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Post by EdoBosnar on Aug 2, 2021 14:41:36 GMT -5
Had many, many comics this month; the highlights, though, were some double-sized books: Very memorable story, with even more memorable art by Golden; it had its problematic aspects, as RR points out above, but also directly addressed the far more problematic Avengers #200 that it followed up. "Terror in Tiny Town." Such a well-done anniversary story. Another anniversary issue, with a cool story that tied up some loose ends from Iron Fist's solo series. And such a lovely cover - vandalized by one of those notorious banner ads. Two great stories by Roger Stern: the first wraps up a three-parter involving the Beetle, while the second is a retelling of his origin. And finally, although not double-sized, it easily had this month's best cover, and launched an excellent 3-part story:
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 2, 2021 22:28:35 GMT -5
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Post by dbutler69 on Aug 3, 2021 9:39:42 GMT -5
Bought on the newsstand: Adventure Comics #487 Avengers #213 Avengers Annual #10 Best of DC #18 Dennis the Menace #2Fantastic Four #236
Ghosts #106 (the only issue of Ghosts I ever got) Justice League of America #196 (JLA/JSA team-up!!!) Legion of Super-Heroes #281 Micronauts #35 New Teen Titans #13 Raiders of the Lost Ark #3 Rom #24 Star Trek #17 Thor #313 Uncanny X-Men #151
Bought much more recently: All-Star Squadron #3 Arak/Son of Thunder #3 Brave & the Bold #180 Master of Kung Fu #106
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Post by tonebone on Aug 3, 2021 16:53:55 GMT -5
Had many, many comics this month; the highlights, though, were some double-sized books: Very memorable story, with even more memorable art by Golden; it had its problematic aspects, as RR points out above, but also directly addressed the far more problematic Avengers #200 that it followed up. "Terror in Tiny Town." Such a well-done anniversary story. Another anniversary issue, with a cool story that tied up some loose ends from Iron Fist's solo series. And such a lovely cover - vandalized by one of those notorious banner ads. Two great stories by Roger Stern: the first wraps up a three-parter involving the Beetle, while the second is a retelling of his origin. And finally, although not double-sized, it easily had this month's best cover, and launched an excellent 3-part story: Those Banner ads were atrocious, but when I see a cover with one, I am instantly transported back to middle school, reading them in study hall. They are such a nostalgia trigger for me.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Sept 1, 2021 7:59:46 GMT -5
Acquired in September 1981 Avengers #214 : The Avengers vs Ghost Rider. Somehow in the '80s I got the impression that Jim Shooter disliked several characters in the Marvel universe, mostly the ones that were more violent in nature, like Wolverine and Ghost Rider. In this issue, while Ghost Rider's plight is presented fairly, it is also strongly suggested that Johnny Blaze is responsible for every bad thing that GR does (just like someone who willfully takes drugs is is responsible for what they do while under the influence, even if they can't remember a thing afterwards). I was honestly surprised by the lack of empathy shown by the world's greatest heroes. Oh, and Tigra cracks under pressure, a theme we will return to in later issues. Conan #129 : nice art by Gil Kane, so-so story by DeMatteis. I'm not a fan of stories in which Conan magically hops from one country to another, as it makes his world feel so much smaller. One of the fascinating things about the ancient world is how people had just the vaguest ideas about what it was like; people in Europe didn't have maps of China (nor knew in what direction it might be found, if they had heard about it at all). In the Conan story, when not written by Roy Thomas, you get the impression that the world is the size of New York state and everybody knows everybody else. Daredevil #178 : Oh, my god. I had lucked out and bought the first Miller DD issue a few years earlier, and had liked it fine; but this was a whole other thing... I had never seen this kind of page design in an American comic, nor read a super-hero mag with such a strong crime fiction vibe. It was an eye opener, and made me an instant fan. I would subscribe just a few months later... after Miller had stopped drawing the title! Marvel Team-up #112 : Spider-Man and... KING KULL! All right, you'll no doubt suspect that as a Robert Howard purist, I would see this issue as a potential problem. I mean, Red Sonja appearing in MTU was O.K., since it wasn't actually Sonja we saw (it was Mary Jane, somehow possessed by the spirit of Big Red). But here, Spidey meets the genuine article... If the trend continued, how long would it be until Conan was an Avenger? (Turns out it would be decades, but still not long enough IMO). Marie Severin provides the cover, which is a very nice touch. Not only does the cover look good, but it gives the issue more authenticity, so to speak, connecting it artistically to the original Kull series at Marvel. The story itself is fine, if a bit generic, and does not impact Kull's continuity. The art by Trimpe is as professional as ever. All in all, despite my initial apprehensions, this turned out to be a good book. Micronauts #36 : Let's dance the "Land of Giants meets Star Wars" minuet again. I stuck with the mag, hoping against all hope that it would one day return to greatness, but it would be more than a year before it would turn interesting again. (It felt longer, in all honesty). Savage Sword of Conan #70 : My comments can be found here. It was unfortunate that the main story, pencilled by John Buscema, was first inked by John himself and then by Steve MItchell; the two men's styles are nothing alike. Decidedly a monster-of-the-month type of story. X-Men #152 : I have no idea how these mind-swapping devices (in this case a gun!) are supposed to work, barring an entirely new concept of the self that would rely on something else than actual neuronal connections. It's as if we were truly ghosts in the machine, and that technology could move such ghosts around. In any case... Emma Frost is in Storm's body, Storm is in Emma Frost, and shenanigans ensue. None involving Scott Summers. Warlord #52 : Oh, drat! I missed the climactic fight between Travis Morgan and Deimos, didn't I? Yes I did. Oh, well... the idea of Morgan making it back (if briefly) to the outside world was interesting.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Sept 1, 2021 8:34:21 GMT -5
