Single Issue Hall of Fame: Mystery in Space #111

What if I told you there was a comic book with art by the likes of Jim Aparo and Steve Ditko? How much do you think you'd be willing to pay? Wait! Don't answer yet, because there's more. How much would you pay if I threw in some Marshall Rogers artwork? Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? But that's not all. How about if we include Dan Spiegle channeling the very best of his Space Family Robinson work. Now, how much would you pay? $50?, $100? What if I told you that for no extra charge, we'll wrap it up in a very attractive Joe Kubert cover. Now how much would pay for this book? $200? How does a couple of quarters sound?

Astonishing, I know, but this is what DC offered to the general public back in 1980. Not many people took them up on this amazing offer, as the relaunched flagship sci-fi title didn't last a year. It's too bad - as there's a lot of quality work here. Highlights include the Spiegle drawn lead story about an intergalactic ambassador in peril, as well as the wordless space invasion story beautifully drawn by Aparo. I'm not sure who Gerald Brown was, but his stories showed some real promise. This one is still widely available for next to nothing. I highly recommend it as a true all-star collection of talent.

Don't Tread On Me Covers

In my continuing search to find obscure cover themes, I've tripped over a wonderfully fun theme (or was that the Atom?). 'Don't Tread On Me Covers' (as I've christened them) tend to feature a main character moments from becoming intimate with the sole of someone's shoe. It's a great design, and a real attention grabber. Let's take a look at a few.

We expect the likes of Atom and Ant-Man to be in this predicament on a fairly regular basis, so I'm not going to go on and on about those little guys, but I couldn't resist include this one from Marvel Team-Up #102, as it is the cover to one of my favourite comics from childhood. This is the Scott Lang Ant-Man, and he and Spidey have discovered the Taskmaster's secret training facility. Lang is still learning to fill Hank Pym's shoes at this stage in his career, but he should really be more concerned with Taskmaster's shoe at this stage.

Old Greenskin isn't exactly the first guy you'd think of getting caught underfoot, but here he is being threatened by Modok's size 55s on the cover of Incredible Hulk #167. Modok totally looks like the Spider Slayer here - did he hook up with Alistair Smythe? I like the whole juxtaposition of the big bad Hulk suddenly looking tiny. This cover is Herb Trimpes at his Trimpiest. Nice job all around (although taht red background is a bit garish for my tastes). I haven't read too many Hulk stories from this era, but boy did he ever get himself into some strange situations.

John Byrne must have liked the overall effect of Don't Tread On Me Covers, as he designed one for the cover to Superman Annual #1 from 1987. I'm not sure how I feel about this one, as I have difficulty taking Titano seriously at times. It almost seems like he's playing footsie with Supes. Also, the combination of Superman's pose and facial expression makes him look more constipated than threatened. A lesser example of the subgenre, but I wouldn't be earning my salary if I only dug up Atom and Ant-Man covers.

A much better example is Mike Allred's cover to Madman #9. It's got a bit of a Land of the Giants feel to it (I looked through the Gold Key Land of the Giants cover gallery, but sadly no examples), complete with a giant toothbrush. I can't remember how that toy robot fits into the story (except for that its owner is a geek), but it looks pretty cool. I did always find that Easter Island head at the bottom right to be a real distraction - and I won't be mentioning them when I do Easter Island covers. Madman has one of the few books I picked up religiously back in the mid-90s, but the wonky publishing schedule became a pretty big turn off. I wonder whatever happened to old Madman?

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Where Monsters Dwell #36

As I've likely mentioned before, my childhood LCS (Queen's Comics in Toronto's Beach neighbourhood) always had a rack outside on the sidewalk with 10 cent books. This was circa 1980, so it was crammed with Atlas Seaboards and Devil Dinosaurs. This is how I came to purchase my first 'monster' book. As a young child, I never really read the creator credits, but I always knew that I had seen the artistic styles in this book somewhere before. Of course I had - we're talking Kirby and Ditko here, folks. I read and re-read this one to bits as a kid, but it was lost somwhere along the way. It took quite a while, but I finally tracked down another copy and I enjoy it just as much today as I did 25 years ago.


