WC: MYSTERY IN SPACE #54

Another title that I got a few issues of in my Windfall Comics purchase of 1988 was MYSTERY IN SPACE. It was one of a pair of titles edited by Julie Schwartz (the other was STRANGE ADVENTURES) devoted to science fiction adventures, a big genre in the late 1950s. This was the earliest one in … Continue reading WC: MYSTERY IN SPACE #54

TEEN TITANS #20: Titans Don’t Fit the Battle of Jericho

In the latter part of the 1960s, change was beginning to be felt within the halls of venerable old DC Comics (then operating as National Periodical Publications.) The culture at large was going through a shift, and so the tried-and-true methodology that had kept the giant publisher on top was no longer working as well … Continue reading TEEN TITANS #20: Titans Don’t Fit the Battle of Jericho

Comics Creators in the Wild 8

More photographs from years and decades past showcasing the writers, artists and editors of our favorite comic books. Mark Gruenwald in M.C. Hammer costume for Halloween, early 1990s John and Virginia Romita at a convention, circa 1986 Stan Lee plays the Atari Spider-Man video game, circa 1981 Steve Ditko, 1960s Stan Lee and costumed fans, … Continue reading Comics Creators in the Wild 8

WC: GREEN LANTERN #7

When I was a kid, Green Lantern was my second favorite super hero, right behind the Flash (just as he was right behind the Scarlet Speedster in those days, when his strip was a back-up in FLASH.) This despite the fact that somehow, the character conception is nonsense. Green lantern--it's such a weird name for … Continue reading WC: GREEN LANTERN #7

BHOC: NOVA #20

Having sampled and enjoyed a coverless issue of NOVA in one of the plastic-wrapped bundles of coverless comics that I bought from my regular drug store, I was ready to pick up the latest issue of the series when it arrived on the spinner rack at my 7-11, the place where every Thursday I purchased … Continue reading BHOC: NOVA #20

WC: THE FLASH #132

Here's another comic from the Silver Age that I acquired in my Windfall Comic haul in 1988, paying a three-for-a-dollar price for them. The Flash had been my favorite super hero as a kid, and while his luster had dimmed somewhat for me by 1988, it was still a joy to find issues of his … Continue reading WC: THE FLASH #132

WC: BRAVE AND THE BOLD #45

When I first started writing about the books I acquired in my Windfall Comics deal, I mentioned that they were all super hero titles. But it turns out that isn't 100% accurate. Because nestled in there among assorted issues of FANTASTIC FOUR and JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA was this one issue of BRAVE AND THE … Continue reading WC: BRAVE AND THE BOLD #45

Forgotten Masterpiece: THE SPIRIT #30

Will Eisner's THE SPIRIT is rightly hailed as one of the masterpiece comic series of all time. Between 1940 and 1952, Eisner and his studio of assistants produced a weekly comic book as a newspaper insert, as a hedge for newspapers against the growing readership of comic books. While the lead character of the Spirit … Continue reading Forgotten Masterpiece: THE SPIRIT #30

Great Covers: GREEN LANTERN #61

This is a pretty stunning GREEN LANTERN cover by series regular Gil Kane. More than anything, it's the posterlike coloring that really makes it pop--those striking blues and magentas. The sketch for this cover was almost certainly done by Carmine Infantino, who had been brought on as DC's cover designer in an attempt to make … Continue reading Great Covers: GREEN LANTERN #61

BHOC: KOBRA #1

This is another book that I got from my friend Donald Sims back in fifth grade. And honestly, it was a bit of a mess of an issue, though I enjoyed it quite a bit. KOBRA had started life as one of the last projects worked on by Jack Kirby before his return to Marvel. … Continue reading BHOC: KOBRA #1