This extended THOR storyline, in which writer/editor Roy Thomas vainly but valiantly attempted to integrate the events of Jack Kirby's recent series THE ETERNALS into the mainstream Marvel Universe was tedious, and it went on forever. Twice during its run I dropped the title, but wound up coming back on weeks when the number of … Continue reading BHOC: THOR #285
These next couple of years' worth of THOR stories were truly a mixed bag, and as a reader, I had a difficult time remaining engaged--to the point where I dropped the title more than once, only to come back shortly thereafter on a week when I had spare cash and multiple issues were still available … Continue reading BHOC: THOR #284
It's no great secret that the relationship between editor and scripter Stan Lee and artist and plotter Jack Kirby had grown fraught by 1969. Having at least co-invented the characters who ad saved the company and done the lion's share of the story work that continued to make the Marvel books he worked on shine, … Continue reading Lee & Kirby: THE TROUBLED BIRTH OF THOR #169
This next issue of THOR got back to the business at hand after four months of fill-ins. It kicked off a long, sprawling saga in which writer/editor Roy Thomas attempted to integrate Jack Kirby's Eternals into the continuity of the Marvel Universe. This is akin to trying to drive a square peg into a round … Continue reading BHOC: THOR #283
MAGAZINELAND, USA was a giveaway comic book designed for the celebration on June 18, 1977, which had been proclaimed World Color Press Day. World Color were the printers for virtually all of the comic books that were then available on the nation's newsstands, including the output of DC, Marvel, Archie, Harvey and others. Accordingly, those … Continue reading Lost Crossovers: MAGAZINELAND, USA #1
This was the second of two issues of THOR that were contained in the SUPERHERO GIFT PACK that I received for Christmas in 1978, and its story picked up where the preceding issue had left off, fortunately. So I rolled right in, interested to see what would become of Thor and his posse as they … Continue reading BHOC: THOR #263
This issue of THOR was one of two that I got in my Christmas gift of the SUPERHERO GIFT PACK. While I was reading the series at this point, it wasn't truly one of my favorite. Mostly that was due to the extended periods the book would spend in Asgard, where it often felt more … Continue reading BHOC: THOR #262
Another gift that I received on that Christmas of 1978 was this SUPERHERO GIFT PACK. Ordered from I believe the Sears Catalogue, this Gift Pack was essentially a box containing ten recent-but-not-new Marvel Comics. There may have been a poster as well--I had a Sal Buscema-illustrated Marvel poster that hung in my bedroom at around … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERHERO GIFT PACK
Back at Christmas 1978, I was working my way through the fourth and latest release in the ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS line of Trade Paperbacks from Simon & Schuster: THE SUPERHERO WOMEN. This book was a bit more of a mixed bag than the earlier ones and relied more on material that was more contemporary--the … Continue reading BHOC: THE SUPERHERO WOMEN
Christmas 1978 was a huge comic book windfall for me. Whereas in years past I had filled my wish list with an assortment of toys, starting here, I would instead begin asking for books on comics. ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS had eluded me for months, so much so that I eventually got to read the … Continue reading BHOC: ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS
The Tom Brevoort Experience 