Wednesday 8 February 2012

1990: DC COMICS IN THE UK: DC ACTION

DC ACTION was an album-format (68 pages, stiff card covers, full colour interiors on heavy paper stock) bi-monthly reprint compilation of DC material, published in the UK by London Editions in 1990.  It survived for six issues before being cancelled without warning.

Its (relatively) hefty cover price (£1.75), long gaps between issues and a character line-up largely unfamiliar to the typical punter probably signed its death warrant.

The core line-up was THE NEW TEEN TITANS and ANIMAL MAN with the third feature occupied by SECRET ORIGINS followed by (an unexpectedly truncated) HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE. Some nice articles rounded out an attractive, if not terribly commercial, package.  The nice format allowed the artwork to be reproduced to a high standard on A4 pages, ensuring the reprints were better presented than their US originals.

Issue 1 came with a free cover-mounted badge.

Issue 7 was scheduled to appear in January 1991 but vanished without trace.

ANIMAL MAN continued in London Edition's cheaper (95p) 1991 replacement, SHOCKWAVE.  That lasted four issues before pulling a similar vanishing act.

DC ACTION's companion, in the same format, was the Vertigo-themed ZONES, cancelled (again without warning) after 4 issues.

ISSUE 1
1990
THE NEW TEEN TITANS
SECRET ORIGINS: THE CREEPER PT1
ANIMAL MAN: THE HUMAN ZOO
ARTICLES: DC Q / ANIMAL MAN / CONVENTIONS


ISSUE 2
1990
NEW TEEN TITANS: TODAY… THE TERMINATOR!
SECRET ORIGINS: THE CREEPER PT2
ANIMAL MAN: LIFE IN THE CONCRETE JUNGLE
ARTICLES: DC Q / DC COMICS IN THE BEGINNING / TEEN TITANS


ISSUE 3
1990
NEW TEEN TITANS: THE FEARSOME FIVE!
SECRET ORIGINS: THE MANHUNTERS PT1
ANIMAL MAN: THE NATURE OF THE BEAST
ARTICLES: SUPERBOY & KRYPTO / MANHUNTER / DC Q / AQUAMAN: WATERSPORTS


ISSUE 4
1990
TEEN TITANS: AGAINST ALL ODDS
SECRET ORIGINS: THE MANHUNTERS PT2
ANIMAL MAN: WHEN WE ALL LIVED IN THE FOREST
ARTICLES: LOIS LANE / JLA 


ISSUE 5
1990
ANIMAL MAN: THE COYOTE GOSPEL
HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE PT1
NEW TEEN TITANS: TRIGON LIVES!
ARTICLES: DC Q / DC HEROES ON SCREEN PT1 / CONGORILLA


ISSUE 6
1990
ANIMAL MAN: BIRDS OF PREY
HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE PT2
NEW TEEN TITANS: LAST KILL
ARTICLES: DC Q / UKCAC 90 REPORT / DC HEROES ON SCREEN PT2


ISSUE 6 CONTENTS PAGE
Includes details of the planned line-up for issue 7: 
ANIMAL MAN: The Red Mask
BATMAN: The Player On The Other Side

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