1st Issue Special, the reviews
Oct 26, 2016 18:06:30 GMT -5
Roquefort Raider, wildfire2099, and 5 more like this
Post by codystarbuck on Oct 26, 2016 18:06:30 GMT -5
1st Issue Special, the next generation of anthologies, in the spirit of Showcase and The Brave and the Bold, that launched.................................................
......................two new series!
One of which actually lasted more than a year!
Let's take a look at a less than successful, yet often very fun series, designed as a theater to test new concepts.
The series debuted in 1975 and was the brainchild of Carmine Infantino. Gerry Conway observed: "1st Issue Special was a peculiar book concept based on [publisher] Carmine Infantino’s observation that first issues of titles often sold better than subsequent issues. Carmine’s brainstorm: a monthly series of nothing but first issues. It sounds like a joke, but he was dead serious." That's probably a bit disingenuous. Showcase, as Carmine well knew, and Brave and the Bold both served to launch a lot of new series and gave a chance to test other characers and ideas that did not go to series. Marvel had similar titles, like Marvel Premiere, so it isn't like Carmine was alone in his thinking. The series lasted 13 issues, featuring the following characters and concepts:
Atlas
Green Team
Metamorpho
Lady Cop
Manhunter
Dingbats of Danger Street
Creeper
Warlord
Dr Fate
Outsiders
Code Name: Assassin
Starman
Return of the New Gods
Warlord went on to years of success, showcasing Mike Grell's art and displaying, for the first time, his writing skills (and those of his then-wife). New Gods limped along for 7 issues, with the story being finished up in Adventure Comics and Justice League of America. The rest? Well, some of the characters returned, many not until years later. Some were never seen again. Let's start at the beginning.
Issue 1 gives us Kirby, in all of his glory. By this point, Jack has seen his 4th World squashed and is regretting his deal with DC. His contract calls for a specific number of pages, which not only leads to new series, like Demon and Kamandi; but Jack turning up in other, odd places, like Our Fighting Forces and Justice, Inc. 1st Issue Special was another spot to find some Kirby imagination, off the beaten path.
Our story begins in ancient times, when legends were born. Kirby gives us this to suck us in:
The story finds Atlas demonstrating his strength by taking on all comers. After easily defeating a bruiser, others suspect chicanery and challenge his barker, when a noble, born aloft by slaves comes along and orders everyone out of the way. Atlas doesn't like him and teaches him some manners. The noble makes threats and Atlas drags him off, for some purpose. He finds himself facing a rank of archers, arrows drawn. He lifts up the noble as a target, when a voice challenges. Atlas recognizes the voice and Atlas is taken back to his childhood, when he first heard the voice, as it led the slaughter of his people. In a scene very reminiscent of the later film version of Conan, we see the village destroyed, while Atlas, with the strength of an adult, challenges the conqueror. atlas escapes, with the help of Chagra, a wanderer who was passing through. Together, they wander, as Atlas grows to manhood. We see Atlas become even stronger, becoming a hero, a destroyer of evil and a gladiator (sound familiar?) he and Chagra travel on, until they reach a land of the Lizard Kingdom. We return to the present, to find the face attached to the voice, Hyssa, king of this realm. he is the one who killed Atlas' father and destroyed his people. We are then asked to write in if we want to see more of the saga of Atlas.
As I said, the similarities with the John Millius Conan are remarkable and not all of that came from Robert E Howard. Kirby was a life long fan of the pulps and he pulled story elements from many, which might explain the similarities. it also draws on mythic tales of Samson and Hercules, as well as other heroes. This was obviously Jack's answer to Marvel's Conan; but, as was usual with DC, sword & sorcery didn't seem to take off there. The story here is interesting, if a bit derivative, so we are left wondering why they didn't give it a try? One answer may be the ending, or non-ending. This frustrates many of the 1st Issue Special tales. We are set for a climax and do not get one. Feeling robbed, why should we want more? It would have been better served by giving a whole story, then asking if we wanted more. This just seemed like a bait and switch. That was Carmine's doing, not Jack or the other creators, and illustrates the problems of DC, under his watch.
It's not surprising that Atlas remained untouched until James Robinson, who seemed to be the only creator who looked at 1st Issue Special, aside from Steve Engelhart, who snatched a couple of characters for continued use. The first was Mikaal Tomas, who turned up in Starman, after appearing under the same name in 1st Issue Special. Atlas was next, in the Coming of Atlas, whee Atlas is snatched from the past and put into the path of Superman, to kill him. Robinson also brought back Code Name: Assassin, during his run. he did not attempt to revive the Green Team or the Dingbats of Danger Street.
