The Russian Starfire

A young teenage boy who accompanied his archeologist father to investigate what they discover to be crashed alien spaceship in the Siberian wastes near the Yenisei River in Russia back in June, 1908...the lad sneaks into the spaceship at night, where he triggers an energy blast that gives him great strength and speed, turning him into Russia's first hero....Starfire!

This Starfire debuted in Teen Titans #18 (November-December, 1968), and would later be tied to the Teen Titans.

Eye Of The Beholder!

In Teen Titans #18 (November-December, 1968) by Len Wein, Marv Wolfman and Bill Draut, under a Nick Cardy cover, we first meet Starfire in Stockholm, Sweden, where the Teen Titans and Starfire have to work together to stop the jewel thief, Andre Le Blanc from stealing the crown jewels.  Kid Flash, of all the Teen Titans, is especially displeased for their American team to have to work with the Russian hero, and the Russian lad is none to fond of his American counterparts.    The teens get a chance to try to capture Andre when he takes a practice run, but the team just works against each other, allowing Le Blanc to escape.  

The kids regroup, with tensions running high, when they split up to guard the thief's next target.  There, Andre traps Aqualad, Kid Flash, Robin and Wonder Girl (all under the watchful eye of Starfire)...with Starfire eventually confronting Le Blanc, who bests him and puts his life in danger. Thankfully, Starfire had freed the Teen Titans from their traps (who held back to allow Starfire the honor of capturing Le Blanc), and together, they bring Andre to justice, learning the lesson that all men of all nations need to work together.

A Pretty Girl Is Like A -- Maladi!

With New Teen Titans #18 (April, 1982) by Marv Wolfman, George Perez and Romeo Tanghal, the original Starfire returns (and his given name of Leonid Kovar) is revealed.  Here, starting in a forgotten bureau in the Soviet Union, Marek Slavik finds out his son Tomas was killed by Americans.  Marek's brother Tomas and wife Sonya were also killed earlier in two incidents involving the American army, and thus Slavik plots revenge.  Using a long abandoned project, Slavik infects his secretary, young bride-to-be Maladi Malanova, with a radiation (unbeknownst to her), and sends her with papers to deliver to New York City (promising her that she will be back before her wedding...a lie).  Later, King Faraday, of the FBI, recruits Robin and Wonder Girl to inform the other Titans that their old "friend", Starfire, is back in the USA on a covert mission. 

The Titans gather in their tower, and look for Kovar, finding that one of the custom agents at the airport collapsed (where Maladi was 3 days before) and was taken to the hospital. Raven finds out that the man was infected with a radiation poisoning and the Kovar was interested in this as well.  Kovar closes in on Maladi, but the Titans interfere, thinking he might be responsible to the radiation poisoning.  The Titans capture Kovar, where he explains that Slavik poisoned his secretary to spread death in America, and that though she cannot be saved, anyone she touched could be.  Kovar escapes Titans Tower to continue to go after her, while Maladi goes to a doctor to see about her sickness.  

Kovar tracks her down, and lets her know of her dire situation, and that he plans to kill her.  The Titans show up and fight him, stopping his plan.  They take her to a hospital where she dies.  Kovar, after being confronted by Kid Flash by his cold plan to kill her asks why...and Leonid explains that instead of the slow death she got he was to offer her a quick death, as he could do no less for the woman he was engaged to.

Though not in the issue, Kovar got a new heroic name, that of Red Star in Action Comics #551, and fought alongside the heroes during the Crisis On Infinite Earths, was later involved with the first Justice League International/Suicide Squad team-up, came back to America to fight with Hammer and Sickle of the People's Heroes at S.T.A.R. Labs, got a new costume and joined the Titans during the Titans Hunt against the Wildebeest, during which time he developed energy manipulation powers, stayed with the team until Zero Hour, but returned again with yet another new costume, all the while, loyal to Russia, yet also an honorable hero.

Batman And The Outsiders Meet The New Teen Titans

Along time ago, before the internet and digital downloads, one would look into the window of a comic shop and see posters of upcoming events....

...one such as this wonderful poster by George Perez and Jim Aparo, promising the excitement of a meeting of the New Teen Titans and Batman and the Outsiders!

This happened in an issue of each of their series....as follows!

