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, 1980!

Redartz:  Hello once again! Ready to consider some memorable comic stories? If so, proceed: we are looking at the year 1980, when comics started out at 40 cents and skyrocketed up to 50 cents. Oh, those were the days...

And what a year for comics it was. Although I usually try to limit representation on these lists to one per title, the sheer strength of the X-Men forced my hand. As always, some picks are obvious, some less so. You recall the ground rules: books published with cover dates between April 1980 and March 1981; my admittedly subjective choices,  no particular order, and your critiques and nominations welcomed! Here we go...


 


X-Men 137- "The Fate of the Phoenix", by Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Austin. The mutant team's preeminent team details the death of Jean Grey. 'Nuff Said. 














 
Captain America 250-   "Cap for  President", by Roger Stern, Don Perlin, Roger  McKenzie, Jim Shooter, John Byrne and Joe Rubinstein. A fun tale of speculation, introspection, characterization and politics!














 

 DC Comics Presents 29-  "Where No Superman Has Gone Before", by Len Wein, Jim Starlin and Romeo Tanghal. Superman goes through an emotional wringer courtesy of the Spectre.


 









 


Amazing Spider-man Annual 14-  "The Book of the Vishanti", by Denny O'Neal, Frank Miller and Tom Palmer. One of Spidey's best annuals, with some gorgeous art (and a great cast- Dr. Strange, Dr. Doom and Dormammu). I wasn't a fan of Denny's work on the regular title, but he aced this story. 













 
New Teen Titans 2-  "Today...the Terminator", by Marv Wolfman, George Perez and Romeo Tanghal. The new team start to get to know each other, and we all meet the Terminator (no, not Arnold). The book is really hitting it's stride...


 








 



X-Men 141- "Days of Future Past", by Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Austin. Truly one of the best stories of the decade. Better than issue 137?  Too close for this fan to call, so both make the list. 













 


Daredevil 169- "Devils", by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson. A great, chilling, cinematic Bullseye story, set against a holiday background. Great story, great cover, great team.












Detective Comics 500- "The Too Many Cooks...Caper!", by Len Wein and Jim Aparo / "Once Upon a Time", by  Len Wein, Charles Shulz and Walt Simonson. A two-fer, representing this collection of solid stories in a giant anniversary edition. The first- a clever yarn incorporating many of the former residents of Detective Comics, the second a salute to Snoopy's writing career presented by two of comicdom's finest.







 

Micronauts 20-  "Enter: Ant-Man", by Bill Mantlo, Pat Broderick and Armando Gil. A wild, wonderful romp in a supermarket with the Micro's and Ant-Man, and loads of insects. And a roll of bathroom tissue.










 


Mystery in Space 111- "The Singling", by Gerald J. Brown and Jim Aparo. A tale of betrayal and regret, told visually (no text); reminiscent of some of the classic EC sci-fi stories. One of several fine tales in this often-overlooked gem of an anthology...













Okay, you've seen my picks. Now's your chance to improve on it: name your choices for the best of '80; the nominating process here is wide open!

Rank and File: The Year's Best Comic Stories, 1981!

Redartz:  Hello fellow comics connoisseurs, today we look at the illustrious year of 1981 for our "Best of " discussion. As always, the choices are subjective (i.e. my choices, heh heh) but based on the overall quality of the read. And as usual, the choices are difficult to make. Some really fine books were left off the list, but of course they may well make it among your nominations!

So, with no further delay, let's look at my picks for the ten best of 1981; in no specific order:







All Star Squadron 2- "The Tyrant out of Time" by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway. A packed issue, early in a good series I'm only recently discovering.












 



Avengers Annual 10- "By Friends-Betrayed" by Chris Claremont, Michael Golden and Armando Gil. A very powerful issue, the last few pages hit like a gut punch. Plus you get Rogue's intro and some absolutely beautiful artwork.











 



Fantastic Four 236- "Terror in a Tiny Town" by John Byrne. One of the best issues in the title's entire run, and exemplary of the great work by Mr. Byrne on Marvel's First Family. 












 


Amazing Spider-Man 224- "Let Fly These Aged Wings" by Roger Stern, John Romita Jr. and Pablo Marcos. A rare chance for my favorite character to show up among the year's best; a great character study of the Vulture. Stern shows why he's among Spidey's top scripters. 











 


Iron Man 150- "Knightmare" by David Michelinie, John Romita Jr. and Bob Layton. Shellhead, Doom, Camelot, extra pages, and fabulous artwork. A classic. And what a cover... 












 


 Dr. Strange 48- "The Power of Dr. Strange" by Roger Stern, Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin. The first issue in Stern/Rogers' all-too brief run. A great book, and Brother Voodoo shows up too.












 



Daredevil 172- "Gang War!" by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson. High drama, mob intrigue, Kingpin and Bullseye, by Miller and Janson. They were cruising at the top of their game here.












 


New Teen Titans 8- "A Day in the Lives..." by Marv Wolfman, George Perez and Romeo Tanghal. A very nicely done look at the personal lives of the Titans, with the typical fine work by the creative team. Oh, and there's a creepy marionette.











 



 Justice League of America 200- "A League Divided" by Gerry Conway, George Perez, Brett Breeding and many, many others. This book sets the standard for anniversary issues. It has EVERYTHING; great art by many of the title's best. A cool story hearkening  back to the book's early heyday. Loads of characters. One of the best ever.








 



 Uncanny X-Men 153- "Kitty's Fairy Tale" by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum and Joe Rubinstein. This issue features a charming departure from the regular drama of super-powered mutants. Claremont spins a very special tale about Kitty spinning a very special tale.












Well, there you have it: take'em or leave'em. Either way, give us your impressions of the books above, and your suggestions for alternatives that should have made the list. Enjoy, be well and be happy!

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!