12/01/08
RANDOM UN-BASHING
Got a pleasant surprise at Pulp Fiction a week or two ago, when I happened to glance over at the graphic novel section. Seems that Dark Horse has corrected their reproduction problems on the Savage Sword of Conan omnibus editions and my quick perusal of the first two volumes shows that the linework has been restored and the pages are in very crisp black and white instead of fuzzy grey. This correction, however, presents a bit of a mystery. The copies I saw with the corrected printings are a lot thicker than the badly printed versions but the page count is the same. Mike tells me he believes there was a second printing, but both books indicate they are first printings (?). So, I am a bit perplexed on the printing history, but my kudos to Dark Horse for correcting their previous egregious error.
SHIPPING UPDATES
- Powers: The Definitive Collection Vol. 2 has been delayed yet again and might appear the first week of January (but don't hold your breath!).
- Creepy Archives Vol. 2 which was due out this month (December), should already be out when you read this.
- Camelot 3000 Deluxe Edition that was originally due out in October has been bounced into November and then bounced again into December.
AC COMICS
Men of Mystery #77
This time around, AC promises that the issue will feature the adventures of 4 characters who haven't been reprinted since the 40s! So, get ready for Music Master, Banshee, Queen of Evil and Volton by Otto Binder, Joe Millard, Ben Thompson, Charles Quinlan and others. SRP $9.95
DARK HORSE
Dark Horse is slowly becoming the company of quirky reprints. This month they are offering a second volume of the Herbie Archives and also a complete collection of another ACG series under the title, Magicman Archives, a series that featured pencils by Pete Constanza and Kurt Schaffenberger. Herbie has an SRP of $49.95 and Magicman an SRP of $59.95. Since ACG was kind of at the bottom of the comic heap, I'll leave it to you as to what you want to do!
Creepy Archives Vol. 2
Reprints Creepy #6-10 and it is, again, a great collection. Crandall, Wood, Krenkel, Frazetta, Torres, Craig, Toth...tons of work by some of the best artists that were available at the time. Of particular interest is the wash work done by both Ditko and Colan in a couple of stories and you even have the appearance of some young turks by the names of Wrightson and Brunner on some short features. As I pointed out in the preview of the first volume, the artwork that was done for Warren was incredible for its time and still holds up well today. The stories, however, are not quite as strong as one would hope and that is what I would could consider the major drawback to the series. Worth a squint and addition to the sagging bookshelf if the reproduction is any good (I've seen Vol. 1 and its looks very good). SRP $49.95
DC
Showcase Presents: Supergirl Vol. 2
Reprints the Supergirl stories from Action Comics #283-321 by Jerry Siegel, Leo Dorfman and Jim Mooney. Since I've already related the story of how Jim Mooney used to draw Supergirl in the nude, I'll simply say that you have Linda Danvers, Comet the Super Horse, Streaky the Super Cat and all the other baggage that the Girl of Steel brought to the DC Universe. Not for me and maybe not for you. SRP $16.99
The Spirit Archives Vol. 26
Reprints...well that is a bit of a puzzler. This is the last of the Spirit Archives and one would assume that DC would want the series to go out with a bang, but DC is being a bit cagey about just what the book will actually contain. They mention stories originally published by Harvey, Kitchen Sink and the New York Herald Tribune and then there is the worrisome addition of "...and many more!" (*shudder*) Well, doing a bit of detective work (and taxing my aging brain cells), I can bring you a Pulp Fiction exclusive that suggests what some of the contents of the book may be:
- Although The Spirit officially ended in 1952, interest in the character started up again in 1966, when The New York Herald Tribune did an article about the character and Eisner produced a 5 page story to accompany the article.
- This story was followed by two issues of a Spirit comic from Harvey. Each issue featured a new cover by Eisner, reprints of stories from the 40s and a new 7 page story in each with some other new material. The story in the first issue is quite interesting, as it is a retelling of the Spirit's origin.
- In 1973, Eisner did a 5 page Spirit story as part of a lecture he was giving in Canada. The story was eventually printed a an oversize item is often called The Tabloid Spirit.
