REVIEW: This one may have flown under your radar…
A couple weeks ago, we ran a piece about The Folio Society’s DC: Batman, an 85th anniversary, slipcased hardcover volume showcasing some of the greatest stories starring the Caped Crusader since the Golden Age. The response from readers was strong, but it made me realize that a lot of those same folks were unaware of the British publisher’s DC Comics: The Golden Age, which came out in 2023.
On the face of it, I can see why. DC Comics: The Golden Age, which was curated and introduced by former DC chief Jenette Kahn, may be a slick, 328-page, collection of classic comics, but it includes many we have seen before in other volumes. There’s also the $260 price. It does come in a handsome clamshell box and includes a groovy print by Yanick Paquette based on a page from Superman #3, but all that pretty much speaks to completists.
Here’s what got lost in the shuffle, I think: The book is about the size of a classic, Bronze Age treasury edition — and all the pages are scans of originals from the DC vaults. You will not find such material with higher production value in a size that is cherished by longtime comics fans. (Treasuries are roughly 10″ x 13″. The book is only slightly smaller.)
There’s more: The package includes the most accurate Action Comics #1 Facsimile Edition ever published. Complete with all the issue’s ads and ephemera — and also scanned from pages in DC’s vaults — it measures 10 1/4″ x 7 1/2″, which is a teensy bit smaller than a standard Golden Age comic. (Many fans of DC’s wonderful Facsimile Edition program moan that its Golden Age reprints are produced in smaller, Modern Age dimensions.) Click here for more on this magnificent edition of Action Comics #1.
So, yeah, the package is pricey. But you more than get your money’s worth. In addition to the Facsimile Edition, check out the table of contents:
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That’s a remarkable selection — 17 foundational stories in (near) treasury size, with the best Action Comics #1 Facsimile Edition you are likely to find.
On the expensive side, yes? Worth saving up for? I’d say so. Just check out these 13 PAGES:
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DC Comics: The Golden Age is only available through The Folio Society. Click here for more info.
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MORE
— The Best ACTION COMICS #1 Facsimile Edition You Can Get. Click here.
— FOLIO SOCIETY Publishes High-End BATMAN 85th ANNIVERSARY Collection. Click here.
March 12, 2024
I don’t really understand the appeal of these high-end reprint books that present hi-rez scans of the original (poorly) printed comics. It’s like getting a 4K Blu-ray of your favorite movie, but instead of scanning the original 35mm film negative, they instead scan a VHS of the movie. To each his or her own, but I prefer the omnibus approach where the publishers scan the original film of the artwork and then recolor the work to match the original specs.
March 12, 2024
I think it can depend. Often, modern reprints of older material do not properly capture the line work. A lot of the detail can be lost. Here, you can see them as they appeared and it’s a fuller experience. I also like that they replicate the copies in DC’s own vault and the aged look adds to that time-travel experience. Plus, you cannot beat the size.
March 12, 2024
First off, I want to say that this is a very handsome volume. The presentation is very classy and the size of the pages are very generous and reprints the material at a size larger than what they were originally printed at.
My main issue with this collection is that there could have been a better selection of material. There are some glaring omissions such as the first appearances of Robin, comic’s first superhero sidekick; the Justice Society of America, the first appearance of comic’s first superteam–you reprinted the first appearance of the Injustice Society, but not the superteam they were created to fight?! That doesn’t make any sense! Green Arrow and Hawkman’s first appearances also deserved inclusion over some of the stories that did make this collection’s cut.
If you had taken out the unnecessary or questionable inclusions that actually made it into the volume: the second Plastic Man story in this book Plastic Man #5, 16 pages; Sensation Comics #81, 13 pages; and Superman #3, 36 pages; Batman #42, 13 pages; Batman #44, 13 pages–you would have had 91 pages to include ACTUAL historical Golden Age DC moments such as:
-The first appearance of Robin (13 pages).
-The first appearance of Green Arrow from More Fun #73 (8 pages). This character had his own well-received TV show in recent years. Why not include his debut in this collection?
-The first appearance of Hawkman from Flash Comics #1 (12 pages)
-The first appearance of the first major female supervillain and Wonder Woman’s arch-foe, The Cheetah from Wonder Woman #6 (16 pages). The arch-foes of the other two members of the DC Trinity are included in here, so why not Wonder Woman’s?
-Catwoman’s first appearance (13 pages). If you do not think her 1st appearance warrants inclusion in this volume, at least reprint Detective Comics 122, the real first appearance of Catwoman’s famous purple costume, NOT Batman #42.
If you increased the page count by an additional 15 pages you could have also included the first appearance of the Justice Society, All-Star Comics #3 (44 pages). The Marvel Silver Age Folio was 40 more pages than this volume and actually is the same price. A total of 131 could have been dedicated to the list above if you increased the page count by 15 to 40 pages and left out the unnecessary/questionable stories that had lesser historical importance.
Also, this book mistakenly lists its Whiz Comics #2 reprint, the first appearance of the original Captain Marvel, as Whiz Comics #1. This is something the editor should have been paying more attention to, especially as they were once the head of DC Comics during one of its most prominent publishing eras.
Hopefully the upcoming Batman Folio addition will include Detective Comics #38 (Robin’s first appearance) a full reprinting of Batman #1 (including Catwoman’s first appearance), Batman #47–the first time Batman’s origin is expanded on and the first time the murderer of Batman’s parents is named. The first expanded retelling of Superman’s origin was included in the DC Golden Age collection, Batman’s should have been too.
Please select stories with more care for your future Silver Age, Bronze Age, and other DC Folio editions. This book could have been better and much more relevant to the time it covered. If you want a reprint book that is better balanced, I recommend tracking down a copy of the 1970’s Secret Origins of the DC Super-Heroes on eBay.
March 12, 2024
A reasonable point of view. I personally have no qualms about the story selection and appreciated the inclusion of some wild cards. It made for a more diverse reading experience in my mind.
Here’s more on the Batman book: https://13thdimension.com/folio-society-publishes-high-end-batman-85th-anniversary-collection/
March 12, 2024
$260 is enough to keep me away. I’ve no doubt it’s a nice package.
March 13, 2024
Seconded, Buck!
March 12, 2024
Agreed, it’s a lovely collection, but to me its biggest shortcoming is a complete lack of creator credits. That’s ridiculously disrespectful to the people whose work is reprinted here.
March 12, 2024
I’ll have to go back and look to see whether they are hiding somewhere but you’re correct to feel that way. I agree wholeheartedly.
March 13, 2024
I wish when DC does things like this might experiment a little more with the contents. I get that these are the standard offerings but there are so many collections with the exact same stories that its hard to imagine this will make much $$$. There are lot of interesting stories that highlight the same characters, the same creators and might be worth $200 if I did not have copies of all this X times over.
April 20, 2024
Reminds me of a similar collection from the 60s— Jules Feiffer’s The Great Comic Book Heroes. Many of the same stories reproduced.