BHOC: DOCTOR STRANGE #34

DOCTOR STRANGE was a series that had a hard time retaining me as a reader throughout the late 1970s. I really liked the very early Stan Lee/Steve Ditko stories once I got to read them, but the modern day adventures of the character held little appeal for me. They were a lot more phantasmagoric, a … Continue reading BHOC: DOCTOR STRANGE #34

5BC: Five Times Two Heroes Were Better Than One

Over the course of comic book history, the fortunes of super heroes as a genre waxed and waned as tastes changed and the marketplace shifted. This led to moments where a series that was once popular had fallen upon hard times or was seen as being out of step with the era, and needed to … Continue reading 5BC: Five Times Two Heroes Were Better Than One

BHOC: CAPTAIN AMERICA #232

I didn't know it at the time, but CAPTAIN AMERICA was in the midst of what would turn out to be a six-issue epic story. These things weren't typically announced ahead of time. Rather, stories sometimes ended in a To Be Continued and eventually, they ended and you knew how long they would be. In … Continue reading BHOC: CAPTAIN AMERICA #232

The First Crypt of Terror Story

There is always one firm whose comic book output during the era we think of today as the Golden age of Comics stands head and shoulders above all others and which is held in teh utmost regard by those readers who encountered it in their formative years--not that there are many of those still around … Continue reading The First Crypt of Terror Story

BHOC: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #191

Another week brought another raft of new comic books at my regular 7-11's spinner rack, and I was right there on Thursday as I was every week to pick them up. First book this week was this month's issue of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, a title that I had been enjoying more and more thanks to the … Continue reading BHOC: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #191

5BC: The Five Best Comic Books of 1970

Super heroes as a genre were on their way out as the 1960s turned into the 1970s and the super hero fad that had driven success throughout the silver age fell away. But this meant that publishers were more encouraged to experiment than they had been previously in an attempt to stave off cancellation--and every … Continue reading 5BC: The Five Best Comic Books of 1970

BHOC: SHOGUN WARRIORS #3

In the years to come, anime would become an important part of my life. Through anime fandom, I would meet some of my closest lifelong friends, and also develop the skills that allowed me to succeed during my internship at Marvel Comics. But in 1979, all of that lay ahead of me. I had no … Continue reading BHOC: SHOGUN WARRIORS #3

GH: WHAT IF #38

For the first couple of years of its existence, WHAT IF was a really good comic book. Creators seemed to come up with premises that allowed them to tell stories that took familiar characters in wild new directions, and the outcomes of those stories were all over the map. So it was a fascinating series … Continue reading GH: WHAT IF #38

BHOC: MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #50

Now this was a comic book that I really liked. So much so that I sent a letter of comment in to the letters page asking that creator John Byrne be allowed to both write and pencil FANTASTIC FOUR. A real case of "be careful what you wish for", as I stopped buying FF under … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #50

5BC: The Five Best Comic Books of 1991

Walt Simonson had taken over the reins of FANTASTIC FOUR and propelled it into the stratosphere with a series of expansive stories that drew upon the best of Jack Kirby's era on the title and turned the concepts up to eleven. Graphically, the book looked sweet as well, as Walter was able to channel Kirby's … Continue reading 5BC: The Five Best Comic Books of 1991