CLASSIC COMICS CHRISTMAS #6




JLA #1

"Them"

On sale November 6, 1996

Written by Grant Morrison
Penciled by Howard Porter
Inked by John Dell
Edited by Ruben Diaz
Cover by Howard Porter

I had heard of Grant Morrison, but all I had read of him to this point was the first five issues of Aztek that he co-wrote with Mark Millar. It's a great start to a great series filled with wonder that harkens back to the Fox/ Sekowsky era. (right down to writer I love paired with artist I can barely tolerate) There are two other factors that put it on this list though.

First, this was the spark of the Counter-Revolution. For years DC had avoided putting the big guns back together in the JLA for whatever reason. The powers that be favored tossing a bunch of heroes on to the team, slapping JLA on the cover and hoping for the best. Thankfully, Morrison overcame that with his pitch and the Big 7 was born. It was a big success for DC and showed the company that Pre-Crisis elements could be brought back. In the years that followed, Post-Crisis foundations were cracked (Byrne's Superman), the multiverse returned and old friends came back such as Hal and Barry. 

Second, this was my introduction to comic book "discussion" on the internet. Morrison's JLA was not welcome by a large part of DC's fanbase. The book was criticized for being boring, with one dimensional stars that had their own books. Many wanted the humorous JLI back or second stringers that could be developed by the writer to become stars. Needless to say, I had words with these people, lots of them. So, if you're looking to blame someone for why I'm posting in this forum, blame Grant Morrison and JLA #1.

Action Comics #583   Sept 1986
“Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? Part Two”

Alan Moore
Curt Swan
Kurt Schaffenberger

My first duplicate. And one of three choices I felt had a chance to be picked by someone else.

There’s not much more I can say that hasn’t already been expressed. Except maybe to suggest one other reason why it was the perfect wrap up to an era. It had come about belatedly. Superman had gotten away from the “Bates-Maggin-Pasko-Wein”-type Bronze Age stories. DC had tried to return to the time of shorter stories featuring con men, ruses, and lighthearted capers. They didn’t work. With John Byrne on the horizon and Julie Schwartz leaving the stage, Superman needed a better sign off. He got a brilliant one.

Has any other story ever celebrated the past while still pointing out the absurdities (“Did you honestly believe a fifth-dimensional sorcerer would resemble a funny little man in a derby hat?”). And an ending appropriate to both the story and the era. A final-panel wink never meant so much.

6. Captain America #176 Marvel


This was not my usual type of comic book story… or so I thought! However, it is in my opinion one of the best scripted stories that Marvel ever put out. There are no fight scenes or really any type of “action” that was prevalent at the time. What it does have is a decision from Cap that shocked and inspired me.

You have to read the Secret Empire storyline and especially the prior issue to really understand all the dialogue here but even as a stand alone issue it is a real gem. Essentially Steve Rogers decides to give up being Cap after realizing he could be identified as part of a corrupt and immoral system. It is based strongly on the Nixon administration although that is never explicitly referenced.

Cap talks to various friends regarding this decision but ultimately cannot continue considering the fiasco he witnessed in the Secret Empire storyline. He is obviously very torn and anguished over this and this comes through in the brooding atmosphere of the issue. This is not an uplifting tale by any means but it is impactful and insightful. It is one of my favorites for showing me that principles should never be compromised even at great personal cost.

This was one of my choices I thought I would be alone in picking. Great minds. . . .

Also a Warlord fan. In fact, with the next to last cut I dropped Warlord #13, "The Hunter"

# 6 Vampirella #47 (Warren)

The comic book magazine, black and white. It is a format all but extinct now in which to give us graphic storytelling. One time it proliferated and seemed to beckon a new, perhaps more mature, age for the funny book.

I remain a bit skeptical about the mature part, but the fact is my collection would be so much poorer if it was lacking in the comic book magazine. Today I have boxes and boxes of magazines and so too my list would be the poorer for it if I left out an example of the venerable black and white 'zine.

There was always something of the "top of the rack" to Vampirella, and a little of the just south, or north, depending on your perspective, of sleaze to the character. That's part of the charm to me. But so is the great and lurid cover copy that invariably appeared on these books. Very pulpish and evocative. And very 70's. And let's not forget the great Enrich covers. Enrich Torres, more than any other artist came to define the glossy exterior of Vampy.

I've got almost a whole run of Vampirella, but it was the era of the title that started the investment in the talent of the Spanish artists that most seemed to define the series' aesthetic. This one's a corker of an issue: Gonzalo Mayo, Luis-Garcia, Torrents and Auraleon and Bermejo all do stellar work.

There may be better issues of Vampirella, and I certainly have better magazines overall in my collection, but Vampirella #47 is almost intangibly emblematic to me.

#6: The Incredible Hulk Annual #5 (Marvel, 1976)



The next three comics on my list come exclusively via my experience with what I like to call "Manuel's stash". Manuel was friends with my Dad in the 80's. He was this tall, burly biker dude that had a room full to the brim with fireworks. This was a guy that loved to blow stuff up, and his 4th of July party's were extreme.

Anyways, my parents would often visit Manuel's place, and I would come along for the ride. They would do their visiting while I ran amok outside. The only rule that Manuel had, quite seriously, was that I never go into the fireworks room. "You could blow yourself up", he'd add. This "room" was actually a walk-in closet attached to the garage.

On one of these occasions, I did get bored and wandered around. My parents and their friends were knee-deep into drinking and card games, and I had been riding my bike outside. The garage was open, so I came in through there and noticed the firework room door was open as well. Manuel had hundreds of fireworks of all shapes and sizes. All I wanted to do was peek inside.

Curiosity got the best of me and I wandered inside. Along with the fireworks, he also had a bookshelf full of Playboys, High Times, Biker mags and...comics. He had about a dozen comics on the shelf, mostly Giant-sizes and Annuals, all Marvel, all 70's. The comics had my interest, so I pulled them and started checking them out. That's when I heard Manuel yell "What are you doing?!" from the doorway.

I thought I was in big trouble. But instead, he said "You found the good stuff!" and told me how he used to love comics and these were some of his favorites. He said I could keep them, but only if I promised never to go into the fireworks room again. He then grabbed a few fireworks and we proceeded to light them in the street. I was around nine or ten at the time. Awesome dude.

Hulk Annual #5 was in Manuel's stash, which he gave to me. No comic better solidifies my love for the Hulk than this one. Six monsters vs. the Hulk, plain and simple. It's just a one after the other battle of the beasts. After Hulk defeats one, another attacks. There's Diablo, Taboo, Groot, Goom, Blip and Titan. Each fight is unique, but make no bones about it, Hulk smashes each and every foe in a dominate performance. At the end, he simply says "Hulk is the STRONGEST one there is!". 'Nuff said.