Direct Currents

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Direct Currents is the name of several promotional features by DC Comics, including a long-running newsletter.

Contents

History

Direct Currents was first used as the name of a text feature appearing in DC's comics beginning in 1966. [1] In the 1970s, the feature appeared in DC's fan magazine The Amazing World of DC Comics . [1] From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, the name was also used for one of the features in DC's Daily Planet house ads.

From November 1976 to July 1977, DC had a toll-free phone number called the Direct Currents Hot-Line, where fans could hear pre-recorded messages from DC staff about upcoming titles. The phone number was very popular, receiving an average of 100,000 calls a week toward its end, and had to be shut down due to strain on the telephone system. [2]

Beginning in 1978 and lasting a little more than a year, [3] Direct Currents was the name for a one-page newsletter. [1] The newsletter, which was available by subscription, featured a 13" by 18" poster cover. [4]

In 1988, Direct Currents became the title of a free monthly newsletter distributed by comic book stores, containing articles about DC Comics titles being released that month as well as a checklist of the month's new releases. It was a replacement for DC's previous newsletter, DC Releases . [1] Unlike DC Releases, which was printed in black and white and magazine-sized, Direct Currents was printed in color and was the size of a regular comic book. Eventually, Direct Currents contained a flipbook format, with one side containing features about DC Universe titles, and the other containing features about titles from DC's Vertigo and Paradox Press imprints. [5] The newsletter ran for a total of 92 issues, ending in 1995, and also produced two specials.

Beginning in November 2016, the name was used for a free quarterly magazine offering sneak peeks of every DC title. [6] However, the book was cancelled after only one issue. [7]

