Reprint This! Mr. & Mrs. Superman

Never heard of this series? You're likely not alone. Unless you were a reader of Superman Family in the late 70s and early 80s, you were probably not aware that there was a series featuring Earth-Two Lois and Clark in a state of marital bliss. It was a charming little series, with fun scripts by Cary Bates and E. Nelson Bridwell with clean, almost retro artwork by the always underappreciated Kurt Schaffenberger. In these stories, trouble always seems to find its way into the Superhome, and we get plenty of guest appearances including Alan Scott, Bruce Wayne and both Mr. Mxyztplk and Mr. Mxyzptlk. I understand that these stories had zero value to the powers that be at post-Crisis DC, but I honest believe that a collection of these 8 page gems would find an audience in today's market.

Single Issue Hall of Fame: Battlefield #2

It could be argued that the pre-implosion bullpen at Atlas was as good as it gets. The talent pool was so deep that terrific artists such as Mac Pakula rarely warrant a mention. Some of the best work produced by these artists can be tough to track down, as they are scattered among the myriad of Atlas war books. If you're looking for a great example of the high calibre of work coming out of said bullpen; look no further than Battlefield #2. We start with a great cover by Russ Heath, showcasing the horrors of the Korean War. Check out that hand coming out of the ground! What I find most interesting about this era of war comics are the propaganda-soaked stories. The first story here is a great example of that, showing the North Korean soldiers as savages. Another intriguing aspects of this genre is the attempt to educate the reader. This issue has a rather haunting look at the atrocities of war, including a look at WW2 concentration camps. If you don't think Paul Reinmann is much of an artist, I urge you to check out this story. Also on the educational front is a look at various defensive walls through the ages, beautifully rendered by the aforementioned Mr. Heath. Yup, all of this and some Joe Maneely art to boot. If you happen upon an affordable copy of this book, I urge you to snap it up or check it out via the Marvel Masterworks volume. 

Hidden Gems: The 'Nam #41

I know quite a few people who rave about this series, but this is the only issue I've ever owned. I am pretty darned happy with it, too. Why is it a hidden gem? Well, let's start with the lovely John Romita cover. It's may be odd to see three key Avengers bursting through a map of Southeast Asia, but it sure is cool. This issue comes across as a quasi-What If? as the soldiers imagine what the war would be like if superheroes had been involved. It is all quite light hearted, or as light hearted as a book about Vietnam can get. What I really like however, is how the same soldiers absolutely skewer the John Wayne-starring Green Berets. They take that film to task and some of the panels are recreations of scenes from the movie. All in all, this is a bit of an oddity and one I think you'd be happy to have in your collection.

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.  

Trade Marks: Doc Savage - The Silver Pyramid

While I would not consider myself to be a Doc Savage expert or super-fan, I have read enough of the Man of Bronze's exploits to be fairly well versed in the character and I am always keen to revisit his world. I also know that pulp flows through Denny O'Neil's veins, so I had pretty high expectations when I got my hands on this collection of stories from the late 80s. What I wasn't expecting, however, was a focus on a supporting cast that truly works better in small doses. I was also underwhelmed by the new characters introduced and the attempt to build an almost Phantom-esque feel to the Savage lineage. There were two key missed opportunities. The first was the underdeveloped Nazi villain, who never got beyond a cartoony sketch. The second was a chance for a terrific whodunit surrounding a traitor in Savage's midst. We get the answer in the end, but there was no dramatic tension. I'm generally not a huge fan of the Kubert boys' artwork, but it is very, very paternally inspired here so, at times, you feel as though you're reading an old Joe Kubert war book (those parachutes!). All in all, this one is a yard sale candidate. Trade Mark: C-

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Marvel Tales #143

I was reading my tattered copy of Marvel Tales #3 (1966) with my two kids last week. We had a good conversation about just how amazing Steve Ditko's character design was on the Lizard and how his work on Spidey villains overall is what led to the long-term success of the Spider-Man empire. Well, maybe I was rambling, but I think they were listening. On revisiting this story, I was struck by just how much I love the look of the Lizard. He's a great tragic, sci-fi monster. You all know that I love Ditko covers, but the cover to Amazing Spider-Man #6 never did much for me. It was only after seeing the cover to Marvel Tales #143 that I realized the problem. The colour was all wrong. He lab coat was purple! It ruins the overall effect as the Lizard's Green/White/Purple colour scheme is very appealing. I'm not sure who fixed it for this reprint cover, but I commend them as they've actually improved a Ditko cover - a rare feat.

Skeleton Hero Covers Pt. 2

Here are a few more.

Detective Comics #620 (Late August, 1990) was released right in the middle of a terrific era for the title. I was a huge fan of Breyfogle's artwork and it was one of my 'go to' titles during the last years of high school. Breyfogle was also a very inventive cover artists, playing around with layouts and design. This isn't his best work, but it is certainly far from bad. I do like the way his signature appeals to be nothing more than another crease in the cowl.

The second iteration of What If? never quite lived up to the quality of its predecessor. That said, I think the cover to What If #50 (June, 1993) is an appropriate cover design for the story, focusing on the inherent creepiness of an admantium skeletal structure. I don't know much about Armando Gil, but he seems to be very capable of delivering the kind of covers Marvel was known for in the early 90s. That's called damning with faint praise, kids.

Let's finish up with a cool one. The cover to Legion of Super-Heroes #47 (September, 1993) is pencilled by the great Stuart Immonen. His Skelegionnaires have been given a real zombie vibe. I love their posture. I also love the fact that the Invisible Kid's headband stayed on. Is that big skeleton Blok? Didn't he have a costume during this era?

Skeleton Hero Covers Pt. 1

You might be surprised to find out just how often this cover gag has been used, although it seems to have been more popular at DC.

