Marvel Comics | Magazines and Monsters!

Man-Thing #12, 1974

Posted on March 5, 2014 by billyd75

Although the cover is Gil Kane and John Romita Sr., we get some fabulous interiors by ‘Big’ John Buscema in this book! I know most don’t think of Man-Thing when they think Buscema, but believe me, his work on this title is second only to Ploog in my humble opinion. And that’s saying something, because Ploog is a legend in this genre, more so than Buscema.

In this story, we see a troubled writer, that seems to have a broken mind, and maybe a shattered spirit. We see over the course of a few issues, that this man, Brian Lazarus, is somehow tied to the titles shambling protagonist, Man-Thing! Are the people torturing Brian really there, or are they just figments of his imagination? Only Steve Gerber & ‘Big’ John Buscema could bring us this macabre story! Enjoy!

The Savage Sword of Conan #1, 1974

Posted on March 2, 2014 by billyd75

Alright, a new month, and we say goodbye to Jack Kirby, but in his absence, we will see another titan of the comic book industry that left us way to soon, in the form of ‘Big’ John Buscema! A week-long tribute to him, then on to another comic book icon! There’s no two ways about it, you have to start out with a tribute to John Buscema with that Cimmerian warrior, Conan! In the first issue of The Savage Sword of Conan #1 (cover by Boris Vallejo), we get to see Conan, as he’s doing his usual thing (partying, and getting into trouble), but then out of nowhere, as he’s attacked by some vagabonds, he’s assisted by the beautiful but dangerous, Red Sonja! The two then go on to have an adventure that includes rescuing a girl from being sacrificed on an altar by some evildoers!

Nobody could draw Conan like John Buscema (Barry Windsor-Smith did a fine job too), and when you see other renderings, you will find it to be true! Whether it was gulping down a flagon of ale, fighting in some desert war, or riding a horse across the wilderness, ‘Big’ John Buscema was king of Conan the Barbarian! Enjoy!

The Invaders- My Jack Kirby Finale!

Posted on February 27, 2014 by billyd75

Instead of the usual one issue spotlight, I’ve decided to send off February and Jack Kirby with a bang! Here are four awesome covers by the ‘King’, on one of my favorite series, The Invaders! He did some splendid covers for this book, and with Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins on story and interiors, respectively, you couldn’t ask for a better team effort! So, thank you, Jack Kirby, for your monumental contributions to the comic book industry! Enjoy!

Marvel Double Feature #21, 1977 (Originally Tales of Suspense #98 & 99, 1968)

Posted on February 24, 2014 by billyd75

In this, the penultimate post of February, and of my month-long Jack Kirby tribute, I give you a gem of a story! Captain America versus the Black Panther! You’ve got to love superhero fights, as they are almost as cool as super villain fights! In these two reprints, Cap heads to Wakanda at the behest of the Black Panther, but when he arrives, he’s attacked by that very same hero! Moments later, T’Challa tells Cap that he attacked him to make sure he was the real deal, and not an impostor. Both men know there are some shenanigans going on in the jungle, so they leave to investigate. They find some crazy device, but it’s very heavily guarded. They manage to subdue just about everybody, but then a beautiful spy knocks them both unconscious with some energy weapon!

After Cap and Panther have been revived slightly, they are being held against their will, but by whom? It doesn’t take long for their tormentor to make his presence known. It’s the nefarious Baron Zemo, and he’s out for revenge against Cap, and also wants to take over the world or some nonsense. Can Cap and the Panther get loose in time to stop him? Who is this mysterious blonde super-spy that seems to be helping Zemo? You must read this story to find out!

This issue is one of those rare instances where you get such a variety of work from Kirby. The jungles of Wakanda, outer space, the Panther’s lair, and everything in-between! Yes, you really get to see Kirby at the height of his powers in this one, and as usual, you wont be disappointed! Enjoy!

Marvel Spectacular #15, 1975 (originally Thor #144, 1967)

Posted on February 21, 2014 by billyd75

With only a few more posts left in the month of February, I really want to go out with a bang! What better way to showcase the talents of Jack Kirby, then to show some classic Thor! Lets be honest, nobody was better at drawing Thor. John Buscema did a fantastic job, and probably is the only artist to come close or equal Kirby’s greatness on this character (Pollard, Coipel, & Frenz were also quite good).

In this great issue, Thor and the rest of the Asgardians are besieged by someone called “The Living Talisman”. This entity has a tremendous amount of magical powers, so much power, that he even has the audacity to face the mighty Odin himself! In the end, we see an all out brawl between the emissaries of The Living Talisman, Thor, Odin, Balder, and every other Asgardian that can fight! A backup story starring Thor and the Warriors Three finishes off this fantastic issue!

Marvel’s Greatest Comics #64, 1976 (originally FF #82, 1969 )

Posted on February 18, 2014 by billyd75

So, here’s more greatness from the mind of Jack Kirby, Joe Sinnott, and Stan Lee. You can never get enough stories about the mighty Inhumans! In this crazy tale, Maximus the Mad, has gone off the deep end again, and he captures the Inhumans, and it’s up to the Fantastic Four to stop him, and rescue the Inhumans! These issues are really excellent, and Kirby does some of his best work in them! The inks of Joe Sinnott are good as well, and he definitely should get some love for his work on the FF as well! Take a look at some of the awesome pages! Enjoy!

