This past Sunday, July 1, saw all 4 first issues of DC's new 100-Page Giant anthology comics (Batman Giant, Superman Giant, Justice League of America Giant and Teen Titans Giant) roll out exclusively at Walmarts nationwide.

Selling for $4.99 each, roughly the same price as an Archie digest, and containing a 12-page exclusive comic as well as reprints, each anthology is designed to hook readers and keep them coming back month to month (with Superman and Justice League hitting the first week of every month, and Batman and Teen Titans coming two weeks later), complete with ads for comicshoplocator.com.

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Despite the inherent queasiness of one megacorporation teaming up with another one for exclusive content that can't be found anywhere else, the idea here is pretty sound. Comic shops are rather hard to find outside of cities and suburbs, but almost everyone lives near or knows where a Walmart is; in fact, depending on where you live, that Walmart might be the only store in town. So DC setting up shop there and promoting big, inexpensive magazines starring its best known characters is a smart idea.

But the real question, especially now that the comics are out, is why didn't this happen decades ago?

A Bit Of History

It's well known that the Direct Market (i.e. comic book stores ordering their stock directly from Diamond Distributors) was established in the 1970s due to comics declining on newsstands and on spinner racks in grocery stores and such. However, the Direct Market (aka, the DM) didn't fully become the default way to purchase monthly physical comics until the 1990s and the speculator bubble.

What you might not be aware of is that Walmart was still growing to its current omnipresent status at around the same time. Incorporated in 1969 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange by 1970, Walmart began as a regional chain of stores based out of Arkansas, but throughout the '70s and '80s, it grew incredibly fast. By the company's 25th anniversary in 1987, it had nearly 2,000 stores across the country.

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Remember that up until 1986, superhero comics were largely thought of as being exclusively for children rather than teens and adults like they are today. Given that the wide-eyed corporate optimism of the 1980s brought about by widespread deregulation and Walmart's famous low prices, something as relatively inexpensive as comics (which would/are theoretically stocked under similar but different rules as magazines) should've been a no brainer.

So what, then, about the new giant comics themselves? Are the new stories any good? Are they worth buying?

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The content of the new 100-Page Giants (much like DC's longtime history of titles like Batman Family and DC Special) is mostly reprints from the New 52 era and the 2000s, with the oldest story being from 2002.

Superman Giant #1 starts off with "Endurance, Part 1" by Jimmy Palmiotti,  Tom Derenick, Trevor Scott, Stephen Downer and Travis Lanham. The story involves Clark Kent travelling to a town in Tornado Alley (the region of America ravaged by tornadoes every year, largely based in the Midwest) and, as Superman, helping them out through the newest cyclone. It's a little thin but charming, focusing on Superman doing what he does best and Derenick, Scott and Downer render the hell out of some tornadoes.

The reprints -- Superman/Batman (2003) #1, Green Lantern (2005) #1 and The Terrifics #1 -- are pretty solid choices, with the inclusion of GL a fun nod to a deep cut period in Superman history (specifically when GL was the backup feature in Action Comics Weekly from '88-'89).

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Batman Giant #1's "One More Chance, Part 1," by Palmiotti, Patrick Zircher, John Khalisz and Tom Napolitano, which sees Batman tracking a kidnapped heiress to the movie theater where he went the night of his parents' deaths, is probably the best of the new stories in this line, with a hell of a mystery and Zircher drawing a great Batman.

The reprints -- Harley Quinn (2011) #1, Nightwing (2011) #1 and Batman #608 (the first part of "Hush") -- are all good picks, although an opportunity was missed by not including "Batman & Son," thereby getting new readers into the whole Morrison Batman era.

Justice League of America Giant #1 stars Wonder Woman's the star in "The Conversion" by Tim Seeley, Rick Leonardi, Steve Buccellato and Lanham. It's easily the smartest story here, as Diana and Steve Trevor (here rescuing aid workers from Bialyan rebel fighters possessed by Ares) act and sound exactly as they do from the Wonder Woman film.

The reprints here are all New 52 -- Justice League #1, The Flash #1, and Aquaman #1 -- and, with the exception of The Flash, are horrible choices. The New 52 Justice League starts out so mean-spirited, and this Aquaman story contains the dumbest thing to ever happen.

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Finally, there's Teen Titans Giant #1. The first installment of "Enter...The Disruptor!" by Dan Jurgens, Scot Eaton, Wayne Faucher, Jim Charalampidis and Napolitano is pretty fun, even if it's unclear which Robin this is supposed to be. This book is mostly Rebirth-era reprints, with Super Sons #1 and Sideways #1 appearing alongside Teen Titans (2003) #1.

Given that this is probably the giant mag most explicitly aimed at kids, one has to wonder why that last comic is included. Not only is it set after the death of Donna Troy (a character impossible to explain and who very few kids know), it has a gross scene of an adult Beast Boy hitting on an underaged Cassie Sandmark. That's bad on its own, but awful to include in a magazine implicitly aimed at children.

So Are These Worth Buying?

Ultimately, yes. In terms of money, paying $4.99 for 100 pages of comics is cheaper than paying $12 for 4 comics. And, with some exceptions, each of these magazines are a solid introduction to the DC Universe. While it may not be as good a value as Weekly Shonen Jump, and could definitely benefit from including both classic and much more recent comics, overall, these 100-Page Giants are definitely worth tracking down. Find them while you can.