|
Post by codystarbuck on Jan 16, 2019 18:59:27 GMT -5
I've always liked Dillin's work, as well as Swan and Novick, who seem to get some grief for their work.
You also have to keep in mind that DC books were done full script, with the writer dictating more of the imagery; which didn't allow for a lot of artistic stretching, in some cases. Writers like John broome were a bit more accomodating, for artists like Infantino and Kane. Dillin did fine work; but, was far better on Blackhawk. Also, DC tended to pair weaker inkers with strong pencillers and vice versa. it was very rare that you got the best of both worlds.
|
|
|
Post by rberman on Jan 17, 2019 6:56:55 GMT -5
JLA #103 “A Stranger Walks Among Us!” (December 1972)Creative Team: Len Wein writing, Dick Dillin penciling, Dick Giordano inking The Story: It’s time for the annual superhero Halloween parade in Rutland, Vermont! A bunch of Marvel and DC staffers (enumerated in the section below) are there. Meanwhile, the Phantom Stranger appears within the JLA satellite bearing dark tidings: They are all going to die! He takes them to Rutland, where they first headline the Halloween parade and then are defeated in separate battles against costumed parade attendees. It’s all a plot by Felix Faust! But the Phantom Stranger has prepared for this moment, and by gathering tokens from the heroes (Green Arrow’s hat, a batarang, etc.) he is able to prevent their deaths. Faust steals Len Wein’s car and is arrested by the cops for having a faulty muffler. Quelle undignified! My Two Cents: Rutland’s Halloween parade, organized by superfan Tom Fagan, had appeared in the classic "Night of the Reaper!" story in Batman #237 (1971), still a Batman treasure today and featured last October with minor color modernization in one of Wal-Mart’s “100 pages for $5” DC compilations. This particular issue is an unofficial crossover with Thor #207 and Amazing Adventures #16, which further chronicled the adventures of Len and Glynis Wein, Roy and Jeannie Thomas, Steve Englehart, and Gerry Conway at and around the Rutland parade. The order of events is: Thor, JLA, Amazing Adventures.
This is a fun little story, but it can’t compare with the one in Batman #237. O’Neil/Adams for the win.
|
|
|
Post by brutalis on Jan 17, 2019 7:46:12 GMT -5
A double dose of hell yeah in favor of Dillin art from me as well. During my youth, Dillin's League was spot on for me. While some may call his work unspectacular or mundane I call it traditional and solid. His art showed heroes in a stylized heroic way and they were all in model without any of the need to tweaking or changing costumes or looks like it seems every artist today has to "imprint" their look upon a hero. He was a company man who produced quality work on time and as required for a monthly comic book meeting his deadlines (unlike most all of the "hot" artists) for one of the flagship titles of the company. It was grand to know that consistently every month Dillin would be there for the League and me. It seems most all of the team series during the 70's went through artistic changes on a fairly regular basis and at times you never knew what artist you would find between the comic covers.
|
|
Crimebuster
CCF Podcast Guru
Making comics!
Posts: 3,922
|
Post by Crimebuster on Jan 17, 2019 10:32:12 GMT -5
These Rutland stories make my teeth itch. Especially this crossover. When Stan and Jack put themselves in the books, it was a fun little gag. With these guys, it's just navel gazing egotism. The self indulgence of Bronze Age writers is insufferable at times.
The cover is great though!
|
|
|
Post by rberman on Jan 17, 2019 11:06:01 GMT -5
These Rutland stories make my teeth itch. Especially this crossover. When Stan and Jack put themselves in the books, it was a fun little gag. With these guys, it's just navel gazing egotism. The self indulgence of Bronze Age writers is insufferable at times. The cover is great though! I saw it as canny mutual back-scratching. If the Rutland parade could be a big thing, that was good publicity for both Marvel and DC. It may have even inspired bizarre moments like the Marvel Comics float in the Macy's Day parade. I guess they could have done a Rutland story that didn't involve the Marvel and DC staffers though, just Tom Fagan. P.S. Who's the guy to whom "Thor" is talking in that final Neal Adams panel? It looks like it might be Harlan Ellison, who got a story credit on the Batman issue set in Rutland.
|
|
Crimebuster
CCF Podcast Guru
Making comics!
