This is a big one! Join Ryan Daly and Paul Kien as we discuss 1977’s DC Special Series #1 – better known as the Five-Star Super-Hero Spectacular! Batman! Aquaman! Atom! Green Lantern! The Flash! All behind a fantastic Neal Adams cover!
This month’s instocktrades.com selections:
https://www.instocktrades.com/products/jun160338/flash-by-manapul-buccellato-omnibus-hc
Have a question or comment? Have a specific issue you love and want to talk to us about it? Have a favorite issue and want to be a guest?
- E-mail us at dcspecialcast@gmail.com
- Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/dcspecialcast.bsky.social
Subscribe to DC SpecialCast:
- Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dc-specialcast/id1781264740
- Don’t use Apple Podcasts? Use this link for your podcast catcher: http://feeds.feedburner.com/dcspecialcast
- Also available on Spotify, Audible, and Amazon Music
This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK:
- Fire & Water website: https://fireandwaterpodcast.com
- Fire & Water Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork
- Fire & Water on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fwpodcasts.bsky.social
- Fire & Water Podcast Network on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fwpodcasts
“Cloud Dancer ” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
1 everybody agrees U.S DRANK a lot
2 Most people agree “He did’nt drink as much as people said
2a how the hell much did they SAY HE DRANK?
3 I THink if KOBRA had been a huge hit there would have BEEN NO superheroes Once you have Batman you dont need “twin brother with pistol
First, I have to say: great show – in general I mean. Listened to the first two episodes as well, and now I’m not sure why I didn’t leave any comments on them.
Second: oh, man. I love this book so much. Like Paul, I snapped it off the spinner rack way back in the day, although unlike him, I no longer have my copy. However, that iconic cover alone is permanently seared into my memory.
It was interesting listening to your comments and your general impressions of the individual stories. For my part, I have to say that the two that I found most memorable for whatever reason are the Flash and Aquaman stories, while I hardly recall any of the details in the others. And yes, in the Flash story, I also found it amusing that Ms. Flash had her glasses on under the mask. Otherwise, though, I remember being a bit disappointed that it was “all a dream” – I kind of liked the idea of a Lady Flash. And, for that matter, I liked the villain in the Aquaman story as well. Seems kind of a waste that he was never used again.
Another fun episode. I know this cover but don’t have the issue and have never seen it in the wild! So glad to hear about it. Just a couple of comments –
Love the Aparo table of contents page. Pretty cool. I wonder if Aparo got to thumb through all the pages before he did this to pic out the moment he liked best.
Flash – I didn’t know this was the origin of Patty Spivot! I actually like her costume. I get why the red and yellow could make this just as easily a fire character. But that collar is quite fetching and the eyeglasses under the mask is a win, simply for it’s Bronze Age nonsensical nature! And all a dream!
Batman – I am a huge fan of tying up plotlines somewhere. (And agree that 2part MTU with Iron Fist is the bomb!) I agree with Ryan. There is some potential in Kobra and a Hydra-like entity … but not with the Corsican Brothers neural handcuff. So let’s off the good guy.
My first run-in with Kobra was in Superman #327, a bananas issue but one that had so many ads that I felt I needed to buy it off the rack. In more recent years, Kobra became a big thorn for the Flash in the Waid years.
Congrats on another fun show!
Great episode, guys! Loved hearing you dive into such a fun and varied list of stories.
I do have one issue. Based on Paul’s research, I entered ‘President Grant’ and ‘feet’ into google and was taken to some dark places.
Right . Hey ever it’s cousin.
Bucky and Jeremy we are Getting the Dc special plaza in shape for Wonder Woman as we have making the building kanga and dog , cat , bird and just basically all pet friendly. We even have cousins Burt running the lobby now and cousin. Adam Running the kitchen and yes we now have bat cookies and milk . Another great episode. I think my favorite is probably the Adam’s story as I’ve read a bunch of atoms time travel stories the atom is essentially Dc’s answer to Doctor Who. I’d say second favorite is the flash’s story . But here’s a question for everyone a secret question if you could choses five hero’s and one story each who would you choose and what story would choose ?it doesn’t have to be Dc it could be marvel , alagram , image comics New England comic or IDW the choice is yours .
I absolutely adore this comic. This stuff is solid gold. Simply great comics. Some of DC’s greatest characters in fun stories all packed into a single book. When I was a kid this was as perfect as a comic book could get. I still like be these books today. I’m loving this show, thanks for another nostalgia filled episode
This was, as always, a great listen. This comic is one of those “foundational” one-offs for many of our generation of comic fans; everyone had it either buying it off the newsstand or buying it as a back issue (that Neal Adams cover is just too good to ignore).
To follow up on the feedback re: my episode. The Joe Kubert School was housed in an old public school, so it was all in one building that took up an entire block. On the bottom floor was the art store that I mentioned. It consisted of three floors, the third floor of which wasn’t used much–that was where the animation track had their classes; and I was not involved with that.
