American Update: DC/Marvel Treasuries
*DC: Although the ‘first’ official Marvel/DC crossover had come out slightly earlier – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – that was just a litigation-saving compromise as both companies had been developing the same property simultaneously, by purest coincidence. But it started the respective head honchos thinking, and in 1976, comics readers were thrilled by the publication of Superman Vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, a giant-sized, 92-page, all-new adventure in which the two greatest heroes of their respective companies teamed up against their direst enemies, Lex Luthor and Doctor Octopus! Gerry Conway, Ross Andru and Dick Giordano were the creators, and the precedent-shattering book led to sequels: Marvel Treasury Edition #28 paired Superman and Spider-Man again, this time versus the Parasite and Doctor Doom, by Shooter, Wolfman and John Buscema, and throwing guests Wonder Woman and Hulk into the mix. The follow-up was DC Special Series #27, which offered Batman Vs. the Incredible Hulk, by Wein and Garcia-Lopez, featuring the Joker and the Shaper of Worlds. There were several subsequent DC/Marvel collaborations, but none carrying the impact, both emotional and physical, of these treasury-sized tabloids, in which the artists’ work was displayed to best advantage. We have copies of all three, and two copies, in slightly differing grades, of the first Superman/Spider-Man meeting. Seldom seen and keenly hunted, these will not be with us long, so look sharp if you’re going to get them! For your comfort and convenience, you’ll find them listed in our DC section under ‘DC & Marvel Present’, for as long as they’re with us, that is!