Archives
Bob’s Thoughts

September 2006

THE RUMOR MILL

   Rumor has it that Dark Horse may be planning an Archives series of books that would reprint ALL of the Dell comics Tarzan series, which means that the art of Jesse Marsh and Russ Manning (along with others) may finally find a new audience! That's the good news, however. The bad news is that although the early Tarzan has charm, I really don't believe that the market will support another $49.95 book that does not have a great deal of name recognition (I even felt that Dark Horse was pushing the envelope with Magnus and Dr. Solar!). While I like Marsh's art, he is an acquired taste: a taste that needs to be nurtured along slowly; and a low priced introduction to him is the best way to go.
   Maybe Dark Horse could experiment a bit here and attempt something that neither Marvel or DC have tried. Why not produce a telephone sized collection (like Showcase Presents, or Essentials) and use a low paper stock, but add color. This would be very close the the original comics in content and the books could sell for half the cost of a hardback. This would attract a larger audience than the Archives/Masterworks style of books and get the material into the hands of collectors and readers where it belongs!

AC

   As mentioned last time, AC is getting caught up in their schedule (as of this writing, I have received both Men of Mystery #59 and America's Greatest Comics #14). So, according to the AC website, here is what is still to come out in late August and September.
America's Greatest Comics #15
   Captain Daring by Reed Crandall, Canteen Kate by Matt Baker, John Spranger on Dollman, a Bill Draut romance story, Bob Powell sci-fi and the horror of Dick Briefer's Frankenstein are all in this one under what I believe to be a Crandall cover. SRP $6.95
Best Of The West #57
   Redmask by Frank Bolle, Haunted Horseman by Dick Ayers the Durango Kid, Rocky Lane, the Latigo Kid and a story about Firehair— a female lead set in the Old West, with a Native American motif drawn by Lee Elias. Saddle up and head for the comic store, but be sure you have the SRP of $6.95.
Men Of Mystery #60
   Another tribute to Quality Comics issue featuring Dollman, Manhunter, Lady Luck, Captain Triumph and T-Man by John Spranger, Klaus Nordling and Chuck Cuidera among others. SRP $6.95

BIG BANG COMICS

Big Bang Presents #2: Super Frankenstein
   Bill Fugate relates the story of Victoria Frankenstein, who combines her ancestor's secrets with modern technology to produce a new super-hero in the Big Bang tradition. I will say that I just got issue #1 of this series (Protoplasman) and it looks like Big Bang is back on track. SRP $2.95

CHECKER PUBLISHING

Milton Caniff's Steve Canyon: 1952
   Another year of Caniff's adventure strip are collected in this 170 page volume. SRP $17.95
Star Trek: The Key Collection Limited Edition Box Set
   Here's an item that should give everyone a chuckle...Checker has collected all 5 volumes of their Key Collection series (which reprints the wretched Gold Key Star Trek comic series in its entirety), slapped it in a slipcase, limited it to 200 pieces and thrown in a free t-shirt all for only...are you ready for this...an SRP of $119.99! So, if you have more money than you know what to do with, ignore this item and send it to me!!

DARK HORSE

   While serving in the military during WWII, Roald Dahl created the concept of Gremlins: insidious creatures who were blamed for aircraft problems. Upon his return from active duty, he wrote a short novel. The rights to the story were bought by Walt Disney, who planned on producing an animated feature of Dahl's story and did a great deal of pre-production character design and art before the project was finally shelved. This month, Dark Horse is reprinting The Gremlins by Roald Dahl, illustrated with the original drawings done by the Disney Studios for the proposed feature. Should be worth a squint. SRP $12.95
Little Lulu Color Special
   A 208 page COLOR reprinting of a selection of Lulu stories, all by John Stanley and Irving Tripp. I've gone on before about the wonderful kid world that Stanly and Tripp created and these stories, the title of the strip non withstanding, aren't just for girls. This would be a good place to get acquainted with the vision of John Stanley, I just hope they don't overcolor it. SRP $13.95

