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Post by zaku on Feb 3, 2023 2:24:27 GMT -5
Oh well, at least the good Stern vindicated years of unjust humiliations suffered by Spidey   |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2023 3:52:26 GMT -5
I’ve re-read Scorpion’s first appearance, in 1964’s The Amazing Spider-Man #19. Amazing Spider-Man #20, not #19. One of my favourite ever Spider-Man issues. So glad you spotted my deliberate mistake, gotta keep people on their toes.  |
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Post by EdoBosnar on Feb 3, 2023 6:42:40 GMT -5
Hulk: World’s End(Panini digest collecting Hulk #109-117)  And my read-through of early Hulk continues (and concludes, as this is the last Panini digest featuring Hulk reprints). To sum up the contents of these nine issues: the beleaguered Hulk – again – just goes from one big punch-up to another, first ending up in the Savage Land, where he ended up after disabling a Chinese missile (he was in China after his tussle with the Mandarian) and while there he (as Banner), with some help from Ka-zar and Zabu, disables a device left long ago by some aliens that would have destroyed the Earth. Said aliens then come to Earth to see who botched their plans, take Banner with them off-world, and so the Hulk battles them. They send him back to Earth, where he bumps into the Sandman, and they of course fight, and Gen. Ross and his troops also attack one they get wind of the situation, and then the Mandarin reappears after monitoring Sandman’s attack on the green goliath. They form a tense alliance, but the Hulk bests them. After that, the Leader, who had apparently died a while back, reappears, and makes a peace offering to Gen. Ross, saying he will devise a way to capture and neutralize the Hulk as a way to make amends for his past misdeeds. Those military chumps buy it, but of course it’s part of the Leader’s bigger plan to annihilate all life on Earth so that he can rule what’s left later (good plan…). Our hero, as both Hulk and Banner, foils him yet again. I found the stories herein quite similar to those in the preceding volume ( reviewed here). The only difference is that I found these read slightly better, I guess because Stan Lee returned to scripting them, as opposed to Gary Friedrich, who wrote most of the first post-Tales to Astonish Hulk stories. However, there are questionable bits, like this statement from the pretty much always problematic Mandarin: “A pity you are not as philosophical as we Orientals!” Yikes. But there are also nice little touches like this one, that made me chuckle:  (" I'm outta here!") All of the art in these stories is by Herb Trimpe. I know there’s a subset of fans who consider him THE Hulk artist, but for me that title belongs to Sal Buscema. Very little of what I saw in this book dissuaded me from my opinion, although I will readily acknowledge that the art in the issues set in the Savage Land (#109-110), inked by John Severin, is quite good and far better than the rest (mostly inked by Dan Adkins). 
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Post by james on Feb 3, 2023 9:03:21 GMT -5
Interesting telling of an unknown history. I've seen better Pollard art. I've always Liked Pollard's covers more than his interiors |
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Post by Ozymandias on Feb 3, 2023 18:07:19 GMT -5
Jameson is a great character, but the death of Stillwell should have led to him owning up and resigning as editor. It should and it did.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2023 18:09:31 GMT -5
Cool. What’s the issue, please? I’d like to read it in full.
