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in: Ross Andru/Cover Artist, Dick Giordano/Cover Artist, Cary Bates/Writer,
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The Best of DC Vol 1 11

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"The Miraculous Return of Jonathan Kent!": This story is reprinted from Action Comics #507.

The Best of DC #11 is an issue of the series The Best of DC (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1981.

Synopsis for "The Miraculous Return of Jonathan Kent!"

This story is reprinted from Action Comics #507.

Jonathan Kent appears to have come back to life, and Superman encounters Starshine, a hippie who can compel others--even the Man of Steel--to obey his verbal commands.

Appearing in "The Miraculous Return of Jonathan Kent!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Starshine (First appearance)
  • Muggers
    • Jiggers (Single appearance)
    • Man (Unnamed) (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • WGBS Employees
    • Two Crew Members (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
    • Cameraman (Mentioned only)
  • Marcel's
    • Andre (maitre d') (Single appearance)
    • Patrons (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
  • Citizens of Metropolis (Unnamed)
    • Hubert (Single appearance)
    • Andre (Single appearance)
  • Mr. Mickey (an injuried rabbit Clark and Lana found at the age of 10) (Mentioned only)
  • Two Metro Bank Guard (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
  • Gray Liberation March (Mentioned only)
  • Rao (Mentioned only)
  • Chinese Boat Crew (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
  • Citizens of Smallville (Unnamed) (Cameo)
    • Priest (Unnamed) (Flashback only)
    • Graveyard Caretaker (Unnamed) (Cameo)
  • Justice League of America (Mentioned only) (in a letter)
  • Metropolis Police Department
    • Sarge (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
    • Officer (Unnamed) (Single appearance)

Locations:

Items:

  • Typhoon (Mentioned only)
  • Boeuf Bourguignon
  • Starshine's Stolen Items
    • Jewelry
    • Mink Stole
    • Wallet
    • Watch
    • Bank Money
  • Animal House (Mentioned only)
  • Letter dated April 7 1975

Vehicles:

  • Queen Dory (cruise ship) (On a TV or computer screen)
  • Chinese Boat (Junk rig) (Unnamed)


Synopsis for "Flip"

This story is reprinted from Detective Comics #494.

A runner for the local mob sacrifices his life to save a child from gangsters.

Appearing in "Flip"

Featured Characters:

  • Flip (Single appearance; dies)

Supporting Characters:

  • Juan (Single appearance)

Antagonists:

  • The West-Side Mob (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • Mr. Artie (Single appearance)
  • Leroy (Single appearance)
  • Mr. Regelski (Single appearance)

Locations:

Synopsis for "Dreadful Birthday, Dear Joker...!"

This story is reprinted from Batman #321.

The Joker starts a new criminal plot and begins rounding up his enemies from all around town and strapping them to his special "Victim-Go-Round" in preparation for his "Birthday Party". He kidnaps Robin, James Gordon, and Alfred Pennyworth. The Gotham populace are all enticed to the newly built Gotham Colliseum by the promise of free samples from the "Harlequin Baking Company".

At the place, Joker immobilizes the audience, and then takes center stage with his goons. Onstage is a gigantic Cake, with the Joker's victims tied to giant explosive candles on top. Batman arrives, and is forced by the Joker to be tied to the biggest candle in exchange for the lives of his friends. Although the Joker plans on killing them all anyway, Batman reveals he had earlier through a simple operation converted the biggest explosive candle into a makeshift rocket. He shoots into the air instead of blowing up, unties himself, and cuts both the fuses and Robin's bonds with batarangs.

While Robin fights the goons, Batman chases the Joker onto the docks. The Joker nearly escapes via motorboat, but Batman grabs a loose rope and waterskis behind him until he can climb onto the boat. They struggle and the Joker manages to push Batman out, but fails to notice that the boat is heading straight for a shoal of rocks which it hits and explodes, apparently killing the madman. On shore, Batman and Jim Gordon wonder if the Joker could've survived, both knowing that the Joker always does.

Appearing in "Dreadful Birthday, Dear Joker...!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • The Joker (Flashback and main story) (Apparent Death)
    • Sidney (Single appearance; dies)

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "Brief Encounter"

This story is reprinted from Time Warp #5.

Appearing in "Brief Encounter"

  • Appearances not yet listed

Synopsis for "The Man Who Was the World!"

This story is reprinted from DC Comics Presents #24.

Deadman has had enough and calls upon Rama Kushna. He demands her to let him take his eternal rest. When she asks why, he explains his most recent incident in possessing someone. He tells her about Abraham Gold, an old man who was dying of cancer.[1] Because he could not steer his son away from dealing drugs for a crime boss named Caprice, Gold was about to commit suicide until Deadman intervened. Possessing Gold's body, he attempted to take the drug dealer in, but Caprice shot Gold dead. Rama Kushna's response to Deadman is that Gold made a sacrifice to stop Caprice, which leads to his son giving up his life of crime. However, Deadman cannot live with the idea that he sent the old man to his death. Rama Kushna decides that she will grant him his eternal rest under one condition. When Deadman asks what it is, he finds himself teleported to Metropolis and told to see what it is for himself.

