The big bin of slightly-older comics at my local drug store chain continued to toss up additional treasures as the summer went on, often ones older and older than the ones that had preceded it. So the next issue of FANTASTIC FOUR I found therein was this one, the oldest I'd yet encountered. That's a … Continue reading BHOC: FANTASTIC FOUR #172
Tag: Jack Kirby
5BC: Five Best Comics of 1973
1973 was the first year in which i was reading comic books, and only for the back half of the year. But I think i can be forgiven for that--I was only six years old. For the purposes of this survey, however, I've taken into account the entire output for the year, not just those … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Comics of 1973
BHOC: INVADERS #3
In addition to new old issues of FANTASTIC FOUR and MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS, the drug store’s big bin of somewhat older comics had also received copies of a few issues of THE INVADERS, which I picked up as well. This one had a somewhat messy cover–how is it that Captain America is seemingly standing in … Continue reading BHOC: INVADERS #3
BHOC: MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #66
The other issue of MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS that had turned up in my drug store’s big bin of slightly-older comics was this one, the start of a four-part Doctor Doom sequence inspired by the television series The Prisoner. I hadn’t seen the Prisoner at the time when I first bought this issue, so it seemed … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #66
BHOC: MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #65
Also in the big big of somewhat-old comics on this particular trip was a pair of issues of MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS featuring the Fantastic Four. This was the earlier of the two, a reprint of a classic Stan Lee and Jack Kirby issue (albeit one that had pages edited out of it in order to … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #65
BHOC: FANTASTIC FOUR #176
Back at the Drug Store, I was astonished and elated to find this issue of FANTASTIC FOUR in my latest dive through its big bin of somewhat-older comics. And the reason is that this issue pre-dated all four of the FANTASTIC FOUR issues that I’d previously found there. It was evidence that it was possible … Continue reading BHOC: FANTASTIC FOUR #176
BHOC: MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #62
This is another book that showed up in the big bin of somewhat-old comics at my local drugstore, and being on the hunt for Fantastic Four stories, I picked it up. It must be said, this really isn’t a great cover–all of the heroes have their backs to us and are oriented around the edges. … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #62
BHOC: MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #60
This is the third of the three issues of MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS I pulled up out of the big bin of affidavit-return comic books in my local drug store after I’d gone back for a second helping of the Fantastic Four. And of the three, it’s the slightest–a pattern that very much mirrored the first … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #60
BHOC: MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #59
This was the second of the three issues of MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS that I bought out of the big bin of comics at my local drug store, having enjoyed the first trio of FANTASTIC FOUR issues that I had read. During this period, Marvel maintained a full line of reprint books, serving up the stories … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #59
BHOC: MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #58
So, having read and enjoyed my first three issues of FANTASTIC FOUR, I did what any self-respecting comic book reader would do in that situation: I went back to the drug store just as soon as I could and got more. I had seen that the Fantastic Four were also featured in MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS, … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS #58










