DC Special

DC Special
Cover of DC Special #1 (December 1968), art by Carmine Infantino.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
Schedule	Quarterly, then bimonthly
Format	Ongoing
Publication date	December 1968–November – December 1971 Spring 1975 – August–September 1977
No. of issues	29
Creative team
Written by	List Gerry Conway, Mark Hannerfeld, Paul Levitz, Bob Rozakis
Penciller(s)	List Rich Buckler, John Calnan, Bill Draut, Arvell Jones, Don Newton, Joe Staton
Inker(s)	List Dan Adkins, Tex Blaisdell, Bill Draut, Bob Layton, Joe Rubinstein
Colorist(s)	List Liz Berube, Jerry Serpe, Anthony Tollin
Editor(s)	List Julius Schwartz (#1, 7, 9, 13, 16–17, 20) Murray Boltinoff (#2, 10, 22–25) Mort Weisinger (#3, 8) Joe Orlando (#4, 11, 26, 29) Joe Kubert (#5) Dick Giordano (#6) E. Nelson Bridwell (#12, 14–15, 18–19, 21) Paul Levitz (#27–28)

DC Special was a comic book anthology series published by DC Comics originally from 1968 to 1971; it resumed publication from 1975 to 1977. For the most part, DC Special was a theme-based reprint title, mostly focusing on stories from DC's Golden Age; at the end of its run it published a few original stories.

DC Special began publication with an issue focusing on the work of artist Carmine Infantino and cover dated October–December 1968.^[1] Some of the themes the title covered were special issues devoted to individual artists such as Infantino and Joe Kubert, strange sports stories, origins of super-villains, and stories of historical literary adventure characters such as Robin Hood and The Three Musketeers. Issue #4 featured many supernatural characters and writer Mark Hanerfeld and artist Bill Draut crafted the first appearance of Abel,^[2] who later became (along with his brother Cain) a major character in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. The series was cancelled with issue #15 (November–December 1971).^[3]

The book was revived four years later and continued the numbering of the original series.^[1] The final three issues featured all-new stories. Issue #27 was a book-length Captain Comet and Tommy Tomorrow story by Bob Rozakis and Rich Buckler. Artist Don Newton began his career at DC Comics with an Aquaman story in DC Special #28 (July 1977).^[4] That same issue introduced the Quakemaster, an enemy of the Batman co-created by writer Bob Rozakis and artist John Calnan.^[5] Paul Levitz and Joe Staton finished the series with a Justice Society of America story which revealed the team's origin.^[6]

With DC Special's cancellation following issue #29 (Aug.–Sept. 1977),^[1] DC immediately begin publishing the umbrella one-shot title DC Special Series, which lasted until Fall 1981.

• Black Canary Archives includes the Black Canary story from DC Special #3, 224 pages, December 2000, ISBN 978-1563897344
• Secret Society of Super Villains Vol. 2 includes DC Special #27, 328 pages, May 2012, ISBN 978-1401231101
• Legion of Super-Heroes Archive Vol. 13 includes the Legion of Super-Heroes story from DC Special #28, 240 pages, May 2012, ISBN 978-1401234393
• Justice Society Vol. 1 includes DC Special #29, 224 pages, August 2006, ISBN 1-4012-0970-X
• Showcase Presents: All-Star Comics Vol. 1 includes DC Special #29, 448 pages, September 2011, ISBN 978-1401233037

• DC Special Series

• DC Special (1968) at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
• DC Special (1975) at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
• DC Special Archived 2018-10-08 at the Wayback Machine at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
• Daily Planet, volume 77, #2 (January 10, 1977) house advertisement for DC Special #27^{[permanent dead link]} at Mike's Amazing World of Comics