5BC: The Five Best Comic Books of 1970

Super heroes as a genre were on their way out as the 1960s turned into the 1970s and the super hero fad that had driven success throughout the silver age fell away. But this meant that publishers were more encouraged to experiment than they had been previously in an attempt to stave off cancellation--and every … Continue reading 5BC: The Five Best Comic Books of 1970

BHOC: SHOGUN WARRIORS #3

In the years to come, anime would become an important part of my life. Through anime fandom, I would meet some of my closest lifelong friends, and also develop the skills that allowed me to succeed during my internship at Marvel Comics. But in 1979, all of that lay ahead of me. I had no … Continue reading BHOC: SHOGUN WARRIORS #3

GH: WHAT IF #38

For the first couple of years of its existence, WHAT IF was a really good comic book. Creators seemed to come up with premises that allowed them to tell stories that took familiar characters in wild new directions, and the outcomes of those stories were all over the map. So it was a fascinating series … Continue reading GH: WHAT IF #38

BHOC: MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #50

Now this was a comic book that I really liked. So much so that I sent a letter of comment in to the letters page asking that creator John Byrne be allowed to both write and pencil FANTASTIC FOUR. A real case of "be careful what you wish for", as I stopped buying FF under … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #50

5BC: The Five Best Comic Books of 1991

Walt Simonson had taken over the reins of FANTASTIC FOUR and propelled it into the stratosphere with a series of expansive stories that drew upon the best of Jack Kirby's era on the title and turned the concepts up to eleven. Graphically, the book looked sweet as well, as Walter was able to channel Kirby's … Continue reading 5BC: The Five Best Comic Books of 1991

BHOC: MARVEL SUPER ACTION #13

This issue of MARVEL SUPER ACTION was, I believe, my first real encounter with the work of Jim Steranko. He had done earlier pieces that I had seen--the cover to the Olshevsky FANTASTIC FOUR index for one, and of course his two volumes of THE STERANKO HISTORY OF COMICS. But this was the first comic … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL SUPER ACTION #13