I Loves Me Some: Tonto

So there I was last night, reading my copy of Lone Ranger's Companion Tonto #17, when it dawned on me. I love this series and I have never talked about it. If you have spoken to me about comics over the years, you'll know that I am a huge fan of Dell's Lone Ranger series and am nearing completion of a run of painted covers. I am also a big fan of the spin-off series starring Tonto. In fact, it may be one of Dell's most consistently great series. Ever. What's so great about it? Well, let's start with the painted covers. As with the Lone Ranger, these beautiful covers are provided by the likes of Ernest Nordi and Don Spaulding. If you think they look great one your computer screen, wait until you hold one of these in your hands. If Dell is guilty of anything, it is that often the interior artwork and storytelling do not measure up to their covers. That is not the case with Tonto as the stories by Paul S. Newman are engaging and the artwork by the great Alberto Giolitti is stunning. If you do not recognize that name, flip through your old issues of Turok. That's the man's artwork. It is a beautiful marriage of detailed pencils and textured inks. I need to put together a full run of Tonto, pronto!

I Loves Me Some Daredevil by Mark Waid

Let's be honest. I love just about anything Daredevil related. I love the Miller stuff, the Brubaker stuff and I even have a lot of love for the Mike Murdock saga. Why single out this recent stretch of stories by Mark Waid? Well, I don't tend to read too many new comics but this stuff came highly recommended and has sucked me in. Waid has always had a talent for characterization. His work on the Flash really established Wally West as an important member of the DCU and his entire supporting cast was nicely fleshed out. His characters seem strong yet flawed. I think the most appropriate word is 'human'. Much of the same takes place here. Matt and Foggy are clearly old friends, but there's a freshness to their relationship. One thing people often overlook during Frank Miller's tenure is the humour that was sprinkled throughout those stories. Waid brings back the humour, not in an overbearing way but in a way that allows Daredevil to be the swashbuckling hero he was in his early days. There is a bit of a revolving door in terms of the art teams, but that does not  detract too much from the impact of the stories. I've read through the first 3 TPBs and I am anxious to get my hands on more.

I Loves Me Some: Double Page Spread Podcast

I listen to a lot of podcasts. A lot of them. One of my biggest problems with comic book podcasts is that so many follow the same format: a bunch of guys talking about the latest 'flavour of the month' creator and making fun of Devil Dinosaur. Yes, I agree that the artist in question has some talent (although, his or her storytelling could be improved) and that Devil Dinosaur is a bit silly, but what else can you offer? Where is the insight? So many of these seem to be simply preaching to the fanboy choir. Us older, crustier funnybook fans demand a little more analysis and a broader range of topics. Let me tell you about Double Page Spread hosted by Wendi Freeman. Ms. Freeman's show is both fun and insightful. She has a great love for comics and their creators, and is able to critique in a snark-free manner. How refreshing. She gets some intriguing guests on her show and is terrific at moderating a round table discussion (I point you towards a lively chat about Lois Lane books on a recent Superman-themed episode). If you are looking for a comic book podcast that stands out from the crowd, I urge you to give this one a try.

http://doublepgspread.tumblr.com/

I Loves Me Some Powerpuff Girls Digests

When the Powerpuff Girls hit the mainstream back in 1998, I did not pay much attention to their exploits. About a year ago, my household got hooked on the three little girls made of sugar, spice, everything nice and a dash of Chemical X. The thing is, while the PPG were everywhere 10 years ago, their stuff is not so easy to find these days. Luckily, DC released two volumes of PPG stories in the slim, undersized format. I believe these are still in print and, in not, at least fairly easy to find. These are the gems of my daughter's bookshelf, and I love reading with her as the stories are absolutely hilarious. In fact, my son can even be found giggling while reading these tiny masterpieces. Let's get more of these in print DC!

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

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.

I Loves Me Some Shazam!

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.

