Edited by Vincenzo Mollica & Antonio Vianovi (Glamour International Productions)
No ISBN
Born on Christmas Eve 1946, Italian electrician Vittorio Giardino changed careers at age 30. Working for many European comics magazines initially, his first collection, Pax Romana, was released in 1978. He has worked slowly but consistently on characters like detective Sam Pezzo, saucy Winsor McKay homage Little Ego, the cold-war drama Jonas Fink and diffident super-spy Max Fridman as well as general fiction tales, producing over 35 albums to date.
In 1986 the Italian outfit which produced the stylish Popular Arts magazine Glamour Illustrated released a number of fabulous art-books collecting the works of some of the biggest names in European narrative storytelling, which had limited distribution in Britain thanks to the specialist importer Titan Distributors, and this is probably the very best of them.
This glorious 200 page tome (48 of them a full-colour high-gloss insert) simultaneously translated into French and English, displays the incredible ability and versatility of an incomparable creator, with excepts from printed works, extensive sketch and working drawing sections a full publication record to date, notes and an appreciation by Gianni Brunoro.
As you would expect there is a large amount of beautifully drawn flesh on display, as well as some of the most clean and sublime narrative art produced in the last half century. Extended excerpted sequences from Sam Pezzo, Little Ego, and Max Fridman show Giardino’s unique ability to inform and suggest with nuanced expression and gesture, and his scrupulous devotion to research and historical accuracy whilst his straight cartooning reveals a sly, dry sense of humour.
This is beautiful book desperately in need of updating and re-release, and Giardino is a world class storyteller that English speakers have too long been deprived of…
The Phantom Stranger was one of the first transitional heroes of the Golden Age of comics, created at the very end of the superhero boom as readers moved from costumed crimefighters to other genres such as mystery, crime, war and western tales. A trench-coated, mysterious know-it-all, with hat pulled down low, he would appear, debunk a legend or foil a supernatural-seeming plot, and then vanish again.
He was coolly ambiguous, never revealing whether he was man, mystic or personally paranormal. Probably created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, who produced the first story in Phantom Stranger #1 (August-September 1952) and most of the others, the six-issue run also boasted contributions from Jack Miller, Manny Stallman and John Giunta. The last issue was cover-dated June-July, 1953, after which the character vanished.
Flash-forward to the end of 1968. The second superhero boom is rapidly becoming a bust and traditional costumed heroes are dropping like flies. Suspense and mystery titles are the Coming Thing and somebody has the bright idea of reviving the Phantom Stranger. He is the last hero revival of DC’s Silver Age and the last to graduate to his own title during the star-studded initial run of Showcase, appearing in #80 (January-February 1969) and debuting in his own comic three months later. This time he found an appreciative audience, running for 41 issues over seven years.
Rather than completely renovate the character, or simply run complete reprints as DC had when trying to revive espionage ace King Faraday (Showcase #50-51), Editor Joe Orlando had writer Mike Friedrich and artist Jerry Grandenetti create a contemporary framing sequence of missing children for the 1950s tale ‘the Three Signs of Evil’, and in a masterstroke of print economy, introduced (or rather reintroduced) another lost 1950s mystery hero to fill out the comic, and provide a thoroughly modern counterpoint.
Despite this somewhat choppy beginning, the tryout was a relative success and (Follow Me… For I Am…) The Phantom Stranger launched with a May-June cover-date. In another framing sequence by Friedrich and Bill Draut, a tale of impossible escape from certain death is revealed in ‘When Ghosts Walk!’, a Fifties thriller from John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Sy Barry, followed by an all new mystery ‘Defeat the Dragon Curse… or Die!’ Firmly establishing that the supernatural is real, Friedrich and Draut pit the Stranger and Dr. 13 against each other as well as an ancient Chinese curse.
