Panel Discussion: Frankly Fond of the Fantastic Four...

 

Redartz:  Yes, it's true. I'm quite fond of Marvel's 'first family', the Fantastic Four. And this affinity goes  back a long way, to nearly the start of my comics interest. You've all heard how I cut my comics teeth on Superman and Spider-man; well after the wall crawler, the FF pulled a strong second place. This probably stems from exposure to (and devotion to) the 1967 Saturday morning exploits of the FF as presented by Hanna Barbera. 

 

That and Spidey were the definite highlights of those cartoon mornings for me, and it led to me picking out some FF issues off the spinners (which was, no doubt, the hope and expectation of Marvel executives). Oddly, though I recall almost all my old Spidey issues easily, those FF issues are more difficult to pin down. One that I do remember distinctly having was Fantastic Four Annual 6, with Annhilus. I was drawn irresistibly to that swirling red Kirby/Sinnott masterpiece cover. It's still a favorite. Incidentally, that summer had two 'swirly' covers, both of which I picked up- the other being, of course, Spider-Man Annual 5. What a combination those two books made...

 

Years later, when I returned to Marvel after years of Archie exclusivity, the second book I picked up was, again, Fantastic Four. This time it was issue 147, in the heart of the Thomas/Buckler era. And I loved it; making the FF another 'must buy' each month. Oh, and Rich Buckler's Kirbyish art really grabbed me. Yes, it was obvious, but the book looked great., and the stories were classics. Doom and the Surfer, Counter Earth, the Inhumans- just so much good reading.  Thomas, Wein, and Wolfman put together a very solid multi-year run on the title. Yes, there were a few reprints and a few clinkers, but overall the FF held a level of quality few comics could match.

 And returning to art, the FF seemed blessed with solid art for most of it's history. From Kirby to Buscema to Buckler to Perez to Byrne; it was like a Comics Art Hall of Fame! Much as I hated to see Buckler leave the book later on, his replacement by George Perez really eased the pain. Still later, Keith  Pollard did wonderful work on the book, and Seinkewicz was different but interesting.  

 

Then there was John Byrne. He took the Four to heights unseen since the days of Lee and Kirby. Under his auspices the Fantastic Four became my number one favorite; even beating out Spider-man and the X-Men. Which was an accomplishment, believe me. His run on the book, over several years, still stands up as a high point in 80's comics. I look through those books even today and am stunned by how good they were, and are. 

But what about the Fantastic Four themselves? What made them appealing to 7 year old, 14 year old, and 23 year old Redartz? The characters, obviously. "Marvel's First Family", indeed. The series had a feel unlike any other, with that family dynamic guiding the storylines and character development. And the characters- four fascinating ones. Reed, the rather obsessive intellectual. Sue, who grew from a seemingly supportive role to become perhaps the team's strongest and most interesting member. Johnny, the Kid, but with heart (and his terrific 'frenemy' relationship with Spidey). And Ben, wonderful Ben. Ben Grimm may be the greatest, deepest character to arise from the minds of Lee and Kirby. So, so many excellent stories have been focused on him, his frustrations, his conflicts, and his personality. No wonder he trails only Spidey on my list of favorites. 

So there's the reasoning behind my fondness for the Fantastic Four. We'll wind up with a few more eye-catching covers that capture the greatness of the series. So after you feast your collective eyes upon them, let's share our thoughts about all things Fantastic! 

 

 

 

Two Questions: Who's on Your Mount Rushmore?



Martinex1: Today we have two questions based on a poll I posted recently on twitter.  Here is the poll and the results.