The lead story is one of those great Lee/Ditko morality plays that feeds on Cold War fear. The next tale is the classic 'perils of trying to catch a mermaid' story. Looking at the Atlas Tales site - Andru & Esposito are credited (from the original Astonishg #46 enty), but I've always thought it was Don Heck. I'll have to dig out my copy and take another look. The next one is about a man who invents a duplicator ray and learns that it pays to be careful what you wish for - very, very nice John Tartaglione art. Finally, we have a Kirby masterpiece involving a Transatlantic Tunnel and the importance of not disturbing paradise. It's just great, great stuff. I'm trying to pick up as many of these 70s reprint books as I can because the original Atlas books are getting priced out of reach. The sad thing is, the 70s books certainly aren't going for a dime anymore!

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Racket Squad in Action #12

Here's a Ditko cover from the 50s that you might not have seen. One doesn't normally think of crime comics when Ditko's name is mention, but he does a pretty good job nice job here. We've got a explosion in a Mom & Pop-owned corner store. I'm not in love with all aspects of this explosion (the positioning of the main figures, for example), but it's no bomb. I love how the explosion apparently has such incredible impact, and yet only one apple has been disturbed - a great little touch. Racket Squad is actually a very fun little title. It is procedural in tone, revealing how many scams and frauds are perpetrated. I've only ever owned a couple of them, but I keep my eye out for a cheap copies because it's always been a fun read. Not much Ditko to be found, though. He only contributed two covers, as far as I can tell. Ditko signed these covers in a very unique way - I'm not sure when this practice ended but it's too bad he went with a more linear signature.

Reprint This! Johnny Dynamite

Dear Max Allan Collins

I am a fan of your work – love Ms. Tree. She rocks. I’d like to see her stuff reprinted in its entirety, but that’s an entry for another day. I’m here to talk about Johnny Dynamite. This nearly mythical Comics Media/Charlton character has intrigued me for ages. He is just so freakin' cool and Pete Moris simply cannot be beat. Once upon a time, I had some money. I chose to spend it on other comics, where I should have been tracking down old issues of Johnny Dynamite. Now I am broke – I won’t be able to buy those for a long, long time. It's a real heartbreaker.

I understand that you acquired the right to the Johnny Dynamite character in the 1980s as part of the demise of Charlton. I further understand that some of the original Johnny Dynamite stories were reprinted has been sporadically reprinted. That was very nice of you but what the world is really crying out for (ok - maybe not the 'world' per se, but I can't be the only one) is a comprehensive collection of Johnny Dynamite stories from the 50s. That way I can get a Pete Morisi fix whenever I need one. My hardboiled heart won't mend until I see it on my bookshelf. Please.

Thanks in advance,
Scott

Quick & Stale DVD Reviews

3:10 to Yuma
I love westerns, and have been dying for something new so this may not be the most balanced review. What we have here is a remake of a mid-50s classic, that was a pretty unique western for its time. Crowe does a good job of working the charming villain angle – making the audience relax just enough to lose its cool. Bale does a nice slow burn, and I think he does vulnerable quite well. A couple of small quips. Ben Foster’s characters was at times frightening, but veered into ‘over the top’ territory at times. The back and forth of the Bale/Crowe relationship was a bit much and tough to swallow at times. All in all a solid outing, and it’s great to see a new western. Grade: B+

The Simpsons Movie
Hi – long time viewer, first time reviewer. I’ve been a huge fan of the Simpsons since Day One (okay – maybe Day Two) and have always found something to like even in the weakest episodes. The film could not have disappointed me more (I actually had low expectations initially, but read so many decent reviews that I had some hope). I was as if they took a very lame 30 minute show and stretched it into a full length film. Too much plot – way too much plot. The laughs were few and far between and the sight gags and clever one-liners were noticeably absent. I would buy into a sequel, only if it features the return of either Lyle Lanley or John Waters. Grade: C

