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DC Through the 80s #1
DC Through the Decades: 1980s
A "best of" collection of issues from the '80s, all curated by Paul Levitz, showcasing first appearances and seminal moments from the decade.
The '80's were a rad time for comic books. DC was killing it with groundbreaking titles like Crisis on Infinite Earths, The Man of Steel, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and the most iconic graphic novel of all time, Watchmen. Paul Levitz helps curate this radical collection. Paul has has been part of the DC family for over 45 years and was at the helm of DC in the '80s. He helped the comics industry transition from a newsstand-based industry for kids to the talent-driven, story-focused entertainment industry it is today.
The '80's were a rad time for comic books. DC was killing it with groundbreaking titles like Crisis on Infinite Earths, The Man of Steel, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and the most iconic graphic novel of all time, Watchmen. Paul Levitz helps curate this radical collection. Paul has has been part of the DC family for over 45 years and was at the helm of DC in the '80s. He helped the comics industry transition from a newsstand-based industry for kids to the talent-driven, story-focused entertainment industry it is today.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published February 25, 2020
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53 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 4, 2021
DC through the '80s: The End of Eras Vol. 1 is a delightful snapshot of DC in the early '80s, especially focused on how it was different from what we have now. This collection of stories includes some that are mediocre, and some that are great, but trends toward the good side of things, and also offers a great overview of the time.
"Smell of Brimstone, Stench of Death" (B&B #200). The final issue of The Brave & The Bold is a pseudo-teamup between the Batmen of Earths 1 and 2. Pseudo in that it's the same villain, making appearances in (brand-new) Golden Age and Bronze Age stories. Mike Barr does a good job of contrasting the two eras, having a silly riddle-y story for the Golden Age and a darker, more serious one for the Bronze Age. It's pretty neat having Barr create a believable new Golden Age villain, and the Earth-1 and -2 crossovers were always fun, but ultimately the stories are relatively shallow because of their foundational conceits [3/5].
"Gremlins" (WW #311-312). I'm not quite sure why these comics were chosen, except maybe to show that the late Bronze Age was just as silly as the Silver Age, but perhaps with the silliness given a bit of a realistic basis. Here we get gremlins, but they turn out to be a slave alien race trying to escape Earth. The most charming thing is probably Steve and Diana working together as equals; the least charming thing is Steve refusing to know who Diana really is, lest he respect her less. [2+/5]
"The Man Who Was Cursed to the Bone" (Flash #296). Although this story has lots of Bronze-age silliness, such as Flash being forced to spin into the Earth, it's also got a great twist of villains who aren't [3/5].
Multiplex (Flash #297-298). I've always though the early Firestorm stories were quite innovative for the time, and this short two-parter does nothing to disabuse me of the notion. It's basically DC doing Marvel, and creating a whole new rogue's gallery at the same time. This Multiplex short is thus a lot of fun [3+/5].
"Once Upon a Time ..." (Batman #500). A two-page story that's a poem, or something. Maybe it's supposed to be ironic. I don't even really know what I read, but hey, it was just two pages [2/5].
"Crisis on Three Earths" (DC Comics Presents Annual #1). Ah, this is a classic Bronze Age story, well-told. The Luthors of Earth-1 and Earth-2 switch off to try and defeat the other Supermen, then everyone goes to Earth-3 where the first hero shows up: Luthor. A fun story, with fun usage of the pre-Crisis universe [4/5].
Horror Stories (HoM #286, 294, 295, 300, 308). At their best, DC's horror anthology shorts were little Twilgiht Zone episodes, told in graphical form. That's basically what we have here, made all the more delightful by the variety of genres, including science-fiction, historical horror, and of course modern-day stories [4/5].
"I ... Vampire" (HoM #290). The idea of a continuing House of Mystery series was a good one, and "I ... Vampire" had some good characters and a strong premise. With that said, this first issue is so focused on setting everything up that it's not a particular good story [3/5].
War Stories (Sgt. Rock #345, 347, 368, 387, GI Combat #288, Weird War Tales #93). The strength of DC's war comics was that they had very human characters and human emotions, and that's the case of these stories, with "30 Years of Dogtags" perhaps being the best. It's also interesting again to see the breadth, with the WWII tales supplemented by Civil War tales and Revolutionary tales, and of course the supernatural brethren: the Haunted Tank and the Creature Commandos (though I think those are the weakest of the set, the first because it's quite muddy, the second because it's a shallow setup). [4/5].
