I need to back track just a bit with Haney’s story. I forgot that Blackhawk was canceled towards the end of 1968, meaning Haney was down to Brave and the Bold and Teen Titans when he got the “Unknown Soldier” assignment.
Here's that final issue of Blackhawk—#243 (Oct.-Nov. 1968) with cover art by Pat Boyette.
I need to back track just a bit with Haney’s story. I forgot that Blackhawk was canceled towards the end of 1968, meaning Haney was down to Brave and the Bold and Teen Titans when he got the “Unknown Soldier” assignment.
Here's that final issue of Blackhawk—#243 (Oct.-Nov. 1968) with cover art by Pat Boyette.
Yeah!! Those last issues were among my favorite of the Blackhawk series! It was such a shame we never got to see more of Boyette's Blackhawks after that -- the last minute revamp they were attempting was just too short and died too soon.
I've posted this cover before, but here it is again. As Chuck mentioned a few posts back, Metamorpho was eventually brought back for a backup series, with Bob Haney back at the helm. He explains that the Element Man spent the time since his absence in a chemical bath Stagg promised would cure him. Obviously, it did not.
It starts in Action Comics #413 (June 1972), with a cover by Nick Cardy.
World’s Finest Comics #215 (Dec. 1972-Jan. 1973) featured a new team who would appear a total of only eleven times over the course of three years, each of them written by Bob Haney: The Super-Sons of Superman and Batman. Okay, technically they do make one more final appearance, but Haney didn't write it, and it takes them out of their tiny pocket universe and puts them into “proper” continuity, taking the fun out of the concept along with it. In fact, these stories are a prime example of Haney’s disregard for DC’s growing reliance on a company-wide continuity.
It's hard to call the Super-Sons an original creation of Haney, because there had been two prior adventures featuring a Superman Jr. and Batman Jr., but those Juniors are unrelated to these—and weren't nearly as hip and groovy as Haney’s Super-Sons—so I wouldn’t object to the attribution either. Anyway, here's the Nick Cardy cover for that first appearance.
World’s Finest Comics #215 (Dec. 1972-Jan. 1973) featured a new team who would appear a total of only eleven times over the course of three years, each of them written by Bob Haney: The Super-Sons of Superman and Batman. Okay, technically they do make one more final appearance, but Haney didn't write it, and it takes them out of their tiny pocket universe and puts them into “proper” continuity, taking the fun out of the concept along with it. In fact, these stories are a prime example of Haney’s disregard for DC’s growing reliance on a company-wide continuity.
It's hard to call the Super-Sons an original creation of Haney, because there had been two prior adventures featuring a Superman Jr. and Batman Jr., but those Juniors are unrelated to these—and weren't nearly as hip and groovy as Haney’s Super-Sons—so I wouldn’t object to the attribution either. Anyway, here's the Nick Cardy cover for that first appearance.
I have a great affection for the "Super-Sons". Thanks for posting the cover.
I hadn't realized Haney wrote the Super-Sons, but now that I think of it, of course he did!
Natch!
For anyone not familiar with the feature, but intrigued by it (and how could you not be?), DC collected all of it (including that final, non-Haney story) a few years back, and it's still in print.
After a seven-month hiatus, the “Metamorpho” back-up moved from Action Comics (#418 was the last appearance there) to World’s Finest starting in issue #218 (July-Aug. 1973) with Bob Haney still writing and picking up right where he left off. Unfortunately, the feature would end for good two issues later.
Here's World’s Finest #218, with a cover by Nick Cardy. Haney also wrote the Batman/Superman lead feature in this issue, a job he took over starting with his first Super-Sons story.
I have to admit the Super-Sons stories were something of a guilty pleasure for me. Seemed like a goofy idea and they never really felt like teens to me -- but Haney made it difficult to not like the stories.
1974 must have been an odd time for Haney. Brave and the Bold #112 (Apr.-May 1974) marked the first Super Spectacular to feature his work. Of the 100 pages in that issue, 68 were written by Haney, but he was only being paid for 20 of those, as the other 48 were reprinted stories. It would be something of a running theme for the next few months. Hardly a Super Spectacular went by where his old work wasn't featured alongside his new. Most of the cover is by Jim Aparo.
It was very disappointing that the Brave and the Bold Showcase feature Batman team-ups and didn't start by reprinting Silent Knight and Viking Prince stories.
They did publish a nice collection of all the Viking Prince stories a couple of years ago.
Is this the collection you're referring too?
Btw, while looking for this book, I noticed something called Viking Glory by Lee Marrs and Bo Hampton. Is this a Viking Prince story?
