Eks almanah #411
Eks almanah #411 is a culturally significant artifact of Yugoslavia's thriving comics reprint ecosystem: published on 3 July 1987 by Dečje novine — the largest comics publisher in the former Yugoslavia — it delivered two landmark American stories to Serbo-Croatian-reading audiences who otherwise had no access to them. The DC selection alone carries extraordinary weight: the reprinted Super Friends #7 (1977) holds the first comic book appearance of Zan, Jayna, and their space monkey Gleek — the Wonder Twins — whose debut in print actually predated their own animated television introduction due to differing production lag times between animation and comics. The Marvel selection is equally weighty: Daredevil #172, part of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson's celebrated Gang War arc, is the story that cemented the Kingpin as the dominant crime lord of the Marvel Universe, establishing Wilson Fisk's real name and setting up his ruthless reclamation of organized crime in Hell's Kitchen. Together, these two stories make this anthology issue a single-volume crossroads of two of the most enduring character developments of the Bronze Age.
In "Superprijetelji - Upozorenje blizanaca," Zan and Jayna arrive on Earth with a dire warning: Grax is planning to plant twelve bombs across the planet. Written by E. Nelson Bridwell and illustrated by Ramona Fradon with inks by Bob Smith, this 1987 issue sees the Super Friends join forces with global heroes to disarm the first four threats. The cover by Ramona Fradon and Bob Smith captures the urgency of the moment, a 40 YUM comic that’s a must for fans of classic team-up adventures.
Zan and Jayna, twin heroes from another world, crash-land on Earth with a dire warning: Grax is planning to detonate twelve bombs across the planet. With time running short, the Super Friends join forces with a global network of local heroes to race against the clock and disarm the first four before it’s too late.
In "Rat gangstera!", the Kingpin, believing his wife dead, seizes control of the criminal underworld and enlists Bullseye as his enforcer. Daredevil arrives to stop the bloodshed, dismantling Bullseye’s threat—but leaves the Kingpin intact, allowing the web of power to slowly reweave.
In "Demon - Baron nema tajni!", the Demon and the Baron clash over the fabled tomb of Merlin, their clash shaking the ancient site—until Stavik and the local villagers intervene. With the Baron forced to retreat, the Demon makes a crucial move, reclaiming the long-lost Eternity Book.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Dečje novine, headquartered in Gornji Milanovac, Serbia, operated as the dominant comics publisher across all six Yugoslav republics from its founding in 1956, with Eks almanah running as a weekly anthology from April 1975 through March 1989 for a total of 538 issues. The publisher held broad licensing arrangements with both DC Comics and Marvel Comics, routinely reprinting their stories in local editions that circulated across Yugoslavia's six republics regardless of which republic they were printed in, since the shared Serbo-Croatian language made cross-republic distribution practical. Issue #411 arrived during the mid-to-late phase of the series, pairing a nearly decade-old DC children's superhero story with a then-six-year-old Frank Miller Daredevil chapter — a typical Eks almanah editorial approach of mixing DC and Marvel material regardless of era, exposing Yugoslav readers to key American storylines long after their original publication dates.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published by Dečje novine (Gornji Milanovac, Yugoslavia) on 3 July 1987, as issue #411 in a run that spanned 538 issues from 1975 to 1989.
- Cover-titled 'Superprijatelji' (i.e., 'Super Friends' in Serbo-Croatian), reflecting the DC reprint that anchored the issue.
- Reprints Super Friends #7 (DC, October 1977 cover date, published July 1977), written by E. Nelson Bridwell and drawn by Ramona Fradon — the first comic book appearance of the Wonder Twins (Zan and Jayna) and their space monkey Gleek.
- The Wonder Twins' comic debut in Super Friends #7 chronologically preceded their animated television debut, due to the different production schedules of comics and animation.
- Also reprints Daredevil #172 (Marvel, July 1981), written and drawn by Frank Miller with inks by Klaus Janson and colors by Glynis Oliver — the concluding chapter of the Gang War storyline.
- Daredevil #172 features Kingpin (Wilson Fisk) consolidating control of New York's criminal underworld after believing his wife Vanessa dead, hiring Bullseye as his assassin, and defeating Daredevil in a strategic sense even after losing the physical confrontation.
- Daredevil #172 has been reprinted in numerous major collections, including Daredevil Gangwar (1992), Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Vol. 2 (2001), and the Daredevil by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson Omnibus (2007), underscoring the story's ongoing canonical importance.
- Dečje novine held broad licensing rights for both DC and Marvel material and was recognized as the largest comics publisher in the former Yugoslavia, distributing Eks almanah across all six Yugoslav republics.
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Super Friends #7 (1977), Detective Comics #484 (1979), Daredevil #172 (1981)
Key issues in Eks almanah
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