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Post by urrutiap on Nov 15, 2017 16:39:29 GMT -5
I'm not going to stop after Byrnes last issue of his run in alpha flight. I'm reading the entire series.
What I'm saying is that John Byrne back then had a habit of hairy men not just in alpha flight but also with Superman also.
Hairy chests all the time along with beards too.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2017 16:45:49 GMT -5
I'm not going to stop after Byrnes last issue of his run in alpha flight. I'm reading the entire series. What I'm saying is that John Byrne back then had a habit of hairy men not just in alpha flight but also with Superman also. Hairy chests all the time along with beards too. You trying to say something about Canadian men eh? Draw what you know JB, draw what you know! (apologies to my Canadian friends here) -M
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Post by wildfire2099 on Nov 15, 2017 23:11:06 GMT -5
I started reading a trade of Kirby's Demon yesterday. I'm not even sure why I picked it up.. I was waiting for a solid Kamandi collection, and was disappointed at the time they didn't put one out (they're doing an Omni in the spring, but really I wanted like 2-3 soft cover trades). Anyway, I was surprised at how interesting it is, and how little like the DCU appearance Etrigan is. Too bad Vertigo didnt' exist then, I feel like this is almost a pre-Vertigo book so far (5 issues in)
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Post by dbutler69 on Nov 16, 2017 15:18:47 GMT -5
I'm not going to stop after Byrnes last issue of his run in alpha flight. I'm reading the entire series. What I'm saying is that John Byrne back then had a habit of hairy men not just in alpha flight but also with Superman also. Hairy chests all the time along with beards too. Yeah, I understood that. I'm kinda hairy myself (no facial hair, though) so I'm OK with that by Byrne.
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Nov 16, 2017 21:17:05 GMT -5
I finished up reading the 2016 TPB collection of the "Monster" strip from the UK's short-lived, '80s horror comic Scream! last night. I really loved Scream! when it was coming out, back in 1984, but sadly the comic ceased publication rather abruptly, after a mere 15 issues. With the comic's cancellation, many of the strips were simply left hanging midway through. Unbeknownst to me at the time though, two of my favourite strips ("Monster" and "The 13th Floor") were carried on over in the pages of Eagle comic. It was only decades later, with help from the Internet, that I found out that the "Monster" strip had been continued and ultimately finished in the pages of the Eagle. Rebellion Press collected the entire story of "Monster" last year and I treated myself to a copy of the TPB recently when I saw it for cheap on amazon. I started reading it this week, excited that after 33 years, I was finally gonna know how the story ended! The strip premise and inaugural episode sprang from the fertile imagination of Alan Moore, after which John Wagner took over as writer. The story follows the adventures of a young lad named Kenneth Corman and his hideously deformed Uncle Terry, who had been kept locked away in a forbidden attic room for years. The first episode opens with 12-year-old Kenny, who was the same age as me back in 1984, digging a shallow grave for his Dad. There was and still is something skin-crawlingly suspenseful and foreboding about that first episode, as Kenneth recalls his abusive father's murder at the hands of whatever was lurking in the attic. In particular, the lines "Kenneth Corman was only twelve. He'd never heard an adult screaming before" are particularly chilling... As the adventure progresses, Kenny befriends his deformed, violent and affection-starved uncle, as the pair go on the run across England. Unfortunately, Terry tends to murder people who wrong him or the boy, due to his ferociously inhuman strength and complete lack of comprehension regarding society's laws. The strip's masterstroke is that the so-called "monster" is horrifically repellent and easy to identify with at the same time. The first half of this TPB was extremely familiar to me, having read the issues of Scream! that they appeared in umpteen time's back in the 80s, but the second half, featuring the Eagle issues that I'd not read before, were really exciting and kept me gripped. Without wanting to give away any spoilers the ending I had waited 33 years to read was very satisfying, although not at all what I was expecting. All in all, although "Monster" is a bit dated and aimed at a fairly immature audience, it still holds up well to adult eyes. The atmospheric black & white art of Jesus Redondo is also rather excellent.
