Redartz: Welcome, everyone! Today we will look at 'the end of the line' for some of our favorite comic titles. First issues are always enticing, and are generally popular- generating some extra sales interest. But how about last issues? Sometimes a title will simply change to a different title (say, Marvel Collector's Item Classics became Marvel's Greatest Comics). Sometimes a comic will end with an accompanying finale to it's primary characters, say Man-Thing's first series. And then, occasionally a title will end, just leaving us hanging (Omega the Unknown, anyone?). Aaand of course, you have the current trend of simply rebooting a title and starting over with issue number 1 again.
Here we present a selection of some final issue covers. Sorry I can't say more, I'm too choked up at seeing a good comic end...
Do any final issues stand out in your memory? Any that became particular items of collector interest? Any favorite classic finale stories? Go ahead and add your epilogue to the tale...
35 comments:
Funny... I was just pondering if Fantastic Four is done? That was the first and last last-issue I bought; I think I bought it last summer? I have to think they will come back somehow, someway?
As I was looking through a comic shop yesterday, I started thinking about how so much has changed, especially regarding the Marvel line of comics. No F.F. but 28 different Spidey covers. I didn't buy anything... All I wanted was an FF for ole' times sake!
Cheers, From Charlie Horse (the sad version) (Maybe I should play the Revolver Album today, to cheer me up!)
The cancellation of Marvel's 'Planet of the Apes' magazine really got to me back in the day ... that was the series that got me into Marvel comics in the first place.
Charlie Horse - yeah, what did happen to the FF???Haven't seen an issue for ages.
GW - Marvel canceled FF around a year or two ago. Supposed gossip is that Marvel did it to spite Fox and their release of the FF movie since Fox has the movie copyright. The last issue was sort of giant sized with recollections of former artists and writers. I miss it.
I was really sad at the end of the 1998 Thor series (#85) because I knew we wouldn't be seeing Thor again for quite a while.
The extended Jurgens run on that series was excellent, and even the 'Thor Disassembled' coda was well done.
I was really sad to see Rom end too, but in my heart of hearts knew the character's purpose had ended with the Wraith War.
Is there a case for the last issue of Rom putting closure on the Bronze Age?
Glenn- yes, PotA was sorely missed by many of us. Fond memories of the book; actually I read the magazine stories before I ever saw the film.
Charlie- FF will doubtlessly be back when the 'powers that be' decide it is in their financial interest. At any rate, they will eventually reappear, if only to renew Marvel's rights. And that last issue was pretty good, the comments from previous creators was a nice touch.
Ohhh, before I finally start my day, I do miss Harvey (Sad Sack, Richie Rich...). I know this isn't quite the same as a last issue, but geez louise , Harvey had 1 of the 2 spinner racks just for their comics (maybe they shared a column with Archie's).
I was really sad to see Marvel Team-Up end. It was definitely one of my favorite comics growing up. It had all the fun of a Spider-Man comic without all the angst of Amazing and Spectacular Spider-Man (which I loved too, btw). Plus we got to see Spidey teaming up with other Marvel heroes every month (what a bargain). Sometimes he'd team up with characters I'd never even heard of, so I got to be introduced to some of the far flung corners of the Marvel Universe that I otherwise might not have been exposed to at all. For example Captain Britain. Which reminds me, I especially loved the Claremont Byrne issues. They were responsible for some of my very favorite childhood comic reading memories. Very very fun stuff. I still don't get why they canned the series just to make room for yet another Spider-Man solo title (Web of Spider-Man). Ahh well.
I also remember that final issue of Teen Titans. I was just really starting to get into that title when they suddenly pulled the rug out. There were some very underrated stories happening in that book at the time. And I was pretty bummed out when they ended it so abruptly. Needless to say, I was very much on board when "New Teen Titans" came along a few years later. And I was not disappointed. Until they canceled that one too. (After many great years of course).
I'm picking Marvel Team-Up #150 as well. It's not exactly, "classic" or "essential," but it features Spider-Man and the X-Men facing off against Juggernaut, one of my all-time favorite villains.
