BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #163

I have to confess that I found the next three issues of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA pretty dull and forgettable. Which is unfortunate, as this was the last storyline edited by Julie Schwartz in this series that he'd brought back in the extremely early 1960s. As with THE FLASH, which Julie exited this month, his … Continue reading BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #163

WC: ACTION COMICS #345

By 1966, there was a divide forming between the entertainment preferred by older generations of Americans and what interested the young people of the time. This was when the term "generation gap" was first coined, and it represents the state of affairs perfectly. Creators in all media sought some way of reaching a more youthful … Continue reading WC: ACTION COMICS #345

BHOC: THE FLASH #270

Well, it had happened again: I had missed an issue of a beloved comic book series, this time THE FLASH. While my ardor for it had cooled somewhat as my attention was taken up with my exploration of the Marvel Universe, the character and the book remained a sentimental favorite. But in recent months, my … Continue reading BHOC: THE FLASH #270

BHOC: SUPERMAN FAMILY #192

I remember that I passed up this issue of SUPERMAN FAMILY for weeks after it first came out, and for the most minor of reasons. I was a fan of the New Doom patrol, who were guest-starring in the Supergirl story across these three issues. But in this middle one, the chapter is only a … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN FAMILY #192

BHOC: THOR #280

This was one of the strangest issues of THOR that I bought as a relatively new Marvel reader, and I didn't completely understand why for several years, until I had learned enough about the history of comics to be able to fully appreciate it. Ever since the end of his Ragnarok storyline, writer/editor Roy Thomas … Continue reading BHOC: THOR #280

WC: ACTION COMICS #344

I suspect that the middle-late 1960s was a tough time for longtime Superman line editor Mort Weisinger. For the first time in recorded history, Batman was routinely outselling his cash cow from Krypton as a result of the faddish success of the 1966 BATMAN television series. This state of affairs wouldn't last--the Man of Steel … Continue reading WC: ACTION COMICS #344

BHOC: MARVEL TRIPLE ACTION #46

This was a pretty welcome issue of MARVEL TRIPLE ACTION with its reprinting of this conflict between the Avengers and the X-Men. I was a bit unhappy about how the Beast and the Angel had been miscolored on the cover--somebody was pretty clearly working from reference of them in their original blue and yellow costumes. … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL TRIPLE ACTION #46

WC: ACTION COMICS #343

Well, from the looks of this cover image, we're about to get a bit more action in this issue of ACTION COMICS. I'm not 100% certain who would have been responsible for it. The actual cover art was done by Curt Swan and George Klein, but they likely would have been working from a sketch … Continue reading WC: ACTION COMICS #343

BHOC: CRAZY #46

I had sampled the occasional issue of MAD Magazine before this, as well as its nearest knock-off, CRACKED, but I found neither of them so much to my liking that I followed them with any regularity. Now, it has to be said that MAD in particular was a trend-setting publication, and while it was past … Continue reading BHOC: CRAZY #46

BHOC: CAPTAIN AMERICA #230

It must be said, this is a really striking cover to this issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA. And it showed a sort of novelty of approach that just wouldn't have been done only a few years earlier, not showing potentially sales-driving guest-star the Hulk clearly in the image (though his presence in the story is cover … Continue reading BHOC: CAPTAIN AMERICA #230