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Post by Action Ace on Jun 22, 2014 14:01:05 GMT -5
I've never had any problem getting through a DC Showcase or a Marvel Essential. Of course, I've stayed away from things I know I wouldn't give a chance such as Thor or X-Men, but the old school seems to agree with me.
The one exception was the "Cap's Kooky Quartet" era of Avengers. That nonsense nearly killed me. I thought surely my love of Cap and interest in early Wanda would overcome my hatred of Hawkeye and Quciksilver, WRONG!
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Post by Nowhere Man on Jun 22, 2014 14:01:14 GMT -5
The problem with Silver Age DC, from my limited experience (I've read most Silver Age Marvel, by character, several times) is that the concepts were fantastic, but the execution just pales in relation to Silver Age Marvel; even the weaker strips, like the Human Torch and Ant-Man/Giant-Man have enough attitude to be enjoyable. The Flash and Green Lantern were clearly the strongest of the superhero comics for most of the 60's and seemed to me to be aimed at a slightly older audience, almost like the Marvel comics. DC really picks up for me in late 67/early 68 when Infantino takes over. Still, it's enjoyable to see all the classic elements get introduced. It'll be very interesting to read the DC comics of the period right alongside the Marvel comics in chronological order.
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Post by Action Ace on Jun 22, 2014 14:05:28 GMT -5
DC really picks up for me in late 67/early 68 when Infantino takes over. I'm on the other side, my happiness with DC crashes at about that same point. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Jun 22, 2014 14:09:38 GMT -5
"Cap's Kooky Kwartet" is one of my favorite eras. Cap, Pietro and Hawkeye are all such great characters, and the dynamic of their rivalries was always fun. And the Scarlet Witch ... my favorite thing about those issues is trying to figure out how her powers work. She points and some weird thing happens ... Can she control what happens? It doesn't seem so. (I also like her black hair. It was reddish in the X-Men, then black for a while in The Avengers.) I like the way they have to handle their challenges without two or three incredibly powerful entities who can pretty much do anything.
I admit some of the early ones are stupid, especially #17 and #18. But it got pretty good pretty fast. And then they brought in Wasp and Goliath and it just got better!
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Post by Cei-U! on Jun 22, 2014 14:49:26 GMT -5
DC really picks up for me in late 67/early 68 when Infantino takes over. I'm on the other side, my happiness with DC crashes at about that same point. I'm right there in my reading for my article and I kinda agree. There is a definite change in tone in Julie Schwartz's titles around then, an emphasis on action and soap at the expense of plot that clearly reflects Marvel envy, and even Mort Weisinger started aiming his books at a (slightly) older demographic than was his wont. The major super-hero titles, with the exception of Batman, lost most of what charmed me as a boy and, while I like a lot of what came after, they lost something special in the process of changing with the times. On the other hand, there was some wonderful experimentation during Infantino's reign. We got Bat Lash, Secret Six, Creeper, Anthro, Hawk & Dove, Swamp Thing, Cain and Abel, Unknown Soldier, Jonah Hex, Plop!, all the Kirby stuff, Captain Action, the Legion revamp and so much more. Cei-U! I summon the diffidence! |
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Post by MDG on Jun 22, 2014 18:49:37 GMT -5
What Kurt said. There was a lot of good stuff in late silver-early bronze DC, as long as you weren't looking in the main superhero titles.
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Post by Action Ace on Jun 23, 2014 18:59:10 GMT -5
I'm on the other side, my happiness with DC crashes at about that same point. I'm right there in my reading for my article and I kinda agree. There is a definite change in tone in Julie Schwartz's titles around then, an emphasis on action and soap at the expense of plot that clearly reflects Marvel envy, and even Mort Weisinger started aiming his books at a (slightly) older demographic than was his wont. The major super-hero titles, with the exception of Batman, lost most of what charmed me as a boy and, while I like a lot of what came after, they lost something special in the process of changing with the times. On the other hand, there was some wonderful experimentation during Infantino's reign. We got Bat Lash, Secret Six, Creeper, Anthro, Hawk & Dove, Swamp Thing, Cain and Abel, Unknown Soldier, Jonah Hex, Plop!, all the Kirby stuff, Captain Action, the Legion revamp and so much more. Cei-U! I summon the diffidence! The Legion revamp was fine and I like a couple of parts of the New Gods, but I'm not a fan of the rest. |
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Post by Nowhere Man on Jun 23, 2014 21:04:55 GMT -5
I suppose its hard for me to shake the old Marvel Zombie philosophy that 1980's New Teen Titans is how all DC comics should be written. Still, you could look at Bronze Age DC as more of a return to the grittiness and edge of the early Golden Age only with a modern (for the time) sheen. Certainly this applies with Batman.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jun 23, 2014 21:35:28 GMT -5
I'm siding with Cei-U and MDG,DC got much better at the very end of the 60s. besides the books Cei-U mentioned,you had Deadman,Steve Skeats excellent version of Aquaman,The Diana Rigg Wonder Woman,Bob Haney taken off Teen Titans (thank you lord),GreenLantern/Green Arrow and more. DC looked at what Marvel was doing and finally changed the formula their books were stuck in for what seemed forever.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jun 23, 2014 22:39:13 GMT -5
