Now Read This!

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.

© 1989 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

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.

© 1982, 1984, 1997 Marvel Entertainment Group/Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

By Geoff Johns & various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-4012-1650-4

After the mega-successful return and relaunch of Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern of the Silver Age (see Green Lantern: Rebirth ISBN-13: 978-1-84576-131-8), scripter Geoff Johns continued in his avowed mission to make the character a pivotal cornerstone of the entire DC Universe. Increasingly ambitious storylines which directly lead into all the company’s major crossover events eventually culminated in this pan-galactic extravaganza featuring not only the Green Lantern Corps but also many DCU icons wrong-footed and desperately battling their evil counterpart created by their ultimate nemesis Sinestro.

This first volume collects Green Lantern #21-23, Green Lantern Corps #14-15 and the one-shot Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War Special which kicked it all off. Illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver it reveals how Sinestro tamed the yellow light of the emotional spectrum – Fear – and created his own army to destroy the intergalactic police force of the Guardians of the Universe.

Pseudo-Science Note: This spectrum is a cosmos spanning phenomenon that reduces the various emotions of sentient beings into visible energy wavelengths, each capable of affecting the material world in astounding ways. Green Light is the power of will, Blue is hope, Red is rage, Yellow is fear and so on…

Using the reanimated corpse of the Anti-Monitor – one of the universe’s greatest monsters – as a battery Sinestro recruits beings capable of “instilling great fear” and gives them yellow-powered rings. He allies with the Parallax, the living embodiment of Fear, and joins with some of Earth’s greatest villains such as the Cyborg Superman and Superboy-Prime in an all-out assault on everything good and safe and decent in existence.

Attacking all over creation the devious renegade swiftly decimates the ranks of the Green Lantern Corps, subverting where he doesn’t destroy outright, and the fate of the universe has never been in greater doubt. As the heroes make ready for their last stand the defenders realize that Sinestro’s entire campaign has been a huger bluff, as his real intentions have been…

And that’s where this outrageously over the top blockbuster breaks off, with the tale to be expanded and concluded in Green Lantern: the Sinestro Corps War Volume 2 (ISBN13: 978-1-4012-1800-3) and Green Lantern: Tales of the Sinestro Corps (ISBN13: 978-1-4012-1801-0).

Despite being every action-fan’s dream there’s still room found for character development and moments of tangible tragedy. Illustrated by Van Sciver, Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, Angel Unzueta, Oclair Albert, Prentis Rollins, Drew Geraci, with colours from Moose Bauman and Guy Major, and lettering by Rob Leigh and Phil Balsman, the GL Corps chapters are written by comics veteran Dave Gibbons, no stranger to cosmic conflagration from his early days at 2000AD, and this book just rockets along, dragging you helpless in its wake.

If you’re the impatient sort you’d best ensure you have all the volumes to hand when you start to read, because once you’re hooked there’s no stopping or going back.

© 2007 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

A MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL

By Roger Stern, Michael Mignola & Mark Badger (Marvel)
ISBN: 0- 87135-559-0

I can’t recall the last time Marvel published an all-original graphic novel as opposed to a collection, but not so very long ago they were a market leader in the field with an entire range of “big stories” told on larger than normal pages (285 x 220 mm rather than the now customary 258 x 168 mm) featuring not only proprietary characters but also licensed assets like Conan and even creator-owned properties like Jim Starlin’s Dreadstar.

This odd seeming concoction is perhaps one of the very best Marvel Universe tales from the post Kirby years and tells a powerful tale by contrasting the mandatory origin sequences of the two doctors to produce effective motivations and deeper insights for both characters.

Victor Von Doom is a troubled gypsy genius who escaped the oppression of his homeland on a scholarship to America. Whilst there he was a rival to young Reed Richards, perhaps the most brilliant man alive. The arrogant Von Doom performed unsanctioned experiments which marred his perfect features, leading him down a path to super-science and an overwhelming hunger for power and control. His mother, a sorceress, burns in hell for the unholy powers she used in life, powers which her son also possesses.

Steven Strange was America’s greatest surgeon, a vain and arrogant man who cared nothing for the sick, except as a means to wealth and glory. When a drunken car-crash ended his career, Strange hit the skids until an overheard barroom tale led him to Tibet, an ancient magician and eventual enlightenment through daily redemption. He battles otherworldly evil as the Sorcerer Supreme, Master of the Mystic arts.

When a magical call goes out to all the World’s adepts offering a granted wish to the victor in a contest of sorcery both Doom and Strange are among the gathered. After mystic combat reduces the assemblage to the two doctors, Doom’s granted wish is to rescue his mother’s soul from Hell…

A classic quest saga, Triumph and Torment sees the two mages storm the gates of the Underworld in a mission of vain hope and warped mercy, battling the hordes of Mephisto and their own natures in a mesmerizing epic of power and pathos.

Roger Stern is at his absolute writing peak here and the unlikely art team of Michael Mignola and Mark Badger defy any superlatives I could use. The art is simply magical, especially the mesmerising colouring, also courtesy of Mr Badger.