Light's Out, Everyone

Starting the crossover fun was New Teen Titans #37 (December, 1983) by Marv Wolfman, George Perez and Romeo Tanghal....with this half of a connected cover by George Perez (one of the earliest examples of this trick).


The issue starts out with Gizmo, one of the members of the Fearsome Five, helping to start a prison break for the other members of the team...matter manipulating Shimmer; her brother, super strong Mammoth; devious Dr. Light (former JLA and Teen Titan foe) and psionic Psimon.  These villains have a plan to increase their power, and plan to use scientist Dr. Helga Jace to help (as she had helped Shimmer and Mammoth in their past, being an expert on metahumans).

Meanwhile, in the Titans Tower; Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, Changeling, Cyborg, Starfire and Raven were finishing a meeting and dealing with newest member, Terra (matter manipulator), when Terra got a mysterious signal (of much distress to her, as she immediately goes off because of it....foiling her secret plans to get more information on the Titans, as Terra is a secret agent for Deathstroke the Terminator).

Her alarm went off signalling the kidnapping of Dr. Helga Jace, and Terra arrives at the doctor's home, only to find Metamorpho, Black Lightning, Halo and Katana there....and Terra attacks!  The group fight her as the Titans start to arrive (usually team up trope), but then Kid Flash and Wonder Girl recognize Metamorpho and Black Lightning (and vice versa), so the fighting stops.

Just in time, as Geo-Force arrives....and greets Terra as his sister, Tara Markov!  Seems Tara had gotten her Earth powers a year before, and Geo-Force was looking for her,  but hadn't found her.

The teams unite and realize they must look for the villains, the Fearsome Five, who took Jace (and both teams contact their leaders... ...Robin/Dick Grayson of the Titans and Batman/Bruce Wayne of the Outsiders.. ..who are meeting at Wayne Manor to discuss recent problems the two are having, with Jason Todd in the background, and Alfred Pennyworth letting them know their teams need them).

The entirety of both teams unite at Titans Tower, where they search for clues to find the Fearsome Five (getting notice that they are experimenting on homeless people....turning them into mud men).  The teams (with Batman taking over as leader, much to Robin's dismay), go to a Gotham island where the Fearsome Five are, but....the villains and their mutated men of the Mud Pack attack, and the villains flee....and blow up the island....sinking the heroes.....

Psimon Says

Batman And The Outsiders #5 (December, 1983) came out soon after, by Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo (with Marv Wolfman as a co-plotter and cover by George Perez and Jim Aparo, giving the second half of a connected cover...letting you know these two issues connected in story, a piece occasionally forgotten in modern connected covers).

It starts with our heroes sinking in light of the explosion they just faced, with Batman feeling concerned because he was counting on Robin and the Outsiders to take care of Gotham should he die, and Robin thinking they wouldn't be in this predicament had he led instead....thankfully, Terra and Geo-Force work together and save the heroes from a watery grave, saving themselves and Dr. Jace.

Batman takes charge (as he did when working with Titans in Brave and the Bold), suggesting they go to the closer Outsiders headquarters under Wayne Foundation (though the Outsiders are unaware of Batman's true identity, unlike the Titans of Robin's).  Wonder Girl and Halo talk of their lack of knowledge of their parents' identities, and Kid Flash and Black Lightning talk of how they both tried to walk away from being heroes but came back, as Batman again takes dominance of the two teams.

Meanwhile, the villains have a falling out, as Psimon takes over his team, directing the others against Dr. Light, who escapes....leading to his being caught by the heroes.  They find out the villains had a plan of taking over New York City with a mind control device, and with Dr. Jace's help, find a way to immunize the heroes against it.

The Fearsome Five (less one) were using the Empire State Building to center their device and succeed in taking New York....as the heroes arrive to stop them, with Batman trying to divide the teams when Robin speaks up, saying Batman's orders will likely get them killed, and comes up with a division of the teams that takes advantage of his knowledge and experience, which does allow them to defeat the villains, and Batman and Robin finally make peace at the end (as Terra and Geo-Force plan to unite their family again sometime soon....).

All of this lays out a plan for future issues of both series, as Dick Grayson retires as Robin (and Wally West retires as Kid Flash), with Dick soon taking on the identity of Nightwing, as Donna Troy/Wonder Girl finds her real family (with help from Dick); and Black Lightning is confronted by the Masters of Disaster (and the reason he lost his powers for a time), and Halo discovers her true identity (and origins of her powers), with Geo-Force having to deal with fallout from more revelations and problems from his sister, Terra.

