DC COMICS: 1970 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action Comics #387 | Cary Bates, Win Mortimer | First appearance of the new Guardian. | Jan 1970 |
| Adventure Comics #390 | Jim Shooter, Win Mortimer | First appearance of Phantom Girl's new costume. | Mar 1970 |
| Batman #220 | Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams | First cameo appearance of Talia al Ghul (debated). | Mar 1970 |
| Detective Comics #395 | Frank Robbins, Neal Adams | First appearance of Man-Bat. | Jan 1970 |
| Flash #197 | Frank Robbins, Dick Dillin | First appearance of Commander Cold. | May 1970 |
| Green Lantern #76 | Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams | Classic "Snowbirds Don't Fly" issue; Green Lantern/Green Arrow team-up begins, tackling social issues. | Apr 1970 |
| Justice League of America #79 | Mike Friedrich, Dick Dillin | First appearance of the Justice League Satellite. | Mar 1970 |
| Legion of Super-Heroes #1 | Jim Shooter, Curt Swan | First solo title for the Legion of Super-Heroes. | Mar-Apr 1970 |
| Superman #229 | Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan | Significant Bronze Age Superman story. | Aug 1970 |
| World's Finest Comics #197 | Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin | Classic Superman and Batman team-up issue. | Aug 1970 |
| House of Secrets #83 | Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Bernie Wrightson | First appearance of Alex Olsen Swamp Thing (precursor to main Swamp Thing). | Aug 1970 |
DC COMICS: 1971 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| Issue | Creators | Why It Is A Key | Cover Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forever People #1 | Jack Kirby (writer/artist) | 1st appearance of the Forever People (Big Bear, Mark Moonrider, Serifan, Beautiful Dreamer, Vykin the Black). 1st appearance of Darkseid (cameo). 1st appearance of the Mother Box. 1st appearance of Infinity Man. 1st appearance of Desaad. | Feb 1971 |
| Mister Miracle #1 | Jack Kirby (writer/artist) | 1st appearance of Mister Miracle (Scott Free). 1st appearance of Oberon. 1st appearance of Granny Goodness. Origin of Mister Miracle. | Mar 1971 |
| Green Lantern #81 | Denny O'Neil (writer), Neal Adams (artist) | 1st appearance of Guy Gardner (alternate Green Lantern, in a vision). | Mar 1971 |
| New Gods #1 | Jack Kirby (writer/artist) | 1st appearance of Orion, Highfather, Lightray, Metron, and Kalibak. Origin of the New Gods. | Mar 1971 |
| Detective Comics #411 | Denny O'Neil (writer), Bob Brown (artist) | 1st appearance of Talia al Ghul. | May 1971 |
| Batman #232 | Denny O'Neil (writer), Neal Adams (artist) | 1st appearance of Ra's al Ghul. | Jun 1971 |
| Mister Miracle #4 | Jack Kirby (writer/artist) | 1st appearance of Big Barda. | Sep 1971 |
| Green Lantern #87 | Denny O'Neil (writer), Neal Adams (artist) | 1st appearance of John Stewart (Green Lantern). Iconic cover. | Dec 1971 |
| The Brave and the Bold #98 | Bob Haney (writer), Nick Cardy (artist) | 1st appearance of the Phantom Stranger in the Silver Age (in-continuity). | Oct 1971 |
| World's Finest Comics #207 | Len Wein (writer), Dick Dillin (artist) | 1st appearance of the new Super-Sons (Superman Jr. and Batman Jr. as adults). | Nov 1971 |
| Forever People #6 | Jack Kirby (writer/artist) | 1st full appearance of Darkseid. | Dec 1971 |
DC COMICS: 1972 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| Issue | Creators | Why It Is A Key | Cover Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action Comics #412 | Cary Bates, Curt Swan | Significant development in Superman's powers. | May 1972 |
| Adventure Comics #417 | Len Wein, Jim Aparo | Spectre feature, strong supernatural art. | June 1972 |
| Batman #241 | Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams | Classic 'Ra's al Ghul' storyline continues. Iconic cover art by Adams. | June 1972 |
