What comic books have you read today?11515
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
Read this one today. I wasn’t expecting much, but I found it pleasantly surprising. This 12 issue maxi-series was another series set up to promote a toy line, similar to Crystar, Crystal Warrior, which debuted the same month. I think the push for all these toy related series was directly linked to the massive success of G. I. Joe. At that point in time, G. I. Joe toys were flying off the shelves and the comic books were the surprise smash hit of 1982. I was crazy about G. I. Joe then. In fact, that month’s issue, #11, was the first issue of my first subscription to the title. In retrospect, it makes sense that other toy companies would see the money being made from these action figures and approach Marvel to cross promote their product with a comic book. If you remember my musings on Crystar a few weeks back, I found it less than impressive. I liked US1 quite a bit better. Back when it was on the stands, US1 was a hard pass for me. A comic book about a truck driver?!? Not a chance I was going to plunk down my limited coin for that! After actually reading the book, I find that I kinda liked it. The characters are engaging and the premise interesting. A young trucker seeks answers about his brother’s death behind the wheel of a big rig in an accident caused by a mysterious character known only as the highwayman. There are, perhaps, a few elements that are overly comic book-y. The main character suffered a head injury in the crash that killed his brother, resulting in an implant in his head that inadvertently allows him to pick up CB radio wavelengths in his ears. The souped up rig he drives is perhaps more at home in a James Bond movie. But the overall setup is interesting and I like the characters well enough that I am interested in seeing what happens next. I think the strength of the characters is the biggest reason why I liked this so much better than Crystar. In Crystar, the characters were one dimensional and uninteresting. In US1, I found myself caring about what happens to the characters that have been introduced thus far and looking forward to the next installment. |
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
I took a diversion from my 1983 reading last night and spent some time with my Harvey Comics bound volumes. I never get tired of classic characters like Sad Sack, Casper, Little Audrey, Melvin and Tiny. It’s a shame that these comics are so vastly under appreciated by readers and collectors. They are really quite entertaining! Obviously I will read just about any comic book you put in front of me, but these stories and characters will always have a special place in my heart. Every time I read from my bound file sets I am in awe of the beauty and magnificence of these rare and exquisite hand crafted artifacts. There is nothing quite like the feeling of holding publishing history right in your hands.   |
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willieCPA4646 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Rorschach #7 (of 12). | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
Finished with the May, 1983 issues. Here’s a preview of what’s on my plate in the June issues. So many memories in this stack... I just can’t decide where to start!        What would YOU read first? |
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| Post 604 • IP flag post | ||
 Beaten by boat oars
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @michaelekrupp That Batman 360 cover always sticks out to me. Why not start there? | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Studley_Dudley Great choice! And it’s a CPV copy to boot! | ||
| Post 606 • IP flag post | ||
 -Our Odin-Rest in Peace |
Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @michaelekrupp a lot of great books (and memories) there!!! | ||
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BrianGreensnips private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @michaelekrupp I would re-read Sable #1 again first. | ||
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Stopher999 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Doing some recent re-reads. Going on a long trip...now I have to find some stuff for the plane. This is the only time I wish I bought trade paper backs.  |
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
@BrianGreensnips Another great choice! I am heading off for work now, so I won’t be getting started until later tonight if anyone else wants to weigh in . |
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 I live in RI and Rhode Islanders eat chili with beans.
