August 2006
NOTE: Since Bob is heading off on vacation soon,
he's giving all you Pulp Fictioneers a chance to read Bob's Thoughts a full
2 weeks early. Enjoy the column and look for the next Bob's Thoughts the last
week of August!
And don't forget that if you read about a title in Bob's
Thoughts that you can't find on the shelves at Pulp Fiction, ask Mike about the
title. In many cases, titles can be ordered from Diamond directly.
AC
Well, we've finally got some actual shipping information from AC and they are really behind by about 3 months plus. So, in order to bring everyone up to date, here are the title AC lists on its website as being available in July and we'll do some more catch up next time.America's Greatest Comics #14
Matt Baker, Fran Hopper and Maurice Whitman are part of a spotlight on Fiction House Comics with stories featuring Sheena, Seņorita Rio, Gale Allen, Futura, Mysta and Kaanga — Jungle Lord. Good girl art (and a Tarzan clone) from the company that made it a specialty. Another issue of the comic that lives up to its name! SRP $6.95
Best Of The West Roundup Special #3
A trade paperback of previously reprinted material, featuring the Durango Kid, Redmask, Haunted Horseman, Black Diamond, Golden Arrow, American Eagle and Ken Maynard by the likes of Dick Ayers, Carl Pfeufer, Joe Certa, John Belfi, Fred Guardineer, Joe Maneely, William Overgard, Frank Bolle, John Severin, Ruben Moriera and Al Luster. For 120 pages, I think the price is a bit steep here and, if you are interested in earlier westerns, you'd be better off looking into the regular Best of the west book. Note that this is a Diamond exclusive and NOT available through the AC Webstore. SRP $21.95
Golden Age Greats Costumed Crusaders Special #1
Yet another trade paperback of previously reprinted material, this time featuring 14 stories by Matt Baker, Mort Meskin, Jerry Robinson, LB Cole, Nina Albright, Charles Quinlan, Lee Elias and Nick Cardy, performing the art duties on Black Terror, Fighting Yank, (the original) Daredevil, Miss Victory and Phantom Lady, among others. Ordinarily, I would suggest that you might pass this one up, but over half the collection are stories drawn by Meskin and Robinson plus, there is also an interview with Robinson! The team of Meskin and Robinson worked for one of the smaller companies and, as a result, their work is often overlooked. If you want great art AND story, their work features both. Definitely worth a squint and worth the cost, if you don't already have the stories! Note that this is a Diamond exclusive and NOT available through the AC Webstore. SRP $21.95
Golden Age Greats Fine Art Special
What do you get when you mix Lou Fine, Will Eisner, Mort Meskin, Jerry Robinson, Nick Cardy, Jerry Grandenetti, Bob Lubbers and Brad Gorby? Well, in this case, you get the contents of Golden-Age Greats #3 with some Rio Rita stories in a collection that, like the previous volume, I might suggest you skip, were it not for the 2 Fine stories, the Eisner material and some more of Meskin and Robinson. Lou Fine was one of the greatest artists of the Golden Age and the Eisner material presented here (on "Espionage") is some of his best early work. If you don't already have the stories, you should at least give this one a squint. Note that this is a Diamond exclusive and NOT available through the AC Webstore.SRP $24.95
Men Of Mystery #59
A Heroes of Quality issue featuring Dollman, drawn by the under appreciated John Spranger, Manhunter, Kid Eternity, Lady Luck (by Klaus Nordling), T-Man and the classic Good Girl Art icon, Torchy. Although the Quality characters exist today as a part of DC, there is a lot to be said for their original Golden Age adventures. Quality had a distinct look and feel to its material, mainly due to the fact that its earliest material was produced by the Eisner/Iger shop. The stylings of Eisner (along with Lou Fine, Jack Cole and others) gave the Quality books a look that was unlike any other and still remains worth looking at today. What more can be said? SRP $6.95
DARK HORSE
Little Lulu Vol. 11: April FoolsAbother 200 pages of the John Stanley/Irving Tripp kid strip to end all kid strips. SRP $9.95
DC
Two new books are coming out from DC this month and both feature classic characters from the DC stable.First is Trials of Shazam, a 12 issue maxi-series by Winick and Porter that returns Captain Marvel to his own series and from just the preview pages in Previews, it is obvious that this one is going to be a dog. Both Captain Marvel and Billy Batson look dark and bleak and have none of the charm that makes the character work. Captain Marvel is not a dark avenger, he is a force for good who exists without the baggage that bogs down most of the current super-heroes. Avoid this like the plague!
