{"id":32560,"date":"2025-04-04T13:26:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T13:26:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=32560"},"modified":"2025-04-04T13:29:58","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T13:29:58","slug":"showcase-presents-eclipso-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/04\/04\/showcase-presents-eclipso-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Showcase Presents Eclipso"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Bob Haney<\/strong>, Lee Elias<\/strong>, Alex Toth<\/strong>, Jack Sparling<\/strong>, Bernard Baily<\/strong> & various (DC Comics)
\nISBN: 978-1-4012-2315-1 (TPB)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced in less enlightened times.<\/em><\/p>\n

Now that DC have finally launched their line of archival collections celebrating many years, styles and vogues of publication, I expect to be far less proselytising about books like this one not being in print. However, you can never really satisfy an Old Moaner, so until the wide and wonderful new assortment of DC Finest<\/strong> collections are also available digitally, I\u2019ll still have something to whine about. Meanwhile, here\u2019s a reminder about a book I suspect will be a while making the jump to a fresh full-colour edition…<\/p>\n

Although it\u2019s generally accepted that everybody loves a good villain, until rather recently they bad guys were \u00a0seldom permitted the opportunity of starring in their own series – except in British comics, where for decades the most bizarre and outrageous rogues such as Charlie Peace<\/strong>, Spring-Heeled Jack<\/strong>, Dick Turpin<\/strong>, Von<\/strong> Hoffman<\/strong>, The Dwarf<\/strong> and so many macabre others were seen as far more interesting (or possibly a threat to our jolly old class-strictured status quo) than mere lawmen.<\/p>\n

However, when America went superhero crazy in the 1960s (even before the Batman <\/strong>TV show sent the whole world into a wild and garish \u201cHigh Camp\u201d frenzy), DC converted all its anthology titles into character-driven vehicles. Long-running paranormal investigator Mark Merlin<\/strong> suddenly found himself sharing the cover spot with a costumed but very different kind of co-star.<\/p>\n

Breathing new life into the hallowed Dr. Jekyll\/Mr. Hyde concept, Bob Haney & Lee Elias debuted \u2018Eclipso, The Genius Who Fought Himself\u2019<\/em> in House of Secrets<\/strong> #61, cover-dated July-August 1963 and on sale from May 16th<\/sup>. Here began the torturous saga of solar scientist Bruce Gordon<\/em> who was cursed to become host to a timeless Evil…<\/p>\n

Whilst observing a solar eclipse on tropical Diablo Island, Gordon is attacked and wounded by Mophir<\/em>, a crazed witchdoctor wielding a black diamond. As a result, whenever Gordon is in the locality of an eclipse – natural or artificial – his body is possessed by a demonic, destructive alter ego with incredible powers and malign hyper-intellect. The remainder of the first instalment depicted how the intangible interloper destroyed Gordon\u2019s greatest achievement: a futuristic solar-powered city.<\/p>\n

Format and formula established, Gordon, his fianc\u00e9e Mona Bennett<\/em> and her father, who was also Gordon\u2019s mentor, pursued and battled the incredible Eclipso and his increasingly astounding schemes all across the world. At least the Demon of Darkness had a handy weakness: sudden exposure to bright lights would propel him back to his cage within Bruce Gordon…<\/p>\n

\u2018Duel of the Divided Man\u2019<\/em> saw the helpless scientist attempting to thwart the uncontrollable transformations by submerging to the bottom of the Ocean and exiling himself to space, to no effect, whilst in \u2018Eclipso\u2019s Amazing Ally!\u2019<\/em> – illustrated by the justifiably-legendary Alex Toth – the malignant presence manifests when an artificial eclipse and lab accident frees him entirely from Gordon\u2019s body. Against the backdrop of a South American war, Gordon and Professor Bennett struggle to contain the liberated horror but all is not as it seems…<\/p>\n

