[Guest reviewer Greg Elias writes for Speed Force]

When Superman vs. Shazam! was released, it marked the first reprint of the top-shelf 1978 DC treasury comic of the same name. Whether intended as a video game tie-in or a companion to Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Shazam! hardcover, any excuse for DC to present the balance of Rich Buckler’s Superman/Captain Marvel team-ups is good enough.

The idea of The Man of Steel facing off against The World’s Mightiest Mortal has likely existed since the 1940s, where the two vied for the attention of children at newsstands and drug stores. Without getting into the gory details, DC essentially sued Captain Marvel and Fawcett Publications out of existence in the 1950s and kept the characters in suspended animation, until they acquired their rights in the 1970s.

Analogues of Superman and Captain Marvel appeared in the seminal 1953 Mad Magazine story “Superduperman,” which inverted their heroic qualities and mirrored the legal demise of The Big Red Cheese. Once DC revived The Marvel Family, they were kept separate from the main DC Universe. Superman fought an alternate-Earth Captain Marvel, “Captain Thunder,” in Superman #276, but wouldn’t run into the genuine article until the "Crisis on Multiple Earths" story from Justice League of America #137. Neither of those issues is included here, but that brings us up to the starting point.

Superman vs. Shazam!, originally printed in the 1978 All New Collectors' Edition #C-58 at treasury-size, is simply one of the most satisfying DC stories of the Bronze Age. It is a pure, wide-screen tour-de-force with panel-shattering poundings delivered by both heroes. Buckler, with Dick Giordano on inks, turns in the type of top-flight DC artwork associated with Neal Adams, Mike Grell, and the rest of the best. It is smartly plotted by Gerry Conway, giving readers 72 overflowing pages with multiple confrontations between the title heroes. They’re joined by Supergirl, Mary Marvel, Black Adam, and even the Quarrmer (“Sand Superman”), the latter making his only pre-Crisis appearance outside of the “Kryptonite Nevermore” storyline.

The action also includes the first time Captain Marvel considers using his Magic Lightning to attack Superman, something that would inspire the memorable confrontation in Mark Waid and Alex Ross’s Kingdom Come, as well as the Justice League Unlimited cartoon and even the recent DC Universe video games. Given the cost and assumed condition of most originals, this volume is worth the price of admission for the treasury story alone. It is thrilling, blaringly violent, and revels in the clash of the biggest power players of the DC Multiverse.

The three DC Comics Presents issues that follow, written in part by Conway, Roy Thomas, and Paul Kupperberg, complete a cohesive trilogy. The first two stories maintain Giordano as inker and remain as gorgeous as the treasury pages. The story is a lighter-toned team-up, with the heroes doing their only “fighting” over their uniforms. Starring the combined villains of Earth-One and Earth-S, Buckler continues to deliver a whirlwind of action while the writers branch further into the magical and whimsical dimensions and denizens of both Superman and The Marvel Family.

The final Buckler-drawn story is a stand-alone gem that introduces the Earth-One Billy Batson, who is not (yet?) a Captain Marvel counterpart. Featuring an exciting Central Park clash between Superman and Black Adam that recalls the cross-country landmark tour seen in the first story, Captain Marvel shows up only in the final third for one last round of Buckler’s high-flying fisticuffs. The hopeful final image of the Earth-One Batson is a fitting end to a trilogy of memorable clashes and victories between the two superheroes. The volume’s last story is the oft-reprinted DC Comics Presents Annual #3, a Gil Kane showcase that, at the risk of repeating myself, cannot be over-printed. This one even showed up another big collection this year, playing the role of final story in Adventures of Superman: Gil Kane.

DC finally got around to reprinting their best treasury comics in the last couple of years, like those found in Superman vs. Shazam!, almost as if they were saving them as some secret reserve. Whether packaged in artist-focused hardcovers, movie tie-ins, or a paperback-first trade like this one, they are each important and high-level stories by any measure. There are plenty of other true confrontations between Superman and Captain Marvel, from All-Star Squadron #36 and 37 to the Eclipso-fueled Action Comics Annual #4, and hopefully they’ll see reprints soon, because this volume is an absolute blast.

