Panel Discussion: Just Sharing a Few Favorites...

 

Redartz:  Over the years, from time to time, I've mentioned several comics that hold a high position in my status list. Today we're going to take a brief look at several of those favorites; consider each one a hearty recommendation! Each one is a potential source of  discussion' additionally  for this 'round table' everyone is encouraged to describe/ recommend / flaunt a choice book or books that you think everyone else would enjoy. 

Each mini review will also feature a page from the tale to give you a little sample, just to tantalize. So here we go, in no  particular order:

Batman / Spirit, by Jeph Loeb and Darwyn Cooke

. This teamup of two of my favorite characters would be a natural for my 'best 'list. Even more so when rendered by the wonderful Darwyn Cooke. His retro style perfectly captures the classic feel of the classic villains abounding herein. And abound they do; many of both Batman's and the Spirit's most famous foes are involved. Loeb's story is very entertaining, and winds around a fascinating crossover between Jim Gordon, Commissioner Dolan, P'Gell and Pamela Isley. Not going to spoil it for you, but it's a hoot. And, the interplay between the two main protagonists is likewise hilarious. Any fan of either Bruce Wayne or Denny Colt will love this.

Spirit Jam, by Will Eisner and just about everybody...

Will Eisner's most famous creation gets two appearances today, and he certainly deserves it. This phenomenal tale appears in Kitchen Sink Comix' "Will Eisner's The Spirit" issue 30, from 1981. Most of this series  presented reprints of Eisner's revered work, both of the Spirit and occasionally of other subjects. But this special issue brought together an unbelievable team of creators; too lengthy to go into ; but you can get an idea from the cover. Suffice it to say that the representative page here was done by Frank Miller and Terry Austin. 

As for the story, it involves an untold Spirit adventure, wrapped in a framing sequence tying in the very creation of the story itself! As in Batman/Spirit, many of the Spririt's rogues gallery are included. The story abounds in adventure, humor, and a bit of  the risque as well. It's great fun, and a big kick trying to identify the various artists' work from page to page (if you need to cheat, there's a breakdown on the letters page). 

This book can be had for a comparative pittance, but it's worth it's weight in gold (or perhaps golden age books?).

 

 

 

 Jonny Quest #2, by William Messner-Loebs, Wendy Pini and Joe Staton.

 The first two reviews were pretty light-hearted; this book is one of the most heartrending comics I've ever read. It gives us both the story of how Jonny's mother died, and also how Race Bannon came to join the Quest family. As  you would expect, Race keeps the requisite amount of excitement topped off, but the real focus here is the drama. Bill Messner-Loebs truly masters this ; with the most sensitive portrayal of Benton Quest you'll ever see anywhere. The level of characterization in this issue is off the charts, and it's impossible to read without a tear or two. But fear not, Loebs finishes the tale off with an optimistic air, and it's a most satisfying read. 

Artwise, it's nice to see Wendy Pini's take on the Quest group, and Joe Staton's inks are perfect for her pencils. 

Comico's "Jonny Quest" series was quite good in it's entirety, but this issue is the capper. A masterpiece of comics at their most human.

 

 

 

 

 Sensational Spider-Man Annual 1, by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca.

This book came out in  2007 as part of the ongoing "Back in Black" storyline in Spider-man, following immediately on the heels of the events of  "Civil War". I did enjoy "Civil War", not so much the soon-to-follow "One More Day" story. But regardless, this book, while being a part of that controversial arc, is actually a loving tribute to the classic Spider-Man (and Peter Parker) of the Silver and Bronze age. In "To Have and to Hold", Matt Fraction tells the story of an investigator trying to get hold of Peter through his then-wife Mary Jane. But MJ isn't about to betray her Pete, and proceeds to relate story after story of their past relationship. We are treated to some very nice moments with characters we've known and loved for years, and it's a gem. 

Artist Salvador Larroca does a phenomenal job with the visuals, giving each flashback sequence  a sense of the original artists. The page I've shown here channels John Romita Sr.,; he also does a very nice Ross Andru. 

This is one of those Annuals that can stand alone on it's own merits, as a testament to the classic Spider-Man of the past. And it's portrayal of Mary Jane shows why she's still my favorite match for Peter.