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Post by Rob Allen on Nov 17, 2017 13:53:18 GMT -5
That does look interesting, and it's good to finally find out how the story ends.
Is there any relationship between the UK Scream! and the US magazine of the same name from Skywald? I was a big Skywald fan.
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Nov 17, 2017 14:41:01 GMT -5
That does look interesting, and it's good to finally find out how the story ends. Is there any relationship between the UK Scream! and the US magazine of the same name from Skywald? I was a big Skywald fan. Actually, I had no idea that there was a U.S. Scream comic magazine, but I'm sure that there was no connection. After checking online, I see that the UK Scream! came out roughly a decade after the American mag and was published by IPC Magazines, who were also responsible for such '70s and '80s classics as 2000AD, Action, Battle Picture Weekly and the Eagle. Although short-lived, Scream! was extremely popular right from the get go with kids of roughly my age (11, 12 or 13), not least because issue #1 was subject to a high profile TV advertisement campaign. Like me, lots of my school friends eagerly awaited each weekly installment, thrilling to the horrific and lurid strips, which did their best to shock and entertain us within the confines of the Harmful Publications Act (a piece of government legislation introduced to prevent unsuitable violence appearing in British comics -- think of it as roughly the equivalent of the U.S. Comics Code Authority, but policed by the rule of law, rather than by the publishers themselves). And then, one day, Scream! simply stopped. No announcement. No warning. Nothing. As I say, "Monster" and another favourite strip of mine, "The Thirteenth Floor", continued some months later in the pages of the Eagle, but I didn't know about that at the time and I bet none of my friends did either or I would've heard about it. "Monster" is definitely worth checking out, as long as you accept that it was written aimed squarely at 12-year-olds. I believe that Rebellion are due to release another Scream! collection soon, with a TPB of "The Dracula File" which will collect all 15 episodes, plus some previously unpublished episodes, I believe. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for a reprint of "The Thirteenth Floor", with both the Scream! and Eagle episodes, so I can finally find out how that story ended too!
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Post by Batflunkie on Nov 17, 2017 19:21:52 GMT -5
Captain America v1 #215-#223
Really didn't find Kirby's return to Cap to be as awe-inspiring as so many would lead you to believe, but it was a fun read. I did however enjoy the fact it brought back more serialized story-telling to the book itself. "The Search For Steve Rogers" is a very good continuation of Kirby's ground work in the last two issues of his run (I almost thought that they were just going to drop the plotline entirely). Dekker was a interesting throw-back villain in every possible sense of the word, but also felt a bit two dimensional, only really realizing what an utter boob he was until after becoming Ameridroid
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Post by masterofquackfu on Nov 18, 2017 5:42:12 GMT -5
The last few days...
Avengers #164 and 165. #164 will always be one of my top comics. I had one as a child, but cut out around 20% of the pictures. It is always great to go back and read this comic because it had such an impact on me. Big fan of the Lethal Legion and really enjoyed the part where Power Man(no, not Luke Cage) threw a car through one of the windows of Avengers mansion. I think the Legion could have used one more member when battling the Avengers in this issue. The Legion for this issue was composed of Power Man, Whirlwind and the Living Laser. The main reason that I enjoy this issue so much is the immense amount of action...it is one of the few comics that actually live up to the cover. Multiple battles, awesome coloration(and yes, I do like Wondy's costume). As for #165, it is a bit deflating. I did not like the garish costume of Count Nefaria and did not like the continued use of the Whizzer(especially when he psyches out Nefaria). Lame. Battle sequences were okay, but a bit rushed and the creative team made Nefaria too powerful. #165 is a chasmic drop from #164. Still, Wonder Man helps drive the Avengers onward and his development continues nicely in this issue. And yes, John Byrne loves to draw the chest and arm hair on Wonder Man...definitely has a fetish for the hirsute. Grades: #164: A, #165 B-.