The other series is coming from DC/Veritgo is a revival of Deadman by Bruce Jones and John Watkiss. Seems that Jones is taking the basic premise of the series and moving it into a new direction, including coming up with a new "Deadman" that has nothing to do with the Boston Brand character. Should be worth looking into, as the previous incarnation of the character had gotten so bogged down with continuity that the original premise had been lost (the hook was on the other hand!).
Absolute Dark Knight
Here is another of DC's oversized (and I will add overpriced) hardcover slipcased editions that will reprint both The Dark Knight Returns and The Dark Knight Strikes Again by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson. I've gone on before about these books and this volume, like Watchmen, contains material that has been reprinted many times. The Dark Knight Returns has been continuously in print since the relose of the first issue in 1983 (?) and has seen at least 3 different hard cover printings and, I believe, 2 trade editions. The Dark Knight Strikes Again has also been reprinted twice, so I fail to see what this will gain anyone, except for the larger size, especially considering the price! DC, however, feels there is a market for this type of material and it claims that it will include a new introduction by Miller and new Miller covers for both the book and slipcase. You're on your own with this one. SRP $99.99
Batman and the Mad Monk (#1 of 6)
I know that I don't often mention new comics here, but this is a new mini-series by Matt Wagner and, after the nifty stuff he did with Batman and The Monster Men, I just had to give this one a plug, since it should be good! Kind of like have the Golden Age Batman on a regular basis. SRP $3.50 ea.
Green Lantern: The Greatest Stories Ever Told
An overview of all the Green Lanterns which will reprint Green Lantern #1 (40s), All-American Comics #89, Green Lantern (60-79s) #1, 9, 87, 172, Superman #257, Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual #3, Green Lantern (90s) #3, 0, Green Lantern: Mosaic #5, Green Lantern Gallery and Green Lantern Secret Files 2005 by O'Neil, Moore, Johns, Nodell, Hasen, Kane, Adams and bunches of people. I must admit that I quit reading Green Lantern once Hal Jordan disappeared because, to me, he IS Green Lantern (the others that have been running around are just imposters). That's why I think this book should be a winner, since much of the volume will deal with the Hal Jordan Green Lantern (and a couple of Alan Scott Golden Age adventures thrown in for good measure). Just off the top of my head, there are some excellent stories here and, as an overview of the character, this one ought to be up on your bookshelf. SRP $19.99
Justice Society Vol. 1
Reprints All-Star Comics #58-67 and DC Special #29 by Levitz, Conway, Wood, Staton, Estrada, Giffen and Layton. When DC re-introduced the Justice Society to their own series in 1976, they put it in the hands of Gerry Conway, who wasn't up to the task. The addition of Wally Wood, who did inks on Ric Estrada, Keith Giffen and himself, gave the book a Golden Age feel, but it still wasn't up to snuff. By issue #62, Paul Levitz took over the scripting, smoothed out the rough edges and, with the addition of Joe Staton and Bob Layton in #66, the book was finally up and flying. As a bonus, there is also the long story from DC Special, which is one of the best origin stories for the JSA that has ever been done. So, what you have here is some good work by Wood from late in his career, some fair to good stories and then 2 issues and a special that show why this book was so popular during its heyday. The Conway stories aside, I would give this one high marks and if you have any interest in the JSA, you should pick it up. SRP $14.99
Plastic Man Archives Vol. 8
Reprints the Plastic Man stories for Police Comics #72-77 and Plastic Man #9-10 by Jack Cole. Jack Cole is one of the true geniuses of comic art and here is another sample of why he was. If you have never read any of Cole's Plastic Man before, you might want to check out the Plastic Man Annual of a couple of years ago, the DC Sampler, or any of the sporadic reprints that have appeared of his material, before you jump into the Archives series. Plastic Man is not the wacky character as he is currently portrayed at DC, nor is he ultra-serious and this is why I call Cole a genius. The stories all walk a fine line between reality and insanity that is serious, but comic at the same time. SRP $49.99
The Spirit Archives Vol. 19
Reprints the Spirit stories for 7/03/49-12/25/49 by Eisner and company. Just as Cole was able to walk a fine line between reality and insanity, Eisner had the concept of comic/drama down pat. Each Spirit story is a textbook example in how to tell a story and in only 8 pages manages to squeeze in a wide range of emotions and themes. The icing on the cake, however, is that the stories all have a slightly humorous feel to them: mainly due to Eisner's art. If you're not ready to jump into an Archives with this series, you might try the Best of the Spirit paperback that came out a few months back to get an idea of just how good Eisner, and The Spirit, can be. Nuff said, this should be on your bookshelf! SRP $49.99
Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 1
Reprints Detective Comics #377-342 and Batman #164-174 with story by Bill Finger, Ed Harron, Garder Fox, John Broome and art by Bob Kane, Carmine Infantino, Joe Giella, Sheldon Moldoff and others. I'm guessing here that these stories are from what DC considers the beginning of the Silver Age Batman, since, just a couple of issues in, the new Bat logo makes its appearance. I find that Batman of this period is a bit of a rough go, since the stories are kind of a cross between detective stories and gimmick stories, without the nearly tongue in cheek approach that the gimmick stories of the 50s had (remember the Rainbow Batman?). Somewhere around here too, the insidious influence of the television show starts to invade the comic, so my gut reaction is to suggest you wait until they get to the Adams/O'Neill material, before you start in on this series. SRP $16.99
DISNEY PRESS
Disney Comics: the Classics Collection Vol. 1Every once in awhile, Disney manages to hit one out of the park and this is certainly one of those time. This hardback is scheduled to contain the comic book adaptions of Disney's Snow White, Bambi, Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan as they originally appeared in the Dell Four Color series between 1941 and 1953! Some of these have never been reprinted (if any of them have been reprinted at all) since their original appearances, so if you are Disney fan, this is definitely the one for you, even at the SRP of $49.95.