| The Brave and the Bold #101 | Bob Haney, Jim Aparo | Batman team-up with The Phantom Stranger. | Aug 1972 |
| Detective Comics #420 | Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams | Key Bronze Age Batman mystery. | Feb 1972 |
| The Flash #214 | Cary Bates, Irv Novick | First appearance of a new villain, a speedster rival. | Oct 1972 |
| Green Lantern / Green Arrow #87 | Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams | Continues the landmark social commentary run. | Feb 1972 |
| House of Secrets #98 | Len Wein, Bernie Wrightson | Early horror anthology with art by Bernie Wrightson. | Mar 1972 |
| Justice League of America #96 | Len Wein, Dick Dillin | Conclusion of a major JLA vs. Starbreaker epic. | Apr 1972 |
| Justice League of America #100 | Len Wein, Dick Dillin | Major JLA/JSA/Freedom Fighters crossover, 100th issue milestone. | Aug 1972 |
| Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth #1 | Jack Kirby | FIRST ISSUE! Jack Kirby's post-apocalyptic classic begins. | Oct 1972 |
| Our Army At War #249 | Robert Kanigher, Joe Kubert | Classic Sgt. Rock story and powerful war imagery. | Mar 1972 |
| Phantom Stranger #18 | Len Wein, Jim Aparo | Excellent supernatural mystery, strong Aparo art. | Apr 1972 |
| Strange Adventures #205 | Denny O'Neil, Mike Sekowsky | Deadman story, excellent Sekowsky artwork. | Feb 1972 |
| Superman #250 | Dennis O'Neil, Curt Swan | Milestone issue, features multiple Superman stories. | July 1972 |
| Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #123 | Robert Kanigher, Werner Roth | Interesting social commentary on gender roles. | Aug 1972 |
| Swamp Thing #1 | Len Wein, Bernie Wrightson | FIRST ISSUE! Full origin of Swamp Thing. | Oct 1972 |
| Teen Titans #37 | Bob Haney, Nick Cardy | Early Bronze Age Teen Titans story, unique Cardy cover. | Feb 1972 |
| Wonder Woman #199 | Samuel R. Delany, Dick Giordano | Part of the "Mod Era" Wonder Woman, Delany's writing. | May 1972 |
| World's Finest Comics #211 | Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin | Superman/Batman team-up, first appearance of a minor supporting character. | Oct 1972 |
DC COMICS: 1973 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action Comics #422 | Cary Bates, Curt Swan | First appearance of Ambush Bug (Irwin Schwab) - though he is a very minor character here before his later revamp. | Apr 1973 |
| Adventure Comics #427 | Len Wein, Jim Aparo | First appearance of the new Earth-One Starman (Prince Gavyn). | Mar 1973 |
| Batman #251 | Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams | Classic Joker story, "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge!" One of the most iconic Joker stories of the Bronze Age. | Sep 1973 |
| Detective Comics #437 | Denny O'Neil, Dick Giordano | First appearance of the League of Assassins leader, Ra's al Ghul (though he debuted earlier, this features a significant new story arc). | Jul 1973 |
| The Brave and the Bold #108 | Bob Haney, Jim Aparo | Batman teams up with the Metal Men. | Jul 1973 |
| Justice League of America #107 | Len Wein, Dick Dillin | First appearance of the Secret Society of Super-Villains (formed in this issue, though their full roster would grow). | Oct 1973 |
| Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth #1 | Jack Kirby | First issue of Jack Kirby's post-apocalyptic epic, a highly regarded series. First appearance of Kamandi. | Oct 1972 (On Sale Dec 1972) / Feb 1973 (Cover Date) |
| The Flash #222 | Cary Bates, Irv Novick | Features the Rogues Gallery, classic Flash villains. | Jul 1973 |
| House of Mystery #212 | Len Wein, Bernie Wrightson | Features a Swamp Thing story, continuing the character's early development. | May 1973 |
| Superman #265 | Cary Bates, Curt Swan | Early Bronze Age Superman story. | Jul 1973 |
