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Post by badwolf on Jun 21, 2022 10:26:19 GMT -5
I think DeMatteis' best writing occurs with characters who are either of a metaphysical/theological nature (Spectre, Dr. Strange, Dr. Fate, Son of Satan, Johnny Blaze)
He certainly has a clear interest in such matters. It can also be seen in his original works (Moonshadow, The Last One). |
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Post by tartanphantom on Jun 21, 2022 17:30:02 GMT -5
A big batch of Ebay miscellany arrived today-- as usual, oddball stuff all over the map, but getting very close to completing a couple of series with this bunch-- Gasp!, Bats, and Geronimo Jones in particular. Was also happy to get a decent copy of Charlton Secret Romance #1-- props to Crimebuster for making me aware of this book.
And who knew that Dick Tracy's Flat-Top was such a ladies' man? Oops... wrong Flat-Top...this one is from 1954. 
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2022 7:58:44 GMT -5
So I'm just getting reacquainted through these issues since it's been decades since I last read it, but yes, there was a toyline by Remco that was released along with it. Jim Shooter talks about this in a write-up on the inside cover of the first issue. He claims the origin of Crystar was acutally a publishing VP asking him for a fantasy property, and as they were developing Crystar, Remco said they would be interested in releasing a toyline to go with it if they liked what Marvel came up with. Shooter makes a point that he wasn't so interested in the toyline but rather just wanted to make a really good fantasy series. In reading the first issue, I'm not so sure about that. It kind of "does" feel like a toy ad to me, and the pacing seems rushed to get everything introduced by the final page that is followed by, no shock, a big ad for the toys themselves. However, I'm enjoying the next couple of issues. They feel more like straight-forward comic book storytelling to me, and some nice art as well. They've landed in Doctor Strange's house in the 3rd issue, and that's been fun. Overall nothing really groundbreaking with the series, but I'm hooked enough to keep going at this point. I really liked Crystar as a kid... I liked the character designs and I thought the story was engaging enough. I didn't really care about the toy line, but in retrospect, it was really unique and, again, the designs and gimmick were great. Marvel BRIEFLY revisited Crystar a few years ago, during their Secret Wars/Battleworld stuff... I have the TPB titled Weirdworld (volume 0, apparently... not to be confused with the 70's Weirdworld material), which featured Skull the Slayer, a world of Man-Things, and Morgan Le Fey. I was just reading the James Robinson Squadron Supreme series from around that time, and they end up in Weirdworld during the intial story arc and you see Crystar and other characters briefly which was cool! |
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Post by EdoBosnar on Jun 23, 2022 4:08:42 GMT -5
Following almost on the heels of a similar purchase I made earlier this year, the first volume of the Starman Compendium just arrived in the mail today:  It's a used copy in very, very good condition and best of all, it cost me $35 total (i.e., including postage) - it was listed by an online bookseller in Germany and I snapped it up right away without giving it a second thought. |
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Post by Icctrombone on Jun 23, 2022 5:49:13 GMT -5
Following almost on the heels of a similar purchase I made earlier this year, the first volume of the Starman Compendium just arrived in the mail today: It's a used copy in very, very good condition and best of all, it cost me $35 total (i.e., including postage) - it was listed by an online bookseller in Germany and I snapped it up right away without giving it a second thought. Great bargain. I have the entire series in comic form. |
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Post by tartanphantom on Jun 23, 2022 11:40:14 GMT -5
More Ebay arrivals related to my last post.... mainly Charlton horror books this time, but notable to me is the last issue of (Son of) Tomahawk that I needed for the series revival run.
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Post by Hoosier X on Jun 24, 2022 20:47:41 GMT -5
There’s a guy on eBay selling his comic book collection and I bid on a few of the offerings. They’re a little beat-up, but not too beat up! I got some pretty good deals on the following comics:
Detective Comics #216
Detective Comics #242
World’s Finest ... I forget the number. It’s the Tiger Man issue.
TIGER MAN!
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Post by Hoosier X on Jun 24, 2022 21:04:15 GMT -5
B’wana Beast!
His very name evokes terror!
I know I’m terrified!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2022 0:16:29 GMT -5
I haven't been picking up much lately (being out of work for a year and now out of vintage RPG products to sell has left the war chest much depleted) but I have picked up a few odds and ends through the FB group. This is the latest batch, covering a couple of weeks of buys... Doomsday Squad 3-I already have a copy of this, but it's got an early color Usagi story in it and for a buck, I couldn't pass it up  also for a buck-Byrne cover, Gene Colan interiors I believe...  an anthology I hadn't seen before, featuring stuff fromGray Morrow, Messner-Loebs and Cockrum, so for a buck, grabbed it  again, another book I already had a copy but I will grab Dave Stevens covers for $2 a pop all day long...  That's it, just four books and $5 total outlay. -M |
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Post by Batflunkie on Jun 25, 2022 10:25:32 GMT -5
Following almost on the heels of a similar purchase I made earlier this year, the first volume of the Starman Compendium just arrived in the mail today: It's a used copy in very, very good condition and best of all, it cost me $35 total (i.e., including postage) - it was listed by an online bookseller in Germany and I snapped it up right away without giving it a second thought. Damn son, that's like Marvel Essentials phone book levels of thick |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2022 14:38:33 GMT -5
So today was Free RPG Day and I took a ride out to Bookery Games (the game store that splintered off Bookery Fantasy comic shop when they restructured earlier this year). Of course while there, I made a trip across the street to Bookery Fantasy to see what back issue goodness I could find. They now have 3 levels of "bargain books" 99 cent boxes, $2.50 boxes and under $10 boxes, witht he rest of the stuff priced at "market value" either a swall books or in separate long boxes for sale. I picked up a dozen books from the 99 cent bins, a handful from the $2.50 boxes, and one $5 book (Xenozoic Tales 6) from the under $10 boxes. From the 99 cent bins... all 5 issues of an arc form Legends of the Dark Knight featuring a Batman Green Arrow team up written by Denny O'Neil  some D&D related comics plus an issue of Ablaze's Conan adaptations-Ptolus was a 3rd party D&D setting done by Monte Cook, one of the co-designers of D&D third edition after he left WOTC)  and a couple issues of the First Wave Spirit series and a Perez Avengers.  And the $2.50/$5 stuff... a quartet of early Uncle Scrooge issues...  (they had a lot more Gold Key Scrooge in the bins, but I was on a budget, so I just grabbed the 4 earliest issues I didn't already have) a pair of Kubert war books...  that issue of Xenozoic (I thought I had this issue, it was crossed off my list, but when I was sorting issues to put them away I realized I didn't have it, now I do), an issue of Corben's Children of Fire and a Fantagaphics anthology of Frazetta romance reprints  and that's the haul. Again nothing major, my war chest is nearly empty, but filled a few holes and got a couple interesting things to read... -M |
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Post by Icctrombone on Jun 25, 2022 18:10:46 GMT -5
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Post by EdoBosnar on Jun 26, 2022 3:22:54 GMT -5
Damn son, that's like Marvel Essentials phone book levels of thick Oh, thicker. At just under 1,500 pages, it makes the Essentials look like pamphlets. |
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Post by dbutler69 on Jun 26, 2022 7:45:04 GMT -5
Icctrombone, I got the first two issues of Yang in a dollar bin years ago. They were pretty good. Also, Ragman is an interesting series.
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Post by Icctrombone on Jun 26, 2022 11:28:05 GMT -5
Icctrombone , I got the first two issues of Yang in a dollar bin years ago. They were pretty good. Also, Ragman is an interesting series. I was drawn to the Kubert cover on the Ragman book. |
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