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Post by Ozymandias on Feb 4, 2023 2:24:59 GMT -5
ASM #251.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Feb 4, 2023 4:28:14 GMT -5
Previously, somewhere upthread, I’d mentioned that I have the wonderful Adventures of Superman: Jose Luis Garcia Lopez HC…  …and up to this point I’ve only randomly read a few stories in it, including the first two issues of DC Comics Presents ( which I briefly reviewed here). I decided it’s time to just sit down and read all of the stories that I hadn’t so far. And that leads me to this three-parter from Superman #307, 308 and 309. The story was written by Gerry Conway, with the art by, of course, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez (PBHN) and Frank Springer. And with regard to the latter, the main positive thing I can say about the story is that the art is gorgeous throughout. The writing, however…    Here’s a rundown of the basic plot: at the start, Superman realizes that a plastics corporation is exposing its workers to harmful chemicals and cutting corners on safety and healthcare measures and decides he’s just going to destroy its factory (!). He then goes on a bit of an environmental crusade and plans to pick up every oil tanker on the ocean and put them into orbit. He’s thwarted in this by a super-powered being called the Protector.  The Protector claims to be a mutant, and he can alter his molecular structure, i.e., he can turn his body into a diamond, or an intangible gas, or flammable chemicals. He also tells Superman he won’t let him destroy any polluting industries, because that’s the source of his own powers (okay…). In issue 308, we learn that the Protector is working for another super-powered being called Radion, who gained his powers at a nuclear plant accident (the origin is quite similar to the one Conway would later use for Firestorm). Superman struggles with them both but eventually defeats them by the end of this second issue. The other plot-line running through all three issues is that Supergirl at one point confronts Superman and drops the bombshell that they are both, in fact, mutant humans themselves and not aliens. She tells him that Krypton and everything about it are just elaborate delusions Superman created for himself. So Supes spends all three issues doubting himself, coming to terms with being a human, and trying to fit in more with humanity in his Clark Kent guise. This leads to a problem in the third issue, as there is some sort of crisis in an alien system light years away, and when Supergirl pleads with Superman to join her in helping deal with it, he refuses because he has to prioritize Earth, his “true” homeworld. Eventually he changes his mind, though, and after that crisis is resolved, Supergirl admits that the whole story about them being human mutants was a ruse she came up with in agreement with the Kandorians, because they felt Superman was abusing his power and on the verge of losing his sanity – because he was trying to actively and forcefully resolve Earth’s environmental problems, something that Supergirl and the Kandorians thought he had no business doing (!) The tortured logic was that if they convinced him that Krypton and its destruction were just a delusion, he’d back off.  ( included this image because I used to have this issue, 309, when I was a kid and this page just really stuck in my memory...) This story is really a mess. I suppose there’s some good ideas in here – I have to admit, the initial bit where Superman decides he’s just going to take out industrial polluters seemed to harken back to the character’s early days when he just punched out, say, greedy landlords, unscrupulous businessmen and even abusive husbands. But ultimately it’s all just poorly executed and comes across as a bit silly and wrong-headed. |
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Post by Icctrombone on Feb 4, 2023 6:39:32 GMT -5
Previously, somewhere upthread, I’d mentioned that I have the wonderful Adventures of Superman: Jose Luis Garcia Lopez HC… …and up to this point I’ve only randomly read a few stories in it, including the first two issues of DC Comics Presents ( which I briefly reviewed here). I decided it’s time to just sit down and read all of the stories that I hadn’t so far. And that leads me to this three-parter from Superman #307, 308 and 309. The story was written by Gerry Conway, with the art by, of course, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez (PBHN) and Frank Springer. And with regard to the latter, the main positive thing I can say about the story is that the art is gorgeous throughout. The writing, however… Here’s a rundown of the basic plot: at the start, Superman realizes that a plastics corporation is exposing its workers to harmful chemicals and cutting corners on safety and healthcare measures and decides he’s just going to destroy its factory (!). He then goes on a bit of an environmental crusade and plans to pick up every oil tanker on the ocean and put them into orbit. He’s thwarted in this by a super-powered being called the Protector. The Protector claims to be a mutant, and he can alter his molecular structure, i.e., he can turn his body into a