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Post by brutalis on Nov 7, 2018 8:30:33 GMT -5
With a variety of Toy based comic book series over the years, which one's were your favorite reads? You may choose 3 from the shelf of toys you shopped for. And yes there were series that had toys made from them or movies which included toys (looking at you Star Wars and POA) but we are discussing comic books which were created just from the toy line themselves. Mine were Rom Spaceknight, Micronauts and G. I. Joe. These took the toy concepts and went crazy wild in crafting stories and ideas far beyond the toy creators imagined. All 3 have had incredible staying power as comic books lasting for years and even being re-invented/updated for new generations of fans and kids. All 3 have a large cult following but it is those early Marvel comics which stand the test of time in being fun and interesting reading for me that I can go back to them time and time again. What about you all and your toy story's? Edited to add that I did indeed have ALL 3 toys.
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Post by kirby101 on Nov 7, 2018 8:58:49 GMT -5
The only one I ever read as a series were Micronauts and Rom. I read them for the comic characters, not the Toys, which I didn't know existed before the comics. (I never bought any of the toys) Rom was just a good book, period. And the Sal B art was always a joy.
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Nov 7, 2018 10:18:56 GMT -5
The only one I ever had any time for was the Micronauts...and even then, it wasn't great. They used to print it as a back-up strip in the UK Star Wars Weekly comic and I used to enjoy it, without ever really loving it. I always thought ROM sucked and I've not read any of the other options. Toy-based comics have never been my thing.
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Post by Cei-U! on Nov 7, 2018 10:42:47 GMT -5
I couldn't come up with three, but I'm still actively collecting the two 1980s Micronauts runs (made a big dent in both at Jet City last weekend) and Captain Action is among my favorite short run titles ever. I also have a complete run of Shogun Warriors but, despite enjoying the Herb Trimpe art, it's not a series--toybased or otherwise--I'd consider a favorite.
Cei-U! Gonna pick up Rom one of these days!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2018 10:54:29 GMT -5
My personal choices been ThunderCats and Silverhawks -- back in the late 80's; I watched these cartoons very religiously when I came home from work off of my Graveyard Shift. I also liked the Transformers -- Robots in Disguise concepts was pretty darn cool.If I had to pick Number One it would be the ThunderCats ... Edit: I took out the Transformers and add the Power Rangers instead ...
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Post by dbutler69 on Nov 7, 2018 11:09:05 GMT -5
This one is easy for me - The Micronauts. Bill Mantlo brought his A game and there were several excellent artists on the series, most notable Michael Golden. I loved both series, though they were very different. I also collected the action figures and loved those as well. Rom was also very good (Mantlo again) and I also enjoyed Shogun Warriors.
Edit: The only ones of these I actually owned the toys of was Micronauts and Shogun Warriors, but I loved both of them!
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Nov 7, 2018 11:29:51 GMT -5
I don't actually own any Masters of the Universe comics beyond the special pull-out preview, but I found the story contained within to be far deeper and more seriously considered than the cartoon series that followed. I had grown up on the cartoon and was truly impressed to see the property I knew so well functioning on a far more sophisticated level.
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Post by tarkintino on Nov 7, 2018 12:07:38 GMT -5
My favorite: Captain Action (DC, 1968-69). The landmark action figure line that held licenses from both DC & Marvel, along with The Green Hornet, Inc., King Features, etc. was as exciting as a toy line would ever be with hero "uniforms" for every kind of taste. Although the short-lived DC comic spin-off only lasted 5 issues... ...and did not feature any Marvel characters, it managed to capture that last gasp of the sort of lighter end of the "superhero" boom of the early-to-mid 1960s. The covers suggest high drama, but a quick reading of the series reveals that was more of a style over substance affair. Still, the comic featured the work of Gil Kane, Wally Wood, Dick Giordano and Irv Novick, making it a project packed with high-level art while preserving the spirit of a toy line. That's not easy to do (proven by many toy-based comics over the years...Micronauts and Crystar, anyone?), but DC pulled it off. Like the legendary toy line which spawned it, Captain Action was a short and sweet gem that deserved its special status in comic book history.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2018 12:33:25 GMT -5
I'm a bit surprised not to see the Power Rangers (not on the list) and many of my friends at the LCS wanted the Dragonzord ...
