Seduction of the Indifferent

Add It to My Want List: Upcoming Phantom Collections

2012-01-18T09:21:00.004-05:00

Ok, I will be the first to admit that I do not stay on top of what 'new' releases are on the way, so this may be very stale news. I was on Amazon's website, and it mentioned that I may be interested in some keen looking Phantom collections. Might I? It looks as the stories from the Gold Key years, the King years and the Charlton years are all being reprinted and released next month. I own over half of the Charlton books, but it would be sooo nice to have them all in one place so I can see the crazy variations in artists from Aparo to Sherwood to Newton. Kudos for Hermes Press for putting these together - I just hope it's not some sort of hoax. On a related topic, I am still trying to figure out the ID of Norm di Pluhm as Steve Skeates apparently said it wasn't him.

Reprint This! Hot Wheels

2011-12-23T10:18:00.004-05:00

Like so many titles I have previously discussed in this column, this one is likely stuck in licensing hell. DC got into the TV and Toy tie-ins during this era (see Captain Action and Bomba), but this one was a real standout. Hot Rod comics had been around forever, and were on the decline by the time the first issue of Hot Wheels hit newsstands. Still, it was a valuable property and DC knew exactly which creative teams to bring on board. Alex Toth had done plenty of work for Drag Cartoons and had a way with cars. They also made sure that they got some fantastic Adams/Giordano covers to help pump sales. Jack Keller and Ric Estrada, both strong auto-artists, also made contributions. Apparently, none of this worked as the series was short-lived. They can be found, but it may take you a while. I have been buying these off and on for years and I am still a two issues short of a complete run. I would love to have it all in one volume so that I could revel in the amazing artwork.

Trade Marks: Asterios Polyp

2011-12-22T16:37:00.005-05:00

It is incredible to see what creators like David Mazzucchelli are trying to do with the art form. This feels like something a Saul Bellow or Richard Ford would create if they knew how to draw (my apologies to those gents if they do, indeed, draw well). This is the story of a rudderless man, reflecting on his life, or lack thereof. The balance between struggle between intellectual superiority and happiness is front and centre. Our hero is morally ambiguous at best, but we identify with him enough that the pathos is palpable. I must admit that there is a depth here that I may have missed. If I had more background in architecture and/or Greek mythology I may have gotten more out of it. In any case, the layers make it ripe for a revisit. My main complaint is at there is a certain emotional flatness to the characters in the story, although it may all be tied to the downside of apathy. It is a beautifully designed book, but I was quite happy to find it for half price. Solid stuff - just short of a masterpiece. Trade Mark: A-

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Daughters of Time

2011-12-19T15:08:00.004-05:00

This, my friends, might be the most obscure Steve Ditko cover that I every discuss in this space. Daughters of Time was published in 1991 by 3-D Zone comics. Never heard of it? Neither had I until recently. I love Ditko and I love Kurt Schaffenberger, but this cover just does not work for me. I think it is a combination of the disorienting layout and the garish colours. As far I can recall, this is the only time these two artists collaborated. I'd love know if they worked together elsewhere, as they would be an interesting team. The GCD tells me that it's 100% Schaffenberger on the inside. $3.95 was pretty pricey back then, and I wonder if this book lived up to its price tag. The hunt begins, my curiosity cannot be sated until I own it.

Hidden Gems: Metal Men #21

2011-12-16T16:17:00.005-05:00

Truth be told, this is actually a below average Metal Men book. We all know that their adventures tend to be quite silly, but silly can be fun. This is mostly dull. The main problem is that the Plastic Perils are not all that perilous. Before you think that I actually meant to slot this into the 'You've Been Warned' category, let me tell you why it is worth owning. What makes this issue special is that it features some brief, yet charming cameos by some of the DCU's biggest stars. Batman & Robin, Wonder Woman and the Flash all make appearances, declaring their admiration for the Metal Men and wishing they all had more time to hang out. This is a good one for fans of crossovers, as it serves as a good example of the powers that be at DC trying to shoehorn big name characters into lesser known titles.

SOTI - M.I.A.

2011-12-01T13:26:00.003-05:00

Dear friends and SOTI regulars. I am not dead. I have not lost my internet connection and I certainly have not lost my love of blogging. The company for whom I work has been involved in a major transaction and I (being the idiot who thought law school was a good idea) have been buried in a mountain of paperwork and an endless stream of emails since mid-August. I will return soon.

Trade Marks: Marvel - 1985

2011-10-26T10:07:00.004-04:00

I picked this up knowing nothing about it, but have since learned that it was surrounded by a decent amount of hype. I do like Mark Millar's work, but I feel as though he can sometimes get tripped up by his own cleverness. We are deep in high concept, meta textual land here, as some sort of portal opens between the 'real' world and the Marvel Universe. The good news is that when it works, it is splendid. The brutality of the villains is on full display, and the sense of impending danger is really well portrayed. What does not work, however, are the characterizations of the 'real' people. The father and son protagonists are poorly fleshed out and the relationships are only dealt with at a superficial level. The artwork is strong at times, but the storytelling gets quite muddles in certain sequences. All in all, it is a gimmick book that falls far short of its intended target. Trade Mark: C

Gil Kane Cover of the Month: Island of Doctor Moreau

2011-10-05T19:55:00.003-04:00

I love the fact that Marvel saw fit to use Kane as the go-to cover guy during the 1970s. This particular cover has all of the elements necessary to get a fanboy's attention. The floating heads of the Beast Men look terrific, and his character design for the creatures is spot on. Of course, Michael York looks a bit more buff, and Lancaster's Moreau even more menacing but I'll chalk that up to artistic license. It's a very powerful cover and, although I like Larry Hama's artwork, I really wish Gil Kane had be tasked with the interior pencils. If you want to hear me chat about the movie, check out my guest appearance on the Gentleman's Guide to Midnite Cinema: http://ggtmc.libsyn.com/episode-148-beasts-and-guns

Single Issue Hall of Fame: Detective Comics #483

2011-09-28T17:23:00.002-04:00

As we all know, Dollar Comics are awesome. This one, however, is one of the awesomest. First of all, there's a gorgeous two-panel cover by Jose Garcia-Lopez cover. The lead story, "The Curse of Crime Alley" is very strong, with artwork by the team of Don Newton and Dan Adkins. In fact, I like the artwork so much, that I have a page of it hanging in a frame on a wall in my TV room. There are a few more treats between the covers, including a Ditko drawn Demon story and a real Oddball classic entitled "Gotham's Great Kangaroo Race", with artwork by Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin. It must have been one of Dillin's final jobs. It is fitting that such the man who pencilled many a crazy Blackhawk and JLA story still got selected for the nutty stuff. Grab this book - you will love it.

I Loves Me Some: Star Wars - Heir to the Empire

2011-09-20T17:04:00.003-04:00

I grew up a Star Wars fan, but never really followed much of the expanded universe stuff. I did read the three Timothy Zahn books back in the 90s, when I was an undergrad and looking for a fun distraction. Now that my children are showing a real interested in the Star Wars films, I've been keeping my eye out for affordable comics books to give them when they reach the appropriate age. I had never read any of the comic adaptations of the Zahn trilogy, so I was happy to find these at less than a buck a book. The story remains quite strong, and I think Mike Baron's script gives it room to breathe. There are a lot of characters and subplots to fit in, and I think he did an admirable job. What really blew my mind, though, was the artwork by Olivier Vatine and Fred Blanchard. It is highly stylish and incredibly dynamic. Good stuff all around. Dark Horse was obviously very concerned into getting a high quality product into the hands of highly demanding readers.

Charlton Notebook: Charlie Chan #7

2011-09-15T16:20:00.004-04:00

The mid-50s was an interesting time at Charlton. They had acquired a series of titles from various publishers and suddenly became something of a publishing empire. One of the 'new' titles at Charlton was Charlie Chan, which arrived via Prize/Crestwood, hence the Simon & Kirby house look to the book. This was the second Charlton issue of this short-lived series, and the final one to feature leftover inventory from Prize/Crestwood. I'm not entirely sure who did the artwork here, as I know that everyone from Dick Briefer to Manny Stallman worked on this series, and it has that over whelming Prize feel to it. The stories are fun, and pretty innovative. It is really too bad that the funnybook world has moved away from the mystery genre. Have a look at the Number One son, Jimmy's face on the cover (which is taken from an inside semi-splash) here. Doesn't it have a Gil Kane look to it?

Add It To My Want List: Lone Ranger #24

2011-09-13T15:10:00.004-04:00

Some of you may know that I am a pretty big Dell's Lone Ranger series. I started collecting issues with painted covers (blue shirts only please - had to draw the line somewhere) and have slowly amassed more than 50 of them. I have always known that Gold Key had a Lone Ranger series in the 70s, but always assumed that they were reprints. I scanned the GCD cover gallery and noticed some new images and I can only guess that these must have some new material. Even if they don't, those are still new covers so I want them. Badly. I will start my collection of these new covers with issue #24 because I absolutely adore the hot air balloon scene. I'm going to It is completely incongruous with a traditional Lone Ranger tale, but also perfectly in step with the fun tone of the series. I can only guess that George Wilson was responsible for this one, as he was the master of the painted cover at Gold Key during this period.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Showcase #75

2011-09-09T09:22:00.004-04:00

Every now and I like to return to a true Ditko classic an look at it with fresh eyes. The funny thing about Ditko's work on the Hawk and the Dove, two characters greatly associated with him, is that he only did three covers in all. There's a lot here that seems pretty offbeat for 1968. To begin with, the lay out (with the multiple panels and framing) is more akin to an anthology book from the 50s than a late 60s superhero book. While's Ditko's bird illustrations may not be 100% zoologically accurate, they are certainly intriguing and quite stirring. All of this is set against a stark, black background. There's so much going on here symbolically, that one almost doesn't notice Hank and Don Hall at the bottom corners, looking like Ditko's interpretation of what a typical Riverdale High student. Ditko's trying to say something important here and, for the most part, it works.

Trade Marks: Omega the Unknown - Classic

2011-09-07T19:24:00.002-04:00

I was fortunate enough to find this collection in a 3 for $10 sale (yup, you read that right). I own more than half of the original series in floppies, but had somehow never gotten around to finishing a full run. The concept is quite intriguing and much of what Gerber, along with Mary Skrenes, was doing here was way ahead of its time. Unfortunately, it no longer seems all that fresh. In addition, the need to shoehorn it into the Marvel universe led to an awkward result. Jim Mooney's artwork is solid throughout. He is a terribly underrated storyteller. Gerber's treatment of youth violence may be a bit over the top, but he should be given credit for having the guts to kill off a child. The series had a lot of promise, and manage to rise above a lot of the mid-70s NYC dialogue, but the wrap up in The Defenders was far from satisfying, and gave me a bit of a headache. All in all, it is an enjoyable read, and is historically significant as it informs much of what would eventually become commonplace in funnybooks. This is an attractive trade, but only has the bare minimum in terms of extras. Trade Mark: B

You've Been Warned: What If? (vol. 2) #37

2011-09-03T07:57:00.002-04:00

I like Wolverine, I really do. Hell, my son's name is Logan. What I do not like, however, is the over saturation of the character that occurred in the early 90s. I really enjoyed the original run of What If? back when I was a kid, as most of the stories were wonderful tweaks to Marvel history. So, as a high school student, I was delighted to see that the concept had been relaunched. The problem wih this new incarnation was that it was followed all of the trends of the day. This particular issues springboards from What If? #24, from the previous year, which was not a terribly great story dealing with X-vampires. This one is far worse, as it is really just a series of battles and poor dialogue delivered on splash pages by yet another Liefeld clone, this one know as Marc Pacella. Forgive me if he's gone on to do wonderful things, but the artwork here is horrendous. With stories such as this, I cannot understand how this volume far outlasted its predecessor.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Uncanny X-Men #128

2011-08-31T15:14:00.005-04:00

Have I ever mentioned that this was my first X-Men comic book? Well, it was. I remember it being part of a 3-pack my parents bought for me at the airport. Apart from a non-costume reprint story from the Astonishing Spider-Man tabloid, this was my first exposure to Marvel's less than merry band of mutants. Even as a young lad, I think I knew that everything looked better inked by Terry Austin. I was really intrigued by the character design of Colossus. I was not buying comics with an overall game plan back then (I had just turned 7 years old), but I made sure that I got a copy of #129 when it was released. There really is something very special about this particular special about this era in X-Men history and I'm happy that I climbed aboard when I did. Strange to think that I was pretty much stopped reading it by #160. I probably felt I was getting too old for comics.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: Irona

2011-08-29T16:51:00.002-04:00

Richie rich lived in a very interesting corner of the Harveyverse, surrounded by a number of interesting characters. One of the most colourful members of the supporting cast is Irona, his robot housekeeper. She did much more than merely vacuum the rich mansion, as her unique skill set made her part security detail and part detective. She appeared in well over 100 stories and was an integral part of the Rich household. Irona was also featured in two different Richie Rich animated series, circa 1980 and 1996, and made an appearance in the straight to video live action film Richie Rich's Christmas Wish. Not many comic book robots have achieved that level of multi-media success.

