The Guide to DC Giants
Super DC Giant (Series "S")

Super DC Giant was DC's third series of giants, following 80 Page Giant and DC Special. Content crossed genre lines with humor, super-hero, romance, and western issues with the same price and page count as other giants (64 pages plus covers for 25¢). However, Super DC Giant was the first giant series to be saddle-stitched rather than squarebound. DC soon eliminated the squarebound format on other giants as well.

Super DC Giant was also a series which confounded collectors with a confusing numbering system. It uses a letter "S" just as 80 Page Giant used "G" to denote it as a Giant series. However Super DC Giant begins with #S-13.

The reason and system behind the odd numbering has never been fully explained. Several theories exist. One theory postulated in Comic Book Marketplace #69 by Jon McClure is that Super DC Giant used 13 to denote #1 Vol. 3. McClure states that "80 Page Giant" is Giant Series Vol. 1, "68 Page Giant"(as he calls it) is Giant Series Vol. 2, and Super DC Giant is Giant Series Vol. 3.

I disagree with this theory. I don't think 80 Page Giant and 68 Page Giant are two different series or would ever be considered as such. In fact since they have the same numbering system (Series "G"), they are part of the same series which had its page count reduced.

McClure's theory that Super DC Giant is Vol. 3 has some merit though. DC Special, which predates Super DC Giant, could be considered Vol. 2. Two other giant issues were published in the Summer of 1969: Swing With Scooter #20(F-1) and Sugar and Spike #85(F-2). This short lived Series "F" could have alternatively served as the unidentified Vol. 2.

There are 11 non-Series "G" Giants published before Super DC Giant. All were squarebound. Strange Adventures #226 appeared the same month as Super DC Giant #S-13 and was a squarebound giant, bringing the total to 12 issues. So yet another theory is that these 12 giants could be the missing 12 issues of Super DC Giant. The first issue actually named Super DC Giant was #13.

Based on this theory, here is the speculative list for what might have been Super DC Giant #1-12: #1 (Young Love #69), #2 (DC Special #1), #3 (DC Special #2), #4 (DC Special #3), #5 (DC Special #4), #6 (Scooter #20), #7 (Sugar and Spike #85), #8 (DC Special #5), #9 (DC Special #6), #10 (DC Special #7), #11 (DC Special #8), #12 (Strange Adventures #226). Unfortunately none of this explains why the next giant series, DC 100-Page Spectacular, starts on #4.

DC abandoned the 64-Page Giant format in 1971, resulting in the cancellation of Super DC Giant. The series was revived for one additional issue which appeared (minus the "S" numbering) in 1976. It can be found under the 48-Page Giant section.


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