Showcase #66
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeShowcase #66 marks the debut of B'wana Beast (Michael Payson Maxwell), one of DC's more unusual Silver Age creations — an American game warden who gains the power to communicate with and physically merge two animals into chimeric hybrid creatures after drinking mineral-laden water and donning an ancient helmet atop Mount Kilimanjaro. The issue arrives at the tail end of DC's Showcase tryout era, when the anthology was still DC's primary incubator for new concepts, making it a minor but genuine piece of that larger Silver Age apparatus. Though B'wana Beast never earned his own ongoing series from the tryout, the character proved durable enough to resurface across decades, most notably in Grant Morrison's celebrated Animal Man run, where Mike Maxwell's retirement and the passing of his powers to South African activist Dominic Mndawe (who became Freedom Beast) gave the original debut issue retroactive narrative weight. The issue also carries a notable contextual footnote: contemporary copies carried house ads for Detective Comics #359, the first appearance of Batgirl, placing it squarely at a watershed moment in DC's 1967 publishing calendar.
In "The Birth of B'wana Beast [Part One]," a gripping flashback in Showcase #66 (1967), Rupert and his nephew Michael seek refuge in a cave atop Kilimanjaro, where a mysterious mineral-laced drink transforms Michael into the powerful B'wana Beast. With the help of a strange helmet that grants him animal communication, Michael vows to defend the Zambesi Game Preserve—while Rupert, now national police commissioner, is tasked with capturing him. Written by Bob Haney and Mike Sekowsky, with art by Mike Sekowsky and inks by George Roussos, the story unfolds with a thrilling blend of adventure and mystery, all capped by a striking cover by Mike Sekowsky and Joe Giella.
In the heart of the African jungle, as a caravan of dump trucks rolls toward the coast carrying copper ore, a secret experiment unfolds in a hidden mountain retreat. Ranger Michael Maxell receives a serum from the ape Djuba, transforming him into the mighty B'wana Beast, whose strength and connection to the wild allow him to halt a truckload of ore and pull it into the jungle.
In "The Birth of B'wana Beast, Part 2," the jungle hero faces off against Hamid Ali, piloting his massive robot crocodile, as Rupert and his helicopter pilot rally to repel the assault. Flashing back to their college days, we see Michael Maxwell and Rupert embark on a journey to Africa—only to crash-land on Kilimanjaro during a sudden storm.
In the heart of Kilimanjaro’s highlands, Michael finds himself transformed after drinking mineral-rich water and donning a mysterious helmet that unlocks his ability to speak with animals. Now known as B'wana Beast, he takes up the mantle of protector for the Zambesi Game Preserve, while his mentor Rupert, newly appointed national police commissioner, is tasked with capturing him—setting up a tense, personal clash between duty and destiny.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 14 grades ▾
More listings for this title
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
B'wana Beast was created by writer Bob Haney and artist-penciler Mike Sekowsky, with the authorship question carrying a degree of ambiguity — a 1976 article in DC's own fan magazine The Amazing World of DC Comics referred to the character explicitly as 'Mike Sekowsky's B'wana Beast,' suggesting Sekowsky may have had a stronger hand in the concept than a standard artist credit implies, though the Grand Comics Database notes that the Haney script credit was suggested by researcher Kurt Mitchell rather than confirmed by documentation. The issue was edited by George Kashdan, and according to the same Amazing World of DC Comics retrospective, this two-issue B'wana Beast arc represented both Kashdan's debut and farewell as a Showcase editor. The cover was penciled and signed by Sekowsky and inked by Joe Giella, while interior story pages were inked by George Roussos; the distinctive logo was designed by letterer Ira Schnapp, a credit identified by design historian Todd Klein. The issue shipped to newsstands on November 22, 1966, with a cover date of February 1967.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of B'wana Beast (Michael Payson Maxwell), introduced across three chapter segments ('The Birth of B'wana Beast' Parts 1–3) all contained within this single issue.
- Created by writer Bob Haney and artist Mike Sekowsky; the Amazing World of DC Comics (1976) attributed the character primarily to Sekowsky, leaving the precise creative split debated among researchers.
- Edited by George Kashdan — per the Amazing World of DC Comics retrospective, this was both Kashdan's first and last editorial stint on the Showcase title.
- Cover penciled and signed by Mike Sekowsky, inked by Joe Giella; interior art inked by George Roussos; logo designed by Ira Schnapp.
- The issue shipped November 22, 1966, with a cover-dated month of February 1967; the on-sale date was confirmed via an advertisement in Sea Devils #33.
- Supporting and villain characters introduced alongside B'wana Beast include his gorilla companion Djuba, college friend Rupert Kenboya (later appointed national police commissioner), and primary villain Hamid Ali ('He Who Never Dies'), who attacks using a giant mechanical crocodile.
- Contemporary copies of the issue contained a house advertisement for Detective Comics #359 — the first appearance of Batgirl — connecting this issue historically to one of DC's most significant 1967 releases.
- B'wana Beast's origin story continued directly into Showcase #67; the character later appeared in Animal Man #1–4 and #13 (1988–89, written by Grant Morrison), where Maxwell retired and passed his helmet and elixir to Dominic Mndawe, who became Freedom Beast, giving this debut lasting narrative significance in DC continuity.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Cuentos de Misterio #116 (1967), Bat Lash #4 (1971)
Key issues in Showcase
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.