Listen to Married With Clickers

2011-08-26T11:37:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I have not pimped our podcast in a while but the time has come to try to get some new listeners from you Seduction of the Indifferent readers. We've now go more than 30 episodes published, so there should be a movie for just about every taste. In recent weeks, we've discussed 28 Days Later, The Swimmer, The Outsiders, La Belle et La Bete and Death Wish. While my wife and I do it for fun (it is nice to share a hobby), it is always great to know that there are listeners out there and even better when a new listener comes aboard. Give us a listen, let us know what you think and maybe even what movies you'd like to hear us review down the line. All shows can be downloaded from iTunes (just search Married With Clickers in the iTunes store) our directly from our Libsyn site at http://marriedwithclickers.libsyn.com/

Exit Stage Left: Adventure Comics #503

2011-08-25T18:53:00.005-04:00

This one really saddens me. Adventure Comics was such a great series, and extremely important from a historical context. Sandman, Starman, Superboy, the Legion of Superheroes, Supergirl and the Spectre all called it home at one point or another. During the final few years, the series really struggled to find an identity, ultimately become a Digest sized reprint book. That's not to say they weren't quality reprints, but the writing really was on the wall. This issue features a variety of stories from 60s Legion material to a mid-70s Zatanna story to the first Guardian & Newsboy Legion appearance. Another highlight is the cover gallery, featuring three covers from the 1930s. I love the border on the front and back covers. Try to see if you can name all of the characters!

Gil Kane Cover of the Month: Strange Adventures #81

2011-08-24T14:41:00.004-04:00

Even though I was not even born until 1972, I somehow feel nostalgic for the fun, science fiction covers of the 1950s. I mean, can a cover really get any more fun that the cover to Strange Adventures #81 (June, 1957)? There seems to be a bit of prototyping (if that's not a word, it should be) with a neat hybrid of Green Lantern, the Atom and even the Trigger Twins. Out hero(es) even looks like a Ray Palmer/Hal Jordan love child. This is a beautifully designed cover, and luckily neither the dialogue nor the caption obscure the artwork too much. I'm particularly fond of the use of the edge of the bunk to help establish the perspective. Being a Kane cover, I half expected this prison to issue purple uniforms to its inmates.

Single Issue Hall of Fame: Incredible Hulk Annual #5

2011-08-16T17:34:00.003-04:00

This book is an absolute must-have for fans of pre-Fantastic Four #1 Atlas monsters. For one reason or another, an unseen villain has decided to duplicate a selection of monsters that have been kept secret by the US government. The raison d'etre of these creatures is to take down old Green Skin. A few details are skipped over, like the indentity of the villain and the explanation of why he didn't just have them all attack the Hulk at the same time. It's really just an excuse for Chris Claremont to play around in a circa 1960 sandbox and that's more just fine with me. Of course, Jack Abel's inks don't do much for Sal Buscema's terrific pencils. There's one panel in which Hulk looks as though he was drawn by a 5 year old. It all ends rather abruptly, but so did Stan's old 6 pagers. Good stuff.

Hidden Gems: Legion of Super Heroes Annual #1

2011-08-11T16:18:00.003-04:00

I really love the Legion, but I'm not one of those hardcore fans who knows the badge number of every single member of the Science Police. I'm also a bit fuzzy on post-1983 Legion stuff, so I always approach hoping that I won't come out the other side with a headache. I found this annual in a dollar bin, and could not resist the value I was getting on a 'pennies per page' basis. I had lowish expectations, but must admit that I was very pleasantly surprised to find a well told mystery tale that did not require an advanced degree in Legion Studies as it provides an accessible and intriguing look at the 31st century. The artwork is sharp throughout and, without spoiling too much, there's a really crafty tie-in to the DCU of the 20th century. It's a solid 'one and done' tale and that's one of the reasons I find myself seeking out Annuals from the 80s and 90s these days.

Reprint This! Nemesis

2011-08-10T13:09:00.005-04:00

As I may have mentioned before, Brave and the Bold is my all-time favourite comic book title. The final 60 or so issues of this series were published during the peak of my childhood comic book reading. The thing is, I never really had much time for Nemesis. I didn't care for complex espionage stories and I felt that Dan Spiegle's artwork was downright ugly. Yes, I had a lot to learn. So, now I have come to love Spiegle and these kinds of stories. The problem is that I need to dig out my floppies and read these stories 8 pages at a time (save for the two team-ups with Batman). By my count, there is well over 200 pages of material here, and it would make for a terrific collection. Sadly, DC does not seem to realize that there is a market, albeit a limited one, for its non-superhero stories. Put Batman on the cover it you need to, but let's get this done!

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Gorgo #2

2011-08-09T16:21:00.002-04:00

We are in the thick of summer, and I have been spending very little time in front of my computer. That's the main reason we have not had a new Ditko cover on here in quite some time. As much as I love Charlton and Steve Ditko, I only seem to own one Gorgo comic book. I should really start to work on that. This cover has just about everything you could want in a Ditko cover: fighter jets, a giant monsters, NYC landmarks and loads of Ditko water. It's quite dynamic and I love how Gorgo absolutely dwarfs the UN Building. Kudos to the folks at Charlton for keeping the cover caption and dialogue-free. I find all of the movie studio stuff to be a bit intrusive, but at least there are two bystanders pointing to Gorgo and yelling something inane. Charlton can be admired for letting the picture do the talking. This is a very fun effort by Mr. Ditko, and I should get myself a copy.

Mount Rushmore Covers

2011-07-28T09:27:00.010-04:00

Spy Smasher is one of the Golden Age heroes who had a tough time due to the end of WW2. After a brief revamp as Crime Smasher, he checked into the Home for Obscure Golden Age Heroes. There were some lovely covers during this title's short run, and the cover to Spy Smasher #5 (June 24, 1942) is no exception. The GCD suggests that it was by Gus Ricca, and I can't really argue with that but I'm open to hear other suggestions. The brushwork and colouring are sublime. Is this the earliest example of a Mt. Rushmore cover?

Truth be told, I've never owned nor read The Owl #2 (April, 1968) but, after seeing this cover, how can I not add it to my want list. Who are the Terror Twins? What are they doing with Lincoln's head? Where did they get those awesome gyro-bikes? I know that it was failed attempt to bring superhero comics to Gold Key by Jerry Siegel, but beyond that I don't know much else. Is this character even remotely connected to The Owl of the 40s? I see that Tom Gill, one of my all-time faves, provides the artwork so it can't be all bad.

For one reason or another, the TV show ALF never did much for me back in the 80s. I do, however, get a good chuckle at many of the covers from this series. I am not sure what ALF was up to on his vacation featured in ALF Annual #1 (1988), but I'm certain that it is wonderfully rendered as Marvel saw fit to hire two of the greatest humour book artists of all-time (Dave Manak and Marie Severin) to provide the pencils and inks. According to the GCD, the High Evolutionary takes part in ALF's adventures herein. Consider my mind blown.

I've always loved the perspective on the cover to Incredible Hulk #239 (September, 1979). The bird's eye view is very unique, and the Hulk seems to be descending upon Mt. Rushmore at a fantastic rate of speed. One of my favourite things about the Hulk is his leaping ability, but it has been underutilized by many writers and artists. Milgrom does a nice job here, although his Presidents don't look 100% accurate. I do like the concerned look on General Washington's face, though.

Let's finish off with this gorgeous painted cover by Norman Mingo for Mad #31 (February, 1957). I've never been to Mt. Rushmore, but I imagine that it is sufficiently popular that you cannot simply hop out of your car for a picture. It blows my mind to look at the credits for old Mad magazines, as this issue has 10+ pages from both Wally Wood and Jack Davis and even has a couple of Basil Wolverton pages thrown in for good measure. Personally, I think Mr. Neuman looks right at home up there.

Quick DVD Reviews

2011-07-27T13:12:00.010-04:00

The 400 Blows (1959)

One of the great things about Netflix is that they've got a decent selection of true classics, and when the movie is waiting for you with just the click of a button, there's not excuse not to expand your horizons. Sure, I knew all about The 400 Blows, and how important it was to the French New Wave and the evolution of film. Rarely have I ever felt the level of empathy as I felt for the character Antoine. Growing up is difficult, and Truffaut was able to capture a moment in a young boy's life that will ultimately be a major turning point, whether or not he realizes it at the time. It's an extremely intimate film, beautifully shot and the ambiguous ending leaves the viewer feeling the same degree of turmoil as Antoine. Grade: A

Nollywood Babylon (2008)

I've seen a lot of movies from a lot of different countries, but I've never seen anything from Nigeria. I'd heard bits and pieces about some of the movies coming out of Nollywood, so I tracked down this Canadian produced documentary on the Nigerian film industry. This film is a case of the subject matter being superior to the film itself, as not enough of the actual product is shown and too much time is spend on a single director. In addition, there's a tangential exploration of the role of the evangelical church in film production. No real conclusions were drawn and that appears to be a topic for another film. Overall, it's a good eye opener into another world of film making but it came up short. Grade: C+

The Big Combo (1955)

I had read about The Big Combo in Eddie Muller's Dark City: The Lost World of Noir and had really enjoyed Cry of the Hunted, another 50s film directed by Joseph H. Lewis. This is a rather bleak film from late in the noir cycle, quite vicious and pessimistic. Richard Conte is particularly strong as the menacing gangster who will kill his own men to keep from being captured. Look for Lee Van Cleef in a small role as one of a pair of purportedly gay hoods. The film is quite groundbreaking on a number of levels and very enjoyable. Grade: A-

Get Low (2010)

I had heard good things about Get this film, but really wasn't sure what it was all about. I thought it was going to be one of those quirky comedies about a small town eccentric. I was only partially right. It is a quirky comedy, but the humour is underscored by some thought provoking and emotional insight into growing old and dealing with our pasts. The cast is strong from top to bottom, and it was terrific to see Sissy Spacek onscreen once again. Duvall's speech at the end of the film is evidence of his masterful acting. It's a shame this one didn't garner much attention during the award season, but I guess that's always the way. Grade: B+

Add It To My Want List: Secret Origins #21

2011-07-26T13:34:00.005-04:00

To be perfectly honest, I'm interesting in adding every issue of Secret Origins that I don't already own to my want list but let's start with this one. When this series was first released, I ignored it completely as I assumed it was just a rehasing of origin stories that I'd heard a million times. Boy, was I wrong! This series includes some of the best stories published by DC in the 1980s. Just this week I learned about this issue with a Jonah Hex origin story. Not only that, but I learned that it is drawn by one of my all-time favourite artists: Gray Morrow. How have I not known this? That's what I love about collecting comic books - there's always some nice surprise around the corner. Oh, and the other story? It's drawn by Murphy Anderson, who is no slouch in the talent department. A book with art by two Hall of Famers and a nice JGL cover? The search begins immediately.

