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Post by commond on May 27, 2024 17:32:40 GMT -5
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Post by codystarbuck on May 27, 2024 18:17:05 GMT -5
Messner-Loebs is a heck of an artist and writer and it is criminal that work dried up for him and economic circumstances became so dire, after medical issues and other problems. People tend to forget that The Maxx is as much his baby as Sam Keith's, in terms of the storytelling. Journey was fantastic and needs to be reprinted, in its entirety.
It always kinds of amazes me that the fact that he had only one arm was rarely brought up in interviews. The first I ever knew of it was at a Gencon, where he was a guest. I didn't get a chance to talk to him and wondered if it was recent or happened earlier in his life (which it had) which made me respect his talents even more, given he had a disadvantage that other artists didn't.
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Post by Calidore on May 27, 2024 19:16:42 GMT -5
I enjoyed both Action Comics Weekly and Marvel Comics Presents. I was disappointed when Wolverine became an ongoing feature rather than part of the mutant rotation as he had been, but I assume the numbers were something Marvel couldn't ignore, and at least they kept the variety of creative teams. But I don't think anyone was clamoring for Howard Mackie's Ghost Rider to become an ongoing feature.
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Post by commond on May 28, 2024 15:39:23 GMT -5
DC Direct Currents #4 (Books shipping May 17 thru May 31, 1988) This was an exciting issue. On the cover you had V for Vendetta, which, while not my favorite work by Alan Moore, is a major release for the time. Inside, there's a preview for the new Grant Morrison Animal Man series and a Peter Gillis mini-series called Tailgunner Jo. Having recently read Strikeforce: Morituri, I'm curious to check out other works by Gillis. There's also a preview of the crossover between the Detective Comics, Green Arrow and Question annuals, a three part story written by Denny O'Neill. I don't know if DC had tried crossovers in their annuals before or if they were pinching the idea from Marvel. There's also a cool photo of Mike Carlin flagging down a taxi with Clark Kent on the way to Superman's 50th birthday bash. This month's interview is with Denys Cowan (striking a very 80s looking pose.) He talks about breaking into the business as a 15 year old and the influence of Alex Toth on his version of The Question. The cover of the month is a McFarlane masterpiece. On the back cover, they go with a reprint of the first ever DC annual, Giant Superman Annual from 1960. Nothing really stands out about the solicitations other than Keith Giffen is returning to the LOSH. That move, coupled with Perez' imminent return to New Teen Titans, makes me wonder if I was right about interest in those books sagging.
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Post by codystarbuck on May 28, 2024 21:21:34 GMT -5
V For Vendetta was right up my alley and I devoured it. Loved David Lloyd's moody work and Moore's story. I am a sucker for the Trickster Hero battling the Repressive State, whether it was V and the Fascist United Kingdom, or Eppie Thatcher and the Western Papacy, in Grendel, or The Mark, at Dark Horse. It smells of the same kind of wonderful adventure perfume as The Scarlet Pimpernel and Zorro, as well as Dr Syn, Alias the Scarecrow (aka The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, in the Disney version).
I never read Tailgunner Jo; but, it was one of the few mainstream comics that Tom Artis drew and I really liked his work. He was just his own worst enemy when it came to professional work, though I understand there were health and family problems intertwined in that (and certainly at the end of his life). He lived in Springfield, IL and I met him a few times, at Barnes & Noble and a local con, where I got a sketch of the Black Terror and bought some sketchbook pages. I had loved his work on The WEB, from the DC/Archie Impact line. He was a bit of a con artist, but a talented artist, who never got his big break.
I'm trying to think about the first Annual crossover at DC. I think there was at least one before this, that had a thematic crossover, but not a story crossover and they did a Year One theme, one summer. Denny O'Neil was editing two of the titles (mike Gold edited Green Arrow). They also did a crossover between The Question, Green Arrow and The Butcher.
Cowan was kicking gluteals on The Question, a series I have been meaning to revisit (maybe review, when I get my plate cleared , a bit).
