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Post by dlw66 on May 27, 2009 12:33:18 GMT -5
As the calendar turns to June shortly, I thought this would be a nice time to post some books or stories you would like to read or re-read in the coming three months, on vacation -- whenever.
I recently purchased the first three volumes of Dark Horse's "Essential" Savage Sword of Conan. These reprint, in B&W, Marvel's Bronze Age Savage Sword of Conan magazine. There is some absolutely beautiful pencil work by the likes of Barry Smith, Gil Kane, Gene Colan, Neal Adams, and of course John Buscema. These are high on my list.
I also have the Essential Thor volumes 2-3 and would like to delve into those, specifically the Tales of Asgard stories.
I've had a hankering lately to re-read the Amazing Spider-Man tpb Clone Genesis, which reprints ASM 141-151 and Giant-Size ASM 5. Good stuff!
I'd also re-read the X-Men tpb The Dark Phoenix Saga. Claremont/Byrne never goes out of style!
How about you? Any recommendations?
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Post by Tana Nile on May 27, 2009 15:31:46 GMT -5
Nice topic. I have been figuring out what comics and comics-related material I plan to read for the next couple of months (not including any blog-related books). I was lucky enough to get a deal on the Annihilation 2 and 3 TPBs at Half Price Books - just $21 for both! I now have the complete Annihilation series.
It's shaping up to be a cosmic summer:
Annihilation 1-3
Thanos (2003) 1-6
Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell that is) 37 - 46 ( Englehart and Milgrom's follow up to Starlin's run - an under appreciated run IMHO)
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Post by humanbelly on May 27, 2009 16:41:12 GMT -5
My son got me a book for Christmas that had caught my eye sometime back: "Soon I Will Be Invincible"-- aaaand I can't think of the author's name, offhand. Very fun fiction-- a satire on the concept of superhero teams (possibly more similar to the Justice League than the Avengers-- although not specifically either), but a clever and loving one. The two protagonists particularly come alive (world-conquering villain and budding insecure superhero cyborg, respectively), and are surprisingly compelling. It's a satire-- but it holds its subject dear, and avoids the very easy trap of condescension. I totally wished it was longer, and I totally hope the author writes a sequel.
HB
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Post by squidboy on May 27, 2009 23:04:12 GMT -5
Just purchased the "44 Years of the Fantastic Four" dvd-rom. That should keep me occupied for awhile. I've read the 1974-1982 issues at the time but for some reason I don't remember those story lines as well as I do the Avengers from the same era. Maybe it will all come back to me as I get into it.
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Post by dlw66 on May 28, 2009 7:38:17 GMT -5
Just to show my academic side (as opposed to my four-color side ), I will also hope to finish reading the recent biography of Oskar Schindler by David Crowe, as well as tackling Alex Haley's Roots.
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Post by squidboy on May 28, 2009 14:06:13 GMT -5
Yeah, I've got a bit of heavier reading on my plate as well. I'm close to finishing Colleen McCullough's "Rome" series with only "Anthony and Cleopatra" left. I also have just begun "The Kingdom of the Wicked" by Anthony Burgess (of "A Clockwork Orange" fame). I really enjoy historical fiction as well as academic history books. I have a bit of an obsession with books as my library is now over 1500 titles. That's reason number 452 on the Why I'm Not Married Anymore list.
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Post by Tana Nile on May 28, 2009 15:11:15 GMT -5
Well, gee, I didn't know we were going to talk about real books... For me, recently finished "The Dark Side" by Jane Mayer (Bush Administration and the 'war on terror'), just started "Desire of the Everlasting Hills" by Thomas Cahill (historical look at Christ and early Christians), and waiting on deck is "The Origins of Virtue" by Matt Ridley (evolution and the development of social systems). Who says this isn't the Marvel Age of High-Falutin' Reading?
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Post by Shiryu on May 28, 2009 15:32:41 GMT -5
I have no idea what I will be reading, haven't really made any plan ^^
But lagging around the house waiting for their turn are "A short history of just about everything" by Bill Bryson, the Poetic and Prosaic Edda (the poems of the North gods by Snorri Sturluson - definitely recommended for Thor fans who want to see what inspired those stories) and the complete Shakespeare collection, with all his plays and scripts. I also have the complete Sherlock Holmes collection by A.C. Doyle, but I doubt I'll have the time to even begin it.