Deadman materializes in the middle of an earthquake and uses his powers to save an old man from being crushed by falling debris. Still unconvinced of his usefulness, Deadman spots Superman flying over the city preventing damage and decides to follow the Man of Steel. He witnesses Superman rescuing a man who has suddenly keeled over from a heart attack. When Superman scoops up the man, and is about to bring him to a hospital, the man instead asks to be taken to S.T.A.R. Labs. There, Deadman listens in as the man introduces himself as Alex Atley, to Superman and Janet Klyburn, and shows them that he has a special pacemaker device that is responsible for the earthquakes. Before explanations can be made, his daughter and her boyfriend burst into the room. Superman loses his patience and asks them to explain the whole story from the beginning.

Alex explains that he headed a government project called "Operation: Earth-Heart," that used a laser to bore a hole to the Earth's molten core -- it's heart. During the project, Alex began suffering heart attacks and soon built a pacemaker device that linked him to the Earth's core. He hoped that it would keep him alive indefinitely, but instead, it has linked him to the Earth in such a way that whenever he has a heart attack, it/he triggers earthquakes.

While Dr. Klyburn is trying to find a way to stabilize the pacemaker, Deadman becomes suspicious of the boyfriend and decides to follow him. His uneasy feeling proves to be correct as he has been providing information for an elderly mobster named Mr. Genarian. Genarian is seeking to utilize the technology to prolong his own life. With his life running short, he and his thugs demand that the boyfriend take them to S.T.A.R. Labs in order to steal the technology. Following them to S.T.A.R. Labs, Deadman suddenly decides that he needs to do something. Rama Kushna appears and reminds Deadman of his earlier demands, but Deadman decides to help.

He rushes off to the Daily Planet where Superman is recounting his tale to Lois Lane. He takes possession of the Man of Steel's body and flies toward S.T.A.R. Labs. When another earthquake hits, Deadman attempts to use Superman's body to deal with the collateral damage, but his lack of training with Superman's powers makes him realize that he should leave the actual Man of Steel to deal with it and releases his hold. Superman, feeling some strange force directing him, heads for S.T.A.R. Labs. There, he confronts the mobsters, but they lose their interest in fighting when their boss dies during the battle due to old age.

Realizing a giant earthquake is about to hit Metropolis, Alex demands that they let him die. Superman immediately burrows deep into the Earth to locate the device that links Alex with the planet. Meanwhile, Deadman possesses Alex's body in order to keep him alive. He manages to fight off death within Alex, and with its grim specter defeated, death relinquishes possession of the man's body just as Superman arrives with the control device. With Alex's directions, Superman deactivates it and also corrects Alex's heart problem with super surgery. With the crisis averted, Deadman watches over the situation. Rama Kushna appears and offers to take Boston to his eternal rest, however, Deadman refuses, telling her that his work on Earth is not done yet.

Appearing in "The Man Who Was the World!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Mr. Genarian (Dies)
  • Dennis

Other Characters:

  • Abraham Gold (Dies in flashback)
  • Alex Atley
  • Caprice (Dies in flashback)
  • Carol Atley
  • Jack Gold (Flashback only)
  • Grim Reaper

Locations:

Items:

  • Cardialink

Vehicles:



Synopsis for "A Bridge Called Charlie"

This story is reprinted from Sgt. Rock #337.

Appearing in "A Bridge Called Charlie"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • German army

Other Characters:

Locations:

  • Charlie bridge (Destroyed)

Vehicles:

  • Numerous German Panzers (all destroyed)

Synopsis for "Star Light, Star Bright...Farthest Star I See Tonight!"

This story is reprinted from DC Special Series #21.

Superboy attends the Legion's Christmas celebration and conceives the idea of having the Legion track down the Christmas star.

Appearing in "Star Light, Star Bright...Farthest Star I See Tonight!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:


Antagonists:


Other Characters:


Locations:

Items:


Vehicles:



Synopsis for "The Vow of a Samurai!"

This story is reprinted from Jonah Hex #39.

Appearing in "The Vow of a Samurai!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:


Antagonists:


Other Characters:


Locations:

Items:

  • Cavalry Sabre

Synopsis for "Bruce the Barbarian!"

This story is reprinted from The Unexpected #205.

Appearing in "Bruce the Barbarian!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:


Antagonists:


Other Characters:


Locations:


Items:


Vehicles:



Synopsis for "The Secret World of Jonathan Kent!"

This story is reprinted from Action Comics #508.

Jonathan Kent learns that the aliens who granted his wish to see his adult son are accidentally the cause of Starshine's powers, and Superman finds a means of combating the villain.

Appearing in "The Secret World of Jonathan Kent!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Starshine (Final appearance) (Origin)
  • Mugger (Unnamed) (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • WGBS Employees
    • Jeb Rolland (WGBS morning newscaster) (Mentioned only)
    • Man (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
  • Citizens of Metropolis
    • Over the age of 30 (Unnamed)
    • Under the age of 30 (Unnamed)
  • Two Aliens (Unnamed) (Flashback and main story) (from Superboy (Volume 2) #5)
  • Starshine's Mom (Unnamed) (Mentioned only)

Locations:

Items:

  • Rega-Mist
  • Remote Control Muzzle
  • Peace Medallion
  • Typhoon (Mentioned only) (isochronically with Action Comics #507)

Vehicles:




See Also

Recommended Reading


Links and References

  1. ↑ For the dramatic details of Deadman's story, read Adventure Comics #466.
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