When Jim Aparo burst onto the DC Comics scene in the 1970s, he was the artist we all had been waiting for.  His slick and dynamic layouts, real-world figures, and expressive acting created scenes that were like an NBC detective show brought to life through the magic of bold, black ink.

At that time, I hadn’t been exposed to his Charlton stuff, so when he started illustrating DC’s The Brave and the Bold (starring Batman) and Adventure Comics (starring The Spectre), I was seeing an All-Star emerge who was more than ready to be drafted up from the minor leagues.

I’m delighted to kick off this year with three glorious Aparo books. Each is brilliant on its own, but together they help readers understand and unlock the brilliance of Jim Aparo.

Jim Aparo’s DC Classics Artist’s Edition
Scott Dunbier
Act 4/Skybound/Image

Scott Dunbier was the guy who “invented” the Artist’s Edition format – essentially reproducing the original art pages in an oversize book format. He recently made that entrepreneurial jump and is now taking his efforts to the next level with his own publishing imprint, Act 4 Publishing.  Through an arrangement with Image/Skybound the first Act 4 books are just coming out.

The Jim Aparo’s DC Classics Artist’s Edition is brilliant and impressive on so many levels. It’s a gorgeous collection of stories and covers created by Jim Aparo that focus on DC characters like Batman and The Spectre. Aparo usually did it all;  pencils, inks, and lettering. There are a few Brave and the Bold stories a few Adventure Comics stories and a lot of covers, along with miscellaneous pages, packed into this oversized treasure. Aparo was a true craftsman, and it’s astonishing to behold his art pages at the size he created them, complete with margin notes, white-outs and touch-ups.

Jim Aparo: Brave & Bold Artist 
By Jim Amash and Eric Nolen-Wheatington
TwoMorrows Publishing

Fans have been waiting a while for this one, but it’s worth it.  Writers/researchers Jim Amash and Eric Nolen-Wheatington have stuck the landing with definitive Jim Aparo biography, lovingly including so many favorite illustrations and photos.

Their recounting of Aparo’s career is, for many of us, a nostalgic deep dive into some of our favorite comics. It’s smart and insightful, with plenty of surprises even for those well-versed in Bronze Age comics history.

The Spectre: The Wrath of The Spectre Omnibus
(2025 Edition)
DC Comics

This new edition of The Spectre omnibus came out in the middle of last year. It focuses on what is to many , the glory days of this character – the last ‘60s revival, the 70’s reboot in Adventure Comics and various appearances in The Brave & the Bold and Ghosts.

I really enjoyed the stories by illustrated by Murphy Anderson and Neal Adams (miss both those guys) but this weighty hard cover really hits its stride with the Jim Aparo reprints. There’s all the of Adventure Comics stories and all the of the B&B team-ups with Batman (most of them drawn by Aparo).

And the Adventure Comics stories, in glorious color, are great fun to cross-reference with the bare starkness of the Artist’s Edition.

All are highly recommended.  A is for Aparo. But these are really A+.