You've Been Warned: Superman #337

2011-07-22T10:07:00.005-04:00

This cover looks promising, doesn't it? Well, like so many of the 'bait & switch' covers produced at DC during the 70s, the interior tale comes nowhere near living up to that initial promise. Inside, things are a bit out of sorts in Metropolis. Clark Kent's behaviour is a bit odd, as he suddenly seems to have developed a backbone. One villain after another appears only to suddenly disappear. How can all of this be explained? Well, an inventive writer like Grant Morrison would have a field day with this type of concept. Unfortunately, it was up to Len Wein to hand in this uninspired script. Ready for the ending to be spoiled? It was all Don-El (who?), the head of Kandor's Superman Emergency Squad. Apparently, his subconscious jealousy of Superman led him to develop some form of mental illness wherein he ultimately posed as Superman. The only way to break this spell was for the real Superman to pose as a series of villains (using super speed to move from one to the other) until Don-El ultimately cracked. My head hurts after typing that. The concept of Kandor is fun, but it became such a lazy writing device, helping free anyone who had managed to write themselves into a corner. This is an example of DC shooting itself in the foot.

Gil Kane Cover of the Month: DC Comics Presents #62

2011-07-21T16:20:00.007-04:00

This series features some of my favourite Gil Kane covers of the 80s, and this one is right up there with the best of them. Sure, it's very 'posed' and nowhere near naturalistic, but I like them like that when they involve Golden Age heroes as it is reminiscent of another era. In fact, this one brings to my one of my all-time favourite covers: Action Comics #52. It's highly symbolic as the entire world seems to be at stake as our heroes take on the Nazis. I find the placement of the heroes to be interesting, as Superman defers to Uncle Sam. For me, Gil Kane's Superman from this period always looks like Superboy (probably has something to do with all those Superboy covers). While this is a grand cover, it's the small touch of Uncle Sam rolling up his sleeve that really sells it for me. The interior artwork by Irv Novick and Dave Hunt is pretty top notch as well.

Exit State Left: Invaders #41

2011-07-19T16:35:00.003-04:00

While the various late 70s implosions at DC are pretty well documented, change was also the norm at Marvel. Plenty of titles came to an end during this period, as Marvel was also looking for ways to boost sales. The Invaders was one of those title to face the axe, but at least it was sent off with a double sized issue, allowing certain story arcs to finish. For me, Roy Thomas' attempts to play around in the Golden Age sandbox produced mixed results, whether at DC or Marvel. Don Glut does an admirable job with this finale. While I think that Alan Kupperberg and Chic Stone are competent artists, I really prefer these WW2 set stories to be drawn by Frank Robbins or someone else from the Caniff school. That style of artwork tends to transport me back in time. Kupperberg did a nice job on the double spread pin-up that serves as a coda to this series. It's a shame that the phrase 'Verdammt Invaders' would not be heard again.

Singe Issue Hall of Fame: Eerie #7

2011-07-14T16:23:00.004-04:00

Sure, there are plenty of Hall of Fame contenders from the early Warren years, but this one is perhaps the cream of the crop (aside from the untouchable Creepy #1). Reading through the credits alone is enough to give a comic book fan chills. We start with a gorgeous Frazetta painting. It's different from much of his work; darker and more subdued. I love it. Inside you'll find story after story written by the late, great Archie Goodwin. They are all strong but highlights for me include Witches' Tide with phenomenal work by the recently deceased Gene Colan. I'm also a fan of the black comedy masterpiece The Fly with superb grey tone work by Steve Ditko. Finally, special attention should be paid to The Defense Rests by Johnny Craig. It's a fine example of dialogue-free funnybook storytelling. A classic.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: All Out War #1

2011-07-11T10:22:00.004-04:00

As far as I can piece together, this was the first war comic I ever owned. I was pretty keen on the whole Dollar Comic format and any #1 issue caught my eye as I was excited to get in on the ground floor. Looking back, the whole Viking Commando concept never appealed to me (still doesn't), but there were a few good stories in here. One tale began with a soldier taking a bullet through the head. That certainly got my attention as a 9 year old, and that one had the harshest ending I'd seen up until that point. There's also an interesting tale about African-Americans Air Force pilots, and some questions about the Haunted Tank's confederate flag. I was also very intrigued by Gunner, Sarge & Pooch. I know for a fact that I would not have liked the Force 3 story because of the Jerry Grandenetti artwork. What can I say? I was just a stupid kid.

Highlighting House Ads: Power Records DC Heroes

2011-07-08T16:00:00.004-04:00

If you're at all like me, you were completely obsessed with those Books & Records set put out by Power Records in the 1970s. They were ad-free save for some super cool house ads. This one is taken from the back cover of the story entitles Robin Meets Man-Bat. To my eyes, the folks at Power Records had more faith in Metarmopho than did the powers that be at DC/National. Here, he's treated as an equal to DC's triumvirate. In the comic book world, he'd have to wait a few more years to even be considered as an Outsider. I find it very interesting how folks in other media thought Rex and Plas had quite a bit of potential. The same goes for Aquaman - he often seemed more successful on TV than he did in comic books. The design here is quite simple, but the beautifully symmetrical stretchers really catch your eye and help frame the image. Good stuff.

Hidden Gems: Logan's Run #6

2011-07-06T11:11:00.004-04:00

Hats off to my good friend Mickey for reminding me about this particular hidden gem. The first five issues of the Logan's Run comic book series is a pretty solid adaptation of the film. With the sixth issue, however, an attempt was made to keep the momentum going. With a Paul Gulacy cover and Tom Sutton pencils inside, Marvel was certainly giving it the old college try. Sadly, the series would only last one more issue. There is a real surprise buried in the back of this book. It's a 5 page back-up featuring Thanos and Drax the Destroyer entitled "The Final Flower". You never know where Marvel is going to decide to drop an inventory tale. This one is drawn by Mike Zeck, and I would imagine it was some of his earliest work for Marvel. The story has been reprinted here and there, but having the original in your hands is a bit more satisfying.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: Spy-Bots

2011-06-29T16:20:00.004-04:00

It looks like just another normal day at the offices of Galaxy Communications, or does it? My Best Friend, the Super Spy from Action Comics #449 is another one of those nutty mid-70s stories that try to cram as much as possible into 22 pages. After dealing with some freakish accidents, Superman is confronted by some powerful robots. When I say powerful, I mean powerful as they really give the Man of Steel a tough time as they can continue fighting post-dismemberment. What's worse is that it appears that almost everyone of Supes' friends is a robot in disguise (it's hard to type that without singing it). There's an Amazing Spider-Man #80 type twist here that is flubbed a bit, but it is a lot of fun to watch Superman karate chop Perry White and Steve Lombard in half.

Trade Marks: Man With No Name - Sinners & Saints

2011-06-28T10:46:00.004-04:00

Full disclosure here folks; I picked up this book last week out of a bargain bin for $1.99 and that price point may cloud my judgment somewhat. I'm been quite delighted by the resurgence of the western genre but I must admit that some titles, such as Lone Ranger, have disappointed so my expectations were not high. Apparently, Dynamite is also trying to bring the Leone/Eastwood creation to the four color world. This story, involving some devious ex-soldiers and a monastery under siege, is nothing earth shattering but it is a nicely told tale with some decent surprises and strong characterizations. It is very reminiscent of 70s Jonah Hex. The dialogue in minimalist and sharp and the artwork is quite good, except for some storytelling issues in the action sequences. It is, however, quite a slim volume and a quick read, so I would have a hard time recommending it with a $20 price tag. Trade Mark: B-

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves #35

2011-06-23T15:47:00.003-04:00

I own a lot of 70s Charlton horror, but I do not own this one. I want to change that, as I absolutely adore this cover. I am not sure if it's one of those Covers-by-Paste-Ups that were assembled in the Charlton offices or an actual original cover. I'm leaning towards the latter with this one, but I can't say for sure. In any case, it's a great example of the unique approach that Charlton had with covers during this period. They were anxious to showcase Ditko's originality, rather than to try to get him to fit a mold. The design is simple, and yet the way Ditko plays with perspective really helps it stand out. I'm always a big fan of characters running 'off cover', and this one has them running in all directions. I particularly like the frightened look on the figure in the red hood. The only problem for me is the decision to place Graves' head and the caption right in the middle. It detracts from the overall impact.

Add It To My Want List: Superman #400

2011-06-16T15:07:00.004-04:00

Let me first state that I have seen most, if not all, of this comic in digital format. Rather than sate my pirate desires, it has inspired me to track down a copy. To tell you the truth, I don't think I've ever even seen a copy of this book. I wasn't reading many comics in 1984, and I was never the biggest Superman fan so that would explain how it escaped my attention at the time. I'm certain that had I seen a copy, and had I read the list of contributors on the cover that I would have made it a valued part of my collection. I know that the story within has contributions from the likes of Frank Miller, Joe Orlando and the Rogers/Austin team. What really gets my attention, however, are the pin-ups contributed by so many Hall of Famers. You've got Jack Davis, Will Eisner, Leonard Starr, Jerry Robinson and even Steve Ditko. That's just scratching the surface, folks. Now you know why I must find a copy.

I Loves Me Some Shazam!

2011-06-15T16:23:00.005-04:00

Like just about anyone on the planet, I wish DC was able to call its book Captain Marvel. The whole Shazam! thing is very difficult to explain to non-comic book fans. That being said, it was great that DC resurrected the Big Red Cheese in the 1970s, and I grab books from this series whenever I see them in bargain bins. The 100 Page Spectaculars are a treasure trove of Fawcett goodness, anchored by a new tale. Shazam! #15 is a perfect example. The lead story will give continuity freaks a headache as Lex Luthor is transported to Earth-F (did the Fawcett City universe ever get a proper name?). Zoologists may also be disturbed by the interpretation of a hammerhead shark here. The reprints are good ones, collected from a variety of titles and E. Nelson Bridwell’s passion for the material is obvious from the features, especially the two pages devoted to Captain Marvel’s travels through America.

Unfortunately, the 100-Page era was relatively short-lived, but there are still plenty of great issues to devour. Shazam! #30 is another of my favourites. Have you ever noticed how many issues from this series featured Superman on the cover? He doesn’t actually appear in this story, but it is jam-packed with Marvels, included the rarely seen Lt. Marvels. The Big Red Cheese has his hands full with the mythical steelworker Joe Magarac. I never thought I’d see the work ‘jackass’ in a Captain Marvel story, but even that’s in here. After getting some advice from Atlas and some support from Team Marvel, Cap is able to disguise himself as a steel covered Superman and track down Sivana. It’s nutty but tons of fun. There are many, many good stories in this series, and I look forward to sharing them with my kids.

Gil Kane Cover of the Month: Green Lantern #71

2011-06-09T15:31:00.006-04:00

We all know that this title experienced a real paradigm shift (sorry, I've got to use that Poli-Sci degree once a year) with the 76th issue. Green Lantern fans will have noted a subtle change that occurred prior to the reboot by the Adams/O'Neil team. For a dozen or so issues leading up the the passing of the torch, the series evolved into something very different than what it had been in the early 60s. The tone was much darker, as evidenced by many of Gil Kane's covers during the period, with this cover serving as a prime example. Compare and contrast this to any come from the first 50 issues of the series. It's quite a departure. Kane was inking himself on most, if not all, of these covers and the move away from Anderson and Greene allowed for a bit more grittiness. I will likely feature more covers from this period, as I find them to be fascinating.