Psimon and the Fearsome Five return right before the Crisis On Infinite Earths as well, as the Titans and Outsiders will work together then too.

Read these yourself in New Teen Titans Volume 6 Tradepaperback of 2017 (including Dick and Wally's retirement) or Batman and the Outsiders Volume 1 Hardcover of 2017 (including the teams' origins, more on Markovia and Black Lightning's power problems)....a shameless bit of advertisement for DC, who brought readers these classic tales!


For those interested in comic marketing, and some of the ways done to make comics appealing to readers and give us some things to follow, check out my fellow Super Blog Team Up members blogs', as our assignment was to cover gimmicks that sell comics, focusing on the later years of Chromium...wherein covers were shiny to sell comics!


Participants include:

Super-Hero Satellite: 70s-80s Photo Covers

Comic Reviews By Walt: The 90s Revisited: Shiny Covers

Chris Is On Infinite Earths (Blog): Adventures Of Superman 500 (White Bag and Lenticular Cover)

Chris Is On Infinite Earths (Podcast): Episode 33: Team Titans 1 (1992) Five Variant Covers

Source Material: Spider-Man Torment (1-5 by Todd McFarlane)

Comicscomicscomics.blog: Daredevil Fall From Grave (319-325) Gimmick Covers and costume changes

The Telltale Mind:  Worlds Collide - the Intercompany Crossover

Between The Pages: Guerrilla Marketing

DC In The 80s: Justin's 5 most memorable DC gimmicks from 1990-1995 including Robin, Spectre and more!

Comics In The Golden Age: Fawcett's Mighty Midgets comics

Unspoken Issues: Darkhawk 25

When It Was Cool: Polybags!

In My Not So Humble Opinion: Pop-Up Cover Force Works 1

Black & White and Bronze Comics Blog: Stan Lee's foray into the magazine format with Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine of 1968


I thank all my regular readers for also checking out all these great members of the Super-Blog Team-Up family, welcome new readers brought to me because of the SBTU, and thanks to everyone for a love of comics as well all team up well!!

Flash Facts: Spectacular Changes

This time the Flash team up doesn't happen within the regular Flash issue, but instead in a "Flash Spectacular", otherwise known as DC Special Series #11 (May, 1978), written by Cary Bates and with a cover by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, showing the two Flashes (Barry Allen and Jay Garrick) as well as Kid Flash (Wally West) and even other speedster Johnny Quick and the villain of the piece....Gorilla Grodd, all going "Beyond The Super-Speed Barrier!".

All that....and I'd buy that for a dollar!


Now, the book was split into chapters, each done by a different artist, focusing on a different character, so, here's the breakdown....

Grodd

Starting off with art by Irv Novick and Joe Giella, there's a big event in Gorilla City!  Notorious criminal, Gorilla Grodd, fresh off of causing trouble for most of Earth (including Gorilla City) with the Secret Society of Super-Villains, King Solovar and the High Council of Gorilla City execute Grodd for his crimes.

Kid Flash

Starting the main story with Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Wally Wood, as they draw Wally West...Kid Flash!  Wally is getting ready for his graduation from high school, when his mom, Mary, almost makes the discovery of her life....Wally in his Kid Flash outfit! 

A little super speed saves the day, but enough of hanging around his home in Blue Valley....Wally heads out with his girlfriend, Leslie (she only appears in this issue)....

....and she nearly discovers his identity as well!  Wally's dog, Lightning, takes off with his accidentally released costume (all distracting Wally from what Leslie has been saying), so after getting his costume, Wally finds Leslie leaving on his bike...at super speed! 

Dangerous super speed as well, so he goes after her as Kid Flash, watching her burn up and hitting a speed he had rarely reached before getting a dizzying effect...and, as he comes back to Blue Valley, finds Leslie, hitchhiking to get home (as the Leslie he was following was an illusion).  There's also a mysterious simian with a ray gun watching....what's up with that?

Back at the West home, Wally, in his Kid Flash costume, has something he decides to tell his parents (his Kid Flash identity....).

