The original ending to X-MEN #137 & 138 and the pencils of John Byrne

The Death of Phoenix sequence in X-MEN is a milestone moment in the history of comics, one that changed the very trajectory of the entire industry. We spoke about it at length in a post under the Perfect Game heading: https://tombrevoort.com/2020/06/13/perfect-game-x-men-137/ But just to quickly recap: creators Chris Claremont and John Byrne were heading towards … Continue reading The original ending to X-MEN #137 & 138 and the pencils of John Byrne →

Forgotten Masterpiece: THE SPIRIT #30, Part Two

Continuing on with our survey of the "Spirit Jam", the all-new story featuring Will Eisner's celebrated golden age character produced Jam-style by a bevy of top cartoonists and comic book artists and writers of the era, under the auspices of publisher Denis Kitchen and associate editor Cat Yronwode. Picking things up where we left off, … Continue reading Forgotten Masterpiece: THE SPIRIT #30, Part Two →

BHOC: MARVEL TEAM-UP #70

This is another comic book that found its way into my household twice. The first time, I bought it during one of our periodic visits to by Grandparents' house in Valley Stream. The other, I believe I got in a 3-Bag where there were other books that I wanted/needed. That would be the bane of … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL TEAM-UP #70 →

BHOC: X-MEN #111

For some reason, my family wound up going to the South Shore Mall, which was a bit of a distance from where we lived. I don't quite know what store they had in that Mall that drove my parents to need to go there, but we would do so semi-regularly for the next couple of … Continue reading BHOC: X-MEN #111 →

BHOC: MARVEL PREMIERE #25

This was another book that I dug up in my local drugstore's Big Bin of Somewhat-Older Comic Books, books that were reported as having been destroyed but were instead being sold off the back of the truck at five for a dollar--a great bargain for me. I was continuing to explore different avenues in the … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL PREMIERE #25 →

BHOC: IRON FIST #12

This is yet another book that my friend Donald Sims traded to me at a certain point, and one of the best issues that I got from him (for all that it didn't make me run right out and start trying to hunt down other issues of IRON FIST.) It probably helped that Captain America … Continue reading BHOC: IRON FIST #12 →

Making The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man

I've had to clean out my office recently, and in doing so I've unearthed a small treasure trove of interesting items that have been buried for several years. So with the holidays before us, I expect that I'll be posting a bunch of stuff before through the end of the year. Consider it a bonus … Continue reading Making The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man →

BHOC: STAR WARS #11

At the same time that my Uncle Jerry and Aunt Clem bought me the Flash Dollar Comic, they also brought a comic book for my younger brother Ken--this issue of STAR WARS. And like with my book, my Aunt dutifully wrote Ken's name on the cover, so that the world would forever after know that … Continue reading BHOC: STAR WARS #11 →

Perfect Game – X-MEN #137

A million words must have been written over the decades about this issue of X-MEN, the conclusion to the Dark Phoenix Saga and the high point of the fabled Chris Claremont and John Byrne run. And in the shadow of what would follow in the years to come, perhaps the book has lost some of … Continue reading Perfect Game – X-MEN #137 →

5BC: Five Best Comics of 1980

It's perhaps difficult to see from the vantage point of so many years later, but this issue of X-MEN was a game-changer when it came out, and cemented the popularity of the series at the top of the Direct Market sales charts for a decade and a half. Powerful, unexpected, emotional, this comic generated both … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Comics of 1980 →