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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2016 19:34:30 GMT -5
Batman #266 was one of a handful of Batman comics I had as a kid. I think it was the second earliest Batman comic I had (#250 was the oldest, but I am not sure if I had an older issue of 'Tec or some other Batman title than #266).
-M
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2016 21:05:13 GMT -5
I'm actually very impressed with the early installments of the Supergirl series in Action Comics. It usually takes years to accumulate so much Silver Age craziness. Almost every panel has something totally nutty! Today, I'm looking at "The Three Magic Wishes!" from Action Comics #257. Linda is reading fairy tales to the younger children. So it starts out kind of adorable. But this one goes off the rails very quickly. There's a slightly older boy named Tommy who puts on a monster mask and looks through the window to scare the little children. He's a little obnoxious and he seems to enjoy spoiling the good time that the younger children are having. But I wish Linda would cut him some slack. He's an insecure orphan and he probably hates Linda being so judgmental all the time. After he scoffs at the idea that fairies are real - How dare he! - Linda decides that it's a good use of her powers and her time to dress up as a fairy and use her powers to prove that FAIRIES ARE REAL. So she makes a fairy dress out of thistle pollen, a fairy crown out of a cooking pan in an alley and fairy wings from an old kite wrapped in spider webs. So she appears to the children and Tommy isn't even phased. He's like: "Well, if you're a real fairy, grant some wishes!" Yeah, flying girl! I bet you're not a real fairy! Just a flying girl who can't even grant wishes! So Supergirl makes the weird-looking Olive Oyl girl think she's really pretty by turning a window into a magic mirror when all she really did was use her super-breath to blow a photo of a pretty girl to the other side of the window. Then she changes a rabbit into a horse. Then she rubs some baker's yeast on Tommy's nose and heats it up with her vision so it expands and it makes it look like his nose is growing like Pinocchio. So Tommy learns his lesson. FAIRIES ARE REAL! Good job, Linda! Yup. That is one crazy orphanage. Here's the link to Jess's (Somewhat) Grown-Up Type Blog for more info (and more of the art) for "The Three Magic Wishes." Totally bonkers! That is how I would describe these stories! I love these issues when Linda is living in the orphanage. That must have been one zany place to live! I picked up the first 2 Supergirl Achieves last year or the year before and I've read the 1st one but have yet to read the 2nd one. I hope to get to it soon but as of now I'm in a Batman/Catwoman binge...so it might be awhile. As always Hoosier I love reading your reviews!
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Post by Hoosier X on Feb 28, 2016 21:36:02 GMT -5
Been on a Catwoman binge lately so I picked up a few books featuring her the other day and Batman #266 was the first one i read. I loved it! It seems that, in the 70s, Batman got a lot more pleasure out of fighting crime than he has in recent years. Take, for example, the time he disguised himself as an old, rich Southern widow in order to catch a jewel thief: Batman is so eager to take on this case, that he finishes Gordon's request before the commissioner can get it all out. And it's clear that Batman has this disguise all ready to go, just waiting for an excuse to use it. Now, there are a lot of different ways Batman could have gone about this. He could have had Batgirl go undercover, for example. Or he could have had Alfred show off the jewels in public. But, clearly, Batman wanted to get some enjoyment out of this caper, so he went with Bertha Carrington-Bridgewater. He even stays in character when he's out of the public view and alone in the suite with Alfred: This story opens with Bruce Wayne and Commissioner Gordon playing backgammon on a train, when they are suddently accosted by a gypsy woman who warns Bruce Wayne that he will soon be plagued by coincidences. One thing that's not a coincidence: Bruce Wayne is on this train because it's carrying a carload of prisoners headed to the state pen, including Catwoman. Soon, the coincidences begin, as the train is derailed by a runaway tractor manufactured by the "Caterpillar" company. Get it? Interestingly, Catwoman was not planning on escaping--she wanted to serve out her time and eventually go straight. This may be the beginning of a status quo change for the character, who would eventually become an ally of Batman in the next few years. Nonetheless, she slips back into her old habits and costume, and then she proceeds to initiate a string of jewelry heists, which inspires Batman's cross-dressing ploy. And also, because it's a Denny O'Neil Batman story from the 70s, Batman has to abuse some animals--this time, Catwoman's ocelots: I just want to point out that Batman beats up a thug with a sack of ocelots. Then he finishes things off with a face-kick. I can't think of anything better than this page. I read this one a few weeks ago as it's next in line in my "Batman #300 and down" series on the Batman Fan Page but I got kind of sidetracked and never wrote the review. I'll probably get back to that after I get through "Supergirl: The Weird Orphanage Years" (Showcase Presents: Supergirl, Volume One) and Thor: Jane Foster Gets Kidnapped A Lot (Marvel Masterworks: Thor, Volume Three). I love Batman #266, to be honest. For one thing, she goes back to her best costume ever after a 20-year absence.