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Post by MDG on Nov 7, 2018 12:34:38 GMT -5
^^^^^ You didn't mention Shooter, but that's OK w/ me. The Kane-written issues are very, very good (though it's been a while since I read them). If the title had continued (or DC had given him another series to write and draw), he might have never jumped to Marvel.
EDIT: Obviously, this refers to Tarkintino's Capt. Action post, but Mecha jumped in while I was writing it.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Nov 7, 2018 13:00:00 GMT -5
Micronauts and Rom, by a long shot. Like dbutler69 notes, Mantlo brought his A-game - to both titles, and this was helped along by really strong art in both titles. They really transcended the toys they were based on and outlasted them.
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Post by brutalis on Nov 7, 2018 13:13:04 GMT -5
I'm a bit surprised not to see the Power Rangers (not on the list) and many of my friends at the LCS wanted the Dragonzord ... Power Rangers isn't included as it wasn't a toy based comic series. American Power Rangers was derived from a Japanese television series and toys were based on characters from the tv shows. And I do have the 1st series of Ranger action figures and the Dragonzord and White Tiger Zord!
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Post by badwolf on Nov 7, 2018 13:22:40 GMT -5
I only read Micronauts and Rom. I suppose Rom was my favorite as I collected it continuously from my first issue (#19)to the end, whereas I came and went from Micronauts (I did have the full "New Voyages" series though).
I also read Saga of Crystar, but I think that technically started as a comic, though it was clearly created to cater to the toy concept.
I had some Micronauts toys, but not the others. I had a couple Shogun Warriors, but never read the comic.
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 7, 2018 13:44:43 GMT -5
Yeah, Power Rangers is adapted from the Super Sentai Series, which originated with Himetsu Sentai Goranager (Secret Task Force 5 Rangers). The series was from the same creator as the solo transforming hero, Kamen Rider (Masked Rider) which Saban also later brought over (well, a cobbled version of the Kamen Rider Black, Kamen Rider Black RX series and the movie Kamen Rider Z-O). The original Sentai show was heavily influenced by Gatchaman, aka Battle of the Planets, with a secret group of heroes, with themed costumes, transforming wrist bands, and specialized weapons and vehicles. The later series, Chojin Sentai Jetman was a more direct copy of Gatchaman, with bird-themed costumes and vehicles and characters directly lifted from Gatchaman. That was the original series tapped to form the basis of Power Rangers; but, Saban changed directions and used the next series, Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger (pronounced Ju Rangers, as in Jurassic, hence the dinosaur themes). The series is co-owned/sponsored by Bandai, wich is why all of the toys.
For me it is Micronauts, though that mostly revolves around that first year. Mantlo swiped liberally from Star Wars (which means he swiped from all of the things that Lucas swiped); but, he made it work in a different fashion and Michael Golden's art turned it into something more unique. I love how he actually adapted the toys into something that looked functional, including the dart tips, from some of the toys. Problem was, Mantlo kept recycling the same plot, after that first year, and didn't have a Golden to carry it on the art, though Pat Broderick did a great job, during his run (especially the return of Karze, with Nick Fury and SHIELD). The subsequent exploration of Homeworld and the quest for the keys was a pretty good idea, but fell flat at the climax. Didn't read it after it went Direct Market; but, issues 1-12 were still the high point.
Rom was a pretty decent paranoid series, though it could get repetitive. I read it off an on for about the first two years. GI Joe was just too unrealistic for me, having been weaned on Rock & Easy, the Haunted Tank, Enemy Ace, and The Unknown Soldier (as unrealistic as that idea was, of a Confederate ghost talking to a tank captain). It wasn't as exciting as SHIELD and it wasn't as lively as Fury & the Howlers, or as gritty as Rock & Easy. I read most of the first year and there were good stories, though I never warmed to the art. I was a military history buff and also couldn't get past the weapon and military inaccuracies (I could suspend disbelief more with Sgt Fury).
Shogun Warriors had a good concept but just wasn't executed well. Herb Trimpe did some nice art; but, he didn't always have a lot to work with and it felt like a tv adaptation of a hit movie: cheaper and lacking the spark that made the original great.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2018 13:49:33 GMT -5
brutalis & codystarbuck --- I did not know that and I was totally surprised to learn that the Power Rangers originated in Japan and I thought they were an American Creation. No big deal, but I learned something new today.
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