Looking over the covers at Mike's Newsstand, it seems like I only had about 13 or 14 titles this month. That's down from my summer-time average of roughly 20 per month. I guess I just wasn't as interested in the offerings that month, or I had ran out of birthday cash, or was concentrating on other things since school was starting - or maybe it was a combination of all of those things. Anyway, based on the covers, the most memorable books seem to be DC titles. To wit: Best of DC (digest) #19; that's the first time I read the wonderful imaginary story about Superman Red and Superman Blue. JLA #197, concluding one of the best JLA/JSA annual team-ups ever. New Teen Titans #14, the mid-section of the Doom Patrol arc - and you get some more lovely art by Perez. And my favorite Marvel offering, Amazing Spider-man Annual #15, with a Daily Bugle focused story by Denny O'Neil and art by the creative team that was knocking it out of the park in Daredevil, Frank Miller and Klaus Janson. (I'm pretty sure, though, that this book was already available in August - like with most annuals, I seem to remember having it before summer vacation was over.)
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Post by codystarbuck on Sept 1, 2021 11:44:39 GMT -5
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Post by codystarbuck on Oct 3, 2021 21:27:09 GMT -5
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Post by EdoBosnar on Oct 4, 2021 7:27:37 GMT -5
A total of 15 for me this month. The highlights: As I've mentioned before, I was in on the ground floor for Pacific and pretty much picking up anything they published now that I'd discovered a comic book shop. Even if I hadn't been all in on Pacific, I would have snapped Starslayer #1 up anyway - I mean, come on, Mike Grell doing a barbarian sword and space opera? Take my money... The Phantom Zone, another Superman-centered mini-series, the best of the lot. Gerber's dark, moody, somber story was perfectly illustrated by Gene Colan. New Teen Titans #15 saw the conclusion to the epic Doom Patrol/Brotherhood of Evil story arc. I re-read those three issues several times afterward in the coming weeks.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Oct 5, 2021 8:42:17 GMT -5
October 1981, and although my love life wasn't going as well as I would have liked, comics were good. (No connection between the two facts, I haste to add).
Bought brand new back then :
Avengers #215, part 2 of a story i really, really enjoyed because of the good dose of realism that was inserted in a book about adults in colourful tights. Examples of said realism : a man who can manipulate molecules can do things like disassembling Captain America's shield, Iron Man's armor of Thor's hammer with just a thought. You cannot keep a villain unconscious by hitting him on the head again and again; that causes brain damage eventually. Reassembling Iron Man's armour from its basic molecules is impossible unless you know what you're doing, which eliminates anyone who isn't Tony Star (and even then). Heroes realizing they've kept each other's identities secret from each others for years feel pretty embarrassed. And my favourite: talking a super-villain out of his insane plans just might work!
Conan #130 : nice art by Gil Kane, but a rather generic story by J.M. DeMatteis with entirely too much magic in it.
Daredevil #179 : Frank Miller was firing on all cylinders, and the title was arguably the best comic on the market at the time. Elektra was a brilliant new character, and she really should have stayed dead after Miller sent her to the great beyond a little while later. (Oops... Is it still a spoiler 40 years after the fact?)
Epic Illustrated #9 : I really regret Epic. It was short-lived, but a great new formulas for Marvel. Sure, it was inspired by Heavy Metal; the instigators of Epic were not trailblazers... but they did produce a mag that was fit for adults readers while not indulging in the often gratuitous sex and violence found in other "Mature" magazines.
Fantastic Four #238 : The golden age of comics is twelve, and I was already 17 years old... but I'll be darned if those years weren't among my favourite comics-reading ones. John Byrne was really entertaining me with his FF soap opera, and I loved his art. We'll excuse his putting himself on the cover, something which irritated many fans, as I recall!
Micronauts #37, co-starring Nightcrawler. That book gave the impression that the ship was rudderless, honestly.
Savage Sword of Conan #71 : One of the good Fleisher Conan stories, with the ever-reliable team of Buscema and Chan.
Star Wars #55 : I said it before and I'll say it again: the Marvel Star Wars published between TESB and RotJ are MY personal canon. Another winner here.
Starslayer #1 : Pacific Comics died too early; it offered several excellent comics! Starslayer's first issue absolutely fascinated me, and I even regretted that its main character was transported to the far future. Mike Grell gave us an engrossing glimpse at Roman Britain in this introductory issue, and it says a lot about his skill as a storyteller if he manages to make us care about a backstory so much!
