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Post by Jasoomian on Aug 21, 2014 3:06:47 GMT -5
Blackhawk #89 (1955) (Read via pdf obtained from archive.org) Blackhawk is a squadron of NATO pilots. One of them has a ridiculous Swedish accent. In the first story here, their engines all give out over the Himalayas and they find themselves prisoners of SUPER-COMMUNISTS who have been isolated from the rest of humanity so long they have evolved into blind weirdos who can only see through from radar helmets they wear. The Super-Communists brainwash the head Blackhawk, named Blackhawk, into telling them where NATO's bases are so they can launch missles at them. Blackhawk then escapes from the brainwash chair and steals a radar hemlet, which is enough camoflage for him to turn the missles around in mid-air before they land. The second story features the Blackhawks' obese Asian cariacature of a sidekick, CHOP CHOP, in a solo adventure. Chop Chop chases a chicken around the city that he would like to cook and eat. But the chicken proves so plucky, Chop Chop decides to make him a pet instead! Awww. Then a Blackhawk other than Blackhawk quits in the next story. But only because he's being blackmailed by a powerful white terrorist based in North Africa. The other Blackhawks rescue his family or whatever and beat the bad guy. In the last story, the Blackhawks take on some commies who are dropping H-bombs on Central Europe from hot-air balloons. There's also a text story in there somewhere. This was a goofy comic book.
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Post by paulie on Aug 21, 2014 8:37:04 GMT -5
Blackhawk #89 (1955) (Read via pdf obtained from archive.org) Blackhawk is a squadron of NATO pilots. One of them has a ridiculous Swedish accent. In the first story here, their engines all give out over the Himalayas and they find themselves prisoners of SUPER-COMMUNISTS who have been isolated from the rest of humanity so long they have evolved into blind weirdos who can only see through from radar helmets they wear. The Super-Communists brainwash the head Blackhawk, named Blackhawk, into telling them where NATO's bases are so they can launch missles at them. Blackhawk then escapes from the brainwash chair and steals a radar hemlet, which is enough camoflage for him to turn the missles around in mid-air before they land. The second story features the Blackhawks' obese Asian cariacature of a sidekick, CHOP CHOP, in a solo adventure. Chop Chop chases a chicken around the city that he would like to cook and eat. But the chicken proves so plucky, Chop Chop decides to make him a pet instead! Awww. Then a Blackhawk other than Blackhawk quits in the next story. But only because he's being blackmailed by a powerful white terrorist based in North Africa. The other Blackhawks rescue his family or whatever and beat the bad guy. In the last story, the Blackhawks take on some commies who are dropping H-bombs on Central Europe from hot-air balloons. There's also a text story in there somewhere. This was a goofy comic book. Dare I ask... Have the Super-Communists made a return appearance?
(I'm sure we'll be hearing from Cei-U soon!)
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Post by Cei-U! on Aug 21, 2014 12:03:53 GMT -5
I'm not familiar with the Quality issues of Blackhawk so I can't answer to that but the SCs made no appearance in the DC version.
Cei-U! Hawkaaa!
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Post by Hoosier X on Aug 21, 2014 12:47:39 GMT -5
Blackhawk #89 (1955) (Read via pdf obtained from archive.org) Blackhawk is a squadron of NATO pilots. One of them has a ridiculous Swedish accent. In the first story here, their engines all give out over the Himalayas and they find themselves prisoners of SUPER-COMMUNISTS who have been isolated from the rest of humanity so long they have evolved into blind weirdos who can only see through from radar helmets they wear. The Super-Communists brainwash the head Blackhawk, named Blackhawk, into telling them where NATO's bases are so they can launch missles at them. Blackhawk then escapes from the brainwash chair and steals a radar hemlet, which is enough camoflage for him to turn the missles around in mid-air before they land. The second story features the Blackhawks' obese Asian cariacature of a sidekick, CHOP CHOP, in a solo adventure. Chop Chop chases a chicken around the city that he would like to cook and eat. But the chicken proves so plucky, Chop Chop decides to make him a pet instead! Awww. Then a Blackhawk other than Blackhawk quits in the next story. But only because he's being blackmailed by a powerful white terrorist based in North Africa. The other Blackhawks rescue his family or whatever and beat the bad guy. In the last story, the Blackhawks take on some commies who are dropping H-bombs on Central Europe from hot-air balloons. There's also a text story in there somewhere. This was a goofy comic book. OMG! I think I have this! My mother was a big comics fan as a kid, and one of her favorites (along with Superman and Wonder Woman) was Blackhawk!
