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Post by dbutler69 on Jul 29, 2017 10:40:20 GMT -5
As an American, I remember having only 4 channels throughout most of my childhood, which went up to 5 when Fox came around. We were not the first kids on the block to get cable and its dozens (not hundreds, as today) channels, and I was probably in high school at that point.
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Post by spoon on Aug 1, 2017 20:12:45 GMT -5
I'm continuing to read through Captain America and just finished #306. That's Mike Carlin's last issue as writer before he swaps roles with Cap's editor-turned-writer Mark Gruenwald.
Carlin's brief stint as writer was a departure from J.M. DeMatteis. There's an arc about Cap's shield being stolen that involves Batroc's Brigade (apparently the first time he teamed with these henchmen). It seems like a conscious effort to pivot to a lighter tone and lower stakes. Batroc is a fun character though. I was surprised that Dr. Myron McLain (the creator of the shield) was still alive at this point, because I thought he died before this point. Then, there's a two-parter featuring Captain Britain and Modred, which is pretty forgettable.
Carlin also seemingly write Arnie Roth out with a short goodbye sign with Bernie Rosenthal. It's very oblique. Although Steve and Bernie got engaged toward the end of DeMatteis run, not much is done to develop the relationship during Carlin's short run. There is a little bit of development with Nomad's storyline, as he worries that he isn't as effective when Cap is around because he's nervous.
The TPB reprints the letter page of Carlin's last issue, which features an underwhelming introductory essay by Gruenwald.
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Aug 2, 2017 11:53:25 GMT -5
I bought the Warlock Special Edition reprint series about a month ago for cheap and I just finished reading them last night. The series collects Jim Starlin's acclaimed Warlock run, reprinting Strange Tales #178-181, Warlock #9-15, Marvel Team-Up #55, Avengers Annual #7, and Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2 on high quality baxter paper. I kept thinking of Icctrombone , who is a big fan of these stories, any time I picked these up to read. Overall, I have to say that I found these issues to be an extremely mixed bag: bits of the story were quite gripping, while other parts were really hard to get through. As a result, I sometimes found it a struggle to pick these up and continue reading. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of Marvel's cosmic comic books anyway -- I much prefer the more street level heroes, like Spider-Man and Daredevil etc -- but, that said, I do like Silver Age Fantastic Four, so the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe certainly isn't outside of my reading habits. These Warlock issues are pretty weird and surreal at times, while also being deeply philosophical and flippantly irreverent, which is an interesting mix. I liked the supporting characters of Gamora and Pip the Troll way more than Warlock himself, who came across as rather over-earnest and a little too serious for my tastes. Still, I did like the tongue-in-cheek feel of the some of the story, especially in its none-too-subtle digs at Stan Lee and the state of Marvel Comics in the mid-70s, as Starlin saw it. His thinly-veiled attacks on organised religion were also entertaining and welcome. The artwork is very nice indeed and, on occasion, quite inventive. Steve Leialoha's inking helps too. Actually, there were certain panels that I came across as I read that I really recognised, having seen them as a little kid in the pages of Marvel UK's Star Wars Weekly, which reprinted these stories as a back-up strip in the late '70s. Not that I never read the Warlock back-up strip in SW Weekly (I found it boring), but I did used to look at the artwork a lot. Ultimately, I'm glad that I've read these stories because I know that they are held in high regard, both here and in the wider comics community. But, for me, "uneven" is definitely the word I'd use to describe these comics. They were fairly entertaining, without ever once blowing me away. I'm really not sure I'd ever feel compelled to read these books again, but maybe...
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Post by hondobrode on Aug 2, 2017 13:02:33 GMT -5
I felt the same way Confessor, though to be fair, I've never read them straight through.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Aug 2, 2017 15:43:59 GMT -5
The Adventures of the Snow Man by Frank Frazetta. This came in the mail and I read it during lunch. Ummm...Wow...this is a WEIRD little book. As background, the character of The Snow Man, Frazetta came up with when he was sick in bed at 12 1/2 during the early days of World War II. What is published in this book is a story that Frazetta put together at age 15. He even copyrighted it, which was a pretty impressive thing at 15. Another Snow Man story was published in Tally Ho Comics in 1944 credited to John Giunta and Frazetta. Frazetta would have been 16 at the time. This doesn't include the Tally Ho tale. It's a piece that Frazetta kept and gave to his son before his death and Frazetta, Junior and Dark Horse published it. Its...interesting. The story is 76 pages...but each page is a single panel. And the story is probably what you'd expect from a 15 year old. It's full of racist depictions of the Japanese. There are huge plot-holes. There's an octopus living in a lake in the Rocky Mountains. The Snow Man bleeds. It's just...odd. But the art is really pretty fascinating. It's a weird combination of crude and incredibly polished for a 15 year old. I'm not an artist. But the inking line seems very sophisticated for someone that age. It's hard to say whether or not to recommend the book. It's more of a curiosity than an full-fledged book. If you're a huge Frazetta fan, it's probably worth having. If it's available from the library it's definitely worth a look. I'm not sure it's necessary...but I'm glad it exists.
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Post by Spike-X on Aug 3, 2017 2:36:51 GMT -5
That's damn good art for any age, never mind fifteen!
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Post by Outrajs on Aug 3, 2017 7:39:37 GMT -5
I just finished 3rd series Avengers # 41 & 42 of the Kang Wars. I got the whole series and they are fun....Kang is a bit...hmm...over the top but still hilarious.
