Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Wulf the Barbarian #1

I have likely mentioned the 10 cent rack at my local comic book store when I was a kid. Circa 1979 or 1980, my LCS had a rack at its front door that featured comics that had obviously not been great sellers. This included titles such as Devil Dinosaur and Yang. The  rack was also packed with Atlas-Seaboard books. I was far too young to understand the differences between various publishers and certainly did not know the sordid history of Atlas Seaboard. I let covers inform my purchases, and what a cover this was! I still think it looks great to this day and I understand why my 7 year old self slapped down a dime for it. As far as Atlas-Seaboard books go, this one is very solid. There's nothing terribly original considering it was a common genre at the time, but the origin story is engaging and the art by the team of Larry Hama and Klaus Janson is often spectacular. Over the years, I've picked up nearly every Atlas-Seaboard book published and this remains in the top tier.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Avengers #168

What a great time era for The Avengers. I feel like I hopped aboard at the perfect time as there were some fantastic stories in the 150-200 stretch. I particularly love this one. I sat down to read it again the other night and I was surprised by how many images were permanently burned in my brain. This one is jam packed with heroes as the Guardians of the Galaxy are along for the ride. There are also a ton of cameos; everyone from Two-Gun Kid to Doctor Strange. The tension over leadership styles between Cap and Iron Man was also very believably written by shooter. The best moment, however, is when the team is humiliated by Gyrich due to the lack of security at Avengers mansion. Within a few panels, he becomes the character you love to hate. I just adore it. 

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Mad #199

I do not know how I got my hands on a copy of this issue. I would have still been only 5 years old during the summer of 1978 and Mad was not part of my regular reading rotation at that point in my life and I can't see my parents buying it for me. That said, I remember reading that first Star Wars parody as well, so I must have had an older neighbour or relative letting me read them. There's some good stuff in this one, including parodies of both The Spy Who Loved Me and What's Happening. I liked those at the time because I was familiar with the source material. Too often, I didn't understand the parodies in Mad or Cracked as I hadn't seen the film or TV show in question. The main reason this particular issue has stuck in my brain 36 years later is the story about punk music. This would have been my first 'exposure' to punk and I was shocked. That panel of the band urinating on their fans at a concert remains etched in my brain. Or should I say 'blecched' in my brain.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Micronauts #15

I think that this was the first Micronauts comic I ever owned. I had a bunch of the toys as a child and thought they were pretty cool. I especially loved my Antron figure with the glow in the dark brain. I re-read this particular issue for the first time in years and I have to say that it made about as much sense to me now as it did when I was a 7 year old. I can imagine I would have understood a word of it back then, as Bill Mantlo had built up a pretty complex back story and the featured a remarkable number of characters and subplots. This little issue has all of the Micronauts, a S.H.I.E.L.D. courier, the Fantastic Four, Psycho-Man and even a panel with Captain Universe. I must have simply admired the visuals, and there is some decent emotion here as Princess is truly upset to see Microtron viciously attacked. I also must have liked it for the ads, which included ROM, Star Trek: the Motion Picture and many other cools toys and gadgets I wish I could get my hands on. Typically, I really like Bill Mantlo, but something just does not work for me here. It is all a bit too convoluted. I also think that the Chaykin/Milgrom team is a step down from Michael Golden, but they do a solid job.  

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Spider-Woman #4

I can't quite recall why I read so many Spider-Woman comics as a kid. I think my parents were trying to be fair and would often grab comics featuring females heroes featuring the likes of Wonder Woman and Spider-Woman. I don't think that I ever fully understood Jessica Drew's origin story (still not sure that I do today), but her little corner of the Marvel Universe turned out to be quite interesting, if a bit confusing. I've always liked her character design and also thought that Brother Grimm's costume was pretty cool in its simplicity. The Hangman character who shows up here is nothing new from a design perspective, but his deeds do seem a bit gruesome for a mainstream comic. I have to commend the Infantino/Dezuniga team here, as the artwork is quite compelling - especially their use of shadows in one noose-based panel. Marv Wolfman's script, on the other hand, continues to hurt my brain 30+ years later. It was not until recent years when I began to realize how large a role Infantino played in my young reading from Star Wars to Nova to Spider-Woman. Flash books were also some of the first Silver Age books I ever bought. I'm generally not a fan of his late 70s and early 80s work, as everything became less sleek and too wide as if faces and bodies were being stretched horizontally. That does not happen here, though, as his pencils are much tighter, perhaps added by DeZuniga. It's a good looking book, with a confusing, overly soapy storyline. Still, I get the rush of nostalgia as I flip through it and that's not a bad thing.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Superman #291

