The Best of DC #11 [Direct]

(April 1981)

Year's Best Comics Stories (Table of Contents: 1)

table of contents / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Letters

typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover. Contents and indicia.

The Miraculous Return of Jonathan Kent! (Table of Contents: 2)

Superman / comic story / 17 pages (report information)

Script

Cary Bates

Pencils

Curt Swan

Inks

Frank Chiaramonte

Colors

Gene D'Angelo

Letters

Milt Snapinn

Editing

Joe Orlando (managing editor); Julius Schwartz (editor); E. Nelson Bridwell (associate editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

And thanks to Superman, the Queen Dory was pulled away from the killer typhoon intact--

Genre

superhero

Characters

Superman; Lana Lang; Jonathan Kent; Josh Coyle; Starshine

Synopsis

Clark Kent's long dead father, Jonathan Kent, suddenly shows up alive and well in Metropolis.

Reprints

• from Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) #507 (May 1980)

Keywords

hippie

Pinball (Table of Contents: 3)

Tales of Gotham City / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

Jack C. Harris

Pencils

Dan Spiegle

Inks

Dan Spiegle

Colors

Tatjana Wood

Letters

John Costanza

Editing

Joe Orlando (managing editor); Paul Levitz (editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

You can hear the pulse-beat of the city...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Flip (a pinball wizard); Juan

Reprints

• from Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #494 (September 1980) [recolored]

Indexer Notes

Story title from table of contents.

Dreadful Birthday, Dear Joker...! (Table of Contents: 4)

Batman / comic story / 18 pages (report information)

Script

Len Wein

Pencils

Walter Simonson

Inks

Dick Giordano

Colors

Adrienne Roy

Letters

Ben Oda

Editing

Joe Orlando (managing editor); Paul Levitz (editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Since 1899, Gotham Police Headquarters has stood at the junction of the area called Five Points, on the lower east side of the city...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Catwoman [Selina Kyle]; Lucius Fox; Commissioner James Gordon; Joker; Alfred Pennyworth; Robin [Dick Grayson]

Synopsis

The Joker plans his own birthday party and invites all of Gotham to watch the explosive celebration with some of Batman's closest allies. It is up to the Caped Crusader to find the event before the fireworks start.

Reprints

• from Batman (DC, 1940 series) #321 (March 1980) [recolored]

Brief Encounter (Table of Contents: 5)

comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Script

Mimai Kin

Pencils

Trevor Von Eeden

Inks

Carl Potts

Colors

Bob LeRose

Letters

Todd Klein

Editing

Joe Orlando (managing editor); Jack C. Harris (associate editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Finally, the fifty-billion-to-one-shot-- mankind's wildest dream-- comes to fruition in a...

Genre

science fiction

Synopsis

Aliens from another planet travel to Earth to meet the people living here.

Reprints

• from Time Warp (DC, 1979 series) #5 (June-July 1980)

The Man Who Was the World! (Table of Contents: 6)

Deadman; Superman / comic story / 17 pages (report information)

Script

Len Wein

Pencils

José Luis García-López

Inks

José Luis García-López

Colors

Adrienne Roy

Letters

Ben Oda

First Line of Dialogue or Text

On a lonely storm-swept mountain peak, the star-crossed spirit of a man who had once been the world's greatest circus aerialist vents his frustrated rage to the howling wind...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Superman; Deadman; Rama Kushna; Abraham Gold (flashback); Jack Gold (flashback); Caprice (flashback); S.T.A.R. Labs; Dr. Jenet Klyburn; Alex Atley; Carol Atley; Dennis; Mr. Genarian (villain); Lois Lane (cameo)

Reprints

• from DC Comics Presents (DC, 1978 series) #24 (August 1980) [recolored]

A Bridge Called Charlie (Table of Contents: 7)

Sgt. Rock / comic story / 11 pages (report information)

Script

Robert Kanigher

Pencils

Frank Redondo

Inks

Frank Redondo

Colors

Tatjana Wood [as T. Wood]

Letters

Esphid Mahilum

Editing

Joe Orlando (original managing editor); Joe Kubert (original editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

How's it goin'? Me? I'm Rock... Sergeant... Easy Co.! I just left ten Easy guys guardin' a bridge...

Genre

war

Characters

Sgt. Rock; Bulldozer; Charlie Briggs; unnamed Nazi Lieutenant; Nazis

Reprints

• from Sgt. Rock (DC, 1977 series) #337 (February 1980) [recolored]

Indexer Notes

World War II; Nazis

Star Light, Star Bright... Farthest Star I See Tonight! (Table of Contents: 8)

Legion of Super-Heroes / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script

Paul Levitz

Pencils

José Luis García-López

Inks

Dick Giordano

Colors

Adrienne Roy

Letters

Ben Oda

Editing

Joe Orlando (managing editor); Len Wein (editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The year is 2979 A.D., the city is Metropolis, the planet Earth. And the flying figure is, of course, Superboy, breaking the time barrier to visit the most extraordinary band of heroic youths in the galaxy...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Legion of Super-Heroes [Superboy [Clark Kent]; Phantom Girl [Tinya Wazzo]; Mon-El; Saturn Girl [Imra Ardeen]; Karate Kid [Val Armorr] (cameo); Sun Boy [Dirk Morgna] (cameo); Princess Projectra (cameo); Chameleon Boy [Reep Daggle] (cameo); Colossal Boy [Gim Allen] (cameo); Wildfire [Drake Burroughs]; Lightning Lad [Garth Ranzz]]

Synopsis

Superboy convinces the Legion of Super-Heroes to go searching for the star that shown over Bethlehem during Jesus' birth on Christmas Eve.