Yep, that's the one. And, yes, Viking Glory is a Viking Prince graphic novel fully painted by Bo. I wouldn't say it's a great story, but it's worth checking out if you're a fan of the character, and Bo’s artwork is nice.
My copy has a quick full-figure sketch of Jon. Bo lives not too far away, and he did a signing at the shop I was working for back when the book was released. I think I might actually have a second copy of it (not signed).
They did publish a nice collection of all the Viking Prince stories a couple of years ago.
Is this the collection you're referring too?
Btw, while looking for this book, I noticed something called Viking Glory by Lee Marrs and Bo Hampton. Is this a Viking Prince story?
Yep, that's the one. And, yes, Viking Glory is a Viking Prince graphic novel fully painted by Bo. I wouldn't say it's a great story, but it's worth checking out if you're a fan of the character, and Bo’s artwork is nice.
My copy has a quick full-figure sketch of Jon. Bo lives not too far away, and he did a signing at the shop I was working for back when the book was released. I think I might actually have a second copy of it (not signed).
I'm a fan of Hampton's work. When I did a Google search for the HC one of the images that popped up was the cover for the Hampton book. I was immediately intrigued.
Is there a collection of Silent Knight stories? I did some searching a while back, with no success.
Not that I'm aware of. The only “Silent Knight” stories I have are a few of the reprints they did in the Super Spectaculars.
Same here. During the Johns/Morales run on Hawkman when it was reconned that Brian Kent was one of the many past incarnations of Carter Hall, I had hopes that we would have brand new Silent Knight stories.
Nothing particularly noteworthy about this issue—Haney did the new lead Superman/Batman story. But it was probably the third or fourth comic I owned. I guess my mom didn't read the title of the Superman/Batman story when she let me get it. I mean, I was only four at the time.
I have to say, though, that the “Rip Hunter” story was my favorite in the issue. But I read this one cover to cover so many times it fell apart. And speaking of covers, this cover is by Nick Cardy.
June 1975 featured one last Bob Haney hurrah with Metamorpho, and best of all Ramona Fradon was back on pencils and inks. It was only one issue, and it wasn't Metamorpho at its best, but it was fun.
In 1976, Haney was down to two monthly titles, Brave & the Bold and World’s Finest, with only two extra jobs. One of those jobs was writing a “Three Musketeers” story for DC Special #23 (Aug.-Sept. 1976), with a cover by Luis Dominguez. This was the second of (appropriately) four consecutive issues featuring Dumas’ heroes, along with reprints of mostly Haney-written “Robin Hood” stories. One would assume DC was testing a potential series because of the success of the recent Three Musketeers films. It's too bad it couldn't last, as the two I've read were pretty good.
1977 started out a little brighter for Haney. He still had Brave & the Bold and World’s Finest, and he also picked up “Unknown Soldier” starting with Star Spangled War Stories #204 (Feb.-Mar. 1977)—the last issue before the title was renamed Unknown Soldier. And in his return to the feature, Haney brought with him his creation Chat Noir. Cover by Joe Kubert (who else?)
Comments
Here's that final issue of Blackhawk—#243 (Oct.-Nov. 1968) with cover art by Pat Boyette.
DC Comics' March 2015 titles all feature variant covers based on Warner Bros. movie posters, from Harry Potter to The Fugitive and Super Fly.
Some are better than others...
It starts in Action Comics #413 (June 1972), with a cover by Nick Cardy.
Greg Staples finishes off Dark Justice in 2000AD for those who like that sort of thing (me)
Greg Staples finishes off Dark Justice in 2000AD for those who like that sort of thing (me)
It's hard to call the Super-Sons an original creation of Haney, because there had been two prior adventures featuring a Superman Jr. and Batman Jr., but those Juniors are unrelated to these—and weren't nearly as hip and groovy as Haney’s Super-Sons—so I wouldn’t object to the attribution either. Anyway, here's the Nick Cardy cover for that first appearance.
For anyone not familiar with the feature, but intrigued by it (and how could you not be?), DC collected all of it (including that final, non-Haney story) a few years back, and it's still in print.
Here's World’s Finest #218, with a cover by Nick Cardy. Haney also wrote the Batman/Superman lead feature in this issue, a job he took over starting with his first Super-Sons story.
Is this the collection you're referring too?
Btw, while looking for this book, I noticed something called Viking Glory by Lee Marrs and Bo Hampton. Is this a Viking Prince story?
My copy has a quick full-figure sketch of Jon. Bo lives not too far away, and he did a signing at the shop I was working for back when the book was released. I think I might actually have a second copy of it (not signed).
oh well.
I have to say, though, that the “Rip Hunter” story was my favorite in the issue. But I read this one cover to cover so many times it fell apart. And speaking of covers, this cover is by Nick Cardy.