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esaravo private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @michaelekrupp and @BrianGreensnips - I have demented hopes that Sable #1 will become valuable some day. I think I have like 12 copies of that issue. | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by esaravo I have an idea, Ed. You send those JSF1s off to CBCS for grading and I will start rumors of a forthcoming Jon Sable movie in this thread  .Following the advice of @Studley_Dudley and @BrianGreensnips, I kicked off my June 1983 reading with Batman 360 and Jon Sable Freelance 1 (the latter comic being the subject of swirling movie speculation -get your copy now!). There were some interesting parallels between the two. Both issues were of a foundational nature, setting the stage for greater things to come in the near future. Batman 360 marked the beginning of writer Doug Moench’s tenure as the lead Bat-writer. For me, it was during this period that the Bat books went from being an occasional pickup to required reading. His debut, featuring the Savage Skull, is a solid effort, not spectacular in and of itself but hinting at the greatness to come. Jon Sable Freelance 1 was a very solid first issue by Mike Grell. Grell manages to effectively introduce the characters and concepts while delivering an entertaining adventure story, guest starring my favorite US president. JSF would really take off over the next few issues. It was one of my favorite titles back around ‘83 and ‘84, and if you’ve never read them they are highly recommended! Personally I am overdue for a rereading of these classics. I had to strain my brain to remember the last time I sat down and read JSF 1-56. It was back when I first moved in with my wife, around 1992, so it’s well past time to read them again! Plus I heard somewhere that there may be a Jon Sable movie coming out!   |
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
This issue was your typical “anniversary extravaganza”. 55 page story, multiple artists, dream sequences, alternate reality stories and starring just about everyone who had ever been associated with the Legion up to that point. The most interesting thing about this issue is the cover. The Legionnaires were all drawn by different artists. There was even a contest to see if anyone could guess the artist/ art team for each individual character. Back in ‘83, Fury of Firestorm was one of my favorite comics. Power Man and Iron Fist was more of an occasional purchase for me. Currently I am really enjoying revisiting both books.  Also among my recent reading are this quartet of second issues. I enjoyed all of them immensely. The age of the limited series was fully underway by then: 3 of these 4 are mini/ maxi series.   I also enjoyed this first issue of the Shield. I still don’t get why they quickly killed him off and handed his book over to Steel Sterling. The entire Archie/ Red Circle lineup seemed to be a long string of bad decisions.  Sadly, the beginning of Jon Sable Freelance meant the end of Mike Grell’s involvement with Warlord. He had been gone from the artwork for quite a while already, probably since Starslayer, but he had still been doing the writing and the cover art. Soon he would be out the door altogether, which is a bummer as I really enjoyed his Warlord work.  |
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BrianGreensnips private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @michaelekrupp I agree. Mike Grell's Warlord work was spectacular. | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I recently ordered some more volumes of Pep Comics from Gwandanaland. I am so psyched up for these to arrive that I went back and read Pep issues 3 and 4 to hold me over. As far as the early golden age anthology titles go, Pep Comics may be the very best as far as overall quality. Known mostly for the Shield, the original flag wearing patriotic superhero, Pep boasts a solid lineup of diverse and entertaining features including the Comet, Fu Chang International Detective, Kayo Ward, Sgt. Boyle, the Midshipman, the Press Guardian and Bentley of Scotland Yard. There are no real dogs in this lineup, and that is certainly something you can’t say about most of the golden age anthology titles. One of the things I like best about reading early GA comics is that they really appeal to your inner 8-year-old (and if you aren’t in touch with your inner 8-year-old, what are you doing collecting comics?). Not only were these stories written for the 8-12 year-old crowd, it often seems like they were written BY 8-12 year-olds. The stories are long on action and imagination if a little short on logic and reason. But, man, are they exciting! Just a few thoughts on these particular issues: first, the body count is staggering! In the Shield story in #3, the Shield encounters Count Zongarr, a munitions magnate who has been sabotaging navy ships. He traces the villain and his gang back to their hideout in a secret cave. He ultimately solves the problem by detonating all of the bombs stored in the cave, along with Zongarr and all of his men.  In the same issue, the Comet is hypnotized by his enemy, Satan, and turns to crime. While under Satan’s control, he murders several people, including police officers, with his disintegrating eye beams. He ultimately turns the beam on both Satan and the hypnotist.  In the Press Guardian, villains kidnap a banker’s daughter and, just to show the banker that they are serious, they blow up an office building containing hundreds of people to make their point.  And that’s just the first 25 or so pages! Other things that jumped out at me: even in Early 1940, America was eager to get into action in WW2. Sgt. Boyle must have been the first American to enter the fray, as he joined the British military to battle the Nazis directly. In the Shield story in issue four, on the stands around April, 1940, the Shield foils a foreign government’s plan to attack Pearl Harbor. Talk about prophetic! Even in these early stages, Pep was already running soap opera style serials, continuing plot lines from one issue to the next. They also may have been the very first publisher to cross over characters from one series to another. In issue #4, the Wizard and the West Pointer, stars of their own serials in Top-Notch Comics, make an appearance in the Shield Story. The Wizard also appears in the Midshipman that issue. The Shield and the Midshipman would return the favor by appearing in the next issue of Top-Notch. These early MLJ comics are so cool and historically significant that I am amazed that there are no quality hardcover collections available. My sincere thanks go to the folks at Gwandanaland Comics for making obscure GA comics available in print!   |
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 Masculinity takes a holiday.
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EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by michaelekrupp Jeez, that story sure wrapped up quickly. Nice and clean like too! The panel depicting the explosion is a pretty cool piece of artwork. |
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @EbayMafia Artwork on the Shield feature is by longtime pro Irv Novick. | ||
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Masculinity takes a holiday.
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EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Just a PSA Reminder: Reading comic books can be a good way of distracting yourself while we wait out these unusually long grading TAT's. Picked up a couple of TPB's today from the LCS; Hickman's Secret Wars and Lemire's Justice League United. | ||
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 If the viagra is working you should be well over a 9.8.