 

 

Sugar and Spike 25, by Sheldon Mayer.

I could have picked almost any issue of this series, but chose this one with it's charming Halloween cover as appropriate to the upcoming holiday. Anyone who has followed this blog probably knows of my fondness for Sheldon Mayer's two tempestuous tots. These stories are warmhearted, fun, amusing, cute, and an absolute pleasure to read. There were generally a couple multi-page stories in each issue, with a short or two included as well. Then there were the '"Pint-Size Pin-Ups" pages, with reader-submitted outfits for the kids. These pages were often cut out, which means of course that finding intact copies of an issue of "Sugar and Spike" can be challenging. But it's worth the effort. These are comics that children can read, but that adults can enjoy equally (if not more). It may be some testament to the book that while I've been parting with many comics in recent years, reducing the size of my collection, I still search out issues of "S & S" in hopes of someday completing the run. Partly because the only reprinted collection available had the first 10 issues, the next 90 are available only as originals. And the search continues, to which I can only add "Glx Sptzl Glaah"...

Okay, there you have five books that keep me a comics reader. Feel free to share your thoughts on them, and to spill the beans about any particular comics that will always have a special spot in your heart!

Chew the Fat: "Just For the Fun of it"...

Redartz:  There are lots of reasons for selecting the particular comics that filled our shelves as youth. The reasons are much the same now, with the addition of hindsight and years. We may pick a specific comic because it's continuing an ongoing storyline. It may feature a favored artist or writer. Perhaps we grabbed it up for the sake of completeness: we don't want to miss an issue. Some folks will buy a given issue for perceived collectible. Some will buy a book just for the cover (I've done that numerous times, as recently as last month). But one of the best reasons to buy a particular comic book is "just for the fun of it".

Last weekend I doubled up; visiting a comic shop and a flea market! And since I've long ago abandoned completion as a goal, I just look for books that appeal to me. Some are books I once had and would like to reacquire, some are books I've always wanted to read. But often I just pick up a book because it looks like a lot of fun. This was the case last weekend, as I picked up these little smile-inducers:

 


My first stop was on Sunday, at a local comics shop. I try to visit one about every month or so, to see what's new, and to pore over some back issues. This go-round I spotted these gems on the rack: if you're not familiar with them, DC has been publishing comics based on the 1966 Batman  TV series for several years. The characters and villains are drawn like, and scripted like, the portrayals we remember: Adam West, Burt Ward, Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, and all the rest. What's more, they bring some of the TV villains onto the page that previously were only seen on the show: for instance, these books feature the Bookworm (resembling Roddy McDowell, of course) among some of the more familiar faces. 

And of course, as you saw recently in my Archie post, I have a fondness for the denizens of Riverdale. So seeing these two favorites paired up was , in a word, irresistible. And  irresistibly fun. So for any of you who may despair that 'fun' comics aren't available any more, you can rest assured. There are many lighthearted, amusing, 'just plain fun' books being published yet today. 

 

Next day was Monday, and it meant a trip to the flea market. There were many comics for sale there, including several comic dealers with nice back issues at full collector's prices. I did pick up a couple books from one (he had everything for half off), but where I most enjoy looking are the random comics found in random booths, usually stacked (you guessed it) randomly. It was at one such table that I saw this comic. As you can see, it's certainly been read before. Many times. And that's part of it's charm. Of course the biggest part is the subject: Little Lulu. Lulu is another character hearkening back to my youth, particularly in the form of those Golden Comics Digests that usually accompanied me on family trips. Artist /writer John Stanley came up with clever, amusing stories, and gave the kids (Lulu, Tubby, Alvin, and the rest) loads of personality. Tubby is always coming up with some kind of scheme, usually to Lulu's detriment. And Lulu is no helpless victim: she shows great ingenuity in her various forms of revenge. The books were great fun to read as a kid, and are still a kick. Finding this for a dollar was another 'must succumb' moment. You know, just for the fun of it. 

So, what comics have you grabbed up, 'just for kicks'?

Two Questions: Secret Clubs and Creative Subs

Redartz:  Okay, folks; are you ready for a couple of questions to wrap your head around? Not to worry, nothing too weighty or challenging today. Just an exercise in imagination another in memory:

1.  Think of an artist , especially one often identified with a particular publisher. Then think of a title or character from another company that would benefit from that artist's touch (or at least make for an interesting variation).

