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DC continuity was just too dang confusin' for kids to figure out. When the Dumb Communists infiltrated Superman's publishin' company in the 1980s, that's what they claimed in order to justify Crisis on Infinite Earths. How can a dumbass kid know about Earth I and Earth II and the fourteen varieties of Kryptonite and the Adult Legionnaires? Well, I did, and I didn't have a rich Uncle with a secret stash of Silver Age comics. How did I, Cousin Dick, a hick from the boondocks, learn so much comics history? I was edujicated by Giants!
Batman 213 (1969) was the first Giant book I ever bought. 5 big stories for 25 cents, that was a big deal to me when the regular comics were 12-15 cents. This book had the Holy Grail for me: the origin of Robin! Like many kids in the 60s, I was a big fan of the BATMAN tv show starring Adam West. I always wondered why the TV show never explained their origin! I idolized Robin, and here it was all explained: the murder of Dick Grayson's parents, his adoption by Bruce Wayne, and his training to become the Boy Wonder. But little did I know there was an even better story in this issue: "The Man Behind the Red Hood". Little did I know until the very last page--this was the origin of the Joker! I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that Judd Winick also read this same story and used the Red Hood in Jason Todd's revival.
I wasn't just a Batman fan. I loved Superman, and that also translated to Superboy. I liked readin' about Superman's teenage adventures, his family life with the Kents, and most of all, his super-dog, Krypto! My first fan letter to DC comics was written in crayon: "Where did Krypto come from? How come we never see Superman's parents in his own comic?" Quite soon after that, another Giant, Superboy 165 (1970) answered both of these questions! Jor-El used Krypto as a test animal to perfect his rocket ship for Superman...heck, that didn't seem cruel at the time. But the secret of Ma and Pa Kent's death had me cryin' like a baby! They contracted a rare disease, which Superboy thought that he caused through a time travel adventure. Later it turned out just to be the Kents own misfortune. After exhaustin' ever possible resource to save them (Lex Luthor, Phantom Zone, etc), the Kents quietly pass away at home--forcing Clark to finally leave Smallville.
DC 100 Page Super Spectacular #6 (1971) introduced me to Earth I and Earth II. I remember seeing this title on the comic book rack at The Book Cache in Anchorage, Alaska. (How I got there was another story altogether.) I only had a dollar and decided to spend half of it on this title because of the wonderful Neal Adams wraparound cover--I had never seen so many heroes in one place! I was curious why there were two Supermen, two Batmen, and an adult version of Robin. Luckily, the lead story was the classic "Crisis on Earth-1, Earth-2" Justice League two-parter that explained the whole mystery. If that wasn't enough, the back cover had a guide that explained who each hero was on the front cover. The rest of the book was filled with Golden and Silver Age reprints of The Spectre, Johnny Quick, Vigilante, Wildcat, and Hawkman. Little did I know that I was studyin' to enjoy Roy Thomas' All-Star Squadron that featured all these cowpokes!
In 1972, DC made Detective Comics a regular bi-monthly 100 page comic, and that format lasted until 1975 (issues 438-445). This particular run was exceptional, because Archie Goodwin was the editor. He revitalized the all-new Batman stories with exceptional artwork by Jim Aparo, Sal Almendola, Alex Toth, and Howard Chaykin, and wrote all of them except one--the classic "Night of the Stalker" (written by Steve Englehart from an idea by Neal Adams). We also had the remarkable Manhunter backup, written by Goodwin and drawn by a new artist called Walt Simonson. This truly was the best deal in comics--awesome new stories, coupled with reprints that explained the history of the DC Universe. I learned all about Doctor Fate, Kid Eternity, the Guardian and Newsboy Legion, the Atom, Hawkman, and the power of fishnet stockings--Zatanna! Detective 438 reprinted Zatanna's adventures with the Atom, and gave us a trail to follow her classic search for Daddy Zatara thru other 100 page spectaculars.
There ya go pardners, the trail of DC Giants. If you've tried to follow them now in back issue bins or EBay, it can cost ya a pretty penny to buy 'em back! But ya know what I remember thinkin', even as a ten-year old, that these big books were the best value--each one took me hours to read. I suppose ya got the equivalent in DC Showcase reprints, but somehow it just don't seem the same to me. Ain't none of 'em got a beautiful Neal Adams cover like Superman 252! Nuff said.
Quite right: the Giants made all the "confusion" intelligible--and made you interested in the older issues, really encouraged children to become collectors for reasons other than alternate covers and resell value. Thanks for the reminder.
I have an interesting story for you regarding "Night of the Stalker."
I lived in New York city at the time and was waiting for my train. I met a guy and started chatting with him. He finally revealed he was a comic book artist and had even drawn my favorite character: Batman. We spoke at length and he told me that, in fact, he was the artist for "Night of the Stalker" and, more amazingly, that he had written the story. I lived in NY for a long time and I know BS..and this guy was telling the truth. He was a charming, humble guy who explained that he had plotted the story, and that Englehart had added the dialgue, but that when push came to shove, he wasn't given the writing credit. He even was nice enough to send me a copy of his own pencils. Not that Neals Adams isn't a god, and all, but I believe this guy. He even told me a hilarious story about what his brother thought Bats should do. I'll always remember.."Why doesn't he trow da guy off da cliff?" And he told him "because he's BATMAN, that's why"
So there ya go. One for the record books.
I believe your story, thanks for letting us know! From my recollection, Neal Adams just had the basic idea that he told someone. If this was created Marvel-style, Almendola probably did do the plot. I remember that this story won some awards at the time.