diamond, or an intangible gas, or flammable chemicals. He also tells Superman he won’t let him destroy any polluting industries, because that’s the source of his own powers (okay…). In issue 308, we learn that the Protector is working for another super-powered being called Radion, who gained his powers at a nuclear plant accident (the origin is quite similar to the one Conway would later use for Firestorm). Superman struggles with them both but eventually defeats them by the end of this second issue. The other plot-line running through all three issues is that Supergirl at one point confronts Superman and drops the bombshell that they are both, in fact, mutant humans themselves and not aliens. She tells him that Krypton and everything about it are just elaborate delusions Superman created for himself. So Supes spends all three issues doubting himself, coming to terms with being a human, and trying to fit in more with humanity in his Clark Kent guise. This leads to a problem in the third issue, as there is some sort of crisis in an alien system light years away, and when Supergirl pleads with Superman to join her in helping deal with it, he refuses because he has to prioritize Earth, his “true” homeworld. Eventually he changes his mind, though, and after that crisis is resolved, Supergirl admits that the whole story about them being human mutants was a ruse she came up with in agreement with the Kandorians, because they felt Superman was abusing his power and on the verge of losing his sanity – because he was trying to actively and forcefully resolve Earth’s environmental problems, something that Supergirl and the Kandorians thought he had no business doing (!) The tortured logic was that if they convinced him that Krypton and its destruction were just a delusion, he’d back off. ( included this image because I used to have this issue, 309, when I was a kid and this page just really stuck in my memory...) This story is really a mess. I suppose there’s some good ideas in here – I have to admit, the initial bit where Superman decides he’s just going to take out industrial polluters seemed to harken back to the character’s early days when he just punched out, say, greedy landlords, unscrupulous businessmen and even abusive husbands. But ultimately it’s all just poorly executed and comes across as a bit silly and wrong-headed. I wasn't aware that JGL drew those stories. I might have to dig them out of my long boxes to take a look. I wonder about the people inking him, though. |
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Post by zaku on Feb 4, 2023 8:22:06 GMT -5
Previously, somewhere upthread, I’d mentioned that I have the wonderful Adventures of Superman: Jose Luis Garcia Lopez HC… …and up to this point I’ve only randomly read a few stories in it, including the first two issues of DC Comics Presents ( which I briefly reviewed here). I decided it’s time to just sit down and read all of the stories that I hadn’t so far. And that leads me to this three-parter from Superman #307, 308 and 309. The story was written by Gerry Conway, with the art by, of course, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez (PBHN) and Frank Springer. And with regard to the latter, the main positive thing I can say about the story is that the art is gorgeous throughout. The writing, however… Here’s a rundown of the basic plot: at the start, Superman realizes that a plastics corporation is exposing its workers to harmful chemicals and cutting corners on safety and healthcare measures and decides he’s just going to destroy its factory (!). He then goes on a bit of an environmental crusade and plans to pick up every oil tanker on the ocean and put them into orbit. He’s thwarted in this by a super-powered being called the Protector. The Protector claims to be a mutant, and he can alter his molecular structure, i.e., he can turn his body into a diamond, or an intangible gas, or flammable chemicals. He also tells Superman he won’t let him destroy any polluting industries, because that’s the source of his own powers (okay…). In issue 308, we learn that the Protector is working for another super-powered being called Radion, who gained his powers at a nuclear plant accident (the origin is quite similar to the one Conway would later use for Firestorm). Superman struggles with them both but eventually defeats them by the end of this second issue. The other plot-line running through all three issues is that Supergirl at one point confronts Superman and drops the bombshell that they are both, in fact, mutant humans themselves and not aliens. She tells him that Krypton and everything about it are just elaborate delusions Superman created for himself. So Supes spends all three issues doubting himself, coming to terms with being a human, and trying to fit in more with humanity in his Clark Kent guise. This leads to a problem in the third issue, as there is some sort of crisis in an alien system light years away, and when Supergirl pleads with Superman to join her in helping deal with it, he refuses because he has to prioritize Earth, his “true” homeworld. Eventually he changes his mind, though, and after that crisis is resolved, Supergirl admits that the whole story about