‘The Man Who Died Three Times’ in the second issue is a mystery with a deadly yet mundane origin, but the incorporated reprint Stranger tale ‘the House of Strange Secrets’ (Broome, Infantino and Barry) and Dr. 13’s ‘the Girl Who Lived 5,000 Years’ (France both provide the uneasy chills that Friedrich and Draut’s by-the-numbers tale do not.
Issue #3 once again used frightened kids as a vehicle for Friedrich and Draut to encapsulate vintage thrillers in a tale with a sinister carnival component. The Stranger relived ‘How do you Know My Name?’ by Broome and Frank Giacoia whilst Dr. 13 proved once more that there were ‘No Such Thing as Ghosts!’ (by Herron and Starr).
With such a formularized start it’s a miracle the series reached the landmark issue #4 where Robert Kanigher and Neal Adams (who had been responsible for the lion’s share of eerie, captivating covers thus far) produced a much more proactive hero in the mystery triptych ‘There is Laughter in Hell This Day!’, ‘There is Laughter in Hell Tonight!’ and ‘Even the Walls are Weeping!’
Stalwart Bill Draut provided inks for this classy classic in which Terry Thirteen became a far more militant – and consequently, frustrated – debunker of the Stranger’s “hocus-pocus†when Tala, the demonic Queen of Evil and Mistress of Darkness escapes her ancient tomb to bedevil the modern world with only the Phantom Stranger and an eclectic gang of runaway teens to oppose her.
This new combative format and repositioning of the book was presumably for the benefit of older kids. The protagonist teens were a strange composite of counter-culture stereotypes named Spartacus (Black kid), Attila (greasy biker), Wild Rose (blonde flower child) and Mister Square (conformist drop-out) who feel a little forced now but were the saving of the book, as was dropping of 17 year old reprints. From now on the stranger would really battle the Dark Powers and Dr. 13 would assume the metaphorical role of a blustering, officious parent who had no idea what was really going on. An added bonus in this cracking issue was a nifty three page horror vignette from Kanigher and the wonderful Murphy Anderson entitled ‘Out of This World’.
Anderson returned to ink the unique Mike Sekowsky in Phantom Stranger # 5, a full-length ghostly thriller featuring more of Tala’s handiwork in ‘the Devil’s Playground!’, topped off with another horror short by Kanigher, credited to Sekowsky here but actually a fine example of Curt Swan’s subtle mastery, especially as it’s inked by Anderson.
Sekowsky wrote and illustrated the next issue, with inks from Vince Colletta. ‘No. 13 Thirteenth Street’ is a Haunted House tale with those meddling kids and Dr. 13 getting underfoot in a delightfully light and whimsical diversion before Kanigher and Tala return in #7’s dark saga ‘The Curse!’ wherein both the Stranger and Terry Thirteen are right and the solution to madness and sudden deaths is both fraud and the supernatural!
This issue is particularly important in that it features the debut of up-and-coming Jim Aparo as illustrator. Over the next few years his art on this feature would be some of the very best in the entire industry.
Issue #8 featured an early arctic eco-thriller with supernatural overtones as Denny O’Neil described the tragic ‘Journey to the Tomb of the Ice Giants!’ whilst Dr. 13 got his own feature and dealt with ‘the Adventure of the Brittle Blossom!’ Mike Sekowsky scripted #9’s ‘Obeah Man!’ a tense shocker of emerging nations and ancient magic which showed Aparo’s superb versatility with locales.
Young Gerry Conway wrote ‘Death… Call Not my Name!’ for #10 which introduced another stylish returning villain in the immortal alchemist Tannarak, and found room for a quickie as the Stranger proved to be no match for ‘Charlie’s Crocodile.’Phantom Stranger #11 (Conway and Aparo) introduced a colossal new threat as evil-doers everywhere began to vanish in ‘Walk Not in the Desert Sun…’ whilst Kanigher returned with a classy haunted love-story in ‘Marry Me… Marry Death!’ in #12 which also featured another debunking solo outing for the Ghost Breaker in Jack Oleck and Tony De Zuniga’s ‘A Time to Die’.