I Loves Me Some: Y: the Last Man

I have been lucky enough to have a colleague with a big comic book budget. Over the last month or so, he has been providing me with a steady supply of Y: The Last Man Deluxe Edition hardcovers. So far, he's saved me over a hundred dollars. I had always heard great things about this series, but never got around to picking it up. In a way, I am glad I waited, as I have plowed through more than 45 issues in a very short span of time. I am not sure if I could have stuck with it month to month, as my patience isn't what it once was, and it was never very good. Churning through this story in a few sittings is likely the best way to read it. I can't wait to see how it all ends.

The premise is fantastic, and is executed very well by showing only tidbits of the catastrophe while avoiding a lot of potential for gore. I always appreciated this kind of restraint, as it allows your imagination to dream up various scenarios. Our sole male survivor, Yorick is a good protagonist as he bring some levity to a post- apocalyptic world. I have been reading (and watching) a lot of Walking Dead lately, so it is refreshing to read something with a lighter tone, although this is certainly not lacking in tension. Brian K. Vaughan and and Pia Guerra do a really good job of building a universe for Yorick and his companions. I also love the way they progress through the years by skipping whole chunks of the narrative. Sure, some of the tangents and subplots are a bit ridiculous but I can't really complain as the entire production requires the suspension of disbelief. I'm happy to do that.

I Loves Me Some Where Monsters Dwell

If you are like me, WMD has a totally different meaning for you. Ever since I picked up issue #36 off a 10 cent rack back in 1979 (or thereabouts), I have been trying to complete a run of this title. I am far too young to have read the first Atlas monster cycle, and the reprint titles had just died off as I started my funnybook life. Luckily, these remained relatively inexpensive and the only real trick to collecting them was tracking them down. Along with other titles such as Fear and Monsters on the Prowl, Where Monsters Dwell was a terrific place for discovering what was going on at Marvel before Fantastic Four #1.

As an example, the fourth issue features fun stories with terrific artwork by Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby and even the great Reed Crandall. The real treat here, however, is a very atmospheric story about a deadly forest drawn by Paul Reinmann who shows that he can hang with the big boys as far as mood and storytelling are concerned. Another fine issue is #14, which is highlighted by a phenomenal cover by John Severin. The title story does drag a bit - at 13 pages. The other two stories are more enjoyable, possibly due to their brevity. With Kirby, Ditko and Heck, the reader is blessed with the triumvirate of Atlas monster makers. While much of the Kirby and Ditko stuff has an will be collected by Marvel, I don't think the rest of it will ever see the light of day so I'm happy to cling to my floppies, as it makes me happy to know that I'll always have some monsters dwelling in my basement.

I Loves Me Some Justice League Unlimited

Ever since I've been a Dad, I have been plotting a way to get my kids interested in comics. They are only 4 and 2.5 right now, so I really haven't taken them down that road just yet (except for the Classics Illustrated Junior: Wizard of Oz, but that's another entry altogether). I'm one of those guys who constantly complains that 'Comics Just Ain't For Kids Anymore', but I was more than happy to be proven wrong. I had always enjoyed what I'd seen of the JLU cartoon series, so when I discovered there was a monthly book - I made it a habit to pick it up whenever I saw it in bargain bins. I figured that these books, along with the stack of Super Friends and Spidey Super Stories I've got put aside, would be a gateway to superhero comics when my kids are a couple of years older.

As part of my role as a responsible parent, I vetted these comics for content and, in doing so, I absolutely fell in love with this series. While the writers and artists may rotate, there is an underlying consistency throughout the entire series in the design and 'look' as well as the storytelling and pacing. Much like the TV show, the great thing about this series is that the stories are mostly 'one and done' along with some recurring themes in the background. I also love the fact that 2nd and 3rd tier characters are often highlighted as I know that as a child, I was far more intrigued by the Creeper than I was Superman. I've read nearly two-thirds of this series, and I've yet to come across a bad issue. In fact, it's probably one of the better series put out by DC over the last 10 years, regardless of target audience. I cannot wait to share these with my son and daughter, and I only wish that DC had kept it going for at least 100 issues. Good stuff!

