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Post by beccabear67 on Sept 28, 2018 23:07:24 GMT -5
Marvel lost Broderick and then Giffen to DC (the Legion and Firestorm seemed more enticing than the Micronauts to them?) I really liked the Gil Kane stories, they kept me buying until Jackson 'Butch' Guice arrives.
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Post by codystarbuck on Sept 28, 2018 23:24:02 GMT -5
 Writer - Bill Mantlo Pencils - Keith Giffen Inks - Danny Bulanadi Letterer - Simek Colors - Sharen Editor - Tom Defalco Cover Art - Layton I'm a fan of 70s/early 80s Giffen art, but man does Bulanadis ink dominate. I don't really see any Giffen here. Micronauts escape back to earth and big people. They battle Argons Death Squad of other Micronaut toys in a school the whole issue. That's it. I do enjoy the Bob Layton cover art   My last issue. Direct Market-only was a middle finger to people in my situation, with no comic shop nearby. For Micronauts, it allowed a clean break with the title, as it wasn't doing much for me, anymore. |
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Post by beccabear67 on Sept 28, 2018 23:35:11 GMT -5
Direct Market-only was a middle finger to people in my situation, with no comic shop nearby. For Micronauts, it allowed a clean break with the title, as it wasn't doing much for me, anymore. I was mostly buying from newsstand/quickie mart/drug store (they accepted pop bottles you know) but I had been to a comic shop (we had two I knew of) maybe three or four times when they moved Ka-Zar and Micronauts to direct. So what happened was I subscribed but still managed to miss the first couple of direct issues and had to buy (I think) Ka-zar #10 and 11 and Micronauts #38 & 39 as 'back issues', or slightly above cover price. I also bought a Starlord color special comic, the first two Marvel Fanfares, a Comics Journal, a Hembeck book and Elfquest on early visits to the comic shops downtown. It was a bus ride, too long to walk, but at least I had the option. I never resubscribed by mail (had also subbed to X-Men for some reason, maybe they were a pressie) as the comics could get damaged in the flimsy paper wrappers. |
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Post by rberman on Sept 29, 2018 4:50:27 GMT -5
Marvel lost Broderick and then Giffen to DC (the Legion and Firestorm seemed more enticing than the Micronauts to them?) Given the unidirectional hemorrhage of talent that was happening from Marvel to DC in those days, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that DC was offering either money or a work environment that Marvel could not, despite Marvel's higher sales. I too lacked access to a local LCS, but I was a subscriber, so I continued to receive new issues of Micronauts at least. I wonder where I put them. |
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Sept 29, 2018 9:00:17 GMT -5
Marvel lost Broderick and then Giffen to DC (the Legion and Firestorm seemed more enticing than the Micronauts to them?) I really liked the Gil Kane stories, they kept me buying until Jackson 'Butch' Guice arrives. When I saw the first Gil Kane story, I just flipped! One of my artistic heroes would be taking over the art of one of my favourite mags! Would I at last stop missing Michael Golden? But then Danny Bulanadi inked the rest of Kane’s run, and I’ve been very vocal about what an ill-fitting match I think their styles form. Kane did not provide the moody atmospheres where Danny’s inks could have shined, and Danny’s inks softened the strength of Gil’s pencils. The disappointing result, coupled with Bill’s uninspired scripts at the time, made following the series rather tedious until the cast made it back to the microverse in time for its back-to-basics renewal. You know when you’re supposed to love something and refuse to admit that it just doesn’t work for you anymore? Like Christmas decorations or Grape soda or Froot Loops when you grow up? That’s how I felt reading Micronauts in those days. “Please! Please make me love you again!”... but it wasn’t working.  |
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Post by beccabear67 on Sept 29, 2018 12:16:51 GMT -5
The Gil Kane covers were so nice I probably forgave almost any flaws inside, though Danny Bulanadi inking isn't ideal maybe (or Rudy Nebres even moreso, who would overpower any pencils often)... Micronauts #40-42, 44 & 45 are some great comic book covers! Even #43 could've been with a better color scheme. Then he went on to Sword Of The Atom at DC... The Atom rides a frog! Cool! Kane was really good with tiny characters... all those Atom covers inside a watch and clinging to a grenade; it almost didn't matter if the story was brilliant with covers like those.  |
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Post by Trevor on Sept 29, 2018 12:41:43 GMT -5
Micronauts going direct market only made me seek out my first comic book shops. I don’t think I knew such a perfect thing existed before.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Sept 29, 2018 13:34:10 GMT -5
The Gil Kane covers were so nice I probably forgave almost any flaws inside, though Danny Bulanadi inking isn't ideal maybe (or Rudy Nebres even moreso, who would overpower any pencils often)... Micronauts #40-42, 44 & 45 are some great comic book covers! Even #43 could've been with a better color scheme. Then he went on to Sword Of The Atom at DC... The Atom rides a frog! Cool! Kane was really good with tiny characters... all those Atom covers inside a watch and clinging to a grenade; it almost didn't matter if the story was brilliant with covers like those. Yes, those covers were sweet. They were almost a case of false advertising!!! Kane inking his own pencils does such a great and idiosyncratic job. I agree that Nebres overpowers everyone he inks... But I actually enjoyed his work over Kane's pencils on John Carter. Sure, Kane's pencils were kind of lost in there; but Nebres is such a good artist that I didn't mind. What's more, I think the Nebres' (and Bulanadi's) style of inking is much, much more suited to fantasy than to science-fiction. Another case of an inker overpowering a penciller but still producing a brilliant result was Alfredo Alcala over John Buscema in Savage sword of Conan. |
