Gil Kane Cover of the Month: The Atom #24

Here's a body horror cover that the likes of David Cronenberg would love. Gardner Fox had a background in science-fiction and it showed in so many of the stories he wrote for DC. Sometimes the concept was better than the final product and the cover is a great way of conveying the concept. This one is fantastic as we get all sorts of texture - from the leaves to the colours above and below the water level. Murphy Anderson was the right inker for this jump as Kane's inking was a bit too fine for a job like this and Sid Greene might have made it look a bit flat. All in all, it's a good as it got for Kane on this title. Shear genius!

Happy Birthday Curt Swan!

Today would have been Curt Swan's 95th Birthday. Like anyone of my generation or the generation before me, Curt Swan was THE Superman artist. Long before I looked at creator credits, I knew that this was precisely how Superman was supposed to look. He was square jawed and impossibly handsome and yet still somewhat human and approachable. Coincidentally, Swan was shared all of those attributes with his Man of Steel. His artwork was never flashy as his strengths were as a storyteller, helping to sell some unbelievable yarns through the decades. Swan made Superman likable and, as a result, most people liked Swan. His ability to convey emotion, through both facial expression and posture, was without peer. There is a reason so many people see Swan as THE Superman artist. He took what Shuster and Boring had done, refined it and created a brand new template. He is missed.

You've Been Warned: Rocket Raccoon Mini-Series (1985)

I can already imagine the boos and hisses as I type. I know that this is likely a much beloved project, but hear me out. Like everyone else on the planet, I dig Rocket Raccoon. I also happen to love the work of Bill Mantlo and Mike Mignola. As such, it seemed as though this would be a good fit for me. What went wrong? It is difficult for me to put a finger on it, but I think that there was simply too much going on. Too many visual gags, too many characters, too convoluted a plot and too many literary and cinematic references. As such, it comes across as more of an experiment than a comic book story. I get what Mantlo was trying to do here and I picked up on most, if not all, of what he was referencing but the strange brew of Lewis Carroll, Walt Kelly and Steve Gerber playing in a sandbox filled with toys from Dune, Star Wars and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest left me with a bitter aftertaste. Abstract satirical humour can work great but, for me, it is better in smaller doses. I love most of Steve Gerber's work, but I feel as though he helped create a shift in funnybook writing that could really go off the rails. Full accolades to Mr. Mignola, though - this stuff looks great. Overall, not for me.

Add It To My Want List: Secret Origins #14

I've been re-reading my stack of Suicide Squad comics in recent days. I'm loving it, of course as Ostrander and company fused a great concept with a superb cast of characters. Many of those early issues reference both Legends and Secret Origins #14. Legends, I've read. Secret Origins #14? Nope. Now, I feel as though there's a gaping hole in my funnybook collection. I thought I had the Suicide Squad covered, but I'm missing a vital link in the chain. Now, it's a matter of haunting various comic shops until I get my hands on a copy. There are certainly worse ways to spend my time!

Charlton Notebook: The Phantom #36

I have written about this era of The Phantom on here before and have declared myself to be a fan. I re-read this particular issue and found myself transformed back to the dangerous jungles where ivory smugglers and diamond thieves lurk around every corner. This particular issue features two strong Phantom stories. I would have initially assumed these were scripted by Steve Skeates, who often collaborated with Jim Aparo, but the GCD states that Skeates has informed them that he was not involved with this one. I really love Aparo's artwork on this series, in particular the way he manages to give Devil such a strong personality. I wish he'd had the chance to work on Dell's
Lassie series. As an added bonus, there's a 4-page non-Phantom Ditko story in here. Not amazing Ditko, but Ditko all the same.

Trade Marks: I... Vampire!

Back in 2008, I wrote a 'Reprint This!' feature suggesting to the brain trust at DC that the I... Vampire story arc from House of Mystery would make for a fine TPB. A few years later, my prayers were answered and this handsome volume popped up in comic book shops. It's terrific to have all of these stories in one place, as it helps the reader get a better sense of the common thread linking the chapters. That said, some tales within the larger structure are stronger than others and they can come across as a bit repetitive when read altogether. I am a huge fan of Tom Sutton's artwork and it is very nicely reproduced here. I was very happy to see that they chose to included the story from The Brave and Bold #195. It may not fit perfectly with the other Andrew Bennett tales, but I am not going to complain about some nice Aparo artwork. I do wish that some additional materials were included, perhaps some sketches, rejected covers or even a Who's Who entry. Overall, it is a solid collection but falls short of upper tier material. Trade Mark: B+

Comic Book Robot of the Month: Mordillo's Assassin

Some people love a man in uniform. Me? I love a robot in a trench coat. It is truly an iconic look. Bynocki may be a more infamous robo-foe for Shang-Chi, but this assassin robot sent to London to take out Reston while repeating the phrased "Mr. Reston, I presume" is pretty cool. The Kane cover may be a bit misleading as the robo-action is wrapped up in the first few pages. That said, it is a pretty good fight as Shang-Chi ultimately turns the robot's weapons against itself. Ultimately, the issue is much more focused on espionage and detective work but a great cold opening with a neat looking robot is a smart way to kick off a storyline.

