Summer was winding down when the mailman brought me my subscription copy of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #137. This was the wrap-up to that year’s epic meeting of the JLA with their counterparts in the Justice Society–and this year, the Fawcett super heroes of the 1940s had been added into the mix. But up until … Continue reading BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #137
For whatever reason, after Len Wein did the Justice League/Justice Society crossover that brought back the Seven Soldiers of Victory, somebody–Julie Schwartz maybe–seemed to decide that it wasn’t enough to simply bring these two venerable teams together, there needed to be a third group. So this year, that group would be comprised of the heroes … Continue reading BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #135
The next book I got was another Famous First Edition, this one of WHIZ COMICS #2, the first appearance of Captain Marvel. The cover isn’t a perfect replica, though–DC had to remove the cover copy “Gangway for Captain Marvel” because of Marvel’s trademark on the Captain Marvel name. The whole issue is a crude but not … Continue reading BHOC: FAMOUS 1st EDITION #F-4
My father brought this SHAZAM Treasury Edition home for me during a frequent cigarette run. I’d be wiling to bet that he thought it was a Flash book–red costume with a lightning bolt, how hard is it? Either way, I enjoyed my first encounter with the World’s Mightiest Mortal. It was a pretty huge deal … Continue reading BHOC: LIMITED COLLECTORS’ EDITION #C-27
Well, this isn’t going to end well for Mr. Tawny. A fun and intriguing CAPTAIN MARVEL ADVENTURES cover by C.C. Beck, from an era in which it wasn’t so much action or violence that sold comics as much as confounding imagery and fanciful ideas.
A super cool and graphic CAPTAIN MARVEL ADVENTURES cover by C.C. Beck. It’s a very simple idea–three logos to communicate the fact that there are three stories in the issue starring the Big Red Cheese. Again, good use of a black background to help provide contrast.
This is a wonderfully absurd CAPTAIN MARVEL ADVENTURES cover by C. C. Beck. That white background really makes all of the dogs as well as the logo and copy pop. And the expressions on the lead dog and Marvel himself are terrific.
A lovely and iconic WHIZ COMICS cover featuring Captain Marvel and his alter ego Billy Batson by C. C. Beck. This one just captures everything you need to know about the strip in a single image, particularly the big brother-little brother dynamic between Cap and Billy. Good use of color here, too–the red logo never … Continue reading Great Covers – WHIZ COMICS #22
In terms of summing up a series in a single image, this Jack Binder MARY MARVEL cover is hard to beat. It’s elegant, whimsical, and has a strong element of fantasy to it. The black background tapering down to a deep midnight blue is attractive and helps to spotlight both the butterfly and Mary’s red … Continue reading Great Covers – MARY MARVEL #5
Another great of the golden age, Mac Raboy produced beautiful, illustrative covers that seemed realistic enough that they were simply more plausible than most of everything else that was on the racks. This MASTER COMICS cover is a fine example, embodying the spirit of patriotism and righteous vengeance that most American citizens felt in the … Continue reading Great Covers – MASTER COMICS #27
The Tom Brevoort Experience 