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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2021 21:13:27 GMT -5
They did collect Skeates’ run in two deluxe editions in the past couple years. The Search for Mera (40-48) and Deadly Waters (49-56). Hoopla has 3 trades.... those two (which seem to cover Skeates run) and a 3rd one 'Death of a Prince' (57-63) that seems to have a whole bunch of different creators... I assume they also exist in print form.. that ends the run until PAD takes over in the early 90s (with a couple minis in between). Though the run just before PAD might not have been intended as a mini, just didn't last long (13 issues) Yeah though it only ran for 13 issues, it was solicited and on the market as an ongoing. It just got the axe as it didn't catch the speculator eye-a big reason Arthur lost a hand in the first couple of issues of the PAD series was to catch that breaking of the hero event speculation mania and try to generate enough sales for the series to get past 12 issues. -M |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 11, 2021 21:14:54 GMT -5
Well, it totally worked. Teenage me only bought it because of the hand thing, and then found out that PAD was really good  |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2021 21:22:08 GMT -5
Well, it totally worked. Teenage me only bought it because of the hand thing, and then found out that PAD was really good I was the opposite. I added the book to my pull when it was announced and dropped it with the hand issue. I didn't pick up and read the rest of the run until years later when it was bargain bin fodder. -M |
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
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Post by Confessor on Jan 12, 2021 11:28:41 GMT -5
So, carrying on my re-read of a few Lee/Ditko Amazing Spider-Man comics, yesterday I re-read ASM #31-33, the famous Master Planner storyline...  As I mentioned in my write up of ASM #30, I've always kind of considered that issue to be the start of the Master Planner story arc, but as far as I'm aware, that's not how it's usually referred to online. Having come to this story in the '90s, I've always found it hard to understand exactly why this arc is so revered by Spider-Man fans and comic readers generally. I mean, yes, it's really very good, but I don't think it's any better than a fair few other Stan Lee/Steve Ditko issues. In fact, I prefer ASM #5 and ASM #20 to any of these three issues. I've also never really gotten the love and significance around the famous scene in ASM #33 where Spidey struggles and lifts a huge weight of fallen machinery off of himself to save Aunt May. Again, it's a great sequence, but there are plenty of other sequences in the Lee/Ditko run that are just as good IMO. Anyway, that little criticism aside, I just want to reiterate that this is a really, really good story. It carries on from ASM #30, with Aunt May sick in hospital: she has a type of radiation poisoning which she got while receiving a blood transfusion from Peter in a previous issue (I forget which one right now). Peter concocts an antidote, with help from Dr. Conners (a.k.a. the Lizard), but in order to do so he needs a radioactive component, which gets stolen in transit by the Master Planner's henchmen. Peter has to then track down this villain, who turns out to be none other that Doctor Octopus, and confront him in his underwater lair and bring the atomic serum back to Dr. Conners' lab to save Aunt May. Of course, Peter prevails in the end and gets the antidote to the doctors caring for his aunt, but not before having to beat huge odds. I think one of the reasons this arc is so famous or "important" is that it sees Peter Parker starting college, where he meets two of the series' most important supporting cast members, Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy, for the first time. At this point, Harry is being a jerk and almost looks set to be set up as the new Flash Thompson, except that Flash is here too, and quickly forms a friendship with Harry. Ditko's Gwen is a fairly cold fish initially, and is already friends with Harry. However, though she dislikes Peter initially, she is drawn to him almost from the get go, though at this stage she is confused as to why. Ditko plotted these issues and it shows. Lee's dialogue is fine, but it's quite subdued for Stan. There's isn't much of the usual Spider-Man cracking-wise as he fights his enemies -- maybe this story was too serious for that? The overwhelming feeling, from the seriousness of tone and Peter as angry uber-nerd, is that this arc is really Ditko's baby. Unfortunately, everything after this was a slow retreat for Ditko on ASM and by issue #39 he was gone from the title. Ditko's artwork is really on point too – the way he communicates Peter's weariness and determination as he struggles to escape the Master Planner's secret base with the character's body language alone is superb. But there's so much more to the art than that. It really is Ditko firing on all cylinders, although, as I say, this isn't that uncommon in this run. I wouldn't say that the Master Planner storyline is the pinnacle of the Lee/Ditko run -- there were too many "pinnacle moments" prior to this for that to be true. But I would say that this is the last truly great story of the Lee/Ditko run. |
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Post by profh0011 on Jan 12, 2021 17:26:25 GMT -5
Funny thing, I was buying all those multiple attempts to get AQUAMAN back up and running at the time-- the 4-issue mini, the one-shot, the run that got cancelled abruptly, and the the Peter David run. I STOPPED buying the Peter David run for reasons that had nothing to do with what he was doing on the book, which was at least "interesting". My comics-shop guy at the time told me he could not believe I wasn't ordering AQUAMAN, and did not understand at all when I explained to him that I'd decided to STOP BUYING any new comics that editor Kevin Dooley was involved in. Dooley, who I'd watched go from fun fanzine editor to seemingly-decent assistant editor at DC, to FULL editor, had gone before my eyes from "nice guy" to "okay guy" to "COMPLETE ARROGANT A**H***". He was doing offensive things with books he was in charge of, he was saying offensive things to fans on the letters pages, and, in a rare case for me, had PERSONALLY offended me both IN PERSON at a convention but also via a personal response to a letter I sent him. I just made the decision right then, that he wasn't getting any more of my money.  |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 13, 2021 0:12:08 GMT -5
Read my recently purchased Jonah Hex: Two Gun Mojo .... awesome stuff. It was a little higher of a body count that I generally enjoy, but it worked for the story. LOVE the art (Truman/Glanzman are amazing for Westerns), and the story is crazy, bizarre and wonderful. Highly Recommended.
