Tommy Tomorrow

One character I remember with fondness is Tommy Tomorrow, first seen in Real Fact Comics 6 (January-February 1947). After four appearances there Tommy spent the 1950s as back up to Superman in 125 issues of Action Comics then back up to Superman and Batman in 23 issues of World's Finest Comics until finally ending in 5 issues of Showcase in 1963. The stories are rarely reprinted but the first story is available in the 1999 collection Pulp Fiction Library: Mystery in Space. A later story from Action Comics 186 (November 1953) is also reprinted here. Another Tommy story from World's Finest Comics 116 (November 1960) is reprinted in DC Super Stars 6.

Tommy has a new story in another of DC Comics odd 1970s reprint series - DC Special. Issues 1 through 26 were reprints but the final three issues were new stories. Tommy is the blond gentleman on the cover below. There is an interesting text piece in this issue about the history of Tommy.

Pulp Fiction Library: Mystery in Space - 1999

DC Special 27 - April-May 1977

DC Super Stars 6 - August 1976

Viking Prince Part I

The Viking Prince series ran in 23 issues of The Brave and the Bold from number 1 through 24, skipping 6, a total of 25 stories. Its standout feature is the artwork by Joe Kubert which earned it a hardcover reprint volume in 2010. Included in this volume were two stories from 1966 issues of Our Army at War that had the Viking Prince meet Sgt. Rock of Easy Co., another Joe Kubert drawn series.

Eight stories were first reprinted in the 1970s. Three from issues 1, 3 and 5 in DC Special 12 and three from issues 23(2) and 24 in three of The Brave and the Bold 100 page Spectaculars. The remaining will follow in part II.

DC Special 12 - May-June 1971

The Brave and the Bold 113 - June-July 1974

The Brave and the Bold 115 - October-November 1974

The Brave and the Bold 117 - February-March 1975

Super DC Giant Part II

In the first part of this series I illustrated the three western issues of the Super DC Giant series. Here are two of the four super hero issues.

Both issues have a story with minor changes from the original. The numbering of the fourth chapter of The Challengers of the Unknown story has been changed from "IIII" to "IV" in the Super DC Giant reprint. The Aquaman story has its title and lead-in paragraph changed.

Super DC Giant S-25 - July-August 1970

Challengers of the Unknown Archives Volume 2 - 2004

Super DC Giant S-26 - July-August 1970

Super DC Giant S-26 page 46

Aquaman Archives Volume 1 - 2000

Super DC Giant Part I

Super DC Giant was an early reprint series distinguished by its odd numbering and wide ranging genres. Numbering began with issue S-13 and ended with 27. Issues are dated September-October 1970 (S-13) through July-August 1971 (S-26) and then 27 came along in summer 1976.

There are romance (2), comedy (3), western (3) horror (2), science fiction (1) and superhero (4) issues.

Here are the three western issues with 16 stories reprinted from All-Star Western, Western Comics, World's Finest Comics, Action Comics, Frontier Fighter, All-American Western and Bat Lash. The characters are Johnny Thunder, Matt Savage Trail Boss, Trigger Twins, Nighthawk, Wyoming Kid, Vigilante, Pow-Wow Smith, Buffalo Bill, Foley of the Fighting 5th and Bat Lash. There is a new story in S-15.

Super DC Giant S-14 - September-October 1970

Super DC Giant S-15 - September-October 1970

Super DC Giant S-22 - February-March 1971

100 Page Super Spectacular Part I

One of the best of all the reprint comics is Superman 252, also numbered DC-13 in the 100 Page Super Spectacular series. A couple of things make it special.

Nine stories are reprinted thanks to 100 pages (including covers) and no ads. At a time when very few golden age stories were reprinted, eight of the stories were originally published 1940-1942. The line up includes Superman (with 3 stories), Hawkman, Starman, Black Condor, Ray, Spectre and Doctor Fate. Two of them were, 20 years later, included in The Greatest Golden Age Stories Ever Told.

And, of course, the gorgeous wrap-around cover from Neal Adams

Superman 252 - June 1972

Superman 252 back

The Greatest Golden Age Stories Ever Told - 1990