Science met supernature in issue #13 when death stalked a research community in ‘Child of Death’ and Dr. 13 survived an encounter with ‘the Devil’s Timepiece’, both scripts from Kanigher and art supplied by Aparo and De Zuniga respectively.
Len Wein wrote possibly the spookiest adventure to feature the Phantom Stranger in #14’s ‘The Man with No Heart!’, a story which resolved forever the debate about the dark hero’s humanity and also introduced another long-term adversary for our delectation. The Ghost Breaker had his own brush with super-science – but definitely not the supernatural, no sir! – in Wein and De Zuniga’s ‘The Spectre of the Stalking Swamp!’ a tale that actually pushed the Stranger off his own front cover!
Issue #15 returned him to the Dark Continent as a robotics engineer is caught up in revolution in Wein and Aparo’s ‘the Iron Messiah’ whilst Kanigher and De Zuniga send Dr. 13 up against ‘Satan’s Sextet’. On a roll now the Phantom Stranger creative team surpassed themselves with each successive issue, beginning with an ancient horror captured as an ‘Image in Wax’, nicely balanced by a sneaky murder mystery ‘And the Corpse cried “Murder!‒ (Wein and De Zuniga).
‘Like a Ghost from the Ashes’ introduced a nominal love-interest in blind psychic Cassandra Craft as well as returning an old foe with new masters in a the first chapter of an extended saga – so extended it pushed the Ghost Breaker out of #17 altogether. He returned in the back of the next issue in Steve Skeates and De Zuniga’s tense phantom menace ‘Stopover!’, and the artist drew double duty by illustrating the lead strip ‘Home is the Sailor’ a gothic romance with a sharp twist in the tail.
Old enemies resurfaced in ‘Return to the Tomb of the Ice Giants!’ as did artist Jim Aparo, whilst Skeates and De Zuniga’s ‘the Voice of Vengeance’ proved to be another stylish murder mystery in spook’s clothing. ‘A Child Shall Lead Them’ was written by Bob Kanigher, who easily adapted to the new style and produced a tense, powerful chase thriller as all and sundry search for the newest incarnation of a High Lama murdered by magic. Two short suspense tales top off the issue, both illustrated by the veteran Jack Sparling, ‘the Power’ scripted by Mark Hanerfield, and John Albano’s ‘A Far Away Place’.
Phantom Stranger #21 finishes off this superb collection of menace and magic with Wein and Aparo’s ‘the Resurrection of Johnny Glory’ wherein a reanimated assassin finds a good reason to stay dead whilst Dr. 13 debunks one final myth in ‘Woman of Stone’, prompting the question “why don’t killers use guns anymore?â€
The DC Showcase compendiums are a brilliant way to access superb quality comics fare, and these black and white telephone books of wonderment offer tremendous value for money. If you’re looking for esoteric thrills and chills this first Phantom Stranger volume has it all. If you’re not a fan yet give it a chance… you will be.
By Larry Hama, Michael Golden & Cory Adams (Continuity Publishing)
No ISBN: ASIN: B000E4SUCM
In the darkest depths of another kind of cosmos justice is upheld and right enforced by agents of S.P.A.C.E (Sentient Protoplasm Against Colonial Encroachment): the police arm of the United Animal Federation. The mammals of this Aniverse are at war with the amphibians of the Toad Empire, and their evil overlord the computer tyrant Komplex.
When a running battle forces the S.P.A.C.E Frigate Righteous Indignation to crack the walls of the continuum, captain Bucky O’Hare, Jenny the Cat, android Blinky, and Deadeye the four-armed duck end up in little Willie DuWitt’s closet in San Francisco. The ingenious Grade Schooler helps out the refugees from beyond, but is subsequently trapped in the Aniverse, becoming a crew member until they can find another portal to his home.