You've Been Warned: Justice League Adventures #1

2011-06-08T11:45:00.003-04:00

Wow, was this ever a strange way to launch a whole new series directed at kids! Let me state that I have been quite impressed with the Justice League Unlimited TV series, as well as the ongoing series that was tied into that series. As I understand, this series is linked to the predecessor of the JLU. I have kids, I was once a kid and I love comics so I like to think that I have a pretty good idea of how and why certain comics work for kids. They have to be engaging, fun and full of excitement. Normally, Ty Templeton can bring that to a series. He has written countless stories that work perfectly as material for both adults and kids. This is not one of them. The story, involving a alien terrorist plot, was extremely convoluted and it was not helped by the exposition via the alien's broken English. I can't imagine anyone under the age of 14 being able to follow it. I did like the Min S. Ku artwork, but the storyline was just way too messy for me to recommend. I don't look forward to reading this book to my kids one day.

Angry Clock Covers

2011-06-07T10:54:00.016-04:00

Time stands still for no man, and sometimes it even attacks him. Here are a selection of covers featuring time pieces with bad attitudes.

Angry Clock Covers have their origins in the Golden Age, with an early example being this cover to More Fun Comics #113 (August, 1946). Genius Jones uses this rather impressive cuckoo clock to his advantage. This lovely cover was drawn by Stan Kaye, who was always able to bring a simple, yet attractive sense of design to his work. Compared to the other covers featured below, this one has a real sense of innocence.

A few years later, Irv Novick drew this fantastic cover to Wonder Woman #46 (March-April, 1951). On this cover, Wonder Woman is surrounded by a variety of wall clocks, all set at a different time for no apparent reason. Unfortunately, the story does not involve any menacing clocks, but has to do with memory loss and a race against time. There have been plenty of trippy Wonder Woman covers over the years, but this has to be in the all-time Top 10.

Still with DC, here's a Dali inspired cover to Star Spangled Comics #79 (April, 1948), pencilled by the underappreciated Jim Mooney. Robin's solo adventures during the late Golden Age were all but forgotten, until receiving some attention over the last decade or so. His arch nemesis during this period was a villain known as the Clock, so many of the covers and stories have a time-based theme. I love this cover, as it is just so 'out there'.

Speaking of 'out there', let's finish our travel through time with a stop in the 1970s. I will assume that the cover to Twilight Zone #70 (May, 1976) was painted by the great George Wilson, as he was responsible for the vast majority of Western's painted covers during this era. The face looks a bit different than your typical Wilson face, but I am no expert. The story entitled "The Tyranny of Time" features artwork by a young Joe Luis Garcia-Lopez.

Single Issue Hall of Fame: Marvel Premiere #47

2011-06-03T09:28:00.005-04:00

Now, this is how you re-boot a character! From Doll Man to the Atom, I've always like the notion of a shrinking super-hero. Maybe it's because I was hooked on Land of the Giants re-runs as a 5 year old. Scott Lang is a unique character as, aside from Luke Cage, there weren't that many ex-cons turned hero in the Marvel Universe. It was easy to empathize with him, mainly because of his relationship with his daughter. I give full credit for this characterization to David Michelinie, and this book proves that he is one of the greatest writers in comic book history. The art team of Byrne and Layton do terrific work here as well. This is a fine introduction to an interesting new character. It's too bad that no one ever figured out what to do with Mr. Lang. Personally, I think there was too much Hank Pym history with the Avengers for him to work there on a regular basis, but he would have fit in very nicely with the Defenders.

Charlton Notebook: E-Man #8

2011-05-31T16:36:00.004-04:00

All issues of E-Man are terrific, but this one is a real find for old school comic book nerds. Actually, there's something for almost every type of nerd in here. It's as if the Easter Bunny visited the Charlton offices in Derby, CT and left eggs all throughout this book. Keen eyed readers will discover references to Plastic Man, Blue Beetle, Captain Atom and even the Mighty Heroes from Archie Comics. There are also references made to Philip Marlowe, Mike Hammer and even the ill-fated Miles Archer. ERB fans will like the Pellucidar vibe in the second half of the book. Oh yeah, and The Battery returns. Great fun all around.

Trade Marks: Uzumaki Vol. 1

2011-05-27T10:37:00.004-04:00

Anyone who has been reading this blog for a while may have figured out that I really don't know the first thing about Japanese manga. My total exposure consists of a half-dozen books or so (and that includes some First Comics' Lone Wolf & Cub floppies), and I had never ready any horror manga. A friend recommended quite a few titles to me, and this is the first one I picked up. It's a crazy anthology, filled with stories about spirals. Spirals, you ask? I also thought it would be a lot of silliness, but these stories are really quite effective and creepy. It's a strange mixture of psychological and body horror. Some segments are superior to others but, overall, Junji Ito's compelling storytelling makes for a very enjoyable read. Trade Mark: B+

Highlighting House Ads: Danger Trail #2

2011-05-25T15:24:00.004-04:00

You've heard the phrase 'A Pictures Says a Thousands Words', right? Well, a picture accompanied by a thousands words must be even better. Actually, I really like this ad because it serves as such great snapshot of the 1950s. Like the James Bond films of the 60s, this series served as a sort of travelogue for passportless readers, taking them from London to Argentina. This must certainly contain one of the small handful of US comic book stories to take place in Trinidad. I have no idea why this series didn't catch on as the stories were fun, the artwork was great and ,with these ads, they were really doing their best to sell kids on the exciting international adventures contained within.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: Ultron

2011-05-18T15:06:00.006-04:00

Obviously, Ultron (regardless of incarnation) is one of the top 5 comic book robots of all-time. From his very first appearance, readers knew that he was unlike any other robot they'd ever seen. My favourite Ultron appearance takes place in Avengers #161. This issue is best known for the incredible Ants vs. the Avengers cover by George Perez, but the second half of the issue features Ultron completely dismantling the team. It is built up almost like a slasher movie, as we don't initially see the attackers. By the time the we get the final shot of Jarvis dropping the groceries at the sight of the decimated group, we know that this version of Ultron won't let his head get kicked around some kid. I know it's just comics, but Ultron kind of frightens me.

Quick Book Reviews

2011-05-17T15:24:00.010-04:00

Death Troopers
As much as I loved all things Star Wars growing up, I never really got into the whole Expanded Universe stuff. I read and enjoyed the Timothy Zahn trilogy back in the early 90s, but that’s about the extent of my exposure. I had heard pretty good things about this one, so I checked it out from the library and a couple of days later returned it with a big grin on my face. It’s silly and not particularly well written, but it’s got a good concept and the little twist halfway through the book brought on a nice nostalgic glow. It is completely disposable, but totally enjoyable.

Fletch
Over the years, I have heard so many people rave about the Fletch books that I worried that this would not live up to expectations. Not to worry, as I enjoyed the hell of out this book. It’s a short, lively book but the characterizations are quite strong and the dialogue extremely sharp. I can understand why the material and tone was tweaked for the movie, but they can co-exist quite nicely. I look forward to tracking down the other books in the series.

Revolutionary Road
Not the best book to read whilst trying to enjoying a romantic vacation with your wife. It is beautifully written, but depressing as hell. It’s sort of like Mad Men without all of the one-liners and where you get to watch souls being crushed. It is as if you are witnessing a slow motion car crash but are powerless to do anything about it. It is quiet and subtle, and yet incredibly powerful.

The Lincoln Lawyer
This book, on the other hand, is complete tripe. That being said, it was strangely compelling and did a pretty good job of cleansing the palate. For some reason, this was selected for my wife’s book club. I don’t know what they can discuss, other than to say that it is a pretty good distraction while sitting on an airplane. I can’t recommend it, but I feel like it does precisely what it is supposed to do.

Hidden Gems: DC Special #23

2011-05-12T13:35:00.000-04:00

I love the Three Musketeers - who doesn't? Between the Richard Lester films and the candy bar, the Musketeers were experiencing quite the renaissance during the 70s. DC decided to jump on the bandwagon with this issue of DC Special. It is the 2nd of three books under the Three Musketeers/Robin Hood banner. This issue took me by surprise as I thought it would be 100% reprints. There is actually a rather fun 17-page story written by Bob Haney. I know that Lee Elias is not a huge selling point for many readers (I happen to love him), but this is some his cleanest, most accessible work of the decade. Speaking of reprints, there are some terrific ones here. The first of two Robin Hood story from 1957 features gorgeous artwork by Russ Heath. Check out his duds and tell me that it didn't impact Neal Adams' redesign of Green Arrow. The second tale is not quite as spectacular, but it is still enjoyable with solid art by the Andru/Esposito team. Overall, it's a great book and a very nice change of pace for 1976.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Machine Man #13

2011-05-10T09:38:00.003-04:00

Here's one from a book that, for one reason or another, I've never actually owned or read. At first glance, it seems like a fairly standard late 70s superhero cover. There are, however, some little touches that help to set it apart. For one, it has an incredible clean design. Covers were becoming increasingly cluttered during this era, and even Ditko fell into the trap of throwing too much onto a cover from time to time. I also really like the perspective chosen for this cover. The way it has been slightly titled to the left really helps provide the sense of height. Finally, the small figures of the construction workers really help to accentuate the perspective. I'm not really sure what 'Xanadu!' has to do with anything, but I am kind of wondering if Kublai Khan was a big Sam Peckinpah fan. This is not a Ditko classic, but serves as proof that he could still design an attractive and effective cover.

Exit Stage Left: Teen Titans #53

2011-05-09T10:14:00.005-04:00

The Titans' second kick at the can wasn't terribly successful. After a hiatus of more than 3 years, the series returned with an expanded cast, introducing characters such as Bumblebee and the Joker's Daughter/Harlequin. There was also an attempt to expand the group's scope, with the Titans West, predicting later expansions of groups such as the Avengers and the JLA. This issue is not much of a last hurrah for the group, as it is really more of a Year One tale, revisiting the group's origins and initial membership. Bob Rozakis' tale is, as per usual, dialogue heavy and unnecessarily convoluted. The artwork by the team of Juan Ortiz and John Fuller is flat and quite odd in spots. The entire tale is driven by a creature called The Antithesis, perhaps one of the worst designed beings in the history of the DCU. He looks like some sort of patchwork of all children's toys circa 1978. The most interesting aspect of this issue is the editorial update and sign off, explaining what has happened and where the various character will be appearing next. This was not much of a send-off, but I'm not entirely convinced that this group deserved one.

Married With Clickers: Episode 16 - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

2011-05-03T09:24:00.003-04:00

This week take a trip (get it?) into the collective minds of Terry Gilliam and Hunter S. Thompson with a review of 1998's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Did we love it? Did we loathe it? Did we fear it? Tune in to find out. We also chat about 1984's The Bounty as well as film noir classics Criss Cross and The Big Combo. Our Question of the Week is: What 'unfilmable' book should never have been made into a movie? Feedback keeps you on our Christmas list, so email us at marriedwithclickers at gmail.com or leave us a voicemail at 206-338-0793.

Gil Kane Cover of the Month: Marvel Classics Comics #14

2011-05-02T09:53:00.003-04:00

Here's one of my favourite Gil Kane covers from the 70s, buried in the relatively obscure Marvel Classics Comics. It has all you could ask for in terms of a Kane cover, plenty of alien destruction and plenty of nostrils. The War of the Worlds seems like a perfect match for Kane, and his tripod design is truly spetacular. My one beef with it is that the gentleman ensnared by the tripod's tentacle appears to be enjoying the ride. I swear that I've seen that pose somewhere before. Captain Marvel? Morbius? Anyhow, it's a powerful cover as it truly capture the sense of dread and panic that is key to Wells' story. I like Cockrum's inking on Kane, he's a good fit.