"War" (Warlord #42). This is one of those comics that makes you want to read the series. It's deep in the story of Warlord, but that story is enthralling enough that you're willing to dive right in. There's heavy captioning here, but it's put to great use, and the Mike Grell art is terrific too. I'd love to read more. (The problem is that to date very little of it has been collected, and most of what has been was in a crappy black & white book.) [5/5]
SF Stories (Time Warp #2-3). I'd always been curious about this book, DC's last stab at a science-fiction anthology. It's got more Twilight Zone-ish stories, but with a futuristic focus. They're not as good as the Horror stories collected here, but maybe that's because editor Paul Levitz had slimmer pickings, since Time Warp lasted just 5 issues. [3/5].
Against the Parrot (Jonah Hex #54-55). Like Warlord, this is a wordy genre comic, but it didn't hold my attention as much. It's got some of the same good elements as DC's war comics, but at much more length. [3+/5]
"Warhead Strikes at Gotham" (Super Friends #36). Plastic Man tries to catch a villain with a head shaped like a bomb, but the Super Friends keep messing it up. Haha! I never liked this TV tie-in comic in the '80s because it was decidedly juvenile, and that's still the case [2/5].
"The Death of Blackhawk Island! (Blackhawk #258). A pretty serious comic about the development of atomic technology, well told with some emotional resonance [4+/5].
"The 'too Many Cooks ...' Caper!" (Detective Comics #500). A fun team-up of many of the also-ran detectives from Detective Comics, with a pretty neat mystery too [4/5].
Superman Comic Strip. Even in their limited, constrained form in the '80s, serialized comic strips could be fun. This Superman strip is well-done, especially with its focus on characters other than Superman (here: Jimmy Olsen). [4/5].
"Fate is the Killer" (Masters of the Universe preview). DC did a good job here of taking kids' action figures and giving the characters depth. This was a strong intro to the whole universe [4/5].
"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" (Superman #423, Action Comics #583). A generation later, Alan Moore's era-ending story of Superman is still a great read, and today it gets bonus points for its revelation of Bronze-age villains now long gone [5/5].
"Smell of Brimstone, Stench of Death" (B&B #200). The final issue of The Brave & The Bold is a pseudo-teamup between the Batmen of Earths 1 and 2. Pseudo in that it's the same villain, making appearances in (brand-new) Golden Age and Bronze Age stories. Mike Barr does a good job of contrasting the two eras, having a silly riddle-y story for the Golden Age and a darker, more serious one for the Bronze Age. It's pretty neat having Barr create a believable new Golden Age villain, and the Earth-1 and -2 crossovers were always fun, but ultimately the stories are relatively shallow because of their foundational conceits [3/5].
"Gremlins" (WW #311-312). I'm not quite sure why these comics were chosen, except maybe to show that the late Bronze Age was just as silly as the Silver Age, but perhaps with the silliness given a bit of a realistic basis. Here we get gremlins, but they turn out to be a slave alien race trying to escape Earth. The most charming thing is probably Steve and Diana working together as equals; the least charming thing is Steve refusing to know who Diana really is, lest he respect her less. [2+/5]
"The Man Who Was Cursed to the Bone" (Flash #296). Although this story has lots of Bronze-age silliness, such as Flash being forced to spin into the Earth, it's also got a great twist of villains who aren't [3/5].
Multiplex (Flash #297-298). I've always though the early Firestorm stories were quite innovative for the time, and this short two-parter does nothing to disabuse me of the notion. It's basically DC doing Marvel, and creating a whole new rogue's gallery at the same time. This Multiplex short is thus a lot of fun [3+/5].
"Once Upon a Time ..." (Batman #500). A two-page story that's a poem, or something. Maybe it's supposed to be ironic. I don't even really know what I read, but hey, it was just two pages [2/5].
"Crisis on Three Earths" (DC Comics Presents Annual #1). Ah, this is a classic Bronze Age story, well-told. The Luthors of Earth-1 and Earth-2 switch off to try and defeat the other Supermen, then everyone goes to Earth-3 where the first hero shows up: Luthor. A fun story, with fun usage of the pre-Crisis universe [4/5].
Horror Stories (HoM #286, 294, 295, 300, 308). At their best, DC's horror anthology shorts were little Twilgiht Zone episodes, told in graphical form. That's basically what we have here, made all the more delightful by the variety of genres, including science-fiction, historical horror, and of course modern-day stories [4/5].
"I ... Vampire" (HoM #290). The idea of a continuing House of Mystery series was a good one, and "I ... Vampire" had some good characters and a strong premise. With that said, this first issue is so focused on setting everything up that it's not a particular good story [3/5].