- Also in 1973, Kitchen Sink Press did 2 issues of The Underground Spirit, which had new Eisner covers, various odds and ends, reprints and a new 4 page story in the second issue (some sources also suggest there is a new story in the first issue, but I can't confirm this since my copies are buried somewhere back in a comic box somewhere).
- Between 1974 and 1983, The Spirit Magazine was published by Warren (#1-16) and Kitchen Sink Press (#17-41). Eisner did new covers for all the issues, with the Warren issues finished by others and the Kitchen Sink covers done as wrap-around paintings by Eisner alone.
- There were also 87 issues of The Spirit, a reprint comic done by Kitchen Sink that featured the complete post-war Spirit stories in order. Running from 1983-1992, each issue featured a cover by Eisner.
- In the 70s, there was a 9 plate Spirit portfolio done by Eisner.
- Eisner did a cover for The Spirit Coloring Book which was released in 1973.
- A really odd item is The Spirit Casebook Of True Haunted Houses And Ghosts, which Eisner released in 1976. It consists of the Spirit acting as a horror host (ala EC) for "true" stories of ghosts and haunted houses (gee, just like the title says).
- The Spirit Jam is a 36 page story that features Eisner with 50 different collaborators and appeared in The Spirit #30.
- Cerebus vs. The Spirit was a 4 page collaboration between Dave Sim and Eisner. It appeared in Cerebus Jam #1 in 1984.
Wish I could tell you more, but it's very hard to guess at what material DC may decide to include. Those of you who are mathematically inclined have already figured out that what I have listed is much less than 252 pages-DC's official page count for the book. Outside of the odd cover that I haven't listed above, I'm really at a loss as to what will fill the rest of the book. Maybe a lot of the articles Eisner wrote on the creation of the individual stories?? I dunno. As a collection of rare and hard to find material, I'd give this one 2 thumbs up with a bullet, but also suggest you take a good long squint before you lay out the SRP of $59.99
Showcase Presents: The Brave and the Bold Batman Team-Ups Vol. 3
Reprints The Brave & The Bold #109-134 by Bob Haney and Jim Aparo. These are just okay stories with excellent art by Aparo, but sometimes clunky stories by Haney. I've always felt that Haney was slowly burning out on comic writing around this time and it becomes quite obvious that he often does not understand how some of the newer characters work. There are also some outlandish teamings here, such as Batman and Kamandi and Batman with Sgt. Rock. The book will also include the new stories that were part of the 100-page issues (#112-117). That being said, I'll leave it to you to give this one a squint, but you'll have to decide for yourself as to whether it makes it up onto the sagging bookshelf. SRP $16.99
Showcase Presents: Strange Adventures Vol. 1
Reprints Strange Adventures #54-73 by a whole bunch of people. Not really sure what to make of this one. DC always had stronger science fiction titles than horror, mainly because many of their editors had been involved in science fiction before they entered the comic field. Weisinger and Schwartz had both worked as agents for many of the name pulp writers and Weisinger had been working as an editor for science fiction pulps before he came over to DC. DC is obviously going back into the vaults for older material and, if the solicitation is correct, it is implied that the book will include all the stories from the above listed issues of Strange Adventures. I have to wonder, however, why start in mid-run and not with #1. Maybe DC doesn't have the art for those earlier issues? In any event, there's lots of good material here with Gil Kane, Carmine Infantino, Sy Barry, Murphy Anderson and many other artists. I'd suggest you give it a squint, but that's the best I can do without more information. SRP $16.99
FANTAGRAPHICS
There was a side to Basil Wolverton that was not widely known to comic fans. Aside from being a highly stylized artist who was equally adept at both big-foot comics and heavily rendered adventure, Wolverton was a deeply religious man, who was very involved in his church. After retiring from comics in 1955, Wolverton devoted his time to producing an illustrated version of the Bible, which eventually saw print in the 60s (I will mention here that I saw these volumes at a yard sale years ago and almost bought the set, I think there were 6 or 7 books, simply to obtain the Wolverton illustrations). Fantagraphics has brought over 550 of these illustrations, along with the rare set of drawings illustrating the Book of Revelation, into one volume with introductions and annotations, so you can have all this wonderfulness compactly displayed up on your sagging bookshelf. Interesting material and worth a squint, if not outright buying sight unseen. Wolverton's style is recognizable within these illustrations, yet is ratcheted back a notch or two-the end result being a series of works that stand alongside the works of other Bible illustrators, such as Doré.SRP $24.99
GEMSTONE PUBLISHING
Over in Gemstoneland, they will reach a milestone this month when the 700th issue of Walt Disney's Comics & Stories hits the stand. Nothing real special here, except for a Dan Jippes story and the first part of another Gottfredson serial from 1932, and Gemstone is even inviting you to pay and extra $2 for expanded page count. Other than that, we will simply have to wait for the next Previews where, hopefully, we will see the first volume of the Complete Don Rosa.
