The Early Years: DC's Best of the Thirties

[Air Wave]

ADVENTURE COMICS 33, 34, 35 from 1938-39

Adventure_Comics_33.jpg
Adventure_Comics_34.jpg
Adventure_Comics_35.jpg

[Air Wave]

I'm thinking I'd like to put a library together of collections, trades, omnibuses (omnibi?), etc., that covers the history of DC Comics with as broad a range of characters as possible. I'm going to do it chronologically. Obviously, this will get much easier when I get to 1938 but does anyone know of anything that collected anything prior to that? Anything from 1935 through 1937?

[Jim Kelly]

The first 8 issues of NEW FUN/MORE FUN had covers that were also one page stories, so any books that reprint those covers are also reprinting a story. You can find books that reprint some of the covers--not really worth getting a whole book for one story--but these books have other content that would be of interest. According to the GCD, NEW FUN No. 1's cover is reprinted in DC COMICS: SIXTY YEARS OF THE WORLD'S FAVORITE COMIC BOOK HEROES (Little Brown, 1995) and No. 3's cover is reprinted in ACTION! MYSTERY! THRILLS! COMIC BOOK COVERS OF THE GOLDEN AGE: 1935 - 45 (Fantagraphics, 2011).

DC never did a Millennium Edition for NEW FUN No. 1, even though there was a strong push from fans for this to happen. Apparently, this couldn't be reprinted because Oswald the Rabbit had a one page feature in that issue. Oswald was a cartoon character created by Walt Disney for Universal Pictures--the first four issues of NEW FUN all had a one page Oswald story. However, if that one page was why DC didn't do an ME, it seems a thin excuse.

[Air Wave]

The first 8 issues of NEW FUN/MORE FUN had covers that were also one page stories, so any books that reprint those covers are also reprinting a story. You can find books that reprint some of the covers--not really worth getting a whole book for one story--but these books have other content that would be of interest. According to the GCD, NEW FUN No. 1's cover is reprinted in DC COMICS: SIXTY YEARS OF THE WORLD'S FAVORITE COMIC BOOK HEROES (Little Brown, 1995) and No. 3's cover is reprinted in ACTION! MYSTERY! THRILLS! COMIC BOOK COVERS OF THE GOLDEN AGE: 1935 - 45 (Fantagraphics, 2011).

DC never did a Millennium Edition for NEW FUN No. 1, even though there was a strong push from fans for this to happen. Apparently, this couldn't be reprinted because Oswald the Rabbit had a one page feature in that issue. Oswald was a cartoon character created by Walt Disney for Universal Pictures--the first four issues of NEW FUN all had a one page Oswald story. However, if that one page was why DC didn't do an ME, it seems a thin excuse.

Thanks for all this. And nothing from the first 26 issues of Detective Comics were ever collected anywhere, were they?

[Jim Kelly]

Thanks for all this. And nothing from the first 26 issues of Detective Comics were ever collected anywhere, were they?

I'd have to do some research on that. I know there are some books I have that will show the odd page from a DC feature and some of those were probably pre-Batman. ALTER-EGO magazine has likely done that in various issues. There are also books that reprint covers and for sure 'TEC No. 1's Fu Manchu cover by Vin Sullivan has been reprinted many times. But it would be nice to find a book that reprints more than the odd cover or a random page.

[Air Wave]

I'd have to do some research on that. I know there are some books I have that will show the odd page from a DC feature and some of those were probably pre-Batman. ALTER-EGO magazine has likely done that in various issues. There are also books that reprint covers and for sure 'TEC No. 1's Fu Manchu cover by Vin Sullivan has been reprinted many times. But it would be nice to find a book that reprints more than the odd cover or a random page.

Yeah...I'd love some kind of best of pre-Superman DC book.

[Stingo]

Thanks for all this. And nothing from the first 26 issues of Detective Comics were ever collected anywhere, were they?

Thought this might interest you, Air Wave...Here's hoping more collections like these are forthcoming!
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/07...c-comics-2019/

[Air Wave]

Thought this might interest you, Air Wave...Here's hoping more collections like these are forthcoming!
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/07...c-comics-2019/

OMG thank you! Just what I wanted!

[Stingo]

OMG thank you! Just what I wanted!

Glad to bring some cheer, Air Wave! I got quite excited about this, too, especially because this means I can now own the earliest appearances of the Crimson Avenger without having to put a second mortgage on my house to purchase the originals...LOL!

[Air Wave]

Glad to bring some cheer, Air Wave! I got quite excited about this, too, especially because this means I can now own the earliest appearances of the Crimson Avenger without having to put a second mortgage on my house to purchase the originals...LOL!

Now if we could only cover 1935-36. Although truth be told I'm not really interested in humor/funny animals. Just the adventure stuff.

[Jim Kelly]

The early NEW FUN and NEW COMICS were trying to look like the Sunday comics in the newspapers. So on one page there might be a funny strip and on another page an adventure strip (and some strips that combined humour and adventure). If DC ever got around to collecting these anthologies, there would be a wide variety of stories to read.

[Air Wave]

The early NEW FUN and NEW COMICS were trying to look like the Sunday comics in the newspapers. So on one page there might be a funny strip and on another page an adventure strip (and some strips that combined humour and adventure). If DC ever got around to collecting these anthologies, there would be a wide variety of stories to read.

Yeah I'd still get them.

[Air Wave]

Thought this might interest you, Air Wave...Here's hoping more collections like these are forthcoming!
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/07...c-comics-2019/

I've been told this has been cancelled. VERY upsetting.

[MajorHoy]

I've been told this has been cancelled. VERY upsetting.

DC Comics Cancels Detective Comics Before Batman and Alex Ross Hardcovers

Posted by Rich Johnston November 15, 2018
Some big books that were solicited from DC Comics that are no longer going to be published in 2019 as planned. The Omnibus slipcase collecting the first 26 issues of Detective Comics from 1937 on. And the Alex Ross/Paul Dini Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman comic books.
Reasons? I am sure there are reasons. Usually, it’s down to someone numbercrunching and realising that with the orders, size and warehousingg costs, that these big books aren’t going to cut the mustard…

[Brad]

Thanks for all this. And nothing from the first 26 issues of Detective Comics were ever collected anywhere, were they?

I haven't gone through every post in this tread, but just want to chime in that Detective Comics #1 was reprinted as a Millennium Edition.