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Post by Hoosier X on Feb 29, 2016 9:43:14 GMT -5
I've been making my way through Marvel Masterworks: Thor, Volume Three. It's great! (Mostly. #113 was pretty silly. And Jane Foster sure gets kidnapped and menaced a lot.) Thor has come a long way since the Demon Duplicators and the Carbon-Copy Man! I read #117 last night, so I'll probably be finishing in a few days. But I wanted to pause and talk about this one for a moment: I've never read this one before. It's the first appearance of The Absorbing Man! And it's pretty awesome. All these years of reading 1960s Marvels and this is my first time seeing the first appearance of Crusher Creel! How did this happen? I feel like I've been missing out. And I want my own copy of Journey into Mystery #114! (This is my copy of MMW: Thor, Volume Three, but I want the original... just because!) Look at him! Gaze upon his magnificent surliness, ye mortals! This is a man who looks like he knows what to do with a ball-and-chain and Norse absorbing powers! (YES! You threaten a young couple in their vacation home. DUH!) And the chain is for hitting Thor's hammer! (If he turns into enchanted Uru metal, can only Thor wield him?) Art by Jack Kirby and Chic Stone! It's great! (And I'll have to write about the next issue as well because I love the Frank Giacoia inking so much.)
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Post by Batflunkie on Feb 29, 2016 21:53:18 GMT -5
Reading Showcase #8, was rather baffled that there was such a thing as "Cold Mirage"Thought it was just some nonsensical fluff cooked up by Gardner, but I should have known better
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Post by Hoosier X on Mar 4, 2016 9:43:43 GMT -5
I got this in the mail yesterday: I've been wanting to read this for close to forty years! When I was first collecting Hulk (1976 or so), one of my friends had a copy of this laying around the house: I haven't read it since then but I still remember it pretty well. It's pretty cool! Hulk vs. Dr. Doom in Latveria! Also, Valeria (Dr. Doom's girlfriend)! I knew it was the second part of a two-part story. But I just never bought Hulk #143 and I've never read any of the trades where it's been reprinted. In the first part of the story, Bruce Banner is running around in the alleys of Manhattan, hiding from the cops. (This takes place directly after he was thrown off a building by the Valkyrie.) A limo pulls up and a voice tells him to get in. It's Dr. Doom! He takes Banner to the Latverian embassy. Well, the U.S. military shows up, General Ross, Major Talbot and Betty, and a bunch of tanks are aimed at the embassy. (Geez Louise, I love Marvel New York and its non-stop bananashenanigans!) Doom tricks them with a Hulk robot that they disintegrate with a missile, so they think the Hulk is dead. Doom takes Banner (now unconscious) to Latveria and explains his plan out loud to no one in particular (the reader?). (He's going to use the Hulk against the military establishments of the nations that border Latveria. Because what could go wrong?) Love the Dick Ayers/John Severin art! This issue is kind of interesting because Banner never turns into the Hulk. You see a Hulk robot and when Doom explains his plan there's several panels of the Hulk attacking the military of neighboring nations. One other thing: Writer's quirks. Do you ever see something in the story that makes you go "I know who wrote this!"? On the first page of Hulk #143, I noticed a note saying "With apologies to William Faulkner." Dead giveaway! Roy Thomas! Yes, I know the credits are also on the first page but I hadn't noticed them yet. It's kind of a dumb editor's note. It's referring to the title of the story, "Sanctuary." Which is also the title of a William Faulkner novel. But why would you have to apologize for using a one-word title that's just an English noun? Why not apologize to Victor Hugo or Quasimodo? Or Charles Laughton? He's the first person I think of when I hear "Sanctuary."
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Post by Icctrombone on Mar 4, 2016 10:28:48 GMT -5
Been on a Catwoman binge lately so I picked up a few books featuring her the other day and Batman #266 was the first one i read. I loved it! It seems that, in the 70s, Batman got a lot more pleasure out of fighting crime than he has in recent years. Take, for example, the time he disguised himself as an old, rich Southern widow in order to catch a jewel thief: Batman is so eager to take on this case, that he finishes Gordon's request before the commissioner can get it all out. And it's clear that Batman has this disguise all ready to go, just waiting for an excuse to use it. Now, there are a lot of different ways Batman could have gone about this. He could have had Batgirl go undercover, for example. Or he could have had Alfred show off the jewels in public. But, clearly, Batman wanted to get some enjoyment out of this caper, so he went with Bertha Carrington-Bridgewater. He even stays in character when he's out of the public view and alone in the suite with Alfred: This story opens with Bruce Wayne and Commissioner Gordon playing backgammon on a train, when they are suddently accosted by a gypsy woman who warns Bruce Wayne that he will soon be plagued by coincidences. One thing that's not a coincidence: Bruce Wayne is on this train because it's carrying a carload of prisoners headed to the state pen, including Catwoman. Soon, the coincidences begin, as the train is derailed by a runaway tractor manufactured by the "Caterpillar" company. Get it? Interestingly, Catwoman was not planning on escaping--she wanted to serve out her time and eventually go straight. This may be the beginning of a status quo change for the character, who would eventually become an ally of Batman in the next few years. Nonetheless, she slips back into her old habits and costume, and then she proceeds to initiate a string of jewelry heists, which inspires Batman's cross-dressing ploy. And also, because it's a Denny O'Neil Batman story from the 70s, Batman has to abuse some animals--this time, Catwoman's ocelots: I just want to point out that Batman beats up a thug with a sack of ocelots. Then he finishes things off with a face-kick. I can't think of anything better than this page. Irv Novick just doesn't get enough love these days. I rate him in the top five DC artists of the Silver/Bronze age. Over Dick Dillin to be sure.
