Bit of a quandary...

This week DC published DC Comics Classics Library: Justice League of America by George Perez. It contains Justice League of America (volume 1) #184-186, and 192-194. This is all well and good, but I find a quandary on a couple counts.

1. Justice League of America #184 is the second part of a three part epic co-starring the Justice Society of America and the New Gods, all fighting against the Fiddler, Icicle and Shade, and big-bad Darkseid. The first part of the story, issue #183, was the final issue penciled by Dick Dillin, who passed away after being on the book for about two decades. Granted, Dillin is not the subject of this retrospective, but I think DC should have included the issue with a caveat saying they are presenting the "entire" story, giving readers the whole magilla, the majority of which is graced by the amazing pencils of Mr. Perez.

I wonder if this was contractual with George, in that nothing that does not bear his mark is to be found within the hardbound pages, but I cannot see that, as George Perez is among the most gracious, giving and modest of today's creators, so that can't be it. Heaven forefend, someone at DC would not want the world to see the fantastic work of the under-appreciated Dick Dillin. Or it could very well be sticking to the subject of the book - George Perez.

I hope there was much debate as to what went into the book.

And now, my first digression:

I note that the spine of the book has a number one , and the cover does say in smaller print that this is Volume 1.

Which does lead to my second point...

2. Where are Justice League of America #195-197?

These are perhaps the best three issues of a comic book I have read in my life, and being penciled by George Perez made them even more special. In this three issue mini-epic, the Justice League teams, as they did each summer, with the Justice Society, and attempt to defeat a newly reborn Secret Society of Super-Villains, replete with members from both Earth-One and Earth-Two. When I first read these issues, I was introduced to villains I had never seen before: Ultra-Humanite, as the white gorilla (first time in that guise?), Rag Doll, Monocle and the Mist from Earth-Two, and Signalman from Earth-One. And I ate this shit right up. From the first panel to the final, I was hooked. I have reread the issues many times and while in San Diego at the ComiCon this summer, I purchased all three issues and gave them to my nephews.

I think I have the answer(s) to why these issues were not included. First, it would make sense that DC is holding those issues for a second volume, which would make sense, but what else would they include to flesh out a new hardbound? New Teen Titans #4 comes to mind, since the JLA met the new team and the art is, of course, Perez. But what else? The only other thing I know of is a two page center spread of the JLA and JSA with analogs corresponding to one another in a mirror-like image. Or the original JLA/Avengers artwork he did that never got published. Otherwise, I am at a loss. But there is a second answer that comes to mind.

DC has twice now canceled orders for two announced Showcase Presents volumes. The first is the Super Friends. I have no idea why this has been solicited and then canceled twice, but I wonder if it may be legal issues with Hanna-Barbera, who produced the cartoons. However, Warner Bros. owns H-B and its library, and DC Comics, so what is the deal?

But the important cancellation is the Showcase Secret Society of Super-Villains. Again, twice DC has announced and then pulled a first volume of this series. I wonder what the snag is here, and I have couple of ideas. Could it be that DC is having a hard time trying to figure out which stories to include in what will probably be a minimum two volumes? First, there is the Secret Society of Super-Villains title which ran for 15 issues, but there is also the little known story that appeared in Amazing World of DC Comics #11 , an SSOSV origin story featuring different characters than in the main series. Then there are the two issues of Canceled Comics Cavalcade, which feature the unpublished SSOSV issues 16 and 17. Throw those in with the several issue of Super-Team Family and the DC Special Series one-shot appearances as well. And we have the two appearances of the SSOSV following the cancellation of their main title, in Justice League of America #166-168, and 195-197, which brings us back to point #1.

There must be some sort of hang up regarding the logistics of where a certain issue or issues should be published. I would have included them in both, for sure the Perez retrospective, but I wonder how that would be filled out to get a complete book. Not having it in the SSOSV Showcase would make sense and also not include issues 166-168, but I would definitely include the Canceled Comic issues. They were never colored, so they would fit right in with a Showcase volume.

Guess I'll find out when a second volume of the JLA Perez is published, or a Showcase SSOSV volume comes out.

Either way, I will get both.