Friday, March 14, 2008

Charlton Notebook: Space War #30

While I'm absolutely nuts for Charlton horror books, there are also some real gems in the sci-fi realm. In the late 70s, Charlton relaunched Space War as a reprint book. I'm guessing that it didn't sell all that well, but what a treat they are to read today. Space War #30 is a prime example. We start off with a Ditko cover originally used for the Out of This World series in the 50s. The lead story is an early 70s Gill/Staton story - nothing too original but I love how Staton draws technological gadgetry. The next story is very interesting, as it features Tom Sutton pencilling over Wally Wood layouts. It's from the mid-60s, so it must have been some of Sutton's earliest work and you don't see Wood's name pop up too often in a Charlton book. Finally, we are rewarded with one of those great late 50s Ditko stories that just look so cool you wish that you could wallpaper your room with it. This series is selling for peanuts on eBay and through online retailers, so I strongly suggest grabbing a few copies before everyone gets in on the secret.

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