| Wonder Woman #206 | Robert Kanigher, Don Heck | Significant early Bronze Age appearance of Wonder Woman, featuring her return to traditional costume. | Jun 1973 |
| Green Lantern #92 | Denny O'Neil, Mike Grell | Continues the popular Green Lantern/Green Arrow team-up, though often focusing more on GL at this point. | Aug 1973 |
| The Demon #1 | Jack Kirby | First issue of Jack Kirby's Demon, introducing Etrigan the Demon. | Aug 1972 (On Sale Oct 1972) / Sep 1973 (Cover Date) |
| Phantom Stranger #26 | Len Wein, Jim Aparo | Features a strong supernatural story. | Oct 1973 |
| World's Finest Comics #219 | Bob Haney, Dick Dillin | Superman and Batman team-up, a classic pairing. | Apr 1973 |
DC COMICS: 1974 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| Issue | Creators | Why It Is A Key | Cover Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazing World of DC Comics #1 | Various Artists & Writers | 1st issue of DC's official fan magazine 'fanzine'. | Jul |
| Batman #255 | Denny O'Neil & Neal Adams | Classic Neal Adams cover; Batman battles a werewolf. | Apr |
| Detective Comics #439 | Denny O'Neil & Neal Adams | Origin of Man-Bat retold; Classic Neal Adams artwork. | Mar |
| Detective Comics #441 | Archie Goodwin & Sal Amendola | 1st appearance of The Spook (in costume). | Jul |
| Detective Comics #442 | Archie Goodwin & Alex Toth | Classic story 'Death Haunts the Halloween Highways'; Alex Toth artwork. | Sep |
| Detective Comics #443 | Len Wein & Jim Aparo | Return of Batman to Wayne Foundation building. | Nov |
| The Joker #1 | Denny O'Neil & Irv Novick | 1st issue of Joker's solo series; 1st appearance of his 'jokermobile'. | May |
| Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth #19 | Jack Kirby | Iconic Jack Kirby 'Ape City' cover. | Jul |
| Man-Bat #1 | Frank Robbins & Neal Adams | 1st issue of Man-Bat's solo series. | Dec |
| Phantom Stranger #31 | Len Wein & Jim Aparo | Origin of the Phantom Stranger. | Jul |
| Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter #1 | Denny O'Neil & Jim Starlin | 1st appearance of Richard Dragon and Ben Turner (Bronze Tiger). | May |
| The Sandman #1 | Joe Simon & Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of the Garrett Sanford Sandman. | Dec |
| Shazam! #15 | Denny O'Neil & C.C. Beck | Classic greed/money cover by Nick Cardy. | Nov |
| The Shadow #1 | Denny O'Neil & Michael Kaluta | 1st DC issue of The Shadow; Classic Michael Kaluta artwork. | Nov |
| Swamp Thing #9 | Len Wein & Bernie Wrightson | Origin of Swamp Thing retold; Final Bernie Wrightson interior art for the series. | Apr |
| Swamp Thing #10 | Len Wein & Bernie Wrightson | Batman crossover appearance. | Jun |
| Weird Mystery Tales #15 | Sheldon Mayer & Tony DeZuniga | 1st appearance of The Black Orchid. | Jun |
| Wonder Woman #212 | Len Wein & Curt Swan | Beginning of the '12 Labors' storyline; Wonder Woman regains her powers and classic costume. | Jul |
DC COMICS: 1975 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Joker #1 | Denny O'Neil (writer), Irv Novick (penciler), Ernie Chua (inker) | First issue of the Joker's first-ever ongoing solo series. | May 1975 |
| Warlord #1 | Mike Grell (writer, penciler, inker) | First appearance of Travis Morgan (Warlord) and introduction of the fantasy world of Skartaris. | Feb 1975 |
| Freedom Fighters #1 | Martin Pasko (writer), Ric Estrada (penciler), Pablo Marcos (inker) | First issue of the team's ongoing series at DC Comics, featuring characters originally from Quality Comics. | Mar 1975 |
| Stalker #1 | Paul Levitz (writer), Steve Ditko (penciler), Wally Wood (inker) | First issue of the Sword and Sorcery series created by Paul Levitz and Steve Ditko. | Jun 1975 |
| Detective Comics #452 | Archie Goodwin (writer), Alex Toth (penciler), Dick Giordano (inker) | First appearance of Harvey Bullock (pre-Crisis). | Oct 1975 |