them being human mutants was a ruse she came up with in agreement with the Kandorians, because they felt Superman was abusing his power and on the verge of losing his sanity – because he was trying to actively and forcefully resolve Earth’s environmental problems, something that Supergirl and the Kandorians thought he had no business doing (!) The tortured logic was that if they convinced him that Krypton and its destruction were just a delusion, he’d back off. ( included this image because I used to have this issue, 309, when I was a kid and this page just really stuck in my memory...) This story is really a mess. I suppose there’s some good ideas in here – I have to admit, the initial bit where Superman decides he’s just going to take out industrial polluters seemed to harken back to the character’s early days when he just punched out, say, greedy landlords, unscrupulous businessmen and even abusive husbands. But ultimately it’s all just poorly executed and comes across as a bit silly and wrong-headed. I confirm that the art is simply gorgeous but the story doesn't make a iota of sense, even in the logic-less world of comics. I can't even figure out how it was given the green-light. The whole "you know, we are mutants not aliens" is so zany that I wonder if the author thought more than a minute about the aftermath. Because if Superman truly believed it, he would mean that he would realize his memories and other encounters with the Kryptonians were a total hallucination. He should have locked himself away, because one of the most powerful beings of the universe was completely dissociated from reality and it was his responsibility to prevent himself from doing any harm. Let me check who wrote it. Conway? Tarantula Conway? Why did he keep working ..? |
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Post by Cei-U! on Feb 4, 2023 8:53:38 GMT -5
Gerry Conway got a ton of work at both Marvel and DC in the '70s and '80s because he was fast and reliable 100% of the time and competent about 50% of the time. When he was on his game and engaged with the material, he could be quite good but when he was simply writing for a paycheck (like his Marvel Team-Up scripts) he could produce the worst kind of hackwork. He was at his best writing for street-level heroes like Batman, Daredevil, and Spider-Man or characters he created like Firestorm or the Atari Force. Superman was definitely NOT his forte.
Cei-U!
I summon the half-assed defense!
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Post by zaku on Feb 4, 2023 9:03:11 GMT -5
Gerry Conway got a ton of work at both Marvel and DC in the '70s and '80s because he was fast and reliable 100% of the time and competent about 50% of the time. When he was on his game and engaged with the material, he could be quite good but when he was simply writing for a paycheck (like his Marvel Team-Up scripts) he could produce the worst kind of hackwork. He was at his best writing for street-level heroes like Batman, Daredevil, and Spider-Man or characters he created like Firestorm or the Atari Force. Superman was definitely NOT his forte. Cei-U! I summon the half-assed defense! You know, you did a quite good job as his public defender!  |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Feb 4, 2023 12:04:42 GMT -5
If you read relatively recent interviews with Conway he admits that he agreed to provide far more pages of material than he could do and maintain quality. So if he liked a book it was good and if he didn’t he hacked out fast garbage. A guy has to eat and comics paid for crap at the time.
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Post by zaku on Feb 4, 2023 12:20:57 GMT -5
Well, you can see that they trusted him as they made him write what was considered a very important work at the time, "Spider-Man Vs Superman!".
... Or maybe he was simply the only living author who had written both characters ..?
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Post by Batflunkie on Feb 4, 2023 12:48:23 GMT -5
Gerry Conway got a ton of work at both Marvel and DC in the '70s and '80s because he was fast and reliable 100% of the time and competent about 50% of the time. When he was on his game and engaged with the material, he could be quite good but when he was simply writing for a paycheck (like his Marvel Team-Up scripts) he could produce the worst kind of hackwork. He was at his best writing for street-level heroes like Batman, Daredevil, and Spider-Man or characters he created like Firestorm or the Atari Force. Superman was definitely NOT his forte. His Thor could have been really fantastic, but I think it was hampered by the Marvel Mandate of "the illusion of change" and it really just read like a greatest hits of Thor with plotlines that ended almost immediately after they began
Speaking of Thor, I read #308 thru #311 where Doug Moench takes over. Certainly has more a Superman feel to it than the book is used to. We have super cars demolishing buildings for insurance money, freak snow storms caused by Loki and snow giants, and Mephisto whispering in people's ears to incite mass hysteria so that he can bring them to hell with him just to name a few
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