Although the 1970s is a remembered as a decade where comic books began to explore more serious political and personal themes, it was also a time when the medium expanded in terms of titles. At DC Comics, the bronze age is commonly remembered for the DC Explosion, a cataclysmic event that led to dozens of new titles hitting the shelves, before the sadly inevitable Implosion happened, whereby those titles were cancelled for poor sales only a mere few months after launch. As DC Publisher, Carmine Infantino was instrumental in this creative expansionism – after all, it was he who rolled out the red carpet for Jack Kirby’s return and creation of his famous Fourth World titles. According to rising star Gerry Conway, one day in the office, Carmine Infantino was pondering ideas for new titles – upon realising that first issues of new titles often sold tremendously well, it was joked that perhaps DC should just publish a title full of issue ones. Frankly, it’s difficult to believe that this was meant seriously, and there is an element of apocrypha about it. Nonetheless, Carmine Infantino gave the title the greenlight and 1st Issue Special was launched in 1975. A title focusing on a different character or concept each issue – which was then hopefully to spin off into its own title if successful – 1st Issue Special didn’t last long, but it did collect some of the greatest talent the comic book industry had to offer…
1st Issue Special lasted for thirteen issues – for this review, I’ll be looking at the title’s first seven issues, published from April to October 1975. These issues were written and drawn by a diverse group of comic book talent – such as Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, Steve Ditko, Ramona Fradon, Robert Kanigher, and Bob Haney to name just a few. In 2020, DC published every issue of 1st Issue Special in a beautiful hardcover collected edition – a must have for any bronze age fan.
For these reviews, I’ll be looking at each of the stories as I have normally done, but I’ll also be discussing if any of these concepts would have succeeded in their own titles. In previous posts, I have reviewed 1st Issue Special 1, 5, 6, and 7, featuring Atlas, Manhunter, the Dingbats of Danger Street, and the Creeper respectively. I reviewed the first three of those issues in August 2020 when looking at Kirby’s three concepts in August 2020, while I looked at the Creeper issue nearly five years ago. Feel free to read those, but I will be looking at them again here. As for the title’s premise in debuting new characters, 1st Issue Special isn’t exactly new. Titles such as Brave and the Bold and Showcase were similar in that they once were the springboards for new concepts such as the Justice League of America, and the Teen Titans. Their popularity in such anthology titles led to the creation of their own popular titles – how well does 1st Issue Special fare in such success?
Atlas the Great --- Written and pencilled by Jack Kirby, with inks by D. Bruce Berry
For 1st Issue Special 1, who else could there be to launch a new title but Jack Kirby? Kirby has a reputation for being a creative powerhouse in comic books – a never-ending creator. Since 1970, Kirby had launched four titles under the Fourth World saga, reinvented the Sandman, and launched new creations such as The Demon, and OMAC. No doubt, DC relied on his name and his seismic talents – therefore surely The King would start this new title with a bang! Kirby’s adventure takes place in the past, with the giant Atlas the Great a simple strongman who invites challengers simply by crushing “stones like biscuits.” Although he looks – and in many ways is – like a generic Kirby Fourth World creation with little interesting going on, Kirby slowly releases details of this hero’s background during the issue. As a child, Atlas witnessed the death of his father and kidnapping of his mother by the hands of Hyssa, a brutal dictator who takes no prisoners. Atlas is then met with Chagra, something of a wise old sage – he believes that Atlas’s people were originally from Crystal Mountain, and now that he is the sole survivor of the tribe, he is now the leader. Kirby sets up a tragic backstory for Atlas, and hints (through characters like Chagra) of deeper mysteries to follow. The issue ends with Atlas confronting Hyssa, promising an earth-shuddering fight. However, similarly to other Kirby tales from the time, fight scenes – while exciting and full of action – continue for too long and there isn’t enough in the concept to really grip the reader. Atlas is too boring a character. Personally, I believe the market would have been oversaturated by too many Kirby titles, especially as elements of titles like OMAC and the Demon are visible here. Overall, it is an enjoyable issue that cannot be classed as dull, but it lacks the creativity of many other Kirby ideas from the decade…
If you’ve read any Jack Kirby comic from the 1970s, then you’ll know what you’re getting here. The impressive double-page spreads and dramatic storytelling is all here. While exciting, this style of storytelling has become almost too commonplace for Kirby at this moment – it feels too predictable. As inkers go, D. Bruce Berry isn’t bad, but he lacks the smoothness of Mike Royer.
