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Post by Icctrombone on May 19, 2019 20:09:48 GMT -5
To each his own, but I always enjoyed trying to piece together what events occurred in the issues that I was missing. Also, it was kind of standard for Marvel back then to give a recap, or at least make a mention , of what had happened in the previous stories.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,069
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Post by Confessor on May 20, 2019 4:52:09 GMT -5
I re-read the Tintin story The Calculus Affair last night, ahead of writing a review of it for my Tintin thread. Though I'd read the book a number of times previously, I'd actually forgotten an awful lot of it. It's such a great book though...chock full of thrills and spills, and genuinely funny humour. I'd sort of forgotten just how good it is.
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Post by dbutler69 on May 20, 2019 9:03:00 GMT -5
I read Godzilla #19. I hve to say, it's kinda sorta fun to have Godzilla at this more manageable size. Also, Gabe Jones is becoming my favorite character in thise series. He's a nice foil to the "kill al monsters" Dum Dum. Also, I like how in #17 Gabe Jones refers to Hank Pym as "more schizo than the rest" of the Avengers. The kid is kinda cool, too. I also read the Legion of Super-Heroes #260-261, a so-so two parter with a mystery of who is behind the murders at a space circus. I'm not sure why the Science Police isn't handling this. The Gerry Conway issues are OK, but I'm looking forward to Paul Levitz returning to the title, and I'm also looking forward to saying goodbye to Joe Staton and Ric Estrada as the pencillers.
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Post by dbutler69 on May 20, 2019 11:13:43 GMT -5
I read Ms. Marvel #15. I think Mari Severin may have appeared in this? They keep showing Tiger Shark in shadow through the first half of the story, like he's some mystery villain, and yet he appears on the cover, so it's pretty obvious who he is. There is the forced obligatory battle between two Marvel superheroes over a misunderstanding with Ms Marvel and Wundarr. Sigh. Ms Marvel says Wundarr has Hulk's raw power. I don't think so, and how would she know anyway?...And Tiger Shark is apparently stronger than Wundarr, which would then make him stronger than the Hulk! Ms Marvel says that briefing she saw said the Tiger Shark has the strength (and ferocity) of a true shark, but he seems much stronger here. Anyway, Tiger Shark is build up to be a pretty major threat here. Pretty good battle & cliffhanger ending, though. Also, her psychologist boyfriend seems kinda creepy to me, including with his "I understand, babe, but sooner or later, you're going to need my help. I'm a patient man, Ms. M. I can wait." thought bubble. Anyway, a pretty good issue overall. I like what Claremont has done with this series overall. Some good character building. Alos, while the idea of Carol and Ms. Marvel being separate people was very interesting for a few issues, it was starting to wear thin and become problematic for Carol, so I'm glad that Claremont dropped it.
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Post by beccabear67 on May 20, 2019 12:46:09 GMT -5
I think Mari Severin may have appeared in this? If you mean the grey haired older lady that would be Betty Dean from the Sub-Mariner comics... she was minding Namorita as I remember (circa Subby #50-57). Update: My bad. I just pulled the issue out and there's Marie S. at the drawing board (and Archie Goodwin on the first page). When you assume you make an ass of u and me.
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Post by dbutler69 on May 20, 2019 14:20:56 GMT -5
I think Mari Severin may have appeared in this? If you mean the grey haired older lady that would be Betty Dean from the Sub-Mariner comics... she was minding Namorita as I remember (circa Subby #50-57). Update: My bad. I just pulled the issue out and there's Marie S. at the drawing board (and Archie Goodwin on the first page). When you assume you make an ass of u and me. Thanks for answering that question for me. I also had had the feeling that there was a Marvel staffer on the first page, but wasn't sure who it was.