War Stories (Sgt. Rock #345, 347, 368, 387, GI Combat #288, Weird War Tales #93). The strength of DC's war comics was that they had very human characters and human emotions, and that's the case of these stories, with "30 Years of Dogtags" perhaps being the best. It's also interesting again to see the breadth, with the WWII tales supplemented by Civil War tales and Revolutionary tales, and of course the supernatural brethren: the Haunted Tank and the Creature Commandos (though I think those are the weakest of the set, the first because it's quite muddy, the second because it's a shallow setup). [4/5].
"War" (Warlord #42). This is one of those comics that makes you want to read the series. It's deep in the story of Warlord, but that story is enthralling enough that you're willing to dive right in. There's heavy captioning here, but it's put to great use, and the Mike Grell art is terrific too. I'd love to read more. (The problem is that to date very little of it has been collected, and most of what has been was in a crappy black & white book.) [5/5]
SF Stories (Time Warp #2-3). I'd always been curious about this book, DC's last stab at a science-fiction anthology. It's got more Twilight Zone-ish stories, but with a futuristic focus. They're not as good as the Horror stories collected here, but maybe that's because editor Paul Levitz had slimmer pickings, since Time Warp lasted just 5 issues. [3/5].
Against the Parrot (Jonah Hex #54-55). Like Warlord, this is a wordy genre comic, but it didn't hold my attention as much. It's got some of the same good elements as DC's war comics, but at much more length. [3+/5]
"Warhead Strikes at Gotham" (Super Friends #36). Plastic Man tries to catch a villain with a head shaped like a bomb, but the Super Friends keep messing it up. Haha! I never liked this TV tie-in comic in the '80s because it was decidedly juvenile, and that's still the case [2/5].
"The Death of Blackhawk Island! (Blackhawk #258). A pretty serious comic about the development of atomic technology, well told with some emotional resonance [4+/5].
"The 'too Many Cooks ...' Caper!" (Detective Comics #500). A fun team-up of many of the also-ran detectives from Detective Comics, with a pretty neat mystery too [4/5].
Superman Comic Strip. Even in their limited, constrained form in the '80s, serialized comic strips could be fun. This Superman strip is well-done, especially with its focus on characters other than Superman (here: Jimmy Olsen). [4/5].
"Fate is the Killer" (Masters of the Universe preview). DC did a good job here of taking kids' action figures and giving the characters depth. This was a strong intro to the whole universe [4/5].
"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" (Superman #423, Action Comics #583). A generation later, Alan Moore's era-ending story of Superman is still a great read, and today it gets bonus points for its revelation of Bronze-age villains now long gone [5/5].
December 31, 2020
The 80s in the comic world was one of those decades that could truly be seen as the tidal change in the world of brightly colored superheroes... the end of military comics AND their bringing the 2nd great war to a close...and more importantly the shuttering of some of the longest running and, at times, fan favorite publishing houses.
This book, edited by Paul Levitz collects those tales from the early 80s that reflected and encapsulated that change.
Breaking down the multiple genres in the comic world, the book itself contains sections on...
Heroes
Mysteries
The Last Battles (Military Comics)
Other Worlds
Endings and Beginnings
...and Heroes Redux that closes out this first book
Included are some of the great stories in the history of DC and especially that period. Couple that with some amazing essays at the end of each section that bring those stories into focus by such greats as:
Elliot S! Maggin
J.M. DeMatteis
Andy Kubert
Jack C. Harris
Paul Kupperberg
...as well as the powerful forward by Paul Levitz himself
this is one of those must have books of comics history.
This book, edited by Paul Levitz collects those tales from the early 80s that reflected and encapsulated that change.
Breaking down the multiple genres in the comic world, the book itself contains sections on...
Heroes
Mysteries
The Last Battles (Military Comics)
Other Worlds
Endings and Beginnings
...and Heroes Redux that closes out this first book
Included are some of the great stories in the history of DC and especially that period. Couple that with some amazing essays at the end of each section that bring those stories into focus by such greats as:
Elliot S! Maggin
J.M. DeMatteis
Andy Kubert
Jack C. Harris
Paul Kupperberg
...as well as the powerful forward by Paul Levitz himself
this is one of those must have books of comics history.
February 21, 2021
An interesting survey of what DC was doing directly before their editorial and creative shake-up in the mid-1980s, when they made the decision to shift their focus from children buying comics at the newsstand to a smaller but much more dedicated audience of teenagers and adults. One highlight is the complete text of Alan Moore's "Twilight of the Superheroes" proposal -- it's easy to see why DC passed on it (too many elements that were way too strong for their major characters at the time), but it was nice to see him write about mainstream comics with insightful, positive enthusiasm after all the griping he's done in recent years.