High drama, heroism, perfidy and plenty of surprises wrapped in superb craftsmanship typify all that’s best in the “Marvel Style” and this tale has it all aplenty. A softcover edition (ISBN13: 978-0-87135-660-4) with an alternative cover is also available.

© 1989 Marvel Entertainment Group/Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

By Keith Giffen, John Rogers & Cully Hamner (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-4012-0965-0

There are precious few comic-books in the modern climate that combine action and adventure with fun and wit, so the new Blue Beetle comes as a delightful surprise to me – and I’m eager to pass on that feeling to all the other old gits and young know-it-alls who’ve missed out.

I grew up with the somewhat funky 1960’s Charlton revival of Dan Garrett, and was subsequently blown away by Steve Ditko’s re-imagining of the character as inventor/acrobat Ted Kord. So I approached the new series reluctantly and with the caution you’d expect when encountering something unknown that chittered and scuttled at the corners of your vision. But this is great stuff!

At the height of the Infinite Crisis (ISBN: 978-1-4012-0959-9) El Paso high-schooler Jaime Reyes finds a strange blue jewel shaped like a bug. That night when he’s asleep it attaches itself to his back transforming him into a bizarre beetle-like warrior. He’s quickly swept up in the chaos and joins Batman and other heroes in a space battle.

Now he’s coming home, terrified for staying out late on a school night, but isn’t prepared for the reaction when he discovers he’s been missing for a year! This is fast-paced storytelling, action-packed and stuffed with DCU guest-stars such as Guy Gardner, The Peacemaker, Oracle and the Phantom Stranger. Collecting issues #1-6 of the monthly series this book follows that tried and tested formula of a teenager suddenly gifted with great powers, as well as revealing those experiences everybody goes through eventually, and does it in a lively and moving manner.

By watching Jaime slowly put his life back together, seeing him discover how little he knew about his friends, family and sleepy old town, and most importantly by sharing in the learning experience of becoming a hero, readers of any age from six to sixty-plus can feel the buzz that only the very best comics can produce. Also, he purely kicks butt in that bewilderingly argumentative bugsuit!

Written by Keith Giffen and John Rogers, with art by Cully Hamner, Cynthia Martin, Duncan Rouleau, Kevin West, Phil Moy and Jack Purcell, this is a series firmly rooted in DC continuity that can be read by the freshest recruit without confusion or loss. So none of you have any excuse to miss this little gem…

© 2006 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

By Vittorio Giardino (NBM)
ISBN: 978-1-56163-184-1

Born on Christmas Eve 1946 Vittorio Giardino was an electrician who switched careers at age 30. He worked for a number of comics magazines initially and his first collection Pax Romana was released in 1978. He worked, slowly but consistently, on feature characters such as detective Sam Pezzo, the saucy Winsor McKay homage Little Ego and the cold-war drama Jonas Fink as well as general fiction tales, producing over 35 albums to date.

In 1982 he began the occasional saga of a quiet, bearded fellow recalled by the Deuxieme Bureau (the French Secret Service) to investigate the slaughter of almost every agent in the cosmopolitan paradise of Budapest. The series ran in the magazine Orient Express before being collected as Rhapsodie Hongroise or Hungarian Rhapsody (ISBN: 0-87416-033-2). Within three years he had returned to the subtly addictive pre-war drama with the follow-up La Porta d’Oriente or Orient Gateway to you and me.

Summer 1938: All the espionage agencies in the world know that war is coming. Frantically jockeying for the most favourable position, they’re all seeking every advantage for when the balloon goes up. Soviet engineer Mr. Stern has become just such a preferred asset of too many rival organisations, so he runs, losing himself in the teeming, mysterious city of Istanbul.

Once again reluctant, canny Max Friedman is drawn into the murky “Great Game”, but alongside the exotic, bewitching Magda Witnitz, is he the only one to ask why so many dangerous people want to acquire Stern? And why are they so willing to kill for him?

Subtle, entrancing and magnificently illustrated, this is a superb thriller with all the nostalgic panache of Casablanca and labyrinthine twists and turns of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and no fan of the genre, let alone comics aficionado, can afford to miss this beguiling adventure.

Giardino is a smart and confidant writer who makes tone and nuance carry a tale and his art – a semi-representational derivation of Hergé’s ligne claire (clean line) – makes the lovingly rendered locations as much a character as any of the stylishly operatives in a dark, doomed world on the brink of holocaust.

After ten years, Giardino recently completed a trilogy of albums featuring this unassuming spy which reveals much of his early years during the Spanish Civil War, and with the earlier tales they form an archive of spy-fiction that rivals the best of Le Carré, Hammett, Buchan or Fleming.

Max Friedman is one of the form’s greatest characters and Giardino’s work is like honey for the eyes and mind. This is another graphic novel every fan of comics or the Intelligence Game should know.

© 1986 Vittorio Giardino. All Rights Reserved.