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Post by Chris on Jan 10, 2024 17:01:46 GMT -5
I've always assumed she was about 20 or 21, but it's definitely possible that she could've been 17 or 18. We know that Peter was definitely 15 when he got bitten by the radioactive spider though because that has been mentioned in later Spider-Man comics, so she was still older than him. No idea if Stan or Ditko have ever gone on record about the age gap. I doubt it. From comicbookhistorians.com/the-ditko-version-exploring-steve-ditkos-recollections-of-marvel-in-the-1960s-by-rosco-m-copyright-rosco-m-2023/Readership reaction would shape an important narrative involving Peter Parker’s social life in the pages of ‘Amazing Spider-Man’. Betty Brant, the secretary to J Jonah Jameson, had been introduced in the fourth issue (with “story/art panel ideas…originated from Stan’s 1 or 2 page synopsis.”) and her early appearances resulted in “…some early negative mail” with respect to the romantic implications present in her interactions with Peter Parker. ....Ditko recalled that “The [readers who complained] rationale was that since PP was a high school student and teenager and BB was a working girl she must be an adult and therefore obviously too old for PP.” This supposed age gap was something that Lee would later address in the letter pages of the ‘Amazing Spider-Man’, but in the meantime he “…wanted something worked out..” to address the complaints. ...The agreed solution involved introducing (and killing off) Betty Brant’s brother in issue 11 (April 1964) in a manner that left Betty with strongly negative feelings towards Spider-Man. This effectively neutralised Peter’s plans to reveal his identity and pursue a romantic relationship. The story was both dramatic and satisfying, and for many readers it likely seemed that this had been the intended outcome all along.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jan 11, 2024 14:52:31 GMT -5
Essential Iron Man #3, containing issues 12 to 38, plus Daredevil #73.
This was Terra Incognita for me, as I had never read any of these issues. I had some idea of what happened in early issues of Tales of Suspense, but my earliest brush with Shellhead's own title had been issue #44.
What a treat this Essential volume was! So much Tuska goodness!!! I wasn't even annoyed by the return of Don Heck at the end of the book, as the guy has a prior claim to the character. Plus, he's good at the playboy millionaire stuff.
One thing that was immediately obvious to this old reader was how much stories published later borrowed from these earlier ones. I know it's a tried and true recipe to always bring back the same villains, but still... The Controller, Midas and Madama Masque, the Night Phantom, Firebrand... I couldn't say that their later appearances added anything to their first one. That may be just because those first appearances were pretty cool, though, and hard to top! (Downright silly too in the case of the Night Phantom, but I digress).
No Vince Colletta this time around (he's my favourite inker over Tuska) but Johnny Craig and Mike Esposito did a very good job too. Craig also penciled a few times (once inked by Tuska himself, in a curious reversal of roles) and I really enjoyed his work. It had a retro feel to it.
One issue apparently ran into production problems, as the cover is actually the splash page meant for page 1, complete with dialog and captions. To compensate, Marie Severin added a new page toward the end of the book. I wonder if the original cover was lost, or why this solution was chosen... It can't be that much harder to draw a new cover than it is to draw a new inside page. Props to Marvel for not just plonking a house ad to fill in the page number.
I didn't realize Janice Cord had meant so much to Tony Stark. Her death was quite a loss, as she still had a lot of potential as a character. Likewise, I didn't know Marianne Rogers was such a minor significant other! She arrived barely five minutes before I did as a reader, and then she wasn't around for long! Mike Friedrich said in an interview that new writers tended to get rid of "the old girlfriend" when they started their run, and Tony certainly went through his social agenda quickly in those days as writers kept succeeding each other.
One character that was way, way better in those days is Madame Masque. I was a bit annoyed to see her devolved into the role of the jealous ex-girlfriend under Michelinie, many years later, and into whatever cardboard villain she became under Bendis. Her initial redemption arc, especially the way she seemed to accept her disfigurement, was inspiring and made me want to see her again. (She was all right under Mantlo in the mid-70s but was written out pretty quickly when her dad Count Nefaria died. No, not that time. That other time. No, not that one either. Yes, that one).
All in all, a great trip into a very good period of Iron Man's career. It's a shame those Essential books are out of print.
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Post by Icctrombone on Jan 11, 2024 16:57:32 GMT -5
Essential Iron Man #3, containing issues 12 to 3, plus Daredevil #73. I consider George Tuska to be one of my favorite artists of the SA. Vince Colletta was a great inker, despite taking shortcuts at times. I read these bunch of issues and what struck me was that Stark seemed to fall in love quite often , as opposed to just sleeping around in his later incarnation. If you had issues with Madam Masque in this series, whatever you do don't read the last 10 issues of Avengers V.1. She was a semi Avenger and quite boring.
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Post by Hoosier X on Jan 11, 2024 20:23:01 GMT -5
I got She-Hulk #4 (new) at the comic shop yesterday and I read it already.
And I got Batman #318 in the mail and I also read that.
