DC Comics

Falling in Love #1 – 143 (1955-1973)

Comic Books Library
by Comic Books Library August 06, 2025
Falling in Love #1 – 143 (1955-1973)


Falling in Love #1–143 (1955–1973)

šŸ“š Genre

Romance, Teen Drama, Slice of Life

šŸ’‘ Main Characters

Unlike superhero comics, Falling in Love didn’t center on recurring protagonists. Instead, each issue featured new characters—young women navigating love, heartbreak, societal expectations, and personal growth. Some popular archetypes included:

  • The Shy Girl Next Door

  • The Ambitious Career Woman

  • The Soldier’s Sweetheart

  • The Runaway Bride
    These character types reflected the era’s shifting ideals around love and femininity, offering relatable and emotional vignettes to readers of the time.

✍️ Writer

Multiple writers contributed throughout its 18-year run. Among the most notable:

  • Robert Kanigher – Known for emotionally rich and melodramatic stories.

  • Barbara Friedlander – One of DC’s few female writers at the time, she brought more emotional nuance and realism to the female voice in romance plots.

šŸŽØ Artist

  • John Romita Sr. – Before his Marvel fame, he created stunning covers and interiors for several issues of Falling in Love.

  • Gene Colan – Brought a soft, dramatic edge to romantic scenes.

  • Win Mortimer – Contributed expressive and heartfelt illustrations.

  • Tony Abruzzo – A frequent interior artist known for his elegant depiction of young women.

šŸ§‘‍šŸ’¼ Editor Details

  • Jack Miller and Barbara Friedlander (also a writer) handled editing duties for different stretches of the series. Friedlander, notably, pushed for stories that better resonated with modern young women in the 1960s.

šŸ¢ Publisher and Brand

  • Publisher: DC Comics

  • Brand: DC Romance Line (Pre-Crisis Era)

šŸ“… Release Year

  • Debut: August 1955

  • Final Issue: July 1973

The series spanned 143 issues, making it one of DC's longest-running romance titles, second only to Young Love and Heart Throbs.

šŸ“ Brief Plot Summary

Falling in Love delivered dramatic, often heart-wrenching stories about women navigating the complexities of love and life. Tales frequently involved:
šŸ’” First loves and heartbreaks
šŸ‘— Secrets that could destroy a relationship
šŸ“¬ Long-distance romances with soldiers
šŸ’ Cold feet before the altar
šŸ¢ Career vs. love dilemmas for modern women

Each issue was an anthology of 2–4 short stories, sometimes accompanied by love advice columns or fan letters. Emotional drama, unexpected twists, and moral lessons were the hallmark of this series.

šŸŒŸ Notable Arcs or Storylines

While the anthology format prevented long arcs, several themes and recurring tropes became iconic:

  • “Too Shy to Say I Love You” – A recurring type of story where the protagonist fails to confess her love until it’s almost too late.

  • “My Love, My Rival” – A triangle where friendship and love collide.

  • “Engaged to the Wrong Man” – Classic inner turmoil over settling versus true love.

  • “I Married Him for His Money” – Often a morality tale about sincerity in love.

Some issues featured real-world crossovers, like using fashion and cultural events of the 1960s to root the stories in contemporary times.

šŸ§  Fan Theories or Interpretations

Fans and comic historians have noted that the series subtly reflected the evolving roles of women from the 1950s housewife ideal to the 1970s independent woman.
šŸ’” Popular Interpretation: Some readers interpret the anthology as a social mirror—romance used as a lens to view women's changing priorities, from being a “perfect wife” to becoming a self-empowered partner.
šŸ“– Feminist Retrospectives: Critics today view Falling in Love as an emotional time capsule, capturing mid-century female anxiety, agency, and aspiration.

⭐ Review Summary

Falling in Love may not have the punch of superhero showdowns, but its emotional impact still resonates. The artwork—especially Romita’s and Colan’s—was polished and expressive, capturing both glamor and vulnerability.
šŸ–¼️ Art: Gorgeously illustrated with vintage flair.
šŸ“ Story Quality: Ranged from melodramatic to genuinely touching, with some surprisingly progressive messages.
šŸŽ­ Character Depth: While characters changed every issue, their internal struggles were often deeply relatable.

šŸ’¬ Final Word: A beautifully nostalgic ride into the heart of 20th-century romance comics. Whether you read it for irony or intimacy, there’s timeless emotional truth in its pages.

šŸ’– Rediscover the highs and lows of love, DC-style.


Comic Resource / Read Online (External Source)

Falling in Love #1 – 143 (1955-1973)
Language : English