But meanwhile Willie’s got front row seats for the greatest adventure in two universes!
This fabulously cool and charming light-adventure began as serial segments in Neal Adam’s Continuity Comics anthology Echoes of Futurepast, before being collected into a great all-ages album, and for a brief moment was the toast of kids entertainment, spawning an animated TV series (1991-1992), computer games and action figures and toys, and a British company (DC Thomson if I remember aright) picked up the UK rights, publishing a dozen or so all-new adventures after reprinting the Larry Hama/Michael Golden mini masterpiece.
In 2007, Vanguard reprinted the original graphic novel and a couple of the UK issues in a manga format, black-and-white book collection, called ‘Bucky O’Hare and the Toad Menace’ (ISBN-13: 978-1-88759-196-6) but as both the hardcover and paperback originals from 1986 are still readily available and sparkle with Cory Adams’ vibrant, contagious colours, I’d advise you hunt either of those down as Golden’s incredible artwork is a tad to busy at the reduced size.
Hama reputedly wrote a second complete Bucky O’Hare tale which has never been published, so if I can do my bit to create an atmosphere where he can, maybe I can win a MMM (Muddled Mammal Medal) for services to Great Fun…
By Yukinobu Hoshino, translated by Fred Burke & Matt Thorn (Viz Spectrum Editions) ISBN: 0-929279-62-X ISBN-13: 978-0-929279-62-6
Yukinobu Hoshino is probably the most respected “hard science†science fiction manga creator in Japan with the phenomenal 2001 Nights saga of exploration and survival as his best known and regarded work, although ‘Steel Queen’ and the Tezuka award-winning ‘Morning Faraway’ are also seminal classics.
After finishing the reincarnation thriller ‘The Legends of a Witch’ in 1980 he began working on the shared theme short stories that became Saber Tiger.
The two stories presented in this book explore his signature fascination with expansion and colonisation, and are underpinned with dour philosophical musings about Man’s place in the universe. In the title story time-travellers from 2479 arrive in the midst of the Ice Age with the sole intention of protecting their distant ancestors from extinction, but the Sabre Tooth Tiger, undisputed master of the frozen wastes has his own ideas…
This bleak, savage examination of evolutionary principles is drawn with captivating skill and guile, as is the second tale ‘the Planet of the Unicorn’ wherein a human colony vessel lands on a perfect world but soon finds that their inexplicable unease was fully justified as both animals and humans suffer behavioural problems and even radical mutations…
Chilling, moving and eerily pensive in the manner of British SF authors J G Ballard, John Lymington or Christopher Priest this is a superb evocation of the dark, cerebral side of science fiction rendered real by the efficient, effective art of a master art technician. Why this isn’t still in print I shall never know, but I have my suspicions…
By Geoff Johns & various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: ISBN13: 978-1-4012-1800-3
The universe-shaking battle between absolute security and total terror crashes to a stupendous climax with Earth as the prize and final battleground. The renegade Green Lantern Sinestro has declared war on the entire cosmos and his legions of eager brutalists are carving a bloody swathe through civilised worlds and peacekeepers alike aided by his evil lieutenants Superman-Prime, the Manhunters, Mongul, Cyborg Superman and the Anti-Monitor, and especially the very embodiment of fear: Parallax.
Reduced to a desperate last stand the Green Lanterns unite with the heroes of Earth to snatch a victory of sorts from the jaws of defeat in a action-packed, visually mind-blowing blockbuster which is only the portent of greater dramas to come…
This concluding volume collects Green Lantern #24-25 and Green Lantern Corps #16-19 written by Geoff Johns, Dave Gibbons and Peter J. Tomasi, illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver, Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, Jamal Igle, Jerry Ordway, Angel Unzueta, Oclair Albert, Pascal Alixe, Dustin Nguyen, Vincente Cifuentes, Rodney Ramos, Rob Hunter, Marlo Alquiza, Rod Reis, Prentis Rollins, Julio Ferreira, Derek Fridolfs, Dan Davis Rebecca Buchman. Tom Nguyen, Drew Geraci, with colour from Moose Bauman, David Curiel, JD Smith and Guy Major.
Also included is an extensive commentary section, stuffed with production art. A pictorial feast, this book is best read in close conjunction with volume 1 (ISBN13: 978-1-4012-1650-4) and the ancillary Green Lantern: Tales of the Sinestro Corps (ISBN13: 978-1-4012-1801-0).
Flash Greatest StoriesBy various (DC Comics)
ISBN: 978-1-4012-1372-5
The Greatest Stories series of collections has thrown up some unexpected treats in its selection of material, so kudos to all the researchers and editors involved. This volume presents some genuinely intriguing choices featuring three of the characters DC has featured as “the Fastest Man Aliveâ€.
From the Golden Age come two classics of Jay Garrick – a scientist exposed to “hard water fumes†which gave him his super-speed and endurance. Both written by Robert Kanigher, the first, ‘Stone Age Menace’ (Flash Comics #86, 1947) is illustrated by Lee Elias and Joe Kubert and has the irresistible enticements of gangsters and dinosaurs, whilst the much reprinted ‘The Rival Flash’ was the last published tale of the first speedster with the bonus of recapping his origins whilst tackling a villain with all his powers. The art was by Carmine Infantino and Frank Giacoia – who would both work wonders with the Silver Age revival – and originally appeared in Flash Comics #104, 1940.
For nearly a decade, licensed properties, Westerns, War, Mystery and other genre fare dominated the newsstands and despite the odd sally, costumed heroes barely held their own until Julius Schwartz ushered in a new age of brightly clad mystery-men by reviving the Flash in 1956.
For the great majority of fans (aging baby-boomers that they are) police scientist Barry Allen will always be the “real†Scarlet Speedster, struck by lightning, bathed in chemicals – if you couldn’t find an atomic blast to survive, that kind of freak accident was the only way to start a career. From his spectacular run comes the absolute landmark which marked the beginning of a way of life for do many addicted kids.
‘Flash of Two Worlds’ by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella (Flash #123, 1961) revived the Golden Age Flash, and by implication, the whole 1940s DC pantheon, by introducing the concept of parallel worlds and multiple Earths which became the bedrock of the entire continuity, and which the company still mines to such great effect. What’s seldom mentioned is that this initial meeting between the two Flashes is a great super-villain romp featuring a perfect pitched battle against three truly eerie foes: The Fiddler, the Thinker and the Shade.
Villain team-ups were increasingly a major part of the comics experience. Stacking the odds always increased the tension for the thrill-hungry reader and ‘The Gauntlet of Super-Villains!’ by John Broome, Infantino and Giella (Flash #155, 1965) which pits the Vizier of Velocity (don’t you just love those cool alliterative appellatives?) against Mirror Master, Captains Boomerang and Cold, Heatwave, Pied Piper and the Top is one of the best ever, stuffed with action, whimsy and sly wit, and with a hidden mystery foe to crank up the element of danger even more.
Every married man already knows the answer* but for us kids reading this the first time around that question was real stumper.
When Carmine Infantino left the strip most fans were convinced the Flash was ruined. Replacement art team Ross Andru and Mike Esposito were highly controversial and suffered most unfairly in unjust comparisons – and I count myself among their biggest detractors at the time – but in the intervening years I’ve leaned to appreciate the superb quality of their work.
Their tenure is represented here by ‘The Flash – Fact of Fiction?’ from Flash #179 (1968). Written by newcomer Cary Bates and Gardner Fox it took the multiple Earths concept to its logical conclusion by trapping the Monarch of Motion in “our†Reality, where the Flash was just a comic-book character!
Bates eventually became the regular writer of the series and in 1978, when the industry was at its lowest commercial point, wrote the longest single adventure in the Flash’s history. Desperately trying new formats the company launched DC Special Series, a extra-long format for non-standard material. Issue #11 was a 63 page Flash Spectacular which featured Jay Garrick and fellow 1940s speedster Johnny Quick, Barry Allen and the sidekick speedster Kid Flash in a Sci Fi extravaganza ‘Beyond the Super-Speed Barrier!’
Barry Allen died during the Crisis on Infinite Earths (ISBN13: 978-1-5638-9750-4) – whatever that means in comics – and his nephew Wally West graduated from sidekick to the third Sultan of Speed. From Flash volume 2, #91(1994) comes ‘Out of Time’ to close the book. Writer Mark Waid and the much-missed Mike Wieringo (inked here by Jose Marzan Jr.) utterly revitalised the character in the 1990s and this snappy, stylish tale of impossible circumstances clearly shows why and how.
Not quite an icon like Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman, the Flash is nevertheless the quintessential superhero and the reason we’re all doing this today. This book is a great example of why and readily accessible to nostalgists and neophytes alike. Whatever your age there’s something great here for you to enjoy and treasure.
*In case you’re not married, or not a man, the answer is: Fake your own death and move to Bolivia. And if you find a woman there, always tell her everything before she asks or finds out.
By Charles Vess (Archival Press)
ISBN: 0-915822-25-3
The Comics Arts movement was in its infancy in the mid 1970s and it’s through the efforts of such folk as the Archival Press on one hand and the likes of Ken Pierce on the other that the works of our industry were gradually legitimised into the budding art-form we all aspire to – sadly, a process still not completed in most English speaking countries.
From 1979 then comes this lovely compendium of the early works of Charles Vess, fantasist, supreme stylist and champion of the craft of the illustrator. In bold, dynamic, beguiling black and white this entrancing collection of prose vignettes and comic strip displays his love of the form and his striking ability with pen and brush, as well as his wry and gentle sense of humour.
‘The Shadow Witch’ is a gloriously baroque fairytale copiously illustrated with fine pen (or maybe quill!) work that is wonderfully balanced by the fantasy adventure strip ‘Demon Sword’ whilst the lyrical whimsy of ‘the Fiddler and the Swan’ shows the deep regard the artist has for the Victorian and Edwardian illustrators such as Arthur Rackham.
Vess’ modern works are a highpoint of the form and along with Kaluta and Gary Gianni form the last bastion of a classical revivalist style lost in the rush to modern techniques and technology. These examples of the power of the ink line should be mandatory viewing for any aspiring artist, and the easy skill with which these stories are told make them compelling beyond belief. Let’s have a definitive collection now!
By Walter Simonson & various (DC Comics)
ISBN: 0-930289-41-2
Here’s an endeavour DC should have pursued when they first thought of it. In 1989, at the dawn of commercial trade paperback publishing, instead of collecting key or beloved storylines into spiffy book editions, someone had the bright idea of collecting the less well known works of a particular fan-favourite artist: in this case Walt “my signature is a dinosaur†(and you’ve got to be a fan-boy of a certain age to remember that one) Simonson.
A brilliant imagination and, by his own admission, more designer than artist, Simonson broke through in the standard manner in the early 1970s by illustrating a few short stories for DC’s large complement of anthology comics – a valuable and much-missed proving ground for budding talent. Whilst working on Fritz Leiber’s licensed property Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser for the seminal Sword of Sorcery comic-book he was commissioned by Archie Goodwin to illustrate the groundbreaking, award-winning Manhunter feature for Detective Comics (#437-443), and was instantly catapulted to the forefront of comics creators.
This 208 page volume features some fine examples of his long and illustrious career, highlighting a great deal of superb material that newer fans might be unaware of, and indeed many older lags too. After the lovely introduction from comrade and compatriot Howard Chaykin the wonderment begins with ‘The Cape & Cowl Deathtrap’ from Detective Comics #450 (1975), a stylish Batman thriller scripted by Elliot Maggin, followed by the best Dr. Fate story of the decade from First Issue Special #9 (1975). This untitled delight, written by Martin Pasko, and featuring a diabolical Egyptian mummy, allowed the artist to stretch himself and explore his increasing fascination with patterns, symbols and especially typography. It’s a cracking good read too.
Marvel Comics have been producing creator-specific compilations for the last couple of years and I’ve been less than kind about many of them. My biggest beef is not just empty griping though as this book proved nearly twenty years ago.
Captain Fear was a pirate strip that had run in Adventure Comics, illustrated by the unique Alex Nino. Simonson and writer David Michelinie (with lettering whiz John Workman) revived the feature for a superb three-issue run in the back of Unknown Soldier (#254-256, 1981), and all three chapters are presented here, rather than just an unsatisfactory, incomplete fragment. At least some editors remember that readers like to know how stories begin and end…
‘U.F.M’, scripted by Gerry Boudreau, was Simonson’s second professional sale to DC and appeared in the Goodwin edited Star-Spangled War Stories #170 (1973). It’s a straight but stylish “Future Shock†type of science fiction tale but was popular enough to warrant a sequel the following year. ‘The Return’ by the same team (Star-Spangled War Stories #180) might also charm the celebrity conscious comics fan since the likes of Howard Chaykin, Daina Grazunias and Gray Morrow modeled for the humans in this little treat.
Hercules Unbound was a post-apocalyptic fantasy title created by Gerry Conway when he first joined DC in 1976. It was bizarre, eclectic and a little hit-or-miss, but it had art by a veritable who’s who of top artists including Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Wally Wood. By the time Cary Bates and Simonson took over the title it was already slated for cancellation, bur DC deferred the chop until the creators could bring the saga to a proper conclusion. From the last two issues in 1977, (#11 and 12 if you’re counting) comes ‘Dark Side of the Gods’ and ‘Chaos Among the Gods’ a bravura cosmic romp and a clear indication to me that a complete volume should be a matter of priority for DC’s powers-that-be.
The book concludes with a true epic, both in content but also in length. Beginning with a one-shot scripted by Steve Gerber, and published as Metal Men #45 it turned into a full revival of the robotic heroes, with Conway and Pasko continuing the writing and Simonson having great fun producing five full issues of metallic mayhem, both funny and thrilling. And again, the whole lot is included here. ‘Evil is in the Eye of the Beholder’, ‘The Chemo Conspiracy’, ‘The X Effect’, ‘Who is Bruce Gordon’ and ‘The Dark God Cometh’ (Metal Men #45-49 inclusive, 1976-1977) form a wonderful, old fashioned comics experience, packed with humour, dazzling to look at, and it even features a classic guest-villain in the nefarious Eclipso.
With each tale supported by informative commentaries from Simonson and topped off by a superb 10 page portfolio of sketches and cover reproductions at the back, this is a deeply satisfying treat for eyes and brains everywhere, long overdue for re-release and a valuable example of a type of book that DC’s back catalogue is perfect for.
How many comics legends can you think of that could easily and satisfactorily fill a book like this? Kirby, Wrightson, Wood, Redondo, Garcia-Lopez, Toth, Aragones… the list really is endless.
Edited by Steve Holland (Prion)
ISBN: 978-1-85375-673-3
During the science fiction boom of the 1950s thrill hungry kids just couldn’t get enough of The Great Beyond. Fuelled by seemingly daily technical advances and the groundbreaking weekly adventures of Dan Dare in the Eagle they devoured everything Outer Spacial and the rest of Britain’s entertainment industries had to adapt or die.
Super Detective Library was a pocket-sized black-and-white digest magazine launched in 1953, and published fortnightly by Amalgamated Press as companions to Thriller Picture Library and Cowboy Picture Library. As the name suggests the complete picture stories starred a number of famous crime-busters including Sexton Blake, The Saint, Nick Barton, Bulldog Drummond and even Fu Manchu – although obviously the steely-eyed Nayland Smith was the titular star there – as well as newspaper strip heroes such as Rip Kirby, Buck Ryan and others.
