By Martin Pasko, George Tuska & Vince Colletta (Tor)
ISBN: 0-523-49094-1
In my perpetual quest to highlight the rare and odd (or “show off†as my mum used to call it) I’ve unearthed this little gem from the early 1980s, when the Superman franchise was riding high due to the motion picture and its sequels. Although he’s got the biggest logo and the lion’s share of the action, inside this standard sized paperback is actually the collected first adventure of the Justice League of America newspaper strip, which launched on 9th April 1978, variously entitled The World’s Greatest Superheroes, …Presents Superman, and from 9th January 1983, The Superman Sunday Special, until it folded on 10th February 1985.
This initial story pits the Man of Steel, Wonder Woman, Flash and Aquaman against the immortal mass-murderer Vandal Savage, who plans to further extend his long life by absorbing the life energies of most of Earth’s population. Of course to do that he has to kill them all first…
Later creators included Paul Levitz, Gerry Conway, Paul Kupperberg, Bob Rozakis, Jose Delbo, Bob Smith, Frank McLaughlin, and Sal Trapani, but the opening credits go to Martin Pasko, George Tuska and Vince Colletta in this engaging, gloriously traditional costume drama. Never flashy or “with itâ€, this strip is a great read and deserves a definitive collection likes the Batman and Superman newspaper strips.
In the meantime there’s still the internet and local comic shops to haunt and hunt in…
Vampirella was the third title in Jim Warren’s burgeoning comic magazine empire. Issue one was released in September 1969 and starred a sexy alien vampire as well as a selection of short horror tales aimed at an older audience. The series ran until 1983, a soft-core, tongue-in-cheek horror romp, which ranged in quality from appalling to brilliant depending upon which of a simply vast pool of creators was working on the feature. After the collapse of Warren’s company the property languished until revived by Harris Comics and Dark Horse.
During the 1990s “Bad Girls†comics fad she was appeared in a veritable deluge of series and miniseries, and from that time comes this quirky collection of yarns culled from the pages of the Warren back catalogue. ‘Vampire of the Nile’ leads off, written by Flaxman Loew and brilliantly illustrated by the great Jose Ortiz, which reveals that the sexy bloodsucker is the reincarnation of the legendary Cleopatra.
A two part tale from #71 and 72 follows, both written by Bill Dubay, with art from Jose Gonzalez. ‘The Case of the Connected Clowns and the Collector’ and ‘The Beauty and the Behemoth’ find Vampirella among the modern glitterati of Hollywood, in a far more comedic tale of madmen and monsters. Right on their tail comes two shorts from #83.
Low and Gonzalez crafted both the gory ‘The God of Blood’ and its tragic sequel ‘The Betrothed of the Sun-God!’ before deferring to Rich Margopoulos and Rudy Nebres who produced the satanic thriller ‘Bracelets, Demons and Death’ in #92 and the robotic adversary known as ‘Death Machine’ in #94.
Vampi is a science-based vampire trapped on Earth, usually battling supernatural menaces, and in #95 and #96 she deals with two of the worst sorts in ‘A Plague of Vampires’ and ‘The Hound of Hell’, also by Margopoulos and Nebres. This slim tome concludes with a desperate hunt for a supernatural serial-killer in ‘A Feast of Fear’ by Margopoulos and Gonzalez.
Eccentric and never overly serious the original run of blood-drenched yarns won many devoted fans, more for the incredible European-styled black-and-white art than the scripting, and his scarce but worthwhile collection is a perfect example of just why. Perhaps without the excesses of a comics publishing frenzy to fuel hysteria, the time’s now right for a serious definitive collection, and as long as I’m wishing, a compendium of those marvelous painted covers that graced each issue as well…
By Bill Willingham, Matthew Sturges & various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-84576-892-8
The third Shadowpact collection (reprinting issues #14-19 of the monthly comic-book series) advances the long-running Doctor Gotham plotline as the all-powerful sorcerer sets a trap and finally confronts the Supernatural Superteam in all-out combat. Written by Willingham, with art from Tom Derenick and Wayne Faucher, ‘The Redemption Contract’ is a truly epic, highly plausible and authentic confrontation. If wizards fought superheroes this is the way they would do it!