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Post by Icctrombone on Mar 4, 2016 10:29:54 GMT -5
I've been making my way through Marvel Masterworks: Thor, Volume Three. It's great! (Mostly. #113 was pretty silly. And Jane Foster sure gets kidnapped and menaced a lot.) Thor has come a long way since the Demon Duplicators and the Carbon-Copy Man! I read #117 last night, so I'll probably be finishing in a few days. But I wanted to pause and talk about this one for a moment: I've never read this one before. It's the first appearance of The Absorbing Man! And it's pretty awesome. All these years of reading 1960s Marvels and this is my first time seeing the first appearance of Crusher Creel! How did this happen? I feel like I've been missing out. And I want my own copy of Journey into Mystery #114! (This is my copy of MMW: Thor, Volume Three, but I want the original... just because!) Look at him! Gaze upon his magnificent surliness, ye mortals! This is a man who looks like he knows what to do with a ball-and-chain and Norse absorbing powers! (YES! You threaten a young couple in their vacation home. DUH!) And the chain is for hitting Thor's hammer! (If he turns into enchanted Uru metal, can only Thor wield him?) Art by Jack Kirby and Chic Stone! It's great! (And I'll have to write about the next issue as well because I love the Frank Giacoia inking so much.) Man, those Early Thors were great.
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Post by Hoosier X on Mar 4, 2016 10:52:12 GMT -5
Irv Novick just doesn't get enough love these days. I rate him in the top five DC artists of the Silver/Bronze age. Over Dick Dillin to be sure. Your post reminded me that I wanted to look up Irv Novick's earlier work, so I did a "search" at Four-Color Shadows. He did a lot of stories for MLJ (which eventually became Archie). He drew a bunch of the MLJ super-heroes, like the Shield and the Scarlet Avenger, as far back as 1940. But the "Silent Knight" story (from The Brave and the Bold) caught my eye.
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Post by Hoosier X on Mar 4, 2016 10:55:08 GMT -5
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Post by MDG on Mar 4, 2016 16:05:46 GMT -5
I really like Novick's run on Lois Lane--it looks serious, but in their own way, the stories are still goofy. You know Russ Heath drew this, right?
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Post by Paste Pot Paul on Mar 5, 2016 4:15:38 GMT -5
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Post by Batflunkie on Mar 5, 2016 9:19:36 GMT -5
It's kind of weird to see a comic book hero that usually just tackles mythological villains taking on uber-powerful cosmic beings
I mean let's be serious for a moment, could Thor actually wipe the floor with Galactus? Probably not
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Mar 5, 2016 12:20:09 GMT -5
A Contract With God
I don't want to say too much for those that haven't read it. But it was surprisingly not at all what I expected, even having read the forwards. The stories were hauntingly (thinking ... It's not depressing) surreal I guess. Kind of like Bukowski's fictional accounts of his life in his first five novels. Eisner says its accounts of his living in NY but it's still classified as fiction. But thinking that there is some bearing on people's lives at that time in NY really makes it seem more dragging your soul down. Especially the last one Cookalein. Good writing and stellar art (particularly in Super for some reason) but not sure how many times I'll want to read it again. Even of Bukowski I read Women and Hollywood more often than the others for the same reasons.
In the back they advertise Life Force which has a testimonial from R Crumb. Who after watching that documentary about him and his family and life I have great respect for even if his art style doesn't appeal to me. I may order that just for that reason.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,085
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Post by Confessor on Mar 5, 2016 12:24:03 GMT -5
A Contract With God I don't want to say too much for those that haven't read it. But it was surprisingly not at all what I expected, even having read the forwards. The stories were hauntingly (thinking ... It's not depressing) surreal I guess. Kind of like Bukowski's fictional accounts of his life in his first five novels. Eisner says its accounts of his living in NY but it's still classified as fiction. But thinking that there is some bearing on people's lives at that time in NY really makes it seem more dragging your soul down. Especially the last one Cookalein. Good writing and stellar art (particularly in Super for some reason) but not sure how many times I'll want to read it again. Even of Bukowski I read Women and Hollywood more often than the others for the same reasons. In the back they advertise Life Force which has a testimonial from R Crumb. Who after watching that documentary about him and his family and life I have great respect for even if his art style doesn't appeal to me. I may order that just for that reason. A Contract with God is indeed fantastic. I can definitely recommend the follow-ups A Life Force and Dropsie Avenue. They are both different enough to A Contract with God that they don't simply retread the same ground, but they are similar enough that if you like one, you're pretty much guaranteed to like them all.
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