Bronze Age | Magazines and Monsters!

The Avengers 148, 1976 “20,000 Leagues Under Justice!”

Posted on September 25, 2016 by billyd75

After leaving Marvel (Timely/Atlas) for the second time, Jack Kirby created the Fourth World. To put it simply, he created an entire universe full of characters from the vast, galactic brain of his that had already spawned the likes of Captain America (with Joe Simon), the Romance genre, the Boy Commandos, Challengers of the Unknown, The Sky Masters of the Space Force, and…well, you get it. Oh and he also co-engineered (if not engineered) much of the Marvel Silver Age.

After a few short years at DC, he returned to Marvel once again, and he gave us all something very different, and very cool. Titles like Machine Man, Devil Dinosaur, 2001: A Space Odyssey, drove our imaginations to new heights. Kirby also did numerous covers for the Fantastic Four, and The Avengers! Books like this one are a comic book lovers dream. Cover by Jack “King” Kirby, story by “Stainless” Steve Englehart, pencils by “Gorgeous” George Pérez, inks by Sam Grainger, colors by Hugh Paley, and letters by “Titanic” Tom Orzechowski! This issue features one of the teams that could consistently give The Avengers a run for their money- The Squadron Supreme!

A Tribute to the late Joe Kubert!

Posted on September 18, 2016 by billyd75

On his birthday, I’d like to pay homage to Mr. Kubert! His pencils and inks were some of the finest to ever grace the pages of comics, and I for one am saddened by his passing (in 2012), but rejoice in the awesome legacy he left behind not only from his work, but also his school in Dover, New Jersey! Now, I give you some of the awesome covers (that I own) that the legendary Joe Kubert drew over the years! Enjoy!

A Devilish Fascination (in comic books)!

Posted on August 29, 2016 by billyd75

What is it that makes fear so fascinating? People actively go to horror movies, read books, and even visit tourist attractions touting frequent ghostly visits. I’m sure there’s a clinical term for it (isn’t there one for everything these days?), but do most people ask themselves this question? Probably not, but after recently asking it in my mind, I struggled to answer the question. Other than just liking to be scared, is there some psychological reasoning behind this or just one of those unexplained phenomenon?

Why is there a fascination with the devil/demons and fear in general? Is it the same fear that we get from movies we watch even knowing we’re safe in a theater or our home or perhaps because many of us believe he’s/they are very much real? Most people I know personally believe in the devil, demons, etc., and even if you ask a large contingency of people on another continent, I’d bet most either believe or aren’t quite sure what is and isn’t to be feared either in this life or another.

Either way, here’s a quick look at some of the devilish deities from the Marvel and DC universes! I’ll show some great panels from the likes of Mephisto, Hades, Etrigan, and more! Enjoy (artwork by John Byrne (images 1 & 2) and John Buscema (image 3)- Mephisto, Jack “King” Kirby – Etrigan the demon, Bob Hall – ChThon and other Elder gods, Sal Buscema – Nightmare) !

Marvel Comics: The Liberty Legion and The Crusaders!

Posted on August 10, 2016 by billyd75

Roy “The Boy’ Thomas, is one of my all-time favorite comic book creators. Not only is he one of the best writers, editors, and creators of characters (the two teams I’ll focus on now!), but also one of the best historians of the industry as well (Alter Ego). One of the things I think he did best was create teams that were retcons (retroactive continuity- meaning they didn’t exist in the same time-frame where their stories were written, but during the Golden Age instead).

Whether it was battling the Red Skull, fighting alongside The Thing against more Nazis, or arm in arm with The Invaders in the European Theater, these two teams were always right in the middle of the action! Other than Rascally Roy, these characters were brought to life by the best, including Jack “King” Kirby, Don Heck, Sal Buscema, Frank Robbins, Alan Kupperberg, Frank Springer, Vince Colletta, Joe Sinnott, Chic Stone, Don Glut, and more! Images from Marvel Premiere 28, Marvel Two-in-One Annual 2 (1976), The Invaders 41, 15, 35, 36, and 37 (1976-1978)!

The Project Pegasus Saga Part Two (Marvel Two-in-One 56, 57, 58, 1979)

Posted on June 6, 2016 by billyd75

The next few issues of this great story saw a change in art, but not in tone for sure. You still get action supreme, and we really see what Ben Grim is made of as not just a superhero, but a man. We also get Bill Foster in action, Quasar showing off his abilities, and the mysterious Wundarr as well! After all is said and done, Wundarr fell a little flat, but Thundra was awesome! One thing to note about issue 56- the Thing and Thundra brawl, and as older readers know, this isn’t anything to get worked up over. In this day and age, you’ll be hard-pressed to see a brawl between a male and female characters in a mainstream book.

Props definitely need to be given to Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio (writers). In only six issues, they utilize at least fifteen different characters in this setting (plus a flashback or two), and get more out of them than all their previous appearances combined! They do a great justice to Bill Foster especially. The artwork by George Pérez (pencils) and Gene Day (inks)(and one cover, 56, by John Byrne and Terry Austin), is very solid. I’m not very well versed in Day’s career, but Pérez is dynamite. Some of the pages of the issues I own, are a little muddy, and seem more like a printing issue than the artist’s not doing their job. Names like Bob Sharen and Carl Gafford (colors), Irv Watanabe and John Costanza (letters), and Jim Shooter (editor), round out the creative force behind this gem!

The Project Pegasus Saga Part One (Marvel Two-in-One 53, 54, 55, 1979)!

