DC Comics 1994 Elseworlds Annuals

Since I put this site together my first instinct was to review/talk about the new comics I get each week.  However, these posts take me a while to put together and really the quickest I could get something out would be 2-3 days after the comic was released, which is approximately 7 years in internet terms.  So by the time I got my review out there would already be hundreds of professional and amateur sites that do just that. Frankly I don’t know if my opinion on new comics is that unique that I need to throw in my two cents.

That being said this is my website so I will write about whatever I want to, which may include reviews of new comics from time to time (YOU’RE NOT MY SUPERVISOR!).  But for the most part I focus my reviews on older more obscure stuff I like from the 90’s.

I’m a child of the 90’s and while I didn’t really read comic books much back then, the big boom comics of the early 90’s were the color pallet of my childhood.  Things like Batman the Animated Series, the X-Men cartoon, pogs, and Crystal Pepsi were my jam.  This actually works out great for me at this age in life because the comics I am most interested in collecting (stuff from the early 90’s) is literally some of the least valuable comics available and super easy to find.

So one of the things I love in Comic Books (besides early 90’s X-Men) is Elseworlds stories (What if… stories if you’re nasty).  I really enjoy getting new takes on well known characters that put them in situations I would have never dreamed of (Superman Red Son is easily one of my favorite series of all time).

What makes Elseworld stories so great you ask?  Well a couple of things.  First, Elseworlds stories are self-contained and a lot of times appear only as one issue comics.  You get a short, but complete story, which is given to you in a self-contained universe.  Second, because these are non-canon stories anything can happen.  Major villains and heroes can die so the stakes are a lot higher.

This is the list of 1994 Annuals that I was able to buy

• The Adventures of Superman 6 “The Super Seven Part I: The Longest Night”
• Batman 18 “Black Masterpiece”
• Batman: Shadow of the Bat 2 “The Tyrant”
• Catwoman 1 “The Last Man”
• Detective Comics 7 “Leatherwing”
• Green Lantern 3 “Ring of Evil”
• Justice League International 5 “No Rules to Follow”
• Justice League of America 8 “The Once and Future League”
• Legends of the Dark Knight 4 “Citizen Wayne”
• Lobo 2 “Western”
• Robin 3 “The Narrow Path”
• Steel 1 “Crucible of Freedom”
• Superboy 1 “The Super Seven Part II: The Men of Steel”
• Superman 6 “The Feral Man of Steel”
• Team Titans 2 “Into the Light”

I only have 15 of the 23 so I am missing 8 but honestly the rest of the list is pretty obscure (L.E.G.I.O.N., Legionnaires, Legion of Super-heroes etc.) so even with my OCD completionist mindset I’m fine not having all of them (though if I see it I’ll pick up Action Comics Annual 6).  I’m still a little amazed I was able to find the 15 that I did find at once.  I was able to get all of these at Houston Comic-Con (Comicpalooza) over Memorial Day weekend.  At first I had only found three (Batman, Detective Comics, and Superman) and was checking out when the stall owner said he had a bundled a few together which contained 12 more.

So my plan is to treat this like I do my Mystery Comics and periodically review these from time to time as I read them.  So be on the look out! This is just the start of more to come!