Now Read This!

 

By Carl Burgos, Bill Everett & others (Marvel)
ISBN: 0-7851-1624-9

Marvel Comics have taken a very long time to get into producing expensive hardbound volumes reprinting their earliest comic adventures. Sadly this collection of the first four solo outings for one of Timely/Marvel’s Holy Trinity is solid and expensive proof why. That’s a harsh thing to say and I must personally admit that there was a lot of material here that I have been waiting most of my life to read. I am however a complete comic nut. I have every issue of Bomba, the Jungle Boy and Man From Atlantis and I only need one issue of Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane for a complete set. I am not a new, casual – or possibly even wholly discriminating – punter.

During the early Golden Age, novel ideas and sheer exuberance could take you far, and as the alternative escapes for most kids were severely limited, it just wasn’t that hard to make a go of it as a comic book publisher. Combine that with a creative work-force that kept being drafted, and it’s clear to see why declining standards of story and art didn’t greatly affect month to month sales during World War II, but promptly started a cascade-decline in super-hero strips almost as soon as GI boots hit US soil again.

For reasons too complicated to cover here, Human Torch #2 was the first issue to star the flammable android hero, and introduced his own fiery side-kick, Toro, The Flaming Kid! Carl Burgos takes the credit for that, and the Sub-Mariner tale is by Bill Everett, but the remaining strips, The Falcon, Microman, Mantor the Magician and the Fiery Mask range from poor to just plain sad. The next issue is actually fairly impressive, with an ambitious 40 page Torch epic which sees Toro seduced by Nazism, and a 20 page Sub-Mariner crossover (anticipating Marvel’s successful policy of the 1960s onward).

By the third issue much of the work is obviously being ghosted to a greater or lesser degree. The Torch takes way too long solving the ‘Mystery of the Disappearing Criminals’, but Everett is still very much in evidence as the Sub-Mariner takes ten beautiful pages to save an Alaskan village from plague, blizzards, an onrushing glacier and incendiary bombs in a genuine forgotten classic. Lacklustre Captain America knock-off The Patriot shambles through a tale of Bundist (that’s German American Nazi sympathizers to you, youngster) saboteurs to close the issue.

That line-up maintains in the last issue reprinted here as the fiery stars combat a mad scientist named Doc Smart in ‘The March of Death’, Sub-Mariner and guest-star the Angel fight zombies in ‘Blitzkrieg of the Living Dead’ (cruelly attributed to Bill Everett, but clearly not by him) and the Patriot tracks down a Nazi who kills by playing the violin.

I’m happy to have this book, warts and all. I can’t honestly say that any one not a life-long Marvel fan would agree and I’m damn sure none of us are content with a $50+ price-tag. Its value is almost purely historical and this history just isn’t worth all that.

© 1940, 1941, 2003 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

By Hunt Emerson & D. H. Lawrence (Knockabout Publications)
ISBN: 0-86166-049-8

One of the oldest and best proponents of comics for grown-ups in this country is Knockabout Comics, who have been bringing us new strips and publishing some of the best material available from around the world for longer than I care to remember.

This offering is a classic of controversy twice over. The obscenity trial in 1960 of a novel that had been banned for three decades smashed the power of the Obscene Publications Act and in many ways ushered in the liberalities and freedoms immortalised as the “Swinging Sixties”.

In brief, and as you’re all probably too young or too demure to have read the book, the plot concerns the choices of Lady Constance Chatterley to provide an heir for her husband, crippled and left incapable due to wounds suffered in the Great War. To the horror of all, her sexual licence, grudgingly granted by her desperate husband, leads her to a coarse game-keeper, rather than the aesthetes and thinkers of her own class, as imagined, tolerated and initially, provided by her impotent spouse. The novel is beautiful, iconoclastic, passionate, challenging and memorable.

There’s not that many laughs in there, though.

All of which just makes the cartoon adaptation by Hunt Emerson all the more amazing. In this slim monochrome tome he manages to synthesize all that desperation, despair and struggle for personal, emotional and social liberation into a story bursting with the vitality of sexual release, and redolent with the heady perfume of true love as it triumphs over the freshly discredited monuments of class, pride and duty. He also actually adds to the mix by illustrating that sex is not only fun, but, By Gawd! it’s damn funny to watch.

Hunt Emerson is one of our greatest comic strip creators, and his slightly skewed reinterpretation might not to the tastes of some Lawrence purists, but Lady Chatterley’s Lover is an honest piece of work, masterfully accomplished. His take is true to the spirit of the original but is seasoned with the modern sensibilities of generations who have grown up allowed to talk about and even joke about sex. He also gets away with drawing naughty bits without getting the entire comics industry sent to prison. Hoorah for freedom!

© 1986 Knockabout Publications. All Rights Reserved

 

By Mike Carey & John Bolton (Vertigo)
ISBN 1-84576-416-1

Now that DC’s version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the only one, here’s another visitation with the Faerie Kingdom, courtesy of Mike Carey and John Bolton.

