Whoever was responsible for selecting which old Charlton comics would be reissued in the 3-Bags put out under the Modern Comics imprint made some baffling selections. Take JUDOMASTER for example. Modern reissues four issues of the series: #93, #94, #96 and #98. Why not consecutive issues? Who knows? It may have been that these were … Continue reading BHOC: JUDOMASTER #96
A few more excerpts from THE ART OF JOHN BYRNE, Volume One as published by Sal Quartuccio under his SQ Productions imprint. Byrne wouldn't begin working on Superman for six more years, and was thought of as a real true blue Marvel artist at the time, so this piece from the inside front cover was … Continue reading THE ART OF JOHN BYRNE, Part Two
A post from my ancient Marvel blog talking about the mistaken impression some readers occasionally have as to what contributes to the cover price for their comics. When More is Less October 1, 2009 | 1:00 AM | By Tom_Brevoort | In General There's an interesting quirk in the way people think where sometimes, more … Continue reading Blah Blah Blog – When More Is Less
This issue of JUDOMASTER was another of the books from the Charlton back catalog that Modern Comics reissued in the 1970s and sold three-to-a-bag through a network of discount department stores, supermarkets and the like. And it was another title that came into my possession during this time. I wasn't quite as crazy about Judomaster … Continue reading BHOC: JUDOMASTER #94
This particular issue of BATMAN was the only one I got in my Windfall Comics purchase of 1988 that featured editor Julie Schwartz's "New Look" revamp version of Batman and Robin. After years under former editor Jack Schiff and with sales dwindling, irwin Donenfeld shifted the Caped Crusader over to Schwartz's editorial control. Even at … Continue reading WC: BATMAN #167
A post from my old Marvel blog concerning the frequent fan impulse to label certain stories as "filler". I keep seeing the term "filler" applied to more and more individual comic books and stories in the chatter around the internet, and I have to say that I neither like it nor agree with the sentiments … Continue reading Blah Blah Blog – Filler
There were other comic books that I got in those Modern Comics 3-Bags as well as the aforementioned super hero titles. The company also reprinted a smattering of suspense, martial arts and heroic fiction books. And as you probably know by now if you've been reading this feature consistently, those were of only limited interest … Continue reading BHOC: HERCULES #11
By 1980, John Byrne had been working in the industry for over half a decade, and the popularity of his work had begun to soar. In particular, his penciling on X-MEN helped make that comic book a huge seller within the growing Direct Sales marketplace of hardcore fans. As the 1980s went on, Byrne became … Continue reading THE ART OF JOHN BYRNE
One of the hugest steps forward for the growing popularity of the Man of Steel in his earliest years and the event that represents the apex of the Superman fad which opened the floodgates to dozens of similar costumed champions in the pages of dozens of comic books was the arrival of Superman on the … Continue reading SUPERMAN: MATINEE IDOL Times Three
Another post from my Marvel.com blog of years gone by, this one once again answering questions asked by the readers. Reader Questions 1 September 1, 2009 | 1:00 AM | By Tom_Brevoort | In General A day of sickness put me behind on this by 24 otherwise-uneventful hours, but here I am, back and ready … Continue reading Blah Blah Blog – Reader Questions 1
