Assuming, of course, that I have interest in their subjects, I absolutely love these “museum-in-a-book” releases, which are as much — or even more — fun because of the extras they come packed with, rather than for the text itself. Martin Pasko’s THE DC VAULT is no exception.
It’s like a million books before it covering the history of DC Comics, but with a twist or two. One is the aforementioned treasures and keepsakes you’ll find packaged inside. But the other is a refreshing determination to tell DC’s whole story, and not just that of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.
Near-equal time is given to forgotten characters as Slam Bradley or Dr. Occult, Ghost Detective, and their position in the DC Universe. Before them, however, there were funny animals and puzzle books and reprinted comic strips, and Pasko’s narrative is rich with this side of the story as well, which includes such unlikely stars as Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s simple-named Spy, and Sheldon Mayer’s oddly named Mr. Weed.
He covers the birth of the superhero and their falling out of favor. He covers their resurgence and their entrance into Hollywood. But more importantly, he covers everything that happened in between, both for the good and the ill of the company, supplementing that timeline with photos, sketches, covers, ads and other art, all in full color. The spiral binding’s a bit odd, though, causing some pages to get caught.
And the gems in this VAULT? They include reproductions of a 1940 “ashcan” edition of DOUBLE ACTION COMICS #2, a cardboard Batman mask, a Justice Society of America decoder wheel, a 1944 Superman department store magazine, a Batman and Robin postcard, plans for a never-materialized Superman amusement park, a Captain Marvel sticker, an early 1970s FAQ letter, a Wonder Woman bookmark, a foldout 1987 DC Universe poster, DC Comics stationery and a 1996 holiday card drawn by Alex Ross, among many others just waiting for you to pull from the plastic. It’s like Christmas (or Hanukkah), a little early. —Rod Lott
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- Free Comic Book Day this Saturday
- LOUIS’ SERIOUS ISSUES >> 7.9.07
- DC Universe: Inheritance
- Infinite Crisis
- DC Comics Covergirls
