Favourite Super-Hero Designs #12

Blonde Phantom

Simple, Sexy and Pulpy. I am not the kind of guy who really goes for GGA but I think Syd Shores' Blonde Phantom design is beyond cool.

Top 12 Favourite Super-Hero Designs

Every year, the Classic Comics group at Comic Book Resources does a top 12 of a specified category. The most recent theme was Super-Hero Designs. I thought I would post my choices here for posterity.

Here's the criteria I used:

1. I gave it all about 5 minutes' thought
2. The design had to be one that immediately caught my attention
3. The design had to be unique, or at least not too derivative
4. In many cases, the design would be more important or even better than the actual character

Top 12 list to follow.

Single Issue Hall of Fame: Star Wars #28

Although I'd love to say that the Star Wars series published by Marvel was indeed Marvelous, it ran pretty hot and cold. I still don't think that Infantino was a good fit, but I have pretty much made piece with his work on the series. This is one of the issues with the great Gene Day working over Infantino breakdowns, and that works quite well. Why do I think this particular issue is such a great one. Well, the title of the story is "Whatever Happened to Jabba the Hut?". Remember those days before Return of the Jedi, when the only version of Jabba that we knew that that whiskered green fellow we met in the Chaykin-drawn adaptation? Well, he returns here and I think I am more of a fan of a mobile Jabba. This is a very small scale story, with Han and Chewie trapped in cave by Jabba's gang. Some terrifying insects pose both a thread and a chance to escape. There is some terrific character building as the camaraderie between our two heroes is evident. The intensity of the climax, and the nastiness of the bugs, is more than you expect from comics of the era. Thrown in some humour and a comeuppance for Mr. Hut (note the single 't' at the time) and you'd got a nice little gem.

Charlton Notebook: Ghostly Haunts #42

Here's a rather strong entry in the field of mid-70s Charlton horror books. The lead story is rather unique, as it features a crossover between Winnie the Witch and the Coffins from Midnight Tales. While Professor Coffin and his niece Arachne have never been favourites of mine (their stories are a bit too silly), it is not every day you sees member of the Charlton Universe interact. The middle story is very strong, with a terrific Twilight Zone ending demonstrating that crime does not pay. It was drawn by Sururi Gumen, an artist better known for his work for Cracked magazine. The finale is a Nicola Cuti/Don Newton collaboration.This one is solid, but nothing spectacular. Newton's artwork is wonderfully moody, but the story is a bit dull. Overall, an above average offering from the fine folks in Derby.

Reprint This! The Fly

The Impact line of comics was introduced the summer after I graduate from high school. I read a small handful of them at the time, but for some reason assumed they were targeted at a younger crowd and largely ignored them. As I have aged, I have learned to appreciate the simple things in life. Mike Parobeck's artwork is something that falls beautifully into the category or simple things that I have grown to love. This series is 17 issues (and 1 annual) of high energy Parobeck pencils that work very nicely with the Len Strazewski scripts. The series seems to be going for a 'early Lee/Ditko Spider-Man' vibe and, overall, it works quite well. From an early 90s perspective, it is a nice piece of counter programming, contrasting with the grim and grittiness that was prevalent at the time. I have been finding back issues in the 50 cent bin at a local shop, but I think a simple, affordable trade would look nice on my shelf.

Hidden Gems: The All-New Batman: Brave and the Bold #14

I was plowing through a TPB of this newish B&B series I got for my kids and I was absolutely blown away by this particular issue. The original Brave and the Bold is my all-time favourite series and the animated series is pure gold. All members of my family love it. I have always liked the Ragman character and his interactions with Batman here are wonderful. This story centers around Chanukah and writer Sholly Fisch does a superb job of condensing the Chanukah story into a page or two - the perfect way to give a child an introduction to the history of the holiday. In the end, however, the story is about more than a local synagogue. It is about the importance of community and finding value in what is around you. It is a great message, delivered in a very subtle and heartfelt manner. The opening gag with the trio of colour-based foes isn't half bad, either. Don't mistake this for a kid's comic. It is one you will be happy to have in your collection.

Add It To My Want List: World Around Us #35

This is the penultimate issue to this rather intriguing published by Gilberton. I do not own a single issue of World Around Us, but I figure that this is a great place to start. Why? Well, it is about spies so that's pretty cool. It is about spies in 1961, so that's even cooler. What else? Well, how about 6 pages of artwork by the team of Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers? I have seen one sample from this book and, while it may not be the most dynamic art produced by that duo, it is still early 60s Kirby so I'm keen to own it. As a bonus, there's a lot of artwork by the great George Evans, who was near the height of his powers at this time. I also really dig the mixed media cover. All in all, there's more than enough here to get me salivating. If I ever spy a copy of it, I'll be sure to grab it.

Gil Kane Cover of the Month: Sgt. Fury #100

If you look at Gil Kane's cover output throughout his career, you'll notice a relative dearth of covers from the war genre. That's not to say he could not produce a solid war cover, but the jobs tended to be assigned to the likes of Joe Kubert and John Severin. I would be interested to hear if Kane enjoyed war stuff or if his preference was to focus on superheroes and westerns. The cover to Sgt. Fury #100 is a terrific example of the inventiveness of Kane's cover design. It has a great 'split' design that we often see above and beneath the water's surface. This time, however, Kane is playing around with time. John Romita makes sure that ever fold in the clothing is accentuated. His inks work very well over Kane here and I'll be sure to keep my eye out for other GK/JR works to feature down the road.