There’s even time to further examine the plight of Blue Devil, indentured to Hell but with Vatican exorcists and the slickest lawyer in America trying to get him out of his Infernal Contract. The deeply sardonic vein of humour is counterbalanced by blockbuster thrills and chills as Chicago is almost eradicated and the team’s roster is dramatically changed.
The sheer spectacle of this tale is followed by an impressive outing from writer Matthew Sturges who splits the team when a dimensional jaunt strands Nightmaster, Nightshade and Ragman in a dire otherworld populated by zombies and madmen (a tale to be concluded in the next volume) whilst remaining earthbound members Detective Chimp, Enchantress and Blue Devil’s replacement (ex-Justice Leaguer and actual Angel) Zauriel are left to face a slaughter-crazed magical construct who has complete control over women.
‘Darkness and Light’ is an atmospheric three-part tale magnificently illustrated by Doug Braithwaite, Derenick & Faucher and Phil Winslade, and the consistently high quality writing and art has made this series one of the very best new superhero sagas on the market.
Although the comic has gone now, hopefully these books (see also Infinite Crisis: Day of Vengeance – ISBN 1-84576-230-4, Shadowpact: the Pentacle Plot – ISBN: 1-84576-533-8 and Shadowpact: Cursed – ISBN13: 978-1-84576-738-9) will continue to find an appreciative audience and lead to a revival of this much-missed comic.
A few years ago the “World’s Mightiest Heroes†were shut down and rebooted in a company-wide event known as Avengers Disassembled. Of course it was only to replace them with both The New- and The Young Avengers. Affiliated comic-books such as the Fantastic Four and Spectacular Spider-Man ran parallel but not necessarily interconnected story-arcs to accompany the Big Show.
To many fans Iron Man is the quintessential Avenger. A founding member, he has served with practically every incarnation of the team and in his other identity of billionaire technocrat Tony Stark, funds and arms the team. In this collection (re-presenting Iron Man Volume 3, #84-89) Stark is the current U.S, Secretary of Defense and his duty to the Administration is beginning to conflict with his role as a U.N. sanctioned Avenger.
When Secret Service men brief him that a World War II super weapon built by his father lies dormant beneath Avengers Mansion and a potential embarrassment to the government, Stark agrees to spy on his fellow heroes and covertly remove the Arsenal Weapon. Naturally it all goes cataclysmically wrong with lasting repercussions…
This two-part tale is by John Jackson Miller and Jorge Lucas, and annoyingly for the unprepared leads directly into Avengers #500 (for which you’ll need to have a copy of the companion volume Avengers: Disassembled ISBN: 0-7851-1482-3 to hand) before we resume with ‘the Singularity’.
Written by Mark Ricketts, drawn by Tony Harris and Scott Kolins with inks by Tom Feister and Charles Wallace this tale sees the hero’s life fall tragically apart as a component of the Big Show, wherein a sinister plot and betrayal drags the armoured hero to the brink of ultimate personal and professional disaster…
Despite the poor planning and editing this is a compelling tale that perfectly illustrates why Iron Man has remained such a popular character, and has a lot to recommend it, but for perfect clarity you really should have that Avengers book too.
By Eric Lustbader, Lee Moder & Scott Hanna (DC Comics)
ISBN: 1-56389-156-5
Great looking art from Lee Moder, but a rather disappointing tale from the acclaimed novelist. A Batman who’s much more welcome to the Gotham authorities hunts a killer, while crash victim Selina Kyle has bloody nightmares about being hunted by a jaguar.