[Guest reviewer Greg Elias writes for Speed Force]

Since the 1980s, the artwork of Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez has been the marketing standard for DC Comics. From lunch boxes to Valentines and toys to apparel, Garcia-Lopez’s clean and fluid style is immediate and definitive, capturing the grace and power of DC’s superheroes and villains. Though it is tempting to name Deadman or even the Metal Men as his signature subject, his work on the Man of Steel stands out as the artist’s strongest sequential output, making him a perfect name to spotlight in the second Adventures of Superman hardcover.

Like Rich Buckler before him, Garcia-Lopez was once considered to be the top talent to replace the legendary Curt Swan as the Superman penciller. Instead, Garcia-Lopez’s appearances became something of a treat -- top-shelf selection to kick off a news series (DC Comics Presents), draw the occasional story arc, and/or settle in on a nice cover run. His sequential prowess is masterful, which makes a first-time collection like this a wonderful set of Superman tales fit for any fan.

Much of what is included in this book is being reprinted for the first time. DC has finally gotten around to re-issuing their long out-of-print, oversized treasury editions in recent years, including Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, Superman vs. Shazam!, the Superman “Secrets of the Fortress of Solitude” story and, in this volume, Superman vs. Wonder Woman. Much like the Gil Kane volume, this set is, for the most part, the first-ever high-fidelity presentation for many of these stories.

Included in chronological order, the stories start out with inking by Vince Colletta, Bob Oskner, and Frank Springer. At his best when inking his own work, Garcia-Lopez has his Superman bulked up here and weighted by heavy black ink. Though more in line with the “house-style” Superman, these stories have the layout and design but lack the energy of his best work. These early stories range from the classic, complex, and emotional tale of Solomon Grundy’s search for his other-Earth counterpart to the goofy Atom team-up “Seven-Foot-Two ... and Still Growing!” The first one scores with an uneasy ending more in line with Dennis O’Neil’s Batman than the usual Super-fare, while the latter takes a more comedic approach. The wild tonal changes are on display when “Seven-Foot-Two ...” shifts into a violent and introspective Supergirl team-up that questions the origins of the entire Super-mythos.

Despite the high-quality Grundy and Supergirl stories ahead of it, Superman vs. Wonder Woman is no doubt the pillar of this collection. A World War II period piece, the plot has Superman and Wonder Woman clash over the use of the atom bomb by the Allies in Japan. This is an early appearance of the "Superman: U.S. Government Edition" concept that would be immortalized in The Dark Knight Returns and elsewhere -- at odds with his fellow superheroes. The artwork is flawless and presented here in even greater glory than seen in the oversized pages of the 1977 original. Dan Adkins inks preserve the core elements of Garcia-Lopez’s work, giving the first look at the clean and powerful dynamism to come. This is a true super-powered throw-down, unencumbered by history and, in some cases with Superman’s attitude, characterization. You will find yourself sitting with the story for hours and returning to soak in the majesty. It is great to see this DC classic finally get the proper reprint treatment.

From there, it is all vintage Garcia-Lopez with a set of DC Comics Presents stories that have served as Superman highlights since their original publication. With Deadman, the Metal Men, Firestorm, the Flash ,and Robin involved, these one-to-two issue sets are pure shots of classic “Bronze-Age” DC that, for children of the 1970s and 1980s, brought their lunchboxes to life.

The one mis-step in the reproduction comes on the one-shot “The Sleeper Out of Time” from Superman #347 (1980). Despite 343 additional pages of masterful Superman artwork, this is the story that marked the zenith of Garcia-Lopez’s work on the Man of Steel. It is an absolutely gorgeous issue written by Gerry Conway, with one foot on Earth and one in deep space -- the equivalent of a catcher and pitcher calling and throwing a perfect game. Unfortunately, the rich detail and clean line-work of the original is destroyed here by fuzzy, low-fidelity reproduction. Personally, I was looking forward to seeing that story in high-definition the most and it actually appears here in devolved form. What a shame, especially since this problem plagued the earlier Marshall Rogers Batman hardcover as well.

