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Post by EdoBosnar on Jun 28, 2024 4:46:35 GMT -5
World’s Finestscript: Dave Gibbons, art: Steve Rude (pencils), Karl Kesel (inks), Steve Oliff (colors); 1990 ![](https://i.imgur.com/gnLrGxD.jpg) This one was the subject of some brief commentary here recently in another thread, which reminded me that I have the tpb that collects the original 3-issue mini-series and that I should probably read it. And, it’s pretty good, overall. The story is a bit uneven, running from middling at places to solidly entertaining at others. That story is that Luthor is out to acquire some properties in Gotham to expand his business empire, some of which involves making purchases from the Joker – part of the deal involves allowing the Joker to go on a crime spree in Metropolis for a few weeks. Another part of the plot, involves a former physician and now reverend named Monks, who runs an orphanage in Gotham, which Luthor intends to purchase and renovate in an act of goodwill. That orphanage, though, was once a front for criminal activities many years ago, and apparently there is still something shady going on. This aspect plays out in the first two issues/chapters, which is part of the reason why I gave lower marks to the story – it just sort of added a layer to the whole thing that was somewhat hastily resolved. The art by Rude and Kesel, though, is just gorgeous throughout. I liked the way the style was slightly modified to differ in the flashback scenes (in the first two issues)... ![](https://i.imgur.com/JjzAP51.jpg) ...to the thed depictions of Gotham... ![](https://i.imgur.com/ZrRVjwD.jpg) ...and Metropolis: ![](https://i.imgur.com/3JEmLEL.jpg) Colorist Steve Oliff also deserves a shout-out here.
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Post by jtrw2024 on Jun 28, 2024 4:54:23 GMT -5
Captain America is a character I've always liked, though I've never followed his title for any extended period of time. I like him when he's in costume, doing usual Cap stuff, either in the present day or WW2, by himself or with the Avengers or SHIELD, but not when he's getting turned into a teenager, or a girl, or a werewolf or being replaced by someone else. There were enough familiar elements in Kirby's final run, such as the Falcon, SHIELD, then the Red Skull towards the end to keep it from going too far off track from what I like. I'd forgotten that Arnim Zola first appeared during this run. I'd somehow thought of him as being around a while. I've never read any Kirby OMAC, so I didn't really make the connection with the similarities in some of these stories, but a lot of the other weird aspects of these Cap issues are definitely in tune with Kirby's interests at the time.
Surfing, Skiing, hang gliding, roller skating, frisbee! If there's a sport you like, Kirby can probably make a comic character out of it!
It'll be awhile before I get to DeMatteis/Zeck stuff, but there was Zeck fill in in issue 224 which was surprising. I've always liked his art. I had a few Stern/Byrne issues from when I was a kid, so these probably helped form my idea of what a Cap story should be. I've never read the run in its entirety, so hopefully it lives up to expectation. Issue 215 is just a recap of Cap's history, then there's a reprint of the Strange Tales issue where the Human Torch fights a Cap imposter. The few issues by Don Glut were really off the wall. I can't imagine fans of the time liking this stuff too much, even the readers who didn't like what Kirby was doing. The next few issues I've read were by Steve Gerber and were more in line with the stories I like. Hopefully it continues on like this
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Post by Batflunkie on Jun 28, 2024 8:49:41 GMT -5
I love the DeMatteis/Zeck run. I've only read two or three issues from this run, but they are likely my favourite Captain America comics I've ever read. I keep vaguely planning to start actively working towards collecting the complete DeMatteis/Zeck run, but I haven't thus far. Too many other series/runs I'm trying to complete, I guess. It's a really good run, probably one of the first times I actively tried to collect a run through the Epic Collection format. It feels very mature without being overly graphic. It's a shame that Shooter wouldn't let DeMatteis end it how he wanted to
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jun 28, 2024 9:25:48 GMT -5
World’s Finestscript: Dave Gibbons, art: Steve Rude (pencils), Karl Kesel (inks), Steve Oliff (colors); 1990 ![](https://i.imgur.com/gnLrGxD.jpg) This one was the subject of some brief commentary here recently in another thread, which reminded me that I have the tpb that collects the original 3-issue mini-series and that I should probably read it. And, it’s pretty good, overall. The story is a bit uneven, running from middling at places to solidly entertaining at others. That story is that Luthor is out to acquire some properties in Gotham to expand his business empire, some of which involves making purchases from the Joker – part of the deal involves allowing the Joker to go on a crime spree in Metropolis for a few weeks. Another part of the plot, involves a former physician and now reverend named Monks, who runs an orphanage in Gotham, which Luthor intends to purchase and renovate in an act of goodwill. That orphanage, though, was once a front for criminal activities many years ago, and apparently there is still something shady going on. This aspect plays out in the first two issues/chapters, which is part of the reason why I gave lower marks to the story – it just sort of added a layer to the whole thing that was somewhat hastily resolved. The art by Rude and Kesel, though, is just gorgeous throughout. I liked the way the style was slightly modified to differ in the flashback scenes (in the first two issues)... ![](https://i.imgur.com/JjzAP51.jpg) ...to the thed depictions of Gotham... ![](https://i.imgur.com/ZrRVjwD.jpg) ...and Metropolis: ![](https://i.imgur.com/3JEmLEL.jpg) Colorist Steve Oliff also deserves a shout-out here. The art in that book is truly glorious.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Jun 30, 2024 3:23:47 GMT -5
BookhunterJason Shiga, 2007 ![](https://i.imgur.com/agVKIu2.jpg) It’s 1973. A rare and priceless book on loan to the Oakland Public Library (an edition of the Bible printed in 1838) has been stolen and replaced with a very well-made replica. The library system’s chief of security assigns Bay, a tough-as-nails, relentless special agent for the library police, to find the book before it has to be returned to the Library of Congress – in three days. Bay and his officers throw all of their know-how and resources, including the cutting edge computer technology of the early 1970s, into the investigation, but will it be enough? ![](https://i.imgur.com/HjjH2Hp.jpg) This is a really well-written and surprisingly gripping police procedural – and despite how humorous the premise of the ‘library police’ (which even has a SWAT unit) is, Shiga plays it completely straight. He also did quite a bit of research to get all of the terminology right, not just for libraries, but also for book-binding, locksmithing and safes, IT and various forensic techniques that would have been available in the 1970s. He only made one mistake: a prospective suspect had been busted back in Chicago in 1969 for tearing out the erotic passages in copies of Judy Blume’s Forever – which had only been published in 1975. Other than that, though, this one gets top marks from me. Can’t wait for the movie.
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