Atlas, in the hands of a motivated Kirby could have been truly epic. Instead, it feels like Kirby threw out an idea and a story, to fulfill his contract, then moved on. We can only imagine what would have happened if he had a second issue in mind.
......................two new series!
One of which actually lasted more than a year!
Let's take a look at a less than successful, yet often very fun series, designed as a theater to test new concepts.
The series debuted in 1975 and was the brainchild of Carmine Infantino. Gerry Conway observed: "1st Issue Special was a peculiar book concept based on [publisher] Carmine Infantino’s observation that first issues of titles often sold better than subsequent issues. Carmine’s brainstorm: a monthly series of nothing but first issues. It sounds like a joke, but he was dead serious." That's probably a bit disingenuous. Showcase, as Carmine well knew, and Brave and the Bold both served to launch a lot of new series and gave a chance to test other characers and ideas that did not go to series. Marvel had similar titles, like Marvel Premiere, so it isn't like Carmine was alone in his thinking. The series lasted 13 issues, featuring the following characters and concepts:
Atlas
Green Team
Metamorpho
Lady Cop
Manhunter
Dingbats of Danger Street
Creeper
Warlord
Dr Fate
Outsiders
Code Name: Assassin
Starman
Return of the New Gods
Warlord went on to years of success, showcasing Mike Grell's art and displaying, for the first time, his writing skills (and those of his then-wife). New Gods limped along for 7 issues, with the story being finished up in Adventure Comics and Justice League of America. The rest? Well, some of the characters returned, many not until years later. Some were never seen again. Let's start at the beginning.
Issue 1 gives us Kirby, in all of his glory. By this point, Jack has seen his 4th World squashed and is regretting his deal with DC. His contract calls for a specific number of pages, which not only leads to new series, like Demon and Kamandi; but Jack turning up in other, odd places, like Our Fighting Forces and Justice, Inc. 1st Issue Special was another spot to find some Kirby imagination, off the beaten path.
Our story begins in ancient times, when legends were born. Kirby gives us this to suck us in:
The story finds Atlas demonstrating his strength by taking on all comers. After easily defeating a bruiser, others suspect chicanery and challenge his barker, when a noble, born aloft by slaves comes along and orders everyone out of the way. Atlas doesn't like him and teaches him some manners. The noble makes threats and Atlas drags him off, for some purpose. He finds himself facing a rank of archers, arrows drawn. He lifts up the noble as a target, when a voice challenges. Atlas recognizes the voice and Atlas is taken back to his childhood, when he first heard the voice, as it led the slaughter of his people. In a scene very reminiscent of the later film version of Conan, we see the village destroyed, while Atlas, with the strength of an adult, challenges the conqueror. atlas escapes, with the help of Chagra, a wanderer who was passing through. Together, they wander, as Atlas grows to manhood. We see Atlas become even stronger, becoming a hero, a destroyer of evil and a gladiator (sound familiar?) he and Chagra travel on, until they reach a land of the Lizard Kingdom. We return to the present, to find the face attached to the voice, Hyssa, king of this realm. he is the one who killed Atlas' father and destroyed his people. We are then asked to write in if we want to see more of the saga of Atlas.
As I said, the similarities with the John Millius Conan are remarkable and not all of that came from Robert E Howard. Kirby was a life long fan of the pulps and he pulled story elements from many, which might explain the similarities. it also draws on mythic tales of Samson and Hercules, as well as other heroes. This was obviously Jack's answer to Marvel's Conan; but, as was usual with DC, sword & sorcery didn't seem to take off there. The story here is interesting, if a bit derivative, so we are left wondering why they didn't give it a try? One answer may be the ending, or non-ending. This frustrates many of the 1st Issue Special tales. We are set for a climax and do not get one. Feeling robbed, why should we want more? It would have been better served by giving a whole story, then asking if we wanted more. This just seemed like a bait and switch. That was Carmine's doing, not Jack or the other creators, and illustrates the problems of DC, under his watch.
It's not surprising that Atlas remained untouched until James Robinson, who seemed to be the only creator who looked at 1st Issue Special, aside from Steve Engelhart, who snatched a couple of characters for continued use. The first was Mikaal Tomas, who turned up in Starman, after appearing under the same name in 1st Issue Special. Atlas was next, in the Coming of Atlas, whee Atlas is snatched from the past and put into the path of Superman, to kill him. Robinson also brought back Code Name: Assassin, during his run. he did not attempt to revive the Green Team or the Dingbats of Danger Street.
Atlas, in the hands of a motivated Kirby could have been truly epic. Instead, it feels like Kirby threw out an idea and a story, to fulfill his contract, then moved on. We can only imagine what would have happened if he had a second issue in mind.
