Marvel Masters: The Art of John Romita Jr

Marvel Masters: The Art of John Romita Jr
Marvel Masters: The Art of John Romita Jr

By various & John Romita Jr (Marvel/Panini UK)
ISBN: 978-1-905239-73-3 (A BRITISH EDITION BY PANINI UK LTD)

The latest in Marvel’s line of laudatory collections featuring the work of a star creator focuses on the career of a legend who is the son of a legend. John Jr was working as an in-house junior when he got his first chance to draw a story. The six-page ‘Chaos at the Coffee Bean’ is actually a rather bland filler from Amazing Spider-Man Annual #11 (1977), written by Scott Edelman and inked by Al Milgrom and instantly highlights the twin problems of books like this.

Firstly, the early efforts of many creators, although perhaps instructive, are simply not that good, and doubly so in a case like the junior Romita’s, where the artist experienced such a radical stylistic epiphany that “then” and “now” look like the work of two completely different people. Secondly, as revealed in ‘Betrayal’, his first full length tale, from Iron Man #115 (1978 – scripted by Bill Mantlo and inked by Dan Green), despite the high quality of this tale and immensely improved artwork only the first part is by our subject, so the latter parts are excluded, leaving readers with an incomplete story.

Amazing Spider-Man #208 is reprinted next. Denny O’Neil wrote ‘Fusion’, which Romita Jr only laid out (very rough preliminary drawings) with the majority of the art completed by Al Milgrom and Brett Breeding. In that same year (1980) the artist drew ‘Nightcrawler’s Inferno’ for X-Men Annual # 4, from a Chris Claremont script, and Bob McLeod was a much more sympathetic inker for this pan-dimensional epic guest-starring Dr. Strange.

Inexplicably the editors have chosen Dazzler #1 and 2 to follow. The Disco Sensation premiered as Marvel’s first Direct Sales Only title and was by most lights pretty appalling. You can judge for yourself or take a hint from the fact that ‘So Bright This Star’ was “conceived by Alice Donenfeld, John Romita Jr and Jim Shooter with some help from Stan Lee, Al Milgrom, Roger Stern and Tom DeFalco”, scripted by DeFalco, and the pencils were swamped by the lush but inappropriate inks of Alfredo Alcala. The second part ‘Where Demons Fear to Dwell’ had less cooks stirring the broth but was still an inept use of all the creator’s abilities.

In 1986 Romita Jr drew the first issue of Starbrand, the flagship New Universe title written by Jim Shooter as part of the company’s attempt to develop a continuity more relevant to its modern readership. (There are a million stories as to why Marvel actually instituted the New Universe project but that’s a debate for another time and place). With it he developed a more individualistic, raw yet streamlined graphic style that would evolve into his current grandly monolithic manner of storytelling. ‘The Starbrand’ is a compelling and thoroughly readable origin tale, sparse and gripping, moodily inked by comics legend Al Williamson. As is ‘Typhoid’, originally released in Daredevil #254, (1988), this is a powerful, visceral psychodrama scripted by Anne Nocenti, and taken from their groundbreaking run on The Man Without Fear.

This volume concludes with a superb two-part epic from Incredible Hulk #24-25 (Volume III, 2001) that fully displays the brutal power of Romita Jr’s drawing. Paul Jenkins scripted the brooding and poignant ‘Dear Betty…’ (inked by Dick Giordano) and ‘Always on My Mind’ (inked by Tom Palmer) which perfectly display the artist’s contemporary style and inevitably leads to the question, “why is there so little of his later output?”

Despite these qualms and queries this is still an instructive compendium of the artist’s output, and if the early work is not as representative or effective as it could be it is at least composed of rare and less known material. And that just means that there’s lots of great stuff left for a second volume…

© 1977, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1988, 2001, 2007 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Vertigo Visions

Vertigo Visions

By various (Watson-Guptill)
ISBN13: 978-0-8230-5603-3

This hefty hardback coffee-table art-book collects not just some of the incredible cover images from the first ten years of cutting edge comic material for grown ups but also includes promotional art, commercial posters and even some selections from trading cards sets.

