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Consider that just a couple of years later, DC had fine success with the re-launches/revitalizations of THEIR super-hero characters by doing the sorts of longer stories and more graphically vibrant and superhero-like covers that Raven suggests would have been a good idea. One can imagine that if Marvel had put the same effort into their product, they might have sold more comics too!

Actually, that's a common misperception. DC's supposed "success" with "new" superheroes in the 50's was limited to a grand total of 12 comics. That's right, 12. And 8 of those appeared in 1959.

Flash appeared in 1 issue of Showcase in 1956, another issue of Showcase in 1957 and 2 more issues of Showcase in 1958. So DC's total "new" Silver Age output prior to 1959 was 4 lousy comics!

Finally, in 1959, Flash was given his own bi-monthly series and appeared in a total of 6 comics in 1959 bringing his total of 1950's appearances to 10. Throw in Green Lantern's two appearances in very late 1959 and you have a total of 12 "new" Silver age comics in the 50's.

Hardly a resounding success in the 1950's. Granted, these titles did take hold in the 60's and were followed by numerous other "new" Silver age characters by DC, Marvel and other second tier publishers. But their presence in the 50's was minute.



ATLAS ERA SUPERHERO REVIVAL OMNIBUS!