2.  Among your youthful activities, did you ever start / join a secret club? And if so, what can you tell us about it (I know, then it's not a secret anymore)?

To start things off, here's my answers:

1.  As a Spider-man fan, I'm going with Jazzy Johnny Romita. He defined the web-slinger for me, and many others as well (certainly no disrespect to Ditko, but Romita was 'my' Spidey artist, so there it is). Romita is generally considered a 'Marvel man', understandable as he served as Marvel's Art Director for years. But to address our question, what if John Romita drew Batman? Romita could render phenomenal cityscapes for Spidey to swing around; surely he could do the same for the Darknight Detective. And he also made the villains look great; imagine what he would do with the Joker, Scarecrow or Clayface. Not to mention the famous Romita women; wouldn't you like to see his version of Catwoman, or Poison Ivy? I sure would...







2. Yes, my brother and I had clubs, and so did some of my friends. We lived next to a small woods, so we would go out and find some logs and branches with which to construct a 'clubhouse', or fort as may be. One such club included my brother, my cousin and I; we even went so far as to type up membership cards!

Another time our neighbor started a secret club, and even devised a secret code. This one didn't include my brother, much to his annoyance. He offered me a dollar for the code; I took it and spilled the beans, and promptly spent the loot on a comic and a pack of baseball cards. My friend next door wasn't amused. Obviously I was a security risk , easily bribed.




Okay, your turn. Care to share?

Off the Bookshelf: Art Books, a Visual Treat

Redartz: Comics, obviously, are a visual medium. Composed of images, in combination with text; both elements working together to produce that unique art form we all know and love. And many of us have, on our bookshelves, collected volumes of comic stories: whether a gigantic Omnibus, or a small digest format. Graphic novels, Masterworks, TPB's, there are many formats and many names. All of these showcase the complete union of word and picture that is the comics medium.

For consideration today, however, I'm concentrating only on the artistic side of comics. "Just the pictures", if you will. In the space of a couple months, I've added two such books to my humble library. 
First off, "The DC Comics Art of Brian Bolland". 

 This gorgeous volume came courtesy of a huge discount sale at a local outlet store. The book is brimming full of rich reproductions of Bolland's fine penwork, represented mainly by the covers for which he is best known. The breadth of his career is covered, from the early 80's to the 2000's. What I found particularly interesting are his discussions about the technical aspects of drawing, and his 'behind the scenes' tales involving his DC comics work. Here are a couple examples of what lie within the pages...

A wonderful collection of Bolland's artwork, and a great book I'd recommend to any art aficionado. 

My second book was acquired most recently: "DC Comics' Comic Art Colouring". 

As opposed to the Brian Bolland volume, this book is 'just for fun'. You probably are familiar with the current popularity of 'adult coloring books'. Even my mother loves to exercise her creative side with them. Well, once I saw this at a Half Price Books store, I couldn't resist it. The whole book is comprised of black-and-white reproductions of various DC comic covers, panels, pages, and even some actual page swipes from vintage childrens' coloring books. Some great covers are featured, and also some rather pedestrian ones. My only minor gripe with this book is the overwhelming focus on Superman and Batman. Probably 90  percent of the book depicts one or both of them. There are, though, JLA appearances, Green Lantern, Atom, and others. I'd have thought they'd give Wonder Woman more print here, she doesn't get a single page to herself. 



Anyway, what could be a better relaxation pastime (and, for an artist, a good skills sharpener) than doing a bit of coloring? With that said, here are a couple shots from the book, including my first attempt at a page. Incidentally, I changed the color scheme on that Justice League cover; the original purple robot and dark green background didn't work for me...

So there you have two different examples of art in comics, have you more? Again, there are many great books out there on the subject; here's a few more to kindle your thoughts.

Rank and File: The Year's Best Comic Stories, 1973!

Redartz:  Hi gang; ready for another survey of the best that comics have to offer? For today's installment, we go back to 1973, a very impressive comics year indeed. One I missed out on originally, as I was still reading exclusively Archies until 1974. But once I got the collecting bug, I picked up many of these and other gems from '73. 