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Post by chaykinstevens on May 29, 2024 2:24:50 GMT -5
I'tm rying to think about the first Annual crossover at DC. I think there was at least one before this, that had a thematic crossover, but not a story crossover and they did a Year One theme, one summer. Denny O'Neil was editing two of the titles (mike Gold edited Green Arrow). Mike Gold was also editing the Question. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on May 29, 2024 7:26:07 GMT -5
V for Vendetta is my favorite Alan more book... I like it much better than that other one  |
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Post by Doghouse Reilly on May 29, 2024 8:06:53 GMT -5
I'm trying to think about the first Annual crossover at DC. I think there was at least one before this, that had a thematic crossover, but not a story crossover and they did a Year One theme, one summer. Denny O'Neil was editing two of the titles (mike Gold edited Green Arrow). They also did a crossover between The Question, Green Arrow and The Butcher. I'm not sure if you're saying that you're having trouble remembering the name of the crossover, but if it helps, it sounds like "Fables". The one issue I have of it is Batman's chapter, in the 1988 Detective Comics Annual. |
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Post by codystarbuck on May 29, 2024 11:48:22 GMT -5
I'm trying to think about the first Annual crossover at DC. I think there was at least one before this, that had a thematic crossover, but not a story crossover and they did a Year One theme, one summer. Denny O'Neil was editing two of the titles (mike Gold edited Green Arrow). They also did a crossover between The Question, Green Arrow and The Butcher. I'm not sure if you're saying that you're having trouble remembering the name of the crossover, but if it helps, it sounds like "Fables". The one issue I have of it is Batman's chapter, in the 1988 Detective Comics Annual. No, I am legitimately having trouble remembering the annuals, without researching and I was too tired to do that, when I posted. That's also why I screwed up and thought Denny O'Neil was editing his own work, on The Question. It's been a long time since I read it. Something I need to correct, as I loved that series and need to re-read it. |
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Post by chaykinstevens on May 29, 2024 14:19:07 GMT -5
A few months before O'Neil's crossover, Roy Thomas had tied two annuals together: Young All-Stars Annual #1 and Infinity Inc. Annual #2.   |
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Post by commond on May 29, 2024 15:34:42 GMT -5
DC Direct Currents #5 (Books shipping June 7 thru June 28, 1988) From V for Vendetta to Rob Liefeld. The mention of "new DC discovery" Rob Liefeld had me wondering, since DC had McFarlane and Liefeld before Marvel did, what if they'd given them their top titles? McFarlane does Batman, and Liefeld does New Teen Titans, pushes Wolfman off the book and relaunches it as Teen Force or Extreme Titans. I'm sure Image would have still happened, but coupled with the success of the Batman movie, DC could have been King of the Hill. My first thought was that they wouldn't have had the gumption to do it. That they were always a traditional company book company that stayed the course, but then I remembered that they'd just smashed the apple cart to bits with Crisis, so perhaps they could have pulled it off. Now I'm having visions of a Todd McFarlane Spectre book done in the style of Spawn. Moving on then. This issue has previews for new superhero books Starman and The New Guardians, another Millennium spinoff (Millennium wasn't that popular, was it?) I'm noticing a pattern here. DC's mature readers books are excellent, but their mainstream superhero titles, especially the new releases, are decidedly lacklustre. This will become a big problem in the coming years as it pertains to market share. Interestingly, Michael Fleisher has a new monthly series called Haywire. It's another book that was cancelled in 1989 (didn't realize until now that there was a wave of DC cancellations in '89), but I'm a Fleisher fan and will generally check out anything he wrote. There's also a preview for a deluxe format Brave and the Bold reprint mini-series. That may be the most solid superhero book they put on the market this month. The only interesting thing about the solicitations is that there's a Sgt. Rock Special after the main book has been cancelled. It reprints the story where Sgt. Rock met Prince Valiant. Someone will have to clue me in on why they bothered producing this. This month's interview is with unsung talent, Karl Kesel, and not hot young artist, Rob Liefeld. The cover of the month is a very cool Animal Man cover. The back cover is The Brave and the Bold #1 from 1955.
