Martinex1: Welcome all! Check out the latest selection on the ever-evolving BitBA spinner rack. Today we are examining the heroes, villains, and guest stars that have pursued their higher education. We have surgically selected a bevy of covers featuring 'doctors' of all sorts. We have Dr. Strange, Dr. Doom, and Dr. Fate of course. But we also have Doctor Spektor and Dr. 13 in Ghosts plus some others you may have never seen. My favorite happens to be a DC character - Dr. Mid-Nite; I have always enjoyed his costume and powers; he was one of the first characters I was introduced to in kindergarten.
Make your four picks and tell us why you selected those. And to help out the less educated, let us know if you recommend any books strongly or if you would avoid the story like the plague. Give us a prescription for comic book exploration and adventure, and we will take the medicine because there is nothing sweeter than a good comic book that we've not read before.
Cheers!
Update: Here are some additions based on the suggestions our great team of commenters have mentioned. We have Doc Samson, Doc Magnus, Doc Savage, and Dr. Sivana (who I managed to skip on both the "bald" post and the "doctor" post this week. He is the Rodney Dangerfield of the villain set for BitBA. Thanks all.
14 comments:
Doc Magnut: Robot-Biter!
(Wasn't that on the cover-blurb for an issue of Not Brand Echh--?) (Ha!)
But hey yeah-- DOC MAGNUS: ROBOT-FIGHTER-- don't leave him out, now! I never bought a single issue, but the title alone always caught my eye. Hmm, and surely he must show up on some Metal Men covers as well, yup?
So-- from a strictly Cover-Made-Me-Buy-This-Book perspective, I'd go with:
Charleston's TOO MANY GHOSTS (Just because I've NEVER seen a spooky comic with a bright yellow cover!)
DR. STRANGE
MSH: DR. DOOM
JSA#6 (I too really groove on Dr. Mid-nite's togs--)
Which comics would I get, just 'cause I like the Doctors I'm seeing on 'em? (This includes issues that I own, for this one--)
DR.STRANGE (again)
DR.LIGHT (Teen Titans-- very attractive cover)
DR.MID-NITE (JSA) (again) (I never encountered this character until the great re-launch of JSA around the turn of the century-- and found his retro, pulp fiction/radio-drama series vibe to be very engaging. He is a character I could still be happy to explore--)
DR.PYM (WCA)-- "and his AMAZING MULTI-POCKETED CARGO JUMPSUIT!" Along with being the only person on earth who still likes (and defends) the Avengers' bomber-jackets, I believe I'm pretty much alone in my appreciation of this mostly-forgotten Hank Pym alter-ego. The potential was there for a very, very different kind of Marvel hero, with an extremely outside-the-box set of abilities and priorities. And it was a time when we were seeing a more normal arc of recovery for the previously broken Pym. But-- like much of that title, he wasn't handled too deftly by Mr Englehart at the time, and then Byrne didn't seem to like ANYONE in the book when he took it over, so. . .
Hmm-- a little heavy on the side-editorial, but there ya have it--!
HB
Here are my favorite Doctors:
1. Doctor M.T. Graves - He's one of Ditko's finest, but was not created by Ditko. His first adventures in the first issue of Ghostly Tales featured the artwork of Ernie Bache and the writing of Dave Kaler.
2. Doctor Fate - I fell in love with Doctor Fate in the first issue of Justice League drawn by Dick Dillin. The look of Fate always was awesome, more sleek and modern than his fellow Society members.
3. Doctor Solar - Doctor Solar was the most powerful character ever and the spins on him over the decades have been fascinating. The artwork early on by Bob Fujitani is lush though I found the Frank Bolle stuff later a bit less fascinating. We all remember those Richard Powers covers.
4. Doctor Strange - I'm a big fan of the period when Doc Strange wore the blue mask and the more superheroic look, but I'll take him in any for most of the time.
5. Doctor Mid-Nite - Loved the fact he was blind and though he always came off in JSA adventures as a bit of second-stringer, he still appealed to me.
6. Doctor Druid - Whether he was known as Doctor Droom or Druid his place in comics lore as the precursor for Dr. Strange is fascinating. Loved what they did with him later in the Avengers as truly grouchy hero. Nice touch for a guy who was not really a peer of the folks he fought alongside for the most part.
Rip Off
Ugh. Yes. Doc Magnus! I had him on my list and forgot to add him. Thanks HB - good call.