Despite this, it is impossible to not give Adventures of Superman: Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez the highest recommendation for fans of Superman, DC Comics, and even mass marketing imagery. This is a rich set of mostly first-time reprints presented in nearly flawless reproduction. DC was very smart to roll out the very best of non-Swan Superman artists over the first two volumes of Adventures of Superman, reminding fans of the timeless qualities brought out by the best of the best.

[Guest reviewer Greg Elias writes for Speed Force]

By the time Gil Kane and Marv Wolfman teamed up on Action Comics, Kane was already revered for his groundbreaking work at both DC Comics and Marvel. That reputation is likely the main reason that Adventures of Superman: Gil Kane exists. From the Silver Age redesigns of Green Lantern and The Atom to a prolific and legendary turn as the Marvel cover artist, the late Kane had an untouchable pedigree. This volume contains the entirety of his 1980s stint on the Man of Steel, along with two specials, a couple of backup stories and an oft-reprinted gem of an Annual.

When selecting a Superman artist to spotlight, DC was looking at Curt Swan and “the field.” Swan defined the look of the Superman titles from the late 1950s through the 1980s. The specs of Kane’s run provided DC with another marquee talent to kick off the hardcover series while presenting some of the most experimental pre-Alan Moore stories in the two solo Superman magazines. In addition to Swan and Kane, memorable takes by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (now starring in his own Superman spotlight hardcover), Gene Colan (The Phantom Zone miniseries, reprinted in July) and Jim Starlin (various issues of DC Comics Presents) are compelling alternatives.

Collected here for the first time, Kane’s Superman was far-removed from the “house-style” Kal-El. With the tonal changes brought on by Wolfman, perhaps an artistic match was desired. All of the Kane hallmarks appear here in full force, from abstract bursts of energy to three-dimensional throw-downs, choreographed by the unmatched master of anatomy. His Superman explodes from the page, punctuated by distortion and the weight of perfect perspective. Kane was at his best when inking his own work and achieved a level of pure confidence that is reflected in his constant innovation.

Following some enjoyable backup fables from “The World of Krypton,” the Wolfman stories begin. The script for the opening saga is incredibly dense; a deconstructionist Superman tale with the hero time-divided and depowered. Clark Kent is seen pondering his true nature and dealing with wholesale changes to long-term relationships. Readers of this volume, like Kane, join the story in medias res, with the artist revisiting The Atom and The Flash as Superman attempts to make his was through time.

Trading fisticuffs for some of the psychedelic sorcery of the previous issue, Kane opens Action #541 with a signature full-page 3D punch. A lesser artist may have been overcome by a time-travel-devolutionary-Satanis-doppelganger Superman story, but Kane uses that framework to stretch out and imagine new ways to visualize Wolfman’s experimentations. He makes exceptional use of the twin Supermen as a visual hook, matching the tone of desperation in punctuated, visceral imagery.

The Wolfman stories introduce a redesigned Brainiac, leading to a widescreen pre-Crisis crossover between the Justice League and Wolfman’s New Teen Titans. Kane handles much of DC’s stable over the course of the Brainiac arc, climaxing in a star-studded free-for-all. The following set, a Vandal Savage challenge featuring Animal Man, the Sea Devils, Cave Carson and Rip Hunter, is equally well cast and executed. From out of control fauna to unexplained “time-pyramids,” Kane stays step-for-step with Wolfman in what could be deemed a warm-up for Crisis on Infinite Earths. The finale, “If Superman Didn’t Exist…,” shatters the bounds of imagination and belongs alongside the greatest Superman stories of all time.