Flash (Barry Allen)

Next chapter by Irv Novick and Joe Giella sees Flash (Barry Allen) arriving at Gorilla City in Africa, finding out from Solovar of how they executed Grodd, because the High Council voted to disperse Grodd's atoms to another dimension (instead of just putting him in an improved Exo-Cube cell as Solovar wanted). 

Barry, accepting he'll never have to face Grodd again, leaves Gorilla City at 7:55 am for his job as a police scientist in Central  City....at 8 am! 

(Plenty of time for the fastest man alive!). 

Barry even has time to prevent a car accident (with his new assistant, Patty Spivot) and still be on time. 

Elsewhere in Central City, Barry's foe from his first appearance, the Turtle, is working on a slow laser, which he will use on the citizens of the city...if he can get it to work!  That mysterious simian shows up again, training his ray gun on the device....and, when the Turtle checks it...finds it now works.

The Turtle gets to rob a bank (eventually), drawing the Flash in...and he hits Flash with his slow laser in the eyes.  This seems to give the Turtle (and everyone else in Central City) super speed?  Closing his eyes, Flash turns back into Barry Allen, and is luckily found by his wife, Iris. 

At home, Barry and Iris figure out that the Turtle's ray took away Flash's speed vision, and find that he needs to reach a certain speed to knock loose the ray's affects and return his vision to normal. 

So a quick jaunt around the Earth (hitting a dizzying speed as well), and Flash can see again....and Barry is ready to capture the Turtle!


At home, Barry and Iris finally figure out the wedding gift to give to Patty Spivot and her soon to be husband, David....lovebirds! 

Though, in light of this recent case, Iris suggests turtle doves!

Flash (Jay Garrick)

Over on Earth-2, with art by Kurt Schaffenberger and Murphy Anderson, Jay Garrick of the Keystone Research Laboratories is revealing his secret identity as the Flash to the world. 

As reporters grill him on his new life (because he still plans to be both Flash and a scientist), Johnny Chambers and Tubby Watts of Sees-All Tells All Video just arrive (a little late), and are just in time to witness an accident that draws scientist Jay Garrick into becoming the Flash (and Johnny to change to his secret identity as super speedster with a formula....Johnny Quick!). 

But, that mysterious simian and his ray gun are doing what here on Earth-2?

Flash tries to stop the runaway water blob...but Johnny only wants to make it worse?  Flash stops the problem, even as Johnny wonders why he acted the way he did (but Tubby found an x-factor...that of a new X in Johnny's speed formula!). 

Johnny goes to Jay's house to apologize, but (thanks to that mysterious simian) says the wrong formula, and kidnaps Jay's wife, Joan!  Flash and Johnny Quick battle, and (after hitting a dizzying speed), Flash defeats Johnny....who seems to be cured of his formula problem.....

...but what is that mysterious simian doing monkeying around with the Flashes?

Flash Team-Up

Finally, Alex Saviuk and Joe Giella provide the team-up part, when both Barry and Wally find their costumes activate from their rings...and the two head to an open field where they meet with Jay...all under the control of the mysterious simian, who Wally and Jay assume is Grodd, and quickly defeat him....

..or do they?

The Flashes find out Grodd has possesses Council member Jroyy, and then uses the other Flashes to tell Barry his plan....(proving Grodd wasn't dead, BTW)... ..manipulating them all to reach a dizzying speed, and pull molecules of Grodd back from that other dimension they reached...all so....

....Grodd can live again!

The three Flashes work together, but find it hard to defeat Grodd, now that he has speed as well as his mind over matter powers.  Barry comes up with a desperate idea...combining with the other two Flashes, hoping that triple Flash powers can defeat Grodd!  It works, and the Flashes get Grodd back to Gorilla City, where he gets to try out Solovar's Exo Cube.

Epilogue

Now, for Wally's graduation, by Irv Novick and Joe Giella.  A few guests show up (like the Teen Titans and Elongated Man)....but sad the next, as Wally lets Barry know that he'll still be Kid Flash at college, but will give it up after he graduates that!

All that, and a couple of text pages on Flash's Rogue's Gallery.  A pretty spectacular issue, showing quite a few changes for the lives of the Flashes....all without a multi-issue cross over, or even more than the one Crisis (but, more Crises are in the future for the Flashes; as Jay and Barry discuss Jay's life change in the sixteenth JLA/JSA team-up, and Wally has to get use to not being in the Teen Titans as their 1970s run just ended with a telling of the team's establishing adventure!).