Accompanied by an artistic appreciation from author and ex-Vertigo Editor Alisa Kwitney this lavish volume is a delight for fans of the bold, challenging and visually avant-garde sequential art makers who have advanced the cause of grown-up comics from DC’s mature readers imprint.

Produced to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Vertigo it features eye-popping art from the likes of Dave McKean, Brian Bolland, Barron Storey, Jill Thompson, Charles Vess, Michael W. Kaluta, Steve Dillon, Brendan McCarthy, Phil Winslade, Matt Wagner, Kent Williams, Chris Bachalo, Duncan Fegredo, Dave Gibbons, Peter Kuper, John Bolton, Kyle Baker and a host of others.

Showcasing all their regular titles such as Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Preacher, 100 Bullets, Transmetropolitan, Sandman and others, plus one-offs specials and miniseries like Rogan Gosh, Moonshadow, Stardust and so very many others, the works of art gathered here (just shy of 200, if you’re counting) clarify in the most convincing terms one of the reasons for Vertigo’s continuing success. Let’s see what they can come up with for their 15th anniversary this year, shall we?

© 2000 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

The Adventures of Tintin, Volume 7

The Adventures of Tintin, Volume 7

By Hergé, translated by Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper & Michael Turner (Egmont UK)
ISBN 13: 978-1-4052-2900-5

Hergé’s later life was troubled but his personal problems only seemed to enhance his storytelling abilities. The three tales collected in this volume of The Adventures of Tintin are sleek, polished comedy thrillers, rife with intrigue and camaraderie, and even after decades of working, continue fresh and challenging, as the author always sought new arenas of drama to explore.

The Calculus Affair once again sees the zany Professor abducted from the palatial home of Captain Haddock, resulting in a dire and desperate chase through Cold War Europe. Our heroes are hampered in their efforts to save their friend by the introduction of the infinitely annoying Insurance salesman Jolyon Wagg and more seriously, by two rival bands of spies.

As they pursue Calculus to Geneva, Tintin and Haddock encounter not only the insidious agents of Borduria but find that their erstwhile allies of Syldavia are also trying to make the Professor “disappear”. After frantic chases, pitched battles and assassination attempts diplomatic duplicity defeats them, and Calculus becomes an unwilling guest of the totalitarian Bordurians, who are pleased to accept as a “gift” his new invention, which they intend to use as a weapon of mass destruction.

Temporarily stymied, Tintin and Haddock finagle their way into the country, and with the aid of Opera Diva Bianca Castafiore, bamboozle the secret police to rescue the Professor and save the day.

Although all the elements in play are tried and trusted ingredients of the Tintin formula, the level of artistic achievement here is superb and the interplay of tense drama, slapstick comedy and breakneck action make this brooding thriller the most accomplished of Hergé’s tales. The simple fact that the contemporary Cold War fever is absent for modern readers makes no difference at all to the enjoyment of this magnificent graphic masterpiece.

The Red Sea Sharks has also lost some of its original contemporary urgency, but again that has had no diminishing effect. Produced during the turbulent times that led to the Middle-East Suez Crisis, it reintroduces Emir Ben Kalish Ezab from Land of Black Gold (see Adventures of Tintin volume 6 ISBN 13: 978-1-4052-2899-2) whose oil-rich country is in the throes of a civil war. Fearful of the consequences, he sends his son Abdullah to stay with Captain Haddock, unaware that the old dipsomaniac and Tintin are embroiled in another mystery involving General Alcazar (The Broken Ear: Adventures of Tintin volume 3, ISBN 13: 978-1-4052-2896-1), war surplus aircraft and a mysterious criminal mastermind.

As eager to escape the infernal practical jokes of the incorrigible Prince as to solve the case, the heroic pair follow the trail of the arms dealers and find themselves back in the Desert Kingdom of Khemed, albeit as unwelcome intruders as the rebels have defeated the Emir and driven him into hiding thanks to their illicitly gained fighter planes. When a bomb-plot leaves their plane crashed in the wastelands the indomitable pair trek overland into enemy territory before finally finding the Emir-in-hiding.

They discover that the coup has been instigated by the airline owned by the Marquis di Gorgonzola, a mysterious millionaire whose vast commercial interests are supplemented by selling Pilgrims en route to Mecca into slavery! Hot on the trail, the pair take ship for that holy city but are strafed by warplanes. Shooting one down they rescue the pilot, but when the trio are rescued by Gorgonzola’s yacht, Tintin discovers that one of his oldest foes is behind it all!

This spectacular high-adventure, despite its political and moral underpinnings, is primarily an action yarn with plenty of twists and turns and a terrific feel-good climax. This romp as well as standing proudly on its own lights serves as a subtle counterpoint for the last, and controversially different final tale of this volume…

Tintin in Tibet is not like any other story of the plucky, valiant boy reporter. At this time Hergé was ending a twenty-five year marriage, recovering from a series of nervous breakdowns and plagued by dreams of unending white. Rather than take a break or even retire he began the most eerie, mystical and personal story of his long career.

Tintin is holidaying in the mountains when he reads of a plane crash in Nepal. Inexplicably he screams the name of his old friend Chang, left behind in China at the end of The Blue Lotus (Adventures of Tintin volume 2 ISBN 13: 978-1-4052-2895-4). Now preoccupied with his old friend he discovers that Chang was on the crashed airliner and is believed dead. Despite all rational argument Tintin knows he has survived and immediately sets out to rescue him, with a protesting Captain Haddock in tow.

Against all odds the duo travels through India to the mountainous borderlands and into the Himalayas. Nothing can shake the boy’s obsessive belief that Chang is alive and urgently needs his help.

How the physical and mental hardships are overcome make for an uncharacteristically bleak tale, and the mysticism, paranoia and overt supernatural content is hard to fit comfortably into the fantastic but rational universe that Tintin inhabits. Yet it does work, and no other story so well depicts the heroic qualities of the lad and the deep emotional bond between him and his true friends, Chang and Haddock. Of course, Hergé’s utter professionalism would not allow him to produce anything that was not eminently readable, captivatingly funny and stirringly thrilling. Although perhaps the oddest tale this might just be the author’s most revealing.

The Calculus Affair: artwork © 1956, 1984 Editions Casterman, Paris & Tournai.
Text © 1960 Egmont UK Limited. All Rights Reserved.
The Red Sea Sharks: artwork © 1958, 1986 Editions Casterman, Paris & Tournai.
Text © 1960 Egmont UK Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Tintin in Tibet: artwork © 1960, 1984 Editions Casterman, Paris & Tournai.
Text © 1962 Egmont UK Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Thunderbirds… In Space

(THUNDERBIRDS COMIC ALBUM VOLUME 2)

Thunderbirds… In Space

By Frank Bellamy, with Steve Kite & Graham Bleathman, edited and compiled by Alan Fennel (Ravette Books/Egmont)
ISBN: 1-85304-407-5

This second collection of adventures culled from the pages of TV 21 once again features the magical artwork of Frank Bellamy in three more fantastic adventures of the original International Rescue team. Written by Alan Fennell, these thrillers for all ages capture the energy and wonderment of the original Gerry Anderson puppet shows without the budgetary restrictions that always dog fantasy shows, and mercifully the colour reproduction of the photogravure artwork is infinitely better in this volume than in its predecessor (Thunderbirds … To The Rescue, ISBN: 1-85304-406-7).

The Space Mirror is a deep space thriller featuring an orbital platform used to melt the polar ice-caps; Operation Depthprobe sees a sabotaged fuel-rocket seconds from destroying its launch facility; and The Atlantic Tunnel features the devilish Hood whose machinations nearly end not only a new transport system but also the lives of Brains and Alan Tracy.

Augmented by cutaway technical features on Thunderbirds 3, 4 and 5, this fabulous comic album is a superb example of the quality of those old British comics and especially the brilliance of Frank Bellamy. There will never be a greater argument of the necessity for a new and permanent collection of his strips and illustrations.

© 1991 ITC Entertainment Group Ltd. Licensed by Copyright Promotions Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Star Trek: The Mirror Universe Saga

Star Trek: The Mirror Universe Saga

By Mike W. Barr, Tom Sutton & Ricardo Villagran (DC Comics)
ISBN: 0-930289-96-X

One of the most potent devices in fiction is the concept of meeting ones opposite – whether in morality or ability – or as is more common in the fantasy genres, one’s evil counterpart. Certainly the original Star Trek episode “Mirror, Mirror” is one of the most fondly remembered and one that fans and professionals alike have speculated upon ever since.

In this splendidly workmanlike sequel to Jerome Bixby’s most memorable script, set just after the film The Search for Spock, the errant, peripatetic crew are making their reluctant way back to Starfleet HQ to face the music for stealing – and destroying – the Enterprise, when they encounter their doppelgangers from that Mirror universe. In the intervening decades since they last met, the scientists of The Empire have discovered the secret of travelling between dimensions and have dispatched their most feared ship to our Reality. Now, as the vanguard of an overwhelming invasion armada, this evil crew are intent on conquering our galaxy in the same ruthless manner in which they dominate their own…

Kirk and Company must thwart this deadly threat whilst staying one step ahead of his own comrades – who still have orders to arrest them on sight – in a tense action-packed battle epic of double-cross, subterfuge and deep strategy.

Seamlessly blending spectacular drama with the subtle character interplay that distinguished the TV series, this swashbuckling space-opera (originally printed in issues #9-16 of DC’s monthly Star Trek comic-book in 1985) is reassuringly compelling and a sure hit with die-hard fans and casual readers alike.

 ©1992 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All rights reserved.

Gash

Gash

By Søren G. Mosdal (Slab-O-Concrete)
ISBN: 1-899866-39-6

Not all comics are nice. Not all stories are cosy and comforting. This slim volume collecting some short strips by Danish cartoonist Søren Mosdal, are powerful, surreal to the point of absurdism, starkly, bleakly, casually violent yet unbelievably compelling vignettes of modern disassociation and spiritual isolation in an urban landscape of staggering indifference.

Mosdal’s intense, exaggerated drawing bristles with ill-suppressed animosity as he tells of getting drunk, getting stoned, getting laid and ultimately getting nowhere. Whether relating what I pray are not autobiographical everyday interludes or depicting the distressing adventures of Hans Drone (“The Greatest Writer of our Time!”), or any of the other misfits gathered here, Mosdal’s fevered works are unsettling but unforgivably intoxicating. If you’re old enough and strong enough, these beautiful, ugly stories are ready for you and absolutely worthy of your attention.

© 2001 Søren G. Mosdal. All Rights Reserved.

The Life of Captain Marvel

The Life of Captain Marvel

By Jim Starlin and various (Marvel)
ISBN: 0-87135-635-X

As much as I’d love to claim that Marvel’s fortunes are solely built on the works of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, I’m just not able to. Whereas I do know that without them the modern monolith would not exist, it is also necessary to acknowledge the vital role played by the second generation creators of the early 1970s. Marvel’s welcome of fresh, new, often untried talent paid huge dividends in creativity -and most importantly at a time of industry contraction – new sales.

One of the most successful of these newcomers was Jim Starlin. As well as the groundbreaking Master of Kung Fu, which he worked on with his equally gifted confederates Steve Englehart and Al Milgrom, his earliest success was the epic of cosmic adventure collected here.

Captain Marvel was an alien on Earth, a defector from the militaristic Kree who fought for Earth and was atomically bonded to professional sidekick Rick Jones by a pair of wristbands that enabled them to share the same space in our universe. When one was here the other was trapped in the antimatter dimensiom known as the Negative Zone.

After meandering around the Marvel Universe for a while, continually one step ahead of cancellation (the series had folded many times, but always quickly returned – presumably to secure the all important Trademark name), the Captain was handed to Starlin — and the young artist was left alone to get on with it. With many of his friends he began laying seeds (particularly in Iron Man and Daredevil) for a saga that would in many ways become as well regarded as the Kirby Fourth World Trilogy that it emulated. But the Thanos War, despite many superficial similarities would soon develop into a uniquely modern experience. And what it lacked in grandeur it made up for with sheer energy and enthusiasm.

This regrettably incomplete collection begins with Iron Man #55, and is scripted by Mike Friedrich. ‘Beware The … Blood Brothers!’ introduces Drax the Destroyer, an incredibly powerful alien. Trapped by Thanos under the desert, he is rescued by the Armoured Avenger, but it’s merely a prelude to the main story which appeared in Captain Marvel #25-33, (with an interlude starring Iron Man and The Fantastic Four’s Thing from Marvel Feature #12). Thanos is obsessed with conquest and targets Rick Jones whose subconscious hides the location of an ultimate, irresistible weapon.

With a coterie of old super-villains and a rogue fleet of starships he misdirects Earth’s defenders whilst he turns himself into a god, and only Captain Marvel – with the aid of an Eight billion year old cosmic entity has any chance to defeat him. (Completists should note that the Avengers’ battle against that fleet of aliens isn’t reprinted here, which is a pity as it’s a pretty good action issue, but the Thing joined Iron Man’s second desert battle with the Blood Brothers and that is included).

This is a key event in Marvel history, innovative and still deeply thrilling on an instinctual level. The co-creators of this opus all continued or went on to great things in the industry. As well as the previously cited Englehart, Milgrom and Friedrich, Mike Esposito, Chic Stone, Dave Cockrum, Pablo Marcos, Dan Green, Joe Sinnott, Klaus Janson and Jack Abel all lent their talents to this groundbreaking story. If you are at all interested in superhero comics, you should brave the less than polished artwork and somewhat dated dialogue for a magnificent rollercoaster thrill-ride.

The book concludes rather weakly with Starlin’s last regular Captain Marvel adventure, taken from issue #34 of the comic book. In the first part of a much longer sequence the Protector of the Universe temporarily defeats Nitro, the Exploding Man, only to succumb to the world’s deadliest nerve gas. From this exposure the hero would eventually contract the cancer that killed him, as depicted in Marvel’s first Graphic Novel, The Death of Captain Marvel. (I’ll be reviewing that particular oversized tome in the days ahead, but I should make you aware that a single book combining it and the collection reviewed above was released as The Life and Death of Captain Marvel – ISBN13: 978-0-7851-0837-5 in 2002 and might still be available if you want all your cosmic eggs in one basket).

© 1972, 1973, 1974, 1990 Marvel Entertainment Group/Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Shooting Stars

Shooting Stars

By Rod Kierkegaard Jr. (Catalan Communications)
ISBN: 0-87416-028-6

Here’s a spectacularly cool and probably dangerously litigation-prone slice of 1980’s satire that still delivers a breathtaking punch for modern readers and art-fans. This selection of short spoofs and pastiches that presages our modern obsession with celebrity and scandal by lampooning major music icons in grotesque murder-and-monster yarns, many featuring the fab, hip and cool Rock Detective Rockfort.

‘Killer!’ features that king of Pop Michael Rockson in a sex-and-blood teen-slasher tale featuring the marvellously crafted likenesses of that boy who never grew up, but also such notables as Paul McCartney, Diana Ross and a host of others. ‘Doctor Boy… And Mr. Gore’ stars Boy Gorgeous, the gender-bending Marilyn, Vanessa Williams (nee ‘Willing’) and a truly macabre tale of steroid abuse, whilst ‘Prance’ features too many stars to list in a Mary Shelley riff that sees Baron Von Funkestein build the perfect performer from the remains of dead rock stars.

This wicked, graphically sexy and devilishly funny book concludes with ‘Like a Holy Virgin’ as Rockfort is hired by superstar Madollar. It seems she’s lost her virginity and only a great detective can recover it for her… The cameos here range from Sting to Sean Penn and once again the surreal, sardonic and supremely talented Rod Kierkegaard Jr. hits the parody bullseye over and over again.