Posted on March 28, 2016 by billyd75

As of now, you can buy a deluxe hardcover of this great story, but back in the day, you had to grab the single issues. One of my favorite off-beat books of all time is most certainly Marvel Two-in-One! The title almost always featured Ben Grimm, and this Jack Kirby creation is one of the best characters to spring from his incredible mind. When thrown-in with another character, Grimm really shines. His personality is often repressed slightly when issue after issue of Fantastic Four he was portrayed as just muscle (with exception of an issue here and there). His sense of humor really shined in these stories, and solidified him as one of Marvel’s greatest characters.

One of the names synonymous with Marvel Comic’s history is Mark Gruenwald (writer). His days as an editor, writer, and overall continuity cop are nothing short of legendary. Along with Ralph Macchio (writer), these two men gave us an epic story that endures! If you need two men to render a story, you might as well get John Byrne (pencils) and Joe Sinnott (inks)! Toss in names like Bob Sharen (colors), John Costanza (letters), Diana Albers (letters), George Pérez (cover pencils to 55), and Roger Stern (editor), and the dream team is set!

SGT Fury and His Howling Commandos 166, 1981 “Play it Alone, Sam!”

Posted on March 6, 2016 by billyd75

Every once in a while, I feel the urge to spotlight a war/military comic. One of my favorites is Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos! I’ve always loved the concept of a rough and tumble team that could handle anything. The mixture of personalities, and different ethnic backgrounds was pretty cool. There were down times with humor and fun, but when it was time for action, they were ready! This issue in particular was good because not only was the regular cast there but also their CO (Commanding Officer), Happy Sawyer! In this story (a bit of a Casablanca rip off), we see Sawyer remembering a mission that saw him fighting everyone from Arabs, French, and Nazis!

Although sometimes war/military books can get redundant, this one (along with War is Hell) were always pretty good. This issue had Gary Friedrich (with changes by Allyn Brodsky) scripting, and we all know that Gary wrote some fantastic stuff back in the Bronze Age (Ghost Rider, Frankenstein). The interior pencils are by Dick Ayers, and inks by John Severin. Both of these gentlemen don’t get mentioned anywhere near as much as they should, so definitely check out there work and give them their due! Colors by Bob Sharen, and letters by Jean Izzo. The cover was by John Severin (originally Sgt Fury 72, 1969)!

Machine Man 11, 1979 “Byte of the Binary Bug!”

Posted on February 29, 2016 by billyd75

The title “Machine Man,” was from the incredible mind of Jack “King” Kirby. As with virtually everything he touched, the book was great, but his run only lasted for the first nine issues. After that, it took a strange turn when Steve Ditko took over the artistic duties. This story brings in a techno-villain that seems to have what it takes to not only commit daring crimes, but also to stop Machine Man as well! A wild story with a tragic ending, as only Marvel in the Bronze Age can supply!

The man named Marv Wolfman (writer/editor), must have lived in the studio during the Bronze Age. Between the writing, plotting, and editing, his resumé is ridiculous. He’ll always be a legend for his collaboration with Gene Colan (Tomb of Dracula), but he was always a consistently good writer no matter what title. Steve Ditko (interior art and cover) needs no introduction or hyperbole thrown his way. If not for him, Spider-Man wouldn’t be the iconic character he is today, period. Michele Wolfman (colors) and John Costanza (letters), round out the creative team!

Daredevil 124, 1975 “In The Coils of The Copperhead!”

Posted on February 22, 2016 by billyd75

Back again, and this time I have another shot of Daredevil for you! The silly villain this time around is called “Copperhead.” It seems that Daredevil has competition out there in the form of a person imitating a character from a pulp book from the 1930s. This man has no regard for life (sort of like the Punisher), and lays down judgement on wrongdoers all over the city. It’s up to Mr. Murdoch to try to stop this renegade, if he can! Copperhead is no joke…OK, he is but he does have poison tipped darts that he shoots out of his gun, and a diamond hard mask to protect his identity! Plus, we get some political drama with Foggy as well in this issue!

I’m not quite sure why, but the issue is written by Len Wein and Marv Wolfman (he was the steady writer around this time, and Wein the editor). No matter though, as both guys gives us the straight forward dialogue you came to expect from this title in the Bronze Age. The artistic team is one that I’m torn over. Gene Colan (pencils) is without a doubt my favorite penciler of all time. He’s so uniquely talented, you’ve got to love the guy’s work. The inks are provided by Klaus Janson. His work with Frank Miller on Daredevil in the 1980s is fantastic, as is his solo work. He just doesn’t seem like the best match for Colan’s pencils. The colors are provided by Michele Wolfman, and the letters by Joe Rosen. We also get a great cover by the team of Gil Kane (pencils) and Frank Giacoia (inks)!

Daredevil 129, 1975 “Man-Bull in a China-Town!”

Posted on February 17, 2016 by billyd75

Has there ever been a better title for a story than this one? Exactly. Lame villains are what make the world go ’round, as we all know. Daredevil has seen his fill of these wacky characters, and it’s why I love this title during the Bronze Age! The book got way too serious for me once Frank Miller took over (even though, I still enjoy some of those stories). But wacky stories involving characters like the “Man-Bull,” are just too awesome to not spotlight. The man without fear versus a guy that’s part man, part bull…what’s not to like?

Seeing the name Marv Wolfman (writer/editor), at the helm always puts me at ease. Whether it was Tomb of Dracula, Batman, or Crisis on Infinite Earths, the guy gets it done. Not the most well known tandem in comics, but Bob Brown (pencils) and Klaus Janson (inks), do hold their own and give us some nice visuals. Michele Wolfman (colors) and Joe Rosen (letters), round out the interior creative team! As usual, we get a cool cover, and the team of Rich Buckler (pencils) and Klaus Janson (inks) are responsible!