Wanted TPB: Cancelled Comic Cavalcade

Writer:Various
Artist: Various
Publisher: DC Comics (1978)
Includes: Listed Below
  
Dork Note: For a more in depth look at the Cancelled Comic Cavalcade - Check out Tom McNeely's Cancelled Comic Cavalcade Issue #1 and Cancelled Comic Cavalcade Issue #2

Clipped from Wikipedia: Cancelled Comic Cavalcade featured a collection of unpublished stories which were originally slated as "next issue" stories for over thirty-five comic book titles which were discontinued as a result of the 1978 DC Implosion.
 
Cancelled Comic Cavalcade in the summer 1978 two-issue ashcan "series" which "published" the work in limited quantity solely to establish the company's copyright. The title was a play on DC's 1940s series Comic Cavalcade.

Some of the material already produced for the cancelled publications was later used in other series, however. The two volumes, composed of some of these stories along with earlier inventoried stories, were printed by DC staff members in black-and-white on the office photocopier. A total of 35 copies of each volume were produced, and distributed to the creators of the material, to the U.S. copyright office, and to Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide as proof of their existence. Considered a valued collectible, a set of both issues was valued as high as $3,680 in the 2011-2012 edition of the Comic Book Price Guide.

Contents ranged from completed stories to incomplete artwork. Although color covers were created, the interior pages (having been reproduced on a photocopier in the days prior to widespread use of color photocopy technology) were black and white. The first issue carried a cover price of only 10 cents, while the second carried a cover price of $1, but this was in jest, as the publication was never actually "sold".

Cancelled Comic Cavalcade contained the following material:

Issue #1

• Black Lightning #12 (later printed in World's Finest Comics #260), cover to #13
• Claw the Unconquered #13 and #14
• The Deserter #1
• Doorway to Nightmare #6 (later printed in The Unexpected)
• Firestorm #6 (later adapted as back-up stories in The Flash)
• The Green Team: Boy Millionaires #1 and #2 (to have followed a try-out in 1st Issue Special #2)

Issue #2

• Kamandi #60 and #61 "OMAC" back-ups would also appear in Warlord #37-39 (September-November 1980)
• Prez #5
• Shade, the Changing Man #9 "The Odd Man" story would appear in Detective Comics #487 (December 1979-January 1980)
• Showcase #105 featuring Deadman, later printed slightly edited in Adventure Comics #464, #106 The Creeper
• Secret Society of Super-Villains #16, #17
• Steel #6, later reprinted with edits in All-Star Squadron #8-9 (April-May 1982)
• The Vixen #1
• covers for Army at War #2, Battle Classics #3, Demand Classics #1 and #2, Mister Miracle #26, Ragman #6, Weird Mystery Tales #25 and #26, Western Classics #1 and #2

Wanted TPB: The New West

Writer: Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: Phil Noto
Publisher: Black Bull Comics (2005)
Includes: The New West #1-2

Plot: Story centers on a bomb creating an electromagnetic pulse that causes all technology to stop working in Los Angeles. A disgraced former LAPD detective endures a near-future deserted hostile environment where the mayor has been kidnapped.

Fun Fact clipped from Screen Rant:  Jimmy Palmiotti’s 2005 graphic novel The New West seems like it was always meant to be a movie. Set in a near future where an electromagnetic bomb has destroyed all technology in Los Angeles, the story hits on all the checkpoints of a typical sci-fi flick.  Post-apocalyptic wasteland? Check. Edgy anti-hero? Check. Old genre conventions with a modern twist? Check. The list goes on and on.  Now it looks like a New West movie may actually happen, with Variety reporting that the management-production company Benderspink has optioned the series for a film adaptation.

Wanted TPB: Pre-Crisis Earth-Prime Ultraa & Superboy Prime

COMING SOON: Ultraa in Justice League of America The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 3 
Dork Note: DC has canceled the JLA Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 3

(05/28/19) and Superboy Prime in Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion Deluxe Edition Vol. 1 (11/13/18) and Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 (04/30/19)

Writer: Various
Artist: Various
Publisher: DC Comics (1978-85)
Includes: Justice League of America #153 , #158, #170, and #201, DC Comics Presents #87, and Superman #414

Clipped from Wikipedia: The Jack Grey version of Ultraa was the first superhero to appear on his particular parallel Earth. The second was Superboy Prime. With all the hoopla with Superboy Prime you'd think this would be a no brainer for DC...well, for the Superboy Prime stuff. As for the Ultraa stuff I want it included in this TPB. Well...

-First, both come from the same pre-crisis planet, our "real" Earth.