I Loves Me Some Machine Man (1984)

I had heard some praise from people I hold in high regard for the four issue miniseries from 1984. I could not resist picking it up last week when I spotted for $1 an issue. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but the talent involved (Tom DeFalco, Herb Trimpe and Barry Windsor-Smith) was strong - so it was definitely worth a look. Wow, was I ever pleasantly surprised. This was a very engaging read - set a well constructed dystopian near future of 2020. This was the era of Blade Runner, Mad Max and a million cheap Italian post-Apocalyptic movies so everyone had a 'vision' of what the future would hold, and it was usually quite bleak. DeFalco's vision of the future is not revolutionary, but it is well formed and his future feels 'lived in', which is the key to authenticity.

Right off the bat, the concept of Machine Man as relic rather than as a piece of cutting edge technology is very clever. The characters are very colorful without being annoying, and the corporate conspiracy storyline holds up quite well today. That's what struck me the most, actually. The entire thing seems quite fresh. So many books from the Big Two published during the 80s, especially Marvel 'event' books, have aged terribly. This one seems like it could have been published last year. I don't know where this fits into actual Machine Man continuity and I don't really care, as it works great as a standalone piece. The artwork is gorgeous through, and I really love the fact that Trimpe and Winsor-Smith seemed to be paying tribute to Kirby with those flying motorbikes. I see that this was published as a trade a couple of times, but my guess is that it would be easier to track down the actual floppies. Thanks to all who recommended this series to me, I enjoyed it immensely.

I Loves Me Some: Worlds Unknown

I'm not exactly a sci-fi geek, and I'm far too young to have been influenced by the pulps so perhaps I am not the target audience for this Marvel series. That being said, I still enjoy the balance of it and appreciate what they were trying to accomplish. It's almost a Classics Illustrated for sci-fi nuts. Obviously, both Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway have a lot of love for the great science fiction writers of the 20th century and seem thrilled to be able to adapt many of their favourite tales for the Four Color world. I find myself particularly interested in the accompanying text articles, where the authors discuss issues such as their relationship to the source material or how they went about securing the rights. Many of these issues also feature 3 to 5 page back-ups from the Atlas era; a real added bonus.

I particularly enjoyed Roy Thomas' take on Farewell to the Master, the story that became The Day the Earth Stood Still. Thomas explains that he wanted to stick close to the original story to the point of assigning Ross Andru the pencilling chores as he'd never seen the movie. Another interesting issue is Conway's take on Arena by Frederic Brown. It is much more sophisticated than most of what was coming out from DC and Marvel at time. Some of the weaker entries, such as The Black Destroyer in issue #5, still have their moments. Even the Golden Voyage of Sinbad adaptation that runs through the final two issues is a fun read. Sadly, there are no Atlas back-ups in those issues. Since licensing headaches will prevent these books from ever being reprinted, I suggest you try to find some cheap copies and give them a try. They aren't perfect, but they are certainly offbeat and serve as a link to the heyday of sci-fi pulps.

I Loves Me Some: The Black Hole

No, I'm not talking about Charles Burns' award winning series, although that's also good. I'm talking about the Whitman (Western Publishing) adaptation of the 1979 Disney movie. I am of the generation that was too young to truly spot the difference in quality between Star Wars, Battlestar Gallactica and The Black Hole. I had a Black Hole beach towel,a few of the action figures and various coloring books etc... I haven't seen the movie in nearly 30 year and I can't say that much of it has resonated with me, but when I had the change to pick up the adaptation for $1 per issue recently, I simply could not say no. I realized that I'd never read these as a child, and boy did I miss out.

I don't know who wrote the adaptation (the GCD has been driving me nuts these days), but he did a fantastic job by focusing on the key themes of the film and cutting out a lot of the fat. The script is very efficient; the characters are quickly introduced and we get right into the action (or lack thereof, perhaps). The great Dan Spiegle handles the art chores here, and he does a magnificent job of telling the story. His pacing is fantastic and what I discovered is that this is actually quite an interesting and tense tale. The characters all look quite different than the movie actors, and that's a good thing as they all have that Spiegle touch. His work on Dr. Reinhart is particularly great - with flowing hair and distinctive facial hair really give him the look of a mad scientist. This two-issue adaptation (also published as single volume) demonstrates that there's a lot of good stuff to be found in this story, and it's easier to digest once you've removed the 'funny' robot voices. Great stuff.