HoS <\/strong>#64\u2019s \u2018Hideout on Fear Island\u2019<\/em> finds Gordon, Mona & Bennett hijacked to a Caribbean nation inundated by giant plants for an incredible clash with giant robots and Nazi scientists. Naturally, when Eclipso breaks out things go from bad to worse. \u2018The Man Who Destroyed Eclipso\u2019<\/em> has the Photonic Fiend kidnap Mona before a deranged physicist actually separates Eclipso and Gordon as part of his wild scheme to steal a nuclear missile, after which the threat of a terrifying alien omnivore forces heroes and villain to temporarily join forces in \u2018The Two Faces of Doom!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Challenge of the Split-Man!\u2019<\/em> sees Gordon and Eclipso again at odds as the desperate scientist returns to Mophir\u2019s lair in search of a cure, before inexplicably following the liberated villain to a robot factory in Scotland. Veteran cartoonist Jack Sparling took over the artist\u2019s role with #68, wherein \u2018Eclipso\u2019s Deadly Doubles!\u2019<\/em> expose Gordon\u2019s latest attempt to effect a cure but which only multiplies his problems, after which \u2018Wanted: Eclipso Dead or Alive!\u2019<\/em> relates how the beleaguered boffin is hired by Scotland Yard to capture himself – or at least his wicked and still-secret other self – before \u2018Bruce Gordon, Eclipso\u2019s Ally!\u2019<\/em> returns the long-suffering trio to Latin America where an accident robs Gordon of his memory – but not his curse – leading to the most ironic alliance in comics…
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\n\u2018The Trial of Eclipso\u2019 <\/em>has the astronomically-aligned felon finally captured by police and threatening to expose Gordon\u2019s dark secret, after which \u2018The Moonstone People\u2019<\/em> strand the Bennetts, Gordon and Eclipso on a lost island populated by scientists – or is that \u201cnatural philosophers\u201d? – who haven\u2019t aged since their own arrival in 1612…<\/p>\n

Even such a talented writer as Bob Haney occasionally strained at the effort of writing a fresh story for a villainous protagonist under Comics Code restrictions, and later tales became increasingly more outlandish. In \u2018Eclipso Battles the Sea Titan\u2019<\/em>, a subsea monster threatens not just the surface world but also Eclipso\u2019s ultimate refuge – Bruce Gordon\u2019s fragile body – after which another attempt to expel or eradicate the horror inside accidentally actualises a far more dangerous enemy in \u2018The Negative Eclipso\u2019<\/em>, whilst a criminal syndicate, fed up with the Photonic Fury\u2019s disruption of their operations, decrees \u2018Eclipso Must Die!\u2019<\/em> in HoS <\/strong>#75.<\/p>\n

It had to happen – so it did – when Mark Merlin (in his new and unwieldy superhero persona of Prince Ra-Man<\/em>) clashed with his House of Secrets<\/strong> stable-mate in book-length thriller \u2018Helio, the Sun Demon!\u2019<\/em> (#76), with concluding chapter limned by the inimitable Bernard Baily. Here Eclipso creates a fearsome, fiery solar slave and the Bennetts team with the enigmatic super-sorcerer to free Bruce and save the world from flaming destruction.<\/p>\n

All-out fantasy subsumed suspense in the strip\u2019s dying days with aliens and weird creatures abounding, such as \u2018The Moon Creatures\u2019<\/em> which Eclipso grew from lunar dust to do his wicked bidding, or the hidden treasure of Stonehenge that transformed him into a \u2018Monster Eclipso\u2019<\/em>. Issue #79 saw a return match for Prince Ra-Man in \u2018The Master of Yesterday and Tomorrow!\u2019<\/em>, with Baily again pitching in for an extended epic as Eclipso gets his scurrilous hands on a selection of time-bending trinkets, before #80 (October 1966) ended the series with no fanfare, no warning and no ultimate resolution as \u2018The Giant Eclipso!\u2019<\/em> pitted the fade-away fiend against mutants, cops and his own colossal doppelganger.
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\nNot everything old is gold and this quirky, exceedingly eccentric collection of comics thrillers certainly won\u2019t appeal to everyone. However, there is a gloriously outr\u00e9 charm and helter-skelter, fanciful delight in these silly but absorbing sagas. If you\u2019re of an open-minded mien and the art of Elias, Toth, Sparling and Baily appeals – as it should to all right-thinking fans – then this old-world casket of bizarre wonders will certainly appeal. In fact the drawing never looked more vibrant or effective than in this crisp and splendid monochrome collection.<\/p>\n

Not for him or her or them then, but perhaps this book is for you?
\n\u00a9 1963-1966, 2009 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Bob Haney, Lee Elias, Alex Toth, Jack Sparling, Bernard Baily & various (DC Comics) ISBN: 978-1-4012-2315-1 (TPB) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced in less enlightened times. Now that DC have finally launched their line of archival collections celebrating many years, styles and vogues of publication, I expect to be far less proselytising about … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Showcase Presents Eclipso”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[191,75,305,76,239,102,225,127,107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","category-crime-comics","category-dc-horror","category-dc-superhero","category-drama","category-fantasy","category-mystery","category-nostalgia","category-science-fiction"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-8ta","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32560"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32560\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32568,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32560\/revisions\/32568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}