The Green Team: Boy Millionaires --- Written by Joe Simon with art by Jerry Grandenetti
Alongside Jack Kirby, Joe Simon was another titan of the golden age. Surely, with him at the helm of 1st Issue Special 2, this should be a classic? Kid-gangs were all-the-craze during the 1940s – it’s no surprise that the three kid gang-type stories of this title are penned by either Kirby or Simon. The Green Team are all kid-millionaires who take part in adventures and all sorts of fun. It’s no wonder that a poor boy like Abdul Smith would want to join. After attaining a much-coveted place in the Green Team thanks to a financial mistake caused by a bank clerk, Adul is in. And from here on out, we notice that the Green Team are not heroes at all. All they really are a group of kids with money; they invest it into projects to see changes around the city. One of these changes is the Great American Pleasure Machine, an entertainment palace which threatens to destroy all other kinds of media thanks to its futuristic promises. Even the likes of Superman and Batman are in the crowd protesting against it – ridiculous I know. The machine’s creator refuses to budge to the concerns of others, and in the end the Green Team intervene to destroy the machine and bankrupt the creator by throwing his money down to the protestors in the street. For those who haven’t read that story – no, I have not taken drugs. It’s certainly weird, but more offensively it’s woeful to read. Kid-gangs are already an outdated concept, but it’s made worse by the fact that the stars of the team deliver awful dialogue and are far from memorable. Worse still, the Green Team are morally very confused. With all their money, why not spend it to help the community like any sensible hero? They are interested simply in businesses that can make money – I know that they summarise the fiscal thinking of the modern world, but for goodness’ sake, they are a kid-gang. So, with a void of charming characters who bore readers to tears, and a silly plot written quite clumsily, it should be no shocker that the Green Team had no future after the first page…
Jerry Grandenetti isn’t an artist who many remember. While his art may be just about passable, there is something-off about it. The finishes look strange and slightly amateur, almost rushed at times. However, I think its biggest problem is that – like the Green Team – it is simply dull.
Metamorpho the Element Man --- Written by Bob Haney with art by Ramona Fradon
1st Issue Special was designed as a launching pad for new titles. That didn’t necessarily mean new heroes. Metamorpho was a decade old concept when Bob Haney and Ramona Fradon – the character’s original creators – returned the shapeshifting hero to DC’s pages with 1st Issue Special 3. Those who understand the basics of Metamorpho’s world would know that Rex Mason was exposed to the strange effects of a mystical orb which forced his shapeshifting attributes onto him, while his lover Sapphire is the daughter of businessman Simon Stagg, whose servant Java loathes Metamorpho with a passion. Luckily, Metamorpho’s well-trodden origin isn’t retold to us with limited changes – Haney writes a brand-new story. While visiting Washington DC, Rex and Sapphire are shocked as a ghostly apparition appears. Chaos ensues all around the district, and we learn that this ghost has appeared numerous times previously to Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt during times of war.
Nicknamed the Phantom, Metamorpho investigates and finds the ghost was once Doctor Destinee, a Frenchman who once appealed to President James Madison during the US’s war with Great Britain in 1814. Madison disregarded the military advice of Destinee, who died and then left a curse on the United States. Throughout, Metamorpho fights Destinee as he continues to haunt America – it’s a unique plot and I believe a very good one, despite its silliness. Haney also writes a good detective story, as a good mystery is built up and slowly revealed rewardingly. Towards the end, Stagg and Java place themselves in the way of Metamorpho in another of their hair-brained schemes, but Metamorpho succeeds, and Sapphire isn’t forced to live a long miserable life with Java. Although Bob Haney does write a great story, would this work as an ongoing series? That really does depend on what plots Haney had in mind, for I fear that after a few issues of a continuing title, new ideas would run dry, and readers would return to the tedious and unenjoyable drama of Simon Stagg trying to drag his daughter away from her desired man. As a one-off story, 1st Issue Special 3 is a good one, especially thanks to Haney’s plotting and great understanding of these characters. But I’m less convinced it would have succeeded in a monthly format.