Comics wise, I'm halfway through the Thunderbolts. After them I'd like to go through either the What If... or the Batman's "Mad Monk", "Men and Monsters" and "The Man who Laughs", but again no idea if I really will or not.
As far as recommendations go, I'd definitely suggest the TPB Last Hero Standing and Last Planet Standing by DeFalco, Frenz and Oliffe.
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Post by humanbelly on May 28, 2009 20:06:59 GMT -5
Oh. My. HEAVENS!! What a dauntingly literary bunch this is to keep company with. . . ! Good night, Nurse. . . . ! "And then for relaxation on weekends I'll be recovering and translating fragmented tablets of Sanskrit. . . "
"Plus reading the Speedball Essential Elements collection. . . "
It's making me dizzy.
Can I at least toss in that I'm juggling around with SCIENCE OF DISCWORLD (Terry Pratchett & scientist friends); INKHEART (borrowed from my daughter); and several PG WODEHOUSE collections?
Man, I'm never gonna get to sit at the big table. . .
HB
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Post by dlw66 on May 29, 2009 13:22:12 GMT -5
Desire of the Everlasting Hills" by Thomas Cahill (historical look at Christ and early Christians) On a similar religious/historical note, I would heartily recommend Constantine's Sword by James Carroll. Carroll, a former priest, writes a sweeping exploration of the relationship between the Church and the Jews. He frames the narrative with his own experiences growing up in the Church and becoming a clergyman, as well as his mother's conservative Catholic rituals/beliefs. Despite his background, the book is really quite objective, and very accessible -- it's long, but truly doesn't read that way. Back to comics: I'll be purchasing the hardcover Magneto: Testament when it comes out in a few weeks. I did not buy this when in mini-series format, but the product descriptions seem very enticing. They are even billing at as coming with a teacher's guide. I wonder -- does Marvel see this as this generation's Maus? And, being a Lee and Kirby reader (of their comics of course, but recently more biographical/autobiographical information about them), I am looking forward to "The Jack Kirby Collector" #53, due out in July.
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Post by woodside on May 29, 2009 19:00:24 GMT -5
I'd also re-read the X-Men tpb The Dark Phoenix Saga. Claremont/Byrne never goes out of style! Man, I could go on and on about the Dark Phoenix Saga. It is - without a doubt - the best X-Men story ever. I'm starting a class next week, so that with my new job, it's going to make reading tricky. I'm still trying to get caught up with my Uncanny X-Periment blog (http://uncannyxperiment.blogspot.com/) after my long break and coordinating it with recent comic book events. Beyond that, I'm really looking at getting into short stories. Doug, I know this isn't really your style, but can I recommend with my highest regard ALL-STAR SUPERMAN by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly? It is among the best super-hero comics I have ever read. It's so much fun, but just as insightful. The story is simply about Superman -- who he is, the influence he's had, and what happens when he learns of his own mortality. But don't let that get you down. There's a lot of Silver Age-ish stuff in there. Dual armwrestling with Samson and Hercules. Lois getting super-powers. Jimmy Oleson as head of a super-science outfit for a day. I'll even make you a deal. You read this, and I will read one thing you recommend.
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Post by dlw66 on May 29, 2009 22:02:15 GMT -5
I recommend with my highest regard ALL-STAR SUPERMAN by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly? I'll even make you a deal. You read this, and I will read one thing you recommend. I've liked Quietly's style from afar. Didn't he do the JLA Earth-3 story a few years ago? I've wanted that hardcover -- just have never pulled the trigger on it. I'm not opposed to picking this up -- to be honest, I stayed away from it initially simply because All-Star Batman and Robin was so gawd-awful. Shouldn't have guilt-by-associationed it. If you've never read Superman: Secret Identity, then that is my recommendation to you (I think in the Trade Paperback thread of a couple of years ago I talked about this book -- I'll try to scout that up and quote it or bring it to the front page here). Thanks!!
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Post by woodside on May 30, 2009 20:32:55 GMT -5
I recommend with my highest regard ALL-STAR SUPERMAN by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly? I'll even make you a deal. You read this, and I will read one thing you recommend. I've liked Quietly's style from afar. Didn't he do the JLA Earth-3 story a few years ago? I've wanted that hardcover -- just have never pulled the trigger on it. I'm not opposed to picking this up -- to be honest, I stayed away from it initially simply because All-Star Batman and Robin was so gawd-awful. Shouldn't have guilt-by-associationed it. If you've never read Superman: Secret Identity, then that is my recommendation to you (I think in the Trade Paperback thread of a couple of years ago I talked about this book -- I'll try to scout that up and quote it or bring it to the front page here). Thanks!! Superman: Secret Identity is the one by Kurt Busiek, right? The creative time from "JLA: Earth-2" is exactly the same as "All-Star Superman." And "All-Star Superman" is 8 billion times better than "All-Star Batman and Robin."
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Post by dlw66 on May 30, 2009 21:13:18 GMT -5
Yep, Secret Identity is by Busiek and Immonen.
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Doctor Bong
West Coast Avenger
Master of Belly Dancing (no, really...)!
Posts: 49
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Post by Doctor Bong on May 31, 2009 5:26:50 GMT -5
I recommend with my highest regard ALL-STAR SUPERMAN by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly? I'll even make you a deal. You read this, and I will read one thing you recommend. I've liked Quietly's style from afar. Didn't he do the JLA Earth-3 story a few years ago? I've wanted that hardcover -- just have never pulled the trigger on it. I'm not opposed to picking this up -- to be honest, I stayed away from it initially simply because All-Star Batman and Robin was so gawd-awful. Shouldn't have guilt-by-associationed it. If you've never read Superman: Secret Identity, then that is my recommendation to you (I think in the Trade Paperback thread of a couple of years ago I talked about this book -- I'll try to scout that up and quote it or bring it to the front page here). Thanks!! I just read Superman: Secret Identity at my local branch of the library and I thought it was excellent! Basically, I couldn't put it down.
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Doctor Bong
West Coast Avenger
Master of Belly Dancing (no, really...)!
Posts: 49
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Post by Doctor Bong on May 31, 2009 5:31:42 GMT -5
Yeah, I've got a bit of heavier reading on my plate as well. I'm close to finishing Colleen McCullough's "Rome" series with only "Anthony and Cleopatra" left. I also have just begun "The Kingdom of the Wicked" by Anthony Burgess (of "A Clockwork Orange" fame). I really enjoy historical fiction as well as academic history books. I have a bit of an obsession with books as my library is now over 1500 titles. That's reason number 452 on the Why I'm Not Married Anymore list. I love Burgess! He's one of my all-time favorite writers. I highly recommend his novel "Man of Nazareth".
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Post by humanbelly on May 31, 2009 5:54:01 GMT -5
[[Humanbelly--I love Volstag! He is about the only comic character that makes me laugh all the time. Have you ever read "Confederacy of Dunces?" I swear to God the protagonist in that book, Ignatius O'Reilly, was the inspiration for Volstag!]] And there's a nice, solid piece of literature I can add to the ol' summer reading list. Thanks much, bobc- my wife will be pleased, impressed, and relieved (she's an intellectual taskmaster, I tell ya--). Heh-- yep, Volstagg seems to be another character that would appear to almost write himself for these guys. And, really, he's been around as a beloved stock character for, like, two thousand years. CLEARLY he's based directly on Shakespeare's Falstaff (I'm not sure if Stan's ever talked about this. But if he waffles at all about it, he is being less than forthright. . . !). And Falstaff himself was borrowed quite heavily from the commedia del'arte stock character of "The Braggart Warrior". . . . who was a holdover from the ancient Roman comedies of Plautus. That character was generally known as "Miles Gloriousus", and got a high-profile resurrection (as well as a bit of a makeover) in the Broadway musical A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM. This is the ol' MFA in Theater doin' it's work, here. Clearly worth all of those student loans. . . . HB
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Post by Shiryu on May 31, 2009 8:00:17 GMT -5
Talking of Busiek, I would also recommend the TPB with his Untold Tales of Spider-Man stories. Very enterteining and fit perfectly in continuity, sometimes even explaining little bits and pieces that Lee had overlooked at the time.
On a DC note, Batman Men and Monsters, Mad Monk and The Man Who Laughs are three great stories in the post Year One continuity. There are short synopsis on Wikipedia as well.
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Post by woodside on May 31, 2009 22:16:37 GMT -5
Yep, Secret Identity is by Busiek and Immonen. I'm all over it. ;D So, Doug, do we have a deal?
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Post by dlw66 on May 31, 2009 22:29:12 GMT -5
Yep, Secret Identity is by Busiek and Immonen. I'm all over it. ;D So, Doug, do we have a deal? I have already priced the All-Star Superman tpb -- volume 1 is only about $10 on Amazon. I was sorry to see that volume 2 is not due out until 2010! So, yes, hopefully within the next month I will buy this and be able to make a comment on the first six issue of the title. Looking forward to it, as many of the reviewers on Amazon were just as positive as you, W!
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Post by sharkar on Jun 1, 2009 22:34:03 GMT -5
Heh-- yep, Volstagg seems to be another character that would appear to almost write himself for these guys. And, really, he's been around as a beloved stock character for, like, two thousand years. CLEARLY he's based directly on Shakespeare's Falstaff (I'm not sure if Stan's ever talked about this. But if he waffles at all about it, he is being less than forthright. . . !). In interviews Stan has consistently named Shakespeare as one of his favorite authors. He's also been quoted many times as saying he couldn't help but give Thor and the gods quasi-Shakespearean language; and Stan probably succeeded better than he even knew, as he also tells the story that readers started writing in to praise his use of "iambic pentameter" in Thor! And yes, per Stan interviews, Volstagg was based on Falstaff (obviously)...while Fandral was supposed to be based on Errol Flynn in his swashbuckler mode and Hogun on Charles Bronson. Then again, Kirby's gone on record as the three were his creation, basing the initial concept of Volstagg and company on the Three Musketeers, but as they took form he looked to Falstaff and Flynn as models. And Falstaff himself was borrowed quite heavily from the commedia del'arte stock character of "The Braggart Warrior". . . . who was a holdover from the ancient Roman comedies of Plautus. Plautus...okay, now I'm getting a flashback to my high school Latin classes... ;D
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Post by dlw66 on Jun 4, 2009 10:49:09 GMT -5
W --
Last night I ordered the Magneto: Testament and All-Star Superman Vol. I tpbs from Amazon. They should be here in a few days. I will let you know!
I also used some of the extra cash I earned this spring doing the PA at our home varsity baseball games (can't beat getting paid to watch your own kid play ball!!) to snag some noise-cancelling headphones. I'm thinking I have to have my iPod up too loud when I'm cutting the grass or when I'm on an airplane -- hopefully this will preserve these aging ears of mine!
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Post by starfoxxx on Jun 4, 2009 19:34:30 GMT -5
Summertime is a great time for digging for deals round here, and the book warehouses are practically giving away TPBs and hardcovers. I picked up a bunch for $3 bucks each, including the Fantastic Four Encyclopedia. These things are $29.99 cover priced (!), what a deal, and I hope to find more. They're actually alot better than the DK stuff, I haven't found many mistakes.
I love any Marvel/DC resource stuff. Perfect summer reading for my short attention span.
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Post by humanbelly on Jun 4, 2009 19:36:03 GMT -5
***In interviews Stan has consistently named Shakespeare as one of his favorite authors. He's also been quoted many times as saying he couldn't help but give Thor and the gods quasi-Shakespearean language; and Stan probably succeeded better than he even knew, as he also tells the story that readers started writing in to praise his use of "iambic pentameter" in Thor!***
Sharkar, this reminds me-- Stan is one of the few writers who seemed to have a nice, solid handle on the proper use of "Elizabethan" English. A lot of it is just having a good ear for what's right-- but there are definitely a few rules and conventions that must be followed (of which I am by no means an expert!). And it drives me CRAZY to hear writers just butchering it-- which the majority of them do. The most rudimentary substitution is switching "thy" for "your", and "thou" for "you". It's consistent, and rather obvious--- but if I had a nickel for every hot young writer who has managed to reverse those. . . Man, it just sounds stupid and forced and awkwardly self-aware when its wrong.
