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

Lost Crossovers: The Lost and Most Obscure Marvel/DC Crossover

SUPERMAN VS THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, the first of the real DC and Marvel crossovers (putting aside the WIZARD OF OZ co-produced Treasury) was an enormous success for both companies. Despite being priced at $2.00 as a time when regular comic books were only 30 cents, it sold in huge quantities--enough to make DC look for … Continue reading Lost Crossovers: The Lost and Most Obscure Marvel/DC Crossover

Personal Best: AVENGERS #1

This book has been on my list to write about for a while now, but given the sad news regarding the health of artist George Perez, it now seems like something I should get too sooner rather than later. For those who are unaware, george has been diagnosed with inoperable and terminal cancer, and he's … Continue reading Personal Best: AVENGERS #1

Personal Best: UNTOLD TALES OF SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #1, 1996

UNTOLD TALES OF SPIDER-MAN was the series that brought me to the attention of fandom, the first truly successful title that I worked on, at least from a critical standpoint. And this didn't have so much to do with me as it did Kurt Busiek and Pat Olliffe, the creative team that produced most of … Continue reading Personal Best: UNTOLD TALES OF SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #1, 1996

5BC: Five Comics That Almost Got Me Fired

This is a bit of a break from our usual fare here, more in keeping with the Blah Blah Blog segments that I repost from my old Marvel blog that were relevant to my work situation. But I typically refrain from talking about that kind of thing here, as it seems somehow immodest and self-serving … Continue reading 5BC: Five Comics That Almost Got Me Fired

The Rocket’s Blast/ComiCollector #152

The Rocket's Blast/ComiCollector was one of the longest-running fanzines of its era. Originally, it had begun as two separate 'zines both started in 1961--the Rocket's Blast, created by Miami-based fan G.B. Love, and the Comicollector by Jerry Bails. Eventually, the two combined their mailing lists and merged with #29 (continuing the numbering of The Rocket's … Continue reading The Rocket’s Blast/ComiCollector #152

Blah Blah Blog – Good Comics, Part Three

A post from my Marvel blog of the 00s, part of a series talking about good individual issues on which I had worked. Good Comics, pt. 3 April 28, 2007 | 1:00 AM | By Tom_Brevoort | In General We should have an update on our "click-through" experiment hopefully by Friday. So if you haven't … Continue reading Blah Blah Blog – Good Comics, Part Three

BHOC: INVADERS #29

This issue of INVADERS was yet another new comic that I picked up early-for-me during my first trip to the Batcave, the comic book specialty shop located in the South Shore Mall in Bay Shore, some distance from my home. INVADERS was a regular purchase for me, one of the titles that had led me … Continue reading BHOC: INVADERS #29