| Adventure Comics #440 | Paul Levitz (writer), Jim Aparo (penciler, inker) | Death of Aquababy (Arthur Curry Jr.), a significant event in Aquaman's history. | Nov 1975 |
| Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #208 | Jim Shooter (writer), Mike Grell (penciler), Bob Wiacek (inker) | First appearance of Tyroc, the first black superhero in the Legion of Super-Heroes. | Apr 1975 |
| Metal Men #45 | Steve Skeates (writer), Walt Simonson (penciler), Al Milgrom (inker) | Final issue of the original Metal Men series. | Apr 1975 |
DC COMICS: 1976 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| Issue | Creators | Why It Is A Key | Cover Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Issue Special #13 | Jack Kirby (script/art) | 1st appearance of Etrigan (Pre-Flashpoint), 1st appearance of Klarion the Witch Boy, 1st appearance of Jason Blood | Apr-76 |
| All-Star Comics #58 | Gerry Conway (script), Keith Giffen (art) | 1st appearance of Power Girl (Kara Zor-L), 1st appearance of the Star-Spangled Kid (Sylvester Pemberton) as a member of the JSA | Jan-76 |
| All-Star Comics #59 | Gerry Conway (script), Ric Estrada (art) | Origin of Power Girl | Mar-76 |
| All-Star Comics #65 | Paul Levitz (script), Joe Staton (art) | Death of the original Robin (Earth-Two) | Mar-77 |
| Batman #272 | Denny O'Neil (script), Ernie Chan (art) | Classic Joker cover | Feb-76 |
| Blackhawk #244 | Steve Skeates (script), Ric Estrada (art) | 1st appearance of the new Blackhawks | Jan-76 |
| DC Super-Stars #10 | Paul Levitz (script), Joe Staton (art) | 1st appearance of the Huntress (Helena Wayne) | Dec-76 |
| Freedom Fighters #1 | Gerry Conway (script), Ric Estrada (art) | 1st issue of the series | Mar-76 |
| Isis #1 | Denny O'Neil (script), Ric Estrada (art) | 1st appearance of Isis in comics | Oct-76 |
| Joker #9 | Elliot S. Maggin (script), Irv Novick (art) | Final issue of the series | Sep-76 |
| Justice League of America #128 | Cary Bates (script), Dick Dillin (art) | Crisis on Earth-S | Mar-76 |
| Justice League of America #135 | E. Nelson Bridwell (script), Dick Dillin (art) | 1st appearance of the Legion of Super-Villains | Oct-76 |
| Justice League of America #136 | E. Nelson Bridwell (script), Dick Dillin (art) | Crisis on Earth-A | Nov-76 |
| Justice League of America #137 | E. Nelson Bridwell (script), Dick Dillin (art) | Final Crisis on Earth-A | Dec-76 |
| Kobra #1 | Martin Pasko (script), Jack Kirby (art) | 1st appearance of Kobra | Feb-76 |
| Secret Society of Super-Villains #1 | Gerry Conway (script), Pablo Marcos (art) | 1st appearance of the Secret Society of Super-Villains | May-76 |
| Shazam! #25 | E. Nelson Bridwell (script), Kurt Schaffenberger (art) | 1st appearance of the new Captain Marvel Jr. | Oct-76 |
| Showcase #94 | Paul Kupperberg (script), Joe Staton (art) | 1st appearance of the new Doom Patrol | Aug-77 |
| Super-Team Family #3 | Gerry Conway (script), Ric Estrada (art) | 1st appearance of the Teen Titans West | Feb-76 |
| Superman #300 | Cary Bates (script), Curt Swan (art) | Anniversary issue | Jun-76 |
| Superman #302 | Gerry Conway (script), Curt Swan (art) | 1st appearance of Spellbinder (female) | Aug-76 |
| Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man #1 | Gerry Conway (script), Ross Andru (art) | 1st crossover between DC and Marvel | Mar-76 |
| Teen Titans #44 | Paul Levitz (script), Pablo Marcos (art) | 1st appearance of the second Harlequin | Feb-77 |
| Warlord #1 | Mike Grell (script/art) | 1st solo series for Warlord | Feb-76 |
| Wonder Woman #222 | Martin Pasko (script), Jose Delbo (art) | Return to original numbering | Feb-76 |
