June 2008
DIDJA KNOW?
One of my favorite TV shows comes to comics this month when DC releases Chuck #1. Not sure how it will look or read (DC ain't showing us no samples), but might be worth leafing through if you come across it at your local comic shop.
AND DID YOU SEE...
Following up a link the other day, I watched the trailer for the new Frank Miller directed Spirit film and just couldn't believe my eyes! How someone as talented as Miller can produce such drivel is beyond me. What was promised as a faithful adaption of Eisner's comic has become a dark and bleak rip-off of Sin City with Denny Colt's mask and red tie the only elements that seem to have survived. The trailer showed no humor, no Eisneresque layouts or anything that I would identify as Central City...or even Wildwood Cemetery for that matter...just more of the dark and brooding crap that seems to have infiltrated most every part of the comic book world.
AC COMICS
Best of the West #68
Redmask, Durango Kid, Monte Hale, Two Gun Lil, Rocky Lane, Black Diamond, Haunted Horseman...they're all here in some of the best western stories of the past. Beginning this issue, Best of the West ups its page count to 56 and also ups its price to an SRP of $8.95.
DARK HORSE
Indiana Jones Omnibus Vol. 2
Seems my rememberer was on the fritz when I wrote about Vol. 1 and there were indeed more Indiana Jones stories to come from Dark Horse. This time around, you get five different mini-series or one-shots by...well, there's the problem, since once again Dark Horse finds its offerings so wonderful that they don't have to list credits. More's the pity and I'll have to leave it to you to decide on this one. SRP $24.95
Creepy Archives
Dark Horse keeps trying different things and here, in what I assume if the first volume of a new series, are the first 5 issues of Creepy, reprinted in original magazine size and glorious Black and White! Published outside the Comics Code and offering a alternative to Marvel and DC, the Warren magazines featured some tremendous art, including covers to the early issues by Frank Frazetta. Most of the stories in the early issues of Creepy were written, and edited, by Archie Goodwin and, as stories, are not really as strong as one would like. What made the Warren mags so amazing, however, is that in the early years, the art was what drove the books. Due, as I understand it, to Goodwin, the company became a sort of hangout for artists who had been associated with EC in its heyday. You'll find Williamson, Orlando, Craig, Severin and others here, along with the first issue cover by Jack Davis and also some stories by Alex Toth. Later issues also featured some amazing work by Steve Ditko and Gene Colan. Should be worth a good, long squint and would make a fine addition to your sagging bookshelf. SRP $49.95
DC
The Doom Patrol Archives Vol. 5
Reprints Doom Patrol #114-121 by Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani. This volume presents the final issues of The Doom Patrol and, as with the previous volumes, is worth a squint, as these are good, solid adventure stories. The Doom Patrol next surfaced in the first Teen Titans series, where Wolfman and Perez explained where the team had ended up after their own series ended. SRP $49.99
Showcase Presents: The Flash Vol. 2
Reprints The Flash #120-140 by Broom, Fox, Infantino, Giella and Anderson. More adventures of the fastest man alive with Infantino at his best. SRP $16.99
FANTAGRAPHICS
Man of Rock: The Biography of Joe Kubert
From 1938 to the present day, Joe Kubert has worked in comics as a writer, artist, editor and educator. This new book by historian Bill Schelly covers all this and more, including facets of Kubert's life that have never been discussed before and also lots of anecdotal material from those who have known and worked with Kubert. Worth a squint! SRP $19.99
GEMSTONE PUBLISHING
On the Disney front, Gemstone continues to give the finger to Don Rosa fans, by relegating a previously printed Rosa story, "Guardians of the Lost Library," to Uncle Scrooge #379, while starting a new trade paperback series, Donald Duck Family: The Daan Jippes Collection Vol. 1, this month. Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy the work of Jippes very much, but if you can do a collection devoted to one artist, you can do others as well. Instead, we get a little Rosa here and a little there with no single collection (outside of the Scrooge McDuck volumes) in the offing. Get a grip, Gemstone!