-Second, because Ultraa said something in one of the Justice League issues; which always stuck with me. I can't quote it from memory, I can't find it on-line, and I am not digging through thousands of issues of comics to find it, but the gist of it is this...

Does the creation of superheroes cause the creation of supervillains?

As a kid I was like, WHAT?! And it really got me thinking about the whole chicken/egg aspect of the hero myth in comics. Would the Joker exist if Batman hadn't dropped him in the vat. Or Lex Luthor if Superboy hadn't burned off his hair. Are SUPER-villains born from superheroes?

Of course, that's just storytelling in comics. In other storytelling mediums like movies and books usually the hero is born/created from/by the action's of a villain. Luke from Vadar (literally) or Paul Mau'dib from the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.

Anyway, food for thought.

By the way anyone who says, "Batman was created by the actions of Joe Chill when he gunned down his parents." I'd say to them, "Joe Chill ain't a SUPER-villain he's just a common criminal...so there in your face!"
 
-Thirdly, in Ultraa's favor, who doesn't like a name; which ends in two (copyright avoiding) vowels...like aa.

Wanted TPB: Chuck and Woods's Robin Run

Writer: Charles 'Chuck' Dixon
Artist: Pete Woods
Publisher: DC Comics (1993)
Includes: Robin #74-85

Pete Woods had this to say about his run on Robin, "With Robin the book has (or rather had) an optimistic and youthful lead character, so I worked in a very bouncy, cartoony style."

Dork Note: I rather enjoyed Pete Woods take Robin. The cartoony style he used on the book made him stand apart from the pack. I have a copy of issue #85 at my desk at work.

Wanted TPB: Silver Samurai

Writer: Various
Artist: Various
Publisher: Marvel Comics (1974-1983)
Includes: Daredevil #111, Marvel Team-Up #57,74,83,84, Spider-Woman #42,43, New Mutants #5,6, and Uncanny X-Men #172, 173, 174

Silver Samurai History: Kenuichio Harada is the illegitimate son of Shingen Yashida. He is a Japanese mutant who uses his powers to charge his katana. His powers and his samurai-style armor made of a silvery metal led to the moniker Silver Samurai.As a youth, Harada mastered the attendant disciplines of the medieval samurai and sought employment as a warrior for hire. He first worked for the criminal Mandrill and clashed with the blind hero Daredevil. Harada then served the Viper, an agent of the terrorist organization Hydra, as her bodyguard. In that capacity, Harada battled opponents such as the costumed crimefighter Spider-Man, the martial arts master Shang-Chi, and the team of mutant trainee heroes the New Mutants.

Following his father’s death, Harada sought the leadership of Shingen’s Clan Yashida from his half-sister Mariko Yashida, but was opposed by the ronin Yukio and Mariko’s lover, the mutant adventurer Wolverine. Later, Harada worked with Wolverine to free American private investigator Jessica Drew from the influence of Black Blade of Muramasa, a sword mystically imbued with its creator’s madness. Wolverine himself fell under the sword’s spell, but managed to overcome his possession after which Harada took up the sword, finding himself worthy of its power.

Wanted TPB : Zatanna's Solo Adventure

Writer: Gerry Conway 
Artist: Various
Publisher: DC Comics (1981)
Includes: World's Finest Comics #274-278 and Justice League of America #187

These solo stories; which ran through the World Finest books were great. We had Hawkman, Green Arrow, Zatanna, and others. It would be nice if these solo adventures were each collected into their own TPB for each character.

I would start with Zatanna.

Dork Note: A LOT of people prefer the current and retro Zatanna in her original stage performer outfit with top hat, coat tails, and fishnet stockings. Bruce Timm, Alex Ross, Ryan Sook, Adam Hughes, Terry Dodson, and Frank Cho all seem to fit into that category.

However, I prefer her Satellite-Era Zatanna outfit.

George Perez created the Satellite-Era costume for Zatanna; which first appeared in print in Justice League of America issue #187 drawn by Don Heck. George Perez did not draw this new costume until New Teen Titans #4; which came out a week later. Both were listed as February of 1981.

Fun Fact: During Zatanna's Satellite-Era she began a flirtation relationship with the Flash (Barry Allen). See below the costume change and the suggestive pages.

Wanted TPB: Aurora Comic Scenes

The Aurora Comic Scenes were promotional comic books included with the Aurora superhero model kits made in 1974. They were drawn by famous comic book artists like Gil Kane, Neal Adams, Curt Swan, and Dick Giordano and all ten feature popular comic book characters from both Marvel and DC, including Superman, Batman, Spider-man and the Incredible Hulk! Because of the rarity of the books and the way in which they were distibuted, they are difficult to find in collectible grades.