As always, we make our selections based on books on sale between January and December 1973, cover dated Apr.73  to Mar.74. And now, in no specific order, here are my picks for the year's best:


 



The Shadow 1- "The Doom Puzzle" by Denny O'Neil and Micheal Kaluta. O'Neil and Kaluta revive the classic pulp character with this striking debut issue.

Marvel Premiere 14- "Sise-Neg Genesis" by Steve Englehart, Frank Brunner and Dick Giordano. The climax to an epic Dr. Strange story, to creation and back. And who knew that it would only get better, soon, in Doc's own title?










 



Savage Tales 2-  "Red Nails" by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor- Smith. The first half of perhaps the greatest Conan tale of all; a masterpiece. Windsor-Smith's art is a museum piece.










 


Avengers 117- "Holocaust" by Steve Englehart, Bob Brown and Mike Esposito. Marvel's first big crossover event, and it was a doozy. The first battle between Captain America and Sub-Mariner since the Golden Age, and that's only part of the book.












 



Plop! 1-  Various content by Sergio Aragones, Steve Skeates, George Evans, Sheldon Mayer, Bernie Wrightson, Frank Robbins and Alfredo Alcala. This wonderfully twisted humor book gets off to a great start with a fine lineup of top creators. Wonder if this book is collected anywhere...









 


Amazing Spider-man 122- "The Goblin's Last Stand" by Gerry Conway, Gil Kane and John Romita Sr.  So much has been written about this monumental issue, nothing I can say is very novel. But it turned the comics world upside down, and still packs a staggering punch all these years later. Plus, one of Mary Jane Watson's most powerful scenes ever.













Batman 251- "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge" by Denny O'Neil and Neil Adams. An instant classic; one of the best Joker stories in the long history of the Dark Knight. 










 


Defenders 10- "Breakthrough" by Steve Englehart, Sal Buscema and Frank Bolle. Okay, I know it's part of the Avengers/Defenders war already represented above. But hey, it's a different title, it's Hulk vs. Thor, it's a gargantuan tale, and it's my choice anyway...










 


Fantastic Four 141- "The End of the Fantastic Four" by Gerry Conway, John Buscema and Joe Sinnott. Man, it was a tough year in Gerry Conway's titles. Nevertheless, this story has enough action and drama for a year's worth of books. Annhilus is always cool, and that ending left me stunned the first time I read it.











 


Swamp Thing 7- "Night of the Bat" by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson. Many issues of this run could have been chosen for this list, but this one is a favorite. Batman by Wrightson is certainly a perk, great story and beautifully moody art. But why did they have to kill the dog? 













Whew, as always, it's a tough call. There was a ton of great material that year; so you probably have some other suggestions to consider. Fair enough, let's hear from you!

Rank and File: Justice League of America, Roll Call!

Redartz:  Hi gang! Most of the time here at BitBA we seem to discuss Marvel Comics and their phenomenal cast of characters. So this time around, we'll give a chance to DC. Specifically, the Justice League. 

 The JLA has had as many lineup changes as the Avengers, and perhaps more. Of course, the League had a couple years head start. A wide range of characters have filled the membership logs of the JLA, including DC's biggest stars, and many of their lesser lights. From Superman to Blue Beetle, from Wonder Woman to Gypsy, much of DC's lineup have occupied the pages of DC's premier team book. 

There was the classic original lineup, with the likes of Green Lantern, Flash, Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman (and frequently Superman and Batman). In the 70's there was the "Satellite Era", with a grand array of members, adding such names as Firestorm, Black Lightning, Elongated Man, Red Tornado, Black Canary and Green Arrow. In the 80's, a new era for the JLA gave us the lineup with Gypsy, Vibe, Steel, Vixen and John J'onzz. A few years later, after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the "Bwa Ha Ha" league, with Batman, Black Canary, Captain Marvel, Dr. Fate, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Mr. Miracle, John J'onzz and Guy Gardner kept us entertained. 

Which lineup was the best? Which heroes had the biggest impact? What characters did you enjoy seeing in the book, and which ones could have stayed home? Give us your opinions, and I won't tell Batman about how you missed the membership meeting...