Beautifully painted, flamboyant and incisive, this trenchant, biting slice of Sex and Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll is still a great treat for adult readers, especially as his targets have stayed the course as well. One wonders if today’s stars will enjoy the same celebrity longevity…?

© 1987 Editions Albin Michel S.A. English language edition © 1987 Catalan Communications. All Rights Reserved.

Hey Skinny!

Great Advertisements from the Golden Age of Comic Books

Hey Skinny!

By Miles Beller and Jerry Leibowitz (Chronicle Books)
ISBN13: 978-0-8118-0828-6

A few years back there were a brace of books released that reprinted the iconic advertisements that peppered comic books; both American and the much more sedate British variety. Although mostly sensationalistic and concentrating on the kitsch value of their content, there’s still a valid reason to commemorate these histrionic and fantastic landmarks of nostalgia. The volume cited here is a slim and jolly little gem that features full page ads that appeared in US comic-books from the dawn of the form until the mid 1950’s.

Culled from such disparate sources as Alarming Tales, Blue Bolt, Buck Duck, Captain Marvel Adventures, Crime and Punishment, Heart Throbs, Little Lulu, Sad Sack, Terry and the Pirates and a host of others, these full colour seductions offer to fulfill every child’s dreams with such devices as the Technicolor Comicscope, a Jet “Rocket” Space Ship, a Phono-Toon, Forest-Fire Lamps, Space Cadet “Invisible Helmets”, Nutty Putty or even Captain Video Two-Way Communicators.

For older readers the secrets of a happy life are guaranteed with such boons to mankind as Wards Formula (for killing hair-destroying germs!), Baton Twirling in 5 Minutes, the Vacutex Gentle Suction Blackhead Remover, Anti-Bed-Wetting Tablets and of course the secrets of gaining weight and girlfriends.

Even if you’re not skinny this charming slice of yesteryear offers a warm and fuzzy feeling of simpler times now gone, for any fan who doesn’t take the industry and their passion too seriously.

© 1995 Miles Beller and Jerry Leibowitz. All Rights Reserved.

Figure Drawing Without a Model

Figure Drawing Without a Model

paperback edition
By Ron Tiner (David & Charles)
ISBN13: 978-0-71530-646-8

Having sat through a very large number of portfolio shows (where aspiring artists show their work in hope of advice and eventually a job) I’ve heard – and I must admit, uttered – the phrase “you need to do more life drawing” many hundreds of times. It’s a cliché but it’s universally absolutely true. The human body is the basic unit of meaning and communication in narrative fiction. Everything an artist needs to say depends on how you can render and manipulate that basic unit. And no-one ever EVER reaches the stage where they stop needing to practise observing, constructing and reducing 3-dimensional forms in real space into 2-dimensional analogues.

Rant over, I can admit that finding suitable classes and even the time to practise can be a real bother. So this book by illustrator, teacher and comic artist Ron Tiner, designed with the specialised needs of the narrative artist in mind, is an absolute gem for the aspiring and dedicated would-be creator. All the fundamentals are covered from Structure and Proportion, The Figure in Action, Imagination, Character and Expression, Picture and Composition and Graphic Narrative.

Especially useful for our purposes is the section on The Definitive Moment – depicting the most useful static image that best defines the intent of an action. When Splatman punches Doctor Deadly, what is the most telling, most satisfactory and most efficient figure, angle and composition to communicate the writer’s intention? Sounds woolly, I know, but it’s always the hardest skill for creators to develop, especially in scenes that need mood or tension rather than explosive drama, and this forthright examination here sells it perfectly.

This wonderful book, lavishly illustrated by a master of the comic strip, shows what the reader needs to know and reveals how the artist needs to think. Great stuff and absolutely invaluable – but still not a substitute for life-drawing classes…

So get both.

© 1992, 1997 Ron Tiner. All Rights Reserved.