Let's start with my favourite. The cover to Wonder Woman #298 (December, 1982) is quite stunning. It brings a House of Mystery/Secrets vibe to a superhero title. Frank Miller was a terrific cover artist, and did created some truly remarkable images for both Marvel and DC. I think Dick Giordano was a good inker for him and I wish they had worked together more often.

Flash #186 (March, 1968) is another great one. This is the kind of Silver Age cover that would have intrigued any 10 year old on the planet. Ross Andru pencilled a ton of great Flash covers over the years. His sense of design is terrific. For another, rather gruesome Flash skeleton cover check out Rich Buckler's cover to #258.

The wonderful Jonah Hex Spectacular told us how our favourite bounty hunter would spend his post-living years. In fact the GCD Indexer stated "Lots of loose plot ends left hanging, including the fact that Jonah's death has been written already." All of that said, I still really dig the cover to Jonah Hex #92 (August, 1985). I am not always a huge fan of Denys Cowan, but his stuff looks really good inked by Klaus Janson. This is a fitting image for the final issue of a series that saw a ton of Four Colour death.

Alas, poor Clone, I knew him well. Or at least I though I did. The never followed the whole revisit to the Clone Saga in the mid-90s, so I don't have a clue how things turned out. In any event, the cover to Sensational Spider-Man #2 (March, 1996) by Jurgens/Janson team is pretty terrific, especially when compared to the dreck Marvel was putting on shelves during that era. It is a single image. There are no ridiculous captions. There are no mutants. There are not pneumatic babes. How did this get back the editors?

I'll be sharing some more next week.

Highlighting House Ads: Superman 1957

Ones of the things that I enjoy about house ads is that they a truly a snapshot of a moment in time. Here's one that would have been published in late 1957. What we can tell from the ad is that the George Reeves TV show has not yet been cancelled  and that the Lois Lane comic has yet to his spinner racks. Both of those events would occur in 1958. A little more digging shows that the comics pictured here have a December, 1957 cover date. There's nothing all that special about the add, but I find the word 'Still' to comes across as a bit desperate. I also find it interesting that Superboy is not included in the ad, either in his eponymous series or Adventure Comics. It's funny how a simple little ad can get the gears of the brain rolling.

Happy Halloween

Nothing really to say today. Just wanted to put this pic up, as it always gets me in the Halloween mood.

Trade Marks: The Goon - Chinatown

I have read a number of Goon stories and, while I have always enjoyed Eric Powell's work on the series, I can't say that I ever loved it. This has changed with Chinatown. With this tale, Powell has found the right balance of action, humour and emotional impact. Much of this has to do with the flashbacks presented here, as they fill in certain gaps in the Goon's past and help the reader to better engage with him as a character. The character design is also very strong here, as Powell pays homage to Eisner by filtering both the good guys and the villains through a fun house mirror of sorts. I'm not sure if this is a great introduction to the character, but it is not a bad place to start and fans of pulpy action will find a lot to like. Trade Mark: A-

Add It to My Want List: Attack #48

While trying to sort out art credits for some recently purchased Charlton war comics I noticed this doozy on the Grand Comics Database. All Wally Wood art? A Jack Kirby cover? Count me in! There is some talk that one story is just Wood inking Bill Molno (likely, my least favourite Charlton artist), and I am guessing that much of the heavy lifting was by Wood's assistants, but I can live with that. This is the final issue, and you folks know that I love those. The thing is, sometimes these 80s Charlton books can be tricky to find, but the fun is in the hunt, isn't it?

You've Been Warned: Green Arrow #8

I am not really thrilled with what DC has done with the New 52, but I will follow Oliver Queen just about anywhere so I scooped up a few discounted trades. Over time, I have learned that I am not a huge fan of Ann Nocenti's writing. I know that many fans love her work on Daredevil, but it never really did much for me at all. Nocenti is trying to do something great here, as she references both King Lear and Dr. Moreau in the same story arc. In the end, however, it fails to be anything more than a mindless punch up with poorly fleshed out characters - the new Ollie chief among them. The artwork is beyond atrocious, sacrificing storytelling for ridiculous poses. It represents just about everything I cannot stand about today's comics and it is such a shame that this has happened to a character with such a strong track record. Jeff Lemire has taken over the series, so I look forward to catching up with his work on it to help cleanse the palate.

Reprints This! Rima, the Jungle Girl

I know quite a number of people who are big fans of this short-lived DC title from the mid-70s, and it seems to be quite well regarded amongst critics so I am confused as to why it hasn't been collected in one format or another. That slim Bat Lash Showcase trade looked just fine to my eyes and is all we really need. The stories are entertaining and the artwork by the team of Joe Kubert and Nestor Redondo is unbelievable, ranking among the very best of the decade. It would also be fun to include the Classics Illustrated version of Green Mansions as well as the issue of Super Friends that featured an appearance by the Jungle Girl herself. Perhaps it would not be a best seller, but I am certain that there are thousands of fans out there who would like all the stories in one volume up on the bookshelf. It is a genre that is woefully under served in today's reprint market.

 

Gil Kane Cover of the Month: Wonder Woman #304

In 1983, Gil Kane drew six consecutive Wonder Woman covers, five of which I would describe as portraits. These has unique layouts and very creative designs, giving them a bit of a 'pop art' flavour. The cover to Wonder Woman #304 is my favourite of the bunch. The use of blue really accentuates the colours of Wonder Woman's costume in the foreground and gives a shadowy feel to the larger figure in the background. The heroic look to the smaller figure juxtaposes nicely against the warrior-like pose of the larger figure in the background. I like the way Kane snuck his initials into the empty space. This cover really shows the strength of Kane's sense of design.