Another thing I enjoyed about that story was it featured the somewhat lesser lights of the X-Men. Spidey teamed with Nightcrawler, Colossus, Rogue and Rachel Summers. It was interesting because Nightcrawler ended being the defacto leader of the X-Men. Good story written by Louise Simonson.
Speaking of Planet of the Apes... Have you seen that the Marvel mag is finally going to be reprinted? Our pal Karen tipped me off to this via Twitter late last week.
https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Apes-Archive-Vol-Terror/dp/1608869903/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1485787839&sr=8-23&keywords=planet+of+the+apes
Consider my copy pre-ordered.
Back to the topic.
Nova ended mercilessly, and the wrap-up of its events in the pages of the Fantastic Four was well done. A bow nicely tied.
I missed the Secret Society of Super-Villains, as well as the Champions. Throw Teen Titans on that pile, too. Issue #53 had much better art than its immediate predecessors.
A title that actually ended three times was Super-Villain Team-Up. I did not know until a few years ago that the last three issues were published over the space of three years!
Doug
Doug - thanks for the tip on the upcoming PotA reprint! I have all the original issues, but if the reprint's nicely done will get it anyway.
Come to think of it, EVERY Marvel and DC comic has ended in recent years... then restarted, then ended, then started again. What a nightmare for the people who index these things!
Amazon has dropped the price since it went live last week. Now asking $31; had started at MSRP of $50. If you look at the details, it's a 400-page book! So $31 is a steal.
The Inhumans have been canceled how many times?
A tangential topic for a later time might be series that limped along, and as a consumer you wondered how in the world it kept going month-to-month.
Doug
I didn't actually have that many series jerked away from me. I remember when The Shadow was cancelled. I really enjoyed it (even the Frank Robbins issues ;) ) and hated to see it go.
When Master of Kung Fu ended, I was disappointed. Even though the creative team had changed, I was curious as to what direction they might take Shang-Chi and the gang.
By the time many of the others were cancelled, I had stopped reading. There was so much flux with creative teams moving around that I only stuck with a few of them for really long term.
I too disliked when Marvel Team-Up ran its course. It had been limping along with weaker stories and art for a while but I liked how the book could focus on smaller characters. Two-In -One converted to the Thing at around the same time and I thought that was a misstep as well. I had hoped they would keep some "team-up" book going, perhaps with a more rotating cast of characters if the Thing and Spidey were not available. The Hulk or Human Torch taking the reins may have been nice or perhaps Luke Cage or Spder-Woman or Cap.
Speaking of Luke Cage, I thought despite some weakness in the story I did like how PM/IF ended...at least it was an ending (even if it was rushed).
Also I would like to read those last few appearances of Machine Man (Mister Machine) in 2001. That seems like an interesting transition as the character developed and got his own book.
As Doug said, there were a lot of books that were mediocre (at least from the creativity standpoint) and I wonder how they stuck around so long - indeed that is a topic we will spend time on in the future. But I also feel like the era we are discussing is when the product started being driven by marketing popularity - which I completely understand - but made the books seem more redundant. Suddenly there would be countless Spider-Man, X-Men, and even Avengers spinoffs. Gone would soon be the outliers.
Even though the Invaders was not a top tier book and had its limitations. I really lamented its passing and hoped it would get a great creative team at some point. A boost from the likes of Claremont and Perez would have been interesting on a period piece.
I forgot to mention that the almost concurrent ending of Marvel Premiere, Marvel Presents, Marvel Spotlight, and other rotating books left a big gap in the Marvel Universe for me.
That's funny you mention those "try-out" books, Martinex. I had some here and there, but because I was a chronic completist I truly had a hard time jumping in and out of those books. And sometimes the fare just didn't interest me (Alice Cooper, for example).
As others have said elsewhere, had Jack Kirby been handed the Invaders upon his return to Marvel, that book might have become a classic. But preferably with Roy scripting, not Jack.