In response to the demand for outer space drama editor Edward Holmes created Rick Random, who worked for the Interplanetary Bureau of Investigations and the Interplanetary Council. Set in 2040 after a cataclysmic global war, the adventures dealt with a society expanding into unknown space bringing civilisation with it: A realm of pure adventure on the borders of comfortable safety and security.
Originally scripted by Holmes and Conrad Frost with art from Bill Lacey and the brilliant Reg Bunn (whose masterpiece The Spider: King of Crooks ISBN 1-84576-000-X is still available from Titan Books) Rick Random reached a peak of excellence when the Canadian Bob Kesten and American Harry (Stainless Steel Rat) Harrison were teamed with the artist Ron Turner, whose sense of style and colossal imagination made it the only real rival to Dan Dare.
This too brief volume (the first of many, I hope) collects ten of the best in its 650+ pages. ‘Kidnappers from Mars’, ‘Emperor of the Moon’, ‘Planet of Terror’, ‘Space Pirates’, ‘Perilous Mission’, ‘Mystery of the Frozen World’, ‘Mystery of the Robot World’, ‘Killer in Space’, ‘Threat from Space’ and ‘Kidnapped Planet’ are reproduced here about half as large again as when they first appeared and on much better paper stock.
These are wonderfully clear, crisp, uncomplicated romps that will appeal as much to your granddad as your kids, but you’d best get everyone their own copies so they won’t steal yours!
By Bob Layton and various (Marvel)
ISBN-13: 978-0-78510-555-8
There are too few lighthearted adventure comics around for my liking. Have readers become so sullen and depressed that it takes nothing but angst and cosmic trauma to rouse them? I hope not because I love a little laughter with my mayhem, and let’s be honest, there’s lots of comedic potential to men-in-tights hitting each other with cars and buildings. Here’s a perfect example collected a decade ago, but still widely available online and in selected retail outlets.
In the 1982 Marvel tested the potential of miniseries as a viable product-stream with an out-of-continuity four-parter starring the mythological Avenger Hercules. Set a few hundred years in the future, the boisterous demi-god ticked off Father Zeus once too often and was banished to roam outer space until he grew up.
Travelling via Apollo’s chariot, complete with faster-than-light carnivorous horses, he had many adventures, met a few beautiful ladies and picked up a Rigellian Recorder (an AI mechanoid programmed to acquire all knowledge) which he promptly corrupted with his good-natured bluster, carousing and hero-ing. Light-hearted and very amusing the series famously culminated with a drinking match against planet-devouring Galactus.
Spectacularly popular, there was a sequel as soon as writer/artist Bob Layton could manage it. Released in 1984 the second miniseries carried on in much the same manner. Herc or “old Steroid Breath†as he became known, gained a timid, but unscrupulous Skrull named Skyppi, fought a Skrull-hunting future version of the sometimes Avenger Red Wolf and defeated the last disciple of mad god Thanos.
A darker sub-plot underpinned the shenanigans as the son of Zeus had seemingly lost his immortality, and whilst he was making his way back to Earth his divine father was insanely slaughtering all the denizens of Olympus, and waiting with gory anticipation for his last son to return…
Without blowing the ending, suffice it to say that there was genuine advancement of the character, and plenty of triumph and tragedy. Although considered non-canonical by most fans this book collecting both series is a great example of self-contained Marvel Magic, funny, outrageous, charming and full of good-natured punch-ups.
This is a great taste of the company without all the excess baggage that daunts so many new readers of old comics material. An earlier trade paperback reprinting containing just the first miniseries (ISBN: 0-87135-365-2) was published in 1988 to coincide with the release of a further sequel Hercules: Full Circle.