Reprint This! Blonde Phantom

2011-04-29T16:19:00.005-04:00

Between the Essentials, Masterworks and various other TPB collections, Marvel has traditionally done a very good job keeping much of its superhero fare in the public eye. I can understand why some of its more obscure titles, such as Blaze the Wonder Collie, may never been reprinted, but it astounds me that we haven't see a Blonde Phantom book. Now, I don't exactly follow all of the latest comic book 'news', but as far as I know there are no immediate plans to put out a BP volume. That's crazy. The entire concept is cool, and she has one of the best female character designs of all-time. The back issues are far too expensive for most collectors to even consider. This would be a great chance to showcase the artwork of Syd Shores at the top of his game, as many of us have only seen his work on early 70s titles like Red Wolf and Gunhawks. We'd also get a chance to see work by the likes of Ken Bald and Vernon Henkel. Where is this one? It has got to be just around the corner.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Green Lantern/Green Arrow #119

2011-04-28T15:52:00.003-04:00

I don't think that this was the first Green Lantern comic book I ever owned (that would have been #93), but it was certainly one of the first. Just how many times did GL claim not to have time to help with some 'minor' matter? Wouldn't it take him less time to make a mountain of green feathers than to answer Ollie's question? I've always like Alex Saviuk artwork, and he's a very, very nice guy, but Dick Giordano's inks really add some 'Wow' factor. Of course, the scene doesn't quite play out like this inside - but it's DC in the late 70s, so bait and switch is pretty common. There are two things in this book that really left an impression on me. The first were the sailing space ships. It was a unique design, and the sails almost looked like umbrellas. The second thing I remember is this scene involving a junkie in a drug store. I don't think that I had scene drugs referenced in comics up to this point, and I didn't full understand what was going on. It's nothing spectacular, but a good, solid issue nonetheless.

Married With Clickers Podcast: Give Us a Listen

2011-04-26T14:50:00.005-04:00

Hey, SOTI regulars. I know that you are out there. This blog gets thousands of visitors a month, and yet I don't get the sense (from downloads and feedback) that many of you have tried listening to the podcast I do with my wife. We're up to our 15th show now, and I think that we're finally finding our groove. So, download an episode or two and give us a listen. Better yet, subscribe through iTunes. When you send in feedback, let us know that you visit SOTI.

Episode 15: We have just returned from from a nice child-free vacation feeling tanned, rested and ready. This week, we discuss The Lives Of Others, so put on your earphones and listen in on us discussing people listening in on other people. We've also seen a few movies (thanks, Air Canada) so you'll hear our quick thoughts on The Fighter, Dinner for Schmucks and Out of the Past. This week we want to hear your recommendation for terrific directorial debuts, as well as disappointing second films.

Episode 14: It had to happen. The two of us cannot sit down for too long without someone referencing The Lost Boys, so it was high time we discussed this 1987 love letter to mullets and fangs. Does it still hold up? Was Dianne Wiest born a Mom? Why can't we get that song out of our heads? We ponder the future of Survivor after the shot of adrenaline provided by Redemption Island. Scott also takes a couple of minutes to discuss his aborted attempt at watching 2008's The Spirit. This week, we want you to recommend an underappreciated Joel Schumacher movie. Feedback helps to ward off vampires, so email us at marriedwithclickers at gmail.com or leave us a voicemail at 206-338-0793

http://marriedwithclickers.libsyn.com/

You've Been Warned: Beowulf, Dragon Slayer #2

2011-04-26T08:44:00.007-04:00

Let me begin by stating that, as a general rule, I am not a big fan of the sword and sorcery genre. When it's done well (like good Conan stories), I really like it, but I don't really have much time for you typical [Insert Name] the Warrior books. I picked up the first two issues of this series for 50 cents apiece, so I did not invest all that much into the venture. The first issue was quite intriguing, and I admired by Michael Uslan's ambitions and Ricardo Villamonte's stylish artwork. The second issue, however, was a complete disaster. The story bordered on incomprehensible and the dialogue consisted of that terrible pseudo-Thor/Conan English that comes across as stilted. Beowulf himself has zero personality, and we are given no insight into his motivations. Villamonte's artwork also took a step down. I'm not sure if it was a rush job, but his moody inks and interesting layouts were gone. To be perfectly honest, this makes Wulf the Barbarian look brilliant.

Single Issue Hall of Fame: FC #1213 - Mysterious Island

2011-04-25T09:07:00.003-04:00

While the Jules Verne novel has been adapted a few times (Classics Illustrated #34 and Marvel Classic Comics #11 come to mind), this comic actually adapts the 1961 film co-produced by Ray Harryhausen. The story itself is your typical adventure romp, with lots of giant monster peril scattered throughout. The real selling point for this issue is the incredible artwork by Tom Gill. I know Gill mostly for his work on Lone Ranger, and I have always admired his storytelling and clean lines. What a treat it is to see him work in a different genre. His layouts and character designs are impeccable. I believe this story was inked by a very young Herb Trimpe, who served as an assistant to Gill in the early 60s.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: The Phantom Creeps

2011-04-21T09:33:00.004-04:00

The titular Phantom, robot star of the the Universal serial The Phantom Creeps is one of the first, if not the first, robots to appear in funnybook format. He was featured in Movie Comics #6 (Sept-Oct, 1939), a rather strange series published by DC/National. If I am not mistaken, it was a rather large commercial failure at a time when comic books were a license to print money. The series mixed line drawing with movie stills. It was a bit of a mess, and it really has to be seen to be believed. Still, it's not everyday that you get the chance to see Bela Lugosi wearing a terrible fake beard in a comic book. To this day, the Phantom remains one of the coolest looking of all comic book robots.

On Vacation

2011-04-12T16:22:00.003-04:00

My wife and I are heading to Mexico for our 10th Wedding Anniversary, so there won't be any new entries for a week or so. That shouldn't' stop you from searching through older posts or checking out our podcast. I'd also encourage you to register at the Classic Comics forums over at Comic Book Resources (link in the right hand column). You'll be in very good company over there - some of the nicest folks I've ever met. Take care and I'll see you soon.

Married With Clickers: Episode 13 - Eight Men Out

2011-04-11T10:20:00.003-04:00

Baseball season is upon us, and we’ve all got baseball on the brain in the Clickers household after taking in the ballgame Saturday. We stay class this episode, by reviewing that other Charlie Sheen baseball movie: Eight Men Out. Everyone looks sharp in their 1919 fashions, but their play on the field is somewhat sloppy. Is something strange afoot? Will Shoeless Joe ever play again? Is that Mr. Noodle? We haven’t watched much this week, so we look ahead to the film selections on an upcoming flight to Mexico. Yes, it’s as exciting as it sounds. Feedback is the elixir of life, so email us at marriedwithclickers at gmail.com or leave us a voicemail at 206-338-0793. http://marriedwithclickers.libsyn.com/

Trade Marks: Aztek - The Ultimate Man

2011-04-08T14:20:00.007-04:00

When this series launched, I was finishing up my first year of law school in Halifax. I was buying a lot of titles at the time and following all of the latest hype thanks to Wizard (good riddance) and Overstreet's Fan (R.I.P). Aztek had a lot of buzz back then, and was mourned in the press when it was cancelled. For one reason or another, I had never read an Aztek story, save for the issue or two of JLA in which he appeared. After all this time, I had really high hopes for this book and borrowed it from the library. Perhaps it was the high expectations built up over 15 years, but I was terribly disappointed. It was a decent read, but far from the masterpiece it was portrayed to be. I think the Morrison/Millar combination is actually too many cooks in kitchen, as the script seems very inconsistent and bits and pieces of the story and Aztek's back story seem to be missing. Too many guest stars (heroes and villains) hurt the development of the main character. I'm not a fan of ill-defined powers, and after 10 issues I still had no idea what Aztek could and couldn't do. Penciller N. Steven Harris doesn't help much, as his storytelling is weak in action sequences, leading to a lot of confusion. There was some promise here, but I can understand why it didn't garner a wide audience. It's not kooky enough to be Morrison and not cool enough to be Millar. It's just a mish-mash of styles with some so-so artwork and irritating dialogue. I'm happy I read it, but I'm happy I don't own it. Trade Mark: C+

Quick DVD Reviews

2011-04-08T08:59:00.008-04:00

Adam
As far as quirky romantic comedies go, you could certain do a lot worse than this film. Rose Byrne plays a teacher who is somewhat shocked to discover that the rather eccentric man she's falling for has Asperger syndrome. The titular Adam is quite high functioning, but as his world starts to fall apart, the stress on the relationship become too much to take. The film is carried by the two leads and a good supporting cast. There's no 'happily ever after' ending, but if you're looking something not starring Katherine Heigl, you may want to give it a shot. Grade: B

Heroin Busters
This was a pretty fun, middle of the pack Euro-Crime film. Fabio Testi makes for an appealing action star, as he oozes charisma but I've got to question his outfit that makes him look like a Marshal from Outland. David Hemmings is strong in his supporting role as Testi's boss. While the story is a little rudderless in spots, Enzo Casterllari's opening 'around the world' sequence and the explicit drug use help to add a good deal of grittiness to the enterprise. Sadly, the 'climatic' airplane chase scene was boring. Grade B-

Date Night
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Most comedies fall flat for me, and I consider it to be the trickiest of all genres. The two leads had enough chemistry to carry them through this rather convoluted plot. Like most comedies, there's a ton of stunt casting here but, from James Franco to William Fitchner, it all seems to work just fine as everyone got the memo. It's not a classic by any means, but certainly one of the more enjoyable studio comedies in recent years. Tina Fey's acting is improving at a rapid rate. Grade: B

Who is Harry Nilsson, and Why is Everybody Talkin' About Him?
This is a truly superb documentary that relies more on the subject matter than stylistic flourishes. Nilsson was a dearly beloved musical genius, and simply listening to others discuss his life and music is enough to make you fall in love with the man. It's heartbreaking to listen as his car wreck of a life is explored, but there's just enough redemption at the end to to keep you from going on a bender. I'm ready to watch it again. Grade: A

Road Games
I was delighted to revisit this early 80s Ozploitation gem, as I hadn't seen it since the late 80s. It actually works much better for me as a 38 yeard old than it did for me as a teenager. It is much more subtle than your average 80s horror film, relying on suspense and atmosphere far more than gore. It is also a showcase for Stacy Keach's talents, as it is almost a one-man show and he excels at keeping the viewer's attention. The final ten minutes could be less ridiculous but, other than that, it is a terrific, low budget thriller. Grade: A-

Hidden Gems: Invaders Annual #1

2011-04-06T15:54:00.004-04:00

Many of you may already know all about this book, but those of you who do not are in for a real treat. I don't know the full story of how Roy Thomas pulled it off, but he managed to put together a group of incredible Golden Age talent for this issue. Granted, it may not the greatest story ever told, but fans of Timely and Standard/Nedor will be thrilled to see the Alex Schomburg cover. They will be even more thrilled to discover that there are also 6 pages of Schomburg artwork inside. The maestro had not done any work for Marvel for more than a quarter century, so it was quite a coup. Not only that, but the underrated Don Rico was brought to draw the Captain America story and I don't think he'd done any work for Marvel since the early 1960s. Two other Golden Age greats (Lee Elias and Frank Robbins) also contributed chapter, but they were still going strong at Marvel at the time. Kudos to Mr. Thomas for putting this group together and paying homage to the past.