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xkonk private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I read the Phoenix: Endsong mini from a ways back because my LCS had it for cheap. I still don't like Greg Land's art, but it was nice to fill in a bit of the lore. | ||
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willieCPA4646 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| MARVEL: Strange Academy #10. | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
With all the first issues that were coming out in 1983, it is inevitable that there would have to be some last issues coming out to make room in the schedule. I spent today revisiting some final issues from the June, 1983 issues. Ghost Rider was a title that I only read occasionally back in 1983, but my interest did pick up when writer J. M. DeMatteis came on board toward the end. This was a pretty good finale, actually offering up a happy ending for Johnny Blaze.  The Spider-Woman series had a decidedly less happy ending, with the title character’s physical body dying, leaving her a disembodied spirit and having all memory of her existence wiped from the minds of those who knew her. Completely wiping the character from established continuity did little to keep her down, however, as her ghost would turn up in Avengers 240 several months later.  Marvel 2-in-1 ended with an entertaining story, perhaps well suited for an issue of “What If?”. The Thing returns to the parallel earth he visited in 2-in-1 50, wherein he cured that earth’s Ben Grimm of being the Thing. Things didn’t work out too well there, however, as that timeline’s Galactus was successful in draining the earth’s energy and the dead husk of a world that remained was now ruled by the Red Skull. A great read and recommended for those who have never read it.  The last couple issues of Weird War Tales seem to have been comprised of inventory stories, the Creature Commandos and G. I. Robot features having been absent for the last couple of issues (they all did appear in a single page story this issue revealing their final fate). The stories are decent enough, but I definitely got the feeling that they were just using already paid for filler material while running out the clock. |
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
Read a couple of really good ones tonight! The Warp storyline is really starting to heat up. Frank Brunner is such an underrated artist! This issue of Arion, Lord of Atlantis is the epic conclusion to the first story arc. Really good stuff, and Jan Duursema is another tremendously underrated talent!  |
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-Our Odin- Rest in Peace |
Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @michaelekrupp when they came out, I read Warp 5 through 9 or 10. I really enjoyed the art and the storyline. I may need to revisit them some day. | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Jesse_O they are well worth the reread, especially those early issues adapting the original play. I seem to remember my interest waning after the adaptation was over and Brunner departed. | ||
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-Our Odin- Rest in Peace |
Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by michaelekrupp I just looked, Brunner left after issue 9. I'm pretty sure that was when I left also. |
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Lonestar private msg quote post Address this user | |
 I read this when it originally came out and just recently finished re-acquiring the full run. Finished re-reading it over the weekend. |
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willieCPA4646 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Harley Quinn #2 and #3 (Phillips / Rossmo). The DC solicitation has Harley writing her own solicit: "Harley Quinn here, still narrating my solicit text! My war of wellness with Hugo Strange kicks into high gear this issue, and things are gonna get ugly. Hugo is about to send his right-hand man-child Lockwood, Arkham Asylum’s most sadistic guard, after Kevin and me at our first support group meeting. Folks, some things in this world are sacred, and I am not gonna stand for this. Hugo Strange never picked a fight with someone like me before, and he’s not going to like the results. Buy this issue-it’s a real gem!" (Issue #3) |
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 I'm a McNugget guzzler.
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HeinzDad private msg quote post Address this user | |
Aside from BRZRKR #3, which I've been impressed by, I read the this specimen. The first short story seemed like a Swampy/Frankenstein mashup. The second story, The Sea Monster was surprising. The Third story was a Poe I recently read in them Poe AHOY comics trades I posted. Either way way Wrightson made it way more twisted than a "drunk Poe". Regardless there was plenty of artwork I never viewed. |
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I'm a McNugget guzzler.
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HeinzDad private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by michaelekruppAAAAWWWWW shit @michaelekrupp! I just saw your copy! feed back when you get to it please! |
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Masculinity takes a holiday.
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EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
Been reading the 1986 Color Grendel series from Comico. I skipped over the first 12 issues with Christine Sparr and the "Nigel" inspired artwork from the Pander Brothers that seemed so cool and cutting edge in 1986. One issue later, the artwork and storytelling had taken a sharp turn:  Issues 13 and 14 were a decent read. 15 and 16 were an excruciating experiment in comic book reading, 25 equal square panels per page with narration below. These two issues along with 17 and 18 bogged me down for days. Around issue 20 starts a 400ish year run where governments are toppled by corporations and Grendel evolves from a personal experience to a global puppet master most closely relatable to the Christian belief of The Devil. |
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