Because twitter had limitations regarding the number of choices and options, let me pose the question to you a little differently:


QUESTION 1: Who is on your comic book artist Mount Rushmore?  Name four artists that you think should be on the monument.  It is open to any artists from any genre of comics.  Tell us why you chose your selections.   Here are some options (this list is definitely not all inclusive):


Jack Kirby, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, John Byrne, Wally Wood, John Buscema, Frank Miller, Steve Ditko, John Romita Sr., Joe Kubert, Neal Adams, Will Eisner, Jim Steranko, Gil Kane, George Perez, Gene Colan, Jim Starlin, Bill Sienkiewicz, Marie Severin, Mort Drucker, Joe Shuster, Carmine Infantino, Todd McFarlane, Bill Everett, Sal Buscema, Paul Smith, Don Heck, George Tuska, Michael Golden, Carl Barks, Mike Ploog, Jim Aparo, Amanda Connor, Bill Finger, Frank Frazetta, Moebius, Fiona Staples, Walt Simonson, Bob Bolling, Stan Goldberg, Harry Lucey, Ramona Fradon, Bob Montana, Dan DeCarlo, Frank Robbins, Nick Cardy, Bernie Wrightson, etc.

QUESTION 2: Who is on your comic book writer Mount Rushmore?  Name four writers that you would honor in this way.  Again, it can be a writer from any genre of comic book, and again tell us why you made the choice you did.  Consider anybody that has written comics including but not limited to:

Stan Lee, Bob Haney, Chris Claremont, Al Feldstein, Grant Morrison, Jim Shooter, Edmond Hamilton, Art Spiegelman, Doug Moench, Roger Stern, Mark Waid, Otto Binder, Jack Kirby, Bill Mantlo, Roy Thomas, Frank Miller, John Byrne, Ann Nocenti, Bill Mantlo, Alan Moore, Gardner Fox, Joe Gill, J,M, DeMatteis, Gail Simone, Gaiman, Peter David, Denny O'Neil, Jim Starlin, Mark Gruenwald, Kurt Busiek, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Jeph Loeb, Don McGregor, Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, etc.


Cheers all!

c

  

Rank and File: The Year's Best Comic Stories, 1972!

Redartz:  Good day, and welcome everyone! For this episode of  "Rank and File" we cast our eyes upon the earlier Bronze age, to 1972. Our goal: to select some of the finest examples of comic book storytelling available in that fine, vintage year. I've chosen my favorites, using my admittedly subjective criteria (have I actually read it, and did I like it) along with considerations of historical significance, creativity and just plain coolness. Therefore, let us dally no longer with explanations; on with the show...


 

1. Avengers 100- "Whatever Gods There Be", by Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith, Joe Sinnott and Syd Shores. Great classic tale with a plethora of Avengers.













 

2. Fantastic Four 121- "The Mysterious Mind Blowing Secret of Gabriel", by Stan Lee, John Buscema and Joe Sinnott. One of Stan's last stories, but an interesting way to bring Galactus back...












 


3. Green Lantern/Green Arrow 89- "And Through Him Save a World", by Dennis O'Neal and Neal Adams. A bit heavy-handed, but a dramatic finish to the O'Neal/Adams run.












 



4. Marvel Premiere 4- "The Spawn of Sligguth", by Archie Goodwin, Barry Windsor-Smith and Frank Brunner. A tale smacking of horror; a bit different for Dr. STrange, but a good read. And unusual, but nice, artistic pairing of Smith and Brunner.










 


5. Marvel Team-Up 4- "And Then-The X-Men", by Gerry Conway, Gil Kane and Steve Mitchell. A Solid team-up, solid art, solid stories, just a solid issue. 












 


6. Amazing Spider-Man 113- "They Call the Doctor...Octopus"; by Gerry Conway, John Romita Sr. and Jim Starlin. A great start to the Ock /Hammerhead war. And interesting to see Jim Starlin over Romita, as well. 











 


7. Captain America 155- "The Incredible Origin of the Other Captain America", by Steve Englehart, Sal Buscema and Frank McLaughlin. Englehart's phenomenal run on the book is just starting, and already he tackles a biggie: the '50's' Cap!











 



8. Conan the Barbarian 20- "The Black Hound of Vengeance", by Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith and Dan Adkins. A personal favorite among the Thomas/Smith Conan stories. Absolutely great; and what a cover. Incidentally, this must have been a good year for Mr. Windsor-Smith.