Also read X-Factor #32(1988), but I don't really consider it a "classic comic." Grade: C- John Carter, Warlord of Mars #2: I bought this as a young kid in 1977 and it has been with me ever since(although mothballed in storage for many years, until last years). I absolutely dislike the John Carter movie...it was terrible. However, the comic book was awesome. I have never met a JCWOM book from the original series that I disliked. Issue 2 featured Carter, Tars Tarkas and Dejah fighting against the "White Apes from Mars." This book was on the heels of the '76 King Kong film and definitely the influence can be seen. It was written by Wolfman and Gil Kane did the art. Man, could Kane draw women! Check out Dejah on the splash page...awesome. Just a great series and, of course, Claremont would have a hand in that later. Just a great book. Grade: A-
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Post by chaykinstevens on Nov 18, 2017 7:30:23 GMT -5
I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for a reprint of "The Thirteenth Floor", with both the Scream! and Eagle episodes, so I can finally find out how that story ended too! According to GCD, Rebellion recently published a Scream! & Misty Halloween Special, including a new Thirteenth Floor story written by someone named Guy Adams and drawn by John Stokes and Frazer Irving. link
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Nov 18, 2017 9:57:36 GMT -5
I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for a reprint of "The Thirteenth Floor", with both the Scream! and Eagle episodes, so I can finally find out how that story ended too! According to GCD, Rebellion recently published a Scream! & Misty Halloween Special, including a new Thirteenth Floor story written by someone named Guy Adams and drawn by John Stokes and Frazer Irving. link Yeah, and I spent about two weeks over the end of October looking for the damn thing! I couldn't find it anywhere! I must've looked in close to 20 different newsagents shops, big and small, and eventually I just gave up. They wanted £3.99 for it anyway, which is already a little steep, but copies I saw available online are going for between £6 and £8...and yeah, sod that! To be honest, judging from the shots of the interior art that I saw, it looks very much like any other modern comic, with colour, modern looking, vaugly manga-esque artwork; I'd have been more interested if it had featured the same artists who worked on the original publication and used the same black & white art. Still, I would've bought it anyway, as an exercise in nostalgia, had I been able to find a copy on sale anywhere.
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Post by Icctrombone on Nov 18, 2017 10:24:18 GMT -5
The last few days... Avengers #164 and 165. #164 will always be one of my top comics. I had one as a child, but cut out around 20% of the pictures. It is always great to go back and read this comic because it had such an impact on me. Big fan of the Lethal Legion and really enjoyed the part where Power Man(no, not Luke Cage) threw a car through one of the windows of Avengers mansion. I think the Legion could have used one more member when battling the Avengers in this issue. The Legion for this issue was composed of Power Man, Whirlwind and the Living Laser. The main reason that I enjoy this issue so much is the immense amount of action...it is one of the few comics that actually live up to the cover. Multiple battles, awesome coloration(and yes, I do like Wondy's costume). As for #165, it is a bit deflating. I did not like the garish costume of Count Nefaria and did not like the continued use of the Whizzer(especially when he psyches out Nefaria). Lame. Battle sequences were okay, but a bit rushed and the creative team made Nefaria too powerful. #165 is a chasmic drop from #164. Still, Wonder Man helps drive the Avengers onward and his development continues nicely in this issue. And yes, John Byrne loves to draw the chest and arm hair on Wonder Man...definitely has a fetish for the hirsute. Grades: #164: A, #165 B-. Also read X-Factor #32(1988), but I don't really consider it a "classic comic." Grade: C- John Carter, Warlord of Mars #2: I bought this as a young kid in 1977 and it has been with me ever since(although mothballed in storage for many years, until last years). I absolutely dislike the John Carter movie...it was terrible. However, the comic book was awesome. I have never met a JCWOM book from the original series that I disliked. Issue 2 featured Carter, Tars Tarkas and Dejah fighting against the "White Apes from Mars." This book was on the heels of the '76 King Kong film and definitely the influence can be seen. It was written by Wolfman and Gil Kane did the art. Man, could Kane draw women! Check out Dejah on the splash page...awesome. Just a great series and, of course, Claremont would have a hand in that later. Just a great book. Grade: A- For sure that run of issues between 155-195 were just great. I love that Thor comes in to save the day.