As Catwoman she is obsessed and bored in equal measure, but with Gotham’s gangs seemingly at each other’s throats, a Mayan exhibition of the Bat God Balam is focusing everyone’s attention from where it needs to be. And her planned heist is just a catalyst for a repeat of the events that destroyed the Mayan Empire!
When the mask possesses Batman himself, Selina is forced into the uncharacteristic role of saviour…
With everybody playing a double game and such villains as Rupert Thorne and the Joker further muddying the waters, plus a lame subplot about Selina’s lost father, this overly-convoluted tale tries just a little too hard to be all things to all people, but it does have great pace and, as I’ve already said, a superlative art job from the under-appreciated Lee Moder.
By various (Marvel/Panini Publishing UK)
ISBN13: 978-1-90523-996-2
The British Invasion was a term coined in the 1980s to describe the influx and influence of a band of creators (most with 2000AD or Warrior credentials) that began working in and revolutionising the American comic-book industry. In this context, however, it’s simply a collection of work by British creators who have contributed to Marvel’s vast continuity.
This second volume of notable Bits By Brits has a much bolder and more varied selection than its predecessor (ISBN13: 978-1-933160-68-9), kicking off with an average tale illustrated by an unsung genius of the industry.
Lee Elias moved to America in 1925 (aged 6) and worked for all the major US publishing houses beginning in 1943 at Fiction House. With Jack Williamson he created the brilliant science fiction newspaper strip Beyond Mars (1952-1955) before returning to comic-books at National Comics/DC, most notably on the Green Arrow feature, although his runs on Tommy Tomorrow in Showcase (#41-42, 44, 46-47) and both Ultra, the Multi-Alien and Adam Strange in Mystery in Space (#92-110) are well-loved classics.
In the 1970s he moved over to Marvel before settling at Warren Publishing where he produced his best ever work on the Rook and the Goblin. From his time at the House of Ideas comes a capable psycho-drama from Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #35 (1979) ‘Labyrinth’, scripted by Tony Isabella and inked by Mike Esposito.
John Bolton is a major creator who hopefully needs little introduction. His classically illustrative style added a fresh realism to the superhero genre in Classic X-Men as well as many Marvel Magazine and graphic novel projects. From the black and white magazine Bizarre Adventures # 32 (1982) comes ‘Sea of Destiny’, written by Alan Zelenetz, a mythical wonder featuring Mighty Thor and the Heroes Three, rendered in glorious wash tones.
Comics Renaissance Man Paul Neary began his career at Warren, art-directed and edited Marvel UK through its most creative years and illustrated a long run of Captain America and the landmark Nick Fury Vs S.H.I.E.L.D. miniseries before settling into a productive career as an inker. In 1986 he drew a solid superhero romp written by Bob Harras for Iron Man Annual #8, teaming the Armoured Avenger and the resurgent mutant Superteam X-Factor. ‘When Innocence Dies!’ is an effective and readable parable on intolerance, inked by Ian Akin and Brian Garvey.
Probably one of Britain’s most visible comics exports, Barry (Windsor) Smith made the jump straight to Marvel in 1969 after serving an apprenticeship producing pin-ups for the UK comics Fantastic and Terrific, published by Odhams Press and almost exclusively featuring Marvel reprints. After popping up all over the Marvel Universe he settled on the groundbreaking Conan the Barbarian title for a few years before beginning his own Fine Arts studio. On his return to comics he had his pick of projects and worked often with Chris Claremont on X-Men related tales. From Uncanny X-Men #214 (1987) ‘With Malice Towards All!’ stars Storm and Wolverine in pitched battle against a murderous disembodied mutant who can possess a victim’s body…
Alan Davis was discovered by Paul Neary, and his clean linear style captivated a whole generation of artists, just as he had in turn been galvanized by the work of Neal Adams. As well as a magnificent artist Davis is a superb writer, most often associated with Marvel’s X-books and has produced stunning work with Chris Claremont. One such example is 1987’s Uncanny X-Men Annual #11, inked by Neary. ‘Lost in the Funhouse’ features the mutant team (and Davis’ signature character Captain Britain) in combat with an omnipotent alien called Horde in a battle to save reality itself.