Just over a week ago, Ramona Fradon died aged 97. A pioneer of the worlds of Aquaman and Metamorpho, upon reading this issue, you realise just how brilliantly animated her storytelling was. Appearing almost like a cartoon strip, the story’s visuals are bright and colourful but also dramatic too. Her artwork did suit a character like Metamorpho and his exaggerated feature of stretching to multiple shapes. RIP Ramona Fradon – I hope history will regard her as a titan of illustration and silver age art.
Lady Cop --- Written by Robert Kanigher, with art by John Rosenberger and Vince Colletta
Back in the 1970s, it was thought that just 2% of police officers in the United States were women. Was this perhaps a reason why – for 1st Issue Special 4 – DC decided to introduce Lady Cop, a woman in the police force fighting for justice? We’ll never really know – somewhere within each issue of the title was a page written by the editor explaining the creation of the star character, but there is nothing for Lady Cop. Written by Robert Kanigher, Lady Cop instantly strikes as one of the darker tales. After witnessing the murders of her roommates, Liza Warner enrols in an all-male police force and becomes a great detective. Throughout the issue, we see her tackle cases such as domestic violence and other street-related crime, while balancing her love life with Hal, a muscular man who strives to sit on the beach all day rather than worry about whether or not his girlfriend will be killed in her job. Compared to previous issues, it’s a much more realistic and adult story. Liza isn’t written as a typical joke character either – she is strongheaded and shown to be better than her male counterparts. In that sense, some may see Lady Cop is as a bastion for early equality in comics, but that verdict can only go so far. Often the dialogue gives way to a degree of sexism and plays to some rather distasteful stereotypes, but it is better compared to many other comics from the time. But with all this said, it’s hard to see how Lady Cop would have even been popular enough to merit a second issue, let alone an ongoing series. Kanigher does make much of Liza wanting to track down the killer of her friends, and while this is a plotline, I get the feeling that the title would have quickly fallen into the doldrums of dullness. Still, it’s not as silly an issue as many may think!
John Rosenberger’s pencils add an edge of realism here through his dramatic panel layouts and general sense of grittiness the city setting seems to have. It may have its inaccuracies and odd touches, but it’s by no means terrible. The issue is also a rare occasion whereby Vince Colletta’s half-hearted inks can actually be a benefit – with that unfinished quality adding more to the gritty street feeling; albeit, on some pages it really does look like Colletta has been characteristically lazy though.
Manhunter --- Written and pencilled by Jack Kirby with inks by Mike Royer
1st Issue Special 5 is another Kirby insert, and this one is another relaunched concept. Manhunter was originally a golden age character from the early-1940s, pioneered by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon during their times writing for the Sandman, the Newsboy Legion, and the Boy Commandos. Put simply, Manhunter pursues criminals as a masked vigilante. While that concept may still have been fresh in the early-golden age, how can Kirby update it for the 1970s? You know it’s going to be one of Kirby’s weird tales when the heroic Manhunter enters a cave full of talking heads. After defeating their cruel controller in an action-packed scene, Manhunter takes off his mask to reveal an old man, tired of his endless quest for justice.
Meanwhile, lawyer Mark Shaw grows depressed as his legal exploits to clean up crime seem to fail, but thanks to his uncle Mark is introduced to the costume of the Manhunter (Mark’s uncle just so happens to have a secret room in his house full of old relics and masks). Simultaneously to this discovery, the elderly Manhunter gives up his heroic mantle and the Grand Master of the Manhunter cult grants this – resulting in Mark Shaw becoming the hand-picked successor. Mark Shaw makes for a threatening Manhunter, and as ever Kirby teases future stories as a gangster-type villain is revealed at the end of the issue. While I like the backstory Kirby adds to what could have been a pretty standard idea, I don’t think Manhunter would have lasted long as an ongoing series. It has more going for it than Atlas, but it still feels too much like a Dark Knight-clone for it to be hugely memorable. Still, a nice Kirby tale.
With Mike Royer’s inks, we get smoother Kirby finishes, but all the layouts and impressiveness of the King’s art from this era still apply – with Manhunter’s costume and general appearance looking like a definitive Kirby creation.