X-Men #153, the famous "Kitty's fairy tale" issue. The kind of stuff that just might have reconciled me with the idea of Byrne and Austin not returning to the book.
Warlord #53 : What, Grell no longer draws the book? Bummer! But he still writes it, so it should be all right.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Oct 5, 2021 9:25:11 GMT -5
(...) Epic Illustrated #9 : I really regret Epic. It was short-lived, but a great new formulas for Marvel. Sure, it was inspired by Heavy Metal; the instigators of Epic were not trailblazers... but they did produce a mag that was fit for adults readers while not indulging in the often gratuitous sex and violence found in other "Mature" magazines. (...) Of the few issues of Epic and Heavy Metal (after which it was modelled) that I had in my hands at that time and later, I usually preferred Epic. Most of the stories and art were just as good, and it didn't have those pretentious - often embarrassingly so - text pieces (Rolling Stone it wasn't).
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 2, 2021 22:04:52 GMT -5
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Nov 4, 2021 9:54:23 GMT -5
November 1981 Avengers #216. I loved that issue, and the one before it. Defeating a super-villain by just talking to him... is that even allowed? I also loved the way the Molecule man has no idea how to rearrange Iron Man's armour's molecules back into a functioning suit, and settles for making an Iron Man leisure suit. Conan #132, or "don't let Ernie Chan ink Gil Kane". Actually that's a bit harsh; there are beautiful examples of how the two men's art could complement each other... and Chan is better than Bulanadi, who would become the mag's regular inker! But I always regretted that a tighter inker wasn't chosen for this run. Kane's bold lines require someone who doesn't cover the page in doodles and scritchy-scratchy ink lines. As for the script, well... The bad old years would continue until Jim Owsley took over (barring the occasional brilliant issue by Alan Zelenetz). Conan sees monster, Conan kills monster; Conan takes part in the Cimmerian Olympics game complete with Giant Mantis Wrestling; Conan goes on a flying horse to a Cloud City... that kind of stuff. Blech. Here I think Conan steals a magic ring that causes him grief until he finds a way to get rid of it. Daredevil #180. The magnificent and epoch-making Frank Miller run continues. Brilliant stuff. Fantastic Four #239. A new Torch that doesn't require Johnny Storm to be depowered or die? I'm all for it! Iron Man #155. My copy has two covers. Weird. King Conan #9. Roy Thomas is gone, and Doug Moench takes over. Here King Conan and his son visit the Picts, and royals and savages learn mutual respect. The story would have worked better in an Old West context, I think, because Robert E. Howard's Picts were a lot bloodthirstier than the ones we see here. I doubt they would have accepted any kind of official visit by Aquilonia's king! But then, I guess that was the point... even the bloodthirstiest of enemies are also human, deep down, once you move past your prejudices. Master of Kung Fu #109. I can't quite recall what this issue was about (another return of Fu Manchu, I suppose?) but if it's a Doung Moench-Gene Day production, I'm in! Micronauts #38. If I'm not mistaken, that's the first "Direct sales" issue of the mag; Micronauts, Ka-Zar and Moon Knight would henceforth be available only in comic shops or by subscription. The cover is a gorgeous Michael Golden effort, who manages to make even the ridiculous Devil and Nanotron look good. Inside, we have a pretty bad story about Arcturus Rann's past (those Bulanadi inks... ugh... not for me) and a beautiful and fun one drawn by Gil Kane (inking his own work). THAT's what Gil Kane art should look like! Savage sword of Conan #72. Almost the same cover as issue #71... I wonder if that affected sales. Anyway, if it did, it would be a good thing because The Colossus of Shem is something I called "the Plan 9 from Outer Space of Hyborian stories" in this review. Star Wars #56. It's a given that every bit of trivia from the Star Wars movie should somehow be expanded upon in the comic-book, but Lobot? Really? There's a story to be told there? X-Men #154. Cyclops is finally reunited with his space pirate of a father. As a Cyclops fan, I was thrilled to see my hero regain his lost prominence in this title! What if..? #31, featuring Wolverine. Yes, believe it or not, there was a time when Wolverine was a character we actually wanted to see MORE of! In this issue, he kills the Hulk upon their first meeting, and I have no memory of what happens next. I think he joins the X-Men anyway and hits on Jean Grey, but I doubt it ends well for him.
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Post by chaykinstevens on Nov 7, 2021 12:23:53 GMT -5
Bought new: All-Star Squadron #6 Arak, Son of Thunder #6 Avengers #216 Batman #340 Captain America #266 Daredevil #180 Defenders #104 Doctor Strange #51 Fantastic Four #239 Flash #306 Iron Man #155 Justice League of America #199 Ka-Zar the Savage #12 Legion of Super-Heroes #284 Master of Kung Fu #109 Micronauts #38 Moon Knight #16 New Teen Titans #16 Phantom Zone #2 Rom #27 Thor #316 Uncanny X-Men #154 Wonder Woman #288 World's Finest #276
Bought later: Bizarre Adventures #29 Captain Victory #3 Time Bandits #1
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Post by codystarbuck on Dec 1, 2021 16:23:25 GMT -5
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