Waitress
What a wonderful movie. Who would have thought that I’d but into some movie about a pie-making Felicity dealing with a surprise pregnancy? Everyone involved in this film, from top to bottom, obviously bought into Adrienne Shelley’s vision. The back and forth between Russell and Captain Mal was great – some of the funniest stuff I’ve seen in ages. It’s hard to watch this film in a vacuum and not be impacted by Shelley’s murder, but if you ever really need a movie to tell you to stop complaining and appreciate all that you have – this might be a good choice. Grade: A-

Battlestar Galactica: Season One
Yup – I know the bandwagon is long gone, but I’m chasing after it. This is the shit. My wife was very skeptical when I brought this home from our local video store – but she was sold on it in a hurry. The casting is superb and the cinematography infuses everything with a intense claustrophobia. Frackin’ brilliant. Grade: A

You've Been Warned: Six From Sirius

I didn't understand a word, and there were plenty of words from which to choose.

My Own Worst Enemy Covers

This is a theme we used to see all the time in superhero books - a real hook to grab the browser's attention. Of course, it normally turned out to a crook in disguise or a dream but they're still a lot of fun. Let's take a peak at a few of them:

I been reading the Adam Strange Archives, and this cover from Mystery in Space #59 jumped out at me. I don't think that I'd ever taken note of it before. It's another stylish Adam Strange cover (there are so many beautifully designed covers from that series) and the Giant Adam vs. Mini Adam battle looks to be a good one. I haven't read the "Duel of the Two Adam Stranges" yet, but I imagine a rogue hypernuclear Zeta beam is involved. I've really been enjoying these early Silver Age stories - Gardner Fox wasn't perfect by any means, but he certainly had a vivid imagination.

Captain America's backstory is enough to give anyone a headache as he's been frozen in ice, lost a sidekick, hooked up with a daugher of one of his contemporaries and had some weird 50s replacement retconned into the system. It only makes sense, then, that he should eventually have to duke it out with himself at some point, as shown on the cover to Captain America #156. I can't recall ever having read this book, but I imagine that it really comes down to sidekick vs. sidekick. My money's on the Falcon, especially if Red Wing gets involved.

Ok, ok - I know this isn't really a second Wonder Woman, as the cover clearly states that it's a robot (I wish they had spoiler alerts back then), but it's still a very, very stylish cover. I think that the cover to Wonder Woman#48 was drawn by Irv Novick - who contributed some very nice Wonder Woman covers in the early 50s, while HG Peter was still doing interior work. This cover acted as a nice springboard for a lot of the kooky WW vs. WW covers later produced by Andru and Esposito (see #84, #98, #111 among others - and there are plenty!). When did they stop making explosive in that format?

Gene Colan got in the act in the late 70s with this cover to Daredevil #156. If memory serves, this one falls into the 'hallucination' category, as DD's in a coma or something rather. What I like about this one is that not only is Red DD fighting Yellow DD in the ring, but Matt Murdock is there too, acting as someone's trainer - or perhaps for both of them. I cannot remember how this one ends, but I imagine that DD wakes up from the coma and feels a deep sense of satisfaction that he changed to the red costume so early in his career.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Marvel Spotlight #4

OK, OK - I know that it's certainly been more than a week, but it's tough keeping my blog somewhat organized with so little sleep (my 6 month old always keeps us guess as to whether she's going to make it through the night). It's not a good idea to look at too many Steve Ditko covers on 2 hours sleep, as you start to see the world through his eyes. Here's a really stylish cover from 1980. It's obvious that Marvel had high hopes for Ditko's return as the is the first of two consecutive issues labelled as an all-new classic. Readers of my blog might notice an interdimensional similarity to the Out of This World cover I posted last year. Yup - it's the same gimmick nearly a quarter century later, but it still works. With hindsight, it seems pretty obvious that Ditko and Mar-Vell are a great fit - but somehow Sturdy Steve never got much sci-fi work with the Big Two. There are a lot of great Ditko covers from this short-lived series, but I'm dedicated to spreading the wealth among various publishers and titles so it may be a while before I spotlight it again.

Recent Review - Green Arrow: Road to Jericho

As regular readers on here might have guessed, I don't buy too many new books. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Oliver Queen, though - so I've been keeping up with this new series via trades. Overall, I think that it's been a pretty strong ride from the earliest Kevin Smith issues to the more recent Judd Winnick stuff. It's not perfect - as I feel that the plot is often rushed along (I read the previous trade "Crawling Through the Wreckage" during on 25 minute streetcar ride home from work), but the whole Arrow Family is pretty well fleshed out making for believable relationships.