FANTAGRAPHICS
The Comics Journal Library Vol. 7: Harvey KurtzmanThis one is a tradepaperback that collects all of the Kurtzman interviews ever done for the Comics Journal, along with lots of art and many obscure pieces that Kurtzman did as a freelancer for various publications that have not been seen since their original publication. Kurtzman, to my mind, was one of the best writer/artist/editors to work in comics. The work he did for EC in the 50s for Frontline Combat and Two-Fisted Tales have never been surpassed and, one must also remember that he came up with the concept for Mad and guided the magazine through its comic book sized years. SRP $19.95
GEMSTONE
The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck CompanionFinally, after a long wait, Gemstone turns its attention to another collection of Don Rosa material! This volume ties in directly with Rosa's Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, and will contain all (?) of the Scrooge material that fits into Rosa's chronology: the prequels and the in-betweens, including the all-new story "Prisoner of White Agony Creek." Just why am I so excited about Don Rosa? Well, he's been doing Duck stories since the first Disney go-round by Another Rainbow back in the 80s. But, that's not all, since I consider him to be the best Duck artist/writer since Carl Barks, which is high praise indeed. Rosa has been able to capture the sense of adventure crossed with humor that was the hallmark of Barks work. His Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck is a modern masterpiece, but even his stand-alone Duck stories show an energy and originality that no other creator has been able to duplicate. Definitely one for your sagging bookshelf and, you might consider picking it up along with the original Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck (if you don't have it already)! SRP $16.99
MARVEL
Marvel Westerns: Strange Westerns starring the Black RiderThis month's award for the longest title is on the cover of another of Marvel's summer westerns. This one will feature Steve Englehart & Marshall Rogers on The Black Rider, Gunhawk by Joe R. Lansdale & Rafa Garres and, the reason I mention this title, two Rawhide Kid stories by Jack Kirby. Worth buying for the Kirby reprints if you don't have the Masterworks. SRP $3.99
Marvel Masterworks: The Invincible Iron Man Vol. 3
Reprints Tales of Suspense #66-83 and Tales to Astonish #82 by Lee, Thomas, Heck and Colan. Prime Marvel from the early days! Heck draws some of his best work and Colan steps up to show why he was wasted at DC! The Mandarin, Ultimo and Namor all make appearances. For many years, Iron Man was never my favorite strip, simply because, in my younger days, I viewed it as a long soap opera starring a whiny hero. I bought Tales of Suspense for Captain America and that was that. Nowadays, I see that there was probably more character development in Iron Man than many of the other early Marvel strips and that it would probably appeal to fans of some of the current TV shows that feature continuing story lines. What more could you want? SRP $49.99
Women of Marvel
A trade paperback that reprints Avengers #221: Uncanny X-Men #151-152, 182 and 244; Amazing Spider-Man #386; Ms. Marvel #1; The Cat #1; Dazzler #1; and Shanna, the She Devil #1 by tons of writers and tons of artists. I've always felt that Marvel has long been the stronger of the Big Two when it comes to women characters and here we have a single volume that covers many of them. It was Marvel, after all, who created women characters who were individuals in their own right, such as Black Widow and Shanna, while DC's women characters always seemed to be answerable to someone, such as Supergirl. If you don't have most of these issues, this might be of interest, but if you already have the comics this volume covers, don't bother, especially due to the inflated SRP of $24.99
Spider-Man Visionaries: Kurt Busiek Vol. 1
Reprints Untold Tales of Spider-Man #1-8 by Kurt Busiek and Pat Olliffe. I recommend this one highly (and also any subsequent volumes), since they are well drawn and well written. Busiek knew how to write comics even at this beginning period of his career and Pat Oliffe's (don't know what happened to him/her) art was very well done: an homage to Ditko, but original at the same time. Back in the 95, and quite awhile before the Ultimates, Marvel decided to further milk the Spider-Man franchise by introducing a new book that would take place in the same timeframe as the Lee/Ditko run and would be a sort of retro-continuity that wouldn't interfere with the original tales, but would take place in-between and around the original stories. I recall that most of us thumbed our noses at the series when first announced, but were soon attracted to the fine writing of Kurt Busiek (his first regular series as I recall) and the Ditko-ish art of another newcomer, Pat Olliffe. All in all, the series ran for 25 issues and and 3 Annuals before its cancellation and, as it was the only readable Spider-Man book of its time, I still mourn its passing. So, if you missed this one the first time around, or are looking for something new to read, add it to your sagging bookshelf. SRP $19.99