Comics Legend Dave Gibbons has done relatively little work for Marvel, but the Dr. Strange tale included here is possibly the best of them. Written by Walt Simonson, ‘Perchance to Dream’ from the experimental anthology title Marvel Fanfare (#41, 1988) finds the Sorcerer Supreme battling deadly dreams in an eerie netherworld. In this case, Gibbons also contributed a rare painted colour finish to the artwork.
Bryan Hitch also got his start thanks to Neary, graduating from Marvel UK’s licensed properties to the likes of StormWatch, the Authority, the Ultimates and Fantastic Four. Along the way he brought an elevated artistic standard to a few less well regarded titles. The Sensational She-Hulk volume 2, #24 featured the sometime Avenger in comedic combat with Freelance Peace-Keeping Agent (don’t call him bounty hunter) Death’s Head in an engaging little romp entitled ‘Priceless’, scripted by Simon Furman and inked by John Beatty.
Scottish superstar Frank Quitely has reached dizzying heights since he debuted in Glasgow adult comic Electric Soup, his lush, precise visuals and unique vision marrying the hyper-bizarre and ultra-mundane into an always credible graphic reality. Extracted here from a much longer saga – with concomitant loss of sense, regrettably, is ‘Imperial’ (New X-Men #122, 2002), scripted by long-time collaborator Grant Morrison, and inked by Tim Townsend, Perrotta and Florea. Pictorially stunning, this bridge between two much longer stories is virtually impenetrable to all but the most dedicated X-junkie, and commits the cardinal narrative sin of being a “middle†with neither beginning nor end.
The Punisher volume 4, #23 (2003) provides a fine example of the talented and inimitable Steve Dillon’s economical mastery of line, and as ‘Squid’ is written by fellow wise guy Garth Ennis there are plenty of the other sort of lines in this hugely funny revenge drama.
The volume concludes with one of the very best Spider-Man stories of the past decade, written by Paul Jenkins and illustrated in magical style by Mark Buckingham (with colours from old CCG comrade, D’Israeli), who’s equally at home with fights ‘n’ tights melodrama and cutting edge adult fare, such as the multi-award winning Fables. From Spectacular Spider-Man #27 (2005) comes a deeply moving moment as Peter Parker has a brief graveside conversation with his dead Uncle Ben; drawn as a tribute to the winter scenes of Bill Watterson’s legendary Calvin and Hobbes strip. Touching, illuminating and poignant enough to make a tombstone cry, this alone is worth the price of admission.
This collection is a much more balanced read and augmented by highly informative biographical features from Mike Conroy, is a Marvel primer that could win the company a lot of new fans, and even rekindle the lost magic for many older ones.
By Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, N. Steven Harris & various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-84576-785-3
One of Grant Morrison and Mark Millar’s rare failures-to-launch, this was an attempt to create a new super-hero rather than tinker with or reset a previously named property (an increasingly rare thing itself in modern comics publishing).
Aztek is a perfect physical specimen trained from birth by a hidden society in the Andes, outfitted with a technologically advanced outfit and sent into the world to defeat the prophesied menace of the mythical shadow-god Tezcatlipoca.
Arriving in the fairly typical US city of Vanity – the predicted site of the god’s return – the new hero begins to settle in. Stealing – say rather, co-opting – a doctor’s identity under fairly unique conditions Aztek becomes Curtis Falconer, and joins the staff of undermanned, overstretched St Bartholomew’s hospital, swiftly becoming a media darling in a city stuffed to the brim with wannabe super-villains.
In short order he meets Green Lantern, Batman and Superman, defeating up-and coming bad-guys and such established menaces as Major Force, the Joker, Parasite and Lex Luthor. On the way he discovers the dark side of his mission and his mentors, and eventually ends up in the Justice League of America.
