WC: FANTASTIC FOUR #30

This is a weird bit of serendipity, but sometimes that's the way the ball bounces. I only just got done writing about the reprint of this story in MARVEL COLLECTORS' ITEM CLASSICS #22 a few moments ago, and the source for that reprint is the next book up in my survey of the books I … Continue reading WC: FANTASTIC FOUR #30

Blah Blah Blog – My Friend Stan

An entry from my old Marvel blog about Stan Lee friending me on Facebook back in the day. I believe the collection of Stan's Soapbox columns is still available through the Hero Initiative and can be ordered here: https://www.heroinitiative.org/shop/books/stans-soapbox-the-collection/ My Friend Stan November 21, 2008 | 1:00 AM | By Tom_Brevoort | In General A … Continue reading Blah Blah Blog – My Friend Stan

BHOC: MARVEL COLLECTORS’ ITEM CLASSICS #22

This was the second of the pair of issues of MARVEL COLLECTORS' ITEM CLASSICS that I bought on my trip to Heroes World with my grandparents. It was the last issue of the magazine--the following issue, its title changed to the moch zippier MARVEL'S GREATEST COMICS, though its contents remained the same: a Fantastic Four … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL COLLECTORS’ ITEM CLASSICS #22

Lost Crossovers: When Kathy Met Patsy Walker

Now, this is a fun little Easter Egg, although I'm not quite certain who it was intended for. It may simply have been editor Stan Lee amusing himself, as he sometimes did in the girl humor titles. In any event, those books operated in a loose quasi-relationship with one another that was almost a precursor … Continue reading Lost Crossovers: When Kathy Met Patsy Walker

Lee & Kirby: The Desecration of CHAMBER OF DARKNESS #4

There were a bunch of different moments during Jack Kirby's final year at Marvel any one of which might have been the straw that broke the camel's back in terms of his continuing employment with the firm. By this point, Kirby had already failed to come to an agreement with Marvel's new owners concerning what … Continue reading Lee & Kirby: The Desecration of CHAMBER OF DARKNESS #4

Blah Blah Blog – The Black Hole

A post from my Marvel blog of years ago talking about the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas in the comic book industry. The Black Hole December 1, 2008 | 1:00 AM | By Tom_Brevoort | In General The period between Thanksgiving and New Year's is called the "Black Hole" in the industry, because it's the … Continue reading Blah Blah Blog – The Black Hole

BHOC: MARVEL COLLECTORS’ ITEM CLASSICS #20

In addition to buying a handful of new comics that hadn't yet reached my area during my trip to the Heroes World outlet in the Levittown Mall, I also stocked up on a few classic back issues. As I was working with a very limited budget, a real boon to me was reprint titles such … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL COLLECTORS’ ITEM CLASSICS #20

The Last Sgt. Fury Story

SGT. FURY AND HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS was a foundational title launched during the heyday of the dawning Marvel Age of Comics in 1963. Rather than being a super hero series like most of the other Marvel books then garnering attention, it was instead a war series--war comics continued to be strong performers for DC and … Continue reading The Last Sgt. Fury Story

WC: DETECTIVE COMICS #322

Not every comic book that I got as a part of my Windfall Comics purchase in 1988 became a beloved favorite. Some of them, such as this issue of DETECTIVE COMICS, I barely remember at all. In fact, if it wasn't on a list of books compiled when that purchase was made, I would swear … Continue reading WC: DETECTIVE COMICS #322

Blah Blah Blog – Defeated

An entry from my Marvel blog of days gone by, this one talking about a week that ground me down, and also sharing a timeline for the events of the SECRET INVASION crossover. Defeated December 5, 2008 | 1:00 AM | By Tom_Brevoort | In General It’s my 500th post here at the blog, and … Continue reading Blah Blah Blog – Defeated