You've Been Warned: Green Lantern #62

2011-04-05T16:42:00.004-04:00

I try to keep an open mind about the Insurance Salesman Era of the Green Lantern title, I really do. I also happen to be a big fan of Jack Sparling, and can appreciate what he brings to the table (I know that not everyone is a fan). That being said, this particular issue is a prime example of why the series needed a kick in the pants. Hal spends a lot of time in his street clothes, and I really don't think the series works as a Johnny Double clone. The plot is beyond convoluted, as it involves a gadget called a Chronolometer, which can someone 'see' where a piece of gold has been. It's a pretty lame device, but allows the villains to see that Hal Jordan and Green Lantern are one and the same. It's a very dialogue heavy script by Gardiner Fox, and the dialogue is terrible. The story only briefly comes to life when Sparling shows GL in action - his layouts are dynamic. This one is an 'avoid', even for Sparling fans. If you are not a fan, I guess that you should avoid with extreme prejudice.

Married With Clickers: Episode 12: The Road Warrior

2011-04-01T14:21:00.004-04:00

This week, Kat and I head down under with Mad Mel (er.... Max) to take in this 1981 action flick. Is it still awesome? Spoiler Alert: Yes! Also, we give our quick thoughts on Justified (Season One), Laura, Who is Harry Nilsson?, The Hunting Party and another Aussie road movie known as Road Games. We also want to know about underappreciated Mel Gibson films, so email us at marriedwithclickers at gmail.com or leave us a voicemail at 206-338-0793. http://marriedwithclickers.libsyn.com/

Charlton Notebook: Space Adventures #40

2011-03-31T15:47:00.005-04:00

The early 60s were a truly interesting time during Charlton's publishing history. They spent a lot of time searching for an identity before finally entering the Action Hero era. Space Adventures is one of their stronger titles of this era, and this issue evidences that strength. There are two Captain Atom stories with Steve Ditko art. I really love the 'pixie dust' effect used to show him flying. The second story is a real riot, as a boy dying of gamma ray radiation is 'cured' by Captain Atom. What's the cure? Well, a flight through space seemed to do the trick, and somehow the boy survives wearing only his pyjamas. There is a so-so story featuring a Flash Gordon clone, and fun Rocco Mastroserio drawn tale with an EC style twist ending. All in all, it's nothing great, and the Captain Atom stories have been reprinted elsewhere but these are always worth grabbing if you seen an inexpensive copy.

My Cinematic Alphabet

2011-03-30T12:43:00.046-04:00

I got this idea from my good pal Rupert over at http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/ . My idea was not necessarily to find the best film for each letter of the alphabet, but rather the first great movie that came to mind beginning with the letter in question. Here goes!

A is for About a Boy

B is for The Big Clock

C is for Children of Men

D is for D.O.A.

E is for Escape From the Planet of the Apes

F is for Fortress

G is for Gotcha!

H is for The Hidden

I is for The Invisible Man

J is for The Journey of Natty Gann

K is for Kansas City Confidential

L is for The Last Waltz

M is for Moon

N is for Nosferatu

O is for Outland

P is for Pretty in Pink

Q is for Quiz Show

R is for Rushmore

S is for Star Wars

T is for The Talk of the Town

U is for Under the Volcano

V is for Valley of the Gwangi

W is for The Woman in the Window

X is for X, The Man With the X-Ray Eyes

Y is for The Year of Living Dangerously

Z is for Zoolander

Add It To My Want List: U.F.O & Alien Comix

2011-03-30T09:48:00.004-04:00

I love UFO comics, everything from Dell's Flying Saucers to Gold Key's UFO & Outer Space. I've never had my hands on a copy of this book, though. UFO talk was pretty big in the 70s, so Jim Warren decided that it might make sense to recycle a few UFO-themed stories from Eerie and Vampirella. That works just fine for me, as I don't have any of the issues from which the stories originate. The real selling point for me (aside from the UFOs) is the fact that this book contains 8 pages of Alex Toth art and 11 pages of John Severin art. Throw in a bunch of other stories about aliens and conspiracy theories and I'm sold. I just hope it's better than that UFO Connection issue of Marvel Preview.

Reprint This! Ghost Comics

2011-03-29T16:26:00.004-04:00

We all love those pre-Code horror stories produced by the gang at EC. The thing is, how many times do we need to see the same titles reprinted? There's a plethora of untapped pre-Code goodness out there, waiting to be discovered by a new generation of horror fans. Why not start with Fiction House's Ghost Comics? Fiction House produced some of the very earliest horror stories in comics, and many of the issues of Ghost Comics actually include reprints from titles such as Jumbo Comics and Rangers of Freedom. While the roster of artists may not be up there with the bullpens of EC, Atlas or even Harvey, these stories are drawn by solid professionals such as Maurice Whitman (terrific covers), Jack Kamen and Jack Abel and they all have that Iger Studios feel to them. Some of these stories have been reprinted here and there, most notably in that 'Mammoth Book of Horror' collection and some of the , but I think the time has come for a handsome hardcover of Fiction House horror to take its place on my bookshelf.

Trade Marks: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

2011-03-25T16:39:00.003-04:00

My kids love the Wizard of Oz. As a result, I've grown to like it much more today than I ever did as a child. Plenty of people whose opinions I respect recommended this recent miniseries adapting Baum's initial book. When I saw the hardcover on sale for half-price, I couldn't pass it up as I figured that I'd read it and then pass it along to my kids. Well, I'm not ready to hand it over quite yet. Eric Shanower's script is a joyous, and yet suitably dark, interpretation of Baum's original vision. Skottie Young's artwork is equal parts creepy and cartoony, and his characters designs are unique and yet familiar. The story roles along at a nice pace, and the disturbing parts are restrained enough that an child could likely handled them. The overall package is very impressive with informative text and great sketches. I know that Shanower has done a ton of Oz related work and I look forward to tracking it down. Trade Mark: A

Highlighting House Ads: ACG's TrueVision

2011-03-24T11:57:00.005-04:00

Everyone knows that there was a big 3-D craze in the early 1950s. Many of you will also be aware of the fact that comic book publishers hopped aboard the bandwagon by inserting 3-D glasses in certain (higher priced) books. American Comics Group joined the trend in a rather unique way. Rather than go the traditional route, ACG developed TrueVision, a rather innovative way of giving more depth to the comic book page. This house ad gives the reader of a good sense of the TrueVision effect, with the black border and porous panel borders acting as a trompe l'oeil. I've only owned a few of these books over the years, but they are really fun and the effect is quite cool. It is, however, a lot of black ink and if the pages are deteriorating at all, you can wind up with black fingertips.

Married With Clickers: Episode 11 - X, the Man With the X-Ray Eyes

2011-03-22T17:04:00.003-04:00

This week, we look deep into the eyes of Roger Corman's 1963 film, X, the Man With the X-Ray Eyes. but do we like what we see? This film stars Ray Milland as a scientist who wants to see what God sees, but doesn't quite understand why God doesn't have to wear bulky sunglasses. It's a pretty ambitious film, but what happens when ambition outpaces budget? Tune in to find out. Also, we got through a ton of movies this week: The Driver, Dune, The Hurt Locker, Across 110th Street, Heroin Busters, The Last King of Scotland and Blue Thunder. Can you find the common thread? We top it all off with some terrific feedback and pose the question: What 50s or 60s B-Movie should be remade today? Feedbackers are Smurfy, so email us at marriedwithclickers at gmail.com or leave us a voicemail at 206-338-0793.

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Single Issue Hall of Fame: Flash #229

2011-03-22T10:53:00.004-04:00

OK, I know, all 100-Pagers are awesome, but this is truly a standout issue. The cover story is a team-up between Barry Allen and Jay Garrick as they take on the Rag Doll and the Thinker. I truly believe that the team of Irv Novick and Frank McLaughlin is horribly underrated. There's a three panel sequence in which Jay and Barry are sitting on a park bench chatting that is absolutely beautiful. This is the return of the Rag Doll, an old Jay Garrick foe with a terrific design. For Infantino fans, this issue has a Golden Age Flash reprint from All-Flash #31 (1947), a fun back-up story from Flash #145 and an old school, old costume Kid Flash reprint. Gil Kane fans will be delighted to find the Black Hand story from Green Lantern #29. There's also some fun Flash trivia and a Flash word search. What more can you really ask for? Well, how about one of the all-time great Mort Meskin drawn Johnny Quick stories? This is a wonderful book, and remains one of my all-time favourite 100-Pagers.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Marvel Team-Up #91

2011-03-21T13:34:00.004-04:00

Here's one that has really stuck with me over the years and lends itself well to repeated reads. I would have been 7½ when this hit the spinner racks. I was in love with Spider-Man and morbidly fascinated by the Ghost Rider. Stephen Grant's story succeeds because he manages to sprinkle a superhero team up story with enough creepy occult elements to get a young lad's attention. Peter is visiting a circus sideshow and spots a familiar flaming skeleton (a certain muck monster named Ted is also part of the act). Eventually, the skeleton comes back to Ghost Rider mode and he and Spidey take on the mysterious magical madman (spoiler alert: it's Moondark) in order to free Johnny Blaze's soul. There's a call out to Freaks, something we'd also see in the regular Ghost Rider series. I'm never sure how I feel about Pat Broderick's art, as it's a bit too cratoonish at times with long limbs and short torsos. It suits the superhero scenes more than those with human interaction, but he certainly knows how to tell a story. There's a rather gruesome ending to this one, as Moondark is devoured by Satan himself. Spidey looks away, Ghost Rider looks on with glee. As a child, I was doing a bit of both.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Out of this World #6

2011-03-18T10:20:00.004-04:00

Well, Hello Dali! You know, what I really love about Charlton is that they always gave their artists carte blanche. Could you imagine this kind of cover coming from either DC or Atlas during the 1950s? Of course, I imagine it didn't sell as well as the product from those companies but I give the Derby crew full marks for effort. This cover looks like something out of the opening credits to the Twilight Zone. While, I really appreciate the surrealist design, I kind of wish that the cover was a little less 'black' and that a bit more of the purple and/or green had been used. I imagine that this is a tough book to find in high grade. I really like Ditko's signature here as it mimics the other rectangles. Good stuff!

Married With Clickers: Episode 10 - The Watcher in the Woods

2011-03-17T18:03:00.004-04:00

For our tenth episode, we revisit a childhood favourite while on vacation 'in the woods'. Does Disney's attempt to make a scary movie for the whole family actually work? Did the legendary production problems hurt the final product? Just how old is Bette Davis? Tune in to find out if this one still gives us the creeps or if you really cannot go home again. This week's Question of the Week is "What is a good 'First' horror movie for kids?" We also finally got around to watching The Social Network and Scott caught a screening of Machete Maidens Unleashed. Mr. T called and told us that he pities the fool who doesn't leave us feedback - so email us at marriedwithclickers at gmail.com or leave us a voicemail at 206-338-0793.

http://marriedwithclickers.libsyn.com/

Exit Stage Left: The Occult Files of Doctor Spektor #25

2011-03-17T17:45:00.005-04:00

Here's the final fling of one of the most unusual series of the 70s. Dormant since 1977, the fine folks at Western thought it made sense to put this series back on the racks for a single issue. It's actually a reprint of the very first issue. As was the case with many books published under the Whitman imprint, the cover was line drawn version of the original painted cover. I'm not sure why this editorial decision was made, but it has always struck me as odd. The story introduces us to Dr. Spektor, who might very well be related to Fox Mulder. We also meet his lady friend and assistant, Lakota Rainflower. Jesse Santos' artwork is an acquired taste, but I've always found it appealing. There's also a back up story co-starring Dracula, reprinted from the series' 5th issue. It a rather odd send-off to a character who had been gathering dust for 5 years.