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Post by profh0011 on Jan 13, 2021 15:54:35 GMT -5
I reached a point where I was just fed up, sick and tired of "grim and gritty" comics. With ONE exception. ANYTHING by Tim Truman. Because, in my eyes, he's ALWAYS done "grim & gritty" better than anyone else.
I believe he's working on a brand-new SCOUT project RIGHT NOW.
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Post by Paste Pot Paul on Jan 13, 2021 16:04:12 GMT -5
Ive been reading through Mike Grell's Warlord. Finished the first dozen or so and really getting the bug.
I read quite a few back in the day, probably from about 40 up sporadically. the distribution here was spotty, and it wasnt long after this that he left the book to the Kubert school grads like Tex, Randall, Duurseema etc with Dan Jurgens taking over too. I was always struck by the high quality of the covers for a long period.
Storywise I keep finding the "done in one" can be bloody annoying. Part of this seems like DC may have gone to the low page count at this time, meaning Grell had to wrap things up too quickly. Well this or his penchant for splashes and double page spreads ate up the count.
Visually the book is beautiful, even making allowances for some inconsistencies or weaknesses in his art, with awkward poses and anatomy. But that was Grell from the start.
Id love for some of these early stories to have had some time to breathe and to be expanded a little, Thomas got the balance right at Marvel on Conan, though he wasnt writing AND drawing.
Overall Im looking forward to seeing where these guys go...and Grell sure does draw some purdy gals.
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Post by commond on Jan 13, 2021 20:50:49 GMT -5
I finished Garth Ennis' run on Hellblazer. It tapered off a bit towards the end, as most runs do, but I was happy that he tied up all the loose threads instead of leaving them for another writer to ignore or misinterpret. The biggest problem I had with the run was the impetus for Constantine turning his life around after he'd hit rock bottom. I thought that could have been handled better. More impressive was the Heartland one shot that deals with Kit's life in Belfast and her relationship with her family. That was a great read. Proof positive that Ennis doesn't need to use shock tactics to write a really good story.
Some other things I've been reading:
Jonah Hex, where have you been all my life? I've always had a fondness for Westerns but never explored the genre in comic book format. The Hex stories have been excellent so far.
I have been eagerly devouring Roy Thomas & Barry Smith's Conan the Barbarian. I love the early Savage Sword of Conan issues, but for the longest time, I had this impression that the original Conan title was watered down and not worth reading. That was stupid of me. Smith starts out as a Kirby clone in the early issues, but he quickly begins to develop his own style, and within half a dozen issues, his artwork is simply phenomenal. It really is some of the most gorgeous stuff I've seen in comics. Although, I'm up to the Elric crossover right now, and I think that's been a misfire.
I also read the Chris Claremont & Frank Miller Wolverine mini-series. Having lived in Japan for many years, I thought the representation of Japan was silly (Yakuza, ninjas, etc.), but the art is nice. If you like Miller's early work on Daredevil, you should check out his pencils on the series.
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Crimebuster
CCF Podcast Guru
Making comics!
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Post by Crimebuster on Jan 13, 2021 21:04:04 GMT -5
Ive been reading through Mike Grell's Warlord. Finished the first dozen or so and really getting the bug. I read quite a few back in the day, probably from about 40 up sporadically. the distribution here was spotty, and it wasnt long after this that he left the book to the Kubert school grads like Tex, Randall, Duurseema etc with Dan Jurgens taking over too. I was always struck by the high quality of the covers for a long period. Storywise I keep finding the "done in one" can be bloody annoying. Part of this seems like DC may have gone to the low page count at this time, meaning Grell had to wrap things up too quickly. Well this or his penchant for splashes and double page spreads ate up the count. Visually the book is beautiful, even making allowances for some inconsistencies or weaknesses in his art, with awkward poses and anatomy. But that was Grell from the start. Id love for some of these early stories to have had some time to breathe and to be expanded a little, Thomas got the balance right at Marvel on Conan, though he wasnt writing AND drawing. Overall Im looking forward to seeing where these guys go...and Grell sure does draw some purdy gals. I'm a big, big Warlord fan. I haven't read the early issues in a long time but if memory serves, there's a big multi-part arc that starts in #15. And... well, it technically ends in #21, but the resolution spawns a subplot that continues through the series, and all subsequent series, for the next 30 years. So there's the long form storytelling! I think the series really gets good towards the late #30's where there's a very good, long storyline that runs through #50. After that Grell's wife Sharon begins ghost writing the series and her issues are my favorite. There's another huge epic after the Grells leave with #73 that runs all the way through #100, and then another through #116 or something, so they get about as far away from one and done as possible! Totally agree about the covers. Consistently great covers for the entire series. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 13, 2021 22:22:59 GMT -5
I have to go through the Warlord issues I have and fill in the holes... I have alot of them, but randomly purchased. I've liked what I've read.
