5BC: Five Best Comics of 1984

A genuine sucker punch of an ending topped off this issue of FANTASTIC FOUR, as we learn the outcome of Sue Richards' latest pregnancy. Writer/artist John Byrne is in strong form here, at about the middle of his long run on the title. Good use of the rest of the Marvel Universe and a sympathetic … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Comics of 1984

BHOC: ACTION COMICS #479

This was another forgettable issue of ACTION COMICS that I bought on my now-weekly trips to the 7-11 every Thursday for new comics. As elsewhere, there's some dodgy lettering on this cover--that lower balloon was clearly traced of of an oval template. But the cover does have some drama to it. I was reading ACTION … Continue reading BHOC: ACTION COMICS #479

BHOC: GREEN LANTERN #100

If I am not mistaken, this issue of GREEN LANTERN represents the first oversized and up-priced anniversary issue that I ever encountered. Up until this point, while a particular title might mention the fact that it had reached the arbitrary milestone of a centennial issue (or, later, a 50th or even 25th issue) the actual … Continue reading BHOC: GREEN LANTERN #100

BHOC: SUPERBOY & THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #235

This issue of SUPERBOY & THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES was later disavowed, the revelation it makes concerning the Legion's future discarded and never mentioned again. Even writer Paul Levitz considered it a mistake. But I don't know about that. It definitely cast the world of the Legion in a different light, and perhaps it was … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERBOY & THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #235

BHOC: SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS #12

It was time for another issue of SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS to drop, and as the title was a favorite of mine, I was of course there to receive it. This issue represents the movement into the final phase of the book's existence, although I could not have known that at the time. That cover … Continue reading BHOC: SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS #12

BHOC: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #139

I got this issue of BRAVE AND THE BOLD while on another shopping trip, in a store where the selection of titles was rather limited. I was beginning to follow the book semi-regularly despite the fact that it was often weird, that writer Bob Haney's approach to super heroes and continuity wasn't really in tune … Continue reading BHOC: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #139

BHOC: SUPERMAN FAMILY #187

I'm not certain at this late date--memory fades after a while--but I think I got this issue of SUPERMAN FAMILY at the supermarket (an appropriate venue, when you think about it.) I wasn't reading the title regularly, but I'd been pulled into the previous issue by the story teaming up Superman with is older Earth-2 … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN FAMILY #187

BHOC: ALL-STAR COMICS #70

This wound up being the last issue of ALL-STAR COMICS from this original run that i was able to find, which is a shame, as i was a great fan of the series. But during this period, DC's distribution seemed to start having difficulty, at least in my area, and finding the books featuring the … Continue reading BHOC: ALL-STAR COMICS #70

BHOC: SGT ROCK #312

My brother Ken was still buying and reading the occasional war comic, and so here's another one that eventually came over to me. That's a pretty dramatic Joe Kubert cover on it--Kubert was the undisputed king of DC's war comics, having drawn so many of them over the years, and edited them as well. His … Continue reading BHOC: SGT ROCK #312

5BC: Five Best Marvel/DC Crossovers

It's been bettered but never equaled, the granddaddy of all inter-company crossovers. At a time when a comic book featuring Superman and rival Spider-Man sharing the same pages was a positively shocking idea, this enormous tabloid spent its 100 pages synthesizing the narrative styles of both the DC and Marvel house approaches into a single … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Marvel/DC Crossovers