Cover: Ed Hannigan & Frank Springer

Dazzler #5

Jul 1981 · Marvel · 0.50 USD

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“Tell Joey I Love Him!”

★ 1st appearance — Blue Shield

About this Issue

Dazzler #5 (July 1981) holds a firm place in Marvel history as the first appearance of Blue Shield (Joe Cartelli), a street-level vigilante whose force-field technology and crime-noir origin gave the Dazzler title its first wholly original supporting hero — one who went on to appear in Contest of Champions, Captain America, Quasar, and beyond. The issue also marks a tonal pivot for the series: rather than pitting Alison Blaire against the cosmic-tier villains who crowded the opening arc, writer Tom DeFalco pulled the story down to ground level, centering it on a crime boss, a stolen military weapon called the Terror Tank, and a mother-and-son reunion, signaling that the book was willing to develop its own corner of the Marvel Universe rather than leaning indefinitely on marquee guest stars. It sits within the broader cultural significance of the Dazzler series itself — the first direct-market-exclusive ongoing from a major publisher — making even its mid-run issues part of a landmark experiment that reshaped how comics were sold and distributed.

writer Tom DeFalco · artist Frank Springer · inker Ricardo Villamonte · colorist Don Warfield · letterer Joe Rosen · cover Ed Hannigan, Frank Springer

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (Fine) $5

CGC 9.8 · 24 in census $154

CGC 9.6 · 9 in census $77*

CGC 9.4 · 6 in census $44

CGC 9.2 · 2 in census $31*

CGC 9.0 none in existence

CGC 8.5 none in existence

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CGC 8.0 none in existence

CGC 7.5 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 7.0 none in existence

CGC 6.5 none in existence

CGC 6.0 none in existence

CGC 5.5 none in existence

CGC 5.0 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 4.5 none in existence

CGC 4.0 none in existence

CGC 3.5 none in existence

CGC 3.0 none in existence

CGC 2.5 none in existence

CGC 2.0 · 1 in census $20*

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

More listings for this title

Newsstand $2.69 FINE $2.99 FN $3.97 VF+ $4 NM- $4.5 Newsstand $4.78 VERY FINE $5 VF/NM $5

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History

By the time issue #5 was released in July 1981, the Dazzler title had already exhausted John Romita Jr.'s pre-banked pages, and Frank Springer had taken over as the series' regular penciler from the third issue onward — a transition noted by multiple sources and visible throughout issue #5, which Springer both penciled and inked (cover pencils credited to Ed Hannigan). The book was edited by Danny Fingeroth under editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, and DeFalco was still writing the title at this point, though he would exit after issue #6 partly due to creative disagreements with Springer over whether the book should lean toward romance-comics storytelling or traditional superhero fare. Issue #5 thus falls precisely at the seam between the series' star-studded opening phase and its more self-contained middle period, with the guest-star cameos of Human Torch and Beast reduced to brief appearances and the narrative focus landing squarely on two new characters making their debuts.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance of Blue Shield (Joe Cartelli), created by Tom DeFalco and Frank Springer — a force-field-generating vigilante whose father was murdered by crime boss Bo Barrigan, motivating his war on organized crime.
First appearance of villain Bo Barrigan and his weapon the Terror Tank, both introduced as antagonists in the same issue.
First appearance of Dr. Paul Janson and Nurse Collins, supporting characters in Dazzler's personal life at the hospital.
Story title is 'Tell Joey I Love Him!' (full parenthetical: 'Or Even with Not-So-Great Power Comes Great Responsibility!'); release date was March 24, 1981, with a cover date of July 1981.
Creative team: Writer Tom DeFalco; Penciler Frank Springer; Inker Ricardo Villamonte; Colorist Don Warfield; Letterer Joe Rosen; Cover by Ed Hannigan; Editor Danny Fingeroth; Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter.
Doctor Doom, the Enchantress, and Nightmare appear only in a nightmare sequence at the opening of the issue — not as active antagonists — while Human Torch and Beast make brief supporting appearances.
Blue Shield went on to appear in Dazzler #14, Contest of Champions #3, Captain America #352, Quasar #8, and The Avengers vol. 3 #6, among other titles, and received entries in multiple editions of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.
The issue has been reprinted in Essential Dazzler Vol. 1 (2007, black and white), Marvel Masterworks: Dazzler Vol. 1 (2020), and the Dazzler Omnibus (2024); the cover was also featured in Ed Hannigan: Covered (2009).