December 23, 2020
I tend to enjoy books like this, featuring a wide range of genres. Many of the stories I read when originally published, others were new to me. I would definitely read a series of Jonah Hex volumes as I had kind of forgotten how much I enjoyed reading that title. But perhaps the best reason for reading this book is the proposal for TWILIGHT by Alan Moore. It's obvious why DC passed on the proposal at the time (too many deaths, possibly too mature for the time), but with the right artist I'd probably read it today as a 400-page graphic novel.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
August 23, 2021
Great overview of DC Comics pre-Crisis On Infinite Earths. All these stories were new to me. I didn't start heavy collecting of DC until Crisis. It does contain "Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow" by Alan Moore, and his "Twilight" maxiiseries treatment was a very interesting read. It is definitely worth the read by longtime DC fans and new readers alike.
April 24, 2022
Oro sólido made in 80s. Croe que el único material que tengo repetido en toras ediciones es Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow pero igual no me importa porque no lo tenía en inglés.
Una belleza de tomo se lo mire por donde se lo mire.
Una belleza de tomo se lo mire por donde se lo mire.
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September 30, 2025I don't think of pre-Crisis 1980s DC as my favorite comics. Except for the New Teen Titans, I certainly didn't buy many of these back in the day. This is a great survey of that era, spread across all genres-- superhero, western, fantasy (Warlord), sci-fi (Time Warp) and war comics. I was surprised by the great Jonah Hex stories, the great Evanier/Spiegel Blackhawk story, great essays by Levitz, Dematteis and Jack Harris. There was a lot of context too about the business of comics in this era, shifting tastes, the decline of newstands vs. the rise of direct market comic shops. It closes out with the classic Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow, a Alan Moore story that can be read and enjoyed probably infinitely. And perhaps the nuttiest part of the whole package is a long letter from Moore to Paul Levitz in the later 80s talking about the state of comics, continuity and then a proposal for a time-bending superhero revisionist crossover a la Crisis... for Moore fans, this itself might be worth the price of admission; the original letter must have run to 20-30 pages.
Overall, I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. The selections are well curated and there's a lot of good context to help understand what you're reading.
Overall, I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. The selections are well curated and there's a lot of good context to help understand what you're reading.
October 20, 2025
I bought ‘DC Through the 80’s: The End of Era’s’ back in 2020 when it came out, and have only just got around to reading it.
The fact I own a lot of the issues reprinted inside anyway, and that it’s a 500 page read, saw it sitting on the shelf for far too long.
I’m really glad I finally picked it up. It is so much more than just a reprint book.
Although you do get an excellent selection of stories across a wide range of genres by a wide range of creators, all picked by editor Paul Levitz, what makes it stand out are the extras. You get a series of creator essays, and the full previously unseen Twilight project pitch by Alan Moore, which is an amazing read by itself. The Masters of the Universe insert is reprinted here, and some snippets from the DC Style Guide.
Although there were stories in here I know and love (Brave and Bold #200, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, DC Comics Presents Annual #1 etc) the stories I most enjoyed were ones I didn’t expect too. Stories from the war books especially.
A fitting tribute to my favourite era in comics, 80’s DC.
The fact I own a lot of the issues reprinted inside anyway, and that it’s a 500 page read, saw it sitting on the shelf for far too long.
I’m really glad I finally picked it up. It is so much more than just a reprint book.
Although you do get an excellent selection of stories across a wide range of genres by a wide range of creators, all picked by editor Paul Levitz, what makes it stand out are the extras. You get a series of creator essays, and the full previously unseen Twilight project pitch by Alan Moore, which is an amazing read by itself. The Masters of the Universe insert is reprinted here, and some snippets from the DC Style Guide.
Although there were stories in here I know and love (Brave and Bold #200, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, DC Comics Presents Annual #1 etc) the stories I most enjoyed were ones I didn’t expect too. Stories from the war books especially.
A fitting tribute to my favourite era in comics, 80’s DC.
January 15, 2021
This is a comprehensive anthology of DC in the 80s. Some additional content is from the end of the 70s. I didn’t read every story fully. You may not. That’s the beauty of this book. There’s something for everyone. You may not be into all the genres covered. The essays are great for context and behind the scenes information from those who lived and wrote it. The Alan Moore proposal for Twilight is also captivating reading
April 14, 2021
Un tremendo trabajo de arqueología deceíta ochentosa.
May 9, 2022
Últimos coletazos de la DC precrisis presentadas en una selección hermosa y certera donde hay poco espacio para los lugares comunes.
July 18, 2022
Historia antigua pero viva y refulgente de la DC precrisis.