I think. . . I may be getting a little Andy Rooney-ish here. I'll pull back.
HB
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Post by woodside on Jun 5, 2009 23:40:31 GMT -5
W -- Last night I ordered the Magneto: Testament and All-Star Superman Vol. I tpbs from Amazon. They should be here in a few days. I will let you know! I'm hitting up my comic book shop this week, so Ill pick-up Superman: True Identity.
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Post by Shiryu on Jun 8, 2009 3:54:20 GMT -5
Sharkar, this reminds me-- Stan is one of the few writers who seemed to have a nice, solid handle on the proper use of "Elizabethan" English. A lot of it is just having a good ear for what's right-- but there are definitely a few rules and conventions that must be followed (of which I am by no means an expert!). And it drives me CRAZY to hear writers just butchering it-- which the majority of them do. The most rudimentary substitution is switching "thy" for "your", and "thou" for "you". It's consistent, and rather obvious--- but if I had a nickel for every hot young writer who has managed to reverse those. . . Man, it just sounds stupid and forced and awkwardly self-aware when its wrong. I've noticed that too. Although to be fair the real Shakespearean English is pretty difficult to understand at times, so they may have been consciouly toning it down for semplicity sake. But yeah, I'm sure many of them wished Thor would speak in an easier way ^^ That's why I have a feeling that Straczinsky has opened a door that other authors will use later on.
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Post by dlw66 on Jun 15, 2009 22:06:33 GMT -5
W -- Last night I ordered the Magneto: Testament and All-Star Superman Vol. I tpbs from Amazon. They should be here in a few days. I will let you know! I'm hitting up my comic book shop this week, so Ill pick-up Superman: True Identity. W -- My books arrived last Friday and I've been too busy to get to them. Life should quiet down a bit after this week, though. I am eager to read both stories!
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Post by woodside on Jun 16, 2009 18:40:51 GMT -5
I'm going grab "Superman: Secret Identity" tomorrow at the comic book store, so hopefully I'll take it on this week.
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Post by sharkar on Jun 17, 2009 13:29:17 GMT -5
In the next few days I'll be reading some old comics I picked up the other day. I stumbled across a guy selling comics on the street, and the comics were all neatly organized by decade in color-coded long boxes. Guess which decade of comics I made a beeline for. None of the comics were priced over $20--most were $10 and $5, and all were in at least very good condition. I flipped through some of what I bought and here are some impressions: DC Heart Throbs #98 (1965): I admit that back in the day (late '60s), I occasionally read DC's romance comics. I recall a fondness for Heart Throbs, because IIRC, it contained an ongoing serial--to me, that was very "Marvelesque." This particular issue however didn't contain that feature, just the standard 3 separate stories (as did most romance comics of the day). BUT the unexpected bonus is the first story in this issue was illustrated by none other than Gene Colan! You haven't lived until you've seen his romance art. You know all those crazy panel divisions, the large nearly full-page panels of a face relating events that are shown in the panel's background, the use of blacks and shadows, the expressionistic line work? It's all here! This is pure Colan and it's amazing. Batman # 156 (1963): This one has the pretty well-known "Robin Dies at Dawn" cover. But the astonishing thing here is the villain: the Ant-Man--no, not Hank Pym!--he drinks a shrink formula. This guy has a red costume, goggles (like Hank would later adopt) and antenna (reminiscent of one of Hank's later costumes). The comic is cover-dated June 1963, so it was on sale in April 1963. Hank Pym had been Ant-Man since 1962 and had his own feature, (and hadn't yet adopted his Giant-Man persona), It seems kind of weird that DC would create an Ant-Man too --but I guess DC wasn't really paying attention to Marvel was doing during this particular time (Marvel wasn't really a threat yet). Strange Adventures #207 (1967): I bought this for the Deadman story, never having read any before (I know there's a high-priced hardcover collection out there, but why why aren't these Deadman stories available in a tpb??). The memorable cover is one of Neal Adams' best, but surprisingly the interior art is kind of pedestrian (for Neal, that is). I guess like anyone else, he needed time (say, a month to get comfortable in the superhero genre. Looks like he inked this one, too. Justice League of America #55 (1967): One of the annual JLA-JSA team ups, this is the one in which we're introduced to the grown-up Earth-2 Robin in that god-awful costume. Action Comics Presents Supergirl #360 - 80 page Giant (1968): This features a featured a seven-part Supergirl story that originally appeared in several issues of Action Comics back in 1961-2 and told the story of how Supergirl--while still Superman's "secret weapon"--lost her powers, resigned herself to an ordinary life, was adopted by the Danvers, was impersonated by an evil Kandorian, and finally after other trials and tribulations, was introduced to the world as the World's Greatest Heroine! I'm unaware of any other DC story back then that spanned over this many issues. And I have always loved this cover with its game motif. Secret Six #5 and #6 (1969): These were the two issues I'd missed the first time around (distribution was spotty in my neighborhood; this was well before the days of comic book shops)...so it was good to finally pick these up. So, these comics will provide my late spring reading. As for summer reading, well, I also picked up some Marvels...
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Post by sharkar on Jun 17, 2009 14:15:51 GMT -5
Okay, as mentioned I also picked up some old Marvel Comics: Marvel Fantasy Masterpieces #1 and #2 (1966): Emblazoned with the cover blurb "From the Golden Age of Marvel", these contain some monster/sci fi stories reprinted from the late 50s/early 60s. These comics celebrate the artists who were there after the Atlas Implosion and at the dawn of Marvel--"Jolly Jack Kirby", "Sturdy Steve Ditko", "Jovial Joe Sinnott", "Dashing Don Heck" and "Darlin' Dick Ayers" are given center stage (Stan's name is at the bottom of the cover and is not very prominent). On the inside cover of FM #1, we get a photo of Stan lavishly praising each of these artists' strengths and contributions. Stan was creating a star system and he wanted the public to know and appreciate these men. BTW, Stan--who did the bulk of the writing for Martin Goodman's comics during the transitional period between the Atlas collapse and the early days of Marvel--was most likely the writer for many of these these stories (and one story is signed by Lee and Ditko), but the writing credits are not played up in FM--it's the artists who get the glory: it's Jack Kirby's "Fin Fang Foom!" and Don Heck's "Orogo!" (Well, maybe Stan was not eager to admit he scripted this stuff? ) Fantastic Four #100 (1970): This contains a typical anniversary story in which every villain around shows up, but what caught my eye was the letter column--there are not one but two letters examining Jack Kirby's deteriorating skills, citing (among other things) his sloppy character drawing and his increasing overuse of larger or full-page panels (I'm kind of surprised that in response to that particular charge, Marvel didn't mention the change in the original art size that had been implemented a couple of years earlier--many artists, including Kirby, found it difficult to "scale down" their work to fit a smaller canvas and their work suffered accordingly, it became less detailed). One letter also mentioned that Kirby was becoming more and more lazy and unimaginative because he was lifting plots from popular TV shows (Star Trek, The Prisoner). Sure, we know now (from what's been reported in the decades since) that during the late '60s Kirby apparently lost interest in creating characters and interesting premises for Marvel--the Silver Surfer debacle probably being the straw that broke the camel's back--but I found it interesting to read these critiques of Kirby's art from when he was actually churning this stuff out. In FF #100 one letter writer blamed the change in Kirby's quality on Marvel putting out too many books and spreading its resources too thin; the other person suggested the FF's art would improve if Tom Palmer took over as inker (from Sinnott, no less!) Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #12 (1969): I picked this up on the strength of the interesting, very 60s-ish Barry Smith cover alone. I was surprised to find out he also did the interior art here: it looks like a mishmash of Kirby and Steranko. Strange Tales #128 (1965): Now, this is an issue that scottharris has reviewed (and brilliantly) in his "Vault" series, so there's not much left to say about it. As we know, this first story in this issue features the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver versus the Torch and the Thing. I did have an "aha!" moment when I realized that the cover inset images of Wanda and Pietro that appear on Avengers #22 are from a panel in this issue (Ayers/Giacoia art).
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