This may have been the first comic book I ever owned. At the very least, it is the first one I remember owning. It was published just prior to my 3rd birthday, and I must have owned it for a while and then it vanished. For years, I only had the fuzziest memory of Superman and a brick wall. I only had only local shop for back issues, and I spend years in the early 80s searching through their bin looking for this cover, hoping that my memory had not betrayed me. It was not until several years later that I saw it again and had a 'eureka' moment. I can understand why my memory was fuzzy, as it is a typically loopy and forgettable Supes story about some hood temporarily gaining Kryptonian strength thanks to a watch. Still, it is nice to keep this in the collection as part of my personal comic book history as it helped make Curt Swan's Superman my Superman.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Grimm's Ghost Stories #50

I would have been about 6 and a half years old when this comic book hit spinner racks. Coincidentally, that's also exactly the same age as my own son now. Of course, he's Harry Potter 24 hours a day and has only a fraction of the interest in funnybooks that I did as a kid. That's fine, as I don't want to push it. I assume that once he sees that mountain of boxes in our basement, he'll find a way to spend rainy afternoons. I'm not sure this type of ghost story book would be up his alley, but my 4-year old daughter would love it, as she's much more into witches and ghosts. I'm 99% sure I got this book in a 3-pack bag, and I still have two of the three books (I believe the other two were a Turok and a Mighty Mouse) from back then. I always enjoyed these books, and still do to this day. In fact, I think I have a soft spot for artists like Frank Bolle because they played such a subtle, yet important role in my childhood. I hope my kids have a similar experience.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Spidey Super Stories #43

When I was a child, I didn't really understand the difference between Spidey Super Stories and the other Spider-Man titles. I knew that it had the Electric Company logo and that it was ad-free, but I was young enough when I was reading them (6 or 7), that I never fully clued into the fact that they were out-of-continuity books designed for younger readers. I would have been nearly 7 when I got my hands on this book, and I'm 99% sure that it was my first exposure to Daredevil. I was hooked. From the one-page, black and white origin story to the rather fun story involving the Ringmaster, something about Matt Murdock just clicked with me and I've been a fan ever since. There's also a fun Iron Man team-up against the Metal Master. Win Mortimer's artwork is incredibly appealing, and he remains one of the most underappreciated artists of all-time. I've been scooping up back-issues of this series for my own kids to read. I still haven't tracked down a copy of this one. I'm sure I tossed mine at some point in the 80s, when I thought it was a 'kiddie' comic.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Shogun Warrios #2

When I was a kid, I loved the Shogun Warriors. I don't remember ever asking for them specifically as gifts, but I had a collection of 3 ( Great Mazinga, Dragun and yes, Godzilla). I certainly took them for granted at the time, not realizing that I'd never see toys quite this cool again. I only had one other friend with these toys, and he lived 5 hours away in Michigan. I never owned the first issue of this series, but I certainly had this one. I always wondered why my Shogun Warriors never ended up in the comic. It was 25 years later that I learned Marvel's license limited them to the three featured here. To be honest, I think most of the convoluted plot went way over my head (still does). I did love the whole underground bunker, as designed by Herb Trimpe, as well as the 'testing sequence' which really was just an advertisement for the toys. It all seemed so exotic to me. Looking back I can really see the influence Kirby had on Trimpe, especially the one page splash of Lord Maur-kon, but at the time it was just all good eye candy for a 6-year old boy.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Justice League of America #184

This comic, released at the tail end of the Summer of 1980, was my introduction to Jack Kirby's Fourth World. I was just about to turn 8 years old and still had a lot to learn about the DC Universe. I was somewhat familiar with the Mister Miracle character, as a friend of mine had an issue of two from the Marshall Rogers era. I had somehow missed the first installment of this 'Crisis', and felt a little bit lost reading this one the first time around. I also registered that the art looked different, but was not yet really reading credits at this time. I had no idea it was George Perez' first issue, and it would be years before I became aware that the change had been triggered by Dick Dillin's untimely death. It is a phenomenal issue and I've re-read it so many times that several images are etched in my brain: the child with the glowing eyes, Darkseid rising through the ground and Green Lantern trying to free High Father from his bondage. This was comics on a grand scope, and it was because of books such as this one that I am hooked for life.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Limited Collectors' Edition C-49

I read this one when I was very, very young. The GCD tells me that this was cover dated October-November, 1976, around the time of my 4th birthday. That makes sense to me, as I read this on a play date with my friend Francis. He was only in my class for Junior Kindergarten, and I think that was the only time I went to his house. I have very few memories from that year, so it's funny how this one stuck. It's not like I fell in love with the Legion (that would happen much later), as I think I found them very confusing as my young brain could hardly keep the Super Friends sorted out. For years, I was intimidated by the sheer volume of Legionnaires. In fact, I don't think I read another Legion story until they showed up in Brave and the Bold and the first issue of their own series I bought was #300. I have since made amends. I'd love to find a cheap copy of this one.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Mighty World of Marvel #2

