The Grooviest Covers of All Time: Groove's Fave Limited Collectors' Edition Covers

Dig it, Groove-ophiles! One of the coolest things about the Groovy Age was DC's tabloid-sized Limited Collectors' Editon mags. Page after page of reprints from the DC vaults under glorious cardstock covers. Here are  my faves. C.C. Beck. Joe Kubert. Jim Aparo. Dick Giordano. Neal Adams. Mike Grell. What were yours?

Admiring Adams: "A Concept for Superman's Future" by Neal Adams

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Way back in 1972, I remember my folks reading a newspaper article to me saying that Metropolis, Illinois, had declared itself the official hometown of Superman. There's a statue there in front of the courthouse, and every year there's a "Superman Celebration". Even the local paper is called the Metropolis Planet. Another thing I remember hearing way back then, but it never came to fruition, was the possibility of a Superman theme park. Neal Adams must have heard those same rumors, 'cause he was inspired to design his own Superman theme park, as lucky owners of Limited Collectors' Edition #C-31 (July 1974) learned when we cracked open those tabloid sized pages...

Groove's Faves: "Hot Time in Gotham Town Tonight!" by Friedrich, Novick, and Giordano

What it is, Groove-ophiles! Ol' Groove recently received a friendly reminder from Mr. Anonymous about my promising to run the following Bat-classic, so here 'tis! Notice the incredible art of Irv Novick and (for sure this time!) Dick Giordano! While the Adams/Giordano team seems to get all the love from the early Groovy Age era, Novick/Giordano looks mighty fine to moi (dig that full page masterpiece that is page three!)! Mike Friedrich's tale has been a fave since I first read it in the back of Batman #221 (cover-dated May 1970), thanks to its mix of "relevant" and supernatural themes. Are you ready to join the real Batman for a "Hot Town in Gotham Town Tonight!", Groove-ophiles?

Oh, by the way, this particular scan came from the mucho magnificent Limited Collectors' Edition #C-25 (Winter 1974), hence the fun Bob Rozakis Bat-Puzzle!

Groove's Faves: Limited Collectors' Edition C-25

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! One of the most cherished mags in Ol' Groove's comicbook collection is the first Batman tabloid, Limited Collectors' Edition C-25. I remember seeing this ad...

...and instantly wanting, nay, NEEDING to get my hands on those twin tabloids. The Action Comics #1 reprint I found quite easily at my local drugstore (which at the time was my main comicbook haunt). The Batman tabloid, though, I searched high and low for, eventually accidentally finding it at a "strange" (i.e. one I'd never been to before) drugstore near my pediatrician's office (Young Groove had recently broken his arm and was due a check-up). After all the hunting (my dad, bless 'im, even took me out on a long drive to search for it on one of his days off earlier in the month) I lucked out and found it on January 15, 1974. T'was a true red letter day for Young Groove. Not only did I possess a copy of the coolest Bat-comic on the planet, but I finished reading it before the debut of Happy Days on ABC. Broken arm or no, it was one great day!

What made that tabloid (besides its humongous size) so cool? Neal Adams' cover, which re-worked the cool splash from Batman #251...

Classic Golden Age stories drawn by the likes of Bob Kane (with a Joker story I'd never seen), Jerry Robinson, and Dick Sprang...

A Silver Age winner drawn by Carmine Infantino...

Plus a "How to Draw Batman" page (again by Infantino)...

One of my all-time fave Batman stories, "Hot Time in Gotham Town Tonight!" with Irv Novick art (I'll have to share that whole story in the near-future)...

Adams art on "Ghost of the Killer Skies!"...

A mini-lesson on "Batman on the Screen" (I always loved photo-features! Who wrote it? Bob Rozakis? Allan Asherman? ENB?)...

And even the "table-top diorama" was cool--more Adams!

Even at the unthinkable price of a whole buck, that, babies, was a bargain! Wheeeeee-O!