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Post by String on Nov 18, 2017 11:24:03 GMT -5
I started reading a trade of Kirby's Demon yesterday. I'm not even sure why I picked it up.. I was waiting for a solid Kamandi collection, and was disappointed at the time they didn't put one out (they're doing an Omni in the spring, but really I wanted like 2-3 soft cover trades). Anyway, I was surprised at how interesting it is, and how little like the DCU appearance Etrigan is. Too bad Vertigo didnt' exist then, I feel like this is almost a pre-Vertigo book so far (5 issues in) The only Kirby Demon story that I got as a kid was in DC's Blue Ribbon Digest #5 Secret Origins. It featured the first issue of Demon (along with the origins of the Justice League, Deadman, Wonder Girl, Zatara & Zatanna, and Abin Sur). While I've yet to read the rest of his original run (buying a copy of the trade has been on my to-buy list), I do recall enjoying Matt Wagner's 4 issue Demon mini from '87.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Nov 18, 2017 11:52:09 GMT -5
Finished up the trade today... pretty good overall, but towards the end of the run things started to get more.. generic. I wonder if Kirby was anxious to get back to his 4th World stuff.. the preface mentioned how Kirby didn't really want to do a horror book, but it sold better than the New Gods, so DC wanted him to do it instead.
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Post by String on Nov 18, 2017 12:00:35 GMT -5
New Gods #1-4 by Evanier, Starlin, and Paris Cullins
Awhile back, I acquired a huge chunk of various New Gods books from eBay. Beyond their appearances in other DC titles, I had read very little of them other than Kirby's original work. I'd just finished re-reading the '84 miniseries that reprinted all that. Before that, I'd read Cosmic Odyssey which was quite good, especially with Mignola's art. Now I'm up to this second volume and I would have to think that if anyone can capture the spirit of Kirby (per se) with these characters, it'd be Evanier and Starlin.
First though, the art. Cullins (whose listed as co-plotter in these early issues) deserves points for his attempts to convey the proper power of this conflict. While no one can really replicate the raw power of Kirby, Cullins' depictions of battle and characters are strong. The continued use of double-page spreads of epic openings and scenes was good to see as well. But I think Cullins excels best in emotional displays. The rage and anger of Orion, the joy of Lightray, the pleasure of pain of DeSaad, I particularly liked his renderings of Darkseid.
As for the story, I've liked it so far. (Spoiler alert) Forager dies in Odyssey and Highfather tasks Orion with delivering his body to the Bug people for proper burial rites. While there, Orion learns more of the shared history between them and New Genesis, causing him to want to broker a peace between the two races. But his goals serve to uncover a dark lie about the origins of the Bug people which causes Orion to question what he truly knows about the bright goals of justice of New Genesis.
It's different but I think it fits in with the patterns previously established in this mythos. How far would you sink to the level of your enemy to achieve victory? And are you willing to pay the cost of attaining victory in that manner? It opens up new drama for Orion who still sees the evil of Apokolips as necessary to stop.
Plus, the woman Eve Donner is just nuts. Harboring a piece of the Anti-Life equation, she is drawn into this other-wordly conflict with a sense of disturbing glee. Fostering what seems to be a romantic relationship with Lightray, she wants to experience the high of their battles, even if it leads to the destruction of the world. It's a nice counter-point to the theme of 'gods among mortals' and what effect that may have upon those mere mortals. (Also, nice appearance by stalwart Dave Lincoln too).
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