BHOC: AVENGERS #177

With this latest issue of AVENGERS, the ten-month-long Korvac Saga came to an end. Unfortunately, artist George Perez, who had been instrumental in convincing writer Jim Shooter to pen a storyline featuring all of the Avengers past and present, fell off abut a third of the way into the storyline, and it was plagued by … Continue reading BHOC: AVENGERS #177

BHOC: CAPTAIN AMERICA #227

This issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA turned up at the 7-11 the next time I visited there. The series had been somewhat shaky for months, ever since the departure of Jack Kirby. it was plagued with back-ups and fill-ins, and so its running storyline concerning Steve Rogers attempting to learn more about his past prior to … Continue reading BHOC: CAPTAIN AMERICA #227

(Not So) Great Covers: POWERS THAT BE #3

I don't really want to make this a regular thing, since it's always a lot easier to knock on something rather than being positive about it. But after last week's QUASAR cover https://tombrevoort.com/2023/01/14/not-so-great-covers-quasar-56/ I had a few people come back with comments of, "Oh yeah? Well, this cover is even worse!" And a few of … Continue reading (Not So) Great Covers: POWERS THAT BE #3

BHOC: AVENGERS #175

While we were at the Heroes World that evening after I'd spent the day doing menial tasks in my father's office, I didn't just pick up back issues but also a few new books that had arrived. Because Heroes World was being supplied by the then-nascent Direct Sales distribution network, they got their new books … Continue reading BHOC: AVENGERS #175

BHOC: DAREDEVIL #154

Back at my local 7-11, new comics continued to come in regularly every Thursday, and I was there every week without fill (except in extenuating circumstances such as sickness or family vacations and the like) to pick up the new books. It's a pattern that continues to this day. This issue of DAREDEVIL greeted me … Continue reading BHOC: DAREDEVIL #154

FANTASTIC FOUR #286 John Byrne’s Way

If there's a moment that truly crystalized the Direct Sales marketplace and helped to forge it into a meaningful distribution pipeline for comics, it was with the release of X-MEN #137 in which creators Chris Claremont and John Byrne wrapped up what is today known as "The Dark Phoenix Saga" in a double-sized issue that … Continue reading FANTASTIC FOUR #286 John Byrne’s Way

Comics Creators in the Wild 11

Another installment of our popular feature where we showcase vintage photographs of popular comic book creators from days gone by. This is sometimes known as "Stan Lee and friends" given how often Lee was photographed over the years. Mark Gruenwald and Nel Yomtov at a convention in the late 1980s Renee Witterstaetter at a party … Continue reading Comics Creators in the Wild 11

BHOC: DEFENDERS #53

This issue of DEFENDERS was another book that I got out of a 3-Bag at either one of my local department stores or toy stores. It had a nice George Perez cover, but it wasn't an especially memorable issue. This was another book that had run into deadline troubles, and so the main story this … Continue reading BHOC: DEFENDERS #53