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Post by chaykinstevens on Sept 30, 2018 7:05:50 GMT -5
Marvel lost Broderick and then Giffen to DC (the Legion and Firestorm seemed more enticing than the Micronauts to them?) I really liked the Gil Kane stories, they kept me buying until Jackson 'Butch' Guice arrives. I think Broderick left because his artwork for Micronauts #35 was rejected. Apparently the layouts were more experimental, and when asked to redraw them he sat tight and did nothing. Bill Mantlo described the pages as looking as if Broderick was having a nervous breakdown. Does anyone know if Broderick's pages can be found anywhere online? |
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Post by rberman on Sept 30, 2018 7:11:52 GMT -5
Marvel lost Broderick and then Giffen to DC (the Legion and Firestorm seemed more enticing than the Micronauts to them?) I really liked the Gil Kane stories, they kept me buying until Jackson 'Butch' Guice arrives. I think Broderick left because his artwork for Micronauts #35 was rejected. Apparently the layouts were more experimental, and when asked to redraw them he sat tight and did nothing. Bill Mantlo described the pages as looking as if Broderick was having a nervous breakdown. Does anyone know if Broderick's pages can be found anywhere online? Hm. I liked his DC work, but experimental it was not. Distinctive though; even as a kid I could identify his pages. |
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Post by beccabear67 on Sept 30, 2018 17:25:48 GMT -5
The workload may've given Pat Broderick a mini-breakdown, especially with a special giant-sized issue on top of the monthly schedule, he'd had something like that before early on with Iron Fist. I can't find any evidence of unpublished #35 pages online though.
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Post by brianf on Oct 1, 2018 1:21:08 GMT -5
 Writer - Bill Mantlo Pencils - Steve Ditko Inks - Danny Bulanadi Letterer - Novak Colors - Sharen Editor - Al Milgrom Cover Art - Michael Golden Well, this is a silly issue. The first 6 pages are set in a comic book store where it's explained that Micronauts is now only available in comic book stores, then the Micronauts show up and destroy some Micro toys, before flying off. Now, I've enjoyed some of the Fantastic Four comics where we see Lee & Kirby getting story ideas from the actual FF to create comics in the Marvel universe, but how does that work for the 'Nauts? Also, why do this bit in an issue that's only available in comic stores - wouldn't it make more sense to run it before Micronauts went direct sales only? The people reading the comic must already know where to find it, eh? Oh, comic book logic. We also see a battle between our heroes and an squad of Acroyers, and the "Nauts get an assist by a crew of construction workers. The final panel shows their ship the Endeavor getting washed down a sewer drain during a rain storm. Silly. As others have mentioned Bulanadi inks are really over powering, but I kinda like him with Ditko here.   |
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Post by brianf on Oct 1, 2018 6:42:48 GMT -5
 Writer - Bill Mantlo Pencils - Gil Kane Inks - Danny Bulanadi Letterer - Novak Colors - Sharen Editor - Al Milgrom Cover Art - Gil Kane Gil Kane is one of my favorite artists - he's dynamic, has a strong story telling sensibility and has really clean lines. Kane is BURIED under Bulanadis inks. Just smothered. I can be a fan of an inker with a heavy hand - Klaus Jansons work in the 70s was always a pleasure to me, and other inkers who's style is very recognizable (like Layton, McLeod & Leialoha) can be welcome as well. But Kane is not served well here. At all. Worse yet is he overwhelms the main characters but leaves a lot of the background blank - inkers like Terry Austin had field days filling in backgrounds, where Bulanadis focus would have been better served. Kane sticks around for 6 issues. The story is ok - Micronauts are trying to get back to the microverse but their ship is damaged. They search for the Fantastic Four for help (the attempts at using the pay phone was decent) and wind up teaming with Franklin Richards, who owns some Micronauts toys. Somehow Argon is aware the are in the Baxter building and sends a wave of scavenger drones after them - The Thing (looking kinda lumpy and off brand) pops up to save the day. Back in the microverse Argon is becoming Karza, again. Rinse, wash, repeat...   |
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Post by badwolf on Oct 1, 2018 9:49:52 GMT -5
#40 was the start of my second subscription to the series. In those days my collecting was somewhat haphazard, and I jumped around a lot because I wanted to try everything.
This might have been my first exposure to Kane's art. I have never been a fan. While I won't deny that the compositions are dynamic I just don't like his style. I think what bugs me most is the way he uses the same line weight for everything, whether he is outlining or adding texture. It makes the comic look like a coloring book. Having said that I think Bulanadi's inks improve it.
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Post by brianf on Oct 5, 2018 2:14:56 GMT -5
 Micronauts #41(1982) Writer - Bill Mantlo Pencils - Gil Kane Inks - Danny Bulanadi Letterer - Novak / Albers Colors - Sharen / Warfield Editor - Al Milgrom Cover Art - Gil Kane Great cover. The ship Endeavor sinks in a sewer. The Micronauts - hunting for a way back to the Microverse - has a whole follow up issue to play around in the world created in John Byrne's Fantastic Four #236 - Doctor Doom is trapped in a miniature version of himself with the Puppet Master. The Micros get a fight. Not a bad issue but it's just Mantlo playing around in current (at the time) Marvel continuity. back in the Microverse Argon is now pure energy & Slug has her body stolen in the Body Banks.   Byrne returns the favor with a Micro cameo in FF #246  |
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