Issue(s): Dazzler #1
Cover Date: Mar 81
Title: "So bright this star"
Credits:
Tom DeFalco - Writer
John Romita Jr. - Penciler
Alfredo P. Alcala - Inker

Review/plot:
This is the first issue of Dazzler's book. It was sold exclusively through the Direct Market, which was a first, and it apparently sold very well... double the average comic sale at the time, according to Wikipedia. It has a painted cover, which actually looks pretty bad, but surely would have stood out at the time. The hype and build-up in various Marvel comics would also have been a factor.

Dazzler is interesting because she doesn't want to be a super-hero. She wants to be a singer. Of course for someone not looking for reasons to use her powers, she sure winds up in a lot of situations where she needs to. In this issue alone she's forced to stop two entirely different sets of criminals.

That first scan above is your "Go for it!" panel of the issue. There will be more.

Additionally, the main plot is that she wins a contest that the Enchantress had set-up to win for herself as part of a scheme.

This makes her an enemy of the Asgardian sorceress (who is introduced in a scene demonstrating her beauty and cruelty)...

...but it helps her singing career.

Because of the lead-in stories, Dazzler has ties with Spider-Man...

...the X-Men...

...and the Human Torch (although he's not in this issue). She's famous enough in the super-hero community that the Beast is aware of her...

...and he's the one that tips her off to the Enchantress' contest. We also meet Dazzler's father Carter Blair, and her maternal grandmother Bella (no last name given), who lives with her father, which i think is kind of odd, but i suppose it does happen. Mr. Blair has never approved of Allison's career and wanted her to be a lawyer.

JRJR is on art, but the artwork still looks a bit thin. Possibly due to the inks? The writing isn't great. This book was really all flash and no substance, but it had potential as a non-super hero book.

Despite the quality and numerous false starts and delays in getting this book published, the first issue was a major hit in the direct market, selling more than 400,000 copies at a time when the top-selling X-Books sold around 300,000 and the average book at 100,000.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - first Direct Market book.

Chronological Placement Considerations: This takes place before Kitty's fight with a N'Garai demon destroys the Danger Room in Uncanny X-Men #143.

References:

• Dazzler met Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #203.
  
• Dazzler first appeared, and met the X-Men, in Uncanny X-Men #130

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Dazzler was supposed to make simultaneous first appearances in both Marvel Super Special #16 and Dazzler#1-2(the same story appearing in both places)in late 1979 or early 1980, but evidently the troubles with Casablanca scuttled those plans and Dazzler's book was pushed back a year(with probably substantial revisions to the story).

When this story was first announced as a Marvel Super Special, Dickie Mckenzie was listed as co-writer.

I was one of the idiots who bought this when it first came out. God was it terrible.

Andrew, I still rate it higher than Spider-Woman, if that means anything.

Here's a good run-down by Tom DeFalco, Roger Stern & Louise Simonson of the behind-the-scenes difficulties that Marvel had in putting together the first issue of Dazzler...

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2006/04/27/comic-book-urban-legend-revealed-48/

Here's Jim Shooter's version of the same events. In the comments, someone has a link to JR SR redrawing JR JR's splash page. Yeah, the final version looks better, but this must have been one of the most heavily-edited comics series of all time for its first year or two.
http://jimshooter.com/2011/07/debut-of-dazzler.html/

I like it. So far.

Of course it's stupid, but it's so stupid it's actually good, and it's not that terribly written. I will keep on reading.

Interesting art combo with Alcala inking over JR Jr. The large number of guest shots and cameos in this first issue serves as a precursor for what was to come in this series, making it a de facto team-up book or Marvel's version of "The Love Boat".