Wanted TPB: X-Factor's Judgement Day

Writer: Louise Simonson
Artist: Paul Smith and Richard F. Buckler
Publisher: Marvel Comics (1989)
Includes: X-Factor #43-50

Clipped from Comic Vine: Judgment War is an epic eight-part saga that ran through the pages of X-Factor during The Acts of Vengeance crossover and sees the intrepid Mutant heroes caught in the middle of an alien Civil War while searching for Professor Xavier in space. But things begin to escalate out of control as Scott and Jean's son Nathan is kidnapped, the Dark Phoenix and the Goblin Queen begin fighting each other for dominance over Jean Grey's body and The Fifth Celestial Host prepares to destroy the planet X-Factor has found.

Wanted TPB: JLA Destiny

Writer: John Arcudi

Artist: Tom Mandrake

Publisher: DC Comics (2002)
Includes: JLA Destiny #1-4

Clipped Review from Pulp and Dagger:

The "what if...?" aspect of the scenario is that Batman and Superman don't exist here. In fact, when the Wayne family was attacked by a mugger, it was young Bruce Wayne and his mother who were killed, but his father survived, using his fortune to bankroll a super hero team -- first, the Justice League of Gotham, then the Justice League of America. But beyond the "Elseworlds" gimmick is an attempt to set the story against a vaguely evocative geo-political realism.

There's a nice attempt to mix the provocative and high brow...with the action/adventure of a super hero comic (unlike, say, The Watchmen, or Supreme Power, which tended to be more talky and cerebral). Arcudi tosses in, and tosses out, some intriguing ideas and themes, some of which genuinely seem fresh and provocative -- at a time when I was beginning to think these sorts of sagas just recycled the same themes and scenes. And despite the "high brow" aspects, the pulpy story telling factor is still at play, with some surprise twists and turns as we go.
But Destiny is an above average work, managing to work as a pulpy page turner, with some twists and turns, dressed up with moody art, while also doing the unusual of managing to tread into the much trampled fields of both post-Watchmen meta-realism, and of Elseworlds gimmicky scenarios...and still seeming a bit fresh and original.
In fact, re-reading it, it's too bad the series isn't better known among fandom.

Wanted TPB: Mr. and Mrs. Superman

Writer: Various
Artist: Various
Publisher: DC Comics (1978-82)
Includes: Action Comics #484, Superman #327 and #329, The Superman Family #195-199 and 201-222

Clipped: In the 1970's, they also brought back the "Golden Age" versions of the characters in a combined book that took a lot of their prior serials and supersized them into one issue that featured Supergirl, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and others. One of the new features was called "Mr. and Mrs. Superman" which followed Kal-L/Clark Kent, his wife Lois, and their careers at the Daily Star where he worked as an editor.

I'm a sucker for Earth 2 stuff and this would be a great addition to my TPB library.

Wanted TPB: DC Weddings

Writer: Various  
Artist: Various  
Publisher: DC Comics (1961-1998)  

Dork Note: Here is a list of issues I would collect in a DC Weddings TPB.
 
Flash #119 (1961): Elongated Man and Susan "Sue" Dearbon 
Aquaman #18 (1964): Aquaman and Mera
The Doom Patrol #104 (1966): Elasti-Girl and Mento
The Flash #165 (1966): Flash and Iris West
Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #200 (1974): Bouncing Boy and Duo Damsel
Justice League of America #121 (1975): Adam Strange and Alanna
DC Super Stars #17 (1977): Earth 2's Batman and Catwoman
All-New Collector's Edition #55 (1978): Lighting Lad and Saturn Girl
Justice League of America #157 (1978): Atom and Jean Loring
Action Comics #484 (1978): Earth 2's Superman and Lois Lane
Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #2 (1983): Karate Kid and Princess Projectra
Tales of the Teen Titans #50 (1985): Wonder Girl and Terry Long
Batman and the Outsiders Annual #2 (1985): Metamorpho and Sapphire Stagg
Superman: The Wedding Album (1996): Earth 1's Superman and Lois Lane
The Flash #142 and 158 (1998): Flash (Wally West) and Linda Park

Wanted TPB: The Origin & Life of the Red Tornado

Writer: Various
Artist: Various
Publisher: DC Comics (1980, 1981 and 1985)
Includes: World's Finest Comics #265-270,272, Justice League #192-193 and Red Tornado #1-4

Having a collection; which comprised of the solo Red Tornado tales told in the World's Finest Comics, the Justice League Red Tornado origin issues and Carmine Infantino mini-series would be great!