My mom didn't collect them, per se. All the kids on the block would just read whoever's comics, and eventually they would get thrown way or sold at rummage sales. (The comics. Not the kids.)
In the early 1980s, I bought a few issues of 1950s Blackhawks (they were so cheap! I think I got #89 for $3, maybe less.) and gave them to my mom. She eventually gave them back to me, so I still have three or four old Blackhawks.
I recognize it from your description of the Chop-Chop story. I don't remember the rest of the stories. It's been a while since I read it. Is there a balloon on the cover?
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Post by Hoosier X on Aug 21, 2014 13:34:08 GMT -5
I just read Giant-Size Defenders #3 (in The Essential Defenders, Vol. Two) and I have to say a few words about how AWESOME is is. Just for general Bronze Age bombastics!
The plot: The Grandmaster is playing a high stakes game with the Prime Mover (Dr. Doom's super-computer from the Strange Tales epic where it turned out The Yellow Claw was a robot!) for control of the Earth! For his champions, Grandmaster chooses the Defenders (Hulk, Dr. Strange, Valkyrie, Nighthawk and Namor (returning for one issue after a long absence)) and, to fill a sixth spot, Daredevil! They are split into three teams and sent to different worlds to fight the Prime Mover's champions (a guy who looks like a bat, a skeleton warrior, a critter that looks kind of like a Gorn, an indestructible midget with antennae, and there's one I don't remember. Also, Korvac! I assume it's his first appearance.)
Grandmaster wins, causing the Prime Mover to self-destruct. Grandmaster decides to keep Earth for himself as some kind of Gladiator Planet and everybody (except Daredevil) attacks and is defeated. Daredevil, knowing Grandmaster is a gambling addict, talks him into letting everything ride on a simple coin toss. (Grandmaster has never heard of such a thing but he is amused enough by the novelty to go along.)
So Daredevil takes a disk and scrapes an "X" on one side of it and tells Grandmaster this is "heads" and the other side is "tails." Grandmaster calls "tails" and Daredevil flips the coin. (This is the best part.) It plainly falls into Daredevil's hand with the blank side up - hence it's "tails" - and Daredevil calls out "IT'S HEADS!! I WIN!"
I know. He's blind and all. But still.
Either Grandmaster didn't really understand the rules all that well or he's just too polite to say anything because Daredevil is blind.
So Earth is saved because Daredevil is a cheater! (There's a sucker born every minute. I think DD should have talked Grandmaster into a game of three-card monte. Or sold him a three-year warranty.)
What else is notable:
Plotted by Steve Gerber, Jim Starlin and Len Wein. Script by Gerber.
Layouts by Starlin. Inked by Jim Mooney, Dan Adkins and Don Newton. (The art is great!)
Namor, Daredevil and the Hulk are all killed! (Grandmaster resurrects them.)
The Hulk is whipped by a midget alien names Grott. It's unique among Hulk fights.
It's apparently the first time that Daredevil met the Hulk and Doctor Strange. This is kind of mind-boggling to me. He had never met either of them before 1974? Can that be right? I assume we can trust editor Roy Thomas on something like that, but it seems odd.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2014 14:31:23 GMT -5
Perhaps Daredevil's sense of touch is so enhanced by his blindness that he can feel the X and since he's blind it's assumed that side facing down wins. Of course, if he can feel the X then certainly he could feel its absence. I dunno, I'm just trying to fight for Daredevil's honor.
edit: This assumes, of course, people know he's blind which I don't think is the case.
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Post by Jasoomian on Aug 21, 2014 16:03:34 GMT -5
Dare I ask... Have the Super-Communists made a return appearance? I have no idea. I just chose this issue at random when I wanted to have an old Quality Comics pdf on my tablet. I haven't read any other ones. I recognize it from your description of the Chop-Chop story. I don't remember the rest of the stories. It's been a while since I read it. Is there a balloon on the cover?