A Cold Freeze For The Flash

Flash and Kid Flash have their hands full in Central City....a cold front is coming in, that of Captain Cold and Mr. Freeze!


This image first appeared in the 1978 DC Calendar of Super-Spectacular Disasters, and is drawn by Irv Novick, no stranger to either Flash or Batman books of the time!

Flash DC Super Stars

Flash was one of the DC characters that did hold onto his own title even through the 1970s, so it probably wasn't a bad idea to try to tap into his rich history and give him an issue of DC Super Stars, so DC did with DC Super Stars #5 (July, 1975), which had this great cover by Dick Giordano (and the 33 of a special month where DC was saluting the Bicentennial), even though history might make you feel old, or even like you are approacing death....reflecting the 3 tales reprinted in....or, sort of.


Don't speed through the summaries, as how one of these reprints wasn't really a reprint....

Flash 157

First, we start with the reprint of the cover story from Flash #157 (December, 1965) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella (and cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson), with "The Day The Flash Aged 100 Years".

This story deal with Barry Allen dealing with the Top, one of his Rogue's Gallery solo (in between the first two appearances of the Rogue's Gallery's appearances), with the villain sending the Flash spinning by trying to steal an experimental anti-aging serum.  When the Top tries the formula on the Flash, the Flash appears to age at super speed!  This was a set up by the Flash, so the Top would leave him alone, and the Flash could follow the Top to his headquarters, but Flash couldn't find the formula there.  So, Flash tries again, this time pretending to be a hyper-evolved man with fantastic powers, gotten from a combination of the formula and one of the Top's super speed spinning gimmicks.  Top escapes the Flash, to get the vial, and gain those "powers".....but, the Flash followed him at super speed, and was able to recover the formula.

Flash 118 

Next up is a tale of young Wally West as Kid Flash, with the back up tale from Flash #118 (February, 1961) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, where Kid Flash faces "The Midnight Peril".

Wally was taking a fraternity initiation test with his pal Pete Willard, staying in a haunted house until midnight.  Pete and Wally talk about Kid Flash, with Pete telling Wally he doesn't really believe in Kid Flash.  Then, the boys are approached by "ghosts" (two men in white sheets) who chase the boys away.  Wally changes into Kid Flash (who had a smaller version of Barry's costume at this time), who uses his super speed to chase the two men (who were using the house for crime) to the police station.  Then, heading back, Kid Flash saves Pete from a rockslide, earning his respect.  Wally beats Pete back to the house and switches back to Wally, in time enough for the pair to finish their initiation into the fraternity.

All-Flash 22

Now the story of "Deal Me From The Bottom" originally appeared in All-Flash #22 (April-May, 1946) by John Broome and Martin Naydel, with Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash facing off against Deuces Wilde, a gambler who used a young boy who had an ability to pitch playing cards, and that was a rough deal for the Flash.


It was also a rough deal for original artist Martin Naydel, as they had the story redrawn by Rico Rival, giving the feel of a newer story, from a Golden Age one!

The issue also had a page from Strange Adventures that detailed the speed of light, as well as a text piece, that related a little history of DC's speedsters, including the Flashes -Jay, Barry and Wally - as well as the Reverse-Flash, and both Johnny Quicks (the one from Earth-2 and the other from Earth-3), but...

....you can follow the links to find info on them, and enjoy this art by Carmine Infantino of the 3 Flashes instead!

DC Super Stars Teen Titans

The Teen Titans had been out of print for a few years when DC Super Stars #1 (March, 1976), with its cover made of a couple of past covers of Teen Titans by Nick Cardy gave the kids their first collection of tales...


...but, this was a key issue to the development of the Teen Titans, presenting a few old tales of the team.


Let's set the wayback machine to take a look at the two classic tales reprinted here, as well as a few other surprises that E. Nelson Bridwell's reprint title had in store for readers...

Teen Titans 11

First up, the team was offered up as "Monster Bait" by Bob Haney, Irv Novick and Nick Cardy in a story reprinted from Teen Titans #11 (September-October, 1967), with cover by Cardy.