Doug
The last three issues of Master of Kung-Fu acknowledged and wrapped up the series appropriately.
Not all series and creators get enough time to do it properly but there was always a healthy level of editorial respect for MoKF.
I thought the final issue of Marvel's Galactica title. Like most titles (Champions, etc...), it always seems like they were just getting their groove on when it's cancelled.
I'll have to buy that last '70s Titan's issue, I was really big into collecting them when the title started up again, but when the Donny Heck art came in, I couldn't stand it (same for Batman Family, but then the title ended on a high note with better art after I had stopped collecting).
I was also disappointed when MTU ended, but it was only a couple of months until Web of Spider-Man came out, so I didn't miss too much of my Spidey fix. Same with MTIO becoming the Thing solo comic, though I never liked the solo stuff as much as the team-ups.
I liked MOKF, though I wish Moench had stayed for those last few issues, and I still have my original copy of PM/IF 125. As for DC, I can think of a few series that ended, but none of the stories particularly stand out. Maybe Outsiders, since it ended with Metamorpho (supposedly) being killed and Halo in a coma. Any Flash fans here? His first series ended (I think) with him finding out Iris was alive and joining her in the future to live happily ever after ... or at least until the Crisis :)
I started collecting the last year of Flash issues.., loved that Carmine came back to draw 'em.
As for that GL/GA issue, someone gave me a box of 'old comics' back in the mid-70s, and that last issue was among them. It was the only O'Neil/Adams original GL issue I ever had at that point. Loved the art, but even then I thought it was a bit heavy on the preaching.
Yes, David - agree. If you recall when Karen and I reviewed five of the O'Neil/Adams issues, the "a bit heavy on the preaching" aspect was a major downer for us. Honestly, I've not been back to revisit the series since. I suppose at some point I should. I've never read the issue with Speedy using drugs.
Stan seemed to come at that stuff in a much more subtle way.
Doug
I loved the Champions book, even though it made no sense, it was just fun. It was woven into the Marvel-verse nicely, especially at the end. SVTU was another great bronze book. Although the last few issues were reprints and not part of what was going on at the time. Omega was a real cliff hanger, until it was completed in Defenders sometime later. The "tryout" books and team-ups were usually grabbed by the younger me. It was an economically decision, more heroes for the same price! I really enjoyed the limited series boom at the end of the bronze age. Nice little bites of characters.
Ouch, I just looked at my first post today, not completing the sentence on Marvel's Galactica title. Like the Champions, both the art and writing seemed to have improved by the last few issues.
It's a business alright, but nevertheless it was tough to see it go, even without the television series.
Hiya,
For me the stunner contained in today's post was the realization that NONE of the comics that I bought that originated in the Bronze Age SURVIVED the Bronze Age.
Now I'm going to disregard the 'X-insert title here' books because even though it was revived in the early Seventies it was a clear continuation of the original. Everything else, Nova, Legion of Super Villains, Man/Swamp Thing, Iron Fist . . . nothing else made it.
Can anybody please think of a title that originated during the Bronze Age that continued to be published into and possibly through the Nineties? It would be much appreciated.
Seeya,
pfgavigan
Like Graham, I was bummed when DC cancelled the Shadow. I do recall that!
I also felt, in a sense, Marvel cancelled Luke Cage Hero for Hire when he became Power Man around issue 15! I had a sense Luke was becoming another superhero. (I'd have to reread the issues though, to recall why. I just know my collection abruptly stops there, having gotten almost the whole run to that point. Getting the whole run, off the spinner racks in the BA, would have been a miracle!)
I would agree that the GA/GL final issues were "heavy / preachy." In general, I found most of DC's attempts to be "hip" were rather corny, esp when I reread from that time period. (For some reason "Snapper" Carr comes to mind???)
Pfgavigan, that is a very good question. I would say that you are correct in that finding a title that was created in the Bronze Age and lasted is impossible. I took a quick look at Mike's Amazing World of Comics' site and scrolled through some months toward the end of the Bronze Age and anything created in our heyday is gone... or revamped countless times...and surely did not last the duration.
