DC Super-Stars # 8 1976 VF/NM

DC Super-Stars #8 (officially titled on the cover as DC Super-Stars of Space) is a giant-sized anthology comic book published by DC Comics on July 19, 1976 (featuring an October 1976 cover date). This 50-cent Bronze Age treasury issue functions as a curated celebration of DC’s classic science-fiction characters, packaging three vintage Silver Age space adventures together under one striking, newly illustrated cover.

The Included Stories & Plot

The 52-page giant anthologizes three separate tales, primarily written by legendary sci-fi comic pioneer Gardner Fox:

• Adam Strange – "Siren of the Space Ark": (Reprinted from Mystery in Space #89). This 12-page headline story features DC’s premier cosmic hero, Adam Strange, teleporting to his adopted alien home world of Rann. He must break free from the hypnotic thrall of an enslaved woman who has been mathematically programmed by mechanical masters ("Electronibrains") to turn Adam into her mindless love-slave to prevent him from stopping their planetary coup.
• Space Ranger – "The Great Plutonium Plot": (Reprinted from Showcase #15). This 12-page story follows Rick Starr (the Space Ranger) and his sidekick Cryll in a 22nd-century interstellar detective case. They must stop an alliance of Jovian space pirates, Martian raiders, and a renegade scientist who are using a teleporter ray to hijack a luxury spaceship liner and steal vast reserves of plutonium.
• Star Rovers – "Who Saved the Earth?": (Reprinted from Mystery in Space #80). A 9-page comedic space mystery focusing on Karel Sorensen, Homer Gint, and Rick Purvis—three competitive, narcissistic space adventurers. Each of the Rovers receives a telegram announcing they are being awarded a medal for single-handedly saving Earth. Confused, they jump on a conference call to swap stories and realize that their separate, entirely accidental bumbling exploits indirectly combined to avert an alien apocalypse.

Creative Team & Style

• The Artists: The book is a masterclass in classic DC sci-fi art, showcasing pencils by legendary industry titans Carmine Infantino (Adam Strange), Bob Brown (Space Ranger), and Sid Greene (Star Rovers).
• The Cover: The issue features a brand-new, dynamic Bronze Age wrap-around cover illustrated by fan-favorite artist Ernie Chan, showcasing Adam Strange fiercely battling an alien monster alongside Space Ranger.

Collectibility & Variations

Unlike modern comics, this 1976 Bronze Age giant didn't feature artificial variant layouts, but it remains a prized target for retro collectors:

• The Newsstand Distribution: The standard edition was sold across spinner racks in grocery stores and pharmacies with a 50¢ cover price.
• The Error & Grading Appeal: High-grade raw or CGC/PSA-graded copies are highly collectible due to the issue's historical significance of bundling three distinct cult-classic DC space properties into a single anthology.