DC

   DC revives Mystery in Space this month with a new series written by Jim Starlin and featuring a new Captain Comet. Don't quite know how it will all come together, but the samples look good and it might be worth a squint.
The Enemy Ace Archives Vol. 2
   Enemy Ace was one of the first (if not the first) ongoing comic series to take a look at war from the point of view of the enemy: a twist on the war propaganda model that comics had followed since WWII. Set in WWI, the book garnered a good deal of press while it was published and it also featured some excellent work by Joe Kubert. These later stories will feature I don't know what, since all DC is telling us is that it will feature writers (Kanigher and Kubert) and the artists (Kubert, Heath, Thorne and Adams) and the promise that the book reprints Enemy Ace stories from Star-Spangled War Stories from 1969-1976. Are they in order? Is this going to complete the collection? Does it pick up from where the first volume ended? Well, I guess you'll have to plunk down the SRP of $49.99 to find out. Me? I'm gonna wait until I see a copy!
The Shazam! Family Archives Vol. 1
   Reprints stories featuring Captain Marvel, Jr. and the origin of Mary Marvel from Master Comics #23-32, Captain Marvel Jr. #1 and Captain Marvel Adventures #18 by Mac Raboy and others. Like a breath of fresh air, here is a collection of the Captain Marvel supporting cast and, since it features Mac Raboy art, I suggest that you keep an eye out for this one. Captain Marvel (known as Shazam in the current DC universe) was one of the premiere characters of the Golden Age and spawned a huge supporting cast all of whom were a bit different from the good Captain. Mary Marvel was a bit lighter in tone and appealed to girls, while Capt. Marvel Jr. was a bit more serious, especially when drawn by Mac Raboy, who drew in a realistic style, as opposed to the cartoonish Capt. Marvel. If you feel that an Archives is a bit much to start exploring these wonderful stories, there is a Shazam Family Annual that came out a year or two ago, or many of the issues of Shazam feature reprints of the Golden Age stories and are all worth searching for. SRP $49.99 Showcase Presents: Challengers of the Unknown Vol. 1
   Reprints Showcase #6, 7, 11, 12 and Challengers of the Unknown #1-18 by story by Jack Kirby, Dave Wood and Ed Herron and art by Kirby, Bob Brown, Wally Wood and others. Here's a large heaping helping of the Kirby created strip that includes not only all of Jack's work on the strip, but also the 6 issues that followed. When Kirby returned to DC in the 50s, he created the Challengers and not only pencilled the strip, but also wrote many of the stories he drew and even did inks on many of the covers. I don't particularly agree that the Challengers is a prototype for the Fantastic Four, since feel of the strip is very different. They are, however, no less heroic and if you want to get a taste of pure Kirby (before he changed styles at Marvel), this is a good place to look. Woods inks compliment and enhance Kirby's pencils and it's a shame the two did not do more work together. The Challengers is a good, solid adventure strip and, interestingly enough, all of the stories take place on Earth (not in outer space), except when Kirby is not writing the series. I've always thought this is more evidence of Kirby's input into the Fantastic Four, since, except for the initial space flight, the quartet never ventures into space until some 8 years into the strip, when Jack had decided to leave Marvel. SRP $16.99

DIGITAL WEBBING

E-Man: Recharged
   Nick Cuti and Joe Staton have returned to produce new adventures of E-Man, a character originally published by Charlton comics. Many years ago, Charlton comics made one last attempt to become a major player in the comic market. Besides publishing the work of Don Newton, Mike Zeck and John Byrne, one of the artistic favorites of the time was Joe Staton, who, with Nick Cuti, produced a wonderfully original strip called E-Man. Although the comic had only a very short run (around 10 issues, if memory serves me right), it has long been fondly remembered by fans for its quirky storyline and Staton's art, which was sort of a cross of Neal Adams and Jack Cole. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a new series that will stay around for awhile, unlike the other revivals. The cover looks good and one can hope that Staton can find the style he used in the old days. SRP $3.99

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

   Dynamite is beginning a new Lone Ranger series this month and I don't know whether to be happy or scared. I'm happy by the possibilities that a new series offers, but...you see, as of this writing, Dynamite is being kind of cagey about the series, comparing it to Unforgiven and Deadwood and only giving a few sample pages on its website, all of which look okay, but like so many other comics, are colored darkly with very few primary tones. So, I'm going to have to leave this one to you. With the abilities of today's writers, I don't think much will happen in a 32 page comic and I'm really concerned that they will take an icon and plant him in a Sergio Leoné world. We'll have to see... SRP $2.99

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

Popeye Vol. 1: I Yam What I Yam
   Embarking on a project to reprint another classic comic strip, Fantagraphics is beginning a new Popeye series which will collect the entire run of Segar's Thimble Theatre: dailies and color Sundays. The first volume covers the years 1928-1930 beginning with Popeye's introduction and introduces the Whiffle Hen, the Sea Hag and Popeye's long running courtship of Olive Oyl. I've only read a few snippets of Popeye continuity, but from what I've seen, the Segar material is the best and it was Segar's interpretation of the character that was the basis for the Fleischer cartoons. 200 pages and oversize (11 x 17). SRP $29.95

IDW

   Apparently somebody at IDW reads this column, since the latest collection of Jon Sable, The Complete Mike Grell's Jon Sable, Freelance, Vol. 5, actually lists the issue numbers from the original run (#22-26) and let's me know that the stories "The Contract" and "Homecoming" will be featured all for an SRP of $19.99. Kind of makes a body proud to have (seemingly) made a difference and, if you aren't reading these Sable reprint volumes, you are missing out on an excellent adventure series!

