DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #9 [Direct]

(May 1981)

Secret Origins (Table of Contents: 1)

table of contents / 1 page (report information)

Script

E. Nelson Bridwell ?

Letters

typeset

Genre

superhero

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover.

Birth of the Atom! (Table of Contents: 2)

The Atom / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Gil Kane

Inks

Murphy Anderson

Colors

Bob LeRose

Letters

Gaspar Saladino

Genre

superhero

Characters

Atom [Ray Palmer]; Jean Loring

Synopsis

Ray Palmer discovers how to use material from a white dwarf star to shrink himself. He rescues a nature group trapped in a cave.

Reprints

• from Showcase (DC, 1956 series) #34 (September-October 1961)

Indexer Notes

Reprints the origin and first appearance of Silver Age Atom and Jean Loring.

Battle of the Tiny Titans (Table of Contents: 3)

The Atom / comic story / 15 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Gil Kane

Inks

Murphy Anderson

Colors

Bob LeRose

Letters

Gaspar Saladino

Genre

superhero

Characters

Atom [Ray Palmer]; Jean Loring; Kulan Dar; Carl Ballard

Synopsis

Kulan Dar from the planet Julnar is trapped on Earth and forced to commit crimes by Carl Ballard, a small-time crook. The Atom rescues him and clears Jean Loring's client, who was accused of his crimes.

Reprints

• from Showcase (DC, 1956 series) #34 (September-October 1961)

Indexer Notes

Reprint of the first appearance of the Silver Age Atom in costume. Kulan Dar's teleportation powers are based on europium.

Swamp Thing (Table of Contents: 4)

Swamp Thing / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Len Wein

Pencils

Bernie Wrightson

Inks

Bernie Wrightson; Jeff Jones

Colors

Adrienne Roy

Letters

Ben Oda

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

Swamp Thing [Alex Olsen]; Linda Olsen Ridge; Damian Ridge

Synopsis

Damian Ridge arranges a laboratory explosion that transforms his partner, Alex Olsen into Swamp Thing, then marries his widow. Swamp Thing kills Ridge in revenge.

Reprints

• from House of Secrets (DC, 1956 series) #92 (June-July 1971)

Indexer Notes

Reprint of the origin and first appearance of Swamp Thing.

The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl! (Table of Contents: 5)

Batman and Robin / comic story / 16 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Carmine Infantino

Inks

Sid Greene

Colors

Bob LeRose

Letters

Gaspar Saladino

Editing

Julius Schwartz (original editor)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Out of the super-star studded firmament of Gotham City, where Batman and Robin shine supreme as masked manhunters-- burst a brand new luminary-- Batgirl!

Genre

superhero

Characters

Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Commissioner James Gordon; Batgirl [Barbara Gordon] (introduction, origin); Killer Moth (villain); Pupa; Larva; Alfred Pennyworth; Burton Talbot

Synopsis

While Barbara is on her way to a costume party dressed as Batgirl, she runs across Killer Moth attacking Bruce Wayne and joins the battle.

Reprints

• from Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #359 (January 1967)

Keywords

Batcave; Batcycle; Batmobile; Gotham City; Gotham City Police Headquarters; Gotham City Public Library; Mothmobile; Wayne Manor

Indexer Notes

Credits for script, pencils and inks confirmed from Julius Schwartz's editorial records, provided by DC Comics. Inks incorrectly credited to Murphy Anderson in book.

Reprint of the origin and first appearance of Batgirl (Barbara Gordon).

The Kid from Atlantis! (Table of Contents: 6)

Aquaman / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

Robert Bernstein

Pencils

Ramona Fradon

Inks

Ramona Fradon

Colors

Phil Rachelson

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

Aquaman [Arthur Curry]; Aqualad [Garth] (intro, origin); Atlantis; Topo

Synopsis

Aquaman helps Aqualad, a rejected child from Atlantis, to overcome his fear of fish. Aquaman adopts Aqualad as his sidekick.

Reprints

• from Adventure Comics (DC, 1938 series) #269 (February 1960)

Indexer Notes

Writer credit by Martin O'Hearn.

Reprint of the origin and first appearance of Aqualad (Garth).

