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Post by profh0011 on Nov 7, 2019 19:43:00 GMT -5
FLASH GORDON / Into The Water World Of Mongo
Well, between the last time I had my car looked at and a couple of recent doctor visits, I finally got thru Volume 1 and into Volume 2. Haven't read these since the mid-70s.
I think it might be excessively difficult for anybody to ever adapt some of this strip to film. It'd almost have to be an ongoing soap-opera-structure TV series, like DEEP SPACE NINE. But I wonder if they could ever do it, even if someone wanted to stick to the original story? I know if I were a producer, I would. Otherwise... why bother?
The war between The Cave Kingdom-- now ruled by Flash-- and Ming's forces heated up. Several other kingdoms answered Ming's call to join his side, but Vultan & Barin refused, and joined Flash!
But the result was, a lot of people getting killed all around. The impression I had was that the vast majority of the Cave People were wiped clean out, and it's difficult to know how many Hawkmen went down along the way.
At one point, Flash was captured by Ming, and Dale & Zarkov snuck into his city in disguise in an attempt to rescue him. They were captured, and hauled before Ming, but Flash escaped, and rescued them! Then the three of them tried to escape the city using Ming as a hostage! A big set-piece of this took place in a lab at the top of a high tower, reached by a single-car rail line that went around the tower in a spiral coil. The car reminded me of the ones seen in the film "YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE" in the volcano crater missile base.
The trio eventually escaped (but without Ming), but his ships, in pursuit, shot them down on the edge of a vast ocean which most people on Mongo lived in fear of.
Flash nearly drowned... but was rescued by undersea people, who used a machine to transform Flash's lungs so he could breath underwater. But, they said he would have to live underwater from then on. Gee, does this sound familiar? It's funny when I consider the good job Filmation did on "FLASH GORDON", when this sounds almost exactly like the plot for one of the Filmation "STAR TREK" cartoons!!!
As everywhere he goes, Flash becomes the center of conflict. The Queen of the undersea kingdom takes a liking to him, but one of her chief underlings doesn't. At some point, they stage a "hunt" to an island where Dale & Zarkov are hiding, to try and kill them. Flash holds the Queen hostage to stop them, but just then Ming's forces decide to attack. First by air, then via submarines. Somewhere along the line, Dale & Zarkov are also transformed into water-breathers.
Flash comes to the Queen's defense, just as he did to some degre earlier with Azura, and winds up winning her friendship. Things then look bad, but the undersea people triumph, and Flash says all he really wants is to return to their homes. GUESS what? Her top scientist knows how to reverse the process (I was expecting Zarkov would stick his nose in), so somebody lied earlier. The trio are restored to air-breathers, but at the Queen's request, stick around just long enough for the marriage of her and her top aide (not the same guy who came to hate Flash), who had already become friends with Flash.
They depart... which is where I decided to take a break. I can only guess where this might go next. Has Vultan's kingdom been wiped out? Or Barin's? Is anything left of Flash's kingdom-- formerly Azura's?
Ming is still around because when Flash had the chance to put an end to him, Ming laughed in his face and said, "You Earthmen could never kill a helpless prisoner-- you're too chicken-hearted!" Actual quote!!!
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Post by wildfire2099 on Nov 7, 2019 22:11:41 GMT -5
Yeah, those are them... The first couple are from Four Color Comics, then the rest of the Omni is Tarzan #1 -... 16 I think? The last couple have photo covers of the guy before Johnny Weismuller. I think you mean "the guy after Johnny Weissmuller." Weismuller played Tarzan from 1932 to 1948, after which the aging actor switched to playing the fully clothed Jungle Jim. Les Barker replaced him in the loincloth, and that's him on the covers of Tarzan #13-16.
Cei-U! I summon the order of succession!
Wow... I definitely was off on my dates...I thought he was 40s and 50s. It was a bit before my time. (yours too, I suppose, but you know everything, so that doesn't count!
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Post by wildfire2099 on Nov 7, 2019 22:14:16 GMT -5
I really need some of those Flash Gordon strips.. they sound awesome. Maybe if I ever catch up on the stuff I have.