Gil Kane Cover of the Month: Jimmy Wakely #13

2011-03-16T15:01:00.006-04:00

I'll be posting more about the Jimmy Wakely series soon, but for now I just wanted to highlight this stunning cover from 1951. The design is fairly simple: gunslinger in the foreground, wanted poster in the background. As is apparent, simple is often best. The hat coming off is a really nice touch, and I really like the font in the Wanted poster. Kane could really do it all in the 50s, moving from Western, to Sci-Fi and to Dog comics. The hand positioning is quite cool, and I've always dug the way Kane shows a gun grip. I find the colour scheme quite interesting, as it is nicely subdued - almost giving it a 'wash' look. Great stuff.

Quick Book Reviews

2011-03-11T08:55:00.007-05:00

The Long Goodbye - Raymond Chandler
This was my first exposure to Chandler and I was very, very impressed. Philip Marlowe really does live up to his iconic status. The mystery is quite convoluted and there are perhaps a few too many moving pieces, but Chandler does a good job keeping the reader engaged throughout. I really liked this Black Lizard Vintage Crime volumes. A local shop has tons of remaindered copies and they are a real bargain. I watched the Altman adaptation a week or so after putting the book down. A strange, and yet quite intriguing companion piece.

Dark Side of the Screen - Foster Hirsch
My parents gave me this for Christmas. It was an 'out of left field' choice, as I don't tend to discuss classic cinema with them. It was, however, a wonderful choice as I absolutely adored this book. Hirsch does an excellent job of organizing the various themes, and I truly appreciated the updated afterword in which he sounds like a giddy fanboy talking about recent noir discoveries. I really appreciated experts who are open minded and who believe their area of expertise to be a living, breathing thing.

Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood
I am not the world's biggest Margaret Atwood fan. I tend to admire her work more than I enjoy it. This science-fiction tale, which flips between a pre and post-apocalypse North America, is thoroughly enjoyable. Her writing is sharp here, and she does an excellent job of universe building. It is, however, somewhat rudderless in the second half. That lack of coherent vision, along with some soon to be dated pop culture references, hurt the final product. I have a feeling that Atwood has actually looked into the future, and this serves as a warning. My wife has a copy of Year of the Flood, and I will like tackle it within the next few months.

Red Harvest - Dashiell Hammett
To me, this book should be admired as literary innovation rather than as a story itself. It meanders and drags in places. The ideas are all there, and the dialogue is very hard boiled in spots but the whole thing does not fit together all that well. Hammett put all of those elements together in The Maltese Falcon. It also inspired somewhere around a million authors and led to a new genre and countless works of pulpy crime fiction.

Trade Marks: The Outfit

2011-03-08T13:34:00.003-05:00

Since I was 99% sure that I would really like this adaptation of Donald Westlake's (aka. Richard Stark) 1963 novel, I took my time with this one. I wanted to savour it, so I took breaks between chapters and came back to it a couple of days later. This really helped me to better appreciate the amount of love and passion Cooke puts into these books, as there is so much more to it than just the plot. Cooke himself adds some clearly delineated breaks within the story, making it easier to read it in chunks. It also helped me to better digest the changes in style and approach that Cooke infuses into the story, including some text and a cartoonish chapter. These might come across as quite jarring if you were to sit down to read it cover to cover. In all honesty I don't think that I was quite as enamored with this one as I was The Hunter, but I have a feeling that this book will be more rewarding as I revisit it down the road. Cooke is onto something really great here, as evidenced by the sadness when I read "Parker will return in 2012". That feels like forever! Trade Mark: B+

Married With Clickers: Episode 9 - All That Jazz

2011-03-07T10:01:00.003-05:00

It's Show Time, Folks! This week we take a look at Bob Fosse's Felliniesque All That Jazz from 1979. It was nominated for a ton of Oscars and won a handful. Did it deserve them? Can Chief Brody even sing? Will we break in song or break out in hives? Tune in to find out. We introduce a Question of the Week segment, wherein we ask you to recommend musicals for people who do not love musicals. We also cover a handful of recent movies watches: A Wednesday, Wasabi and Date Night. Our Doctor told us that we need more feeback, so send us an email at marriedwithclickers at gmail.com or leave us a voicemail at 206-338-0783.

http://marriedwithclickers.libsyn.com/

Hidden Gems: DC Comics Presents #84

2011-03-07T09:09:00.004-05:00

Let me begin by saying that this is not a great comic book. It's fine as far as mid-80s DC superhero books go, but nothing Earth-shattering occurs. What makes this one notable, however, is that it contains artwork by two of the greatest comic book artists ever to put pen to paper: Jack Kirby and Alex Toth. I don't really want to call it a collaboration, as DC was simply using up the Toth drawn part from inventory leftover from the short-lived Challs feature in Adventure Comics. As for Kirby's contribution; this was one of his final jobs for DC. While I don't think Greg Theakson's inks really adds much to the pencils, he does help bring a fairly consistent look to the artwork and makes the transition between artists less jarring. This is not and essential book to own, but it certainly a curio.

You've Been Warned: Marvel Team Up #36 and #37

2011-03-04T16:34:00.005-05:00

This is a two-parter, so consider yourself doubly warned. I've always admire the ambition of this series; trying to team Spidey up with everyone in the Marvel Universe no matter how little logic is involved. If Batman can team up with Kamandi, why can't Spidey meet Deathlok? Or Killraven? Or every monster in creation? This story follows a convoluted path and Spider-Man and Frankenstein get together (I honestly can't remember how) are both targeted to become some sort of Dr. Moreauvian plot to take over the world via an army of monsters. This silly plot, stretched over two issues by the inefficient Gerry Conway, fizzles out before it gets started.

Essentially, the all powerful mad scientist villain, whom had no problem capturing Spider-Man and the Frankenstein monster (twice), is ultimately defeated because he is (literally) caught napping. Seriously? Then he whimpers like the bad guy in a Scooby Doo cartoon. I know this is a funnybook, but I like my villains to go out with some degree of pride. There's also a lame Beauty and the Beast angle within the Man-Wolf subplot. S.H.I.E.L.D. seems displeased to have to clean this mess up at the end. Sal Buscema's pencils are rendered lifeless by Vinnie Colletta's inks. I know that he's an easy target, but this is a prime example of him hurting a story. This one is downright beastly, and not in the intended way.

Comic Book Robot of the Month: Mr. Atom

2011-03-02T15:52:00.006-05:00

Mr. Atom is certainly a Comic Book Robot Hall of Famer, and likely in the all-time top 10 of Comic Book Robots. He was first introduced in Captain Marvel Adventures #78 (November, 1947) and is a card carrying member of the Monster Society of Evil. The thing is, he was not supposed to be a villain. His creator, the well-intentioned Dr. Charles Langley, made the mistake of giving this robot a brain (isn't that always the way?). Mr. Atom decided that his destiny was not to be one of serfdom, but rather to 'rule over men'. He headed straight to the United Nations building (I thought it was originally in San Francisco, not Fawcett City) and killed a delegate. After a long battle, Mr. Atom was finally defeated by the Big Red Cheese. Of course, he would continue his attempts to fulfill his destiny again and again. He's a wonderful creation, with a superb retro design that looked terrific when he returned in the 70s. Holy Moley, indeed!

Giantess Covers

2011-02-28T16:13:00.007-05:00

The image of Allison Hayes straddling an expressway on the Attack of the 50 Foot Woman poster may be the most iconic of all Giantess images, but there are plenty of comic book covers to throw into the mix.

Seven years before the Attack of the 50 Foot Woman came the cover to Love Diary #16 (May, 1951) published by Our Town Publishing. Talk about a redundant question: Isn't it quite obvious what is wrong with Gloria? She appears to be about 35 feet tall. There are a few example of photo covers playing around with perspective or photostats to create this sort of effect. I've heard about having a man in the palm of your hand, but this is ridiculous. Is there a rim shot smilie?

Here's one that I only recently discovered. I love digest comics, but there's nothing small scale about the ladies on the Best of DC #57 (February, 1985). Pat Broderick's cover is a pretty liberal interpretation of the "Revolt of the Girls Legionnaires" story from Adventure Comics #326, but it certainly is effective. There's something pretty ironic about Shrinking Violet towering over the boy Legionnaires. Fun stuff, and it's a wraparound if I recall correctly.

Back to romance with Love Journal #16 (November, 1952), also from Our Town Publishing. Do you recognize the artwork? If you can make out the signature on the pic I've provided, you'll see that it's none other than Big John Buscema. He drew plenty of romance books during his career and certainly drew a number of giants during his Thor days, but who knew that he combined those elements back in '52? This is a great one. Also, I'd like to read the investigation into the dangers of 'petting'.

Rita Farr (aka. Elasti-Girl) of the Doom Patrol is probably the most famous giantess in all of comicdom. While she appeared at full height on many 1960s covers, my favourite Easti-Girl cover is Barry Kitson's cover to JLA: Year One #5 (May, 1998). Wow! Was that really 13 years ago? On this cover, Rita and the original DP make a triumphant return and Kitson's use of perspective really makes the image leap off the page. Good stuff.

Let's leave off with a fantastic cover by romance master Matt Baker. Diary Secrets #30 (September, 1955), was the final issue of this St. John title. As far as I can tell, this issue consisted entirely of reprints, but the cover had never been used. Was it newly commissioned, or just something from inventory? Either way, it's a tremendous image, with four men vying of the attention of the radiant blonde. Did that rather striking flower come from another world and cause her growth? Who knows?

Married With Clickers: Episode 8 - Rebecca

2011-02-28T08:43:00.003-05:00

This week, we tackle Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca – the 1940 Best Picture winner. Kat is a big fan of Daphne Du Maurier’s original novel. Scott is a big fan of Kat. So, will we agree on this film? Will Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine sweep us off our feet or push us off a cliff? This film has some great performances, an intense atmosphere and the least friendly housekeeper in film history. We also share our thoughts on Morning Glory, The Long Goodbye and a Film Noir lecture series at the Revue Theatre here in Toronto. Let us know what you think: send us an email at marriedwithclickers (at) gmail.com or leave us a voicemail at 206-338-0793

http://marriedwithclickers.libsyn.com/

Trade Marks: Human Target (2010)

2011-02-25T13:21:00.004-05:00

Let me begin by saying that, while I really love original Human Target stories from the 1970s appearances and quite enjoyed Peter Milligan's re-interpretation of the character, I have not seen a single episode of the new TV series. As I understand, this miniseries is some sort of tie-in to the TV show. In this tale, Christopher Chance is sent off on an worldwide odyssey in an attempt to collect evidence that will clear the conscience of a mafia head. In this sense, it has more of a James Bond vibe to it, filled with exotic locales and a horde of henchmen in hot pursuit. It sounds like a good formula, doesn't it? The problem is, the execution is extremely sloppy. First of all, the big twist is apparent in the first issue. Second, the action sequences suffer from 'Wash, Rinse, Repeat' syndrome. Just how many times did Chance lose his gun in the middle of a fight? My next problem is the lack of characterization, as the supporting cast is not fleshed at all and probably should have been left on the sidelines.

