DC Comics insert previews

Publication history

The insert previews began with The New Teen Titans in DC Comics Presents #26 (Oct. 1980). This reboot of an existing property by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez introduced several new characters and would become a sales success for DC. Wolfman would additionally write previews for a reboot of the "Dial H for Hero" feature and for Night Force a supernatural series drawn by Gene Colan, his former collaborator on The Tomb of Dracula. DC highlighted the work of Roy Thomas, newly arrived at the company from Marvel Comics, by featuring several of his series in the format. These included All-Star Squadron, a revival of the Justice Society of America; Arak, Son of Thunder, a new Native American character; a revitalization of Wonder Woman including an update of the character's costume; and Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! a combination of the talking animal and superhero genres. When the long running The Brave and the Bold series came to its conclusion, the final issue featured a preview of a new Batman series, Batman and the Outsiders by writer Mike W. Barr and artist Jim Aparo, which would be described by DC Comics writer and executive Paul Levitz as being "a team series more fashionable to 1980s audiences". New talent such as the writing team of Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn was represented in the previews with Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld and Blue Devil. Licensed properties were featured as well. A Masters of the Universe preview featured in several comic books cover dated November 1982 led to a miniseries the following month. The Atari Force preview in January 1983 served as a prequel to the ongoing series launched a year later. M.A.S.K. was an animated series and a Kenner Products toyline adapted into comic books in a September 1985 preview which led to a miniseries the following December.

Issues

Collected editions

The following insert preview stories have been reprinted in collected editions:

• The New Teen Titans story from DC Comics Presents #26 (October 1980) in:
  • The New Teen Titans Archives Vol. 1, 240 pages, February 1999,
  • The New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 1, 684 pages, September 2011,
  • The New Teen Titans Vol. 1, 240 pages, September 2014,
• The All-Star Squadron story from Justice League of America #193 (August 1981) in:
  • Showcase Presents: All-Star Squadron Vol. 1, 528 pages, April 2012,
  • Justice Society of America: A Celebration of 75 Years, 496 pages, July 2015,
• The Wonder Woman story from DC Comics Presents #41 (January 1982) in:
  • Wonder Woman: 80 Years of the Amazon Warrior The Deluxe Edition, 416 pages, September 2021,
• The Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew story from The New Teen Titans #16 (February 1982) in:
  • Captain Carrot and the Final Ark, 168 pages, April 2008,
  • Showcase Presents: Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew, 672 pages, September 2014,
• The Night Force story from The New Teen Titans #21 (July 1982) in:
  • Night Force by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan: The Complete Series, 396 pages, October 2017,
• The Masters of the Universe story from various DC Comics titles (November 1982) in:
  • DC Through the 80s: The End of Eras, 520 pages, December 2020,
• The Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld story from Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2 #298 (April 1983) in:
  • Showcase Presents: Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld Vol. 1, 648 pages, October 2012,
• The Batman and the Outsiders story from The Brave and the Bold #200 (July 1983) in:
  • Showcase Presents: Batman and the Outsiders Vol. 1, 552 pages, September 2007,
  • Batman and the Outsiders Vol. 1, 368 pages, February 2017,

