Comic Book Implosion (Expanded Edition): An Oral History of Dc Comics Circa 1978

In 1978, DC Comics launched a bold initiative to win over fans and retailers with an expanded line-up billed as “The DC Explosion.” But mere weeks after its launch, DC’s parent company pulled the plug, cancelling a slew of titles, and leaving stacks of completed comic book stories unpublished. Now, over 45 years after that "DC Implosion", TwoMorrows Publishing recalls one of the most notorious events in comics with an exhaustive oral history from Jenette Kahn, Paul Levitz, Len Wein, Mike Gold, Al Milgrom, and other creators and executives involved! Plus: detailed analysis and commentary by other top pros who were “just fans” in 1978 (Mark Waid, Michael T. Gilbert, Tom Brevoort, and more)―examining how it changed the landscape of comics forever! This new Expanded Edition of the sold-out Eisner Award-nominated book explodes in full-color for the first time, with additional coverage of lost 1970s DC projects like Ninja the Invisible and an adaptation of “The Wiz,” Jim Starlin’s unaltered cover art for Batman Family #21, content meant for cancelled Marvel titles such as Godzilla and Ms. Marvel, and more! By Keith Dallas and John Wells.

Keith Dallas is an adjunct assistant professor in the English Department at Hofstra University and a renowned comic book historian.

John Wells is a comics historian best known for his research into the history of DC Comics and its characters. He maintains a massive privately-held database documenting the appearances of DC’s heroes, villains, and a multitude of other categories that has served as a resource for writers and editors such as Kurt Busiek, Bob Greenberger, Phil Jimenez, and Mark Waid.