It finally happened: DC Comics has reprinted New Fun Comics #1, and I am very excited to revisit this “lost” classic. I remember around 1999 to 2000 DC Comics did a collection of classic comics called Millennium Editions, and boy was it something to be able to own copies of issues like Action Comics #1 and Detective Comics #27. At the time, I was able to obtain the first appearances of the “Big 7” of the JLA. I was so excited to hear that the first-ever DC comic books was going to be part of the celebration too…but sadly, it didn’t happen. Two decades later, here we are, and DC has finally re-released this piece of history.
This is the perfect gift for DC Comics’ 85th birthday, and for fans of comics. This book is oversized like the various Treasury Editions that have been put out in the past, which makes it a hardcover replica. This will stand out on your shelf or coffee table. Honestly, it’s like a time capsule that has finally been unearthed and the contents are amazing. The history is well preserved as the comic is printed on a different kind of paper so it even feels like an older comic. All the original art, stories, and even ads are inside, awaiting you to visit and revisit. It is such a trip back into the past that I feel like Marty McFly. I really do have to say this put me in awe when I was flipping through it and reading these old comics.
I love the intros from Jerry G. Bails and Roy Thomas — especially from Jerry, as he was very excited to see the Millennium Edition which sadly didn’t happen, but major kudos to DC and the Collected Editions team for including this as the opening intro. The second intro from Roy is also fun as he was a fan who made the jump into being a professional and can provide viewpoints from both an outsider and insider of the business. After the comic, we have an essay about Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson by Nicky Wheeler-Nicholson, the Granddaughter of the Major, and she shares some insights about him along with some corrections about his life. It was very wild to learn about the life and controversy that goes alongside the Major — the man even survived a gunshot to the head!
This is a really special book and it feels like it was made by fans and the love expressed by the Collected Editions team is felt with each page and written word inside this book. Editor Benjamin Le Clear explains why this took so long to be reprinted, which is quite the story in itself, along with a scan of the actual cover to New Fun Comics #1.
I want to give special mention to Lloyd Jacquet, who was able to work on both this comic and Marvel Comics #1. How amazing is it that this gentleman was there at the birth of both great comic companies? I wouldn’t have known that, but this book shares much love to him as well.
All in all, this book gets my highest recommendation. Happy birthday, DC Comics, and thank you for the gift.
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