Dingbats of Danger Street --- Written and pencilled by Jack Kirby with inks by D. Bruce Berry
For a creator like Jack Kirby who always aimed to have his finger on the pulse, what convinced him that kid-gangs could make a comeback in the 1970s? 1st Issue Special 6 is perhaps the most infamous of Kirby’s stories – featuring the Dingbats of Danger Street. Already sporting a name which not even a golden age gang would have endured, the Dingbats consist of some pretty embarrassing stars, most notably Non-Fat, a skinny kid who constantly holds onto a hot dog, no matter what. The plot is a pretty simple one – the Dingbats go after two badly dressed criminals in Jumping Jack and the Gasser. The problem is that Kirby overcomplicates a basic plot by dragging it out and extending it with woeful dialogue from all characters. Kirby really does try his best to enlighten us to such characters, but it just doesn’t work. They aren’t charming or lovable – more irritating and tiresome, with their characteristic quirks really not endearing readers in any way. Kirby does hint at some hidden details about the Dingbats and why they are on the street, but after such a lame performance here, I don’t think any editor was likely to give them an ongoing series. While it has become customary for Kirby fans to have a soft spot for this one, I have no trouble in saying that 1st Issue Special 6 is pretty awful and most possibly the worst comic book that Kirby created during his time at DC during the 1970s.
There are less double-page spreads or overlong fight scenes here compared to other Kirby tales, but Kirby continues to add his usual flair and energy. His designs for the Dingbats are memorable at least, but I think that pretty much everyone in the story looks horribly dated – even for the standards of the seventies.
The Creeper --- Written by Michael Fleisher, with art by Steve Ditko and Mike Royer
After his creation in 1968, the Creeper enjoyed a quality run for just six issues before cancellation. Created by Steve Ditko, the character obviously left an impression due to his occasional appearances teaming up with Batman in The Brave and the Bold.
For 1st Issue Special 7, this was clearly an attempt to see if his readers wanted a rejuvenated Creeper title. Penned not by Ditko, but by Michael Fleisher, the Creeper is pitted against Batman foe Firefly – he escapes from Gotham’s prison just as Jack Ryder is present to interview the warden. As ever, Jack Ryder finds a chance to escape and transform into his yellow and green alter-ego, with Fleisher capturing the reporter’s sketchy personality well. I like how Firefly is written to be a slightly embarrassing villain who even the lowest goons laugh at, but that he should not be underestimated as some of his schemes are quite creative. In the end, the Creeper defeats Firefly. It may be a fairly conventional story in that sense, but the dilemma of the Creeper’s place in society, sparked by Ditko in the original run, continues here. Is the Creeper a hero or a villain? That’s one question which Jack Ryder himself is forced to report on as his bosses strongly believe that the colourful loon is a baddie. After this issue, I could easily imagine the Creeper receiving a new title. Fleisher may write a more conventional comic book compared to Ditko’s plotting and O’Neil’s writing in the original run, but with the drama of the Creeper and his place in society a big issue, I think an ongoing series would have had potential.
Although not inking himself, Steve Ditko does an amazing job on bringing the Creeper back to life. With such unique storytelling and a sense of drama that takes lighting and shading into account, Ditko brilliantly recreates the old world of Jack Ryder for us. Mike Royer is surprisingly decent over Ditko’s work – it has the typical smoothness of Royer, but the shading and lighting is just as impactful as Ditko’s own work.
VERDICT
Overall, how best to judge the first seven issues of 1st Issue Special? The most basic and predictable method would be to check if any of these concepts received their own title. In the immediate aftermath of their release, not a single one of these features got their own title. That isn’t hugely surprising in some cases – the Green Team and Dingbats are simply too awful to contemplate. Meanwhile, Lady Cop was never likely to get the readership for an ongoing series, while the two better Kirby concepts could have succeeded were it not for the King’s overloaded work schedule to produce half-a-dozen books for DC each month. Easily, Metamorpho and the Creeper could have had an ongoing series, but readers of the time felt otherwise…
Next Week: 1st Issue Specials: From Warlord to the New Gods (1st Issue Special 8-13). Written by Mike Grell, Martin Pasko, Joe Simon, Gerry Conway, Steve Skeates, and Dennis O’Neil, with art by Mike Grell, Walt Simonson, Jerry Grandenetti, Creig Flessel, Frank Redondo, Al Milgrom, Mike Vosburg, and Mike Royer.
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