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Post by chaykinstevens on May 30, 2024 2:07:25 GMT -5
The mention of "new DC discovery" Rob Liefeld had me wondering, since DC had McFarlane and Liefeld before Marvel did, what if they'd given them their top titles? McFarlane does Batman, and Liefeld does New Teen Titans, pushes Wolfman off the book and relaunches it as Teen Force or Extreme Titans. I'm sure Image would have still happened, but coupled with the success of the Batman movie, DC could have been King of the Hill. My first thought was that they wouldn't have had the gumption to do it. That they were always a traditional company book company that stayed the course, but then I remembered that they'd just smashed the apple cart to bits with Crisis, so perhaps they could have pulled it off. Now I'm having visions of a Todd McFarlane Spectre book done in the style of Spawn. Moving on then. The Wikipedia page for Youngblood says: "Liefeld has explained that the version of Youngblood that eventually saw print in Youngblood #1 was based partially on his 1991 plan for a new Teen Titans series for DC Comics to be co-written with Marv Wolfman. According to Liefeld, he and managing editor Dick Giordano failed to reach an agreement on the project, and Liefeld merged his Teen Titans ideas with his previous, creator-owned Youngblood property. According to Liefeld, "Shaft was intended to be Speedy. Vogue was a new Harlequin design, Combat was a Kh'undian warrior circa the Legion of Super-Heroes, ditto for Photon and Die Hard was a S.T.A.R. Labs android. I forgot who Chapel was supposed to be, but I'm sure it would have rocked". Given the failed deal with DC and Liefeld's increasingly strained relationship with Marvel Comics over his X-Force royalties, he joined other Marvel artists to form Image Comics in order to publish Youngblood in their own series." |
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Post by chaykinstevens on May 30, 2024 2:16:49 GMT -5
Interestingly, Michael Fleisher has a new monthly series called Haywire. It's another book that was cancelled in 1989 (didn't realize until now that there was a wave of DC cancellations in '89), but I'm a Fleisher fan and will generally check out anything he wrote. For some reason, I enjoyed most of Fleisher's output for DC but detested most of the stuff he wrote for Marvel. Perhaps they could have got him to co-write your imaginary McFarlane Spectre. |
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Post by commond on May 30, 2024 3:08:36 GMT -5
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Post by commond on May 30, 2024 15:54:32 GMT -5
DC Direct Currents #6 (Books shipping July 5 thru July 27, 1988) This month's cover feature is Cosmic Odyssey, a book I haven't read. I run hot and cold on Mignola's artwork, although I did enjoy his work on Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser when I read it recently. That was inked by the great Al Williamson, though. Inside, there's a preview for a new Doc Savage ongoing series based off the "hit" mini-series by Denny O'Neil and the Kubert brothers. I'm somewhat curiously about the mini-series as I've liked a lot of the early Kubert brothers' work I've seen. The ongoing is penciled by Rod Whigham of G.I. Joe fame. I have to say his black and white pencils for the preview look better than his G.I. Joe stuff. The book was cancelled in 1990 (not '89), so it was a fighter. There's a preview for the Deadshot mini-series. I can't remember if I've read this. I know I've read the entire Suicide Squad run, but I don't recall if I read this mini. Looks cool, though. The editor's column says they are planning to start a letters column. We'll see how that pans out. In the solicitations, Peter David has quit Star Trek. I was never a big enough Star Trek fan to read any comic book adaptations, but I believe that Peter David's Star Trek has its fans. He quit due to constant interference from Paramount. This month's interview is with Suicide Squad and Deadshot artist, Luke McDonnell, who explains how he broke into comics. The cover of the month is Secret Origins... wait, this issue was drawn by Eric Shanowner. No way! I gotta check that out. The back cover is Showcase #43, which was DC's first film adaptation. This is a tease for next month's adaptation of Outer Heat, a movie I have no recollection of whatsoever. Can you guess what DC's first adaption was? The film was from 1964.
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