DC COMICS: 1977 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| Issue | Creators | Why It Is A Key | Cover Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-Star Comics #69 | Paul Levitz & Joe Staton | 1st appearance of the Huntress (Helena Wayne), the daughter of Earth-Two Batman and Catwoman. | Dec 1977 |
| Black Lightning #1 | Tony Isabella & Trevor Von Eeden | 1st appearance of Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce), DC's first headlining black superhero. | Apr 1977 |
| Shade, the Changing Man #1 | Steve Ditko & Michael Fleisher | 1st appearance of Shade, the Changing Man (Rac Shade). A classic Steve Ditko creation. | Jul 1977 |
| The New Gods #12 | Gerry Conway & Don Newton | Revival of Jack Kirby's New Gods series, continuing the Fourth World saga. | Jul 1977 |
| Showcase #97 | Paul Kupperberg & Joe Staton | 1st appearance of the Doom Patrol (second incarnation) including Celsius, Robotman II, and Negative Woman. | Feb 1977 |
| Batman #286 | David Vern Reed & John Calnan | Classic Joker cover by Jim Aparo. | Apr 1977 |
| DC Special Series #1 | Various Artists & Writers | 5 Star Super-Hero Spectacular. Origin of the JLA. | Sep 1977 |
| The Brave and the Bold #132 | Bob Haney & Jim Aparo | Iconic Batman vs. Catwoman cover art by Jim Aparo. | Feb 1977 |
| Justice League of America #144 | Steve Englehart & Dick Dillin | Classic Justice League vs. Legion of Super-Heroes crossover event. | Jul 1977 |
| DC Super-Stars #17 | Paul Levitz & Joe Staton | Origin of the Justice Society of America (JSA) and the Huntress. | Dec 1977 |
| Ghosts #57 | Various Artists & Writers | Iconic skeleton ghost cover art by Nick Cardy. | Oct 1977 |
DC COMICS: 1978 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action Comics #484 | Cary Bates, Curt Swan | First appearance of Microwave Man. | Jun |
| Adventure Comics #459 | David Michelinie, Jim Aparo | First appearance of the new Starman (Mikaal Tomas). | Sep |
| All-Star Comics #74 | Paul Levitz, Joe Staton | Death of the original Mister Terrific (Terry Sloane). | Oct |
| Batman #300 | David Vern Reed, Walt Simonson | Anniversary issue. Batman and Robin of Earth-Two defeat the villain behind a future Gotham. | Jun |
| DC Comics Presents #1 | Martin Pasko, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez | First issue of the Superman team-up title. Superman and Flash team-up. | Aug |
| Showcase #100 | Paul Kupperberg, Joe Staton | Anniversary issue featuring nearly every hero who ever appeared in Showcase. | May |
| Superman #321 | Martin Pasko, Curt Swan | First appearance of Vartox. | Mar |
| The Brave and the Bold #141 | Bob Haney, Jim Aparo | Batman and Dinah Lance (Black Canary) team-up. | Aug |
DC COMICS: 1979 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adventure Comics #461 | Len Wein, Paul Levitz, Joe Staton | 1st appearance of Starman (Prince Gavyn). | Feb |
| Adventure Comics #462 | Paul Levitz, Joe Staton | Death of the original Starman (Ted Knight). | Apr |
| Batman #311 | Len Wein, Irv Novick | 1st appearance of Dr. Leslie Thompkins. | May |
| Batman #313 | Len Wein, Irv Novick, Frank McLaughlin | 1st appearance of Tim Fox, son of Lucius Fox. | Jul |
| Detective Comics #483 | Denny O'Neil, Don Newton | 1st appearance of Maxie Zeus. | May |
| World's Finest Comics #258 | Cary Bates, Curt Swan | 1st Bronze Age appearance of Metallo. | Sep |
| The Brave and the Bold #158 | Cary Burkett, Jim Aparo | 1st appearance of Nemesis (Thomas Tresser). | Jan |
| Justice League of America #166 | Gerry Conway, Dick Dillin | 1st appearance of the new Secret Society of Super-Villains (Wizard, Professor Zoom, Floronic Man, Blockbuster, Star Sapphire). | May |
| Super Friends #20 | E. Nelson Bridwell, Ramona Fradon | 1st comic book appearance of the Wonder Twins (Zan and Jayna) and Gleek. | May |
| Weird War Tales #71 | Robert Kanigher, J. M. DeMatteis, Pat Broderick | 1st appearance of the Creature Commandos. | Jan |