On the surface of things, KICKERS INC should have been one of the more stable and solidly-crafted of the titles launching as part of Marvel's 1986 anniversary initiative, the New Universe. It had a creative team with an established track record on AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, writer Tom DeFalco and artists Ron Frenz and Sal Buscema. But … Continue reading Brand Echh: KICKERS INC. #1
MARVEL PREMIERE was something of a mixed bag as a comic book purchase. While early on it had been dedicated to the adventures of Iron Fist, and before that Doctor Strange, it had turned over time into a SHOWCASE-style try-out series for new concepts (and occasionally a place to wrap up outstanding plotlines from a … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL PREMIERE #49
I've mentioned before just how gung-ho I was about the initial offerings from Pacific Comics, one of the fist of the new independent publishers who cropped up in the nascent Direct Sales marketplace of comic book specialty shops once it had been shown that it was possible to turn a profit there. While my enthusiasm … Continue reading FSC: ROG 2000
I'm not 100% certain who I borrowed this issue of BATMAN from. it might have been my grade school friend Donald Sims as with most of the books that we've been looking at recently. But I suspect that it was actually my next-door-neighbor Johnny Rantinella. Johnny was a year younger than I was and a … Continue reading BC: BATMAN #257
These next two issues of IRON MAN were somewhat defining for the era, in that they separated Tony Stark from his armor and caused him to have to deal with life-threatening situations on his own without the aid of advanced ordinance and head-to-toe protection. In essence, it was a full steer into the style of … Continue reading BHOC: IRON MAN #125
There were some episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE that I saw when I was a young boy and which stayed with me, haunted me almost, long after the show had disappeared from the nightly airwaves. But there were others that I only came to later on, once I'd found it in reruns and began to … Continue reading The Twilight Zone: The Hitch-Hiker
The second of the New Universe titles to make its debut (at the same time as STAR BRAND #1) was ultimately one of the line's more troubled outings, right from the get-go. It only lasted a little bit over a year, a casualty of the line being contracted and re-envisioned following Editor in Chief Jim … Continue reading Brand Echh: SPITFIRE AND THE TROUBLESHOOTERS #1
Even at the time, we all knew in my circle of friends that the New Fantastic Four cartoon that was then airing on NBC on Saturday mornings wasn't very good. This despite the involvement of the comic's co-creator Jack Kirby as a designer and storyboard artist and dialogue written by Marvel figures such as Stan … Continue reading BHOC: FANTASTIC FOUR #209
I wasn't ever really a fan of the line of black and white comic magazines published by Jim Warren. I sampled them from time to time, but I always came away feeling a bit unsatisfied. The stories were often lackluster, and the artwork wasn't of a consistent enough quality to pull my attention. So in … Continue reading FSC: EERIE #131
I'm pretty certain that I had owned a copy of SHAZAM #11 at some point. I believe I got it in one of those 3-Bags that could be found in supermarkets, toy stores and department stores, with three comics of recent vintage for a barely-discounted price. I'm also sure that I traded this comic away … Continue reading BC: SHAZAM #11
The Tom Brevoort Experience 