Posts: 3,922
|
Post by Crimebuster on Jan 17, 2019 11:19:47 GMT -5
These Rutland stories make my teeth itch. Especially this crossover. When Stan and Jack put themselves in the books, it was a fun little gag. With these guys, it's just navel gazing egotism. The self indulgence of Bronze Age writers is insufferable at times. The cover is great though! I saw it as canny mutual back-scratching. If the Rutland parade could be a big thing, that was good publicity for both Marvel and DC. It may have even inspired bizarre moments like the Marvel Comics float in the Macy's Day parade. I guess they could have done a Rutland story that didn't involve the Marvel and DC staffers though, just Tom Fagan. I will magnanimously allow Rutland stories that do not feature Marvel and DC creators. I may be mis-remembering, but I don't think the first Rutland story, way back in Avengers #83, had any real life Marvel or DC people in it.
|
|
|
Post by rberman on Jan 17, 2019 11:23:01 GMT -5
I saw it as canny mutual back-scratching. If the Rutland parade could be a big thing, that was good publicity for both Marvel and DC. It may have even inspired bizarre moments like the Marvel Comics float in the Macy's Day parade. I guess they could have done a Rutland story that didn't involve the Marvel and DC staffers though, just Tom Fagan. I will magnanimously allow Rutland stories that do not feature Marvel and DC creators. I may be mis-remembering, but I don't think the first Rutland story, way back in Avengers #83, had any real life Marvel or DC people in it. The story details here indicate that Roy Thomas and Jean Thomas were in Avengers #83 as characters, but the summary section doesn't mention them doing anything. marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Avengers_Vol_1_83
|
|
|
Post by tarkintino on Jan 17, 2019 12:02:37 GMT -5
Justice League of America #100-102 “Seven Soldiers” (August-October 1972) These stories are considered my favorites ... and the action, drama, and everything about this was excellent. I read this on an annual basis during when I go on vacation ... on the plane. At the time issue #100-- "The Unknown Soldier of Victory"-- this hit the stands, I--and many JLA fans considered it pretty special and worthy of the anniversary motif--unlike other Golden Age-themed plots or references, which could be rinse and repeat affairs. Like the approach Roy Thomas would use in his early building on Marvel's Golden Age heroes, Len Wein not only explains the whereabouts of the Seven Soldiers, but the plotting vehicle responsible for their fate was one of solid fantasy-adventure with a touch of pathos--the idea of this once important group (in-universe) being scattered into multiple points of the past--seemingly lost/trapped forever. Great stuff. The quest to find the Seven Soldiers and bringing back their old nemesis the Iron Hand (both introduced in Leading Comics #1, from December, 1941) was SO Thomas flavored in making old things new again--and relevant to then-current readers. Let's not forget the excellent cover by Nick Cardy, with its somber and reverential emotions all working together to produce one of the greatest of all JLA covers-- JLA #103 “A Stranger Walks Among Us!” (December 1972)Creative Team: Len Wein writing, Dick Dillin penciling, Dick Giordano inking ...and to think, some of the staffers wanted an official DC/Marvel crossover long before this issue's creation (superhero crossover, that is--i'm not counting the joint company publication of the Marvelous Wizard of Oz Treasury Edition from 1975), yet it would take several years of wrangling (4 to the 1976 finish line) to finally make many a comic fan's dream come true. Tight on your references. Without question, starting with the glaring difference in the art. Dillin has his supporters, but even reading JLA as the books were first published, it was just too sub-par for THE group title of the DC universe, and one of the most important of the medium in general.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Jan 17, 2019 12:05:43 GMT -5
