As I mentioned previously, my grade school friend Donald Sims possessed a complete 35 issue run of SHAZAM, the DC Comics revival of the original Captain Marvel of the Golden Age of Comics published in the 1970s. At one point, I convinced Don to let me borrow the run so that I could read it … Continue reading BC: SHAZAM #2
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
This next issue of INCREDIBLE HULK was eminently forgettable, and so I forgot about it almost entirely until we reprinted it in a MARVEL MASTERWORKS volume a year or so back. It was a fill-in job, a break in the ongoing storylines and continuity, and so it didn't have all that much to offer to … Continue reading BHOC: INCREDIBLE HULK #230
Like FOOM before it, THE AMAZING WORLD OF DC COMICS was a fan magazine produced in-house--in this case, at National Periodical Publications. The work was done by the "Junior Woodchucks", a group of young editorial and production members who had been brought on staff. It was a very fine publication and represents a terrific inside … Continue reading THE AMAZING WORLD OF DC COMICS #2
While as we've seen, Marvel was relatively quick to begin to self-mythologize its creative staff and editorial Bullpen, rival publisher DC (then known as National Periodical Publications in an attempt to disguise the fact that they published evil comic books in the aftermath of the senate hearings) wasn't as quick to follow suit. Even creator … Continue reading 5BC: Five Times DC Self-Mythologized
Beyond just inspiring mischievous creators to come up with ways to have characters at rival companies Marvel and DC meet, the anarchic and rebellious spirit of the Bronze Age extended beyond the bounds of the immediate industry, prompting writers and artists to come up with ways to appropriate other characters outside of what was permissible … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Unofficial DC Crossovers
This is the single greatest issue of SUPERMAN ever put together in the character's 80 year history. Closer to home, it's the special Anniversary issue that I'm always jockeying against in my own mind when it comes to put together a book of this sort for the Marvel characters. Of course, I fail to clear … Continue reading Perfect Game – SUPERMAN #400
Still working through my first visit to a comic book shop, that being the Heroes World in Levittown. I also made it a point to pick up a number of more recent books--they were more affordable, so I could walk out with more. Among what I purchased were these two issues of SUPERMAN, the first … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN #296 & 297
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
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
The Tom Brevoort Experience 