Lee & Kirby & Steranko & Lieber: The Birth of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Man Called D.E.A.T.H.

Marvel veteran Larry Lieber has been divesting himself of portions of his collection, and the bounty, listed at Heritage Auctions, has uncovered some amazingly wonderful things. Most recently, a heretofore-undiscovered third penciled page for Jack Kirby's pitch story for what became the NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. strip in STRANGE TALES. The first two pages … Continue reading Lee & Kirby & Steranko & Lieber: The Birth of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Man Called D.E.A.T.H. →

BHOC: IRON MAN #126

Quietly and without fanfare, IRON MAN had become one of the most reliably entertaining comics in the Marvel line. This was all down to the efforts of the creative team, writer David Michelinie, penciler John Romita Jr., and inker and co-plotter Bob Layton. It was also a reflection of the changing times; Micheline and Layton … Continue reading BHOC: IRON MAN #126 →

FSC: E-MAN #2

One of the new mainstay players in the emerging Direct Sales market comprised of comic book specialty stories in the 1980s was First Comics. An outfit out of Chicago, First boasted an initial eclectic line-up but slowly and surely crystalized into a reliable player in the field. Debuting in 1982, among the series First published … Continue reading FSC: E-MAN #2 →

BC: SHAZAM #34

Now this next issue of SHAZAM was something of a shock to the system, and one that was only slightly blunted by the fact that I'd seen this cover in contemporaneous house ads when it had come out. This was right towards the end of the complete run of SHAZAM that I had borrowed from … Continue reading BC: SHAZAM #34 →

BHOC: FANTASTIC FOUR #210

It was at some point around this time that my local postal carrier delivered my subscription copy of the latest issue of FANTASTIC FOUR--though not before it had already gone on sale and was available at my local outlet. Not buying the book and waiting for my copy proved to be difficult, especially after other … Continue reading BHOC: FANTASTIC FOUR #210 →

Brand Echh: DOGS OF WAR #1

The last two series launched by Jim Shooter's new company DEFIANT were both direct spin-off of the firm's inaugural title WARRIORS OF PLASM. Which seems to me like a strange choice. At this point, was there any indication that WARRIORS OF PLASM was so popular that it could support multiple projects/ In any event, Shooter … Continue reading Brand Echh: DOGS OF WAR #1 →

BHOC: DEFENDERS #75

My family were big fans of the Muppet Show every since it first premiered in 1976. We watched it with alarming regularity every Sunday evening at 7:30. So when Jim Henson and company brought their chaotic creations to the big screen, we were sure to be there. And so we were when The Muppet Movie … Continue reading BHOC: DEFENDERS #75 →

FSC: THE CRUSADERS #1

As the Direct Sales marketplace of comic book specialty shops became a larger and larger part of the marketplace in the 1980s, any number of new young publishers threw their hats into the ring. This led to a bevy of new companies putting forward their own efforts in an attempt to find fame and fortune. … Continue reading FSC: THE CRUSADERS #1 →

BC: STAR WARS #10

Just as he was an enormous fan of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, my friend David Steckel was also a hardcore acolyte of STAR WARS, and he purchased each monthly issue of the Marvel comic based upon that storied film with almost religious zeal. It's a bit alien to think of from the vantage point of today, but … Continue reading BC: STAR WARS #10 →

BHOC: TALES OF SUSPENSE #66

I also bought TALES OF SUSPENSE #66 during that trip to the Batcave comic book shop, and I did so for the most obvious reason: the copy I picked up was cheap. I bought it despite the fact that I already owned copies of the two stories that were published in it, in an issue … Continue reading BHOC: TALES OF SUSPENSE #66 →