The Origin of Green Lantern's Oath! (Table of Contents: 7)

Green Lantern / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script

John Broome

Pencils

Gil Kane

Inks

Murphy Anderson

Colors

Anthony Tollin

Letters

Gaspar Saladino

Genre

superhero

Characters

Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]; Pieface [Thomas Kalmaku]; Carol Ferris; Mr. Burbank (banker); Hank (bank robber); Mr. Davis (jet mechanic); Hank (safe-cracker)

Synopsis

Green Lantern tells Pieface the story of his first three cases, on which his oath, "In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might beware my power -- Green Lantern's light!" is based.

Reprints

• from Green Lantern (DC, 1960 series) #10 (January 1962)

The Super-Dog from Krypton! (Table of Contents: 8)

Superboy / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script

Otto Binder

Pencils

Curt Swan

Inks

Sy Barry

Colors

Anthony Tollin

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

Superboy [Clark Kent]; Krypto; Jonathan Kent; Jor-El (flashback); Lara (flashback); Lana Lang

Synopsis

A super-powerful dog arrives in Smallville in a rocket complete with written records proving that he is baby Kal-El's puppy who Jor-El used as a test animal when developing his space rockets. Though happy to be reunited with his dog, Superboy needs to make sure that Krypto does not give away his secret identity several times before Krypto leaves for a romp in space.

Reprints

• from Adventure Comics (DC, 1938 series) #210 (March 1955)

Indexer Notes

Inks credit by Bob Hughes.

Reprint of the origin and first appearance of Krypto.

The Origin of Doctor Fate (Table of Contents: 9)

Doctor Fate / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Howard Sherman

Inks

Howard Sherman

Colors

Phil Rachelson

Letters

Howard Sherman

Genre

superhero

Characters

Doctor Fate [Kent Nelson]; Sven Nelson; Nabu the Wise; Inza Kramer; Black Nergal

Synopsis

While exploring the Egyptian pyramids, Sven Nelson is killed. His son, Kent Nelson, learns the mystical secrets of Nabu the Wise from the planet Cilia, who helped to build the pyramids. As Doctor Fate, he defeats Black Nergal in his first case.

Reprints

• from More Fun Comics (DC, 1936 series) #67 (May 1941)

Indexer Notes

Reprint of the origin of Doctor Fate.

The Green Arrow's First Case (Table of Contents: 10)

Green Arrow / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

Ed Herron; Jack Kirby (plot?)

Pencils

Jack Kirby

Inks

Jack Kirby; Rosalind Kirby (backgrounds)

Colors

Anthony Tollin

Letters

John Duffy ?

Genre

superhero

Characters

Green Arrow [Oliver Queen]; Speedy [Roy Harper]; Arrow-Plane; Carter (seaman)

Synopsis

Oliver Queen is marooned on Starfish Island, where he hones his skills as an archer and develops trick arrows. When an expedition sets out to explore the island years later, he fools them with his fake-uranium arrow.

Reprints

• from Adventure Comics (DC, 1938 series) #256 (January 1959)

Indexer Notes

Reprint of the origin of Green Arrow.

The World's Worst Archer! (Table of Contents: 11)

Green Arrow / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

Robert Bernstein

Pencils

Lee Elias

Inks

Lee Elias

Colors

Phil Rachelson

Letters

?

Genre

superhero

Characters

Green Arrow [Oliver Queen]; Speedy [Roy Harper] (new Origin); Chief Brave Bow; Ranger Harper (Roy's Father, flashback); Arrow-Car

Synopsis

Chief Brave Bow helps Roy Harper become Green Arrow's new partner.

Reprints

• from Adventure Comics (DC, 1938 series) #262 (July 1959)

Indexer Notes

Reprint of the origin of Speedy (of Earth-One).

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 12) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

10 Classic Origin Stories! (Table of Contents: 13)

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

Script

?

Pencils

Ross Andru (signed as Andru)

Inks

Dick Giordano (signed as Giordano)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

superhero

Characters

Superboy; Batman; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Atom [Ray Palmer]; Doctor Fate; Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]; Krypto; Batgirl [Barbara Gordon]; Swamp Thing; Aqualad [Garth]; Green Arrow [Oliver Queen]; Speedy [Roy Harper]

Synopsis

Listing of contents with illustrations.

Indexer Notes

Back cover.