On our lunch hours, we would explore the building and found all sorts of nooks and crannies; like an auditorium with a stage (think the govt visits Indy scene in Raiders), various storage closets, a teachers’ lounge, and, yes, a gym that was never used. I know this will come as shocking news, but a bunch of guys who went to school to do comic books weren’t athletically inclined.
Fabulous choice of comic, terrific guest! I’m very excited to hear what Ryan’s new project is. Dollar Comics were incredibly rare in the UK early on, so I had no chance of getting this one. It’s funny, in my memory, Wonder Woman is on the cover – I must be getting confused with the very shortlived Dollar Adventure Comics which featured Diana (speaking of whom, the Wonder Woman Spectacular! I love that wonky nonsense – Bronze Age Diana is my Wonder Woman). Presumably this issue was successfully enough to prompt the bigging up of Adventure.
After the cover, the most impressive thing about this issue is the very creative text page explaining what they were trying to do with this issue – are we sure this isn’t in fact 5-Star Inventory Spectacular? Did Paul Levitz not just grab stuff that was lying around and then go through all the stories to eke out plausible-sounding differences to the norm? It’s certainly not the most exciting batch of characters for a unique anthology – they all either had their own books or occasional strips, and teamed every month in JLA.
The Steve Stiles story was stupendous – that business was the suicides must have given him nightmares for life. Nice one, Paul!
Thanks for the shout out re: the non-Batman logo j did notice it but can just about forgive it as that happened all the time in Detective Comics a few years previously… all right, I admit it, it is TERRIBLE and I am black affronted.
I never enjoy cultists so Kobra isn’t a favourite – maybe I should check out the original Jack Kirby series, see if that does it for me.. Naga naga and all that. The split conjoined twins bit is a tad creepy, and as for the mental powers, it’s no wonder the bad twin was bad – surely it would indeed drive you mad if you had two sets of physical emotions. The good twin did very well not to be nuts. Less well to be dead.
Good spot, that’s such a homage to the famous ‘Batman running’ pic by Neal Adams homage – I suppose Adams wouldn’t mind, given Mike Nasser/Netzer was one of Adams’s Continuity Studios guys.
I actually remembered that Batman story, so I must have had that comic in my hand at one time. Jason Burr mentioned his private detective friend. That was probably a reference to Jonny Double. In issue 5 of Kobra, Jonny suddenly took center stage. It looked very much like Jonny was being set up as Kobras’ main antagonist. I actually read that story where Jonny ended up tied to a pillar on the Golden Gate Bridge with an earthquake causing bomb set off to go off above him.
Jonny continued to play a main role with Jason relegated to the b plot. It may always have been the plan to phase Jason out of the book. That may mean It was a last minute decision to substitute Batman for Jonny D since Batman was a better marque character than Jonny.
Aquaman had been trapped in a desert scenario at least once before. In Justice League of America 12 titled The Last Case of the Justice League; Dr. Light sent the JLAers to a sidereal universe to planets that would make their powers useless. Aquaman ended up on a desert planet.
I don’t remember too much about the rest of the stories but the Flash one looks like it would have been fun. Altogether, an enjoyable show.
Adventure Comics #256, Hal, that has Arthur dumped in a desert by baddies too – there’s a wonderfully disturbing scene in which Topo helps Aquaman by milking cows to give the dehydrated hero a bath of milk.
Great discussion fellas! I have always coveted this comic, but alas have never owned it. I’m not sure I’ve ever even seen it in the wild for sale!
Do you think Batman and Aquaman are in the foreground due to the Super Friends? My guess is yes.
I read the Flash story in The Greatest Stories volume, but the rest were all new to me, including the Batman vs. Kobra tale. I’m really surprised this story got past the Comics Code Authority, not only due to the on-screen death, but also…the villain won! Each issue of The Joker had to have him captured or thrwarted one way or another. Maybe they look the other way if it’s not the villain’s comic? Had this seen print in Korbra’s title, would they have demanded changes?
Either way, love the Nasser art. Yes, it’s Adams-like, but he adds enough of his own flavor to stand out. I really dug his Batman in another DC Special comic from this era. Hint hint! 😉
This was also one of my favorite comics, and I still have the same well-read copy. I was 10 when it came out, and my parents and I were in the middle of moving from Savannah to Calhoun, GA. Oddly enough, my wife and I are in the middle of moving to a new house, so my time has been occupied lately.
Batman swore that the Justice League was going to take down Kobra, but that never happened. He made some appearances over the next few pre-Crisis years but never was a really big cross-title villain.
Am I weird? I like Staton’s art when someone else inks, but not that crazy when he inks his own.
