Between 1980 and 1985 several DC titles included a 16 page ‘bonus’ comic book, billed as an ‘Insert preview’. Many of these insert previews have gone on to be more valuable than the original comics that introduced them. A number of them also featured the first appearance of popular and enduring characters or led to titles that were huge hits.
In this post I’m looking at the top six DC Insert Previews from the 1980s.
Altogether there were only 14 of these special “free 16-page” comics published as a promotional gimmick for introducing upcoming books. They appeared in over 20 different mainstream DC titles in the early to mid-80s. So memorable have the content of some of these ‘previews’ become, moreover, that they now make an otherwise unimportant issue of a long running series take on ‘key’ status.
The very first insert comic to appear was the “New Teen Titans” preview, inserted into DC Comics Presents #26 (cover date: October 1980). The very last, was the “Mask” preview, which appeared in eight DC titles with a ‘September 1985’ cover date.
Going by order of importance, as determined by: CGC submission totals, volume and highest prices on subsequent sales, as well as current fair market value, I’ll list in order from least to most valuable, the Eighties goodness that was the free DC insert previews:
[6] Justice League of America #193 (August 1981) – Preview appearance of All Star Squadron
Total Number of Sales recorded by GoCollect = 35.
CGC totals = 107
Current FMV in 9.8 grade = around $54.00
Highest Sale = $85.00 on 04/19/2019 (eBay).
At number 6 is the All-Star Squadron preview. Written by Roy Thomas, ASS was a great 80s comic but it was more like an attempt by DC to imitate the success of Marvel’s Invaders. That is, there were no new characters introduced since the book was set in the days of the Justice Society of America the precursor to the JLA.
[5] The New Teen Titans #21 (June 1982) – Night Force Preview Included
Total Number of Sales recorded by GoCollect = 88.
CGC totals = 185
Current FMV in 9.8 grade = $85.00
Highest Sale = $199.99 (eBay fixed price sale on 01/29/2018).
Marv Wolfman’s Night Force by contrast was a great preview of an original idea. Although it was never the most popular comic out there, the pairing of Wolfman and Gene Colon (who had earlier worked their magic on Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula), make this a readable and still highly under-rated comic.
[4] The Legion of Super-Heroes #298 (March 1983) – Amethyst Princess of Gemworld Preview
Total Number of Sales recorded by GoCollect = 39.
CGC total = 64.
Current FMV in 9.8 = $160.00.
Highest Sale = $200.00 (eBay, 08/16/2016).
The Amethyst preview makes this issue of LoSH my number 4 pick. Created by Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn and Ernie Colón, Amethyst was an attempt to introduce a magic using female hero who had a Dr. Strange meets He-Man vibe. But, don’t mistake her for just a purple version of She-Ra, she was her own hero. The key here is female. Female heroes are ‘in’ and get a lot of marketing these days, which makes this preview a popular one. Amethyst is also currently part of DCs Young Justice team.
Total number of sales recorded by GoCollect = 352.
CGC total = 586.
Current FMV in 9.8 = $150.00.
Highest Sale = $235.00 (eBay 05/01/2018).
More popular than Amethyst in the 80s, was this Batman led team. The key here is ‘Batman’. Although he was a member of the Justice League, few would have called Batman that team’s leader. At the same time, he was [and is] DC’s most popular character. So in the 1980s he got his own team: the Outsiders. Composed of various DC characters, old and new, Batman and the Outsiders would go on to launch a book that lasted for 32 issues (1985 -1988) and then was relaunched in 1993 for a second volume that ended at issue 25 in 1995.
[2] The Fury of Firestorm #24 (June 1984) – Blue Devil Preview
Total number of sales recorded by GoCollect = 88.
CGC total = 132.
Current FMV in 9.8 = $180.00.
Highest Sale = for $285.00 (eBay on 04/01/2019).
The Blue Devil, along with Booster Gold, was DCs attempt to introduce humorous heroes who were different. In the case of BD he was a stuntman (Dan Cassidy) who gets stuck in a suit and becomes the character he’s playing (see my What the (Blue) Devil? for details). Blue Devil has been a part of the DC Universe ever since his appearance in this issue of Firestorm. He is currently portrayed on the DC ‘Swamp Thing’ streaming show by Steve Sanders, I mean, American actor Ian Ziering.
Total number of sales recorded by Gocollect = 1, 476.
CGC totals = 2,803.
Current FMV in 9.8 = $750.00.
Highest Sale on record = $859.00 (on eBay; 12/08/2018).
The number one DC free comic insert is hands down, the preview of the New Teen Titans in DC Comics Presents #26. Not only is this the most sought after issue of DC Comics Presents, but the Titans (under the scripts of Marv Wolfman and gorgeous pencil work of George Perez) also became the most popular DC comic of the 1980s. At one point, it vied with Marvel’s X-Men in sales numbers every month! Introducing characters such as Cyborg, Starfire and Raven, this is the diamond of the previews and prices certainly reflect that.
