1st Issue Special was a short-lived anthology series from DC Comics

DC Comics

DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...

, done in similar style to their Showcase

Showcase (comics)

Showcase has been the title of several comic anthology series published by DC Comics. The general theme of these series has been to feature new and minor characters as a way to gauge reader interest in them, without the difficulty and risk of featuring "untested" characters in their own ongoing...

series. It ran from 1975-76.

Publication history

Only one of the titles actually got their own series, the exception being Mike Grell

Mike Grell

Mike Grell is a comic book writer and artist, known for his work on books such as Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Jon Sable Freelance.-Early life:...

's The Warlord

The Warlord

The Warlord can refer to:*The War Lord, a 1965 film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner or the film's theme music composed by Jerome Moross*The War Lord , a 1965 instrumental hit single by the legendary British band "The Shadows" based on the theme music of the film of the same name*Terry Szopinski,...

 which first appeared in issue #8 (November 1975). Issues #1 (featuring Atlas

Atlas (DC Comics)

Atlas is the name of several fictional characters, comic book superheroes and deities published by DC Comics. Jack Kirby's Atlas debuted in 1st Issue Special #1, , and was created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...

), #5, and #6 (Dingbats of Danger Street

Dingbats of Danger Street

The Dingbats of Danger Street are a fictional comic book gang of kids published by DC Comics. The Dingbats debuted in 1st Issue Special #6 , and were created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...

) featured art and story by comics legend Jack Kirby

Jack Kirby

Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....

, with issue #5 being notable for featuring Kirby's revamp of the DC character Manhunter

Manhunter (comics)

-Golden Age:The first of DC's Manhunters was a non-costumed independent investigator, Paul Kirk, who helped police solve crimes during the early 1940s. Though the series was titled "Paul Kirk, Manhunter", Kirk didn't use the Manhunter name as an alias...

.

A number of issues featured existing DC Characters: issue #3, Metamorpho

Metamorpho

Metamorpho is a fictional character, a superhero in the . He is a founding member of the Outsiders, and has also joined multiple incarnations of the Justice League.-Publication history:...

, written by the characters creator Bob Haney

Bob Haney

Robert G. "Bob" Haney was a US comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. He co-created the Teen Titans as well as characters such as Metamorpho, Eclipso, Cain, and the Super-Sons.- Early life and career :...

, issue #7, The Creeper, illustrated by the character's creator Steve Ditko

Steve Ditko

Stephen J. "Steve" Ditko is an American comic book artist and writer best known as the artist co-creator, with Stan Lee, of the Marvel Comics heroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange....

, issue #9, The Golden Age

Golden Age of Comic Books

The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...

  character Doctor Fate

Doctor Fate

Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...

, and issue #13, the New Gods

New Gods

The New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comic books about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....

.

Issue #12 featured a revised version of the Golden Age Character

Golden Age of Comic Books

The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...

  Starman

Starman (comics)

Starman is a name used by several different fictional DC Comics superheroes, most prominently Ted Knight and his sons David and Jack.Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Jack Burnley, the original Starman, Ted Knight, first appeared in Adventure Comics #61...

 and would later be used in James Robinson

James Dale Robinson

James Dale Robinson is a British writer of comic books and screenplays who is also known for his interest in vintage collectibles and memorabilia. His style is described as smart and energetic, built upon his vast knowledge of obscure continuity from the period known to fans and historians as the...

's 1990's series focused on the character Jack Knight

Starman (Jack Knight)

Starman is fictional character, a comic book superhero in the , and a member of the Justice Society of America. He is the son of the original Starman, Ted Knight...

. The character was a supporting player in Justice League of America in 2010.