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Post by Outrajs on Aug 3, 2017 7:40:45 GMT -5
She wasn't in the Avengers very long at all! But she was a regular in The Defenders for a while. (In my opinion, it was a HUGE missed opportunity for the Avengers creative team.)
I think Hellcat has her own comic right now. And I think she's supposed to appear in the next issue of The Hulk (it's really She-Hulk, but for some reason, she's just Hulk.).
I loved Patsy, too, but maybe the Avengers creative team felt like she'd be redundant with the Beast in there. Similar powers and similar personalities with the happy-go-lucky thing, and we know Marvel can't have too many happy superheroes in one place! You find Beast to be happy? I also am not sure about Patsy. She seems more bossy and take charge than happy...she is just comedic when she does it.
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Post by dbutler69 on Aug 3, 2017 8:04:11 GMT -5
I loved Patsy, too, but maybe the Avengers creative team felt like she'd be redundant with the Beast in there. Similar powers and similar personalities with the happy-go-lucky thing, and we know Marvel can't have too many happy superheroes in one place! You find Beast to be happy? I also am not sure about Patsy. She seems more bossy and take charge than happy...she is just comedic when she does it. Uh, yeah. The Beast was constantly cracking jokes in the Avengers. Even if it was a facade (Which I'm not sure sure about) he absolutely gave the appearance of a happy go lucky Avenger. The fact that the ladies seemed to love the blue, furry Beast certainly helped.
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Aug 3, 2017 17:32:29 GMT -5
So, following on from my reading of Jim Starlin's Warlock, I read Fantastic Four #66 and #67, featuring the first appearance of "Him" (later named as Warlock). These are very enjoyable Silver Age issues and, in particular, Jack Kirby's artwork is really great. The story is pretty gripping, although parts of it really don't make much sense, like why would Reed, Ben and Johnny leave Sue behind when they go to rescue Alicia from the mad scientists who have kidnapped her. I mean, Sue's the most powerful member of the team. The motives of the band of mad scientists didn't really make sense either. Regardless of those little niggles, these are prime Silver Age Marvel comics. Hugely enjoyable.
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Post by Hoosier X on Aug 3, 2017 17:41:25 GMT -5
So, following on from my reading of Jim Starlin's Warlock, I read Fantastic Four #66 and #67, featuring the first appearance of "Him" (later named as Warlock). These are very enjoyable Silver Age issues and, in particular, Jack Kirby's artwork is really great. The story is pretty gripping, although parts of it really don't make much sense, like why would Reed, Ben and Johnny leave Sue behind when they go to rescue Alicia from the mad scientists who have kidnapped her. I mean, Sue's the most powerful member of the team. The motives of the band of mad scientists didn't really make sense either. Regardless of those little niggles, these are prime Silver Age Marvel comics. Hugely enjoyable. I've always found this storyline to be the most significant misstep in the classic Fantastic Four run from #36 to #94. And I'm not saying it doesn't have its charming Silver Age moments. But it sure isn't "This Man, This Monster!"!
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Aug 3, 2017 17:54:37 GMT -5
I've always found this storyline to be the most significant misstep in the classic Fantastic Four run from #36 to #94. How come? Could you expand on why you consider it a misstep? To me, it read just like prime Lee/Kirby FF. And I'm not saying it doesn't have its charming Silver Age moments. But it sure isn't "This Man, This Monster!"! And yet, it has almost as much maudlin, self-pity from the Thing as that earlier story. I was really reminded of "This Man, This Monster!" as I read because Stan really goes lay Ben's self-loathing on pretty thick. Although there's a charming little scene in which a cop, a group of teenagers and a housewife all tell the Thing how much they love him and how much he means to them.
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Post by Hoosier X on Aug 3, 2017 18:23:17 GMT -5
I've always found this storyline to be the most significant misstep in the classic Fantastic Four run from #36 to #94. How come? Could you expand on why you consider it a misstep? To me, it read just like prime Lee/Kirby FF. It's been a while since I read it. But you mentioned that the mad scientists don't really have a good motive, and that sure rings a bell. I remember them as being some colorless characters, distinguished from each other by some physical differences and some stereotypical professorial traits. I seem to remember hearing that Kirby wanted the story to be one or two chapters longer, so I assume he was going to flesh out their characters and their motives. It all gets wrapped up rather abruptly. Like Stan didn't understand (or didn't want to understand) Kirby's plotting, so he shut it down very quickly. There are so many three- and four-part stories in this period that the Him story has always felt like half a story to me. It also seems to me that I never quite got what was so vital about kidnapping Alicia Masters. I'm sure they give a reason for it, but I don't think I really bought it. Another thing that is tickling my mind is the deaths of some of the security personnel at the Him facility. Aren't there a couple of guards killed rather coldly, and then scarcely mentioned again? I can't remember the details, but it seems to me that the FF (or somebody on the FF) was really dismissive about the deaths of the mercenaries. Or maybe they didn't know about it, but for some reason, the way it was handled bothered me.
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Post by Rob Allen on Aug 3, 2017 18:24:52 GMT -5
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Post by Hoosier X on Aug 3, 2017 18:42:37 GMT -5
That's from The Jack Kirby Collector, which I read avidly for a while. (I even have a few articles published therein!) So that article is probably where I got my information about disagreements about the Him story, though time has left a very vague and scanty explanation in my memories.
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