RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale This Week — in 1988!

Scott and Dan hit up the comics racks from 34 years ago!

This week for RETRO HOT PICKS, Scott Tipton and I are selecting comics that came out the week of May 4, 1988.

Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of April 27, 1965. 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 May 1 and May 7.)

So, let’s set the scene: Vice President George H.W. Bush was running to replace Ronald Reagan. He would defeat former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis in the fall’s general election. Colors, starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall, was the top film at the box office.

NBC was the killer network, home to the top nine shows in the Nielsens for the week. Nine shows! No. 1? The sixth-season finale of Cheers.

Terence Trent D’Arby’s Wishing Well was the best-selling single on the Billboard 100. On the album chart, the world just could not get enough Dirty Dancing — the soundtrack was in the highest slot, while More Dirty Dancing was in third. (In between was George Michael’s Faith.)

Rad.

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

Power Girl #3, DC. Kara kind of floundered in the years following Crisis on Infinite Earths, as writers tried to find a reason for her to even exist with all her ties to Superman and Krypton wiped away. They eventually settled on a connection to Arion, Lord of Atlantis, a short-lived sword-and-sorcery book from a few years earlier. It didn’t stick.

Dan adds: Arion was co-created by our pal and columnist Paul Kupperberg — who also wrote this mini!

West Coast Avengers #36, Marvel. As happy as I was to see the return of Hank Pym to active Avenger duty, I must admit I was never a fan of his “billowy jumpsuit with pockets” look.


What The — ?! #2, Marvel. If you ever run across these in a dollar bin at a convention, pick ‘em up. Surprisingly funny.

Star Trek Annual #3, DC. A sweet little romance for Scotty, written by longtime Trek scribe Peter David. But the real star here is the artwork, surprisingly provided by Superman legend Curt Swan!

Dan Greenfield, editor, 13th Dimension

Marvel Comics Presents #1, Marvel. Classic first issue of the classic anthology series. Beyond the Walt Simonson cover, ya got Wolverine by Chris Claremont, John Buscema and Klaus Janson; Man-Thing by Steve Gerber and Tom Sutton; Shang-Chi by Doug Moench, Tom Grindberg and Dave Cockrum; and the Silver Surfer by Al Milgrom. (The issue was featured on the cover of Amazing Heroes #140, also out this week.)

Action Comics Weekly #605, DC. Isn’t it weird that I always think of Action Comics Weekly as Pre-Crisis? I dunno. Just crossed my mind. Anyway, this issue featured Green Lantern, Deadman, Wild Dog, Superman, Secret Six and Blackhawk.

Detective Comics #589, DC. Boy, I dug Wagner, Grant and Breyfogle’s Batman. (Who didn’t?) But I do admit I have zero memory of the Corrosive Man. Maybe because he was a bit too Dr. Phosphorus?

MORE

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of April 27 — in 1965! Click here.

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of April 20 — in 1970! Click here.

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

Author: Dan Greenfield

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3 Comments

  1. My favorite memory of the Action Comics Weekly were the centerspread of Superman adventures by Curt Swan. To this day, I still think no one drew the character better.

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  2. I still miss Amazing Heroes,even after all these years.

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