Top Dog #1
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeTop Dog #1 marks the debut of one of Marvel's Star Comics imprint's few wholly original, non-licensed characters — a talking, superintelligent dog whose secret is known only to his young companion Joey Jordan. The series planted itself squarely in the tradition of Harvey Comics-style children's storytelling at a moment when Marvel was deliberately trying to fill the vacuum left by Harvey's 1982 closure, making it a meaningful artifact of how the direct and newsstand markets attempted to recapture young readers in the mid-1980s. The character proved durable enough to outlast the Star imprint itself, continuing as a back-up feature in Heathcliff comics and resurging decades later in the 2009–2010 X-Babies miniseries, demonstrating a longevity rare for Star Comics originals.
"The Dog-Gone Beginning" kicks off Top Dog #1 with a playful behind-the-scenes look at the Star Comics line, penned by writer Tom DeFalco, who also serves as Executive Editor. The issue features a unique mix of editorial commentary and a checklist of Marvel Comics titles cover-dated April 1985, all presented in a vibrant style by cover artists Warren Kremer, who both penciled and inked the cover.
In "The Dog-Gone Beginning," young Joey Jordan stumbles upon a talking dog named Top Dog while chasing a fly ball during a sandlot baseball game. Intrigued and eager to bring the clever canine home, Joey agrees to keep Top Dog’s secret—only if the dog promises to stay hidden from the rest of the family.
ComicBooks.com Value
This exact issue on ebay
CBCS 9.8 ▾ $245–$345 2 listings
Raw — FN ▾ $2.9–$14.99 4 listings
Raw / ungraded ▾ $2.29–$153 39 listings
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
Top Dog was created by writer Lennie Herman and artist Warren Kremer — the latter a towering figure in children's comics who had spent 35 years at Harvey Comics defining characters like Richie Rich and Hot Stuff before joining Marvel's Star imprint after Harvey shuttered. The Star Comics line itself grew out of a collapsed deal in which Marvel had planned to publish Harvey's existing characters; when Harvey pulled out, editor Sid Jacobson — who had been Harvey's own editor — crossed over to Marvel and brought key creative personnel with him, Kremer among them. Jacobson edited Top Dog #1 alongside Tom DeFalco (then Executive Editor), with Jim Shooter serving as Editor-in-Chief, giving the book a remarkably senior editorial pedigree for a children's title. The coloring was handled by Peter Kremer and the lettering by Grace Kremer, making this a genuine family production by Warren Kremer's own household.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Top Dog (a sentient, talking dog operating under the alias 'Mr. X,' a former government agent), Joey Jordan, Lizzie Jordan, and antagonist Mervin Megabucks — all debuting simultaneously in this issue.
- Published with a cover date of April 1985 (on-sale January 2, 1985) under Marvel's Star Comics imprint, which was founded in 1984 to serve child readers.
- Written by Lennie Herman and drawn by Warren Kremer (pencils) with Jacqueline Roettcher on inks — Kremer was the same artist who had co-created Richie Rich and Hot Stuff at Harvey Comics, and his recognizable animation-influenced style carried directly into the Star books.
- The issue contains two stories: 'The Dog-Gone Beginning,' in which Joey and Top Dog first meet, and 'House About a Dog, Mom?,' which establishes Top Dog in Joey's home.
- The editorial team was unusually senior: Sid Jacobson (a former Harvey Comics editor) as series editor, Tom DeFalco as Executive Editor, and Jim Shooter as Editor-in-Chief.
- The series ran for 14 issues (1985–1987), after which Top Dog continued as a backup feature in Heathcliff comics beginning with issue #22 of that title.
- Top Dog reappeared in Marvel's 2009–2010 X-Babies: Stars Reborn miniseries, where both a copy of the character and an Earth-616 cyborg version of Top Dog appeared.
- All 14 original issues were collected in the trade paperback Star Comics: Top Dog — The Complete Collection Vol. 1, published by Marvel.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Star Comics Magazine #1 (1986), Star Comics Magazine #2 (1987), Star Comics: All-Star Collection #1 (2009), X-Babies #3 (2010), Star Comics: Top Dog - The Complete Collection #1 (2020)
Variants (2)
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.