Essential Hulk Vol. 4
Reprints Incredible Hulk #143-170 with story by Thomas, Friedrich, Wein, Conway, Claremont, Goodwin, Gerber and Englehart and art by Ayers and Trimpe. Usually, when there are this many writers listed on a project, it means that there was trouble and considering that there are 8 writers over the course of 27 issues., I'm tempted to say "'nuff said!" The Hulk was pretty bad during this period and the simplicity of the original "Hulk Smash!" stories was giving way to multiple attempts to find a new direction for a character who should have been put out to pasture. Originally, the Hulk was a twist on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Later, he was a simple character, who jumped around the desert a lot and smashed whatever got in his way. Unfortunately, later writers decided to try to add depth to what was essentially a primal id, and that's when things went awry. There are a couple of gems here, but not enough to outweigh the bad. SRP $16.99
Essential Luke Cage Power Man Vol. 2
Reprints Power Man #28-49 and Annual #1 by more people than I can list here. We all know that if Power Man weren't involved in a major storyline over at Marvel that this collection, or the previous one, would never see the light of day. The only issues of even passing interest are right towards the end of this volume, when, in issue #48, Iron Fist is introduced to the series and many loose ends are tied up courtesy of Chris Claremont and John Byrne ( by #50, the title changed to Power Man and Iron Fist). Stereotypes abound and I often found it funny (in a sad way) that at the time the book was originally published Marvel touted their black super-hero, who was primarily written and drawn by whites. I can't come up with anything good to say about this volume, so I'll stop now. SRP $16.99
OCTOPUS
Dear John: The Alex Toth DoodlebookFrom a new publisher, we have a collection of sketches, roughs and doodles by Alex Toth covering 20 years of his career and set to include Toth's commentary on some of his comics work and some previously unreprinted correspondence. Pity this type of project couldn't have come out while Toth was still alive. SRP $19.95
PURE IMAGINATION
The Jack Cole Reader Vol. 1I hate to keep using the word genius, but Jack Cole was one and his his genius was probably best manifested in his creation Plastic Man. This volume will be some of the stories from the beginning of his career (1938) and, even this early work doesn't dim my respect for Cole one iota. Cole was one of those artists whose work is hard to pin down, as he was equally adept at most anything he did, but even his serious work has a comic look to it, as opposed to more serious artists who could do it all, like Kirby, Eisner or Lou Fine. Definitely another one for your bookshelf and will most likely include some notes by publisher Greg Theakston. (NOTE: this book is re-solicited from last year and wasn't published at that time). SRP $25.00
TWOMORROWS
Alter Ego #61Scheduled to feature a definitive history of the American Comics Group, which ran from 1946 to 1967. Art for the issue comes from Mort Meskin, Jerry Robinson, Williamson, Frazetta and others and there is also an interview with Al Hartley. ACG publishers were kind of at the bottom of the food chain when it came to comics, with many venturing the opinion that they were the comics that people bought when there just wasn't anything else to read. They did have an amazing roster of artists, including Mort Meskin, Jerry Robinson, Al Wiiliamson, Frank Frazetta and Kurt Schaffenberger (among others) and also managed to produce some well remembered characters, such as The Black Terror, John Force-Magic Agent and Herbie the Fat Fury. The problem, however, was that their stories were often lame and just didn't have the pizazz that was available from the other publishers. In any event, an overview of this "niche" company is welcome. SRP $6.95
VEROTIK
Black Angel Vol. 2An unknown number of pages will feature an unknown number of stories featuring this "Good Girl" art strip that ran as a backup in Air Fighters back in the 40s. Lots of airplanes and WWII style Nazis. Verotik has dabbled in the past with Golden Age reprints and suddenly, here's a new one. I have the first Black Angel volume and the reproduction is quite clean, so this one is most likely worth a look. SRP $9.95 <TOP>