The plot concerns the overthrow of Queen Titania by the malevolent Queen Mab, and is told through the actions of useless modern waster Linda, whose rebellious descent into thrill-seeking and drug addiction leads her into that conflict via a pack of Faerie exiles living on the fringes of contemporary London society.

As her sordid soap-opera unfolds we find that she has a deeper, hidden connection to the Other Realms and that her own salvation is inextricably linked to the defeat of Mab.

It is a pretty tale but so much less than you would expect from such talented creators. The plot is trite and well-worn, and Bolton’s modern palette often seems to be devoid of the power and passion of so much of his early work – although I will admit that some pages here tick every box an art-lover could ever want – but ultimately there just doesn’t seem to be the fire and wonder we’ve come to expect from them both individually or working together.

These are just my opinions however, and it’s always great to see original graphic novel rather than collected reprints, so perhaps you should get the thing anyway and simply judge for yourself.

© 2007 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

 

By Martin Millar & Simon Fraser (Slab-O-Concrete)
ISBN: 1-899866-24-8

Back in the 1990’s when British comics were still vibrant, active and politically conscious, creators were still able to inject a little levity and whimsy into the mix. This gem from the sadly missed Slab-O-Concrete operation collected an esoteric little miniseries published by Acme Comics and Dark Horse featuring characters from novels by author Martin Millar, illustrated by Simon Fraser. So much for the convoluted pedigree.

What’s it about? How long have you got? Let’s just say that it’s set mostly in Brixton in the aforementioned early 1990’s, although there are also trips to the countryside, distant planets, various Heavens and of course Nirvana. Squatters Lux the Poet, Alby Starvation and Ruby live upstairs from the World’s Greatest Master of I Ching, who plans to break into Nirvana because he’s fed up with the slow reincarnation/gradual improvement method. Ruby is agitating to become head of the Squatters Co-Operative, Lux can’t understand why Pearl the Lesbian doesn’t love him, and poor, paranoid Alby is terrified the drug addicts will steal his comic collection. Everybody is fed up with the benefits office stopping their giros until they all start really looking for work. Thus they are the perfect agents for the Goddess Ishtar to combat the threat to universal well-being.

This most excellent concoction combines comedy, thrills and pathos in a captivating manner. The dialogue is sharp, the characters well-defined and engaging, and the ironic surreality of living life on the breadline while cosmic forces use the most useless members of society to literally save the universe is impossible to resist. Fraser’s beautiful black and white drawing is sharp, vital and more than able to handle the staggering demands of the script, especially in regard to the gender-bending appearance of Lux, the prettiest Het-boy in London, if all the not the universes of Space-Time.

The management strongly suggests that if you have not understood any of the archaic counter-culture terms used here, or simply need to read more weird, cosmic, sweet, romantic, funny feel-good adventures that genuinely ooze charm, you should track down this book.

© 1990-1999 Martin Millar & Simon Fraser. All Rights Reserved.

 

By various (Panini Books)
ISBN 978-1-905239-65-8

This is actually the forth – and final – collection of strips featuring the Eighth (or Paul McGann) Doctor. Whether that statement made any sense to you largely depends on whether you are an old fan, a new convert or even a complete beginner.

None of which is relevant if all you want is a darn good read. All the creators involved have managed the ultimate ‘Ask’ of any comics creator – to produce engaging, thrilling, fun strips that can be equally enjoyed by the merest beginner and the most slavishly dedicated fan.

Writer Scott Gray provides a splendid script for Roger Langridge and David A. Roach’s wonderful art with ‘Where Nobody Knows Your Name’ as the errant Time-Lord fetches up at a bar to and meets a few old friends, before Gareth Roberts spoofs the entire British Football comics industry in ‘The Nightmare Game’. Pictorial fun and thrills in equal measure are provided by Mike Collins and Robin Smith on this nostalgic three-parter.

Gray writes everything else in the book, starting with a short adventure in ancient Egypt. ‘The Power of Thoueris!’ is stylishly illustrated by Adrian Salmon, and is followed by an extended Victorian romp illustrated by Anthony Williams and David A. Roach concerning ‘The Curious Tale of Spring-Heeled Jack’.

‘The Land of Happy Endings’ is a touching and engagingly heartfelt tribute to the days of the TV hero’s earliest strip outings. Writer Gray, penciller Martin Geraghty, inkers Roach and Faz Choudhury with painter/colourists Daryl Joyce and Adrian Salmon all tip their collective hats to Neville Main (illustrator of the first graphic adventures of the Doctor beginning in 1964 in TV Comic) in a charming retro-romp, which clears the palate for a horror-fest set in 1875 Dakota. ‘Bad Blood’ has werewolves, shamanism, ghost-towns, cowboys, George Armstrong Custer and Sitting Bull as well as the requisite aliens and evil technology rioting through its five chapters, all ably illustrated by Geraghty, Roach and Salmon in an enthralling thriller that leaves the Doctor with a brand new Companion, Destrii.

