Because.

So more than once I've been asked, "why this set?"

My decision making process was fairly easy, I love SA DC, but I'm unable to compete financially for key books from the early silver age, I just don't have that kind of money to spend on my second hobby.

But, I wanted to have clear guidelines to keep myself from buying books all willy nilly and not having anything at the end of the period that I was proud of. I also didn't want my focus to be so narrow that I was unable to find anything for my collection for long periods of time, as that would lead to wandering the web & auction sites and buying stuff that was off target.

So I looked at what I liked. I have always felt that the go-go check covers stood out from their mid sixties brethren from every company, and since I would be collecting these books slabbed, the covers were important to me. When I began researching, I discovered a huge set, all with the same theme, that existed during a short period of many firsts and lasts as DC went through a period of turmoil.

There are even a couple of books from the month before the go-go period that I could have added to the set, Teen Titans #1 & Showcase #60 (1st SA Spectre), but now that I've requested an actual competitive set I won't, because even if they could belong, they don't have checks.

Without looking at my list, a few of the firsts from my set...

First time a character without their own title gets an "annual" - Supergirl in Action 334

First Parasite

First DC war comic set in Vietnam

First SA plastic man

First Batgirl

First SA Catwoman

First Animal man in costume

First Enchantress (June Moone)

First SA appearance of the GA Green Lantern, the GA Atom, & the GA Sandman

First Poison Ivy

First Neal Adams art at DC

First Bwana Beast

And so on, and so on...

Are they all big keys? No - there's only three big keys: Poison Ivy (Batman 181), Catwoman (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane 70), and Batgirl (Detective 359)...

And that's nice, because there's only this three books that I have to 'save up' for.

Soon, why (supposedly) DC did the go-go check marketing...and why Carmine Infantino killed it when he took over editing duties.

For now: Love is in the air!

Happy Hunting!

Lee K

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