The marketing build-up to the premiere of SUPERMAN THE MOVIE was gathering speed, and one of the benefits of it was this, the final FAMOUS 1st EDITION that DC produced during the 1970s (though they'd bring the format back to a limited degree in recent years.) These were Treasury Edition sized reproductions of the most … Continue reading BHOC: FAMOUS 1st EDITION #C-61
Ever since I was six years old, the Flash has been my favorite super hero. There was something about the combination of elements--the slick costume, the simple power, the gallery of recurring villains, the sort of serious-but-not-too-serious tone of the strip--that really connected with me. But as time went on and I got older, both … Continue reading GH: THE FLASH #319
UNCANNY X-MEN was perhaps the first Marvel comic book to display an awards symbol on its front cover, in this case that of the UK Eagle Awards. I can say that, speaking for myself, I had no idea what the Eagle Awards were (nor any inkling just how small they were as compared to similar … Continue reading BHOC: UNCANNY X-MEN #119
During the Silver Age of Comics, it was still a rare thing for a character of any significance to be killed off in super hero comics. Only two decades later, having realized the audience appeal that the demise of a beloved favorite would have, companies would turn death into a revolving door situation more promotional … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Silver Age Character Resurrections
I wasn't yet sophisticated enough in my knowledge of and contact with the comic book industry to be able to tell when a title that I was following was in trouble. While there were places even in those pre-internet days where more plugged-in fans could learn such information, I had no awareness of them. So … Continue reading BHOC: NOVA #24
As I've mentioned often in the past, growing up, I was never all that much of a fan of Batman. I didn't dislike the Masked Manhunter, it was more a question of liking a particular flavor of him. I first encountered the Caped Crusader in daily reruns of the 1966 live action television show, and … Continue reading GH: BATMAN #359
This issue of MARVEL TALES presented me with a slightly more manageable conundrum. I didn't own a copy of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #124, the issue that was reprinted here, but I had read it. I believe my school buddy Don Sims had a copy, and I'd read it at his place at some point. Consequently, this … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL TALES #101
Over the years, both Marvel and DC have built up a steady stream of ancillary income by licensing out their characters for what are known as "custom comics"--comics dedicated to promoting a company, a perspective or an ideal (or sometimes a specific product or individual.) These books are produced to-order for the client, meaning that … Continue reading The Amazing Spider-Man vs The Prodigy
INVADERS was a series on a downward slope, and much closer to cancellation that I realized as a regular reader. I could tell that something was off about the book, but I was so invested in the Golden Age as a concept and in the formative versions of these characters, like the Justice Society of … Continue reading BHOC: INVADERS #38
By 1982 when I was forced to pare back my comic book buying due to a lack of income, there was no more popular series in the land than UNCANNY X-MEN. Following the enormous reaction to the "Dark Phoenix Saga" by Chris Claremont and John Byrne a year or two earlier, the title simply exploded, … Continue reading GH: UNCANNY X-MEN #171
The Tom Brevoort Experience 