By 1983, SUPERMAN was feeling a bit like a product of a different age. While some effort was being made to modernize the Man of Steel, including having Gil Kane provide covers as he does here, the actual contents of the magazine were still very much of a piece with the kinds of stories that … Continue reading GH: SUPERMAN #382
Tag: Cary Bates
DC SAMPLER #1
By 1983, DC was on a creative upswing. The arrival of new President and Publisher Jenette Kahn had coincided with efforts to expand DC's efforts into the growing Direct Market of comic book specialty shops that had sprung up across the country. At this time, DC's fortunes on the mainstream Newsstand weren't looking all that … Continue reading DC SAMPLER #1
GH: THE FLASH #319
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
BHOC: ACTION COMICS #492
For some reason that I can't really recall, I had taken a short break of about three months from buying both SUPERMAN and ACTION COMICS. I came back to both titles before too long, and eventually filled in the missing issues with 3-Bagged Whitman copies once they became available. But as for what drove me … Continue reading BHOC: ACTION COMICS #492
WC: ACTION COMICS #356
And so, we come to the end of the line. This is the final issue that I got in my Windfall Comics purchase of 1988, where I bought a box of close to 150 silver age comics from a guy I bumped into at the post office for $50.00. And it's a good place to … Continue reading WC: ACTION COMICS #356
WC: ACTION COMICS #354
This issue of ACTION COMICS is noteworthy in that it contains one of the first Superman story written by Cary Bates, who would go on to become a regular contributor to the Man of Steel's adventures in the 1970s. Bates broke into the field by submitting ideas for catchy cover images to editors such as … Continue reading WC: ACTION COMICS #354
BHOC: THE FLASH #270
Well, it had happened again: I had missed an issue of a beloved comic book series, this time THE FLASH. While my ardor for it had cooled somewhat as my attention was taken up with my exploration of the Marvel Universe, the character and the book remained a sentimental favorite. But in recent months, my … Continue reading BHOC: THE FLASH #270
WC: ACTION COMICS #324
There's something that I don't really like about this ACTION COMICS cover. I'm not sure what it is--it's a nice piece done by the usually-winning combination of Curt Swan and George Klein. Possibly it's the light green background that puts me off here, I don't know. But the fact remains, I don't find this cover … Continue reading WC: ACTION COMICS #324
BHOC: THE FLASH #268
There's a lot to unpack about this issue of THE FLASH for me. For starters, I bought it not at any of my regular comic book haunts but rather in a far-off stationary store in distant Ronkonkoma where my family had gone for some reason. That store was a supply chain for the Cub Scouts … Continue reading BHOC: THE FLASH #268
BHOC: SUPERMAN #329
Picked up this latest issue of SUPERMAN during my regular weekly Thursday run to the 7-11 for new comics. It was a book that I'd followed steadily for some time. And yet, this turned out to be the last issue of the book that I bought for a few months. I don't quite recall what … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN #329