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Post by berkley on Jun 14, 2024 22:03:28 GMT -5
Not a fan of Arkham Asylum, either. Forget to mention above, the only reason DC did a Batman Year 3 was to show Robin entering the picture, to help set up Tim Drake's debut. Emerald Dawn was a sort of Year One/retcon, where Hal Jordan is turned into a drunk driver and the ring alters his mind to make him fearless, rather than him being chosen because he was fearless. It was pretty controversial, at the time and pretty well dismissed, as time went on. However, it fit within the whole "grim & gritty" theme that controlled DC (and Marvel, to a great extent). Legends of the Dark Knight was my only Bat book, for quite a while, though I wasn't a huge fan of the debut storyline, Shaman. I stuck it out, because it was Denny O'Neil. the next storyline, Gothic, didn't do much for me, either and I was ready to drop the book, when Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy saved the day, with Prey. That got me to stick around and the subsequent storylines were great follow ups, especially James Robinson & Tim Sale's Blades. At my local, guys were buying up each of the colors of the outer cover, for that first issue. I just shook my head. I also liked Hughes on JLI, after seeing his work on The Maze Agency. Ed Hannigan would write and draw a really interesting mini-series, in a couple of years, Skull & Bones. It was about a Soviet SPETSNAZ soldier, who was part of a unit that used terror tactics, in Afghanistan, where they wore skeleton suits. He then returns to the Soviet Union, with their troop withdrawal, disillusioned by their war, and finds himself caught up in the hardline coup attempt, fighting against the coup leaders and their forces. It was something really different, with a different setting and Hannigan had done his research on the Soviet military and the GRU and KGB, as well as the political situation, at the time. It had some trappings of superhero comics, some of war comics, and some of espionage/political thrillers, with a really great plot.
I like all the Moench/Gulacy Batman stories that I've read - in fact, they're about the only Batman stories I really like post 1990 or so, but I haven't seen many others.
Skull & Bones sounds like an interesting premise but I'll have to look for some online samples to see how Hannigan's art looks. I didn't mind what I saw of his artwork in the 70s or early 80s but it was mostly in superhero comics and there was never anything special abut it to my eyes, and also nothing about his style that would make me expect it would work particularly well with the kind of spy/military/political story Skull & Bones seems to have been. I'm definitely curious, though.
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Post by codystarbuck on Jun 14, 2024 23:58:49 GMT -5
............. Ed Hannigan would write and draw a really interesting mini-series, in a couple of years, Skull & Bones. It was about a Soviet SPETSNAZ soldier, who was part of a unit that used terror tactics, in Afghanistan, where they wore skeleton suits. He then returns to the Soviet Union, with their troop withdrawal, disillusioned by their war, and finds himself caught up in the hardline coup attempt, fighting against the coup leaders and their forces. It was something really different, with a different setting and Hannigan had done his research on the Soviet military and the GRU and KGB, as well as the political situation, at the time. It had some trappings of superhero comics, some of war comics, and some of espionage/political thrillers, with a really great plot.
I like all the Moench/Gulacy Batman stories that I've read - in fact, they're about the only Batman stories I really like post 1990 or so, but I haven't seen many others.
Skull & Bones sounds like an interesting premise but I'll have to look for some online samples to see how Hannigan's art looks. I didn't mind what I saw of his artwork in the 70s or early 80s but it was mostly in superhero comics and there was never anything special abut it to my eyes, and also nothing about his style that would make me expect it would work particularly well with the kind of spy/military/political story Skull & Bones seems to have been. I'm definitely curious, though.
Here are 3 pages, from the first issue.....    In terms of subject matter, the only thing I can think of that was remotely working in the same area, though in a much different perspective, was Enki Bilal's The Hunting Party. |
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Post by commond on Jun 15, 2024 16:14:15 GMT -5
DC Direct Currents #22 (Books shipping November, 1989) The cover feature this month is Mike Baron and Kelly Jones' Deadman mini-series. I believe Baron and Jones began doing Deadman stories in Action Weekly. The only Deadman stories I've read are the original stories from Strange Adventures and the god awful backup feature from Aquaman which Neal Adams wrote and drew. Jones is an acquired taste, and I'm not sure if I'm onboard with his gaunt looking Deadman (can dead men eat sandwiches?), but I am somewhat intrigued by this series. Inside, there's The Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told. I dunno about this one. It seems like they're stretching The Greatest Stories Ever Told thing a bit thin. Marshall Adams wants to know how you can get hired by DC. That's a generic question but the editor is happy to oblige. The most interesting part is her own experience in getting hired (through someone she knew at the company.) There's a preview for Gotham by Gaslight, which I believe was the first Elseworlds tale, though I believe it wasn't called an Elseworlds story. I'm wondering if this book is the link to that mysterious Lois Lane cover, since they mentioned it being an "imaginary story" and Elseworlds had its roots in imaginary Superman stories. Perhaps it's a coincidence since Elseworlds wasn't an official imprint at this point, or perhaps the book was late. There's also a preview for Roy Thomas & Gil Kane's adaptation of Wagner's The Ring, which seems a bit outdated but might be a visual treat. There's supposed to be news of a Batman poster by Steve Rude and a Looney Tunes quarterly, but somebody was asleep at the wheel. 8 bucks for a poster? I don't remember Perez penciling Superman around this time. It looks like he quite the New Titans to do Superman. There's a big interview with Julius Schwartz. Schwartz discusses the Silver Age superhero revival, which ties into the whole post-Crisis thing DC have going on. Interesting, when they were deciding whether to start the Flash's own title with issue #1, Irwin Donenfeld insisted that they keep the original numbering, the reason being that if a kid went to the newsstands and saw a magazine numbered #105, he or she would figure that it had lasted a long time and must be a damned good magazine. Schwartz says it's an example of how times have changed. God knows what he'd think of today's comics. Is it true that Batman was almost cancelled in 1964? That could have changed the course of comic book history. Imagine a comic book world where Batman is published on and off again like Deadman. The front cover is an average looking Manhunter cover. The back cover is Justice League of America #7 "just because it's fun."
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Post by chaykinstevens on Jun 15, 2024 18:06:58 GMT -5
I don't remember Perez penciling Superman around this time. It looks like he quite the New Titans to do Superman. Perez had pencilled Superman in Action Comics #643-645 and did layouts for Kerry Gammill on #647-652. Is it true that Batman was almost cancelled in 1964? That could have changed the course of comic book history. Imagine a comic book world where Batman is published on and off again like Deadman. The cancellation level in those days was said to be around 200k. I don't think Batman would have dropped to that level, but the poorer-selling Detective Comics might have been close to it. Accrording to Comichron, Batman sold 410k in 1962 and 454k in 1965, with no figures releaesd between those years. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Jun 15, 2024 19:14:43 GMT -5
Detective Comics was on the fence, a couple of times; but legacy saved it.
I remember seeing the promotional art for Jones' Deadman and it just looked wrong, to me. I had the Adams reprint issues (Baxter format) and the run in the Adventure Comics Dollar Comics issues (with sweet Jose Luis Garcia Lopez art....PBHN) and "famine victim" was not what I pictured, for the character.
The Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told was pretty good, if not entirely accurate. It had "Flash of Two Worlds," the first JLA/JSA crossover, debut of the Teen Titans, the Adventure Comics stories where Aquaman and Greedn Arrow & Speedy swapped beats (Aquaman on land, the arches at sea, chasing their enemies), Batman & the Creeper, Superboy & Robin, the World's finest trio meeting the Three musketeers, the Hawks & Adam Strange, the first issue of GL/GA and a cool Superman story, with Tomar-Re (the Green Lantern) who kind of holds off Krypton's destruction so that Jor-El and Lara's child would be born and grow to possibly lead the corps, though once the Guardians figure out how powerful he will be, at maturity, they decide to let him reach his destiny, without them. It was one of those great Elliot Maggin stories that played with Superman's history so wonderfully. There were othe team-ups that should have been included (Batman and Green Arrow, with the Adams redesign, Starman & Black Canary vs The Mist, the first DC Comics Presents annual); but they did a decent job. It also has the Alan Moore Swamp Thing & Superman story, from DC Comics Presents.
The Ring of Niebelung, from Thomas & Kane was pretty good and let Kane go nuts, in a way he hadn't, in a while; but, P Craig Russell did more justice to the material, at Dark Horse.
Batman" Holy Terror was the first book to carry the Elseworlds brand name; but, the success of Gotham By Gaslight led to more Batman one-shots, and then other Elseworlds. I found a lot of them to be hit and miss, by GBG, Holy Terror, Master of the Future, The Devil's Workshop (with Harry Houdini) and Dark Allegiance were all favorites and Batman: The Blue, the Grey and the Bat was a particular joy, since it brought back Elliot Maggin and teamed him up with Alan Weiss & JLGL (PBHN).
Manhunter was a different story. I was winding down to the end, bringing back Dumas (after killing him off in the 4th issue of the series), with less inspired art by Grant Miehm (who wasn't bad....just not right for the book). That series peaked with its first 4 issues, then struggled to find another good adversary or plot. I met Doug Rice and he said it was originally sold to him, by John Ostrander, as a high octane action book, with the bounty hunter angle (hunting super villains); but, after that first storyline, he kept getting scripts where Mark Shaw stood around talking with his family, as Ostrander was more interested in that aspect. Rice got bored and left the series, taking the dynamic visuals with him. Miehm did a much better job on Legend of the Shield, in the Impact line.
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Roquefort Raider
CCF Mod Squad
Modus omnibus in rebus
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jun 15, 2024 19:47:34 GMT -5
DC Direct Currents and Comic Shop News came for free every week when I picked up my comics at the LCS back in the day. Then when we got getting really cramped in our flat I dumped the whole pile... not seeing such material as "proper" comics. Ditto with all the free promotional posters. I don't think I'll ever forgive myself. Thanks for bringing the memories back, commond! |
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Post by chadwilliam on Jun 15, 2024 20:24:50 GMT -5
Detective Comics was on the fence, a couple of times; but legacy saved it. Bob Kane said that sales were so low that DC was planning to kill Batman. While I don't trust a lot of what Kane said, I do wonder if this was something he was told when re-negotiating his contract since I can see DC making something up like this to lessen his bargaining power. I wonder if any consideration was given to kicking Batman off of Detective and giving Martian Manhunter the cover feature. Sure, he was given his own title with House of Mystery after the last "Old Look" issue of Detective, but might there have been discussions about just leaving him where he was and making him the cover feature? You wouldn't even need to get rid of Batman for that scenario - just move him to the back for a few months and see how sales do. |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jun 15, 2024 20:58:20 GMT -5
Everything I see shows that Batman was at about 400,000 circulation at the time it’s claimed the Bat-books were in danger, while Detective was around 200,000. I don’t think either was in serious danger at the time.
I’m a fairly big Kelly Jones fan so I got both of the Baron/Jones Deadman minis. They’re okay. But not special.
I loved and love Gotham By Gaslight. It wasn’t branded as Elseworlds but became the first one retroactively. If I ever get the time and gumption to keep up with one I’d like to do an Elseworlds review thread.
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Post by Ricky Jackson on Jun 16, 2024 0:37:54 GMT -5
I wonder why they went with the old numbering for the Flash but not Green Lantern?