I still haven’t got to To Wake the Mangog.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jan 11, 2024 20:31:29 GMT -5
Essential Iron Man #3, containing issues 12 to 3, plus Daredevil #73. I consider George Tuska to be one of my favorite artists of the SA. Vince Colletta was a great inker, despite taking shortcuts at times. I read these bunch of issues and what struck me was that Stark seemed to fall in love quite often , as opposed to just sleeping around in his later incarnation. You're quite right; just a few issues after meeting Marianne, he's ready to marry her. I suppose comics were still expected to present a rather prim and proper vision of relationships in those days.
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Post by Hoosier X on Jan 12, 2024 22:31:37 GMT -5
Batman #308 was in the mail today. I haven’t read it yet. It’s a Mr. Freeze appearance. I think it’s the first appearance of his new costume, and I seem to remember reading that it’s the story that introduced his frozen wife as the motive for his criminal endeavors. I will have to check that. I may end up writing a very short article about Mr. Freeze in my Batman thread.
I have read the story before. I have it digitally from Comixology.
So the comics I haven’t read are:
To Wake the Mangog (Thor Epic Collection)
Batman #308
(NOTE: I read Batman #308 a little later in the evening. Mr. Freeze has a scheming receptionist named Hildy who ends up getting frozen at the end of the story. The frozen wife named Nora is a plot point first used in Batman: The Animated Series around twelve years after Batman #308.)
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Post by spoon on Jan 13, 2024 19:03:33 GMT -5
I read the Superman: The Man of Steel vol. 9 TPB reprinting Superman #19-22, Adventures of Superman #441-444, Doom Patrol #10, and Superman Annual #2. Thus completes my read-through of the Byrne era Superman I started late last year. I didn't read the Man of Steel mini-series, which I had read a couple years ago. From this volume, the only issues I'd previously read are Adventures #441, the two parts of the Doom Patrol crossover, and Superman Annual #2.
I liked the Mxzyptlk story, although I was annoyed at that little imp for changing the rules. Also, it was quite the plot-induced coincidence that he decided to go to a TV studio. I was surprised that I had remembered the Mxzyptlk scenes really well after these years, but basically had no recollection of having previously read the subplot scenes. The two-part Psi-Phon/Dreadnaught story is part tension/part weirdness. I have mixed feelings about it, but it definitely got me worried about Supes. It feels funky to have stories running through just Superman/Adventures now that Action has become Action Comics Weekly, after months of Adventures being its own island. I was almost waiting for some Justice League Detroit time travel story when the odd mix of guest stars started with Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, and the Elongated Man. Byrne should've worked on his supporting cast subplot consistency. There were a couple of issues showing Jimmy Olsen has the hots for Cat Grant. Now, Jimmy is resisting her flirtations and claiming he has a girlfriend. Holy slut-shaming, Batman!
I don't see how Metallo showed up alive and well after he supposedly died from Lex ripping out his Krypton heart in Superman #2. My guess is that having worked together on the initial appearance of Checkmate, Byrne and Kupperberg couldn't resist the synergy of a story with two human brain/robot body cyborgs (Robotman and Metallo) and Smallville being so close to the Doom Patrol's base of Kansas City. Speaking of which, I'm assuming placing the team in KC was the influence of the late Steve Lightle who hailed from KC and penciled Doom Patrol #1-5. Kupperberg keeps referring to the state of Kansas, but the Patrol is based in a real building in Kansas City, Missouri, not Kansas City, Kansas. I know the world got Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol as a resulting of this incarnation of the Doom Patrol getting most obliterating show hereafter, but I wish this team got more time. I would've particularly liked to see how the new recruits turned out. Also, for some reason I like Arani/Celsius. Maybe it's because an Asian Indian super-hero was such a rarity (and still is). Byrne draws a fantastic Cliff Steele, but he changes Negative Woman's hair mid-story. I remembered this fondly as a kid for how cool the Doom Patrol seemed, even though I didn't buy any issues from this run until many years later.
Adventures of Superman #443 is probably the worst issue from this error. Jerry Ordway is sole writer, after only co-plotting from Byrne's scripts. I'm not a fan of the John Statema/Doug Hazlewood art combo. It's a story set in Qurac and some other dimensions, with beings that may or may not be connected to the Circle (I'm not clear on that point). For some reason, we get a bunch of extra pages, and I just wanted to end. We get a bunch of new characters with ugly designs and uninteresting personalities. We're force-fed large amount of mythos of this dimensional with way too much exposition. A lot of it doesn't take or is hard to follow.
Although I've previously read Matrix Supergirl's early cameos, this was my first time reading the three-part Supergirl Saga from Superman #21, Adventures #444, and Superman #22. It's an odd feeling reading it. It's quite horrific reading, but that seems to be the intention, so . . . success? I either forgot or never knew that Matrix Supergirl was from the Pocket Universe. It's a little odd that the Time Trapper can accomplish such monumental tasks but can give beat the young LOSH. It's also perverse that this Pocket Universe was created as a plaything in an evil scheme and then endures such agonizing suffering. I'm not sure why we got versions of GL, GA, and Batman as civilian allies, but maybe to personalize the suffering in meaningful ways to readers. I finally got to read Superman's execution decision regarding the Phantom Zone criminals, which I had long heard of. By the way, I love the symbolic cover to Superman #22. His actions were more understandable considering the circumstances, having heard it was the subject of fan criticism. It's basically like a thought exercise in coming up with a scenario for the most diehard death penalty opponents to change their minds. What I'm wondering (although I may not be well-read enough in the stories that come after this) is how this wouldn't totally drive Superman nuts. Like, did this have anything to do with his self-imposed exile from Earth a few issues down the line?