July 18, 2022
Excelente selección si hablamos estrictamente de superhéroes.
August 1, 2022
Hermosa antología con cosas que jamás había leído y algunos clásicos que siempre conviene revisitar.
October 31, 2022
La mejor década de su Historia para DC.
November 4, 2022
El principio de todos los finales y el final que fue un gran continuará.
May 1, 2022
Tomo 1 de la trilogía DC Through the 80s y el que incluye material más difícil de encontrar por fuera de esta reedición, incluyend oel antes "inédito" proyecto de Alan Moore para Twilight of The Superheroes, la saga jamás concretada.
November 12, 2024
I really appreciate this type of anthologies because they give you a chance to experience comics that you might not otherwise feel you're interested in or even heard of, and it gives you a chance to discover something new that you might like. In this book's case, this is especially true since there is a lot of material in here that's not collected elsewhere (aside of the original issues, of course). The quality of the stories varies but I found the material quite readable despite my reluctance to dive into pre-Crisis DC.
There are some great ones in here, like Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow, Crisis on Three Earths, the debut of Creature Commandos, a Warlord issue, a couple of Firestorm stories, a few good House of Mystery stories and some others. As a matter of fact, the only stories I really disliked were Wonder Woman (was quite surprised by this, but I think it might have been just poor selection), and a few of the war ones.
The other thing I've noticed is that the art across this collection was consistently good, with some of the highlights being supplied by Dave Gibbons, Carmine Infantino, Denys Cowan, Jim Aparo, Curt Swan and of course, the wonderful George Perez.
There are also a lot of interesting articles about what was happening in the world of DC Comics in the 80s, as well as a ton of extras.
There are some great ones in here, like Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow, Crisis on Three Earths, the debut of Creature Commandos, a Warlord issue, a couple of Firestorm stories, a few good House of Mystery stories and some others. As a matter of fact, the only stories I really disliked were Wonder Woman (was quite surprised by this, but I think it might have been just poor selection), and a few of the war ones.
The other thing I've noticed is that the art across this collection was consistently good, with some of the highlights being supplied by Dave Gibbons, Carmine Infantino, Denys Cowan, Jim Aparo, Curt Swan and of course, the wonderful George Perez.
There are also a lot of interesting articles about what was happening in the world of DC Comics in the 80s, as well as a ton of extras.
June 17, 2021
A nice selection of stories from just before DC Comics rebooted their universe in 1986, including the last Bronze Age Superman story by Alan Moore.
I appreciate the selection of stories in this volume. There aren't just superhero tales, but also stories from their horror anthologies, war stories, science fiction stories, and a few other knick-knacks from the more unusual corners of the DC Universe of the time.
The most important story probably Moore's two-part Superman tale. Alan Moore has argued that the one thing preventing superheroes from obtaining true mythic status is that they never have an ending--unlike Hercules, Robin Hood or King Arthur, their lives never come to an end up continue on from one issue to the next without ever reaching a final resolution. This sort of resolution is what Moore was shooting for when he wrote that last Superman story. I'm not a huge fan of much of Moore's work--I'm not knocked dead by Watchman, for instance, the way many people are. But I do like this Superman story. A lot of both good guys and bad guys die, but that's the point. He's bringing the rich mythology of Superman and his supporting cast to a conclusion and deaths are going to be a part of that. If we must have a "last" Superman story (and I think Moore has a point about Myths needing final resolutions), then this one works quite nicely.
I appreciate the selection of stories in this volume. There aren't just superhero tales, but also stories from their horror anthologies, war stories, science fiction stories, and a few other knick-knacks from the more unusual corners of the DC Universe of the time.
The most important story probably Moore's two-part Superman tale. Alan Moore has argued that the one thing preventing superheroes from obtaining true mythic status is that they never have an ending--unlike Hercules, Robin Hood or King Arthur, their lives never come to an end up continue on from one issue to the next without ever reaching a final resolution. This sort of resolution is what Moore was shooting for when he wrote that last Superman story. I'm not a huge fan of much of Moore's work--I'm not knocked dead by Watchman, for instance, the way many people are. But I do like this Superman story. A lot of both good guys and bad guys die, but that's the point. He's bringing the rich mythology of Superman and his supporting cast to a conclusion and deaths are going to be a part of that. If we must have a "last" Superman story (and I think Moore has a point about Myths needing final resolutions), then this one works quite nicely.
June 2, 2024
25 historias de las más variadas esquinas deceítas de los tempranos 80s. Algunas cosas las debo tener repetidas en ediciones más viejas.
July 9, 2022
Antología de la DC de los 80s precrisis. Índice pendiente.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews