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To any that know me very very well indeed the title World's Finest Comics would have great meaning. It was my purchase of issue 102 way back in 1959 which introduced me to the DC comics character Batman (and Robin) and my world view and reading changed forever. The comic teamed Batman and Robin up with Superman and lasted a very long time. DC even publishes a current series simply titled Superman/Batman and uses only their symbol for the title logo.

To all intents and purposes I have never given up following these and many more characters with the passion and devotion of a soap opera addict and that is meant as a compliment.

Now back in the early 1980s a writer named Paul Levitz did two things. He wrote a great run of Justice Society of America stories for All-Star comics (they being the very first super-hero team (1940) and predecessors of the Justice League (1960) and a magnificent run of the Legion of Super-heroes that raised the bar for that series and probably helped the X-Men as well in showing how multi-character teams can be written and eveyone kept track of.

Then Paul levitz did something even more incredible. He became President of DC Comics.
Personally I would rather he have kept writing.

Which he is back doing now almost 25 years later. He also published a book. It's called DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking. It covers the 75 year history of the company from 1935 to the present.

The book is HUGE. It weighs 15.9 pounds per casa Mtpspur's bathroom scale. It measures 18.4 x 13 x 3.5 inches. Would be a nifty murder weapon for a Columbo guest star. Blunt trauma indeed. Cost was $200 but I got a large discount from the Bookery. I had a month paid ahead on a debt consolidation bill I'm working on so this was my 2011 gift to myself. When I walked into the house somewhat loaded down Ruth asked who it was for and I gleefully said this was MINE. Son Jim doesn't get to breathe on it until I've taken my last one.

It has been an incredible walk down memory lane and I have barely opened it. Pictures of my first Detective comics (#275) which I do have a copy of, the original Phantom Stranger #2 from the 1952, and so many others I have read or seen. Many photos of the writers, editors, artists. A true memorial. Tim of the Bookery is of the opinion that comics will be all digital by the time DC's hundredeth anniversary hits so THIS is the biggie. I am so appropriate for this book. This puppy is my reward for years of loyalty and social scorn before reading mags suddenly became respectable after Wolverine became cool.