List of stories and credits

Issue #	Featured Character - "Story Title"	Credits
1	"Atlas The Great Atlas (DC Comics) Atlas is the name of several fictional characters, comic book superheroes and deities published by DC Comics. Jack Kirby's Atlas debuted in 1st Issue Special #1, , and was created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:... "	Edited, written & drawn by Jack Kirby Jack Kirby Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium.... , inks & lettering by D. Bruce Berry
2	The Green Team: Boy Millionaires	Joe Simon Joe Simon Joseph Henry "Joe" Simon is an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics.With his...  & Jerry Grandenetti Jerry Grandenetti Charles J. "Jerry" Grandenetti was an American comic book artist and advertising art director, best known for his work with writer-artist Will Eisner on the celebrated comics feature "The Spirit", and for his decade-and-a-half run on many DC Comics war series...
3	Metamorpho Metamorpho Metamorpho is a fictional character, a superhero in the . He is a founding member of the Outsiders, and has also joined multiple incarnations of the Justice League.-Publication history:... , The Element Man: "The Freak And The Billion-Dollar Phantom."	Written by Bob Haney Bob Haney Robert G. "Bob" Haney was a US comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. He co-created the Teen Titans as well as characters such as Metamorpho, Eclipso, Cain, and the Super-Sons.- Early life and career :... , art by Ramona Fradon Ramona Fradon Ramona Fradon is an American comic book and comic strip artist, known for her work illustrating Aquaman and Brenda Starr, and co-creating the superhero Metamorpho. Her career began in 1950, when it was even more unusual for women to illustrate superhero comics.-Career:Fradon entered cartooning...
4	Lady Cop Lady Cop The Lady Cop is a fictional police officer, a comic book character published by DC Comics. She debuted in 1st Issue Special #4, , and was created by Robert Kanigher and John Rosenberger.-Origin:... : "Poisoned Love"	Written by Robert Kanigher Robert Kanigher Robert Kanigher was a prolific comic book writer and editor whose career spanned five decades. He was involved with the Wonder Woman franchise for over twenty years, taking over the scripting from creator William Moulton Marston. In addition, Kanigher spent many years in charge of DC Comics' war... , art by John Rosenberger John Rosenberger John Francis Rosenberger , also occasionally credited as John Diehl, was an American comic book artist and painter from after the Second World War until the mid-1970s...  & Vince Colletta Vince Colletta Vincent Joseph Colletta was an American comic book artist and art director best known as one of industry legend Jack Kirby's frequent inkers during the 1950s-1960s period called the Silver Age of comic books...
5	Manhunter Manhunter (comics) -Golden Age:The first of DC's Manhunters was a non-costumed independent investigator, Paul Kirk, who helped police solve crimes during the early 1940s. Though the series was titled "Paul Kirk, Manhunter", Kirk didn't use the Manhunter name as an alias...	Edited, written & drawn by Jack Kirby Jack Kirby Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium.... , inks & Lettering by D Bruce Berry
6	Dingbats of Danger Street Dingbats of Danger Street The Dingbats of Danger Street are a fictional comic book gang of kids published by DC Comics. The Dingbats debuted in 1st Issue Special #6 , and were created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...	Work by Jack Kirby Jack Kirby Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium.... , inks by Mike Royer Mike Royer (comics) Michael "Mike" W. Royer Michael "Mike" W. Royer Michael "Mike" W. Royer (born 1941, Lebanon, Oregon;The entry at the Lambiek Comiclopedia erroneously lists Canada as his birthplace. Royer specifies "his birth state, Oregon" in his official site's biography. is an comic book artist and inker, best...
7	The Creeper: "Menace of The Human Fire-Fly."	Script by Michael Fleisher Michael Fleisher Michael L. "Mike" Fleisher is an American writer known for his DC Comics of the 1970s and 1980s, particularly for the characters the Spectre and Jonah Hex.-Early life and career:... , art by Steve Ditko Steve Ditko Stephen J. "Steve" Ditko is an American comic book artist and writer best known as the artist co-creator, with Stan Lee, of the Marvel Comics heroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange....  & Mike Royer, edited by Joe Orlando Joe Orlando Joseph Orlando was a prolific illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist during a lengthy career spanning six decades...
8	The Warlord Warlord (comics) The Warlord is a sword and sorcery comic book published by DC Comics. The series and titular character debuted in 1st Issue Special #8 , and was created by Mike Grell.-Publication history:... : "Land of Fear"	Written and illustrated by Mike Grell Mike Grell Mike Grell is a comic book writer and artist, known for his work on books such as Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Jon Sable Freelance.-Early life:... , edited by Joe Orlando Joe Orlando Joseph Orlando was a prolific illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist during a lengthy career spanning six decades...
9	Doctor Fate Doctor Fate Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55... : "Mummy That Time Forgot"	Written by Martin Pasko Martin Pasko Martin Pasko is a writer and editor in a diverse array of media, including comic books and television.Pasko has worked for many comics publishers, but is best known for his work with DC Comics over three decades. He has written Superman in many media, including television animation, webisodes, and... , art by Walt Simonson Walt Simonson Walter "Walt" Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist. After studying geology at Amherst College, he transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1972. His thesis project there was The Star Slammers, which was published as a black and white promotional comic book... , edited by Gerry Conway Gerry Conway Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man...
10	Outsiders Outsiders (DC Comics) The Outsiders are a fictional group of outcasts, comic book characters published by DC Comics. They debuted in 1st Issue Special #10, , and were created by Joe Simon and Jerry Grandenetti.-Publication history:... : "Us...The Outsiders."	Joe Simon, Jerry Grandenetti & Creig Flessel Creig Flessel Creig Valentine Flessel was an American comic book artist and an illustrator and cartoonist for magazines ranging from Boys' Life to Playboy...
11	Codename: Assassin Codename: Assassin Codename: Assassin is a fictional supervillain, a comic book character published by DC Comics. He debuted in 1st Issue Special #11, , and was created by Gerry Conway, Steve Skeates and Nestor Redondo ....	Written by Gerry Conway Gerry Conway Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man...  & Steve Skeates Steve Skeates Steve Skeates is an American comic book creator known for his work on books such as Spectre, Hawk and Dove, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Aquaman, and Namor the Sub-Mariner.-Career:... , art by The Redondo Studio Jesus Redondo Jesús Redondo Román is a Spanish comic artist who has been published in many countries, including Spain, the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden and the USA.... , inks by Al Milgrom Al Milgrom Allen "Al" Milgrom is an American comic book writer, penciller, inker and editor, primarily for Marvel Comics. He is known for his 10-year run as editor of Marvel Fanfare; his long involvement as writer, penciler, and inker on Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man; his four-year tenure as West...
12	Starman	Written and edited by Gerry Conway Gerry Conway Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man... , art by Mike Vosburg Mike Vosburg Mike Vosburg is an American comic book artist primarily known for his work on the Tales from the Crypt TV series.-Biography:...  & Mike Royer
13	New Gods New Gods The New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comic books about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby.... : "Lest Night Fall Forever."	Plot and editing by Gerry Conway Gerry Conway Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man... , script by Denny O'Neil Dennis O'Neil Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement.... , art by Mike Vosburg

External links

• Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics, 1st Issue Special Cover Gallery
• 1st Issue Special at the Grand Comics Database