Beyond the continuity-rich material of the Action Comics issues, Kane’s two Superman Special stories are finally presented in high fidelity. The first Special is also written by Kane, while the second presents Superman scribe Cary Bates’ alternative to Wolfman’s in-canon progression of Brainiac. Both offer the same high-energy and physicality in long form, tackling evolutionary allegory in blue tights and red boots.

Despite recent reprints in both Shazam!: The Greatest Stories Ever Told and Superman vs. Shazam!, this collection would not be complete without DC Comics Presents Annual #3. A DC multiverse team-up tale of the highest order, it is one of the timeless DC issues that simply cannot be over-printed.

Kane returned to the Super-titles briefly in the mid-1990s and was involved with two prestige-format stories, Distant Fires and Blood of my Ancestors, so the material exists for a second volume. The Adventures of Superman: Gil Kane hardcover, however, is not just essential Superman. It is essential Kane, produced during an under-celebrated period during one of the great artistic careers. It just happens to also collect, for the first time, some of the finest and most important stories from an extremely creative period in the histories of Kane, Marv Wolfman, and DC Comics.

[Guest reviewer Greg Elias writes for Speed Force]

DC Comics continues rolling out handsome hardcover collections of notable artistic runs with Legends of the Dark Knight: Marshall Rogers. Featuring the balance of Rogers' work on the Dark Knight, including his classic Detective Comics run from 1977 to 1978, the book presents a full view of an artist considered to be one of the all-time Batman visionaries, though the collection is hampered somewhat by production issues.

The late Rogers is perhaps best known for his Batman work with writer Steve Englehart. Rogers penciled and colored six issues of Englehart's ten-issue Detective Comics arc, with inks by Terry Austin. Rogers' rendering of the Gotham Cityscape was the foundation for his elegant designs and layouts, reflecting his education in architectural studies.

The collection also includes, among other stories, "Siege," originally published in the Legends of the Dark Knight series. It concludes with Rogers and Englehart's 2005 mini-series Dark Detective, the "sequel" to their 1970s run. Each chapter has its merits, but the early work with Englehart is the main attraction (as well as scripts by Bob Rozakis, Dennis O'Neil, Roy Thomas, and Len Wein).

The material featured in the first half of the book is stone-cold classic. The Englehart stories were a major influence on the portrayal of Batman and Gotham in all media, and Rogers' design work updating villains like Deadshot became definitive. That his brief Detective Comics run is held in such high regard is a testament to the rich quality and relentless innovation. Batman and Robin explode across the page in rooftop and fight sequences that recall both Neal Adams and Adam West, with endless flowing capes and sound-effects worthy of Will Eisner. The stone and steel of Gotham rise up around the hero, seemingly at his command, in an endless grid of windows and stories

A prose story by Dennis O'Neil showcases purely the experimental side of Rogers. Used in his sequential work as punctuation, the use of shadow, zoom, and pattern dominate these pages and give focus to the mind's eye. Jumping ahead to the twenty-first century, the "Siege" storyline written by the legendary Archie Goodwin is an underrated gem featuring two legendary creators. Rogers' linework changed with age, but the extreme attention to detail and inventive layouts remain. His return to Batman elevates this tale of a brutal mercenary, with ties to the Wayne family, attacking Gotham and the Caped Crusader on personal and "professional" fronts. The story itself is tightly plotted and pitch-perfect, even if it lacks the explosiveness of the Englehart run.

Dark Detective, on the other hand, is a bizarre, uncompromising reunion of the mythic Englehart/Rogers/Austin team. By the time this story was published, "Siege" had added somewhat to the lore of Silver St. Cloud, one of the great Batman love interests and an Englehart creation. Ignoring "Siege" and even his own previous characterizations of the Dark Knight, Englehart gives us an ugly look at Bruce Wayne as "the other man" and the near-unrecognizable face of a Batman with an open heart. It almost serves as a "What If? . . . " for the Wayne/St. Cloud relationship. Terry Austin's return yields no different results than Bob Wiacek's always-faithful ink renderings in "Siege." Readers expecting the tone of the original Detective Comics issues may be puzzled, but should instead enjoy the time-lapse view of the talent involved and the freedom with which they work together.