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Post by Hoosier X on Nov 7, 2019 22:18:22 GMT -5
I'm still reading All-Star Comics. I finished All-Star Archives, volume 9, several days ago, but I've been too busy to write anything about them. So I thought I'd briefly comment on one issue a night until I'm caught up. #41 features the second appearance of the Injustice Society of the World and I like it a lot better than their first appearance back in #37. Oh sure, their plan to steal America's monuments sounds a bit like a Rankin/Bass plot where the villains are stealing Independence Day instead of Christmas. But that's part of the fun! Just imagine All-Star Comics is narrated by Fred Astaire or Burl Ives and then imagine the voices from those holiday special, like Paul Frees. I also think this collection of villains works better in a group than the last bunch. Guys like Vandal Savage and Brain Wave don't seem right unless they are the motivating villain. But the second Injustice Gang is a bunch of formidable foes who make more sense playing second fiddle to the Wizard: the Huntress, Sports-Master, The Icicle and the Fiddler. (I'm fairly indifferent to the Fiddler, but the others are all cool Golden Age villains! I've read some of those adventures where Wildcat fought the Huntress and they are a lot of fun!) Also, the Black Canary! And the Harlequin! My one major gripe is how easily the Wizard overcomes and hypnotizes the JSA and how little we're told about how he did it. We don't even see it the first time it happens. It's actually a JSA trope for the Justice Society to get beat pretty easily every few issue in a manner that doesn't make any sense. I understand why; the stories are very formulaic and contrived, and the JSA is often way over-powered compared to their foes. But that doesn't mean I can't be a little disappointed when they get beat so easily, especially when the conflict is with the Injustice Gang, and we should be seeing a really cool fight. I also love the bit where the Gang steals Gotham Stadium and abducts everybody attending a baseball game! (The Gotham Knights, I presume. Three on and two outs and Slugger Trenton at the bat!) It's so awesome! The Gang wants the crowd to decide whose crime was the best, but the crowd isn't having it! The Injustice Gang doesn't know their Gothamites very well! They pour out of the stands and refuse to obey and are on the verge of charging the Wizard and his cronies! (The JSA shows up in time!) Any weird old Golden Age story gets extra points for understanding Gothamites! (None of the Injustice Gang are Gothamites! Nobody said: "This ain't gunna work, boss! Maybe in Keystone City or Civic City. But not in Gotham!")
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2019 1:07:27 GMT -5
Hoosier X ... #41, is a very significant comic book cover because it has both Black Canary and Wonder Woman on it this makes the first time that two females superheroes made the Cover of any comic book.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Nov 8, 2019 5:49:11 GMT -5
Global Frequency(tpb 2013; collecting Global Frequency #s 1-12, 2002-2004) By Warren Ellis (writer) and many fine artists I wish I could say I liked this more than I did, since it was first recommended to me by a fellow comics fan who's turned me on to tons of other stuff I've loved or at least really liked. But ultimately, I found the series as a whole just a bit better than adequate - didn't hate it, but certainly didn't love it, either. First, though, I should say that I absolutely love the concept: a sort of informal network of experts from throughout the world who perform rescue or clean-up operations that is tolerated by most world governments, institutions, etc. because, among other things, they often fix the messes made by the latter (run by a mysterious tough-as-nails woman named Miranda Zero and coordinated by her girl in the chair, Aleph). It's just a great device for telling all kinds of stories. However, I found most of these had a sameness about them. Only three of them, the best installments in my opinion, had a solution that didn't involve violently killing one or more people by means of gunfire, explosives or even cutlery, or some combination thereof (depicted in graphic detail, of course). Also - and this is a complaint I have about a lot of comics from the 1990s onward - so many of the individual chapters can be read in about 3 minutes, as they consist of multiple panels of the various characters shooting or punching each other or whatnot. It's like looking at storyboards for fight scenes in an action movie or TV show. Seriously, if I had been following the series when it was coming out as single issues, I would have been a bit irate over throwing down $3 for something like that. The art, however, is pretty fantastic throughout.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2019 7:08:54 GMT -5
wildfire2099 ... Roquefort Raider ... and others I have a dear friend by the name of Jeff; he owned a Comic Book Store for more than 30 years and retired; he's three years younger than me and we have acquired all existing DC Archives and Marvel Masterworks and I gave my collections to him to be stored in his basement ... the reason being stored there is that I lived in a 440 square feet studio condo and can't have them there so we kept those books in his basement that twice the size of my condo. i have a key to his basement and I check out books and I tell him that I'm taking a book out and telling him that. We been doing this for over 5 years and working like a charm. I had 150 and he had the rest.
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Post by beccabear67 on Nov 8, 2019 13:14:43 GMT -5
Knee-deep in 1998-2000 Avengers and Thunderbolts and really enjoying them! Just before this I read the 1993 Invaders mini-series bookended by Namor #12, Invaders #41 (1979) and that jumbo Marvel Mystery Comics repro (1999). I found fault with Hoover's art a couple times (lots of grimacing faces on the guys and Capt. A's waist to chest ratio on the cover of #1 is disturbing). It really bothered me seeing American characters allied with the Nazis... apparently this is why Roy Thomas used some other company's forgotten and public domain characters for those roles keeping the Timely heroes on the side of good. It was just dumb luck I happened to get that Marvel Mystery repro collection with the original Silver Scorpion story (and the original Vision is in it too). As I was on a Justice Society in the early '90s binge so it seemed a good idea to check out how The Invaders were handled at the same time. Waiting in the wings from the '90s is The Black Knight four issue mini-series!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2019 13:42:17 GMT -5
After all the 80s are a Batman golden age talk, I read Batman #353-354 and Detective #520.
And then some Green Lantern from the 1960 series, #172 to 180.