Occasional member Speedy (Green Arrow's partner, Roy Harper), came to Titans' Lair to convince the team (Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad and Wonder Girl) to go help Willie Gregson, a young genius who was helping scientist Dr. Simon Finely, as the boy was being menaced by blackmailers using Gregson's dad's criminal past to try to have the lad steal Finely's nerve gas formula.  The five kids took the Titanscopter to the campsite near where the scientist and his team worked, and after enjoying a little time on the water in bathing suits, fought against the scuba diving criminals and their robot monster involved in this nefarious scheme.

Teen Titans 24

Next up for the team (which was down to four, as Aqualad had taken a leave of absence and Speedy joined full time), time on the slopes facing the "Skis Of Death" by Bob Haney, Gil Kane and Nick Cardy from Teen Titans #24 (November-December, 1969), with Cardy providing the original cover.

Vacationing in their alter egos (after finding out Wonder Girl's origin, name of Donna Troy and near lack of a life), the team went skiing.  Of course, there was trouble at the Medicine Mountain resort.  The Titans came to the aid of ski instructor Eddie Tallbow, to find that developer Anson Larson was trying to force the resort off the land so he could sell it to the government for a hefty profit...and he would have gotten away with it if not for these kids.

Introducing The Teen Titans

One of the most important parts of this issue was four new pages introduced by Mr. Jupiter (a senior advisor for the Teen Titans for a time), written by E. Nelson Bridwell, with art taken from previous Teen Titans issues for the members), that introduced the team for readers.


Not only Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Wonder Girl and Speedy...

....but also other members such as brothers Hawk & Dove, telepath Lilith, fix-it-man Mal Duncan, and even caveboy Gnarrk and Doom Patroler Beast Boy....who, at the time of this issue, the last two had only been associates of the team.

That was due to change, thanks to the successful sales of this issue (as well as Super-Team Family #1, which also had a Teen Titans reprint), leading to the Teen Titans getting a ten issue revival in the mid-1970s, which also featured the introduction of the Titans West and added a few new heroes to the team, like Bumblebee, Joker's Daughter, Bat-Girl and Golden Eagle!

But, bigger things were coming for the Titans after the 1970s ended....

A Celebration Of The Teen Titans, Flash, Shazam and Robin

As the year draws to a close, yet another look back at collections of stories on your favorite DC heroes....


 ...this time around, a look at four more of DC's Celebration anthologies, with Teen Titans: A Celebration of 50 Years, Flash: A Celebration of 75 Years, Shazam!: A Celebration of 75 Years and Robin, the Boy Wonder: A Celebration of 75 Years...



 
 ...expanding on what has gone before and going beyond!

Teen Titans

Starting with the youngest of this batch, a collection from  November, 2014, focusing on the new kids on the block, the sidekicks of the DC heroes, the Teen Titans, who first met in Brave and the Bold #54 by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani.

Issues reprinted:
Brave and the Bold #54 (June-July, 1964) "The Thousand-and-One Dooms Of Mr. Twister"
Showcase #59 (November-December, 1965) "The Return Of The Teen Titans"
Teen Titans #25 (January-February, 1970) "The Titans Kill A Saint?"
Teen Titans #50 (October, 1977) "The Coast-to-Coast Calamities"
Teen Titans Year One #5 (July, 2008) "Young Heroes In Love"
New Teen Titans #6 (April, 1981) "Last Kill"
New Teen Titans #38 (January, 1984) "Who Is Donna Troy?"
Tales Of The Teen Titans Annual #3 (1984) "The Judas Contract" Part 4 "Finale!"
New Titans #83 (February, 1992) "The Jericho Gambit" Part 2 "A Thousand Souls"

Teen Titans #5 (February, 1997) "Coming Out" Part 2
Young Justice #7 (April, 1999) "Conferences"
Teen Titans #2 (October, 2003) "Child's Play"
Teen Titans #50 (October, 2007) "Friday Night Lights"
Teen Titans #39 (November, 2006) "Titans Around The World" Part 2
Teen Titans #1 (November, 2011) "Teen Spirit"
Tiny Titans #4 (July, 2008) "Robin and the Robins"/"Beast Boy's Prize"/"It's A Nightwing Thing"
Teen Titans Go #3 (June, 2014) "Party Party!"