Origin: The origin of Red Tornado comes from the merger of two different entities: the android body created by supervillain T. O. Morrow and the Tornado Champion from the Earth-One planet Rann. The origin of the Tornado Champion begins with a fight between the sentient tornado on the planet of Rann; Ulthoon, the Tornado Tyrant of Rann and Adam Strange, with Strange being the victor. The defeated Tyrant "contemplated the nature of good and evil and decided that good was the superior force".It observes the exploits of the Justice League of America (JLA) and then settles on an abandoned planet, which transforms into a perfect replica of Earth, right down to its populace, the only absence being the JLA. The tornado entity splits itself to become the JLA of this world, taking for itself the name the Tornado Champion. However, the Champion soon discovers that it had inadvertently split itself into two separate entities, the Champion and the Tyrant, who easily defeats the Champion. "Disappointed, the Tornado Champion lured the Tyrant to Earth-One, where the Tyrant was defeated by the real JLA".
 
The Champion then goes to Earth-Two,where he encounters Morrow, who is creating an android to use against the Justice Society of America. Morrow had given his android the false memory of being the Red Tornado who had attended the first JSA meeting. The Tornado Champion enters the android's body but loses its memory in the process. This explains why Red Tornado seems to be alive. After defeating the JSA, Morrow and Red Tornado travel to Earth-One, where they are defeated by the JLA.However, Red Tornado's dual-origin was not fully revealed until Morrow had re-captured him in order to figure out how he became sentient. When Morrow opens up Red Tornado, both the Tornado Champion and the Tornado Tyrant come out of the body; the Tyrant had never truly left the Champion. After a battle with the JLA, Red Tornado was reassembled by Firestorm, with both the Tyrant and the Champion being returned to the android and with both their memories being erased.

On Earth-One, Red Tornado slowly becomes more human-like. He develops more of a distinct personality, and adopts the name John Smith. He takes a job teaching school, where he meets and develops affection for employment counselor Kathy Sutton. In time, Red Tornado even comes to love her, and they are married. The couple later adopt Traya, an orphan girl from the (fictional) Middle Eastern nation of Bialya. As a member of the Justice League of America, Red Tornado finds an acceptance he never did on Earth-Two. He becomes particularly close to new JLA members Hawkwoman and Firestorm.

Wanted TPB: The Saga of Crystar, Crystal Warrior

Writer: Mary Jo Duffy - 'Jo Duffy'
Artist: Bret Blevins, Ronald 'Ron' Frenz, and Ricardo Villamonte
Publisher: Marvel Comics (1983)
Includes: The Saga of Crystar, Crystal Warrior #1-11 and Marvel Age #1 (first appearance)

Clipped from Wikipedia: The Saga of Crystar, Crystal Warrior was a 1983 11-issue fantasy-based Marvel comic book with an associated toy line from Remco, consisting of seven figures, some vehicles and accessories.

The toys were first sold in late 1982; the Marvel Comics series was first published in the spring of 1983. Since the toys were released first, many assumed the comic had been a licensed adaptation of the toyline, but Crystar and all of the characters in the toy line and comic book were created and owned by Marvel Comics, which had created the concept with the express intent of selling the license to a toy company. The comic book series was set parallel to the Marvel Universe and featured guest appearances by Doctor Strange, Nightcrawler and Alpha Flight.

Despite the Crystar franchise's obscurity, the title character had a profile featured in the Marvel Comics 1980s Handbook, as well as the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z hardcover series. The character also appeared in the variant cover of Marvel Zombies 4 #1, which featured a number of 1980s Marvel Comics characters in a parody of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video.

Fun Fact: Crystar and related characters were also the subjects of a parody in the episode "Ban on Fun" of Robot Chicken, wherein it was suggested that Crystar and his people were made out of crystal meth.

Fun Fact: The cover of issue #8 of The Saga of Crystar, drawn by Michael Golden, features a skull logo that was later used by the bands Samhain and Danzig.

Clipped from Comic Book Urban Legend: In 1983, Glenn Danzig began work on a side project from his band, The Misfits, called Samhain. As it turned out, though, The Misfits were about ready to break up, so Samhain went from being a side project to being Danzig’s main project. In the late 80s, Samhain basically changed their name to Danzig (there were other changes, but for the most part, it was more of a name change than one band ending and a new band beginning). Both Samhain and Danzig had, for their logo, the following skull…

Action Figures 

In 1982 Remco produced the Crystar action figure line based on the concept for the comic book series. Crystar and the forces of order were designed to appear to be made of crystal, and Moltar and the forces of Chaos, lava. Seven figures, six mini playsets, two dragons and one castle were produced.

 

 

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