I enjoyed Love After Death. Definitely one of the better Deadman stories imo
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Post by majestic on Jun 16, 2024 8:11:23 GMT -5
I wonder why they went with the old numbering for the Flash but not Green Lantern? I enjoyed Love After Death. Definitely one of the better Deadman stories imo Ironically the numbering continued was from the anthology series Flash Comics and not the solo series All Flash. |
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Post by majestic on Jun 16, 2024 8:20:05 GMT -5
I wonder why they went with the old numbering for the Flash but not Green Lantern? I enjoyed Love After Death. Definitely one of the better Deadman stories imo My thoughts are All Flash had only 32 issues and Green Lantern had 38. So DC went with Flash Comics but using All American Comics was more problematic since GL name didn't appear in the title and AAC changed names twice after #102 (last GL appearance). |
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Post by MWGallaher on Jun 16, 2024 12:03:18 GMT -5
I wonder why they went with the old numbering for the Flash but not Green Lantern? That's a good question! DC was evidently still worried that a "No. 1" on the cover was a potential detriment, not a selling point, considering that the first issue of Green Lantern didn't have an issue number on the front cover. Which got me curious... Green Lantern #1, July 1960, unnumbered Dobie Gillis #1, May 1960, unnumbered Pat Boone #1, October 1959, unnumbered Lois Lane #1, April 1958, unnumbered Pvt. Doberman #1, July 1958, unnumbered Sgt. Bilko #1, Jun 1957, unnumbered Showcase #1, Mar-Apr 1956, unnumbered Three Mousketeers #1, Mar-Apr 1956, unnumbered Falling in Love #1, Sept-Oct 1955, unnumbered Unexpected #1, Feb-Mar 1955, unnnumbered Even as far back as Phantom Stranger #1, Aug-Sep 1952, unnumbered! I haven't done an exhaustive search, but so far it appears that starting at least in the 50's, DC didn't number any first issues on the cover until Metamorpho #1 in July/August 1965! Curiously, they had no compunction against labeling an issue as "No. 2", even though that doesn't imply much more of an established sales record than "No. 1", so perhaps there was a legal requirement they had to comply with, something they could "get away with" once. Or, it occurs to me, maybe they were concerned that news stands wouldn't know which one to remove from the racks if neither of the first two issues had numbers? |
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Post by Prince Hal on Jun 16, 2024 13:45:02 GMT -5
Hating to be that guy, especially to someone as knowledgeable as you, MWGallaher , I know, because I vividly remember buying it, that the first issue of the first DC character of the Silver Age to be introduced in his own title, rather than be given an earlier appearance or try-out in Showcase, The Brave and the Bold, or any other other magazine was printed with a No. 1 designation. That would be Capt. Storm, on sale in March of 1964. (Probably the right thing to do for such a Distinguished Character.)  |
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Post by commond on Jun 16, 2024 15:49:21 GMT -5
DC Direct Currents #23 (Books shipping in December, 1989) Just in time for Christmas, it's The Greatest Golden Age Stories Ever Told. These collections must be selling well. The preview says over half of the stories have never been reprinted and most of the rest have not been seen for at least fifteen years. The foreword is by Roy Thomas (naturally.) I've barely read any Golden Age stuff, so I don't know how accurate their selections are, but at least there's a Slam Bradley story. Inside, there's a new Superboy series, which is confusing since I thought they went to great pains to remove Superboy from the continuity. Apparently, it's based on a Superboy TV show that we never saw on New Zealand screens. The preview says it won't be part of the regular DC continuity but it will tie into the ongoing Superman titles. Talk about wanting to have your cake and eat it too. There's also an eight issue maxi-series called Time Masters that doesn't look appealing in any way, shape or form, though it does give young Art Thibert a penciling gig. The interview this month is with Adam Hughes. He talks about being a John Byrne clone at the beginning of his career until Neil Vokes called him out on it. He also talks about how John Carta drew The Martian Manhunter for 15 years without a fill-in while Hughes needed a fill-in after his first five issues on JLA. The cover of the month is a fun, wrestling-eque Hawk and Dove cover. The back cover is Batman #27 which has Santa on the cover.
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Post by chaykinstevens on Jun 16, 2024 16:34:16 GMT -5
He also talks about how John Carta drew The Martian Manhunter for 15 years without a fill-in while Hughes needed a fill-in after his first five issues on JLA. I think you mean Joe Certa. The cover of the month is a fun, wrestling-eque Hawk and Dove cover. That cover was an homage to the Brave and the Bold #78.  |
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