Amazing Heroes 1985 Preview Issue

[Earth 2 Chris]

The Charlton Weekly was discussed in BackIssue some time ago. It was called "Blockbuster" at one point, and was to feature new Charlton character stories (some by the original creators) and reprints of the Superman newspaper strip of the time.

chris

[The Toyroom]

He also points out something really interesting that I hadn't really noticed before... The first two issues of The Dark Knight Returns by Miller were done before Watchmen came out, without mention that superheroes had been outlawed, only that Bruce had retired. With how late the other two issues were, Miller would have started reading Watchmen at that point, and whether consciously, or unconsciously, or perhaps coincidentally (particularly knowing TDKR expanded from three issues, to four issues), you have the thread of outlawed superheroes appear in the third and fourth issues... With Superman becoming the main antagonist. It's been a while since I read the preview issues of Amazing Heroes, but I believe there was initially a greater emphasis on the Mutant Leader as the big bad in this series (along with Two Face and Joker).

According to Miller in the AH Preview: "Two-Face...Selina Kyle...The Joker appears. The actual chief villain is a new character, who never puts on a costume, and never fires a gun. He does Batman more damage than any of his past enemies"

[The Toyroom]

"The Charlton Project" is mentioned as a 32-pg weekly with no ads. 2/3rds of the book was supposed to feature all of the main Charlton characters each week in 2 to 4 pg strips. With the remainder of the book to feature text pieces, profiles, DC news, as well as reprints of the Superman newsstrip.

The line-up was Blue Beetle by Steve Englehart, Peacemaker by Keith Giffen, Question by Mike Barr, Sarge Steel by Joe Gill with initial pencils by Dick Giordano, Capt. Atom by
Paul Kupperberg & Paul (Concrete) Chadwick, Judomaster by Frank McLaughlin. They were also trying to get the rights to Peter Cannon/Thunderbolt (which they briefly did, he appeared in "Crisis" and I think his own mini-series...)

[The Toyroom]

A-ha! Joe Kubert's "Redeemer" series is mentioned yet again (having been previewed twice before apparently). Only this time the 12-issues have been reduced to 6. It "will indeed be scheduled as soon as Joe Kubert finishes it". Which obviously never came to pass...

[samurainoir]

I'm going by memory, but it was Len Wein who eventually wrote the Blue Beetle ongoing right? Wasn't really into the character until he appeared in JLU soon after (and Legends I think?).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Blue-Beetle-...item4ab84b5861


Was it Cary Bates who wrote Captain Atom? That actually wasn't a bad series, a precursor actually to all the government conspiracy superhero stories we are getting these days (particularly in the Ultimates Universe).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Captain-Atom...item33497a6165


He went 180 on The Question from Ditko's vision, but I consider Denny O'Neil and Denys Cowan's 36 issues run as the top of their game. I can only imagine what the fan reaction was back then to this unnecessary reboot.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Denny-ONeils...item2c661d86fd


There was a Thunderbolt and Peacemaker minis that never really moved the dial, and Nightshade was a staple of Ostrander's Suicide Squad.

[The Toyroom]

Yeah Wein and Bates' by-lines are right on the covers you posted

[The Toyroom]

He went 180 on The Question from Ditko's vision, but I consider Denny O'Neil and Denys Cowan's 36 issues run as the top of their game. I can only imagine what the fan reaction was back then to this unnecessary reboot.

Well now it looks like DC is spinning The Question along the supernatural lines as he makes up "The Trinity" with Pandora and The Phantom Stranger in the upcoming "Trinity War". I think THAT'S an unnecessary reboot

[The Toyroom]

I also seem to remember mention of Alan Moore's "Charlton project" in one of those issues where he discusses Captain Atom being a much more active factor in the story than Doctor Manhatten would end up not being. As well as another proposal to make the Charlton characters a weekly anthology series.

Interestingly in the preview synopsis for "The Watchmen", Moore calls Dr. Manhattan the main character. But of course, Rorschach is really the one that carries the story along...Once again showing how things change from the initial proposal...

[thunderbolt]

or was that misdirection on Moore and DC's part?

[The Toyroom]

or was that misdirection on Moore and DC's part?

Nah, I don't see the point in that. It's not like "Watchmen" was an established brand and they were trying to shake up the status quo.