One outlier, and it is a stretch that takes some manipulation, is Wolverine. If you consider the Bronze Age lasting into the late 80s rather than '85 or '86, then maybe Wolverine's book that started in 1988 can be considered one that went unscathed into the 2000s.
I rather look at Wolverine as defining the death knell of the Bronze Age and actually being the epitome of the following Aluminum Age. But I will say that the character - if not his book - was clearly initiated in the Bronze. The Miller mini-series was run in 1982 so there was a fair gap between that and the ongoing.
I like the idea that the end of ROM signaled the end of the Bronze - because I like the book and character. But my opinion of the end is the transition of Frank Miller and Alan Moore from traditional comic book artists and storytellers into revisionists and deconstructionalists. Dark Knight, Watchmen, Daredevil, etc all turned that corner in mood from about 1982 to1986. And nothing survived that shift coupled with direct market selling. The happier or at least more hopeful books like Micronauts, PM/IF, Team-Up etc could not withstand that coming wave. It was truthfully a transition over many years but it was a mood transition from all-ages to adult marketed. Nova, Ms. Marvel, Dazzler, Thing, etc would never ever make that cut.
Fine analysis of the end of the Bronze Age Martinex1. Hard to argue against.
Pfgavigan makes a great point about series failing to survive the Bronze Age. Until the post-2000 rehabilitation of BA characters under the Quesada/Bendis axis it's remarkable how much Lee/Kirby-created characters continued to dominate the MU.
Hey Charlie Horse, according to Mike's Amazing Newsstand, ended it's run with issue #16! Then took a month's break and picked up with Luke Cage Power Man #17. Interesting note, the cover blurb identifies Luke Cage as "The First and Still The Greatest Black Superhero of All"!!! Really? I thought T'Challa son of T'Chaka was first.... anyhoo.
Man, comics that ended? I was thinking the same thing many of you already mentioned and then somehow ended up on the tangent where Jack In The Box stopped with the SuperTacos and the Apple Turnovers.... truly a dark time for your's truly.......
(Seen a lot of walls, seen a lot of halls
Got a lot of calls, late at night
Seen a lot of doors, seen a lot of floors
Done a lot of chores, late at night
So don't come in here walkin'
So innocent and talkin'
Tryin' to make conversation
Cause I know and you know
That I know what you're here for
Don't tell me 'bout your father
Your sister or your mother
Your great big brother
Not tonight
Don't want to hear about your hang ups
Don't want know your favorite movies
Don't want to hear about other rock bands
Not tonight
So don't come in here walkin'
So innocent and talkin'
Tryin' to make conversation
'Cause you know and I know
That I know what you're here for
Seen a lot of floors
Seen a lot of doors
Done a lot of chores
Late at night).
PS: This space intentionally left blank...... really!!!
Martinex1- excellent analysis of the sunset of the Bronze Age! I see some potential further exploration of this subject...
One Bronze age book that ended (mercifully, in my opinion) was Howard the Duck. The title really suffered from a lack of Gerber at the end.
As for a book that originated in the Bronze and lasted; can't think of one. I will say, however, that there are certain elements of the Bronze age sense of 'anything goes' that are visible today. Perhaps less so in the 'big two', although there are some interesting experiments there as well ( once you get past the infinite Avengers, Spider-Man and Batman titles). More so in the other publishers active today. Now if only we could go newsprint and cut those cover prices...
PF-great question! Martin- great answer! Prowler- maybe they were implying he was the first black superhero with his own, self-titled mag?
As an aside I wonder if there is any correlation that starting in 1978 the whole world changed because the US government and business discovered the magic of paying for every thing by borrowing. It was unlike anything the world had seen and has continued unabated. It eventually brought big $$$ to every nook and cranny of business, obviously in the world of sports, and eventually the world of comics. What's correlation, I have no idea. But I vaguely recall Perlman buying Marvel in the early 90s in a highly leveraged buyout? The BA ended when a much slower and simpler world ended. And that's my hypothesis, lol???