IDW
The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy Vol. 6
IDW continues to produce the best in reprint comic strips, and this volume will reprint the strips from 7/1939-1/1941. Can't really say what stories you will encounter, but will say that if you aren't already collecting this series, your sagging bookshelf will feel neglected and fall off the wall (and I won't feel any sympathy for you either...nyahh!). SRP $29.99
MANUSCRIPT PRESS
Comics Revue #27
Sixty-four pages of comic strip reprints, featuring about 10 different series per month in chronological order. Well worth a squint and a great place to start exploring the world of comic strips. Look for the Captain easy cover! SRP $6.95
MARVEL
Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Vol. 8
Reprints The Avengers #69-79 by Roy Thomas, Sal Bauscema, John Buscema and others. More adventures that showcase some of the best work of Roy Thomas. Sal Buscema's pencils are excellent and are often overlooked because the pencils of brother John are even better. I've always held John Buscema's art in high esteem, since he was drawing in the larger-than-life style that Kirby had made popular at Marvel, yet with his own touches that were wholly original. Buscema's characters always fill the panels and he, like Kirby, was able to draw characters that seemed to be coming directly at the reader out of the panel (a style pioneered by Lou Fine back in the Golden Age). Krang, and the Lethal Legion are here, along with the return of Wanda and Pietro (the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver for the uninitiated.) Look for the first appearance of what would later become The Invaders in #71. Great fun too in #70 with the Squadron Sinister. This group was an evil version of DC's JLA a they were at the time it was printed. Belongs up on your sagging bookshelf! SRP $54.99
Much as I like the work of Frank Miller on Daredevil, I was very disappointed with the Daredevil: The Man Without Fear mini-series done by Miller and John Romita, Jr. The feel of the series is off, as if Miller had come back to the character, but didn't like the character anymore. There are also some quirky bits that stomp all over Miller's previous continuity on Daredevil and this bits just aren't that good. The reason I bring this up is that Marvel is reprinting the mini as a hardcover and I would suggest you pass it by, simply because it just don't quite work.
PURE IMAGINATION
Two more second printings from Pure Imagination this month. The Alex Toth Reader, according to both Previews and the PI website, contains 160 pages of Toth's work from the 50s and 60s covering "War, romance, horror." (exactly what from where, no one's saying). The second is another of those wonderful typos that make you wonder how any comics ever get ordered. The title says The Steve Ditko Reader, but the cover is of Steve Ditko: Edge of Genius, but from reading the description, I'm guessing it is the Edge of Genius book that is getting reprinted and it contains...well the PI website ain't no help and if you really want a copy I would ask your friendly local comic shop and let them sort it out! SRP on both $25.00
TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING
Alter Ego #82
Michelle Nolan's ultimate Golden Age MLJ index is presented with tons of illustrations plus interviews with Irv Novick and Joe Edwards, P.C. Hammerlink's FCA features, Bill Schelly and Bob Rozakis columns and a cover featuring the MLJ heroes by Bob McLeod. SRP $6.95
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