Reprints

• from DC Special Series (DC, 1977 series) #21 - Super-Star Holiday Special (Spring 1980 (April 1980))

The Vow of a Samurai! (Table of Contents: 9)

Jonah Hex / comic story / 17 pages (report information)

Script

Michael Fleisher

Pencils

Tony DeZuñiga [as Tony De Zuniga]

Inks

Tony DeZuñiga [as Tony De Zuniga]

Colors

Bob LeRose

Letters

Shelly Leferman

Editing

Joe Orlando (original managing editor); Ross Andru (original editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Might's well hitch up at thet country saloon fer a spell an see if'n ah cain't wash down some'a this trail dust wi'f a few whiffs of rye whiskey--

Genre

western-frontier

Characters

Jonah Hex; Muldoon; Heejong; Blair Farrow; Medford; unnamed samurai (Heejong's father)

Reprints

• from Jonah Hex (DC, 1977 series) #39 (August 1980)

Bruce the Barbarian! (Table of Contents: 10)

The House of Secrets / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

J. M. DeMatteis [as J.M. De Matteis]

Pencils

Vic Catan

Inks

Vic Catan

Colors

?

Letters

?

Editing

Joe Orlando (original managing editor); Jack C. Harris (original editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

What new and wondrous land is this-- and what dangers lurk around the next bend?

Genre

horror-suspense; sword and sorcery

Characters

Abel (host); Bruce E. Platts; Cornelia Mathers; Mister Jackson; Myrdirr (dragon)

Synopsis

After being dumped by Cornelia, Bruce uses the powers of his mind to transport himself to another place where he is a barbarian hero.

Reprints

• from The Unexpected (DC, 1968 series) #205 (December 1980) [recolored]

Keywords

barbarian; dragon; occult forces

The Secret World of Jonathan Kent! (Table of Contents: 11)

Superman / comic story / 17 pages (report information)

Script

Cary Bates

Pencils

Curt Swan

Inks

Frank Chiaramonte

Colors

Gene D'Angelo

Letters

Ben Oda

Editing

Joe Orlando (managing editor); Julius Schwartz (editor); E. Nelson Bridwell (associate editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Jonathan Kent, kindly foster-father to Clark (Superboy) Kent, tragically died many years ago...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Superman [Clark Kent]; Pa Kent [Jonathan Kent]; Starshine; Lois Lane; April Marygold; May Marygold; Lana Lang (television); Perry White; Morgan Edge; Steve Lombard; two unnamed aliens

Synopsis

Superman battles Starshine and his powers of suggestion. Then we learn the secret of Jonathan Kent's return to life.

Reprints

• from Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) #508 (June 1980)

Keywords

Clinton Street; Metropolis; Smallville; WGBS-TV Studios

The Story Behind the Issue (Table of Contents: 12)

text article / 2 pages (report information)

Script

E. Nelson Bridwell (credited)

Pencils

Ross Andru

Inks

Dick Giordano

Letters

typeset

Job Number

S-5031

First Line of Dialogue or Text

For this, the second annual collection of Best of DC, we strove to get a wide range of different types of stories.

Characters

Supergirl; Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]; Flash [Barry Allen]; Wonder Woman; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Superman [Clark Kent]; Sgt. Rock; The Elongated Man; Jonah Hex; Deadman; The Demon; Cain; Warlord; Black Canary; Lois Lane; Jimmy Olsen; Wonder Twins [Zan; Jayna]; Black Lightning; Hawkman; Batgirl [Barbara Gordon]; Aquaman; Green Arrow [Oliver Queen]; Tomahawk; Jeb Stuart

Reprints

• from The Best of DC (DC, 1979 series) #5 (May-June 1980) [black and white, reduced to 1/2 page]

Indexer Notes

Last interior page and inside back cover. Explains how the stories were selected. Cover illustration from 1979's "Year's Best Comics Stories" is reprinted in black and white with the text changed from 1979 to 1980.

And the Winners Are... (Table of Contents: 13)

foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Ross Andru; José Luis García-López; Tony DeZuniga; Jim Aparo; Jim Janes; Joe Kubert; Michael Wm. Kaluta

Inks

Dick Giordano; José Luis García-López; Tony DeZuniga; Jim Aparo; Joe Kubert; Michael Wm. Kaluta

Colors

?

Letters

?

Indexer Notes

Back cover. List of interior stories over a background collage of cover the stories appeared in:
- Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) #507 (by Andru & Giordano),
- Batman (DC, 1940 series) #321 (by García-López),
- Jonah Hex (DC, 1977 series) #39 (by DeZuñiga),
- DC Comics Presents (DC, 1978 series) #24 (by García-López),
- Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) #508 (by Andru & Giordano),
- Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #494 (by Aparo),
- The Unexpected (DC, 1968 series) #205 (by Janes & Giordano),
- Sgt. Rock (DC, 1968 series) #337 (by Kubert),
- Time Warp (DC, 1979 series) #5 (by Kaluta),
- DC Special Series (DC, 1977 series) #21 (by García-López)