This issue of THOR has a very nice, if somewhat generic, cover by the character's co-creator Jack Kirby and inker Joe Sinnott. Kirby had returned to the Marvel fold at this time, and he was immediately put to use on covers throughout the line, as well as his own solo written and drawn projects. But … Continue reading BHOC: THOR #257
FIGHTING AMERICAN is a well-remembered series produced by the Joe Simon & Jack Kirby Studio in the 1950s. It started out as a reaction to the revival of Simon & Kirby's best-selling patriotic super hero at Atlas Comics, Captain America--they figured that if the public wanted that kind of a character, they were better suited … Continue reading Simon & Kirby: When Fighting American Stole From Starman
In the late 1970s, things were not looking good for the comic book industry in general or for Marvel in particular. As "mom & pop" stores were steadily replaced by large chain outlets such as 7-11, the venues for comic book sales continued to dwindle. Comics were a small-margin business, and even those places that … Continue reading PIZZAZZ #1
A short while back, we covered an issue of SUPERMAN that I had purchased in 1988 as a part of my big Windfall Comics buy. That issue featured a single full-length Superman adventure rather than the usual three shorter stories that the title typically ran. (That story was broken up into three discrete chapters so … Continue reading The First Book-Length Superman Adventure
Given that today is Stan Lee's birthday and that he is likely the most photographed comic book creator in the world, it seems like an ideal time to do another installment of this series. Once again, these are all vintage photographs of assorted comic book writers, artists and editors from years past. Jack Kirby in … Continue reading Comics Creators in the Wild 9
As Dave Lister explains to Arnold Rimmer in an early episode of the British science fiction comedy series RED DWARF, "Death isn't the handicap it used to be." Today, it's a given that, in the world of super heroes, death is, at worst, a revolving door, and any character who breathes his or her last … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Silver Age Character Deaths
In the latest issue of the fantastic magazine THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR published by TwoMorrows Publications (and available at this link: ) https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_57&products_id=1562&zenid=b1816d55c0c77183a6dd6e0571fa38f5 ...writer and comics historian Will Murray contributes a piece taking a closer look at INCREDIBLE HULK #1. Murray's contention is that the character of the Hulk originally had a different name, which … Continue reading Lee & Kirby: The Mysteries of INCREDIBLE HULK #1
Here we go, yet another book that I bought in a 3-Bag at either a department store or a toy store, and definitely the reason why I would have picked up the 3-Bag in question. FANTASTIC FOUR was by this point my favorite comic book series, and so an opportunity to get in on this … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #73
One of the things that I tell people when we're talking about the history of Marvel Comics is that one of the amazing things about what those earlier pioneers created is the fact that, if you wait long enough, even the failures become successes. It was true of the Hulk, it was true of the … Continue reading WC: TALES TO ASTONISH #37
Now here was a beauty! This issue of TALES OF SUSPENSE features only the 4th appearance of Iron Man, the super hero who took over the title, ushering it into the Marvel Age of Comics. Like every book covered in this feature, I acquired this issue as part of my Windfall Comics purchase, where through … Continue reading WC: TALES OF SUSPENSE #42
The Tom Brevoort Experience 