The Brave or the Bold: "...Tragedy Tomorrow, Comedy Tonight!"

Redartz:  Good day, and welcome! One of the great strengths of the medium of comics is the versatility it displays. No less than film, books or television, comics can entertain, educate, shock, inspire, tug at the heart and tickle the funny bone. It's the last two that we are dealing with this time.

More specifically, the subject is to consider the ability of our favorite characters to star in both stories  of drama and stories of humor (hence our title above, with a nod to Steven Sondheim). I'm sure that all of us could , given a character, come up with a stirring dramatic story featuring said character. The challenge is to also recall an entertainingly humorous tale as well! As an example, I'll start off. And the subject of my picks are my old favorite, Spider-man.

Spider-man is ideally suited for this subject. At various times, and by different creators, the character has ranged from comic to tragic, usually blending both in the same story. Some of you may bring up other examples from Spidey's backstory, but I'm going with "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" as my dramatic entry. A short story, half of ASM 248; but with volumes of impact. Without spoiling anything (in case any of you haven't read it), the story tells of Spider-man's meeting with a young fan. The tale, by Roger Stern , Ron Frenz and Terry Austin, perfectly captures the essence of Peter Parker's heroism and humanity. And I defy you to read it without getting a lump in the throat before you're through.









 
On the other hand, my humorous pick is a comical gem. "Untold Tales of Spider-Man" Annual from 1996, by Kurt Busiek, Mike Allred and Joe Sinnott, is a perfect example of Spidey's capacity for fun. The story of Peter's date with Sue Storm caps a hilarious battle of egos between Pete and his friendly nemesis, the Human Torch. Some of you might recall that I did a full review of this book some time ago; the book is worth another mention. Brilliantly written, and perfectly illustrated, "A  Night on the Town" is guaranteed to give the reader a giant size dose of laughs.
And that's just one (two, actually) example of a character who carries tears and laughter equally well. What others can you think of?

Panel Discussion: The Group Shot!

Martinex1: Today will be a feast for the eyes - I assure you!   Since the dawn of hero team comic books, there has been the group shot!  Pin-Ups, covers, posters, and double-page spreads have highlighted the characters as a team and highlighted the particular artist's skills.

I believe the first group team shot that I was exposed to came at the end of Avengers #71.  On the final page, the team assembled for a posed picture that still resonates with me.  Sal Buscema crafted that particular pin-up but team art by John Buscema, Jack Kirby, John Byrne, George Perez, Ron Frenz, and others are just as noteworthy.  Today we will look at all kinds of teams (and non-teams, and general groups, and all-out mobs) as they appeared throughout Bronze Age history.  Be prepared to discuss your favorite examples whether shared here or not. Let's get started with some other Avengers art that caught my fancy.

Marvel seemed to revel in their various superstar teams from the Avengers to the X-Men, but DC also capitalized on their mightiest with beautiful groupings.  They established a cover trope initiated by Keith Giffen that always made me smile.

But let's not stop there,  DC's premiere team was spotlighted by everybody from George Perez to Alex Ross.

But it doesn't stop there for DC, they had some memorable poses from the Teen Titans as well.

Back at Marvel, the Fantastic Four was know for their Jack Kirby pin-ups almost from the beginning.  John Byrne carried on the team "photo" idea in his run on the book.  He also supplied some magnificent poster art for the FF and all of their cast.

The Defenders, X-Men, Champions, Inhumans, and others all have had their days in the sun as well. Whether in commissions starring our Bronze Age favorites, or from long forgotten pin-ups, the team photo has become a favorite of mine to gaze at.

The X-Men, of course due to their popularity, appeared in many groupings...

 
Sometimes it was fun to gather all of the heroines together...

Or all of the villains...

Or the whole Universe (or at least as much as the paper size would allow)...

So what were your favorite group poses?  How did this type of page or cover or poster affect your collecting?  Did you long for this style of art or did it leave you cold?  Which artist did it best? And which did you own?  Bring your group positions to the group discussion today at BitBA!  Cheers!




UPDATE ALERT:  Martinex1: From all of these great comments, I have added some additional images so everybody can see the other suggestions.  How did I leave off the Legion?   No answer... sometimes at BitBA things slip the mind.  Cheers!

 

 

Chew the Fat: The New Universe!

Martinex1: Today we need all of the BitBA lurkers, commentators, visitors, and drifters to join in and help out with the conversation...because I know virtually nothing about the topic today.  We need to Chew the Fat about Marvel's New Universe!

In the late 1980's under the guidance of Jim Shooter, Marvel launched a new brand that ostensibly was to focus on "super" characters in the real world.  The original premise (and rather than reboot the existing Marvel Universe) was to explore what it would be like to have powers on our very own planet.  This of course was originally how Stan Lee charted Marvel in the beginning; and this was a bit of an update on that concept in the '80s.

A number of titles launched (see below) and this is where my knowledge is virtually nil.  The New Universe arrived right during a lull in my collecting so it is a gap that I have not filled. The brand existed between 1986 and 1989 with eight titles (the longest ran for 32 issues).

I've managed to pick up some tidbits like Jim Shooter wrote Star Brand before his departure from the company; later it was written and drawn by none other than John Byrne.  Mark Gruenwald and Paul Ryan worked on D.P.7.  Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz created Kickers Inc. And Archie Goodwin penned a number of titles. Both John Buscema and Mike Zeck contributed covers to Mark Hazzard: MERC.

Take a look at the covers and brief descriptions below.  And please share all you know about the New Universe!  Recommendations and warnings are all welcome today. 

D.P.7 focuses on seven powered individuals on the run from an agency hunting the paranormal.

 Justice focuses on a vengeful knight from another dimension who doles out alien justice.

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Kickers Inc. focuses on powered football players who hire out their services.

 

Mark Hazzard: MERC follows a Vietnam vet who hires out for mercenary work. 

 Nightmask can enter people's dreams.

 Psi-Force are also on the run from the government, but together they can become a psi-hawk!

 Spitfire follows a team using an armored construction suit to assure the tech stays in the right hands.

 Star Brand follows the adventures of a teen who receives the mysterious alien brand.

There you have it...now let's get the conversation started! (Somebody please say you have read some of these books)!