In the summer of 1983, my family took a 3 week vacation to England & Wales. I was nearly 11 years old that summer, and pretty much near the peak of my childhood interest in comic books (although Return of the Jedi was also taking up a lot of the geeky portion of my brain). Somewhere during that trip, my parents bought me this magazine-sized comic. Although I'd seen the Editions Heritage books in Quebec before, this was my first real taste of an international variant. I was an Avengers and Vision nut at the time, so this was a perfect fit. Although the title proclaims Everybody Dies!, I have a feeling this contained the Kitty Fights Alone story - but I can't find any real details about the contents of this mag, and I lost mine over 20 years ago. That trip was also my one and only visit to the legendary Forbidden Planet store in London (I had seen their awesome ad in the Overstreet Guide). I had a bit of money put aside for a special purchase. They had nice copies of both New Teen Titans #1 and Iron Man #1 for the exact same price. I don't want to tell you which one I chose.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: House of Mysery #298

Sometimes I am quite shocked by what my parents let me read. I would have picked this book up off the spinner racks just before my 9th birthday. I am certain that I was drawn in by the Joe Kubert cover featuring some sort of mysterious vampire robot. It turns out that it was just another 'bait and switch' Kubert cover from this era, as Stalker on a Starless Night is really more about a standard visitor from space and some of the theological questions raised by his appearance. The story holds up very well to this day. This may have been one of my earliest exposures to Tom Sutton's artwork, and it certain stuck with me.

Two of the stories contained herein are particularly brutal and I don't think would have passed my parent's vetting process had they actually flipped through it. The final tale, Fetched includes a particularly nasty scene in which a man clubs his wife over the head with an oar. Of course, he gets his comeuppance, but it is quite disturbing. The tale from this one that still sends a chill down my spine is Creature Comforts, a much more gruesome tale than one would normally expect from George Kashdan. It plays out like Tod Browning's Freaks with a terrific EC twist ending. All in all, this one is great stuff that still resonates nearly 30 years later.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Superman #338

Do you remember the days when 50% of all Superman stories had to do with the imminent destruction of Kandor? I'm very nostalgic for those years. I was never the world's biggest Superman fan, as I always preferred to supporting cast. The good news is that Len Wein manages to squeeze just about everyone into this story and makes it quite entertaining. This must have been one of my earliest exposures to Supergirl, and I remembering thinking that she was Supes' sister. Brainiac is the villain of the piece and he's been a personal favourite since back then. I likely bought this one based on the full pages ads that were omnipresent in DC comics at the time. It really seemed like this issue was going to be momentous. Well, it was a fun story, but not exactly Earth shattering. I do recall a fantastic two-page spread of Kandor. At the time, I was only 7 years old, so there is no way I truly appreciated Curt Swan's artistry. I'm still not a huge Superman fan, but I'd love to stumble upon this book in a dollar bin, as mine was lost a long time ago.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Hercules (Modern) #11

Modern Comics were a funny thing, and confounded me when I was young. They seemed to be everywhere in the late 70s, and perhaps even into the early 80s. By 'everywhere', I mean the discount stores my mother used to drag me to in the east end of Toronto. Locals will remember names like Bi-Way and Bargain Harold's. These stores had out of date 3-packs and loads of Modern Comics. I had no knowledge of the pedigree of these books, so for all I knew Hercules and Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt were contemporary characters. This book really threw me for a loop, as I had never see anything quite like Sam Glanzman's artwork before (I don't think I'd seen any DC war books at that point, or at least couldn't spot the similarities). With hindsight, I can now appreciate that Glanzman was trying to give the book a very unique look and the characters look as though they've stepped right off a Grecian urn. I dig this stuff now (although I realize it's not for everyone), but I thought it was the absolute pits as an 8-year. I still kind of feel that way about the Sanho Kim drawn Thane of Bagarth back-up, though.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Human Fly #12

I know that I've mentioned the 10 cent rack at my childhood LCS before. It was where I spent a lot of my allowance money circa 1980. That rack provide me with the first taste of Atlas-Seaboard books, Devil Dinosaur and Claw the Unconquered. Human Fly was also a regular denizen of the 10 cent rack. I think this was the first issue of Human Fly that I ever read. At the time, it was unlike anything I'd ever read and after flipping through it last night, that statement still holds true. This may be the most 'well intentioned' comic book series ever produced by Marvel. Looking back at it as an example of pure fromage, it is hard to believe the level of earnestness infused in these book. This issue recounts how Arnie came to join the Human Fly team. It's quite well told tale written by Bill Mantlo, and I like the Elias-Springer art team. I especially like the full page splash near the end where Arnie and the Fly manoeuvre in midair, as Elias certain knows how to lay out an action sequence. If I had to use one word to described this issue, if not the entire series it would be 'dorky', but sometimes I like dorks.