I Loves Me Some: Pancakes

Last week, I re-read the Hellboy: Right Hand of Doom collection for the first time in a few years. As many of you know, I've wasted plenty of bandwidth bitching and moaning about the lacking of self-contained short comic book stories. Mike Mignola proves me all kinds of wrong with this collections of Hellboy odds and ends. The one little story that always makes me smile is 'Pancakes'. It is 2 pages of comic book bliss. It combines a simple gag, some modern humour and a real early 50s monster movie vibe. There's so much to take in from these panels that I thought it would worth posting them in their entirety here.

It's breakfast time, and Hellboy isn't too sure about eating pancakes. Luckily he eventually eats them and narrowly averts a potential catastrophe. There are a few elements here that really stick with me. I love the fact that he refers to them as 'Pamcakes'. This lets us know that this demonic-looking creature is still just a little tyke. I also really dig the "Meanwhile in Pandemonium..." caption - it's a truly 'classic' elements. He's also infused the artwork with a Kirby/Meskin at Prize Comics look and it's a perfect fit. Mignola is one of the true comic book geniuses of the last 30 years. I was very slow to hop aboard the Hellboy bandwagon and that's ok, because I still have lots to discover and re-discover.

I Loves me Some Hawkworld

I'm not just talking about the original miniseries here folks, but the ongoing series as well. The whole concept of Hawkworld is crazy, a lot of dense sci-fi, some intense themes of religion and moral philosophy. With all of that, it's not exactly surprising that it never really caught fire during the age of Spawn. John Ostrander and Tim Truman packed so much into this series that it's a bit tough to appreciate on a first read through. If you don't get all caught up in Hawk-continuity, this series ages well and a reader can really get a lot from coming back to it every few years. I'll admit that I totally missed it the first time around. I got quite lucky in 1995, during my first year of law school. I stumble upon 80% or so of the series in a quarter bind and scooped them all up - just looking for something to help me procrastinate. I loved it. I shouldn't have been surprised, as I was a big fan of the Spectre series, so I already knew what kind of things came from Ostrander's fertile imagination.

Like many people, I've always thought that the Hawks looked great, but never got into their adventures. The Hawkworld team really focused on humanizing them here, and made the characters much more appealing. The supporting cast (both on Earth and on Thanagar) was also impressive. Katar and Shayera's relationship is all over the place, Byth's made for a menacing foil and Jonesy's death was a real punch to the gut. Graham Nolan is simply amazing - he can drawn anything, from alleyways to alien costumes. In particular, I really loved the designed of the 'Raven'. Some people look back at the 90s with disdain, but DC was putting out some truly innovative books and both the Hawkworld miniseries and the ongoing series are proof that good things can happen when a company gives the key to thoughtful creators.

I Loves Me Some Atlas Era Infantino

I've been making my way through the Essential Man Called Nova (more on that when I get through it), and I must say that I found the transition from Sal Buscema to Carmine Infantino to be incredibly jarring. Infatino's artwork in the late 70s and early 80s was a far cry from what his glory days at DC. Whether its his stylish work on strips like Phantom Stranger or Danger Trail (the Sy Barry inks helped a lot) or his lean and mean superhero work in the 60s, Infantino delivered artwork with an interesting mixture of power and finesse. By the time he was just a penciller for pay, the tight pencils and creative layouts were long gone.