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Post by tartanphantom on Jan 13, 2021 23:38:53 GMT -5
I finished Garth Ennis' run on Hellblazer. It tapered off a bit towards the end, as most runs do, but I was happy that he tied up all the loose threads instead of leaving them for another writer to ignore or misinterpret. The biggest problem I had with the run was the impetus for Constantine turning his life around after he'd hit rock bottom. I thought that could have been handled better. More impressive was the Heartland one shot that deals with Kit's life in Belfast and her relationship with her family. That was a great read. Proof positive that Ennis doesn't need to use shock tactics to write a really good story. Some other things I've been reading: Jonah Hex, where have you been all my life? I've always had a fondness for Westerns but never explored the genre in comic book format. The Hex stories have been excellent so far. I have been eagerly devouring Roy Thomas & Barry Smith's Conan the Barbarian. I love the early Savage Sword of Conan issues, but for the longest time, I had this impression that the original Conan title was watered down and not worth reading. That was stupid of me. Smith starts out as a Kirby clone in the early issues, but he quickly begins to develop his own style, and within half a dozen issues, his artwork is simply phenomenal. It really is some of the most gorgeous stuff I've seen in comics. Although, I'm up to the Elric crossover right now, and I think that's been a misfire. I also read the Chris Claremont & Frank Miller Wolverine mini-series. Having lived in Japan for many years, I thought the representation of Japan was silly (Yakuza, ninjas, etc.), but the art is nice. If you like Miller's early work on Daredevil, you should check out his pencils on the series. Jonah Hex is one of my all-time favorite characters, especially in the Weird Western series and his first solo series. Can't go wrong with those titles. |
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
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Post by Confessor on Jan 14, 2021 10:36:41 GMT -5
About 6 years ago I picked up three of the early Marvel Masterworks collections of The Avengers for cheap and I've tried to read them a number of times since then, but I find them a real slog to get through. I'm not really a fan of team books anyway, but Stan Lee and Roy Thomas's dialogue is so flowery and hard to get through, and I'm kind of "meh" about Don Heck's artwork. I tried again last night to read issue #38, in which Hercules first becomes a recurring character in the series, and I only managed to make it half way through before losing interest.
I generally love Silver Age comics from Marvel, but I think I just have to accept that The Avengers isn't for me.
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Post by Batflunkie on Jan 14, 2021 10:51:22 GMT -5
About 6 years ago I picked up three of the early Marvel Masterworks collections of The Avengers for cheap and I've tried to read them a number of times since then, but I find them a real slog to get through. I'm not really a fan of team books anyway, but Stan Lee and Roy Thomas's dialogue is so flowery and hard to get through, and I'm kind of "meh" about Don Heck's artwork. I tried again last night to read issue #38, in which Hercules first becomes a recurring character in the series, and I only managed to make it half way through before losing interest. I generally love Silver Age comics from Marvel, but I think I just have to accept that The Avengers isn't for me. I don't have much love for the Avengers either, but picking up Marvel Comics Digest #2 years ago with some of Roger Stern's run changed my mind |
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Crimebuster
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Making comics!
Posts: 3,953
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Post by Crimebuster on Jan 14, 2021 11:11:21 GMT -5
About 6 years ago I picked up three of the early Marvel Masterworks collections of The Avengers for cheap and I've tried to read them a number of times since then, but I find them a real slog to get through. I'm not really a fan of team books anyway, but Stan Lee and Roy Thomas's dialogue is so flowery and hard to get through, and I'm kind of "meh" about Don Heck's artwork. I tried again last night to read issue #38, in which Hercules first becomes a recurring character in the series, and I only managed to make it half way through before losing interest. I generally love Silver Age comics from Marvel, but I think I just have to accept that The Avengers isn't for me. Roy really hits his stride at the same time the art makes a quantum leap into the future - issue #52. I'm not sure why, but Buscema's art just kicks into another gear around this time, and we get one great story after another after another. The first Grim Reaper, the X-Men crossover, two-part story that introduces Ultron, two part time travel epic in #56-Annual #2, two parter that introduces Vision, two-parter that introduces Yellowjacket... the foundation for the next 20 years of Avengers stories all comes form this 9 month run. For me, the series is consistently excellent from this point on for the next two decades. The first 50 issues have some good stuff here and there, but #52 is where the book really takes off for me personally. |
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