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Post by spoon on May 20, 2019 17:49:33 GMT -5
I'm continuing to read through my later Essential Hulk volumes. I just finished Annual #9, drawn by Steve Ditko. Blasphemy alert: I was stuck in the middle of that story for a few days because I was a bit busy and it was tedious. I only have 5 more issues to read (#244-248), and then I'll be done with Essential Hulk vol. 7, the last of the Essentials. That leaves me with a choice. I bought three TPBs that reprint Incredible Hulk #269-313, but I haven't bought all the issues in the gap (#249-268) between TPBs yet. Now, I have a choice. Do I keep reading the issues that I have to binge-read with gaps? Do I hastily buy all the missing issues online regardless of price so I can binge again after a short wait? Or do I start reading something else and maybe come back to it later? If this were me, because I have done this many times, I would wait until I picked up all of the missing issues. I'm a continuity junkie, and the idea of missing something, particularly in a gap of 21 issues, would drive me nuts. Case in point. I have the first six Daredevil Masterworks, which gets up to issue #63, and I have a floppie of #64. Beyond that, up until last weekend, I had every floppie from #66 to #512. Guess who read the first 64 issues a couple of years ago, then put the series aside because he was missing one measly issue in the gap? Yeah, I'm sick, and I know it. I ended up ordering all the issues I was missing from the gap online last night, except for one issue I hope to get cheaper on Ebay. I already had about half the issues from the gap, but I also bought some other comics. So if I want to, I could keep reading without much of a pause.
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Post by dbutler69 on May 21, 2019 8:10:47 GMT -5
I just read Ms. Marvel #16. A pretty good issue, where Ms. Marvel tries to rescue Namorita from Tiger Shark. She has to use skill to defeat his superior strength. It was very courageous of her to continue battling him even knowing she only just just enough time left to get back to the surface before drowning. Luckily Namorita gets free and saves her. I like Namorita - she's upbeat. Scarlet Witch & Beast cameo. Here Beats is the attacking hothead and Wanda has to calm him down, which seems a little out of character, though it would have been better if they started with Ms Marvel busting down the Avengers' door, rather than starting right after that moment, with Best attacking her. It makes him look at fault, when really Ms. Marvel was probably at fault. Anyway, it got us our obligatory fight between Marvel superheroes. If they'd only expend as much energy against the actual bad guys...
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Post by Hoosier X on May 21, 2019 14:13:07 GMT -5
I also read the Legion of Super-Heroes #260-261, a so-so two parter with a mystery of who is behind the murders at a space circus. I'm not sure why the Science Police isn't handling this. The Gerry Conway issues are OK, but I'm looking forward to Paul Levitz returning to the title, and I'm also looking forward to saying goodbye to Joe Staton and Ric Estrada as the pencillers. * A few years ago, I bought a combined lot of most of the issues of LSH that I was missing between #260 and #283 (#284 was where I started buying it new off the spinner rack) and I read them and put them away and haven't looked at them since. I remember them as being something of a mixed bag, but I'm straining to remember anything specific that I liked or didn't like. I just got Marvel Masterworks: Avengers, Volume One, (Avengers #1 to #10) out of storage and I'm looking forward to reading that after a long hiatus, but when I'm done with that, I might dig those issues of LSH out of the long boxes.
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Post by Hoosier X on May 21, 2019 14:25:57 GMT -5
I know I've mentioned my Iron Man project recently. That I read all the Iron Man issues of Tales of Suspense a long time ago and I started buying Iron Man at #80 and collected it to #220 or #230 or so, and I've been trying to fill the gap from Tales of Suspense #99 to Iron Man #80 for a long time, through back issues, reprints and online sources. Well, I finished that project today! I've been reading through a digital copy of Marvel Masterworks, Volume Seven, reprinting Iron Man #26 to #38, and I was almost to the end when I had a very busy weekend (and Monday was INSANE), but I finally read Iron Man #38 this morning and finished the project! Iron Man fights a gangster named Jonah who is bullying, harassing and blackmailing a reformed African American gangster who has done his time and now works for Tony Stark. It's not as bad as it sounds but it's not great comics either. The early 1970s was not a good time for the Iron Man series. I've been reading two or three really bad issues in a row, and when I come across a storyline that rises to mediocre, it seems like Alan Moore in comparison.
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Post by dbutler69 on May 21, 2019 15:06:57 GMT -5
I know I've mentioned my Iron Man project recently. That I read all the Iron Man issues of Tales of Suspense a long time ago and I started buying Iron Man at #80 and collected it to #220 or #230 or so, and I've been trying to fill the gap from Tales of Suspense #99 to Iron Man #80 for a long time, through back issues, reprints and online sources. Well, I finished that project today! I've been reading through a digital copy of Marvel Masterworks, Volume Seven, reprinting Iron Man #26 to #38, and I was almost to the end when I had a very busy weekend (and Monday was INSANE, but I finally read Iron Man #38 this morning and finished the project! Iron Man fights a gangster named Jonah who is bullying, harassing and blackmailing a reformed African American gangster who has done his time and now works for Tony Stark. It's not as bad as it sounds but it's not great comics either. The early 1970s was not a good time for the Iron Man series. I've been reading two or three really bad issues in a row, and when I come across a storyline that rises to mediocre, it seems like Alan Moore in comparison. Maybe I'm less discerning than you, but I've enjoyed more of the 70's Iron Man stuff that I've read, which granted isn't a lot. Still, I liked some Len Wein issues such as #82, and some Bill Mantlo issues such as #104-106 and 110-111.