I'm ambivalent about Superman Annual #2. It's interesting to see a revival of bits of the mythos, but frankly I find the Newsboy Legion. Also, how hilarious for Sleez to come back out of the gutter! Everyone who seemingly commits suicide in Byrne's Superman comes back (though Stern wrote this return). At times, I like the Ron Frenz imitation of Kirby and at times I don't. It's basically a panel to panel thing. It also feels like there's a bit of John Buscema. This fits with my recollection of his Thor art, but on Amazing Spider-Man, he did more of a Ditko homage. In the back-up story with Maggie Sawyer and Dan Turpin, Byrne again seems to lose track of his supporting cast sub-plots. In a back-up story from Action Comics #600, Byrne heavily hinted Turpin knows Sawyer is a lesbian. But know this story is centered on his clumsy misunderstanding. I get how Maggie might be partially closeted at this point in the late 80s, but it's shocking to me that her right-hand man, the rough-and-tumble Dan Turpin, would be the dark about this. I remember as a kid being scandalized by the verboten content of Maggie Sawyer's topless sunbathing. I can't for the life of me remember if I realized she was a lesbian when I read this story or if I even knew what a lesbian was.
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Post by Icctrombone on Jan 14, 2024 9:43:03 GMT -5
Omac #1I can't remember the last time I read or even opened this comic up but It was so good. Buddy Blank is transformed into Omac to destroy a factory that creates Pleasure androids that are secretly weapons that are going to be used for terrorism. I've yet to read the following issues but I wonder if Blank is totally submerged in the Omac persona never to be seen again.
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Post by Batflunkie on Jan 14, 2024 11:28:30 GMT -5
Omac #1I can't remember the last time I read or even opened this comic up but It was so good. Buddy Blank is transformed into Omac to destroy a factory that creates Pleasure androids that are secretly weapons that are going to be used for terrorism. I've yet to read the following issues but I wonder if Blank is totally submerged in the Omac persona never to be seen again. It's getting to the point where I read OMAC at least once every couple of months, it's just that good. And yes to answer your question, thanks to Brother Eye, Buddy Blank completely suppressed (well, not entirely, but I won't spoil it for you)
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Post by Icctrombone on Jan 14, 2024 12:56:31 GMT -5
I just read #2 and it was very enjoyable.
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Post by james on Jan 14, 2024 15:42:25 GMT -5
Omac #1I can't remember the last time I read or even opened this comic up but It was so good. Buddy Blank is transformed into Omac to destroy a factory that creates Pleasure androids that are secretly weapons that are going to be used for terrorism. I've yet to read the following issues but I wonder if Blank is totally submerged in the Omac persona never to be seen again. It's getting to the point where I read OMAC at least once every couple of months, it's just that good. And yes to answer your question, thanks to Brother Eye, Buddy Blank completely suppressed (well, not entirely, but I won't spoil it for you) What did you think of Byrne's Omac? I never read the original( guess that's next on my list)but I did enjoy Byrne's take and thought it was some of his best art work.
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Post by Icctrombone on Jan 14, 2024 17:39:56 GMT -5
It's getting to the point where I read OMAC at least once every couple of months, it's just that good. And yes to answer your question, thanks to Brother Eye, Buddy Blank completely suppressed (well, not entirely, but I won't spoil it for you) What did you think of Byrne's Omac? I never read the original( guess that's next on my list)but I did enjoy Byrne's take and thought it was some of his best art work. I read Byrnes Omac and I thought it was the best thing he produced in years.
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Post by Batflunkie on Jan 14, 2024 18:04:40 GMT -5
It's getting to the point where I read OMAC at least once every couple of months, it's just that good. And yes to answer your question, thanks to Brother Eye, Buddy Blank completely suppressed (well, not entirely, but I won't spoil it for you) What did you think of Byrne's Omac? I never read the original( guess that's next on my list)but I did enjoy Byrne's take and thought it was some of his best art work. I thought it was alright from what little I've read of it, but it didn't really grab me all that much
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,069
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Post by Confessor on Jan 14, 2024 21:30:15 GMT -5
Omac #1I can't remember the last time I read or even opened this comic up but It was so good. Buddy Blank is transformed into Omac to destroy a factory that creates Pleasure androids that are secretly weapons that are going to be used for terrorism. I've yet to read the following issues but I wonder if Blank is totally submerged in the Omac persona never to be seen again. I really wanted to like Omac, it has some great designs and there are some neat ideas in it. But man, Kirby's art is really ugly and that dialogue...
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Post by berkley on Jan 14, 2024 21:56:51 GMT -5
I think OMAC contains some of his best solo work, both art and writing. One of the best SF series ever.
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