I had this Mandela effect with the Atom story. For some reason, whenever I thought about this issue I thought the president who appeared was Rutherford Hayes, not Grant, and that would be inaccurate because Hayes tan in 1876 and took office the next year. But there’s Grant!
Loving the podcast, Paul! And certainly you will do de Superman special from 1978 before the new movie.
Nope, I agree Joe Staton is best with an inker. My liking for him also depends on period – no one could make his Legion of Super-Heroes work attractive to my eyes.
A few notes on Steve Stiles: His “Professor Thintwhistle” story was serialized in Heavy Metal magazine in the early 1980s, so that probably was his most widely-read work. And you mentioned his underground comic story “Them Flatulent Fuggheaded Fiend Brothers”; I’ve never read that story, but I immediately recognized the title as a spoof of the underground series “The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers” by Gilbert Shelton. I do own one underground comic with a story by Stiles, Mondo Snarfo #1, and I also own a novelty-music CD, “Worse Than Slime,” which features an EC Comics-influenced cover illustration by Stiles.
Just a quick comment that I’ve been enjoying the series.
I didn’t find it as a young collector and got it off eBay. I was introduced to Kobra in a Superman issue that I got in a Whitman 3-pack.
I love the cover, but does anyone else think Flash’s pose is weird? It always bothered me for some reason, like he’s scrunched over instead of extending into a full run. Maybe he’s gotten a cramp?
I don’t necessarily think the Patty/Flash was intended to be sexist. The story shows what happens when someone inexperienced gains power. Since there is no romantic tension, the story would have been exactly the same if a man had gotten the powers. At this time, there were a lot of male speedsters, so having a woman was just for a difference.
I’ve enjoyed all three episodes of the DC SpecialCast. Of the three issues spotlighted on the show, this book is the only one I own, so I can actually write about it. I remembered seeing an ad for the Five Star Spectacular in one of the various comics I was buying at used book stores as a kid. The book looked interesting, but I figured I would never see it.
In the 2000’s (can’t remember the exact year), I got off work and decided to make a trip to my comic shop, Acme Comics in Greensboro, North Carolina. I was shopping around and one of the employees there at the time told me they got in and graded a sizable Batman collection. The store was going to bring them out the following Wednesday, but they were going to give me an advance look at the books. I said sure, and they led me to the back room so I could take a look and see if I there was anything I was looking for. I flip through, finding one or two books I didn’t have, and came across this book. It had a little water damage, but was still intact and at six dollars, I had to buy it. Seeing that Neal Adams cover made me remember the ad I was so fascinated with from my reading years ago and recalling that I thought I’d never find it. Sometimes, you just have to look for something in order to find that supposedly elusive item.
As to the stories, I think the Batman story was the most entertaining. I’ll be honest in saying I’m not a huge fan of Michael Nasser/Netzer’s artwork, but I think his work in this issue was solid. He does choose some unique layouts that made the story the standout story of this issue. After reading this story, I’m left with a little disappointment. The Justice League facing off against Kobra would have made a pretty interesting two or three-part story, but I don’t think that ever happened. The first time I remembered encountering Kobra was in Batman and the Outsiders with excellent art by Alan Davis and Paul Neary. I’ll need to dig those books out of the boxes and see if Mike W. Barr followed up from this story.
The Atom story was pretty good. I did enjoy the time travel and Alexander Graham Bell plot points. Hearing of Steve Stiles’ sparse superhero comic work made me take a second look at the story. Not knowing much of his work, I’m a little curious to see if his work outside of superheroes differed greatly from this story. I have to agree with you, Paul, and Rob that the Aquaman story seemed oddly placed or timed. I was taken aback as I read this again that for a possible “throwaway” story, this was told before he tells Mera of their son’s death. Again, I need to find the trade paperback collecting those stories and review that era of Aquaman again. The Green Lantern story, to me, felt a little rushed, but I think the premise kept me in the story. I don’t think this was Joe Staton’s best work, though. While I liked his design of the alien and spaceships and his layouts, I thought his figure work was too loose on certain panels. An inker like Joe Rubenstein, who made Mike Nasser’s pencils in Batman stand out more, could have smoothed out those loose pencils by Staton and made the story look better.
As to the Flash story, I came away from it divided on certain aspects. At times, I thought Barry was patronizing, but I also thought he was trying to protect Patty and others because her newly gained powers were unpredictable. Would better word choice and tone been more effective and less patronizing to Patty? Maybe I am overthinking this story and should just try to enjoy it.
Overall, I did enjoy the book and was glad to have found it after years of thinking “Yeah, I’ll never find this book”. Funny how the last page stated that the “Superman Spectacular” was going to be the second issue, but a reprinting of Swamp Thing stories, Sgt. Rock, and Unexpected are published before it. My memory isn’t fantastic on all the details, but I wonder if the publishing of this specific series was ever addressed. I may need to dig out my copy of Comic Book Implosion to see if there is an explanation.