Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Bring on the Back-Ups: "The Last Duty!" by O'Neil and Craig

One of the best things about DC's Dollar Comics format was that it allowed the editors of those extra-sized comic mags to try a variety of content. One of the things editor Paul Levitz used for back-ups in Detective Comics was Tales of Gotham City. Gotham was as much a character in Batman's universe as any side-kick or villain, so these Batman-less slice of life stories were always a treat. Today's example, "The Last Duty!" written by Denny O'Neil and illustrated by EC Comics luminary Johnny Craig from Detective Comics #488 (November 1979) is absolutely one of the best of this sometimes back-up series. See what ya think, Groove-ophiles!








8 comments:

  1. JOHNNY CRAIG?1 Don't how I missed this issue back in the day, but I'm glad that you brought it to my attention, Groove. Thanks!

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  2. Thank you,Mr Groove,for sharing.
    I've never seen this one.
    Good story and art.
    /Mr Anonymous

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  3. Superb story and probably one of the fairest treatments of cops in comics ever.

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  4. To my discerning eye, it appears that Dan Spiegle ghost-pencilled this job for Johnny Craig. Spiegle would later do a few more "Tales of Gotham City" under his own name.

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  5. I remember reading this way back in the day. Brilliant story. I wish they'd collect "Tales of Gotham" into a TPB.

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  6. Great story that I have never read. Thanks for posting, Groove.

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  7. Uh, why didn't the cops search and disarm that guy? I've been frisked for less than that.
    The cops in Gotham seem either corrupt or incompetent. No wonder Batman's always pissed.

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  8. Wow! Craig - don't see him every day -late in the groovy period and he still has it...I guess that's why the groovy age was groovy - Johnny Craig can just show up anywhere...

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Special thanks to Mike's Amazing World of Comics and Grand Comics Database for being such fantastic resources for covers, dates, creator info, etc. Thou art treasures true!


Note to "The Man": All images are presumed copyright by the respective copyright holders and are presented here as fair use under applicable laws, man! If you hold the copyright to a work I've posted and would like me to remove it, just drop me an e-mail and it's gone, baby, gone.


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