Why Did The 1983 JLA/AVENGERS Crossover Not Happen?

The question came up again this week, prompting a bunch of discussion (often blaming one person in specific for perceived slights): why did the announced and eagerly-anticipated 1983 crossover book starring the Avengers and the Justice League of America never see print and remain uncompleted? There are a bunch of fan rumor and innuendo and … Continue reading Why Did The 1983 JLA/AVENGERS Crossover Not Happen?

BHOC: INCREDIBLE HULK #234

Another issue featuring Marvel's TV sensation THE INCREDIBLE HULK dropped on my local 7-11's spinner rack, and I bought it dutifully, even though my interest in the title was only middling. But I had signed on aboard the series at some point previously, and through this era, that tended to keep me steadily buying the … Continue reading BHOC: INCREDIBLE HULK #234

BHOC: THOR #282

This next issue of THOR was the second part of a two-part story designed to help get the book back on schedule as writer/editor Roy Thomas prepared to get into his long Celestials storyline. This was the fourth issue in a row that felt like a bit of a throwaway, so the series was going … Continue reading BHOC: THOR #282

BHOC: MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #50

Now this was a comic book that I really liked. So much so that I sent a letter of comment in to the letters page asking that creator John Byrne be allowed to both write and pencil FANTASTIC FOUR. A real case of "be careful what you wish for", as I stopped buying FF under … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #50

BHOC: THOR #281

This particular issue of THOR was another comic book that my household wound up with two copies of. As he would do from time to time, by younger brother Ken purchased his own copy of this issue for whatever reason. The series was drifting a bit at this particular moment, with this being another in … Continue reading BHOC: THOR #281

GH: CAPTAIN AMERICA #281

The last regular issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA that I bought was #281, almost a hundred issues on from when I'd first sampled the book. The series was on a bit of an upswing at this point, having just concluded a multi-part adventure that established the contemporary Baron Zemo (who had previously appeared as the one-off … Continue reading GH: CAPTAIN AMERICA #281

OMNIVERSE #1, Part Three

This is the third and final part of our survey of the first issue of future Marvel Executive Editor Mark Gruenwald's classic fanzine OMNIVERSE, which dealt with the question of consistent reality in comic book stories. Or continuity, as it is more typically thought of. While it didn't quite reach the heights of a scientific … Continue reading OMNIVERSE #1, Part Three

OMNIVERSE #1, Part Two

Continuing in our look at Mark Gruenwald's pre-Marvel fanzine OMNIVERSE, dedicated to examining consistency in the depiction of fictional realities in comic books. After a write-up of several recent science fiction stories, Gruenwald takes it upon himself to review several recently-released comic books to see if they measure up to his own beliefs and standards … Continue reading OMNIVERSE #1, Part Two

OMNIVERSE #1

In the late 1970s, before he would go on to be hired by Marvel Comics as an assistant editor, Mark Gruenwald published two issues of his fanzine OMNIVERSE. Unlike most other fan publications, OMNIVERSE was dedicated to examining a single principle when it came to comic book fiction: the consistency of continuity across fictional realities, … Continue reading OMNIVERSE #1

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