Back in the days when he was the Editor in Chief of Marvel Comics, Jim Shooter had a particular story that he liked to use as an example when explaining to people what he thought needed to be on the page in a well-crafted Marvel story. It was this one, the Human Torch story from … Continue reading Lee & Kirby: The Narrative Techniques of Jack Kirby
EPISODE 47 "Star Force! Star Force! You'll need a new strategy to overcome the Comet Empire and save Earth! I know you can do it! Captain Avatar has taught you well! Good luck!" - Captain Gideon This was the episode that everybody had been waiting for ever since the Earth flagship Andromeda had been introduced … Continue reading In Our Next STAR BLAZERS Adventure – Episode 47
I bought this issue of FANTASTIC FOUR on the Tuesday it came out from my local 7-11. Unfortunately, it represents a bit of a nadir in terms of the quality of the title during this period. Regular penciler George Perez was going through some personal crises at the time, and had blown his deadline on … Continue reading BHOC: FANTASTIC FOUR #190
This issue of SUPERBOY & THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES was later disavowed, the revelation it makes concerning the Legion's future discarded and never mentioned again. Even writer Paul Levitz considered it a mistake. But I don't know about that. It definitely cast the world of the Legion in a different light, and perhaps it was … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERBOY & THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #235
It was time for another issue of SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS to drop, and as the title was a favorite of mine, I was of course there to receive it. This issue represents the movement into the final phase of the book's existence, although I could not have known that at the time. That cover … Continue reading BHOC: SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS #12
There is an often-told anecdote about the early days of Marvel and what inspired that era of creativity. I believe it was first widely shared publicly in the pages of ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS, though Stan Lee may have shared it during his college lecture circuit tours earlier. And it goes like this. By the … Continue reading Lee & Kirby & Ditko: A Clue in the Saga of Joan Lee
EPISODE 46 "Our plan depends on eliminating their carrier planes before the actual battle begins. That's what I want the Star Force to do: find the carrier fleet and destroy its powerful fighter planes. I've thought carefully about giving you this responsibility, but you and the Star Force learned well from Captain Avatar. I am … Continue reading In Our Next STAR BLAZERS Adventure – Episode 46
I got this issue of BRAVE AND THE BOLD while on another shopping trip, in a store where the selection of titles was rather limited. I was beginning to follow the book semi-regularly despite the fact that it was often weird, that writer Bob Haney's approach to super heroes and continuity wasn't really in tune … Continue reading BHOC: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #139
I'm not certain at this late date--memory fades after a while--but I think I got this issue of SUPERMAN FAMILY at the supermarket (an appropriate venue, when you think about it.) I wasn't reading the title regularly, but I'd been pulled into the previous issue by the story teaming up Superman with is older Earth-2 … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN FAMILY #187
One of the many things that fascinates me about the history of comics is the manner in which these stories and characters were exported around the world--the mad, slapdash, haphazard manner in which the Marvel super heroes made their way across the globe. It was typical that color guides might not be provided, resulting in … Continue reading Great Covers: Marvel Around the World
The Tom Brevoort Experience 