With this edition, we are smack dab in the middle of a power play for the mayor's office as Ollie is facing a recall election. This is nicely contrasted to some flashbacks to the training sessions that went on during his 'year off'. Some of it may be a bit over the top, but at least we get to see a new seriousness in Ollie that he ultimately takes into political life. Like any 'Family' book, there's the danger of too many cooks spoiling the broth, but Mia and Connor are used effectively and Roy and Dinah only show up for support near the end. Winnick doesn't go overboard with the guest stars as we only really have Batman showing up for an extended visit. What I really like most about what Winnick has done is to bring some gravitas to certain villians. Deathstroke, Merlyn and Drakon all bring some serious sinister to the table, and Brick's uneasy alliance with Oliver comes to a messy end. This was my first exposure to Jason Todd/Red Hood and he seems like a decent villain. The interchange between Ollie and Batman about who screwed up their sidekicks the most was pretty priceless.

I like Winnick - he does go a bit over the top at times, but he knows how to write a superhero book and the political stuff is pretty solid. The McDaniel/Owens team is decent - but I'd really love it if Hester and Parks returned - they provided a better mixture of elegance and intensity. In the end, it was an enjoyable ride and I'll continue to stick with this series (via trades) as it is a consisitently good read. Overall Grade: B+

Single Issue Hall of Fame: Power Man and Iron Fist #67

When I try to look at this book from a rational perspective, I know full well that it isn't Watchmen or The Spirit, but there's got to be some reason I've read it over 10 times. As a kid, I liked this title, but it was never up there with Avengers, Brave and the Bold or Spider-Man, but everything seems to come together with this issue. It's actually quite amazing how much is accomplished in a single issue - we've got a headscratcher of a bank heist, a missing hero, a quick origin recap, a heroic rescue and a cliffhanger ending. Mary Jo Duffy really seems to know how to make a superhero book work. Bob Rodi wrote an interesting letter to the Editor (he acknowledges that Duffy is his friend) comparing PM & IF to Asterix and Obelix (as the ultimate 'buddy' comic strip). The key is having two disparate characters interacting in a realistic and yet entertaining way. When Luke goes missing, you really get a feel for Danny's desperation. The art team of Kerry Gammil and Ricardo Villamonte is also very, very strong - giving off a bit of a Byrne/Austin vibe. Did I mention the cool Frank Miller cover? All in all - it's great stuff and my guess is that you can track this down in a bargain bin and enjoy a very good read.

Charlton Notebook: Space War #30

While I'm absolutely nuts for Charlton horror books, there are also some real gems in the sci-fi realm. In the late 70s, Charlton relaunched Space War as a reprint book. I'm guessing that it didn't sell all that well, but what a treat they are to read today. Space War #30 is a prime example. We start off with a Ditko cover originally used for the Out of This World series in the 50s. The lead story is an early 70s Gill/Staton story - nothing too original but I love how Staton draws technological gadgetry. The next story is very interesting, as it features Tom Sutton pencilling over Wally Wood layouts. It's from the mid-60s, so it must have been some of Sutton's earliest work and you don't see Wood's name pop up too often in a Charlton book. Finally, we are rewarded with one of those great late 50s Ditko stories that just look so cool you wish that you could wallpaper your room with it. This series is selling for peanuts on eBay and through online retailers, so I strongly suggest grabbing a few copies before everyone gets in on the secret.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Marvel Treasury Edition #18

When I as growing up, I absolutely loved treasury-sized comics. There was just something special in the oversized format. I realize why I find them a bit awkward today. I used to read them spread out on the floor - perhaps with milk and cookies within reach. I put in a lot less floor time these days, so standard format is my current preference. I must have spent countless hours on my living room floor reading my Star Wars, Hulk and Batman treasury editions. To this day, one of my favourites remains Marvel Treasury Edition #18: The Astonishing Spider-Man. For whatever reason, you don't see this one for sale all that often. That's a shame because the covers (front and back) are worth the price of admission. It's a great little trick, having the heroes on the front and the villains on the back - very cool.