Previously, reprints of Rogers' work with Englehart was only available in the out-of-print Strange Apparitions TPB and the Shadow of the Batman Baxter-format mini-series. The latter was a gorgeous re-master of the Englehart Detective issues, with some bonus Rogers stories included (i.e. Canterbury Cricket backups). In fact, the quality of the Shadow reprints could be considered the arch-enemy of this new collection. The fidelity of the first and best half of this book varies wildly from page to page. By the time you reach the Clayface issues, the reproduction is, at times, extremely distorted. Pages and pages of classic work, including the opening splash of "The Joker Fish," are marred. Tight patterns and other Rogers hallmarks, from the towering Gotham architecture to Silver St. Cloud's wallpaper, lose their impact when the framing effect is spoiled.

Bottom line: a better reprint of the main attraction exists. "Siege" is even due to be published again in an upcoming Archie Goodwin edition of these Batman collections. Plus, this volume is ultimately incomplete considering its exclusion of the gorgeous wraparound covers Rogers' created for the Shadow of the Batman reprints. This, along with three missing Batman Family stories by Rogers, would have been excusable as split hairs were it not for the unfortunate reproduction issues.

Legends of the Dark Knight: Marshall Rogers is, at times, a low-fidelity presentation of a definitive artist's best-known work. If you're looking for nearly everything Batman by Rogers in one place and don't mind some distortion, this is a solid purchase in the absence of another affordable, in-print edition of the 1970s stories. The devil is in the presentation.

[Guest reviewer Greg Elias writes for Speed Force]

DC Comic’s focus on notable Batman artists continues with Tales of the Batman: Don Newton, Vol. 1. Featuring the first reprints of the late Newton’s run from the 1970s and early 1980s, this volume collects a stretch of Bronze Age gems heavy on action in a high-quality format.

As with the first edition in the series, which spotlighted Gene Colan, stories are presented here in the original order of publication. This method recreates the experience of pulling original issues to read only the Newton tales. In the Colan volume, some plot elements were resolved outside of issues he penciled. Here, Newton’s prodigious production is recalled with, for instance, a Brave and the Bold story splitting chapters from his run with O’Neil on Detective Comics. This provides more of an “off the rack” reading experience than the necessary story holes in the Colan volume.

The collection also represents the first reprints of the final issues of Dennis O’Neil’s classic 1970s Batman run. This includes a Maxie Zeus cycle and a complete League of Assassins saga, which featured the death of Kathy Kane and the introduction of Bronze Tiger into the DC Universe. There’s also a fantastic done-in-one, “The Perfect Fighting Machine,” that includes elements later used in O’Neil’s Venom storyline from the Legends of the Dark Knight series. Although the focus is Newton and other writers are present, this has to be a major selling point for fans of Batman and O’Neil’s work with the Batman Family.

Newton’s artistic legacy at DC Comics includes the first “realistic” interpretation of Captain Marvel and the Shazam! Family (1978-1982), a turn as Jack Kirby’s artistic successor on New Gods and a run on Aquaman that was partially collected in the fantastic Death of a Prince trade paperback. His Batman work is the definition of Bronze Age Dark Knight, with dynamic fight scenes and a powerful command of emotion. Of the artist-focused Batman collections released so far, the Newton volume has the widest appeal. Including Brave and the Bold material alongside vintage O’Neil -- mixing sci-fi with street-level -- allows this book to showcase the best aspects of the Caped Crusader through the pencils of an underappreciated master. Michael Fleisher, Bob Rozakis, Cary Burkett, and Martin Pasko join O’Neil behind the typewriter, with equally compelling plots involving The Riddler, Man-Bat, The Crime Doctor, and Batgirl.