‘Sins of the Fathers’, drawn by John Ross and coloured by Salmon, deals with the aftermath of that conflict. The severely wounded Destrii has to be rushed to a deep-space hospital just in time for it to be attacked by zero-G terrorists. Both this three-parter and the following epic ‘The Flood’ have extended endings that have never been published before.

‘The Flood’ is the real gem of the book, a huge, eight part saga that was originally intended to conclude the McGann Doctor adventures and bridge the gap to the new TV series with the Christopher Eccleston Time-Lord. Just how that all worked out makes for fascinating reading in the wonderful text section at the back, but Gray, Geraghty, Roach, Salmon and Langridge go out with a bang as Cybermen invade Camden on their way to world domination that is an absolute joy of a tale, full of action suspense, humour and the kind of cameos all fan-boys die for.

We’ve all got our little joys and hidden passions. Sometimes they overlap and magic is made. This is a great set of comic strips, about a great TV hero. If you’re a fan of only one, this book might make you an addict to both.

All Doctor Who material © BBCtv. Doctor Who, the Tardis and all logos are trade marks of the British Broadcasting Corporation and are used under licence.

 

By Alan Moore & various (DC Comics)
ISBN 1-84576-257-6

Alan Moore is one of the most lauded names in comic history, and much of his most memorable work has appeared – one way or another – under the banner of DC Comics’ various imprints. Here then, finally collected into one volume are all the stories he produced between 1985 and 1988, and set in the continuity of the DC Universe proper.

A revised re-issue of the 2003 edition, this book also includes, at long last, the Batman tale ‘The Killing Joke’ drawn by Brian Bolland and the two part ‘Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?’ (with art from Curt Swan, George Perez and Kurt Schaffenberger) that ended the initial run of Superman and Action Comics prior to that character’s post-Crisis reboot in 1986.

The contents list is long and varied, beginning with ‘For the Man who has Everything’ with art by Watchmen collaborator Dave Gibbons (and adapted as an episode of the excellent Justice League Unlimited TV series) from Superman Annual #11, and followed by the two part ‘Night Olympics’ from Detective Comics #549 and 550, illustrated by Klaus Janson. ‘Mogo Doesn’t Socialize’ was originally a back-up in Green Lantern #188, again drawn by Gibbons, and the darkly controversial ‘Father’s Day’, with art from Jim Baikie first appeared in Vigilante issues #17 and 18.

‘Brief Lives’ and ‘A Man’s World’ drawn by Kevin O’Neill and Paris Cullins & Rick Magyar respectively come from Omega Men #26 and #27. The Superman team up with Moore’s signature character Swamp Thing, ‘The Jungle Line’, is from DC Comics Presents #85, illustrated by Rick Veitch and Al Williamson, and O’Neill returns for ‘Tygers’ from Tales of the Green Lantern Corps #2.

Number #3 of that title provides ‘In Blackest Night’ from Bill Willingham and Terry Austin, Phantom Stranger is the star of the Joe Orlando drawn ‘Footsteps’ from Secret Origins #10, and the Batman Annual #11 was the original home of ‘Mortal Clay’ illustrated by George Freeman.

As a trawl around the DC Universe, you couldn’t find a more eclectic mix that still offered such stellar talents and high quality results. Along with Swamp Thing, Watchmen and V for Vendetta, this burst of creativity marked a watershed in comic book publishing and these tales would be welcomed on any aficionado’s bookshelf.

© 1985-1988, 2006 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

 

By Various (Dark Horse Books)
ISBN: 1-59307-281-0

The mystery compilation from the “Book of…” series features tales of Zombies and living dead men produced by a decidedly superior collection of creators. Kelly Jones covers familiar territory in his mountain man tale of ‘The Hungry Ghosts’ and Mike Mignola provides a wonderful new Hellboy short, ‘The Ghoul’.

‘Old Garfield’s Heart’ is a Robert E Howard prose vignette illustrated by Gary Gianni, followed by ‘The Ditch’ from David Crouse and Todd Herman. Bob Fingerman and Roger Langridge lighten the mood if not the tone with ‘Death Boy’, Eric (The Goon) Powell provides the uncharacteristically sombre and oppressive ‘Wallace Expedition’ and the quirky ‘Queen of Darkness’ comes courtesy of Pat McEown.

Jamie S Rich and Guy Davis concoct a haunting tale of feudal Japan in ‘Kago No Tori’ whilst Editor Scott Allie and artists Paul Lee and Brian Horton’s Devil’s Footprint series is represented by ‘The Magicians’.

The unquestioned star of this volume is saved for last as Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson steal the show with the superb ‘Let Sleeping Dogs Lie’, a chilling and beautiful tale of household pets that has horror aplenty, yet remembers that sadness can be just as crushing as terror.

As anthologies go, horror and mystery are always a safe bet and should serve as a vehicle for pulling resistant readers into our world of comics. When they can be this diverse and still maintain a high level of quality throughout they should be mandatory for any proselytizing fan.

© 2005 respective copyright holders. All Rights Reserved.