comic ever? Almost certainly.

Wonder Woman #3, DC. The new, post-Crisis Wonder Woman arrives in Boston! Courtesy of George Perez (natch), Len Wein and Bruce D. Patterson. I was living in Boston at the time, so this was neat.

Elektra: Assassin #7, Marvel. Cripes, what a week, huh?

Who’s Who in Star Trek #2, DC. I didn’t really fall in love with Trek until the previous summer, when I would watch it late every night on Channel 11 in New York. So books like this were right in my wheelhouse because I could not get enough of the Starship Enterprise.

Secret Origins #13, DC. My favorite Nightwing is ’80s Nightwing.

Scott Tipton, contributor-at-large, 13th Dimension

Justice League of America #261, DC. The end of Justice League Detroit. And boy, was I happy.

Dan adds: The end of the original JLA series and the end of the Detroit Era, all in one. Count me among the readers who didn’t dig this iteration of the team. But, hey, what’re you gonna do?

The Avengers #278, Marvel. This was a weird time for the team, just after the Mansion had been trashed by the Masters of Evil, so they wound up setting up camp on Hydrobase, this big floating science compound off the coast of New York City. Which naturally led to Atlanteans rolling up all the time looking for trouble…

The Incredible Hulk #330, Marvel. Doc Samson had never been a sharp dresser, but this look was not an improvement.

MORE

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of Dec. 29 — in 1973! Click here.

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of Dec. 22 — in 1980! Click here.

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

Author: Dan Greenfield

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4 Comments

  1. I agree on JLA Detroit. The more DC destroyed that team the better the book became over time. I am surprised at your dislike of Watchmen – I was just entranced by that series, even more than I am in reading it today,

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  2. Nice selection from ’87. I enjoyed the Watchmen series, while I think the story was good and Alan Moore is a talented writer (I especially like his comedy stuff, DR & Quinch is a funny read) I don’t consider that series “Superhero”, I guess because of the downbeat tone. I wouldn’t give it to someone who was interested in superhero comics, but I would give it to someone that wanted to read a good story. If that makes any sense, lol.

    I liked Batman year 1, Miller & Mazzucchelli made a great team.

    The Avengers was on a high, Roger Stern was one of the few marvel writers left by ’87 that understood the Marvel history & knew how to use it. Buscema and Palmer like peanut butter and jelly, man.

    Picked up the Electra series, but I got to be honest, I never really warmed up to Bill Sienkiewicz.

    Hmmm, Doc Samson, lol, are you saying you like the “Captain Tootsie” outfit better?

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  3. Bought BM YR 1 but I was not a fan of Miller or the dark turn comics were taking. So much was lost after Crisis. I think the only other title in that mix I would have picked up would have been WW.

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