Comic Book Archives Year-by-Year

The rules of this game are to find good (if not the best) reprint volumes (of consecutive issues) to represent each year since Superman first appeared, without using two volumes of the same title or series in a row. Note in parentheses is publisher, or OOP for Out Of Print.

1938: Superman Archives, vol. 1 (DC)
1939: Superman: the Action Comics Archives, vol. 1 (DC)
1940: Shazam! Archives, vol. 1 (DC)
1941: Will Eisner’s Spirit Archives, vol. 2 (DC)
1942: Plastic Man Archives, vol. 1 (DC)
1943: Batman Archives, vol. 3 (DC)
1944: Will Eisner’s Spirit Archives, vol. 8 (DC)
1945: Plastic Man Archives, vol. 4 (DC)
1946: Batman Archives, vol. 5 (DC)
1947: All-Star Comics Archives, vol. 7 (DC)
1948: Will Eisner’s Spirit Archives, vol. 17 (DC)
1949: All Star Comics Archives, vol. 10 (DC)
1950: Masterworks Series of Great Comic Book Artists, vol. 1 (DC, OOP)
1951: Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Heroes (Marvel)
1952: World’s Finest Comics Archives, vol. 1 (DC)
1953: Tor Archives (DC)
1954: Showcase Presents: Superman Family, vol. 1 (DC)
1955: World’s Finest Comics Archives, vol. 1 (DC)
1956: Challengers of the Unknown Archives, vol. 1 (DC)
1957: Flash Archives, vol. 1 (DC)
1958: Superman: the Man of Tomorrow Archives, vol. 1 (DC)
1959: Sgt. Rock Archives, vol. 1 (DC)
1960: Legion of Super-Heroes Archives, vol. 1 (DC)
1961: Sgt. Rock Archives, vol. 3 (DC)
1962: Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four, vol. 1 (Marvel)
1963: Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 1 (Marvel)
1964: Marvel Masterworks: Avengers, vol. 1 (Marvel)
1965: Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 3 (Marvel)
1966: Marvel Masterworks: Captain America, vol. 1 (Marvel)
1967: Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four, vol. 6 (Marvel)
1968: Marvel Masterworks: Silver Surfer, vol. 1 (Marvel)
1969: Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four, vol. 8 (Marvel)
1970: Essential Avengers, vol. 4 (Marvel)
1971: Essential Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 5 (Marvel)
1972: Essential Doctor Strange, vol. 2 (Marvel)
1973: Essential Hulk, vol. 4 (Marvel)
1974: Essential Marvel Team-Up, vol. 1 (Marvel)
1975: Essential Marvel Two-In-One, vol. 1 (Marvel)
1976: Essential Howard the Duck, vol. 1 (Marvel)
1977: Essential Nova, vol. 1 (Marvel)
1978: Essential Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, vol. 1 (Marvel)
1979: Marvel Masterworks: X-Men, vol. 1 (Marvel)
1980: New Teen Titans Archives, vol. 1 (DC)
1981: Marvel Masterworks: X-Men, vol. 3 (Marvel)