As DC's 100-Page Super-Spectaculars faded away in the mid '70s, publisher Carmine Infantino still looked for ways to exploit DC's library via reprints. DC Special had been an ongoing reprint title from 1968 to 1971. The title and format were revived with DC Special # 16, cover-dated Spring 1975. That issue turned its spotlight on "Super-Heroes Battle Super-Gorillas," a concept that had been a defining characteristic of many DC comic books in the Silver Age.
DC Special was published in a giant-sized format, so it really didn't take much to expand it into a faux 100-page Super Spectacular. The real-life version included no Golden Age material, so we've remedied that deficiency with the addition of a trio of stories from 1945, 1948, and 1950. Granted, the Doll Man story doesn't really qualify as a "Super-Gorilla" tale--its simian content is negligible at best--but I say any opportunity to read a vintage Doll Man story is an opportunity worth taking. Doll Man, Ibis the Invincible, and the original Captain Marvel join DC Special # 16's original line-up of Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Superman, and a whole bunch of super-spectacular super-monkeys. Here they come, walkin' down the street....
Other than the Captain Marvel adventure, all of the stuff I added to this issue is now public domain; the same can not be said of the original contents of DC Special # 16, so we can only show a few representative pages here, along with some cool original ads. I share the entire thing with this blog's paid patrons, an exclusive honor that costs a mere $2 a month. This is what we have:
Batman and Robin in "Batman Battles The Living Beast-Bomb!," Detective Comics # 339 (May 1965)
Wonder Woman in "Wonder Woman--Gorilla!," Wonder Woman # 170 (May 1967)
Doll Man (untitled), Feature Comics # 85 (February 1945)
The Flash in "The Reign Of The Super-Gorilla!," The Flash # 127 (March 1962)
Captain Marvel in "The Apes Who Could Make Fire," Captain Marvel Adventures # 114 (November 1950)
Ibis the Invincible in "Lo-Kar's Circus!," Whiz Comics # 103 (November 1948)
Superman in "Titano The Super-Ape!," Superman # 127 (February 1959)
We'll be returning to DC Special for further editions of 100-Page FAKES! But for now: it's monkey time!
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First Issue Special advertised here became the first issue of Batman Family. I'd like to know why and which FIS replaced it, in '75.
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