The only bone to pick here is, in some chapters, the reproduction. The majority of the stories are sharply reproduced with a clarity never before applied to the original material. Other stories such as the Red Tornado and Man-Bat chapters inexplicably feature muddy details affecting both lines and text. The dip in quality is quite noticeable when it comes to an artist like Newton, whose style was even a difficult match for most of DC’s inking stable. Spotty reproduction was a major problem with the Marshall Rogers collection, which was published the month before.

Despite a couple of low-fidelity chapters, it’s hard to declare this volume as anything less than a must-own. There are still no higher-quality reproductions available and, in addition to the brilliant work by Newton, what is featured here includes the finale of one of the great Batman runs by any writer. The length allows for an immersive experience that was somewhat lacking in the shorter Colan volume and would presage the epic Jim Aparo volume to follow. Plus, it celebrates a flavor of Batman that has never been given any treatment beyond the magazines themselves.

Tales of the Batman: Don Newton, Vol. 1 is essential reading for any Batman fan and an crucial purchase for Batman completists. The never-before-reprinted status of the stories and the intersection of two all-time-greats make this a rich, rewarding read worthy of multiple, lenghty sessions.

[Guest reviewer Greg Elias writes for Speed Force]

Last year, DC Comics kicked off their artist-centric series of Batman hardcover collections with Tales of the Batman: Gene Colan, Vol. 1. Featuring the early portion of his 1980s run on both Batman and Detective Comics, this volume is an extremely enjoyable and fan-friendly opening salvo to a series that caters to comic art lovers first.

The late Colan is best known for his work at Marvel Comics, including legendary runs on Daredevil and Tomb of Dracula. His time at DC in the 1980s produced the amazing Phantom Zone miniseries and a lengthy run on Batman’s twin titles. The majority of the stories in this first Tales of the Batman volume are written by Gerry Conway, with the last two scripted by Doug Moench. Since this book has a Colan-first focus, there are peripheral plot threads that are resolved in issues not collected in this book.

This applies most to the final story, which even includes a “Continued in Batman #363” note for the reader in the Table of Contents. Despite the story gaps, the main plotlines resolve nicely and any missing closure is more than acceptable given the book’s mission, to spotlight primarily Colan's art.

Colan’s shadowy style and horror background were a perfect fit for the Dark Knight. In a stroke of obvious genius, Conway incorporates supernatural elements and even Colan’s signature “vampiri” into the urban landscape of the Caped Crusader. Moench follows suit with the introduction of the villain Night-Slayer in the final issue.

The high point most certainly comes with “The Monster in the Mirror” from Batman #517, documenting Batman’s descent into vampirism. It is horrifyingly effective to see Batman truly scared, denying the existence of the mystic element as he succumbs. Colan brings a twisted, dark reality that is definitive Batman and has been reproduced countless times since. In addition to the vampire arc, Tales of the Batman also features some great done-in-one police stories and a brawl with Solomon Grundy.

Klaus Janson handles inks on half of the book, tying it visually to Batman collections such as Gothic, Death and the Maidens and, of course, The Dark Knight Returns. His inimitable style is a good fit for Colan, who is also joined here by Phantom Zone inker and frequent collaborator Tony DeZuniga. However, as with much of Janson’s work, the inking style overtakes some of the elements of the original pencils.

The reproduction is fantastic from start to finish. The non-Colan covers are present for the issues that are included, though there is a dearth of extra material.The book  is substantial at 283 pages covering fourteen issues, but looking at the remaining Colan Batman work makes you wonder why they didn’t up the page count and split his Bat-alogue down the middle. The paper stock is pretty thin so it does appear slight next to the follow-up volumes.

Tales of the Batman: Gene Colan, Vol. 1 is a well-executed debut for DC’s artist-and-character-focused line of hardcovers, which will also include Superman in 2013, with outings featuring Gil Kane and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. If you’re a fan of Bronze Age DC Comics, looking for a different flavor of Batman comics or just a fan of ageless comic book art and storytelling, this volume has an obvious place in your collection.

Includes Batman #340, 343-345 and 348-351 and Detective Comics #510, 512, 517, 528 and 529.