MARVEL

Marvel Masterworks: The Human Torch Vol. 1
   Reprints Strange Tales #101-107 and Annual #2 with words by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jerry Siegel, Robert Bernstein and Ernie Hart and pictures by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers. Figuring that if one teen hero was a success (namely, Spider-Man), Marvel took another teen hero from their most successful book (Fantastic Four) and gave the Human Torch his own series in Strange Tales beginning in 1962 in #101 (the move paid off and the Torch had a good run through #134). Reading the stories today, there is a great deal of energy and fun in these stories that we don't see today. Johnny is portrayed as a teenager who is testing his limits, both as a person and a hero, yet the series has very little of the angst that runs through the Spider-Man stories of the same period. Instead, Johnny is a portrayed as a teenager who occasionally gets in over his head, but succeeds either through his own determination or from the help of his friends (Spider-Man, Ice-Man, or the FF). The art by Kirby is excellent and the Ayers pencilled stories look good as well and make me wonder why Ayers is largely forgotten today. The drawback to the book is that you only get a small sample of the Torch stories and, although they are in color, I think that the Essential Human Torch volume, that reprints the entire series, might be the better bet. In any event, there are good stories that you should add to your bookshelf. SRP $49.99
Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age All-Winners Vol. 2
   Reprints All-Winners #5-8 by Burgos, James, Forte, Sahle, Avison, Powell and (left out in Marvel's solicitation) Bill Everett. Far as I can tell, these stories have never been reprinted since their original appearance, so this is really new territory. All-Winners was Timely's answer to All-Star Comics, except that it featured all of Timely's heavy hitters in one book. The difference, however, that while DC had the Justice Society in a book length adventure with individual chapters in each issue, the Timely characters appeared in individual stories in All-Winners and didn't become a team until the last two issues of the title. This is prime Golden-Age material that run the gamut from the best to the worst and also one of the only places that you can see some of the great artists of the early days of comics. If Marvel reprints the text stories, there will be a few in here by a young Mickey Spillane and, on issues 7 and 8, covers by Alex Schomburg. This one belongs up on your sagging bookshelf! SRP $49.99
Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Vol. 6
   Reprints Fantastic Four #276-284, Thing #23 and Secret Wars II #2 written by Byrne, Carlin and Shooter with art by Byrne, Wilson and Milgrom. I feel that Byrne's run on the FF is second only to the Lee/Kirby issues in quality and were probably the best work Byrne ever produced for Marvel. Although these stories are from near the end of his run (he left with #293) these are still enjoyable stories and have the added enhancement of inks by Jerry Ordway and Al Gordon. Definitely worth looking at and, hopefully, buying. The only question I have is why the inclusion of the story from Secret Wars II, as I never had any use for that title in any way, shape or form! Give it a squint!! SRP$24.99
Thor: The Eternals Saga Vol. 1
   Reprints Thor #283-291 and Annual #7 written by Roy Thomas and art by Simonson, J. Buscema, Pollard and Jones. Gaimen isn't the first to try to draw together the varied threads of Kirby's Eternals. Many years ago, Roy Thomas made a stab at finishing The Eternals by introducing the characters into Thor. The problem: Thomas never fared well when trying to work on a Kirby concept and here, he pretty well scrapes bottom. Although the art by Simonson on the Annual is good, don't even bother with this one! SRP $24.99
Essential Thor Vol. 3
   Reprints Thor #137-166 by Lee and Kirby. The stories reprinted here were some of the best work Kirby did on the strip and, I suspect, represent more of Kirby than they do of Lee. Thor was a sort of soap opera at the beginning. Sure, there were trips to Asgard and such, but one of the major sub-plots of the book was the love that Thor felt for Jane Foster. With the stories in this volume, however, all of that changes and Thor becomes equal parts mythology, reality and outer space adventure. Gone is Jane Foster (she departed in #136) and in her place is Sif (always wondered about that name), an Asgardian warrior who participates in many of Thor's adventures. I also suspect that Kirby was taking a more active role in the plotting of the strip at this time and the ideas and concepts simply explode out of the book just like the Fantastic Four of the same period. Thor, battles trolls, super-villains and even has time to find out his true origin in these stories, along with appearances by Adam Warlock and Galactus. I would recommend this volume to you (along with the previous two) as they are not only great comics, but also will show you why Kirby, and Marvel, were so popular in the 60s! Definitely worth the price of admission and something that belongs on your bookshelf! SRP $16.99
Essential Tales of the Zombie Vol. 1
   Reprints Tales of the Zombie #1-10 and Dracula Lives #1-2 by more people than we have room to list. I've said before that there are certain volumes that stretch the concept of being "Essential" and this is one of them. Marvel entered the black and white magazine market in the early 70s with a number of titles that were a combination of comic stories and (usually) badly written fluff articles. Tales of the Zombie was one of the titles from this era and it is the only one I can think of where the reprints (which probably aren't included here) were better than the new stories. There is a lot of horror material in Marvel's vaults that deserves to be reprinted and this ain't it, kiddies. And, just to add insult to injury, Marvel takes the best mag from their horror line, Dracula Lives, and relegates it to the back of this volume. Yeesh! Don't bother with this one and just hope that somebody comes to their senses. Don't be a Marvel Zombie (reader)! SRP $16.99

TWOMORROWS

Back Issue #18
   An all green issue with a tour of Continuity Studios by Green Lantern/Green Arrow artist Neal Adams, a look at Hal Jordan's career, Guy Gardner, Green Arrow writer Mike Grell, Incredible Hulk writer Peter David and other items by people associated with green characters. SRP $6.95 <TOP>