As you can see, the characters are looking great as usual, but look at Lockjaw, and the prison holding the Inhumans! Only ‘King’ Kirby could make something mundane like a cage look so fantastic and incredible. Of course, you can say that about almost everything he did, but for me, the Fantastic Four issues really stand out above everything else. The Eternals are a close second, but his Fourth World, and The Demon (Etrigan) are also quite good. Not to mention his X-Men, Avengers, monsters, Captain America…oh, you get the point!

The Eternals #1, 1976

Posted on February 15, 2014 by billyd75

You know something, Jack Kirby’s return to Marvel yielded some comics that most think are slightly odd, but if you look closely, you’ll find a real gem in The Eternals! This fantastic book only lasted nineteen issues (plus one annual), but it really set a tone for things to come in the Marvel Universe. My favorite story of all time, is one that involves the Eternals. The story is called “Thor: The Eternals Saga”, and it’s an incredible journey through the history of not just Thor, but the Eternals, and the Asgardians as well!

In this first issue, we see Ikaris, as he’s befriended two humans. The humans are researchers that are looking through ancient ruins for proof of life beyond the stars. With the help of “Ike Harris”, they find more than they bargained for, and might not survive to tell the story!

Checkout these awesome pages drawn by Kirby (inked by John Verpoorten). You really see his unique style on full display! Enjoy!

Fantastic Four Annual #5, 1967

Posted on February 12, 2014 by billyd75

In this fantastic story, you get to see the incredible Silver Surfer, the way only Jack Kirby could draw him! As the Surfer is flying around, taking in Earth’s beauty, he’s nearly shot by some duck hunters. He gives them a warning shot, and continues on his way. He then stumbles upon a computer, inside an abandoned laboratory, formerly a hideout for the Mad Thinker! Inside this normal looking computer lies a secret, and its name is Quasimodo! This creature was created with the sole purpose of destroying the enemies of the Mad Thinker. The Fantastic Four thwarted his plans, and the evil villain left the computer to rot. It’s kind of sentient though, and mentally cried out to someone. The Silver Surfer was passing by, and heard the cries for help.

Well, I wont spoil it, but needless to say that an evil genius conceived this computer, so when the Surfer helps it escape its prison, it’s not as grateful as one would hope. A battle at the rooftops of New York City, between the cosmic powered Silver Surfer, and Quasimodo, the living computer! My copy is from an issue of Marvel Milestones that includes one of the best Dr. Strange stories ever told as well! Enjoy!

Thor #163, 1969. “Where Dwell The Demons”

Posted on February 9, 2014 by billyd75

If you haven’t figured it out by now, this month will feature nothing but work from the king himself, Jack Kirby! So far we’ve seen a Fantastic Four book, and one awesome Captain America issue as well! This time around, we’ll look at The Mighty Thor! In this specific issue, we see the mad god Pluto, as he’s recruited some other-dimensional mutates, to help him take over the world. of course the mighty Thor is standing in his way, but can he stop the mad god, along with his army?

Thor is dragged inside a strange energy barrier that has appeared on Earth, and he soon finds his lover, Sif, is being held captive there by Pluto and his mutates. You see, Pluto has traveled to the future, and found this planet has been decimated by war. He stops Thor and Sif, and is holding both prisoner, but then finds a cocoon, and something is stirring inside it, and it seems to be a man!

This issue started a great story line that involves not only Pluto, but the fantastic Adam Warlock (Him) as well! Kirby’s work is fantastic as usual, and of course, you have some fans that don’t care for Vince Colleta’s inks, but honestly, these pages look great! This happens to be the one and only comic book I won that has been CGC’d, and it will probably be the only one I ever own (I won it in a contest). I’m not a fan of putting something that’s to be read behind plastic.

Captain America #103, 1968

Posted on February 6, 2014 by billyd75

All month-long I’ll be spotlighting the work of Jack Kirby, and the last post showed his awesomeness on the Fantastic Four. Honestly though, I loved his run on Captain America just as much! He made Steve look very handsome, and Sharon Carter was very sexy in her panels as well! In this specific issue, Steve and Sharon are trying to enjoy a quiet evening out on the town, but suddenly, their dance is interrupted by some of the Red Skull’s henchmen. They use knockout gas on Steve (not realizing it’s Captain America), and kidnap Sharon. The Skull wants to lure Cap to his island base, where he can destroy him for good!

Cap fights his way through the Skull’s minions (no, not the ones from Despicable Me), and he finds Sharon, chained up in a cell. He frees her, but then must face the Skull and his generals. Cap manages to escape with Sharon, but the Skull is confident that he wont get far. The Skull holds a detonator in his hands, and prepares to hit the switch! Will Cap and Sharon survive? I hope you enjoy my Kirby tribute this month, and rest assured, it’ll stay at this height for the month! See you in three days!