Kids' Corner: Sonic the Hedgehog Archives #0

Truth be told, the last video game I played with any regularity was Contra. I am by no means a gamer and tend to steer clear of any video game adaptations as they tend to be quite weak. I had heard, over the years, that the Sonic comic book was quite good and a 20+ year run for the ongoing series speaks to its popularity. My son is starting to become interested in video games and Sonic, so it seems like a good opportunity to take the comic book series out for a test drive. These early stories are written by Michael Gallagher and drawn by Scott Shaw! My son devoured this volume, and handed it over to me. What did I find? I found a main character who shared traits with Lee/Ditko's Spider-Man, adding clever quips throughout the action sequences. I found a well conceived universe, strong character designs and enough pop culture references to keep a parent happy. Sonic has a bit of attitude but it never gets rude or snarky. The package is great, as four issues are compiled at a decent price and its a good size for keeping on a bookshelf. All in all, it was a lot of fun and I look forward to reading future volumes with my kids.

You've Been Warned: Marvel Presents #8

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you will know that I have absolutely no problem with reprints. I want to read as many great comic stories as possible and, if a reprint is the most affordable way to accomplish that goal, so be it. Here's the thing, though. I absolutely hate the bait and switch. During the mid-70s, Marvel had a tough time getting their creators to hand in their work on time, hence the "Dreaded Deadline Doom". I understand. Things happen. What annoys me, however, is when Marvel decided to drop reprint material into the middle of an ongoing series with nary an announcement. If you were to buy this comic on the basis of the cover alone, you'd the that the Silver Surfer was making an appearance with the Guardians. In the future, no less. Cool. Well, that's not quite what happens. It fact, what you get is a lame framing sequence and a partial reprint from Silver Surfer #2. Huh? Would I have been happy with what I got for my three dimes back then? Probably not, especially since Fantasy Masterpieces was just a few years away. Honestly, I'd be fine if it said 'Reprinting a classic" or "An encore presentation", but this stuff really bugs me. I'll be featuring more of this on here down the road.

Exit Stage Left: Atom and Hawkman #45

This is one of only two 15 cent issues of the 'merged' series. If having two former headliners in a single mag was not enough to lure readers, DC commissioned a number of dramatic Joe Kubert covres. It would appear that none of this could save the series. The final issue is a rather typical, loopy science-fiction tale involving microscopic alines and brainwashing. This one ends in a very strange fashion, as Jean Loring appears to be brain damaged, believing herself to be Queen of the aliens. I'm not sure how, or if, this ever got resolved. I have a full run of the Atom series, including the three Showcase issues, and it is one of my favourite sections of my collection. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel a little sad whenever I spot this final issue.

Reprint This! Charlton's Wander

Wander was a very unique little strip, created by Denny O’Neil (as Sergius O’Shaugnessy) and Jim Aparo. Despite that pedigree, not too too many people are aware of its existence as it was buried as a back-up in Cheyenne Kid, perhaps the blandest of all Charlton westerns. Needless to say, Wander was infinitely more entertaining than its lead-in. Why should this one be reprinted? Well, it’s not every day that you get the opportunity to read an ongoing saga about and alien dressed as a cowboy. Did I mention that the alien spoke in pseudo-Shakespearean English? I really find early Aparo art to be quite fascinating, and I enjoy tracking his evolution as an artist. It would be a slim volume, but I would absolutely love to see all of the Wander stories collected in one place.

Please Support the Final Score DVD Release

I don't normally make too many requests on here or push too many side projects, but I would like to draw your attention to a very fun cause started by my good pals at the Gentleman's Guide to Midnite Cinema. They are working with a good friend in the Netherlands to release the 1986 action film Final Score on DVD. There are lots of terrific goodies being offered as prized over at their Indiegogo site.

I ask, as a personal favour, that you head over there to check out the campaign and consider donating whatever you can.

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/final-score-dvd-release/x/6692642

Single Issue Hall of Fame: Power Man & Iron Fist #75

I have likely mentioned it on here before, but it is worth reiterating that Power Man & Iron Fist was one of my favourite series as a child. It was just so different from many of the books I was reading back then. One of the strongest aspects of this series is the bond between Luke and Danny. That relationship is very nicely portrayed in the epic double-sized issue, as it features a nice mix of action and characterization. You get plenty of Danny coming to terms with his past, including a very effective retelling of his origin. There's plenty of humour with some 'fish out of water' bits as Luke does not adapt very smoothly to the customs of K'Un-Lun. On top of all that, there's a terrific Bob Larkin painted cover. Those covers were becoming a rarity in standard format books at Marvel during the early 80s. All in all, it is a solid milestone issue with a strong standalone story. What more could you want?

Hidden Gems: Countdown

Attention Robert Altman fans! Yes, Mr. Altman's work has been adapted for the Four Color world. It wasn't The Long Goodbye, nor Quintet but rather this nearly forgotten film starring a super young James Caan and Robert Duvall. It makes you wonder if Francis Ford Coppola was a fan. The film itself is perhaps the least Altmanesque of all Altman films but I have a soft spot for this type of story, and it translates very well to the printed page. Jack Sparling may not be Neal Adams, but I have always found him to be a decent storyteller and his does a good job with the likenesses of the cast members. If you know the film, you know the ending is quite suspenseful and the final few pages here are a real treat. This is a Silver Age (space) oddity that should be scooped up by fans of sci-fi films of the era.