Yes, there is. I was remiss in not posting the cover image with my original write-up. I will go back and do so.
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Post by Cei-U! on Aug 21, 2014 16:28:23 GMT -5
It's apparently the first time that Daredevil met the Hulk and Doctor Strange. This is kind of mind-boggling to me. He had never met either of them before 1974? Can that be right? I assume we can trust editor Roy Thomas on something like that, but it seems odd. It's the first time he's met the Hulk. DD may have met Doc behind the scenes at the Richards wedding in FF Annual 3 (Marvels #2 shows them both at the ceremony) but they met for sure at Hank and Jan's wedding in Avengers #60. Cei-U! I summon the wedding party!
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Post by Hoosier X on Aug 21, 2014 16:33:57 GMT -5
Thanks, Jasoomian. Yes, that is the cover I'm thinking of.
The main thing I remember about 1950s Blackhawk comics is the art! It's great. That's the main reason I still have a few issues.
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Post by Hoosier X on Aug 21, 2014 16:36:55 GMT -5
It's apparently the first time that Daredevil met the Hulk and Doctor Strange. This is kind of mind-boggling to me. He had never met either of them before 1974? Can that be right? I assume we can trust editor Roy Thomas on something like that, but it seems odd. It's the first time he's met the Hulk. DD may have met Doc behind the scenes at the Richards wedding in FF Annual 3 (Marvels #2 shows them both at the ceremony) but they met for sure at Hank and Jan's wedding in Avengers #60. Cei-U! I summon the wedding party! Thanks, Cei-U!
I haven't read Avengers #60 for a long time. Is that the one where the Circus of Crime attacks? (In addition to the "Yellowjacket didn't kill Hank" shenanigans.)
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Post by hondobrode on Aug 21, 2014 18:02:58 GMT -5
Reading the Aquaman run in Adventure Comics with beautiful Aparo art and stories by Paul Levitz and Steve Skeates. They're ok, but the dialogue is wince-inducing sometimes, and weird how Mera is always calling Arthur "Husband". Black Manta, Ocean Master, the Fisherman, and Tiger Shark, in a string of villains orchestrated by Tiger Shark to defeat Aquaman as well as turn his people against him for being an absentee hands off king. I'm a sucker for those DC Salutes the Bicentennial covers too.
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Post by coveredinbees on Aug 22, 2014 1:17:00 GMT -5
I gave up reading my classic Claremont's to read my classic Spider-Womans, which actually has a bit of Claremont. I can't wait for the new series. I tell myself it'll be terrible (I can't get up my hopes), but I'm more excited every day!
I have the entire run and I have the Essentials so I won't have to mess up the run. Am I the biggest mark? Yes. <3
Jessica Drew: She's a bit depressing
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Post by Nowhere Man on Aug 22, 2014 3:20:29 GMT -5
I've officially started my own Marvel Silver Age re-read. In the last few day's I've read Fantastic Four #1-6, Hulk #1-3, Amazing Fantasy #15 and Journey Into Mystery #83.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,772
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Post by shaxper on Aug 22, 2014 4:56:46 GMT -5
I gave up reading my classic Claremont's to read my classic Spider-Womans, which actually has a bit of Claremont. I can't wait for the new series. I tell myself it'll be terrible (I can't get up my hopes), but I'm more excited every day! I have the entire run and I have the Essentials so I won't have to mess up the run. Am I the biggest mark? Yes. <3 Jessica Drew: She's a bit depressing I just saw nearly the entire original Spider-Woman run in the discount bin at my LCS yesterday. I strongly considered picking it up, but I know nothing about the content. Was it a good run, or are you just attached to the character?
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Post by Cei-U! on Aug 22, 2014 8:19:50 GMT -5
I just saw nearly the entire original Spider-Woman run in the discount bin at my LCS yesterday. I strongly considered picking it up, but I know nothing about the content. Was it a good run, or are you just attached to the character? It's... okay. The issues by Claremont and Leialoha (#34-46) are the only ones really worth reading, in my opinion. What you think of the earlier issues depends on how tolerant you are of post-Silver Age Infantino art. Cei-U! I summon the Marvel Age of Mediocrity!
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