May 2007
DON'T FORGET
Saturday, May 5th is going to be Free Comic Book Day and Mike has a lot of good stuff planned for the day, so plan to be here between 9 AM and 7 PM!
AC
Best Of The West #61
Featured in this issue will be a story of The Lone Avenger, an Australian comics character, along with Redmask, White Savage, The Durango Kid and The Haunted Horseman, by Fox, Lawson, Ayers, Certa, Bolle and Lawson. Australia had a long history of comics production, being (pretty much) cut off from the rest of the world. Once regular comic shipments from the US started to make their way there, the Aussie comic industry collapsed with some independent companies being all that is left, along with FREW, which has done the adventures of The Phantom since the late 40s.SRP $6.95
Men Of Mystery #66
A story featuring Skyman leads off the issue, along with Mr. Scarlet, Dollman, Kid Eternity and the Australian version of Cat-Man (hopefully by John Dixon), all done by the likes of John Spranger, Carl Pfeufer, Gardner Fox and others. Skyman was another airplane themed strip, sort of reminiscent of Captain Midnight, which featured some of the work of Ogden Whitney. Worth a squint! SRP $9.95
DARK HORSE
Fear Agent Vol. 2
Reprints Fear Agent #5-10 by Rick Remender and Jerome Opeņa. One of my favorite side series is Fear Agent: the story of a burned out alien exterminator who was once an agent of the planetary government. The stories involve time travel, aliens, space ships and most of the covers are homages to the EC comics of the past. Apparently, the collected volumes are now coming out from Dark Horse, although the comic still appears to be published by Image. Good fun! SRP $14.95
DC
As if there haven't been enough specials, cross-overs and maxi-series, DC is starting a new one this month call Countdown. Unlike 52, this one will go backwards and so, in another year, we will most likely see the end of the series with Countdown #0. If it weren't for the fact that Paul Dini was the head writer on this project, I wouldn't give it another thought.
The Action Heroes Archives Vol. 2
Reprints Captain Atom #83-89, Blue Beetle #1-5, Mysterious Suspense #1 and Charlton Bullseye #1, 2 and 5, plus the title story intended for Blue Beetle #6 (published in Charlton Portfolio #9-10) as well as an 8-page Question story by Alex Toth with art and story by a whole bunch of other folks as well. Charlton was considered to be an also-ran on the comic book racks until Dick Giordano took over as editor. Under Giordano, story and art both improved and Steve Ditko did some of his best Silver Age work outside of Marvel. The post-Giordano years were no exception to this rule and such future luminaries as Mike Zeck, John Byrne, Joe Staton, Don Newton and Tom Sutton all got their start at Charlton. Those of us who followed Charlton back in the old days know that it was the main source for some of Ditko's best Silver Age work outside of Marvel. Here, however, we have a big collection of material that does need some explanation. Basically, it seems that the book will feature Captain Atom, the Blue Beetle and The Question by Ditko, with the addition of one Question story done by Alex Toth. What makes this all the more interesting, however, is the original source material. Charlton Bullseye and Charlton Portfolio were both fanzine publications that came out in the mid-70s with the full support of Charlton. They were given the rights to some unpublished Charlton material, hence the Blue Beetle story listed above. The material from Charlton Bullseye, however, was drawn by Ditko and inked by a young artist by the name of John Byrne (!). I believe the Toth story was only printed in the pages of Bullseye #5, so it is quite the rarity. All in all, this would make a fine addition to your sagging bookshelf, particularly if you are a fan of Ditko, because of the rarity of some of the material. If not a Ditko fan, at least take a squint...I bet you'll become hooked. SRP $75 due to expanded page count.
Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 1
Reprints Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #133-139, Forever People #1-3, New Gods #1-3 and Mister Miracle #1-3 by Jack Kirby with inks by Vince Colletta. Upon leaving Marvel in the early 70s, Jack Kirby went over to DC and embarked on his most ambitious project, which came to be called The Fourth World. It was to consist of 4 comics that were all part of one larger story. Unfortunately, sales expectations far exceeded this new concept and it was cancelled before it really had a chance to get started. DC has finally decided to give The Fourth World its due and will be re-presenting Kirby's master work as a series of (I'm pretty sure) hardcover, color volumes. What makes these books (tentatively planned as 4 volumes) all the more special is that they will present the stories in the order they originally appeared, so that readers of today can see Kirby's development of ideas and concepts for the entire series. Although details are really sketchy as of this writing, the series will also include the later material Kirby did, including The Hunger Dogs graphic novel. Can't really say enough about this collection, since The Fourth World was not only a mature and entertaining series, it also added innumerable concepts to the entire DC Universe, many of which are still being used today. Definitely worth multiple squints and a fine addition to your sagging bookshelf with the surprisingly low SRP of $49.99
The Batman Chronicles Vol. 3
Reprints the Batman stories from Detective Comics #46-50 and Batman #4-5 by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson and others. This one continues the chronological reprinting of the the early Batman stories and, like the other volumes in the series, comes highly recommended. I've mentioned before that the early Batman stories have a charm all their own. Batman and Robin enjoyed what they did and there was none of the brooding, dark, psychotic angst that, in my opinion, has run in the current comic for waaay too long. You can't beat the early Batman with a stick! SRP $14.99
The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes Vol. 1 : Batman
Vying for the honors as longest title of the month is this reprinting of the indespensible Michael Fleischer work that originally came out in the 70s. Fleischer went through all the Batman stories from their beginning to the 70s and created a massive encyclopedia that covered all things to do with Batman and then used comic panels for the illustrations. The original contained lots of information that was not available due to Fleischer's reading of stories that had never been reprinted. There is no mention of an updating here, so I guess that we can all assume that this is the original book (which only went up to the mid-70s) with a new cover and now published by DC. If you have the original, no need to pick this one up, but, if you are really interested in Batman, then you need this one for your sagging reference shelf. SRP $19.99
Showcase Presents: The Flash Vol. 1
Reprints 500 pages of Flash stories by Kanigher, Broome, Fox, Infantino, Giella and others, but, once again, DC is not gonna tell me what issues are included. I would guess that these have all come out already in Archives editions, so if you have those, you are just duplicating your efforts. Personally, I always found the Silver Age Flash to be an acquired taste and found it the weakest title of the revived DC heroes. SRP $16.99
Showcase Presents: The War That Time Forgot Vol. 1
Reprints an unknown number of stories from whatever comic this series appeared in by Kanigher, Andru and Esposito. All I know is that this is about dinosaurs and military men. Never read it and just wish DC would tell me what issues it reprints. SRP $16.99
FANTAGRAPHICS
Hank Ketcham's Dennis The Menace: 1955-1956
Reprints all Ketcham's output for the two years mentioned in the title. Excellent reproduction and Ketcham's use of the single panel strip is far above anything out there today. SRP $24.95
I Shall Destroy All The civilized Planets
An overview of the work of Fletcher Hanks, the artist who probably out-primitived Basil Wolverton. Hanks has a strong cult following among comic collectors, since his work is so different from what was being done during the years he was working (1939-1941). Added to that is that there is virtually NO biographical material about him made his work all the more intriguing. Set to include 15 stories (possibly in color) and an afterword that will tell something of Hanks' life and tell what happened to him after his too brief time as a comic artist. Definitely on for your bookshelf!! SRP $19.95
GEMSTONE
Well, let's see...no new EC hardcovers this month...Nothing much of note in Uncle Scrooge....hmmm...well how about Walt Disney's Comics & Stories #681, which features a Carl Barks story, followed by a celebration of Goofy, including the 1933 Floyd Gottfredson premiere of the character, when he was known as Dippy Dawg! SRP (*gasp*) $7.50
MARVEL
Marvel releases a new series this month with Marvel Illustrated, an ongoing series devoted to classic literature. The first sequence, Marvel Illustrated: Last of the Mohicans, is adapted by Roy Thomas with art by Steven Kurth and Denis Medri. Much as I support adapting classics into comics, there are a couple of things here that worry me just a bit. Marvel's blurb says the comic is "Based on the Novel by James Fenimore Cooper", which implies that the book will be changed. In addition, there is the promise that a bonus story will "delve into the history of the man known as Hawkeye"...if Cooper didn't write it, do we need it? Lastly is the promise that "this isn't your father's classic comics!" I dunno, but I grew up reading Classics Illustrated and although they were abridged, they did just fine, thank you. They introduced a whole generation to the classics the way they were written without enchancement, so the qualities that made the works "classic" were kept intact. I'd look at this one before you buy. SRP $2.99 ea.
Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk Vol. 4
Reprints Incredible Hulk (Vol. 2) #103-110 and Annual #1 by Gary Friedrich, Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Bill Everett, Marie Severin and Herb Trimpe with some unnamed inkers and a cover by Steranko. From the good old days when the Hulk's favorite phrase was "Hulk Smash". The early Hulk stories were more concerned with the Hulk as a force, sort of an Id, and how he reacted to his environment. It wasn't until much later (like the 80s or 90s) that we got all this psychological overlay on the character and how the life of Bruce Banner was what made the Hulk and blah, blah, blah. In the beginning, the character was a Jekyll and Hyde, without the intelligence that made Hyde a menace. Nick Fury makes an appearance, along with the Inhumans and Ka-Zar as 'ole Greenskin smashes and bashes his way through everything. These are fun stories that are worth reading, although unless you are collecting the Masterworks, they read just as well in the Essentials volumes. SRP $54.99
Silver Surfer Omnibus Vol. 1
Reprints the entirety of Silver Surfer #1-18 by Stan Lee, John Buscema and Jack Kirby and unlisted inkers (this just ticks me off) along with commentary and extras. I realize that the Silver Surfer will be at the center of this summer's Fantastic Four movie, but this is just not one of those must have collections. The Surfer started off as the herald of Galactus and, as envisioned by Kirby, was a sort of harbinger (read angel) of death. Lee changed the concept and made the Surfer into a more human figure, who, once he had rebelled against Galactus, became an innocent: an outsider caught up in the events that occurred around him. By the time the Surfer got his own book, Lee made the character into a commentator on society and its perceived ills. Rather than action, the Surfer became a whiner who spent way too much time sitting around and soliloquizing: particularly on his lot in life and the loss of his love, Shalla Bal. The art in the series is some of the best of John Buscema's career, but after the first 4 issues, even that gets stale and it, and the stories, become trite and boring. Kirby's return in #18 showed his version of the Surfer, but it was too little too late. You can get this series cheaper in an Essentials volume and even though Marvel has placed a lower SRP of $74.99 on the book, pass on this one and spend your money elsewhere.
