Superman Supacomic #114
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeSuperman Supacomic #114 is a significant artifact of mid-Silver Age DC distribution history, bringing the landmark Batman #201 story 'Batman's Gangland Guardians!' to Australian readers roughly a year after its US debut. That source story marks the first time Gotham's classic rogues gallery — Joker, Catwoman, Mad Hatter, Penguin, Cluemaster, Getaway Genius, and Johnny Witts — were assembled as a coordinated group, a narrative device that would echo through decades of Batman storytelling. The issue also packages two additional DC Silver Age stories under one cover, making it a dense cross-title anthology that exposed Australian audiences to a breadth of the Superman-family universe unavailable in single-issue format locally. As part of K. G. Murray's long-running Supacomic line, it stands as evidence of how DC's Silver Age reached global audiences through licensed reprint partnerships well before the modern collected-editions era.
In "Superman... Guilty of Homicide," the Legion of Super-Heroes faces a chilling deception as three versions of Morlo appear across Orando, Daxam, and Naltor—each a diversion in a far more dangerous scheme. Written by Jim Shooter and Mort Weisinger, with art by Jim Shooter and Pete Costanza, and lettered by Shelly Leferman, this 1969 K. G. Murray classic sees the Legion racing against time to uncover the truth behind the ruse, while the fate of Earth hangs in the balance. Neal Adams' dynamic cover captures the tension of a hero caught between justice and accusation.
In "Superman... Guilty of Homicide," Superman finds himself entangled in a deadly conspiracy when Ron Noble, the hidden leader of the International Crime Exchange, stages a rigged boxing match to frame him for accidental homicide. With the stakes rising and the truth buried beneath deception, Superman must uncover the real mastermind behind the plot before justice is twisted beyond repair.
In "Mysteries of the Superman Awards!", Superman takes the stage at the Metropolis Police Department to present the annual honor—only to discover the recipient is none other than Clark Kent. As he scrambles to arrange Clark’s arrival, the Man of Steel reflects on the remarkable individuals who’ve earned the award before, each a testament to courage and service in the city he protects.
In "Batman's Gangland Guardians!", Gotham City faces a sudden invasion by a ruthless west coast crime syndicate determined to eliminate Batman at any cost. Fearing they’re next on the syndicate’s hit list, seven of Batman’s most notorious enemies—Penguin, Cluemaster, Getaway Genius, Johnny Witts, and Mr. ESPer—unexpectedly team up to protect the city, forming a dangerous alliance that blurs the line between villain and vigilante.
In "Black Day for the Legion," the Legion of Super-Heroes faces a cunning deception when three versions of Dr. Mantis Morlo—each seemingly escaping from different planets—lead the team on a frantic chase across the galaxy. As the Legionnaires grapple with the mystery of the false threats, they realize the real danger lies not in the decoys, but in a far more devastating plan aimed at destroying Earth.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
K. G. Murray's Superman Supacomic series launched in 1959, continuing the numbering of the earlier Superman's Supacomic, and ran through roughly 200 issues into the mid-1970s under the Colour Comics and later Murray Comics imprints, all published from 142 Clarence Street, Sydney. Issues were printed by Kenmure Press Pty Ltd in North Lidcombe and distributed across Australia and New Zealand by Gordon & Gotch. Content was licensed from National Periodical Publications (DC Comics), and each issue bundled multiple stories from several DC titles simultaneously — a common format for Commonwealth-market reprints of this era. Because the GCD lists #114's date as 'Circa February 1969,' the precise publication month is uncertain; League of Comic Geeks dates it to April 1969.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published circa early 1969 by K. G. Murray (Sydney, Australia); the exact on-sale date is approximate, with sources citing February or April 1969.
- Reprints Batman #201 (cover-dated May 1968), titled 'Batman's Gangland Guardians!' — scripted by Gardner Fox, with pencils by Chic Stone and Joe Certa, inks by Joe Giella, and a cover by Irv Novick.
- Batman #201 marks the first appearance of the Gangland Guardians as a collective: Penguin, Joker, Catwoman, Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch), Cluemaster, Getaway Genius, and Johnny Witts unite to protect Batman from a West Coast crime syndicate that wants him eliminated — and would then turn on them next.
- Supporting cast in the Batman story includes Alfred Pennyworth, Commissioner James Gordon, Robin (Dick Grayson), and Bruce Wayne in his civilian identity.
- Also reprints Superman #211, bringing Clark Kent / Superman and Perry White into the issue alongside the Batman material.
- Also reprints Action Comics #367, featuring a Supergirl story in which she uses Gold Kryptonite and is involved in events at Stanhope College with Superman.
- The Batman #201 story was later collected in DC's Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 3 (September 2008), confirming its standing as a notable Silver Age Batman tale.
- GCD records note a longstanding attribution dispute on Batman #201: Bob Kane was listed and paid for pencils in DC's records, but comics historians Gene Reed, Bob Hughes, and others attribute the actual pencil art to Chic Stone and Joe Certa.
Cast · 11 characters
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Adventure Comics #363 (1967), Action Comics #358 (1968), Batman #201 (1968), Action Comics #367 (1968), Superman #211 (1968)
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