Customer Reviews

The DC Comics Rarities Archives, Vol. 1 (DC Archive Editions)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A book of magic and wonders.

Let's face it, most comic fans out there with some gray in their hair miss the good old days when DC would do those 100 page spectaculars. If you were like me the main features were great, but it was the back up stories that would really get me. From Phantom lady to Robot Man, you would get a glimpse into a time and a world of heros that were new and fresh to you.

The same is true for the book. Oh yes you get the "big guns" like Superman and Batman, and some of the mainstays, like Sandman (in his gas mask no less), but what of the really lesser know lights like the comedic "Red Tornado" and Mutt and Jeff (which really blew me away at some of the arts resemblence to what Robert Crumb would do later.


The book's huge size guarantees hours of reading, discovery and rereading. As for the art, some people said say the art of the golden age was crude. I like to think of it as raw and bursting with energy. And some of it will surprise you by it's grace and uniqueness.

As for the quality of the book, hey its a DC Archive so you know it is done up right.

As for the price, the sticker price is a bit steep, but Amazon with its free shipping and discount puts it into everyone's reach.

Liked DC's hit Starman, well look at the stuff that built the foundation of the DC Universe.

Coming soon will be the Seven Soldiers of Victory Golden Archives (January) and Comic Calvacade Archives (Bringing you never reprinted Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and Flash stories with load of guest stars.

I thank DC for preserving the golden age today.

For the first time ever, in one huge collection, three of DC Comics' most hard to find early anthology titles are reprinted in their entirety! Rarities Archive Volume 1 is a whopping 348-page hardcover collecting New York World's Fair 1939, New York World's Fair 1940, and Big All-American Comic Book #1 from 1944. This volume, with an introduction by Roy Thomas, features appearances by virtually every early Golden Age DC hero: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Sandman, Hawkman, Scribbly, The Atom, Green Lantern, Mr. Terrific, Jonny Thunder and Wildcat!

Plus, loads of backups, funny animals, gag strips, text pieces and information about the Fair! The two World's Fair Comics were specially created to be distributed at the New York World's Fair of 1939 and 1940 and feature adventures of the DC heroes actually visiting the Fairs. Most of the strips included in this very special Archive have never been reprinted!

This is truly a testament to the diversity of the Golden Age of DC Comics that no serious comics collector should be without.

This book reprints three extremely rare comic books from the Golden Age: New York World's Fair Comics 1939, New York World's Fair Comics 1940 and The Big All-American Comic Book. If you could find a copy of one of these comics, it would cost you over $1000 to buy it, even if it was in lousy condition. Now, you can own the contents of all three comics in mint condition, for under $100. What a deal! As for the contents of the comics, it is a typical mixed bag of Golden Age features. You get superheroes like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern and many lesser lights. There are also humor strips, detectives, military strips and other features. Most of the features in World's Fair 1939 heavily feature the Fair. Comics in World's Fair 1940 involve the fair to a lesser extent. Big All-American is just typical adventures involving the featured characters. Some of the comics are a bit dated by today's standards, but they are still fun to read. If you are a fan of Golden Age comics, you should get this book. You'll learn more than you ever wanted to know about the New York World's Fair!

-- but that's hardly a bad thing. The stories themselves range from well-done to poor, from well-known characters like Superman to obscure ones like the Whip and Slam Bradley. The most interesting thing about the compilation is the "Fair Facts" and data scattered throughout the first two books -- it makes for a nice glimpse at the way this World's Fair was viewed, and, to an extent, how important it was, or at least seemed to be at the time.

Four instead of five stars, because there's enough mediocre work to make it not an unalloyed pure joy to read. But it's certainly worth picking up if you'd like, in essence, a good sampler of Golden Age comic work.

I am not a fan boy, I am an old man but loved superhero cartoons as a kid and I like to read so getting this and learning much more about so many charaters has been great and recommed whether a fan boy or just someone who enjoys animations and information on their orginins and such.

Oddly enough all the banter about just what the Worlds Fair in 1939 and 1940 are even more interesting with a historical glance over one's shoulder. As stated by other reviewers these books are a fine hodgepodge of a time long lost and yet remembered. DC does a wonderful job with this edition. Even the comic's I didn't care for are of interest. I was never into funny animals. The hero's who were big then remain in this walk down the memory lane of World's Fair's and invasions of Europe and the Pacific. Check it out, worth every red cent!

I don't care what anyone says, this is how older comics need to look when reproduced for todays world. Especially when they are coming from someone who owns the original film stock or whatever. This volume is a treat in that you get a real slice of comics in late 30's and early forties. The earlier dc comics had many types of stories in them like "slam bradley" , and 'the whip' which is a zorro like character. Of course we get great fun stories from a bygone era too. One of the highlights is a 'sandman' story from Bert Christman. The man was extremely talented and brave to say the least. He was killed fighting with the Flying Tigers (u.s. air force volunteers) in 1942 and we never got to see him get even better in his ability to tell a story well and with really good art to boot. This is vintage golden age stuff with the typical 8-10 page story or less from the various heroes. The first worlds fair issue also includes alot of info from the worlds fair of 1939; which was a fantastic place indeed. It was unfortunately happening in the world war and the depression so it didn't get the 60 million visitors it was hoping for. But it's promoters had no reason to feel shame; for it represented the best in Mankind and future possibilities like ending 'polio'. Superman himself helps out by building a exhibit to promote a cure for the dreaded disease in one story. All three comics never looked better than they do here and that's what I want from a archive if possible.
The book is 340 pages long and therefore it has alot of vintage good comics in it. You get stories from other D.C. greats too like the green lantern and the flash so you won't be disapointed on that regard either. Another highlight is seeing a early Joe Kubert Hawkman story, Bob Kanes' Batman, Siegal and Shuster's early superman, jack Burnley's ( a man who drew really beautiful comics) Superman, and the underrated Paul Rienman's "green lantern" , wonder woman by H.g. peter and Marston, plus a atom and wildcat story and more. I was also surprised to see a "Zatara" story by Fred Guardineer in which a outlaw gang is parading the sword impaed head off a member of zataras expedition in china.
IT's all good fun and the original comics are worth more than cheap house together so this reprint is a great deal.
And like the comic calvacade edition you get non superhero titles instead of just one story taken from title like other golden age reprints. So it's like really reading a vintage comic book in it's entirety.