Another similar thing that I did during my first trip to my very first comic book shop, Heroes World in Levittown, was to buy the oldest issue of THE FLASH that I could. As with FANTASTIC FOUR, there were some older releases on the wall--I seem to recall that SHOWCASE #13 with its pirate torpedo … Continue reading BHOC: FLASH #158
Whenever the conversation turns to the question of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and their collaborations during the 1960s and who was responsible for doing what--a question that I don't think can ever be definitively or conclusively answered--one of the misconceptions that I see come up time and time again is the notion that Lee … Continue reading Lee & Kirby: The Four Work Stages of Lee & Kirby
Here's another book that was bought for my brother, Ken--it seems as though at this time, he was trying to match me book-for-book. And eventually it ended up with me in any case. That's a pretty dramatic cover by Sal Amendola. I wasn't as wild about his work on the interior of the book--he took … Continue reading BHOC: BATMAN #296
My brother Ken had eclectic taste in comic books. He was only ever so-so interested in them, mainly because I was--and that interest tended to flow in two directions. First, he wound up buying copies of more than a few comics that I already owned, so that he would have what I had. Alternately, he … Continue reading BHOC: ETERNALS #9
This issue of ACTION COMICS would have been another book that I got from my grade school buddy Donald Sims. It's not a bit of a weird cover on it--Superman is so over-muscled here that he practically looks inflated. And I don't know that the lime green background is helping matters any either. All of … Continue reading BHOC: ACTION COMICS #464
A genuine sucker punch of an ending topped off this issue of FANTASTIC FOUR, as we learn the outcome of Sue Richards' latest pregnancy. Writer/artist John Byrne is in strong form here, at about the middle of his long run on the title. Good use of the rest of the Marvel Universe and a sympathetic … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Comics of 1984
If I am not mistaken, this issue of GREEN LANTERN represents the first oversized and up-priced anniversary issue that I ever encountered. Up until this point, while a particular title might mention the fact that it had reached the arbitrary milestone of a centennial issue (or, later, a 50th or even 25th issue) the actual … Continue reading BHOC: GREEN LANTERN #100