Since it only covers 50 years, where most of these collections cover 75, the Teen Titans edition at least gives a good representation of stories and team from the decades, giving the first meeting of the sidekicks (but not of the Teen Titans), as well as the first appearance of Lilith and the Titans West, and the best of the first of the Titans' Wonder Girl's origin (in the often asked question of "Who Is Donna Troy?").  Nicer still, it shows the involvement of the whole DC Universe, incorporating Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Arrow (and later, even Superman), with the mentors of the kids occasionally giving them grief (individually as well as together as the Justice League), all the while, with the teen struggling to find their own identities as well.

Flash

Speeding his way to the next spot, is a collection of the Flash, from  April, 2015, covering the legacy of the fastest man alive, whether it be Barry Allen, Wally West, Bart Allen, or the one that began it all, Jay Garrick, who was created by Gardner Fox and Harry Lampert in Flash Comics #1 (and the inspiration for Robert Kanigher, Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert for Barry in Showcase #4).

Issues reprinted:
Flash Comics #1 (January, 1940) "Origin Of The Flash"
All-Flash Comics #31 (October-November, 1947) "The Secret City"
All-Flash Comics #31 (October-November, 1947) "The Planet Of Sport"
Flash Comics #104 (February, 1949) "The Rival Flash!"
Showcase #4 (September-October, 1956) "Mystery Of The Human Thunderbolt!"
Flash #110 (December-January, 1959/1960) "Meet Kid Flash!"
Flash #123 (September, 1961) "Flash Of Two Worlds!"
Flash #125 (December, 1961) "The Conquerors Of Time!"
Superman #199 (August, 1967) "Superman's Race With The Flash!"
Flash #174 (November, 1967) "Stupendous Triumph Of The Six Super-Villains!"

Flash #215 (May, 1972) "Death Of An Immortal!"
Flash #233 (May, 1975) "Deadly Secret Of The Flash!"
Flash #275 (July, 1979) "The Last Dance!"
Crisis On Infinite Earths #8 (November, 1985) "A Flash Of The Lightning!"
Flash #1 (June, 1987) "Happy Birthday Wally!"
Secret Origins Annual #2 (1988) "The Unforgiving Minute"
Flash #0 (October, 1994) "Flashing Back!"
Flash #225 (October, 2005) "Rogue War: Conclusion"
Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1 (August, 2006) "Lightning In A Bottle Part One: Flashback"
Flash: Rebirth #1 (June, 2009) "Lightning Strikes Twice"
Flashpoint #5 (Late October, 2011) "Flashpoint Part Five"
Flash #9 (July, 2012) "Fear"

This collection runs all over the place, giving a few of the most reprinted Flash stories of the Golden Age, a nice collection of the Silver Age (including the introductions of Barry Allen, Iris West, Wally West as Kid Flash and first meeting of Barry and Jay), as well as the first Superman/Flash race and a few great battles with Flash's Rogue's Gallery and the Reverse-Flash, as well as Golden Age Green Lantern and JSA villain, Vandal Savage, and even touching on big events in the DC Universe like the Crisis On Infinite Earths and Flashpoint.... 

Shazam!

Holy Moley!  Time for a younger point of view with the April, 2015 collection of stories of Captain Marvel, the World's Mightiest Mortal, who becomes the hero when Billy Batson says Shazam! (which he first did in Whiz Comics #2 by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck).

Issues reprinted:
Whiz Comics #2 (February, 1940) "Introducing Captain Marvel"
Whiz Comics #21 (September 5, 1941) "The Vengeful Four"
Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (December, 11 1942) "Captain Marvel Introduces Mary Marvel"
Captain Marvel, Jr. #12 (October, 1943) "Baffin Land"
Captain Marvel Adventures #38 (August, 1944) "Mr. Mind's Movie Madness"
Captain Marvel Adventures #39 (September, 1944) "Peril Behind The Camera"
Marvel Family #1 (December, 1945) "The Mighty Marvels Join Forces!"
Hoppy The Marvel Bunny #6 (October, 1946) "Phantom Of The Forest"
Captain Marvel Adventures #137 (October, 1952) "King Kull And The Seven Sins"
Captain Marvel Adventures #148 (September, 1953) "Captain Marvel Battles The World"
Superman #276 (June, 1974) "Make Way For Captain Thunder"

