BHOC: DAREDEVIL #22

While I was at the Batcave, that comic book shop adjacent to the South Shore Mall, I took the opportunity to pick up a small number of back issues in addition to a bunch of new books. The place had a wide selection of older books, and many of them were chewed up a little … Continue reading BHOC: DAREDEVIL #22

Lee & Kirby & Everett & Grandinetti & Friends – The Messy Story of Tales to Astonish #84

Even with the limited output allowed to them under the terms of their distribution deal with Independent News (which only permitted the Marvel of the 1960s to release a certain number of titles every month), Marvel often ran into situations where the talent they had on hand in order to complete everything wasn't enough. During … Continue reading Lee & Kirby & Everett & Grandinetti & Friends – The Messy Story of Tales to Astonish #84

Blah Blah Blog – Lunch with Colan

A post from my ancient Marvel blog concerning artist Gene Colan coming into the offices for lunch. Lunch with Colan April 28, 2007 | 1:00 AM | By Tom_Brevoort | In General Secret plans were hatched around the Marvel offices yesterday to take me out for a special birthday lunch--but I snafued them completely and … Continue reading Blah Blah Blog – Lunch with Colan

Forgotten Masterpiece: The Massacre of the Innocents

Here's another forgotten, fannish collection, a story that was serialized across three issues of the long-running fanzine The ROCKET'S BLAST COMICOLLECTOR. It was produced by artist Brad Caslor, who would eventually go into animation as a storyboard artist and director. But here, he channels the individual styles of close to a dozen other creators to … Continue reading Forgotten Masterpiece: The Massacre of the Innocents

5BC: Five More Times Marvel Self-Mythologized

As assorted readers pointed out, there were a lot more instances of creators at both Marvel and DC including themselves as characters in the stories that they produced than I covered in the prior two pieces about Self-Mythologizing. And so, since this is a concept that seems to have attracted some audience interest, here then … Continue reading 5BC: Five More Times Marvel Self-Mythologized

BHOC: MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #55

This was another book that came out of the drugstore's Big Bin of Affidavit Return Comics and the first point when I learned that before it had featured the Hulk exclusively, MARVEL SUPER-HEROES had been split between the Green Goliath and the Sub-Mariner just as TALES TO ASTONISH had been years before. More than anything, … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #55

5BC: Five Best Dopey Marvel Silver Age Villains

Let's face it, lightning doesn't strike every month, and sometimes inspiration can be difficult to come by. But comic books still had to come out, ready or not. And so, occasionally, our favorite heroes of Marvel's silver age would find themselves contending with opponents who--well, let's just say they weren't quite up to the usual … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Dopey Marvel Silver Age Villains

The Greatest DAREDEVIL Story Ever Told

A lot of time has been spent on analyzing the Marvel output of the early 1960s, trying to determine who did what and who really deserved the credit for the success of the line and the many characters and ideas presented therein. To reiterate my essential position on this, I feel as though at this … Continue reading The Greatest DAREDEVIL Story Ever Told

BHOC: SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS #13

I bought this issue of SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS at my local 7-11, and it was another comic book which my household ended up with multiple copies of--though in this case, for a different reason. I would have a birthday in about a month's time, and as a gift my friend and classmate Don Sims … Continue reading BHOC: SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS #13

BHOC: MARVEL ADVENTURE #6

Here's another book I picked up from the drugstore's Big Bin of Slightly-Older Comics, affidavit return copies that should have been destroyed, but which were instead sold off in cut-rate lots. A bit of the double-dipping that helped make the comic book industry close to insolvent during this era. But a benefit to me as … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL ADVENTURE #6