This is a list of comics-related events in 1978.
Events
January
Green Lantern #100: Double-size special featuring Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Air Wave. (DC Comics). The first episode of L’uomo di Tsushima (The man of Tsushima) by Bonvi is published, a retelling of the famous battle as seen by Jack London, for the series Un uomo un’avventura (Bonelli).
February
February 2: Belgian comics artist Maurice Tillieux is killed in a car crash. The first issue of the Belgian comics magazine À Suivre is published. It will run until December 1997. In the first issue of A Suivre the first chapter of Jean-Claude Forest and Jacques Tardi's Ici Même (Just Here) makes its debut. Detective Comics #475, "The Laughing Fish" by Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, and Terry Austin. (DC Comics) February 8: Marvel UK publish Star Wars Weekly in a black-and-white anthology format.
March
March 2: In Spirou, the first chapter of the Yoko Tsuno episode La fille du vent, by Roger Leloup, is published. March 21: In Pilote, the first chapter of the Valérian story Heroes of the Equinox by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres is published. In the second issue of À Suivre Benoît Sokal's Inspector Canardo makes its debut. Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams' comic book Superman vs. Muhammad Ali is published, in which Superman meets boxing champion Muhammad Ali.
April
April 18: In the Le journal de Tintin, the first chapter of the second Thorgal story The island of frozen seas by Jean Van Hamme and Grzegorz Rosiński is published. April 20: In Spirou, the first chapter of Kodo le tyran, by Jean-Claude Fournier is published. Claw the Unconquered, with issue #10 (April /May), is revived by DC after an 18-month hiatus. Power Man, with issue #50, changes its name to Power Man and Iron Fist.
May
May 14-21: In Topolino, The planetary wars, by Guido Martina and Giovan Battista Carpi, a spoof of Star Wars, is published. May 19: Scripps Company merges its two syndication arms, Newspaper Enterprise Association and United Feature Syndicate (established by Scripps in 1919), to form United Media Enterprises. Showcase #100: "Awesome Anniversary Edition! 60 Sensational Super-Stars" — featuring almost every character who ever appeared in Showcase — by Paul Kupperberg, Paul Levitz, and Joe Staton. IPC Magazines publishes the first issue of the short-lived comics magazine Starlord
June
Continuing the "DC Explosion," the company increases its titles' page counts to 25 story pages and increases the price of a typical comic from 35 cents to 50 cents. Batman #300: "The Last Batman Story—?", by David V. Reed, Walt Simonson, and Dick Giordano. Garfield, by Jim Davis is launched on June 19 in 41 newspapers. In the magazine Cannibale RanXerox by Tanino Liberatore makes its debut.
Summer
DC Special Series #15 — "I Now Pronounce You Batman and Wife!", marriage of Batman and Talia al Ghul, by Dennis O'Neil, Michael Golden, and Dick Giordano. See also Batman: Son of the Demon
July
July 4 : In Tintin magazine, the first chapter of the Jonathan story L'Espace bleu entre les nuages (The blue space amongst the clouds) by Cosey, the fifth episode of the series, is published.
August
The DC Implosion takes hold, as the company cancels 4 ongoing titles, Aquaman, Claw the Unconquered, Mister Miracle, and Shade, the Changing Man. Fledgling publisher Eclipse Comics releases Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species, by Don McGregor and Paul Gulacy, considered one of the industry's first "graphic novels". With issue #10 The Rampaging Hulk changes its title to The Hulk!, and goes from black-and-white to color (Curtis Magazines).
Fall
DC Special Series #16 — "The Last Bounty Hunter!", death of Jonah Hex, by Michael Fleisher and Russ Heath. DC Special Series goes on hiatus after this issue and is revived in Summer 1979.