Reprint This! Bobby Benson B-Bar-B Riders

First, let's acknowledge the fact that Stan Lee was not the only person in love with alliteration. This name of this series has never easily rolled off my tongue (nor my keyboard). This is a terrific series. I was getting close to a full run until I needed some money and changed gears and sold them all. The Riders are based on a radio serial and their adventures are pretty typical for the era - think post-WW2 Boy Commandos on the frontier. For lovers of Bob Powell artwork, this is heaven. His stuff looks amazing here, serving as evidence that he is a true master. You also get terrific features such as The Lemonade Kid and Ghost Rider, with some early Dick Ayers art. I know that many of these stories have been reprinted a various points by AC Comics but it would be tremendous to see them all collected in a single volume.

Happy Birthday Frank Miller

Today is Frank Miller's Birthday. I don't want to get into his health, his politics, his opinions or his Spirit movie. If you've read this blog for a while, you know that I'm a huge fan of Miller's run on Daredevil as well as much of his 80s work. Not so much the later stuff like 300 and Sin City, but let's stay positive. What I want to remind everyone about today is that Frank Miller was an amazing cover artist. He has a wonderful sense of design and drama as evidenced by two of my favourite covers from childhood: Spectacular Spider-Man #52 and Power Man and Iron Fist #67, both of which have been featured here before. Here's a cool and unique cover that you may never have seen. It is from one of the final issues of the early 80s Superboy series that never really seemed to find its groove.

Single Issue Hall of Fame: Adventure Comics #425

This issue is like being overwhelmed by the choices on a menu at a great restaurant. It is unbelievable that editor Joe Orlando was able to bring this much talent together and squeeze them into a mere a 26 pages. Let's start with the Mike Kaluta cover. It's a wonderful blend of pulp and fantasy and would have definitely stood out as being unique on spinner racks back in late 1972. I met Mr. Kaluta 15 or so years ago and asked him to sign my copy - so it now has two signatures. His signature is one of my favourites. The cover is inspired by the lead story, drawn by the great Alex Toth. It's a great revenge tale with a truly nasty ending. I note that it was written by Lynn Marron. I don't know anything about her other than a small handful of horror credits for DC and Warren. There's a neat two-pager with a Hitler angle
by Frank Redondo. Gil Kane fans will be interested to hear that he also wrote his fantasy tale here and it has a slight Blackmark vibe. Finally, the issue launches the Captain Fear storyline by Robert Kanigher and Alex Nino, a serial that seems to harken back to newspaper strips while also being ahead of its time. This is a true Hall of Famer.

Happy Birthday Sal Buscema

Sal Buscema celebrates his 79th Birthday today. If anything can convince me to put my work aside for a while and blog again, it's the opportunity to talk about Our Pal Sal. As I understand, not everyone has always been enamored with Sal's work. During the 70s, whether the likes of Neal Adams, Jim Starlin and Frank Brunner were trying to expand our collective minds, artists like Sal Buscema simply got to work cranking out great stories and turning them in on time. Several years ago, I had a wonderful email exchange with Steve Engelhart in which he praised Sal as a wonderful collaborator.

When I close my eyes and think of comic book images from my formative funnybook years (let's say 1976 to 1983), I am amazed by how many of those got their start at Sal Buscema's drawing board. From Cap's shield crushing him (thanks to Graviton) in Avengers #158 to the truly eerie 'glass men' from Incredible Hulk #262. That image of the swimmer still creeps me out. How about that Spectacular Spider-Man #1 cover? There's a reason we all picked that one up, right? It grabs your attention. Here's to Sal Buscema.! I wish you the happiest of Birthdays!

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Speedball #4

I never read any Speedball during its initial run. I was in high school and likely thought it looked a little silly and juvenile. I was an idiot. I now look for charm whenever I go comic book shopping. I quite like the series as it does capture some of that Marvel Age magic. This cover is also a real throwback as Ditko seems to combining the work he did for Marvel, DC and even Charlton in the 60s here. Sure, there's a lot going on, but I really like a cover that tells a story. As far as late 80s and early 90s Ditko covers go, this one is a keeper.

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!

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. 

Single Issue Hall of Fame: Ghost Rider #70

I recently re-read this one for the first time in 20+ years. This particular stretch of Ghost Rider issues really appealed to me when I was a kid. It has aged quite well, and this particular issue is a standout. Roger Stern borrows a page from Todd Browning and brings some 'freaks' to the Quentin Carnival. The story packs an emotional punch as the carnival's tragic 'Cave Man' Jeremy is a wonderfully fleshed out character. When you're a kid, you don't necessarily track the creators. It's amazing how many of my favourite stories and images from the late 70s and early 80s were drawn by Bob Budiansky. The richly textured panels work wonderfully here, as they truly add some atmosphere to the tale. This is a great one!