Hiya,
Special thanks to those who responded to my query.
I'd like to put my two cents in and add a point about not necessarily when the Bronze Age ended, but when things were put in motion that precipitated its ending. I think it can be traced to the first time the Sales Department at Marvel Comics started making editorial decisions.
At his blog Jim Shooter repeatedly made the point that Upper Level Management at Marvel gave him free reign during the early and mid range of his tenure as Editor-in-Chief. Not only did they have little interest in what titles were being published or who produced them (much to John Byrnes chagrin), many executives made it a point never to visit the production floor or even open a comic book. All they cared about were the sales figures and if these were met Shooter was left alone.
That came to an end with X-Factor.
Somebody in Management, I've got my suspicions but no proof, wanted another X-title on the rack. Word was passed down the line until it reached Shooter and the X-editors. They had no problem with the concept, but balked when informed that the line up was to consist of the Original X-Men.
All of the Original X-Men.
Even those who were busy doing something else . . . like decomposing.
The Edict was given and the creatives obeyed. Their solution worked well enough but really satisfied very few of those involved and, in the end, I believe was equally unpalatable to the reading public.
Now I know that Management has always had some leverage over what will be produced. But under the Goodmans it was generally regulated to if a comic sells keep producing it, if not then cancel it and move on. With X-Factor a precedent was set and has taken its ultimate form in the Marvel Creative Committee, where those who can't tell those who can what to do.
Seeya,
pfgavigan
Hiya,
Oh, crap!! Dan Spiegle has passed away.
http://www.newsfromme.com/
Mark Evanier says it better than I ever could.
Seeya,
pfg
That is a nice article about Dan Spiegle - thanks for sharing the news and note pfg. Sorry to hear that about his passing.
Pfg -regarding your hypothesis, I think it is a very good one. I've often thought myself that the spark of some of the "marketing directives" was the Dark Phoenix story. I think most comics published during the 70s sold at relatively steady levels - well within the bulk of the bell curve. Sure some sold better than others but they all were within standard deviations. A lot of that had to do with the style of distribution. So on the business side the actual stories and details didn't matter - it was just units of "product". I think the fan driven spikes on certain titles (ala X-Men) shattered expectations and the business folks were shocked somewhat. Them what typically happens is everybody wants to replicate the success - everybody leaps to conclusions what was the true reason for the spike and tries to repeat it. Was it the death of a major character? Was it the art of John Byrne? Was it mutants - everything mutants? In truth it was some of that, all of that, and none of it. It was in a lot of ways hard and long work and an evolution in storytelling and lightning in a bottle and timing and a particular gestalt. And it could not be replicated. But they tried. And the more they tried, the more they repeated. The same happened with Miller's Daredevil. And Watchmen. Etc Heck, it seems they are still doing it. X-Factor is indeed a good early shot at that simplified extrapolation of "what worked". "Worked" past tense. The creativity and exploration of Gerber, Starlin, and others was on its way out - too risky. I think the collapse of the Bronze Age started when - like you said - data started driving plots. Sure, that always happened and always will in all types of businesses, but in the late 70s and early 80s in comics it sped up, became aggressively cyclical...straight down the toilet. We see it in movies; they call it "trends" (I say that sarcastically) until somebody steps out and upsets the apple cart - then that gets followed too. Take La La Land - anybody want to guess how many movie musicals we start seeing in the next two years ? It happens in restaurants ... how many more specialty or gourmet burger chains do we need? It happens everywhere. The problem with comics is that it is almost too easy to repeat; the cost of doing so is low. I'm not saying there is nothing new or adventurous out there, but every single big two title is driven by selling events and pre-sold tragedies now. And I think it started with Phoenix. I think the next huge thing may be something completely opposite...funny animals anybody?
Forgive me if anyone else offered this in answer to PFG - class is about to start but I wanted to rifle off this reply.
Marvel's Conan the Barbarian lasted 275 issues, ending with a cover date of December 1993. That may be your winner.
Doug
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