Silver Streak Archives, Volume 1

[positronic]

What you need to know...

(Reprinting SILVER STREAK COMICS #6-9, complete)
282 Pages, $59.99
Full and partial color, off-white (non-glossy) paper, sewn binding
Foreword by Michael T. Gilbert (5 pages)
4 "Silver Streak" strips (8 pages each, 32 pages total)
1 "The Green Claw" strip (8 pages) (1st app. The Claw?)
1 "Daredevil" strip (8 pages) 1st app.
3 "The Claw vs. Daredevil" strips (16p+10p+10p = 36 pages total)
4 "Dickie Dean, Boy Inventor" (by Jack Cole) strips (8 pages each, 32 pages total)
+ 4 pages of cover reproductions

... so there you have it. If you're like me, you're probably primarily interested in the Daredevil/Claw strips, and to a lesser extent the Silver Streak strips. Since "Volume 1" skips the first 5 issues of Silver Streak Comics, you don't actually get the first appearance of Silver Streak. Daredevil began in issue #6, where this volume picks up. There are essentially about 80 pages of material (out of 282) -- oh what the heck, let's call it 94 with the covers, some 1-page ads, and the foreword. So, from my point of view, Dark Horse is making us pay $60 for a book that is about 2/3rds filler material. This probably won't come as a shock to anyone who already purchased The Green Lama Archives (Volumes 1 & 2), but fair warning to everyone else. Despite the inclusion of some Jack Cole artwork, Mac Raboy-level work this is not. Odder still, by not beginning with issue #1 in this chronological and otherwise complete reprinting, Dark Horse is acknowledging the fact that people who want to buy this are doing so specifically for Daredevil, but do they give us a book that is wall-to-wall Daredevil stories? No. Shame on Dark Horse for gouging the collector with these practices.

[Renaud]

Since I did like what you call filler material (back stories) from both Green Lama Dark Horse Archives, I guess Silver Streak will be fun too

I would also love a similar Archives hardcover book for Black Terror, and other Project Superpowers related characters

From previews, those seem like the better golden age ones:

- Black Terror (starting in Exciting Comics #9 1941)
- Pyroman (starting in Startling Comics #18 1942)
- The Target (starting in Target Comics #10 1940)
- Fighting Yank (starting in Startling Comics #10 1941)

Since no one else is willing or has the courage to reprint in quality hardcovers those classic comic book stories, I'll settle for whatever Dark Horse makes available to us

They could even to a big fat hardcover Archives of Golden Age Superheroes Rarities, picked from different sources.

[positronic]

Let's say this volume sells well enough for Dark Horse to continue to reprint all the Golden Age Daredevil stories. Do you realize how long that will take and what the total cost will be? Unlike Green Lama (and yes, I'm still mad at DH for not reprinting the earlier Green Lama stories from Prize Comics), all the Daredevil stories aren't going to fit in a few volumes if they're reprinting all the non-Daredevil stories too. Sure, they can finish reprinting the rest of Silver Streak Comics (the title ended with #23) in another 3 or 4 volumes, but that's barely scraping the surface of Daredevil's Golden Age stories.

It's more expensive to find more issues to scan just the Daredevil and/or Silver Streak stories (and couldn't they have started with issue #3, Silver Streak's origin story?), but that's what the DC Archives series did in order to give the consumer more value for his money. I think you will find that the filler stories in 1940-1941 Silver Streak Comics are nowhere near as polished as the stories from the 1944-46 Green Lama Comics. And let's be honest, they wouldn't even be reprinting these characters if it were not for Dynamite bringing them back to prominence in Project Superpowers.