 


9. Kamandi 1- "The Last Boy on Earth", by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer. The King starts off his post-apocalyptic epic in fine form. Dialogue may  be a bit clunky, but you can't fault his imagination.











 



10. Swamp Thing 1- "Dark Genesis", by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson. A more detailed origin for the swamp monster, courtesy  of his two initial creators. 






 





There's my picks; take'em or leave'em. Either way, let us all know why you took them or left them, and pass along your own lists for the Best of '72!

The Quarter Bin: We're Doomed!

Martinex1: Is Dr. Doom the greatest villain in the Marvel Universe?  Or any comic universe?

I will let those questions hang out there as we explore Dr. Doom's complex history and look at numerous comic covers.   I would really like to know your opinion so keep the queries in mind.  If Doom is the standard for four-color megalomania, then what makes him so complete?  How do you rate him as a character and as a nemesis?  What are his weaknesses and strengths?  Who might be up-and-comers to challenge his crown?

As you form your viewpoint, take a look at the wide selection of covers we have for you today.  Throughout the Silver and Bronze Age of comics, Doctor Victor Von Doom made his presence known and I dare say graced more covers than any other Marvel villain (prove me wrong).

He obviously had numerous cover appearances in the monthly Fantastic Four mag, and I make no claim to showing all of those issues today.  I merely picked and shared the FF examples to which I gravitate.  Similarly, the bad doctor starred in titles like Astonishing Tales, Super-Villain Team-Up, and Doom 2099; I offer only a few issues of each of those titles as indicators of his time as a headliner.


Doom also made frequent appearances in the various hero comics that graced the stands.   From Daredevil to Dazzler, from The Avengers to Alpha Flight, from Marvel Team-Up to Spidey Super Stories, Doom was there.  And all of those appearances did not seem to water down his mystique.

The iron masked despot that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created way back in Fantastic Four #5 (cover dated July of 1962) has lived on for the past 55 years seemingly harassing every masked do-gooder that Marvel created. Not only has the character ruled an imaginary European country (that seems stuck in the era of a Universal monster movie), but he has also commanded both science and sorcery in quests that have led him off world and to the underworld. 

During the middle of the Bronze Age the villain may have been pushing his limits and outliving his welcome by seemingly appearing everywhere, but John Byrne honored the character of the Latverian monarch when he worked on the Fantastic Four and focused on Doom's nobility and political motivations. One of my favorite Byrne stories is from the FF anniversary issue #236 in which Doom created a small puppet world into which the heroes were transported.   And if you think his mystique was not far reaching, there was even a follow-up to that tale in an issue of The Micronauts #41.

As Lee once famously stated (and I paraphrase), Doom just wants to rule the world and there is nothing particularly illegal about that desire.

Byrne and Chris Claremont, at the peak of their careers, got into an in story feud regarding the character of Doom.  Claremont, in Uncanny X-Men #145 and#146, partnered the Latverian monarch with Arcade, and the game-running clown did not treat Doom with proper respect.   He even struck a match on Doom's armor.

   
Byrne felt this was out of line and diminished the villain he was using while he was the auteur of Fantastic Four.  So he had the real Doom destroy the Doombot that would not stand up to such indignity.  Needless to say, Doom's notoriety and infamy increased in that era.

So it is time to play the $1 Doctor Doom Challenge. Take a look at the dozens of covers shown below.   Each features our star antagonist, Doctor Doom.  You can choose four (4) regular mags from this internet spinner rack or two (2) collections or treasuries for your imaginary dollar.  Which picks do you make and why?  And remember, as you give your reasoning, to share your insights about Doctor Doom and his long history at Marvel Comics.  Was he the greatest Marvel villain ever created?  Why or why not?  And how does he compare to the entire pantheon of comic villains?

So for the length of this task and conversation, you're Doomed!  Enjoy the experience BitBA fans!

As an added bonus, here are two colored John Byrne art commissions that I stumbled  across while researching Doom.  Wouldn't you have liked to have seen these in a full story?  Feast your eyes!  Cheers all!