Shazam #1 (February, 1973) "In The Beginning"/"The World's Wickedest Plan"
Shazam #29 (May-June, 1977) "Ibac Meets Aunt Minerva!"
World's Finest Comics #275 (January, 1982) "The Snatching Of Billy Batson"
DC Comics Presents #49 (September, 1982) "Superman And Shazam"
L.E.G.I.O.N. '91 #31 (September, 1991) "Where Dreams End"
Power of Shazam #1 (March, 1995) "Things Change"
Power of Shazam #2 (April, 1995) "The Arson Fiend"
Power of Shazam #33 (December, 1997) "Yeah -- This Is A Face Only A Mother Could Love"
Action Comics #768 (August, 2000) "O Captain My Captain"
JSA #48 (July, 2003) "Enlightenment"
Shazam! The Monster Society Of Evil #2 (May, 2007) "Mary Takes The Cake"
Justice League #21 (August, 2013) "SHAZAM!" 

Truly one of the better collections, with a nice section of Cap's original Fawcett adventures including his first appearance, as well as Mary Marvel's, the Lt. Marvels', Black Adam's and King Kull's, his move to DC (where he had to have his saying, "Shazam!" on the cover, due to legal complications), most of his best villains (including Sivana, Black Adam, Mr. Mind, King Kull, Ibac and Aunt Minerva are all represented), and, though Superman does show up a little more than he should (as he has multiple volumes), here, at least, you can see the joy Cap gets working with the big, red, "S", as well as fighting for a place in the greater DC Universe (most notably with Lobo and the JSA).

Robin, the Boy Wonder

Last, but not least, one of the earliest sidekicks of a super-hero, Robin, in this collection from May, 2015, which focuses on the original, Dick Grayson (who premiered in Detective Comics #38, by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson), but also Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne and more!

Issues reprinted:
Detective Comics #38 (April, 1940) "Robin, The Boy Wonder"
Batman #20 (December-January, 1943/1944) "Bruce Wayne Loses Guardianship Of Dick Grayson"
Star-Spangled Comics #82 (July, 1948) "The Boy Who Hated Robin"
Star-Spangled Comics #86 (November, 1948) "The Barton Brothers"
Star-Spangled Comics #103 (April, 1950) "Roberta, The Girl Wonder"
Batman #107 (April, 1957) "The Grown-Up Boy Wonder"
Batman #156 (June, 1963) "Robin Dies At Dawn"
Detective Comics #342 (August, 1965) "The Midnight Raid Of The Robin Gang"
Batman Family #1 (September-October, 1975) "The Invader From Hell"
Nightwing #101 (Early March, 2005) "Nightwing: Year One" Part 1

Batman #408 (June, 1987) "Did Robin Die Tonight?"
Batman #424 (October, 1988) "The Diplomat's Son"
Batman #427 (Winter, 1988) "Death In The Family" Part 2
Batman #442 (December, 1989) "A Lonely Place Of Dying" Part 5
Robin #46 (October, 1997) "Dark At Dawn"
Nightwing #25 (October, 1998) "The Boys"
Superman/Batman #7 (April, 2004) "Protege"
Batman #657 (November, 2006) "Batman And Son" Part 3
Superman/Batman #77 (December, 2010) "Fright Night"
Batman and Robin Annual #1 (March, 2013) "Batman Impossible"
Justice League Of America #55 (August, 1967) "The Super-Crisis That Struck Earth-Two"
Batman: Dark Knight #2 (1986) "Dark Knight Triumphant"
DC One Million 80-Page Giant #1 (1999) "Head Games"
Robin #126 (July, 2004) "A Life More Ordinary"




Truly an odd collection, as much of it does contain Batman, still Robin does have a few solo adventures, as well as team-ups with Batgirl, Nightwing, Superboy, and Supergirl, it lacks any first appearances of any Robin other than Dick Grayson, nor does it have any of his strongest Titans stories (which are not in the Teen Titans collection either).  Still, this book does serve Dick's time as Nightwing well, as well as wonderful stories of Jason Todd, Damian Wayne and especially Tim Drake, as well as a few different versions of grown-up Robins!

All of these books also set up for future volume, which focus on the Justice Society of America and Batgirl, who get teased here, as well as Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Catwoman and more!