As I've mentioned previously, all throughout this period I would semi-regularly check back in at the Big Bin of Slightly-Older Comics that my local drugstore chain kept, pretty much any time my family went there. The way this would typically work is that I'd have developed an interest in a particular title, and so I'd … Continue reading BHOC: DAREDEVIL #126
People sometimes wonder about the fact that it took me so long to become a fan of Spider-Man and a regular reader of his adventures. Considering that he was immensely popular and the flagship character of the Marvel line, to say nothing of one of the best characters ever conceptualized, it does seem strange. But … Continue reading BHOC: PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #15
I was wholly in the tank for the Fantastic Four by this point, and my interest in them led me to purchase a copy of this Big Little Books release from a local Stationary store. It had been issued several years previously, during the period when the first FANTASTIC FOUR cartoon was airing on Saturday … Continue reading BHOC: FANTASTIC FOUR IN THE HOUSE OF HORRORS
The early Marvel titles are filled with all manner of mysteries, large and small. The greatest of these concern who among the various contributors were they key creative minds behind the success of the imprint--and that's a conversation that I don't think is ever going to abate, given that every faction has their own favorites … Continue reading Lee & Kirby & Ditko: The Minor Mystery of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #8
It caused quite a stir a couple of years ago when the entirety of the original artwork to AMAZING FANTASY #15, containing the very first Spider-Man story, was anonymously donated to the Library of Congress. The art was among the earliest to go missing from Marvel's warehouse back in the late 1970s/early 1980s and nobody … Continue reading Lee & Ditko: AMAZING FANTASY #15
This issue of MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE featured John Byrne's first outing with the team as both writer and artist, a time travel adventure that had Ben Grimm coming face-to-face with the earliest version of himself as seen and characterized in FANTASTIC FOUR #1 and #2. Byrne does a great job of capturing the period of the … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Comics of 1979
Here's another issue of SGT ROCK that was purchased for my younger brother Ken during the year or so when he was vaguely interested in war comics. It eventually ended up in my possession, as did most of the comics he had. That's a really nice Joe Kubert cover, with some thoughtful coloring making a … Continue reading BHOC: SGT ROCK #311
In a time before the British Author Invasion and the rise of Vertigo titles, this issue of GIANT-SIZE MAN-THING was quite possibly the most literate and literary comic book as-yet published. A heartfelt, emotion-driven Steve Gerber story concerning a dead, bullied schoolkid anchors the issue. Gerber experiments with using huge blocks of text on certain … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Comics of 1975
1973 was the first year in which i was reading comic books, and only for the back half of the year. But I think i can be forgiven for that--I was only six years old. For the purposes of this survey, however, I've taken into account the entire output for the year, not just those … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Comics of 1973
Now, this comic book I know was purchased for my brother Ken, as at this point I was still an avowed Marvel-hater, and even reading SUPERMAN VS THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN had not swayed me. It’s worth noting that this issue still cost a quarter, whereas DC’s books were going for thirty cents at this time. … Continue reading BHOC: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #159
The Tom Brevoort Experience 