Rank and File: The Year's Best Comic Stories, 1975!

Redartz:  1975; what a year! Marvel was still putting out the "Giant-Size" issues, as well as Marvel Value Stamps. Atlas Comics were trying to make a go of the comic business. DC was debuting numerous new titles and characters. It was an exciting time to be a comic reader, which leads us to our topic today: the best stories of that fine year. 

I've pored over loads of issues, and prodded my memory to recall my favorites. So, as always, this subjective list; based upon a combination of personal preference and historical impact. Your list my vary. Order is random. No deposit, no return. Void where prohibited. 

Ok, now that the formalities are complete, on with the countdown:



 



1. Defenders 33- "Webbed Hands, Warm Heart" by Steve Gerber, Sal Buscema and Jim Mooney. Inspired lunacy from Mr. Gerber with 'musical brains', the Headmen and a very angry baby deer.










 

2. Detective Comics 457- "There is no Hope in Crime Alley" by Dennis O'Neal and Dick Giordano. A nice closer look at the Batman's origins by a couple of his best storytellers. Oh, and uncredited backgrounds by the great Terry Austin.











 
3. Warlock 11- "How Strange My Destiny, Pt. 2" by Jim Starlin and Steve Leialoha. Starlin's epic tale continues the exploration of Adam Warlock. Great cast, great art, great story, great comic.













 
4. Tomb of Dracula 41- "Re-Birth" by Marv Wolfman, Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. Dracula returns, in another fine issue of this fine series. Wolfman, Colan and Palmer just keep it rolling.














 
5. All-Star Comics 58- "All-Star Super Squad" by Gerry Conway, Ric Estrada and Wally Wood. Power Girl debuts in this engaging revival of the classic DC title.












 

6.  Howard the Duck 1- "Howard the Barbarian" by Steve Gerber, Frank Brunner and Steve Leialoha. A very imaginative,enjoyable first issue, Brunner and Leialoha rock visually. A fun guest appearance by Spidey, and a tower of credit cards. 











 
7.  Amazing Adventures 34, "A Death in the Family" by Don McGregor and P. Craig Russell. A dramatic high point in this excellent series. Phenomenal art, as usual. 













 
8.  Avengers 142- "Go West, Young Gods" by Steve Englehart, George Perez and Vince Colletta.The Avengers in the old West. Absolutely wonderful. Another Kang war, Immortus, the Brand Corp., Thor and Moondragon on a train, and Hawkeye having way too much fun. How did they pack so much into one issue?













 
9. Giant-Size X-Men 1- "Second Genesis" by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum.There are better stories of the 'new team', but this classic giant introduces us to the group that became a pillar of the Marvel Universe. Wein and Cockrum get things started with a bang.















10. Giant-Size Man-Thing 4- "The Kid's Night  Out" by Steve Gerber, Ed Hannigan and Frank Springer; "Frog Death" by Steve Gerber and Frank Brunner. A  personal favorite, with a rather emotion-laden lead story. A bit preachy perhaps,but quite impactful to a shy fourteen year old comic fan. And it's offset by the return of Howard the Duck in a Brunner-illustrated short. Loads of fun, the scene in the cigar store is a blast.

Incidentally, if Will Eisner's Spirit stories in the Warren magazine had been 'new', they would certainly have made the list. Those "Spirit"s were high on my buying list all that year. And this year, it seems, was a very solid one for Marvel (and for one Steve Gerber). But, that's just my take. What think you?

Rank and File: The Year's Best Comic Stories, 1976!

Redartz:  Welcome once again, folks, to another assessment of the finest comics offerings of the year. The year 1976, that is- and a mammoth year it was. Treasury Editions, Annuals, beginnings and endings, it had it all. Loads to choose from, and as always my picks are subjective,  based upon my own readings and memories. And in this case, the tally is heavily Marvel-tilted. Ah, but the House of Ideas was running in high gear in '76. Let's have a look...



 

Superman vs. Spider-Man- "The Battle of the Century", by Gerry Conway, Ross Andru and Dick Giordano.  How could the initial meeting between the marquee characters of the Big Two not make a best-of list? An oversize edition, fitting the big story. Oh, and Neal Adams and John Romita helped out a bit, too.










 



Howard the Duck 3- "Four Fingers of Death", by Steve Gerber, John Buscema  and Steve Leialoha. One of my favorite HTD tales. Gerber ponificates a bit, but the story is great and so is the art. Brunner and Colan may be better known as Duck artists, but Big John delivers  here, as always.










 



Tomb of Dracula 44-  "His Name is Doctor Strange", by Marv Wolfman, Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. This nomination could go to either this book or to the conclusion of the story in Dr. Strange  14. But ToD gets the nod, in consideration of the overall high quality of the book...



 





 


Avengers 148- "20,000 Leagues Under Justice", by Steve Englehart, George Perez and Sam Grainger. The Avengers was hitting another high point here, and this wild tale with the Justice League (excuse me, Squadron Supreme) is one of the best of a solid run.



 






 



Warlock 15- "Just A Series of Events", by Jim Starlin. Starlin wraps up his Warlock series with his typically talented tendencies. And he inks himself, bonus!



 








 



X-Men 101- "Like A Phoenix, From the Ashes", by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum and Frank Chiaramonte. Juggernaut and Black Tom Cassidy are there to help introduce us all to Phoenix. And her story was just beginning...



 






 


Amazing Adventures 39- "Mourning Prey", by Don McGregor and P. Craig Russell. The final issue in McGregor's Killraven epic, and it was a memorable sendoff. And Russell's linework is a beautful thing.



 







 




Fantastic Four 176- "Improbable as it May Seem- the Impossible Man is Back  in Town", by Roy Thomas, George Perez and Joe Sinnott. A romp of a story, generously filled with humor and many Marvelous guest stars.



 





 


Thor Annual 5- "The War of the Gods", by Steve Englehart, John Buscema and Tony DeZuniga. A Cinemascope-sized look at a younger Thor, battling with a younger Hercules. If Cecil B. DeMille did a comic, it would have looked like this.



 







 



All-Star Comics 64- "Yesterday Begins Today", by Paul Levitz and Wally Wood. Vandal Savagevs. the JLA, by Paul Levitz. And Wood art on top  of that? This book was at the apex of DC's stack in76.

Ten titanic tales, culled from the cream of comics in the Bicentennial Year of the USA. These books all reside very fondly in my memory, but the question remains: do they bring a smile to you as well? Or did you have other favorites that year, and if so, enlighten us all; and share your Best of 1976 list!