Instead of praising his Golden and Silver Age DC work, I thought it was time to declare my love for his work for Atlas in the 50s. Here's an example of his artwork from Adventures Into Weird Worlds #9 from August, 1952. I've included a few panels to show you just how fantastic his artwork was back then. The one above indicates that both Alex Toth and Mort Meskin were major influences on his work. This is a shift from his late 40s work at DC, which was pure Caniff school. There is a much greater sense of texture, more variety in the facial expressions and an infusion of energy and atmosphere. By the way, does that handsome ape to the left look familiar to anyone? In particular, I really love his use of shadows and silhouettes (something he'd nail on the Strange Sports Stories books). Just check out the three panel strip below and you'll see what I'm talking about. It's hard to imagine this is the same guy who doodled his way through Nova and Star Wars when I was a kid.

I Loves Me Some Occult Files of Dr. Spektor

Jesse Santos' artwork is an acquired taste, and I will freely admit that it took me a long, long time to acquire a taste for it. When I was very young comic book reader, Gold Key comics were widely available - often in the form of Whitman 3-packs, priced to sell at local discount retailers. I imagine that many of the Gold Key books I purchased and read were actually a couple of years old. So many of these seemed to feature the same scratchy, quasi-abstract artwork that did nothing for me. If I was a more glib blogger - I'd say that they looked as though they were drawn by a drunken Joe Kubert. As I've aged, I have come to appreciate the little things in life, and I can now fully appreciate all of the charm in Santos' work. There's also a raw energy, where the figures seem to be attempting an escape from the panels - or simply flow right into the scenery.

Dr. Adam Spektor fills the post-Kolchak, pre-Mulder void as he travels around the world investigating bizarre occurrences of all shapes and sizes. He has at least two female companions during his short stay in comics; Lakota and Lu-Sai. Don Glut's stories are fast-paced and imaginative, and have Dr. Spektor dealing with everything from Lewtonian zombies to Harryhausenesque living skeletons. I'm particularly fond of Simbar, the man-lion as he's the classic tragic monster, trying to protect his love. There's a lot of fun to be found in these books, and it is fortunate that they continue to reside in dollar bins around the world.

I Loves Me Some Peter Cannon... Thunderbolt

I've been spending a lot of time with a certain Amazing Man/Gleason Daredevil mash up lately and it's been a lot of fun. Pete Morisi (aka. P.A.M) created this character as part of Charlton's line of action heroes, but it's pretty clear that he doesn't fit well within the Derbyverse (If that phrase has yet to be coined, I'm happy to take credit for it!), as he's a reluctant hero, dabbling in Eastern philosophy and only engaging in crime fighting when there are no alternatives. It seems that every issue begins with Cannon and his friend Tabu politely trash talking which fencing, boxing or shooting hoops. This serves as the calm before the storm that always seems to be on the horizon.

The plots can be repetitive and the pacing can be a bit slow - but there's an undeniable charm here. Morisi's artwork 100% original, and it's a lot of fun reading the letter column where fans are trying to identify the mysterious P.A.M. I love everything - from his slightly awkward use of profiles to the occasional circular panel. It's immediately apparent that a lot of thought and effort went into this strip and kudos to Charlton for giving full credits to Morisi, while not identifying him. I love everything about these stories from the crazy Man-Ape villain to the search for a rare flower in the Dinosaur/Mongol/Pygmy filled mountains of Tibet to cure an ailing Tabu. My first exposure to Thunderbolt was through a Modern reprint in the late 70s. I don't think I knew what to make of him back then, but Mr. Cannon has patiently waited for me to acquire the taste for his singular adventures and I'm hooked.

If I sound too much like a lovestruck schoolgirl, let me offer some snark. I just don't get the Friedrich/Grainger Sentinels strip - it's like something out of a bad fanzine. Even a Charlton apologist like can't find anything nice to say about it.

I Loves Me Some Horror Etc Podcast !!