List of Direct Currents issues

1988-1997

Issue NumberDate [a] Cover StoryNotes
1February 9 - March 8, 1988 Flash Gordon maxi-series
2March 15 - April 5, 1988 Action Comics Weekly ongoing series; Superman vol. 2 ongoing series becomes twice-monthly
3April 12 - May 10, 1988Power of the Atom ongoing series
4May 17-31, 1988 V for Vendetta maxi-series
5June 7-28, 1988 Hawk and Dove vol. 2 mini-series
6July 5-26, 1988 Cosmic Odyssey mini-series
7August 2-30, 1988 The Prisoner mini-series
8September 6-27, 1988 Plastic Man vol. 2 mini-series
9October 4-25, 1988 Invasion! mini-series
10November 1-29, 1988 Black Orchid mini-series
11December 6-20, 1988The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told hardcover
12January 3-31, 1989 The Huntress ongoing series
13February 1989 Justice League Europe ongoing series
14March 1989"The Janus Directive" crossover
15April 1989 Skreemer mini-series
16May 1989 Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography one-shot
17June 1989The Batman Movie Adaptation one-shot
18July 1989 Justice, Inc. vol. 2 mini-series
19August 1989 The Shadow Strikes! ongoing series
20September 1989The Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 4 ongoing series; The Legion of Super-Heroes: The Great Darkness Saga trade paperback
21October 1989 Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth graphic novel
22November 1989 Deadman: Love after Death mini-series
23December 1989The Greatest Golden Age Stories Ever Told hardcover
24January 1990 Adam Strange mini-series
25February 1990 Batman: Digital Justice graphic novel
26March 1990The Butcher mini-series
27April 1990 Hawkworld vol. 2 ongoing series
28May 1990 The Demon vol. 3 ongoing series
29June 1990 World's Finest mini-series
30July 1990 Enemy Ace: War Idyll graphic novel
31August 1990The Doom Patrol vol. 2 #37 (Rhea Jones awakes from her coma)
32September 1990 Twilight mini-series
33October 1990 Batman 3D graphic novel
34November 1990 The Books of Magic mini-seriesFlip book
Robin mini-series
35December 1990The Greatest Flash Stories Ever Told hardcover
36January 1991 Angel and the Ape vol. 2 mini-series
37February 1991 Kid Eternity mini-series
38March 1991 Armageddon 2001 mini-series and crossover
39April 1991 Star Trek's 25th anniversary (Star Trek: The Mirror Universe Saga trade paperback)
40May 1991 Impact Comics line debuts (The Legend of the Shield ongoing series)Includes 16-page Impact Comics preview
41June 1991Impact Comics line continues ( The Comet and The Jaguar ongoing series)
42/43July 1991 War of the Gods mini-series and crossoverDouble issue flip book
August 1991The Psycho mini-series
44September 1991 Sandman-related releases
45October 1991Robin II: The Joker's Wild mini-series
46November 1991The Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special one-shot
47December 1991 Batman Versus Predator mini-series, Batman: Master of the Future one-shot, Batman: Blind Justice trade paperback, and DC Comics hologram buttons
48January 1992Batman: Gotham Nights mini-series
49February 1992New creative teams on Justice League America and Justice League Europe, Justice League Spectacular one-shot, and other Justice League-related releases
50May 1992Lobo's Back mini-series
51June 1992 Green Lantern vol. 3 #25 (Hal Jordan versus Guy Gardner), Green Lantern Corps Quarterly and Green Lantern: Mosaic ongoing series, and other Green Lantern-related releases
52July 1992 Batman: Shadow of the Bat ongoing series and other Batman-related releases
53August 1992 Batman Returns Movie Adaptation one-shot
54September 1992 Team Titans ongoing series
55October 1992Batman: Sword of Azrael mini-series
56November 1992Green Lantern: Ganthet's Tale one-shot
57December 1992Robin III: Cry of the Huntress mini-series
58January 1993Superman vol. 2 #75 ("The Death of Superman")
59February 1993Batman: Seduction of the Gun one-shot
60March 1993The Legacy of Superman one-shotFirst DC/Vertigo flip book
Vertigo imprint launches
61April 1993 Milestone Media debuts ( Hardware and Blood Syndicate ongoing series)
Sandman Mystery Theatre ongoing series
62May 1993The Atom Special one-shot
Kid Eternity vol. 2 ongoing series
63June 1993Adventures of Superman #500 (Superman returns from the dead) and the "Reign of the Supermen!" storyline
The Sandman vol. 2 #50 (anniversary issue)
64July 1993"Bloodlines" crossover
Skin Graft: The Adventures of a Tattooed Man mini-series
65August 1993 Catwoman vol. 2 ongoing series
Jonah Hex: Two-Gun Mojo mini-series
66September 1993 Hawkman vol. 3 ongoing series
Vertigo's "Second Wave" (Vertigo-related releases and improvements to existing titles)
67October 1993Batman #500 (conclusion of the "Knightfall" storyline)
Hellblazer Special one-shot
68November 1993Robin vol. 2 ongoing series, plus the Robin: Tragedy and Triumph trade paperback
The Sandman: Fables & Reflections hardcover
69December 1993Lobo vol. 2 ongoing series, plus the Lobo standup and Lobo: Smokin'! poster
"The Children's Crusade" crossover
70January 1994"Shadow War" crossover
Death: The High Cost of Living hardcover, Death Gallery one-shot, Death T-shirt, and Death watch
71February 1994 Superboy vol. 3 and Steel ongoing series, Supergirl vol. 3 and Legends of the World's Finest mini-series, and other Superman-related releases
The Sandman vol. 2 #57 (beginning of "The Kindly Ones" storyline) and The Sandman: Fables & Reflections trade paperback
72March 1994 The Power of Shazam! graphic novel
Swamp Thing vol. 2 #140 (writing team of Grant Morrison and Mark Millar begins)
73April 1994Green Lantern vol. 3 #51 (Kyle Rayner becomes Green Lantern)
The Mystery Play graphic novel
74May 1994Batman/Spawn: War Devil one-shot
The Books of Magic vol. 2 ongoing series
75June 1994Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey mini-series
Witchcraft mini-series
76July 1994"Worlds Collide" crossover
The Heart of the Beast graphic novel
77August 1994"KnightsEnd" storyline
Vamps mini-series
78September 1994 Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! mini-series and crossover
The Invisibles ongoing series
79October 1994Zero Month (every DC title gets a #0 issue)
The Sandman: A Gallery of Dreams one-shot
80November 1994 Starman vol. 2 ongoing series
Shadows Fall mini-series
81December 1994Batman Versus Predator II: Bloodmatch mini-series
The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch graphic novel
82January 1995 Batman: Bloodstorm graphic novel
Paradox Press imprint launches
83February 1995Azrael ongoing series
Tainted one-shot
84March 1995The Power of Shazam! ongoing series
Jonah Hex: Riders of the Worm and Such mini-series
85April 1995Flash vol. 2 #100 (anniversary issue)
Preacher ongoing series
86May 1995Superman vol. 2 #100 ("The Death of Clark Kent" storyline)
Tank Girl Movie Adaptation one-shot
Special 11995
87June 1995Justice League America #100 (anniversary issue)
Tank Girl: The Odyssey mini-series
88July 1995 Sovereign Seven ongoing series
Chiaroscuro: The Private Lives of Leonardo da Vinci maxi-series
89August 1995 Batman Forever Movie Adaptation one-shot and other Batman-related releases
The Sandman vol. 2 #70 ("The Wake" storyline)
90September 1995 Wonder Woman vol. 2 #101 (John Byrne takes over as writer/artist)
Sandman Midnight Theatre one-shot
91October 1995Batman: Man-Bat mini-series
Stuck Rubber Baby graphic novel
92November 1995 Underworld Unleashed mini-series and crossover
The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch softcover
1997 Special1997

2016

Issue NumberDateCover StoryNotes
1Winter 2017Justice League vs. Suicide Squad mini-series

See also

Notes

  1. Date refers to the books' shipping dates from issues 1-49, and the books' cover dates from issue 50 on.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Direct Currents #1, p. 3
  2. Levitz, Paul (2015). The Bronze Age of DC Comics. Taschen. p. 281. ISBN   978-3-8365-3579-3.
  3. "BOOKSTEVE'S LIBRARY: Direct Currents". Steven Thompson. April 22, 2008. Archived from the original on October 26, 2011.
  4. "Super Tuesday: Direct Currents | Longbox Graveyard". Paul O'Connor. November 20, 2012. Archived from the original on December 30, 2012.
  5. "Obscurities: DC Coming Attractions". Paul Kupperberg. December 2015. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015.
  6. "ComicList Archives". Archived from the original on October 6, 2016.
  7. Johnston, Rich (April 13, 2017). "DC's Magazine Direct Currents Cancelled Before Its Second Issue". Bleeding Cool . Archived from the original on September 15, 2017.