References

Notes

References

1. As seen on the cover of ''DC Comics Presents'' #26 (Oct. 1980), among others.
2. (2010). "DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle". [[Dorling Kindersley]].
3. Levitz, Paul. (2010). "75 Years of DC Comics The Art of Modern Mythmaking". [[Taschen]].
4. Manning p. 192 ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' #272: "Within a sixteen-page preview in ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' #272...was "Dial 'H' For Hero", a new feature that raised the bar on fan interaction in the creative process. The feature's story, written by Marv Wolfman, with art by Carmine Infantino, saw two high-school students find dials that turned them into super-heroes. Everything from the pair's civilian clothes to the heroes they became was created by fans writing in. This concept would continue in the feature's new regular spot within ''Adventure Comics''".
5. Manning p. 197 ''The New Teen Titans'' #21: "[T]his issue...hid another dark secret: a sixteen-page preview comic featuring Marv Wolfman's newest team - Night Force. Chronicling the enterprise of the enigmatic Baron Winters and featuring the art of Gene Colan, Night Force spun out into an ongoing title of gothic mystery and horror the following month".
6. Markstein, Don. (2010). "All-Star Squadron". [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]].
7. Catron, Michael. (June 1981). "Thomas Revives WWII Superheroes". [[Fantagraphics Books]].
8. Catron, Michael. (June 1981). "Thomas's Indian/Viking to Roam Medieval Europe". Fantagraphics Books.
9. Thomas, Roy. (2011). "Alter Ego: Centennial". [[TwoMorrows Publishing]].
10. Sanderson, Peter. (September–October 1981). "Thomas/Colan Premiere Wonder Woman's New Look". [[New Media/Irjax.
11. Manning p. 196: "''The New Teen Titans'' #16 - In a sixteen-page bonus preview insert in the middle of ''The New Teen Titans''...was the debut story of Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew".
12. Manning p. 202 ''The Brave and the Bold'' #200: "Despite being the final issue of this particular series, the book wasn't closed on Batman's team-ups. Although Batman was through working with partners, it was time to think bigger, and in a special sixteen-page preview insert written by Barr and with art by Jim Aparo, the Outsiders debuted. A super-hero team of Batman's own creation, the Outsiders would soon star alongside Batman in the new monthly series ''Batman and the Outsiders''".
13. Levitz p. 462
14. Manning p. 201 ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' #298: "The other-dimensional Gemworld found a new princess in the form of Amy Winston, an ordinary young girl from a distant reality, in the pages of a sixteen-page insert comic by writers Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn, and artist Ernie Colón. Standing strong against the forces of the nefarious Dark Opal, Amethyst was gearing up for her own self-titled maxiseries in May".
15. Manning p. 208 ''The Fury of Firestorm'' #24: "[A] sixteen-page preview story marked the debut of fledgling stuntman-turned-hero Blue Devil. An attempt to put the fun back into comics, writers Gary Cohn and Dan Mishkin and penciller Paris Cullins had Blue Devil face the machinations of Flash villain the Trickster in this lead-in to his own ongoing series".
16. DeAngelo, Daniel. (December 2014). "Circuits and Sorcery: The Honest-to-Goodness Story of ''Blue Devil''". TwoMorrows Publishing.
17. [http://www.comics.org/series/2631/ ''Masters of the Universe''] at the [[Grand Comics Database]]
18. [http://www.comics.org/series/2829/ ''Atari Force''] at the Grand Comics Database
19. [http://www.comics.org/series/2986/ ''M.A.S.K.''] at the Grand Comics Database
20. [http://www.comics.org/issue/34737/ ''DC Comics Presents'' #26] at the Grand Comics Database
21. [http://www.comics.org/issue/35088/ ''The Legion of Super-Heroes'' #272] at the Grand Comics Database
22. [http://www.comics.org/issue/35536/ ''Justice League of America'' #193] at the Grand Comics Database
23. [http://www.comics.org/issue/35547/ ''The Warlord'' #48] at the Grand Comics Database
24. [http://www.comics.org/issue/35987/ ''DC Comics Presents'' #41] at the Grand Comics Database
25. [http://www.comics.org/issue/36076/ ''The New Teen Titans'' #16] at the Grand Comics Database
26. [http://www.comics.org/issue/36494/ ''The New Teen Titans'' #21] at the Grand Comics Database
27. List of DC Comics containing the [http://www.comics.org/story/name/Fate%20Is%20the%20Killer/sort/alpha/ ''Masters of the Universe''] insert at the Grand Comics Database
28. [http://www.comics.org/issue/37018/ ''DC Comics Presents'' #53] and [http://www.comics.org/issue/37028/ ''The New Teen Titans'' #27] at the Grand Comics Database
29. [http://www.comics.org/issue/37285/ ''The Legion of Super-Heroes'' #298] at the Grand Comics Database
30. [http://www.comics.org/issue/37555/ ''The Brave and the Bold'' #200] at the Grand Comics Database
31. [http://www.comics.org/issue/38733/ ''The Fury of Firestorm'' #24] at the Grand Comics Database
32. List of DC Comics containing the [http://www.comics.org/search/advanced/process/?target=sequence&method=icontains&logic=False&order1=series&order2=date&order3=&start_date=&end_date=&title=Driving+Force&feature=&job_number=&pages=&script=&pencils=&inks=&colors=&letters=&story_editing=&genre=&characters=&synopsis=&reprint_notes=&notes=&pub_name=DC&pub_notes=&brand=&brand_notes=&indicia_publisher=&is_surrogate=None&ind_pub_notes=&series=&series_notes=&tracking_notes=&issue_count=&issues=&volume=&issue_title=&variant_name=&issue_date=&indicia_frequency=&price=&issue_pages=&format=&issue_editing=&isbn=&barcode=&issue_notes=&is_indexed=None ''Flash Force 2000''] insert at the Grand Comics Database
33. List of DC Comics containing the [http://www.comics.org/story/name/Assault%20on%20Mount%20Mayhem/sort/alpha/ ''M.A.S.K.''] insert at the Grand Comics Database