Rip - I too kind of liked Dr. Druid. It was definitely a different type of character to throw into the Avengers lineup. I enjoyed those issues and liked the disjointed and stressful feel he created on the team; it was unlike any previous dynamic on the Avengers.
Doc Midnight - I dug the costume and reprints from the 40s when I read the DC 100-pagers in the early 70s.
Doc Fate - in the 1960s I just dug his costume (perhaps from Brave and the Bold issues my cousin had?)
Doc Savage - Simply for nostalgia and to keep a 1930s pulp hero alive. (I thought the Shadow - Doc Savage - Justice Inc storyline a few years ago was a bit of a hash though b/c I could not tell who was who from the art.)
Lastly, "What's Up Doc???" made me laugh and laugh and laugh...
Hmmm, I'd probably go with:
Titans (Dr. Light is kind of a goof, but I love those early NTT stories);
Batman (Dr. Phosphorus was interesting, although I don't think that particular story was written by Steve Englehart, who co-created Phosphorus);
Detective (that Crime Doctor story was pretty cool, with him figuring out Batman's secret identity and later refusing to give it up to Sterling Silversmith);
and maybe the Doc Doom/Doc Strange graphic novel, because I've never read it and I like Roger Stern's writing.
What, no Dr. Sivana?
Adventure with Dr. Regulus because I love that entire run of the Legion.
Batman because that was my prime era reading that series, and a Garcia-Lopez cover plus a Batgirl appearance is too hard for me too pass on.
Dr. Fate in DC Comics Presents, one of my favorite JSA characters of all time and good nostalgia thinking about that issue.
Dr. Doom in Marvel Super-Heroes, I just enjoyed reading that one in the "Marvel Rarities" Masterworks edition published a few years back.
Dr. Solar would have been my 5th, Doom just barely beat it out.
I agree with Mike, I would put a Dr. Sivana issue in the mix (always liked DC Comics Presents Annual 3 when Sivana gets Captain Marvel powers and wears the green costume).
And another write-in character...Doc Samson!
Some of my favorite doctors: Dr. Strange, Dr. Fate (love his look, too), Dr. Doom, and Dr. Mid-Nite - glad you put the spotlight on him. I've always loved his look, and was fascinated by him when I first saw him in a JSA reprint back in the mid-'70s.
I never really liked Dr. Druid, but I agree with Rip, he was put to good use by Roger Stern in the Avengers.
As for the books on offer, as usual, I picked what I'd actually snap up if I saw all of these books on offer in a comic-book shop for only 25 cents each:
Adventure Comics featuring Superboy and the Legion of Super-heroes
Captain Atom
Doctor Solar
Marvel Super-heroes (with Dr. Doom)
I already have the Dr. Strange & Dr. Doom story in a tpb, otherwise that would have been my first pick, as it is one of the best stories featuring either of those characters. Dr. Zero also didn't make the cut, even though I've always been curious about the Shadowline books.
Thanks for the comments guys. I updated today's selection to include some of the suggestions - including Dr. Sivana. Cheers!
Another doctor is Doctor Synne - an early Captain Britain villain.
Heh-- I might have gone with Incredible Hulk #143 for Doc Samson--- but it's always nice to see my favorite book get represented!
(And so surprised to not take any flak for Dr Pym! You folks are too kind. . . )
HB
HB - we just shrunk your Pym comment and put it in our pocket for later. We can pull it out at any time and use it against you.
Cheers.
MX1-
Oh.
Wow.
And nary an unstable molecule in sight to use for my defense. . .
HB
Missed out on today's chat as I was flying the friendly skies homeward ( you know, "airplane mode" and all that).
Dr. Martinex, I salute your surgical wit and your fine gathering of "Doctors" (enough to fill a medical library). I doubt my feeble attempts at humor are keeping you in stitches, so I'll 'cut it out'.
My picks:
Batman with Dr. Phosphorus, a solid issue I remember liking.
Dr. Strange/Dr. Doom graphic novel- never read it, but it looks great. Two of my favorite doctors. Nuff said.
Metal Men- another title sorely missing from my collection.
Adventure- don't know anything about Dr. Regulus, but hey, it's a Shooter Legion issue.
What, no love for one of Spidey's greatest foes - Doctor Otto Octavius better known as Doctor Octopus!?
- Mike 'Phd in gastronomic consumption,i.e. eating!' from Trinidad & Tobago.
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