These Rutland stories make my teeth itch. Especially this crossover. When Stan and Jack put themselves in the books, it was a fun little gag. With these guys, it's just navel gazing egotism. The self indulgence of Bronze Age writers is insufferable at times. The cover is great though! I saw it as canny mutual back-scratching. If the Rutland parade could be a big thing, that was good publicity for both Marvel and DC. It may have even inspired bizarre moments like the Marvel Comics float in the Macy's Day parade. I guess they could have done a Rutland story that didn't involve the Marvel and DC staffers though, just Tom Fagan. P.S. Who's the guy to whom "Thor" is talking in that final Neal Adams panel? It looks like it might be Harlan Ellison, who got a story credit on the Batman issue set in Rutland. I believe that is Denny O'Neil. I enjoyed the Rutland stories, as it gave you unofficial DC and Marvel crossovers. I also enjoyed the fact that Fagan, who usually dressed as Batman, would be depicted as Nighthawk, in the Marvel stories. Re: Dillin, again; the man literally gave his life to this book, as he suffered a fatal heart attack during the JLA/JSA/New Gods crossover, leading to George Perez finishing the story and continuing on the book. There were guys who were flashier, guys who were more inventive, whatever; but, he was a good storyteller, issue after issue, year after year.. He also handled a large cast and kept them distinct and memorable.
|
|
|
Post by rberman on Jan 17, 2019 12:29:26 GMT -5
...and to think, some of the staffers wanted an official DC/Marvel crossover long before this issue's creation (superhero crossover, that is--i'm not counting the joint company publication of the Marvelous Wizard of Oz Treasury Edition from 1975), yet it would take several years of wrangling (4 to the 1976 finish line) to finally make many a comic fan's dream come true. Indeed, as we discussed here recently, O'Neil and Friedrich and Thomas had been trying to make the crossover happen since 1969.
|
|
Crimebuster
CCF Podcast Guru
Making comics!
Posts: 3,922
|
Post by Crimebuster on Jan 17, 2019 13:08:10 GMT -5
I will magnanimously allow Rutland stories that do not feature Marvel and DC creators. I may be mis-remembering, but I don't think the first Rutland story, way back in Avengers #83, had any real life Marvel or DC people in it. The story details here indicate that Roy Thomas and Jean Thomas were in Avengers #83 as characters, but the summary section doesn't mention them doing anything. marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Avengers_Vol_1_83Burn it with fire then.
|
|
|
Post by dbutler69 on Jan 17, 2019 13:37:03 GMT -5
Justice League of America #100-102 “Seven Soldiers” (August-October 1972) These stories are considered my favorites ... and the action, drama, and everything about this was excellent. I read this on an annual basis during when I go on vacation ... on the plane. I agree. Actually, I like all of the JLA/JSA crossovers. This is a very good one, though my favorite JLA/JSA crossovers are #171-172 (Mr Terrific is murdered), #183-185 (Darkseid, the New Gods, and George Perez!), #195-197 (with the Ultra-Humanite), 135-136 (with Earth-S) and #147-148 (with the Legion of Super-Heroes!). And count me as a fan of Dillin's art.
|
|
|
Post by dbutler69 on Jan 17, 2019 13:48:54 GMT -5
Personally, I love the Rutland stories. I try to read some around Halloween.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2019 17:29:39 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Farrar on Jan 17, 2019 21:55:19 GMT -5
I will magnanimously allow Rutland stories that do not feature Marvel and DC creators. I may be mis-remembering, but I don't think the first Rutland story, way back in Avengers #83, had any real life Marvel or DC people in it. The story details here indicate that Roy Thomas and Jean Thomas were in Avengers #83 as characters, but the summary section doesn't mention them doing anything. marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Avengers_Vol_1_83Here's their two-panel appearance in #83. I had this issue as a kid and at that time I didn't know about the Avengers TV show (from England), so the "Mrs. Peel" reference in the first panel here went right over my head.
|
|