[Renaud]

I guess for Dark Horse, it's cheaper to acquire a few rare first original golden age comic book issues, rather then the whole series and try to sort out only the original Daredevil stories

And since some of those back-stories can be fun and refreshing as well

I welcome any Golden Age Superhero archives Dark Horse throws at us

Anyway, I'm not looking to get a complete collection of anything, bet just a few samples of the origin of the characters, and the rest (back stories) are just a fun enjoyable bonus

And like those two Green Lama Archives, I didn't feel that complete color restoration was absolutely necessary, as it gave a bit of the old feeling of comic books

PS: I did enjoy Dynamite's Green Hornet Golden Age Hardcover Archives, and if they got anything else of a similar golden age nature, I'm all willing to hear about it

Also loved Green Hornet Year One.

[Renaud]

the 1944-46 Green Lama Comics. And let's be honest, they wouldn't even be reprinting these characters if it were not for Dynamite bringing them back to prominence in Project Superpowers.

Maybe Dynamite should buy out Dark Horse and get it over with :-)

or beat them to the punch

Setting up from the start a grand plan of related classic reprints, before making everything public news, when important golden age related new comic book events like Project Superpowers (which has film potential) are about to see the day

Dynamite has the information first hand about what is coming from their company, and those reprint archives could all be complete before the first new material issues even hit store shelves

Technically, they could have done themselves all those golden age Project Superpowers related archives, and could have cashed it all around their own new work efforts, rather then let their opportunist competitors pull the carpet from under them.

[magnoanddavey]

I would be satisfied with Soft Cover issues of the Golden Age stories.
A good sampling of our heroes would be really great.

Their origin, most exciting adventures, greatest villains confrontations, ....stories where their "side-kicks" join, ---- those kind of stories.

With Daredevil, it would be great to have his origin, his clashes with THE CLAW, and a good mix of his adventures.

Crimebuster should re-tell his origin, the origin of Ironjaw, and some of their greatest battles ....at least.

It would be great to have a really good sampling of each of the heroes and the Comic Covers that came with the stories.

But I would add: It is of the most importance to have a successful Project:Superpowers book (or books) that were selling well before the reprints.

And the heroes should look somewhat like they did in the 1940's. That's who they are. Just to draw a hero with a costume and call him that hero doesn't quite do it.

[positronic]

Maybe Dynamite should buy out Dark Horse and get it over with :-)

Except that Dark Horse has at least twice the market share of Dynamite, so if anything, the reverse would be far more likely. That's why Dark Horse gets the big licenses like Star Wars and Conan/REH, while DE has to make do with Battlestar Galactica and Red Sonja. And obviously, Dark Horse has far more experience in reprinting classic comic material than DE.

[magnoanddavey]

Except that Dark Horse has at least twice the market share of Dynamite, so if anything, the reverse would be far more likely. That's why Dark Horse gets the big licenses like Star Wars and Conan/REH, while DE has to make do with Battlestar Galactica and Red Sonja. And obviously, Dark Horse has far more experience in reprinting classic comic material than DE.

If they have "far more experience in reprinting classic comic material" why can't they pin-point and deliver some affordable Golden Age reprints for the Project: SuperPowers fans.???

Once the Project is up and running again, and is of decent quality, .... maybe Dark Horse can give us some reprint material to help us understand these Golden Age Heroes.

[positronic]

Experience in terms of the number of books and quantity of material reprinted. I didn't say they always did a superb job in packaging that material (that was my original complaint!), or made it available at a cheap price point. All pricing is determined by projected sales. Marvel came out with a SHIELD trade paperback last week reprinting 11 issues from the 1990s, and the price was 35 dollars!

[magnoanddavey]

Experience in terms of the number of books and quantity of material reprinted. I didn't say they always did a superb job in packaging that material (that was my original complaint!), or made it available at a cheap price point. All pricing is determined by projected sales. Marvel came out with a SHIELD trade paperback last week reprinting 11 issues from the 1990s, and the price was 35 dollars!

Yes, I agree with you...but I sure wished they would reprint some of the Golden Age material to support Project: SuperPowers.

It need not be hardcover.... but focused on those heroes of yesteryear.
So the current audience would have a sense for who they were and have a desire to see them in action in the present day.!!