I didn't get my own iPod until earlier this year, so I've been a bit slow jumping on the podcast bandwagon. For months, I listened mainly to comic book podcasts but have yet to find one that hits all the right notes for me. It was a happy accident that that I stumble upon the Horror Etc podcast, hosted by Ted and Anthony, who happen to live just a two hour drive to the east of me. Their podcast, which is released weekly, focuses mainly on horror movies - but they are happy talking about almost any type of film. It's a wonderful podcast, buoyed by the terrific rapport between the two hosts. It's intelligent without getting too esoteric, as they delve into a wide range of films from Son of Dracula to Shawn of the Dead. They don't take things too seriously and thankfully everything is 'snark free' and proudly Canadian. If you're up for something new to help pass the time - check it out.

http://horroretc.com/

I Loves Me Some Warren Spirit Mags

These days, there are about a million ways to collect old Spirit stories. You can search on eBay for the original newspaper inserts. Those are fun, and they're not actually all that expensive. You can spend the big bucks and find him in the pages of Police Comics, as well as eponymous titles published by Quality and Fiction House, respectively. There's also the long running Kitchen Sink reprints, the short running Harvey series from the 60s. Obsessives (like me) continue to fork over money for the fancy schmancy glossy, hardcover treatment the stories receive in the DC Archives series. There are many more versions as well, but I do have to work at some point.

For my money, however, you just can't beat the Warren magazines from the 70s. Jim Warren worked with Will Eisner and produced 16 issues, mainly in black and white featuring new covers. These are awesome. The strip works so well in black and white - and they've done so many shades of grey that the artwork seems so beautifully texture. Some of this would be lost in the Kitchen Sink magazine reprints, as the reproduction quality was inferior. This is also a great format, as the larger page size is perfect for Eisner's layouts and splash pages.

Most of my copies (I think I've got 14 of the 16) have yellowing pages, but they've got a bit of a pinkish hue to them and it just seems to add to the overall atmosphere. All of this and the great Captain Company ads make for a very pleasurable and nostalgic reading experience. The great news is that they're still cheap - I picked up a nice copy of #16 for $2.99 the other day. So if you need a Spirit fix, but are a bit scared of investing in the Archives, try tracking down a few issues of the Warren run. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I Loves Me Some Weird War Tales

I'm not talking about those early 52-pagers that now seems to cost an arm and a leg in high grade, I'm talking about the latter part of the title's run. I'm a bit of a later comer to this crazy titles, but for the past several years, I've been picking this up whenever I see issues for a buck or less (and that's fairly often). You never know what you'll find inside - here a random sampling.

My most recent purchase was Weird War Tales #76, which earned my dollar based on the Kubert cover alone. I'm certain that I've seen this pose elsewhere - it reminds me of the cover to Where Monsters Dwell #36, but that's not quite it. There's a bit of a mind-bending tale about a devious Nazi (some are worse than others, I guess) drawn by Howard Chaykin is his more abstract style - quite effective. The real highlight for me, though, was 'The Wreck of the Ophelie' in which a French soldier wishes he'd been a bit nicer to a lycanthropic Huguenot. Wonderful Gerry Talaoc art on this one - I may be in the minority, but I just love his 'look'.

If you see a copy of Weird War Tales #108 for sale, do not pass it up. First, it's got a crazy Joe Staton 'Creature Commandos vs. Hitler' cover. If you have to ask who are the Creature Commandos, I'm sorry but I don't have the adequate words to describe them. It's such nutty concept, that you must simply experience it for yourself. Secondly, this ish is a treat because you get both a Creature Commandos story as well as GI Robot story. Not every issue features both of this fun strips. GI Robot is exactly what it sounds like - a robot soldier dealing with so many of the same 'I wish I were human' issues that have plague robots through the ages. Very nice Pat Broderick art on that one. There also a really trippy sci-fi story that Mike Barr salvage from the cancelled Mystery in Space with lovely JL Garcia-Lopez artwork.


My final selection is perhaps the craziest and yet most eloquent. It's the final issue of the series and may be a bit tougher to find if print runs were low. Weird War Tales #124 comes across as Robert Kanigher's swan song to war comics. The narrative is very unique as it is more of an epic poem about the role of war in human history. Numerous battles through the ages are visited and it feels like a skipping record as the combat never ends - just goes on and on and on. A fairly contemplative work, decently executed. It also takes up the vast majority of the issue - which was rare for this title. All in all - an appropriately 'weird' send off.