Showcase Presents Challenges of the Unknown 1

Arrived quickly and in good shape. Not the easiest book to find so am happy with my purchase

As a youngster growing up in Chicago I had a passion to read magazines and comic books. I loved the old westerns, war story comics, and numerous other kinds. When I saw this collection (Showcase presents: Challengers of the unknown, Vol. 1) on Amazon for a bargain price I purchased it.I liked the quick delivery service. This amazing black and white collection of stories in this massive 544 page volume focuses on the numerous adventures of “The Challengers” who are 4 highly skilled courageous warriors who include Rocky Davis, Olympic wrestling champion, Prof. Haley, and expert skin diver, Red Ryan, a circus daredevil and Ace Morgan, a war hero and fearless jet pilot.Some of the many stories in this volume include the following: Secrets of the Sorcerer’s box, the day the earth blew up, the menace of the ancient vials, the man who tampered with infinity, the human pets, the monster maker, secret of the sorcerer’s mirror, the wizard of time, the riddle of the star-stone, captives of the space circus, the beasts from planet 9, the man who stole the future, the plot to destroy Earth, the creatures of the past, and numerous other adventure stories.If you like old comic book stories you may want to check out this collection.Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Tactical Principles of the most effective Combative Systems).

First off, I got the paperback version and the printing and binding are fine. The art is crisp and each page is comic-book-size; a prefectly good showcase for these artists! The black-and-white presentation gives you the pen- (or brush-) and-ink work of comix masters Jack Kirby and Wally Wood straight up, without overlays. It's a great option that isn't just giving you more art for less money than DC's in-color reprint series DC ARCHIVE EDITIONS.Originally, SHOWCASE was the 1950s - 60s anthology comic DC Comics used to test new (or in some cases re-imagined) characters that might get their own series, appear as supporting characters elsewhere, or simply be let fade away. In this case, the four non-superpowered heroes were introduced in SHOWCASE #6 (Feb 1957) and went on to appear in #7, 11, and 12 before getting their own title. This collection includes those comics, through # 17 of CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN (Dec/Jan, 1960/61.)The purple-jumpsuited team form while travelling to an interview program celebrating heroes. When pilot "Ace" Morgan crashes the plane and all survive, he, wrestler "Rocky" Davis, skindiver "Prof" Haley, and daredevil "Red" Ryan conclude that as men "living on borrowed time" they will sieze any challenge. Scientist June Robbins unofficially joins them in the next issue, interceding for a misunderstood giant Nazi robot that is rebelling against exploitation! The stories are fun, un-selfconscious camp.The four SHOWCASEs are written by Dave Wood (and maybe his brother Dick) with Kirby's pencils. As always with Kirby there's some argument about his contribution to the creation of the characters, but with the first issue of the new series he begins writing the stories himself. It's a great opportunity to see the comix great's strengths and weaknesses without his famed collaborators. No one could beat Kirby at heroic action in the face of cosmic danger; where he falls short is in characterization, humour, and philosophy. Art-wise it's pure Kirby: panel-busting, breakneck-plotting, scope-sweeping greatness.Wally Wood takes over inking duties with issue # 4. I wouldn't've expected it to work; not only is Kirby's brutal dynamism very different from Wood's detailed elegance, but Kirby had a special perspective and anatomics that not all his inkers "got." Wood is able to make it work - mostly.After issue 8 Kirby and Wood leave the series to Bob Brown. Brown was the artist who pretty much took the team through the sixties, and although far from Kirby's league the adventures are decent for the period. Recurring villains Kra and Multi-Man are introduced and the Challengers move into their Challenger Mountain HQ. It's a great collection of Silver Age comix.

Along with the Blackhawks, this was the top team for D.C. in the Silver Age. Some stories may seen a bit far-fetched now, but not in the heyday of sci-fi at Saturday movie matinees. Plus Jack Kirby art.

Nice book which I thought I'd be more interested in. The lack of color turned out to be more important than I'd imagined. The paper feels like newsprint and the illustrations, while beautiful as black and white line drawings, lack their potential if color was used. Good price for a 500 page book but I'll likely switch to more colorful volumes.

Great 1950's jack kirby,nuff said!

Great condition for the price!

Good artwork, imaginative storytelling. All in all a great silver age adventure series.