My final complaint is a bit of a nitpick, but I truly feel that it is very good example of the laziness of many of today's artists and editors. Back in the Golden and Silver Ages, artists kept swipe files and stacks of books to be used for photo references. In today's world of Google Images, artists should be able to accurately replicate any place, activity, costume, custom, animal etc... One sequence showed a shocking lack of research. Chance is skiing down a mountain in the Swiss Alps. There are mobsters on skis in hot pursuits (shades of every other Bond movie, as well as The Lazarus Affair). Anyone who has every skied or watched the sport on TV knows that there is a huge difference between alpine skiing and the sport of ski jumping. The poses struck by Chance and his pursuers makes it look as though they have traded in their downhill skis for some Nordic jumping skis. I'm 99.9% sure that Bruno Redondo simply looked up 'ski jump' in Google Images. That's lazy and the editor should have caught. That kind of thing really bugs me as it takes you right out of the story. This one should be avoided and I am not at all surprised that I found it for $6 just a couple of months after publication. Trade Mark: D+

Add It To My Want List: Marvel Comics Super Special #6

2011-02-24T15:58:00.004-05:00

I've got a handful of these magazine sized books, and many of them are quite solid - often helped by the higher quality paper. I actually think that Jaws 2 is a fun film that cannot helped but be overshadowed by its predecessor. I'm not entirely sure how well a giant shark story would work in the four color world (does one listen to John Williams while reading it?), but what really intrigues me is the art team. I had no idea that Gene Colan and Tom Palmer worked on this book. That's what I love about comic books, there's always an interesting surprise just around the corner. Also, the Bob Larkin cover is quite fun.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Beware the Creeper #2

2011-02-23T08:30:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure that anyone has done more effective 'menacing faces' covers than Ditko. This design concept is evidence of the enormous impact Mort Meskin had on Ditko. This is one of his earlier covers after his move to DC, and he really fit right in with the changes happening over there in the late 60s. It is a very moody piece, announcing to readers that the Creeper is a very different type of hero. I am really disappointed that Ditko broke away from DC after such a short period of time. Under Jack Alder's guidance, the DC production department had become fertile ground for innovative covers. I truly think that Ditko would have produced his best covers ever if he'd been around from 1969 through to 1972 or so. It's too bad.

Single Issue Hall of Fame: Marvel Super-Heroes #16

2011-02-15T13:12:00.003-05:00

I've always like Herb Trimpe as an artist, as he does solid work and is a very strong storyteller. I still think his best work was his first full length story – the Phantom Eagle from Marvel Super-Heroes #16. How many artists hit the ball completely out of the park on their first at-bat in the big leagues? This is a fun title to collect, as it features a rotation of headliners and creators long before Marvel got into any true anthology titles. The character The Phantom Eagle is unlike anyone else at Marvel during the 60s, but he did join the long list of character names swiped from Golden Age publishers. A First World War flying ace, he was probably Marvel's answer to the Balloon Buster, but Gary Friedrich and Herb Trimpe manage to come up with a very original character; no easy feat in 1968. This is a superb book, and it's still a relative bargain as far as Marvel Silver Age books go. Oh, I almost forgot. You also get some great reprints, including mid-50s Captain America, Black Knight and Sub-Mariner stories and a real rarity in the form of a 6-pager from 1942 starring The Patriot.

Married With Clickers: Episode 7 - Escape From The Planet of the Apes

2011-02-15T08:10:00.003-05:00

Hey folks, if your significant other complains that you failed to deliver on Valentine's Day, just tell them about me. Instead of roses, chocolate and a romantic dinner - I shoved a microphone in front of my wife and made her talk about Escape From the Planet of the Apes. In all honesty, we had a lot of fun and champage was enjoyed throughout the recording (we'll blame any lack of intelligence on that). This film gives a lot to the viewer: everything from a discussion on infinite regression to a chimpanzee in a bubble bath. It's not every day that Victor Newman and Khan Noonien Singh (a.k.a. "KHAAANNNN!!!") appear in the same film. What did we make of all of of this monkeying around in early 70s Los Angeles? Does the nostalgia hold up for Scott? Will Kat Geek Out or Freak Out? Tune in to find out. You'll also hear our quick thought on The American, Adam and Sukiyaki Western Django. Click the link below to go to our new Libsyn podcast page:

http://marriedwithclickers.libsyn.com/

Gil Kane Cover of the Month: X-Men #33

2011-02-14T16:11:00.001-05:00

Most people are probably quite familiar with Gil Kane's work as a cover artist for Marvel during the 1970s. Kane also contributed quite a few covers to Marvel during the late 60s in titles ranging from Tales of Suspense to Sgt. Fury. While many of these are quite solid, I really think they pale in comparison to his DC work on Green Lantern, The Atom and the various Science Fiction titles. Something just didn't add up at Marvel, and I think much of it has to do with the production department. Take this cover to X-Men #33. I think it is certainly one of Kane's strongest covers for Marvel during this period, but it still manages to fall short of greatness. I like the lay out, and the smaller mutants juxtaposed against the giant Juggernaut. The colour choices, however, really diminish the cover's potential impact as everything seems muddy. If this were an Atom cover, the images would pop right out at you. Anyone else see a real distinction between his DC and Marvel covers during the 60s?

My Reading Pile: October, 1989 Pt. 2

2011-02-11T15:56:00.007-05:00

Ugh! Looking back (thanks to Kang's Time Platform at Mike's Amazing World of Marvel Comics), I see that while Marvel was cranking out a ton of titles back then, very few of worthy of note. That's likely why my pickings were slim and I steered clear of most Marvel from this point onwards.

I was getting pretty solidly hooked on the Silver Surfer at this stage. I had always liked the character and, while I wasn't truly on board at the time this volume launched, I was a dedicated really for 80 consecutive issues or so. For anyone who has complained that the late 60s series consisted of too much navel gazing, they will be pleasantly surprised by the inter stellar adventures here. While the series was good at this stage, it wasn't until Thanos' return (in just two issues' time) that things really started cooking!

I loved the Avengers as a kid, and stuck with them for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. If memory serves, Avengers West Coast (I always preferred it as WCA) was actually quite a bit better than the main title during this era. I think John Byrne was doing really good work at this stage, and I really liked the return of the original Human Torch a couple of issues earlier. This was a weaker issue as I was not such a huge fan of the whole Acts of Vengeance thing.

Avengers #311 is another Acts of Vengeance tie-in. Overall, it's pretty uninspired but you've got a pretty good roster at this point. I always enjoyed the interplay between She-Hulk and Starfox, but they did not even appear in this one. This is a pretty forgettable issue and is surprisingly uninspired considering the fact that it involves an attack by a horde of robots. I would stick with this title on and off for a few more years, but it was more out of a sense of duty than anything else. What did I miss that month? Not much.

My Reading Pile: October, 1989 Pt.1

2011-02-10T14:40:00.006-05:00

At this point, I am in my penultimate year of high school and a knee injury has taken me out of the second half of the football season. I had a lot more time on my hands and was really getting back into comics after taking quite a few years off. Here's a look at some of the DC Comics I picked up that month.

I had read the Longbow Hunters, but wasn't really 100% into the ongoing series just yet. With Green Arrow #26, I became truly hooked and didn't leave the series until it ended with #139 (I didn't even mind Connor Hawke). Oliver Queen quickly became one of my favourite characters of all-time. I'd always liked him with Green Lantern and as a JLA member, but he always seemed a bit one-dimensional. This was a strange one, but it managed to really open my eyes.

Detective Comics #609 was a good one for me. I was really digging the two main Bat books during this period but, to be perfectly honest, I didn't love the Mud Pack story arc. I was quite intrigued by the Anarky character in this initial story, as he seemed quite unique. I was also just head over heels for Norm Breyfogle's artwork. Everyone I knew was talking Todd MacFarlane all the time back then, but I would sing Breyfogle's praises. Those praises fell on deaf ears.

I scooped up Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn #1 when I saw it on the shelves. Was I a sucker for #1 issues at this point? Maybe a little, but I remember really getting into this miniseries. Green Lantern was always second-tier for me as a kid, but I found Hal to be much more interesting here. I'd like to revisit it, and I'm sure I've got most if not all of the floppies somewhere. I never did read the second Emerald Dawn. I heard that I didn't miss much.

What did I miss that month? Well, I wasn't reading cool stuff like Animal Man, Doom Patrol or The Question and I also missed the launch of Legends of the Dark Knight. Next Time: my Marvel books.

Highlighting House Ads: Brawny Stan for Pizzazz

2011-02-09T13:25:00.003-05:00

Full disclosure here: I've never read an issue of Pizzazz. If fact, I have no recollection of ever seeing copy of it for sale back in the day. I had, however, seen plenty of ads relating to this magazine. I'm can't think of any book that was pimped as much as Pizzazz in the late 70s. What I really love about ads featuring Neel Nats is how buff and manly he's made to appear. As we all know, he was always a pretty slim guy, but I can picture him telling artists 'add more muscle'. This one is ridiculous, as Stan looks like a lumberjack with giant hands. Typically, I'm fine with made up words, but Pizzastic is beyond terrible. Also, who is standing on Iron Man's foot? No one looks close. Is 'sounds great' supposed to be funny because DD is blind? Who knows? It is all just late 70s Marvel nuttiness. Don't you miss it?

Married With Clickers: Episode 6 - Rushmore

2011-02-07T10:09:00.003-05:00

This week, we enter Max Fisher's fantastic world of Rushmore. Does it still make us giggle the way it did last millenium? We also share our quick thoughts on Memento, The Office and the new season of American Idol. Please note: We are moving over to Libsyn. We have a site set up there: marriewithclickers.libsyn.com and a feed over there, but that one isn't up on iTunes just yet. This will be our final show on Podomatic, although we will post an announcement in the feed when everything is finalized. Please send in your comments to marriedwithclickers (at) gmail.com or give us a shout at 206-338-0793 or from the UK at 001-206-338-0793.

http://marriedwithclickers.libsyn.com/

Exit Stage Left: Silver Surfer #18

2011-02-07T10:04:00.002-05:00

Silver Surfer #18 proves that while you can go home again, it may be too late to do much good. The Silver Surfer series was Marvel’s most ambitious project of the late 60s. It was a larger book targeted at a more mature audience. Stan Lee and John Buscema were trying to do something different and while it seemed quite novel at first, the leaden dialogue and ‘villain of the month’ story lines quickly sapped much of the energy out of the series. In an attempt to bring back some of the old magic, Jack Kirby was parachuted in for a showdown between two of his finest contributions to the Marvel Universe – the Surfer and the Inhumans. It’s a decent issue, but nothing truly groundbreaking. I’m not sure what the overall game plan was at Marvel with regard to this series as while a “Next Issue” was announced, so was Kirby’s departure.

Reprint This! War is Hell

2011-02-04T14:35:00.004-05:00

Now this would make for an interesting collection! The first half dozen issue of this series consisted of Atlas-era reprints from titles such as Battle Action, Battle and Battleground (hmmm, do I detect a theme?). This is a great opportunity to get familiar with some of the lesser known members of the Atlas bullpen such as Vic Carrabotta and George Woodbridge along with some true legends like Al Williamson and Jay Scott Pike. For some reason, the series featured a couple of random Sgt. Fury reprint issues before entering a phase consisting of some interesting new material. The protagonist, John Kowalski, is something along the lines of a WW2 era Deadman. His spirit moves from body to body, dying over and over again. I've only read one issue, but it was quite good. Many of the stories were written by Chris Claremont and artists include Val Mayerik and Herb Trimpe. They've reprinted just about everything from this era, so why not throw me a bone with this one?

Hidden Gems: Man Bat #1 (1984)

2011-02-01T09:09:00.005-05:00

Here's one that I didn't know even existed until a few weeks ago. I was flipping through a bargain bin when I saw this familiar image from Detective Comics #402. I thought to myself: What? 3 Chilling Conflicts? All in one place? Robbins? Adams? All for a dollar? Count me in! I am not sure why DC decided that 1984 was the perfect time for a Man-Bat reprint book. Was there some sort of animation project on the horizon? Were they just trying to milk those Adams pencils for all they were worth? In any event, I am glad they did, because it is nice to have these stories in an affordable format on nice, high quality paper. I know that they have appeared elsewhere, but for those looking to avoid shelling out the big bucks on an Adams hardcover book, this might be the solution for you. I kind of wish they'd included the Robbins drawn stuff, but I understand the polarizing effect he has on people, and we at least got a Robbins pin-up in this ish. Great, cheap stuff!