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Post by Hoosier X on May 21, 2019 15:31:09 GMT -5
I know I've mentioned my Iron Man project recently. That I read all the Iron Man issues of Tales of Suspense a long time ago and I started buying Iron Man at #80 and collected it to #220 or #230 or so, and I've been trying to fill the gap from Tales of Suspense #99 to Iron Man #80 for a long time, through back issues, reprints and online sources. Well, I finished that project today! I've been reading through a digital copy of Marvel Masterworks, Volume Seven, reprinting Iron Man #26 to #38, and I was almost to the end when I had a very busy weekend (and Monday was INSANE, but I finally read Iron Man #38 this morning and finished the project! Iron Man fights a gangster named Jonah who is bullying, harassing and blackmailing a reformed African American gangster who has done his time and now works for Tony Stark. It's not as bad as it sounds but it's not great comics either. The early 1970s was not a good time for the Iron Man series. I've been reading two or three really bad issues in a row, and when I come across a storyline that rises to mediocre, it seems like Alan Moore in comparison. Maybe I'm less discerning than you, but I've enjoyed more of the 70's Iron Man stuff that I've read, which granted isn't a lot. Still, I liked some Len Wein issues such as #82, and some Bill Mantlo issues such as #104-106 and 110-111. It gets A LOT better by the mid-1970s. Just about my favorite Marvel Bronze Age storyline is The War of the Super-Villains, which ran sort of on and off from about #68 to #81. That stuff's great! my favorite Iron Man run except for the Gene Colan years in Tales of Suspense (especially #73 to #90). Iron Man was OK and sometimes quite enjoyable when his own comic started in 1968, but there's a period from around #20 to around #50 where it's usually pretty bad despite some interesting storylines here and there.
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Post by urrutiap on May 21, 2019 15:42:09 GMT -5
Read some old Swamp thing an hour ago. House of Secrets and Swamp Thing issues 1 and 2.
from the still new 2018 Bronze Age Volume 1 trade paperback
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Post by beccabear67 on May 21, 2019 16:24:15 GMT -5
Looking at those Ms. Marvels I have to say Jim Mooney was doing some great work on it. I was never that enthused by his Supergirl, but on MM he's much better, and the one inked by Joe Sinnott is classic! The two issues by Infantino in the midst of those by Mooney are above average as well, especially the one inked by Steve Leialoha.
I have Legion #262 all on it's own so I gave it a read. It's pretty lightweight (for a story where an entire planet is obliterated) but the artwork is Jim Sherman inked by Jim Sherman and elevates it above the solid but unspectacular Gerry Conway script.
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Post by dbutler69 on May 22, 2019 10:18:28 GMT -5
Looking at those Ms. Marvels I have to say Jim Mooney was doing some great work on it. I was never that enthused by his Supergirl, but on MM he's much better, and the one inked by Joe Sinnott is classic! The two issues by Infantino in the midst of those by Mooney are above average as well, especially the one inked by Steve Leialoha. I have Legion #262 all on it's own so I gave it a read. It's pretty lightweight (for a story where an entire planet is obliterated) but the artwork is Jim Sherman inked by Jim Sherman and elevates it above the solid but unspectacular Gerry Conway script. I'm enjoying Claremont's work on Ms Marvel, but I'm lukewarm on the art. It's certainly not bad, but it doesn't blow me away. I do think it was better in the earlier issue when Joe Sinnott was doing the inking. I'm up to #17 and there's been a dropoff in quality with the other inkers. In general, though, I ten to like Mooney's work. As far as Infantino, I've never been a fan of his work, or Steve Leiahoia for that matter, though I thought their work on #14 was decent. As far as Jim Sherman on the Legion, I think he did a very good job. He followed Mike Grell, which is a pretty tough act to follow. I don't think he's quite up to that standard, but he's very good. Certainly much better than the Joe Staton art that followed him.
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