This book features reprints of early Marvel Team-Up stories. MTU was one of my regular reads at the time, so it was a great fit for me. I believe that this was my first exposure to the X-Men, which is kinda of weird as this story is from the 'lost years' as the team floated around the periphery of the Marvel Universe in their street clothes. I'd never seen Morbius before either, and he comes across as a particularly unattractive fellow in the oversized format. Iron Fist was one of my favourite characters in the late 70s and early 80s, and this was pretty strong story. I don't think I was aware of Werewolf By Night back then, but what kid doesn't love a werewolf?

To this day, the real appeal of this treasury book is the Ghost Rider story. I was a big GR fan back then - right up until 1982 or so. This story features the Orb, whose giant Eyeball helmet makes him look like a reject from the Resident. He comes across as your typical motorcycle riding bad guy until the time comes for the big reveal. And what a reveal! His disfigured face is enough to make any kid swear off riding bicycles, never mind motorcycles. It looks even more gruesome treasury sized. I'm certain that I can attribute at least a handful of childhood nightmares to this story. Well, the cover certainly promised me 'Exciting Surprises'.

Outland Revisited

I've always liked this film, but over the past decade or so I've heard many people refer to it as weak High Noon rip-off. Unfortunately, sometimes a film can develop such a reputation that it is difficult to see it without importing certain biases. I caught it again on late night digital cable last week, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I still like it. Sure, it has flaws as well as elements of High Noon, but the whole coroporate corruption angle makes for a nice 80s update.

The real strongpoint here is Connery's slow burn. Like many of you, I kind of cringe when I think of much of the Scotsman's work over the past 20 years. Here, he is at his best when he is very human - best represented in the scene where his wife leaves him by video message (nice). I don't recall ever feeling sorry for a Connery character before. I'd say that this film is primed for a remake, but it really hasn't aged all that much. Sure, some of the computer screen shots could use an upgrade, but the sets and costumes are as effective as they are low tech. Much like John Carpenter's the Thing, and Ridley Scott's Alien - the atmosphere here is palpable, it's one of desperation compounded by remoteness. For a thinking man's thriller, you can do much worse than Outland. Now, if only they'd stop showing the same dark and dirty print on TV!

Reprint This! Blackhawk #252-#273

Here's a new feature to my blog - a chance to highlight all of the good stuff that should be put into TPB form for all to enjoy. I'm starting with a fairly obvious choice, but many of you may not be aware of the wonderful take on Blackhawk by the team of Mark Evanier and Dan Spiegle. Blackhawk is a tough, tough series to keep fresh as, in many ways, it was no longer a viable strip after the end of WW2. The series was kept alive at Quality and it was still quite an entertaining read in the 50s. The transition to DC was a rough one, and the Junk Heap Heroes experiment could have proven fatal.

The final two issues of that Blackhawk series, pencilled by personal favourite Pat Boyette, were the strongest Blackhawk stories in eons. My guess is that Mark Evanier had those issues in mind when he started writing this early 80s masterpiece. Somehow Evanier and Dan Spiegle were able to find the right balance of action, adventure, drama and humour that had eluded so many Blackhawk creators in the past. Even though the war was ancient history, the Evanier/Spiegle team created a timeless feel to their book and made us relive the threat of Hitler and the Nazis as well as the optimism in the Blackhawks' cause.

Many comic books have tried to return to WW2 (Wonder Woman in World's Finest, the Invaders) but none made it as compelling as this series. Dan Spiegle remains one of the most underrated comic book artists of all-time and I am starting to see he and Evanier as one of the greatest collaborative teams in comic book history. Spiegle can draw everything and anything, and his stories move along beautifully. Perhaps that is why he is rarely mentioned in the same sentence as a Kirby or and Adams - he never makes you stop and say 'Wow - look at that!' He just knows how to tell a story. As a bonus, you've got wonderful covers by the likes of Kane and Cockrum.

This is a perfect candidate for reprint treatment, and I simply cannot understand why DC hasn't done it yet!