Very interesting discussion! I'm definitely more a Marvel guy, (which is why I'm reading this DC stuff). I haven't decided what I think yet, but I can say that I did read, for instance, Essential Spidey in a day or two, while these a couple issues a week does it for me. That could be do to my huge to-read pile, though. Anyway: Brave and the Bold 36  Once again, two 12 pagers. The first one is the one Foxley mentioned, where Hawkgirl has to look something up in the dictionary AFTER they concentrate on the Absorbacon info... Had I read this issue before we had that discussion, I probably wouldn't have even brought it up, funnily enough. Today's lesson is the Caldeans were an ancient civilization. In comic land, Mavis accidently summons a monster using one of the artifacts, and the Hawks have to save her... only the monster vanishes when they hit it. Using the poem on a tome, they figure out where the monsters will appear, tracking them to the museum's Caldean expert, then they stop him from finishing the spell and doing lots of bad things. Fun story, my favorite so far... especially the epilogue, where Mavis (who got a ring stolen as part of the caper) tries to trick Hawkman into putting it on her wedding ring finger... apparently she things that would mean they were engaged.. classic. Even Hawkgirl was useful in this one! (the first time) IN story #2, we have the first appearance and defeat of the Shadow Thief..not much of a debut. He appears to be a completely one time throw away, captured and disarmed (thanks to the birds) in short order. No Mavis either. Story B (A for the 1st part, C for the 2nd) Historical Signifigance: A- |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jul 4, 2014 23:06:01 GMT -5
Back on track! I decided to switch over to the next book... I like the Hawks, but I thought keeping things varietous would be good   Full length this time out... Jean is doing some estate management, and a new heir turns up... apparently the family was cursed back during the Salem witch trials(today's lesson), so the last son of the family changed his name and moved, but now HIS son wants to claim the interitance to set up a hospital in Australia (he's a doctor). He thinks the curse is hogwash, and of course it turns out it is. Which is good, because if it wasn't, they'd have to explain how a family whose fathers never live even to middle age was able to stick around for 300 years, and how said people made a fortune while doing so. So, the guy gets attacked, seemingly by the curse, only it turns out the staff at the house get the money if he doesn't so Ray and Jean spend the week, Jean keeping here client busy while Ray tried to solve which staff member is trying to kill him to get the money.. Atom does a terrible job protecting his secret id (twice changing in front of people), but that's not uncommon. The text piece this time is bios of the writer and artists, which is really cool... Gil Kane says he was already collecting golden age comics (seems unique in 1961-62) We do get the telephone trick for the first time, and a couple other neat visuals around the size thing... including getting slingshotted in. Great fun so far after 2 issues) Story B+ Signifigance C- Also, I was wondering if anyone knows what sort of box/ad is missing from the Showcase volume. If each story (or 'chapter) about 1/2 the page is just a giant Atom logo. I haven't noticed that in any of the others... any thoughts? |
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Post by Cei-U! on Jul 5, 2014 8:08:11 GMT -5
Wrong cover, guy! And those missing half pages usually contained a house ad, though I seem to recall several Tootsie Roll ads in those spots as well.
Cei-U!
I summon the mystery solved!
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Post by Nowhere Man on Jul 5, 2014 12:16:15 GMT -5
I've finally started my Silver Age reading (DC and Marvel) and just finished Action Comics #123 today. I had no idea that there was a try-out version of Supergirl in the three-wish three-parter. It was a pleasant surprise. The stories are wonderfully absurd, but the last one about Superman going back in time to "mate" instead of "meet" his parents because Jimmy Olsen made a typo was surprisingly good. I grew up as one of those Marvel guys who thought Superman sucked pre-Byrne, but I no longer think this way. Silver Age Superman was extremely creative and fun.
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Post by paulie on Jul 5, 2014 15:54:56 GMT -5
The Kubert and Kane covers above are outstanding.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jul 5, 2014 19:33:13 GMT -5
Wrong cover, guy! And those missing half pages usually contained a house ad, though I seem to recall several Tootsie Roll ads in those spots as well. Cei-U! I summon the mystery solved! Something weird happened to my post... I had actually posted about the first TWO issues, somehow it took one image and the other text... not sure how the heck I managed that! Some of the stuff that got left off: There were definitely still 'lessons' in both issues... we get a little bit on Stalagmites and Stalactites in the origin issue, and a bit on the Salem with trials in the 2nd. I was happy to see when they referenced an element (Europium), they did so correctly with the right atomic number and such. I like that Jean Loring is smart, successful, and Ray has to be 'worthy' of her by being a great scientist. Of course, it being the 60s, they imply she has to stop being a lawyer if they get married, but that's the time talking. I hate the white dwarf star thing. First off, it's very, very heavy, yet Ray can weird it? Is he Goku now? silly. Then the whole 'he's wearing his costume all teh time but it so stretched out you can't see it' bit is pretty silly. I'll give'em props for HAVING an explanation, but it's a real silly one. I do like the 'science' aspect... even if alot of the explanations are silly, I like that they have them.. most of them are at least fun Also, I agree the covers are great.. the art in general is very good, actually. |
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