BHOC: CAPTAIN AMERICA #216

On that same weekly trip to the 7-11 I came across and was delighted by this issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA, a title that I didn't normally read. And it had everything to do with this cover, where, rather than Cap's usual masthead partner the Falcon, the co-star in this particular issue was the Human Torch. … Continue reading BHOC: CAPTAIN AMERICA #216 →

BHOC: INVADERS #23

Summer was winding down when I bought this issue of INVADERS at my regular 7-11 haunt. It's one of those days that I can recall vividly for no particular reason, biking back up Granny Road with my new purchase. I still hadn't branched out into Marvel any further than the Human Torch, but it was … Continue reading BHOC: INVADERS #23 →

5BC: Five Best Comics of 1976

It was like a little miracle, a book that couldn't and possibly shouldn't ever happen. But happen it did--and SUPERMAN VS THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN was an excellent mixing of the then-contemporary styles of Marvel and DC, very different flavors in that period. The creative team was spot on, anchored by Gerry Conway and Ross Andru, … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Comics of 1976 →

BHOC: INVADERS #15

I got this issue of INVADERS at the same time as the other two, from the drug store's big bin of slightly-older comics. It's got the best cover of the three for sure (though Tommy Lightning and Spitfire seem like giants in the background there.) And because I bought them both at the same time, … Continue reading BHOC: INVADERS #15 →

BHOC: INVADERS #14

I didn’t know when I pulled up this issue of INVADERS from the big box of slightly-older comic books at my local drug store that the new characters depicted on it, the Crusaders, were meant to be analogues for the Freedom Fighters, characters published in the 1940s by Quality Publications and eventually purchased by DC. … Continue reading BHOC: INVADERS #14 →

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 →