EC Archives: Frontline Combat Vol. 1
Reprints the complete first six issues of Frontline Combat, by Kurtzman, Wood, Davis and the rest of the EC crew! War comics have always been around in one form or another, but it was in the Kurtzman edited Frontline Combat that they show the best of what the genre can do. Although a bit constrained by the EC formula of 4 short stories per issue, the stories shine as they focus on the many facets of men in combat. No mock heroics here, the stories are gritty and told with a purpose that has not been seen in comics since. Excellent art and story throughout that features Kurtzman's meticulously researched stories, many of which focus on the Korean conflict. Definitely one that belongs up there on the sagging bookshelf. SRP $49.95
IDW
Scorchy Smith and the Art of Noel Sickles
Reprints the complete Sickles' run on Scorchy (12/33-11/36) along with articles examining his life and his extensive career outside of comics. Sickles is considered to be one of the major influential artists in comics, even though his career was very short lived. Using an impressionistic style, Sickles set a new realistic standard for the newspaper strip, which was most evident in the change of style found in the word of his studio partner Milton Caniff. From there, this style spread to many other artists and had a wide ranging influence on the first and second generations of comic book artists. Well worth a squint and it will be nice to have the entire run in one, oversized hardback. Similar format to the IDW Terry volumes. SRP $49.99
MARVEL
Marvel is bringing Richard Corben back for another horror series from the Max imprint. Haunt of Horror: Lovecraft is a 3 issue mini-series featuring 3 Lovecraft short stories per issue adapted and pencilled (and probably inked) by Corben. Black and White. Probably worth a squint. SRP $3.99 ea.
Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales of Suspense Vol. 2
Reprints Tales of Suspense #11-20 from the early 60s with story by Lee, Leiber and others and art by Kirby, Ditko, Heck and others. Giant monsters were Marvel's stock in trade before the age of super-heroes and TOS was just one of the titles to feature this particular genre. Lots of Kirby mayhem, atmospheric tales by Ditko and proof, once again, that Don Heck could draw quite well. A volume like this also raises a lot of questions about who wrote what at Marvel. These early stories may have Lee or Leiber listed as the author, but the Kirby stories have one feel and the Ditko tales another. Does this mean the Lee or Leiber were tailoring their writings for the particular artist? I, for one, don't believe that is the case... Worth a squint, but think I would rather see an Omnibus edition. SRP $59.99
Marvel Masterworks: Sgt. Fury Vol. 2
Reprints Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #14-23 and Annual #1 by Stan Lee and Dick Ayers. Kind of torn about this one. The stories here are the last of the formative Fury stories that flesh out the character and feature the death of a Howler and some insight into Fury's character, but they don't have the energy of the early Kirby material. Ayers' art, while better than in the earlier volume, still lacks a decent inker. As an oddity, the story from the first Annual features the Howlers in Korea. Honestly, once Kirby left the strip, it just wasn't the same and didn't come into its own until somewhere around #40, when Gary Friedrich came onboard and made the strip into something special. So, I'll leave this one to you, as it is okay, just not great, but, according to the solicitation, it has a lower cover price than the usual Masterwork volume. SRP $54.99
PURE IMAGINATION
A couple of rare second printings from Pure Imagination this month. The Alex Toth Reader Vol. 1 returns this month, featuring 160 pages of Toth illustrated wonder, much of it not available in any other form. The Steve Ditko Reader Vol. 1 also gets reprinted, featuring Ditko work from 1954-55 that is not only quite rare, but shows the remarkable abilities Ditko demonstrated early on his career. Both volumes have an SRP of $25 and come highly recommended.
TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING
Alter Ego #78
A special Dave Cockrum issue, featuring tributes from contemporaries and colleagues, an interview with his wife, Paty, and lots and lots of art. Also, the usual features from the Fawcett Collectors of America section. SRP $6.95
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