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Post by brutalis on Nov 8, 2019 14:21:18 GMT -5
After all the 80s are a Batman golden age talk, I read Batman #353-354 and Detective #520. And then some Green Lantern from the 1960 series, #172 to 180. Exactly how it should be! Our conversations should spark the desire or interest of reading. Whether it is something we may already have in our collection or never read and go in search of, the fun of participation here with like minded individuals in passionate and loving devotion of the comic book culture sharing and firing our interest is why many of us choose to be here.
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Post by profh0011 on Nov 8, 2019 18:56:59 GMT -5
I think you mean "the guy after Johnny Weissmuller." Weismuller played Tarzan from 1932 to 1948, after which the aging actor switched to playing the fully clothed Jungle Jim. Lex Barker replaced him in the loincloth, and that's him on the covers of Tarzan #13-16. There was a whole pile of actors before Weismuller... but, he was the first one in the SOUND era. I only just started catching up on some of the silents (online) a few years ago.
I was reading not long ago how Lex Barker was such an intelligent guy in real life, and it was lamented that they didn't take the change in actor as the opportunity to switch to a more "authentic" Tarzan who'd been educated in England.
It's bizarre, but until the 1990s TV series with Joe Lara, Hollywood NEVER seemed to want to tackle the Tarzan of the LATER books. All that globe-hopping adventure and science-fiction, never touched!
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Post by Hoosier X on Nov 9, 2019 22:11:57 GMT -5
I got the next volume of the All-Star Archives from the library. It's Volume 10, reprinting All-Star Comics # 44 to #49. Yet I haven't written anything about #42 and #43. So I figured I should say a few words about these two issues before moving on to the next issue. Especially #42! It's titled "The Man Who Hated Science!" and I like it a lot, even if it is pretty dopey. The title character is a guy named Zubar Zodiak, and he takes on the secret identity of "The Alchemist" as he gathers the Four Wonders of Alchemy - The Philosopher's Stone, The Elixir of Youth, The Universal Solvent and The Secret of Perpetual Motion - and commits crimes with them. I think I like this story more for its potential as a JSA story than for what's on the page. It's not that bad and it's kind of fun. Some nice Golden Age art. But it does have a couple of those scenes that always bother me a little where the members of the JSA are defeated a little too easily, more because it's part of the plot than because the villain is such a bad-ass. Zodiak knocks Flash and Hawkman senseless with the Philosopher's Stone by turning some girders to gold, which makes the whole building collapse, somehow not harming Zodiak, who is also in the building. I mean, it sort of makes sense. The Flash and Hawkman are both veteran super-heroes at this point, but it's true that they've probably never made any contingency plans for when a building turns to gold and collapses. It's not like one of them is the Fastest Man Alive and could scoop up the other one and escape. Oh. Wait. One of them IS the fastest man alive! Zodiak temporarily stops the Atom and Doctor Mid-Nite with some well-aimed champagne corks, but he administers the coup de grace by sprinkling the Universal Solvent on the ceiling above him. He must have a spray bottle made out of whatever you use to transport or store the Universal Solvent. The room above collapses on them and the Atom and Doctor Mid-Nite are knocked out and captured. (OK, you're right, these guys aren't the big guns of the JSA, so maybe this one isn't so silly. Except for the part where Zodiak is sprinkling the Universal Solvent and it falls up.) The panel where Zodiak defeats Wonder Woman and the Black Canary with a Alchemo-Bomb doesn't really explain what happened to them. They show up a few pages later attached to the perpetual motion torture device on the cover. And in battle with the Green Lantern, Zodiak's Alchemo-Bomb turns GL's ray into a solid, green, jagged spear-like thing. Zodiak grabs it and smacks Green Lantern over the head and knocks him unconscious! This … is actually kind of cool! It's better than being knocked out by a bunch of kids with slingshots and wooden buttons! "The Secrets of the Golden Universe" from #43 is another one that I liked, but it's oh so silly. You see, we live in the Carbon Universe. And there's a dimension for every element! And there's a faction in the Golden Universe that is stealing iron in order to power the golden robots that were used many years ago to defeat … I dunno, mean aliens or something. But now, this faction is going to use the golden robots to take over the government and depose the rightful queen! Oh, dear! Can the JSA stop this evil plot!
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Post by MDG on Nov 10, 2019 9:34:57 GMT -5
The cover for All Star 43 was the source of an early JLA cover:
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Post by Farrar on Nov 10, 2019 11:13:19 GMT -5
Hoosier X ... #41, is a very significant comic book cover because it has both Black Canary and Wonder Woman on it this makes the first time that two females superheroes made the Cover of any comic book. All-Star #41 certainly has a memorable cover, by the one and only Toth. Fwiw though, WW and BC had both previously appeared on the covers of All-Star #39 (floating heads) and #40 (juvenile delinquency issue).
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2019 11:36:08 GMT -5
Hoosier X ... #41, is a very significant comic book cover because it has both Black Canary and Wonder Woman on it this makes the first time that two females superheroes made the Cover of any comic book. All-Star #41 certainly has a memorable cover, by the one and only Toth. Fwiw though, WW and BC had both previously appeared on the covers of All-Star #39 (floating heads) and #40 (juvenile delinquency issue). I've been had ... you are right on the nose.
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