Spider-Man Newspaper Strips Vol. 1
With this volume (and the soon to follow Vol. 2), you will get 3 years worth of the Spider-Man newspaper strip from January 1977-January 1980 by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. (although research suggests that the last story arc may not be complete, at least from the dates given.). I was surprised that Spider-Man is still being produced for newspapers some 30 years after the first newspaper appearance and the strips here are from the very beginning. I have to assume that these are both dailies and Sundays. As a newspaper strip they are okay, as Spider-Man, they are okay and that's about all I can tell you is that the collection is...okay. There are no great revelations here and the strips are basically a re-working of previous Spidey continuity. At time, Romita seems a bit constrained by the newspaper strip format, as is Lee. Pay your money and take your chances. SRP$34.99
Fantastic Four Visionaries: Walter Simonson Vol. 1
Reprints Fantastic Four #334-341 by Walt Simonson, Rich Buckler, Ron Lim and a host of inkers. These are fun stories, as Simonson turned the FF upside down in much the same way he did Thor. Among other features is a 3 part time travel story that you must see to believe. One of Simonson's greatest gifts as a writer is to take all that has gone before, distill it down, and then create something new out of what is left. These stories are no exception. Most of the art here is by Simonson and you can pick this one up and then eagerly await the second volume which will collect the rest of Simonson's run on the title. SRP $19.99
Essential Fantastic Four Vol. 8
Reprints Fantastic Four #111-137 with story by Lee, Thomas and Conway (and they left out Archie Goodwin) and art by Buscema, Andru and Sinnott and (I believe) all inks by Joe Sinnott! Buscema's art throughout these sequences is good and, I must admit, since these were the first issues of FF that I encountered as a youngster, I have a certain fondness for Buscema's interpretation of the characters. These were transitional stories for the FF. Lee was nearing the end of his scripting days, and it shows here, since without Kirby, he has no idea of what to do with the characters or situations. The stories are only so-so, since Goodwin wasn't up to the task and Thomas definitely didn't have a clue. Call these transitional and historical at best and enjoy the Sinnott job at the end of the book. For the completeist only. SRP $18.99 NOTE: Sinnott was under contract to Marvel during this time to keep the FF looking like the FF regardless of who was penciling the book, which accounts for the consistency of the characters.
PURE IMAGINATION
The Complete Jack Kirby Vol. 4...or is that 5?
Well, here's a strange item. Previews lists this as volume 4, but the contents they list, by date and contents, look like the long ago promised volume 5 that I've been whining about for a couple of years. Besides creating Captain America, revamping Sandman and creating a whole bunch of other characters and concepts, the team of Simon & Kirby were doing some amazing work in 1947, a period which is covered in this book. Crime and adventure stories were a comic mainstay during this time, but it is not often mentioned that S & K also created the first romance title during 1947, leading all the other publishers to start creating material for this new genre. So, if you enjoy this Kirby series as much as I (or just Kirby in general), you need to check Mike and get him to order you a copy. A must buy, especially since it is scheduled to have the first issue of the first romance comic ever produced, Young Romance! SRP $25.00
SANCTUM PRODUCTIONS
Doc Savage Double Novel Vol. 7
Doc and his crew tangle with a ghost zeppelin, a vampire and villainous Arabs in "The Lost Oasis" and then meet a group of Amazons in "The Sargosso Ogre" both by Lester Dent. Original covers and illustrations, the unsold Doc Savage newspaper strip and commentary by Will Murray. SRP 12.95
The Shadow Double Novel Vol. 8
The Shadow encounters Scotland Yard in "The London Crimes and then solves a murder in "Castle of Doom": both stories by Walter Gibson. Original covers and interior illustrations are included, along with articles by Anthony Tollin on the English pulp reprints of The Shadow and the Australian radio show. SRP $12.95
TWOMORROWS
Brush Strokes with Greatness: The Life and Art of Joe Sinnott
Many don't realize that Joe Sinnott is not just a gifted inker, but is also an excellent penciller, who has worked for nearly every publisher during his 56-plus year career. This book will feature rare and unpublished artwork from his files, along with his memories of his comics career and will also include tributes from many of his fellow artists and a checklist. Definitely worth a squint! SRP $17.95
Alter Ego #60
A tribute issue to Jerry Bails, along with lots of rare comic art, Steve Ditko's notes for a 1965 Dr. Strange story and Roy Thomas on the birth of the Star Wars comic. SRP $6.95
Back Issue #22
Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle on Batman, Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen on the LSH, a tour of Dark Horse, a couple of histories and an interview with Scott McCloud.SRP $6.95
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