The Seventh Day of Classic Comics Christmas '06

[Cei-U!]

Woofwoof wuf woof woofwoofwoof wuf Woof Woof wufwoof woof Wuf wuf woof, woof woof woofwoof woof wuf wuf Woofwufwoof wuf woof wuf Woofwufwoof.*

Cei-U!
Arf!

*Krypto is my selection for #6 because when I was six, it made perfect sense for a Superboy to have a Superdog.

[Graham Vingoe]

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o156/grahamvingoe_2006/2327_4_171.jpg

Green Lantern/Hal Jordan
As I’ve said elsewhere before, my first exposure to American comics came from a cardboard box of old DC comics I devoured during the summer of 1970, which included huge numbers of Infantino Flash issues, and Kane pencilled Green Lanterns. This resulted in long-time affection for Barry Allen as the Flash, and Hal Jordan as Green Lantern. But it is Hal who got the placing in the top 12 with poor old Barry relegated to the also-rans (no pun intended.) I’m currently reading the Showcase of the Hal’s adventures and overall I’m enjoying them again, however, I’ve become increasingly undecided about whether I prefer the adventures on Earth or out in Space.
In some respects it is the concept of Green Lantern rather than the adventures themselves which , to be frank often leave something to be desired, so choosing recommended reading is extremely hard to do. Green Lantern/Green Arrow is an obvious choice though but I’ll stick with the Wein/Gibbons era Green Lantern, or more recently Green Lantern:Rebirth.
To close on a really comic-geeky note - A few years ago, DC produced a replica Green Lantern Power Ring. I still have mine

[Aaron King]

6. Plastic Man
Sadly, my attraction to Plastic Man began when I read Art Spiegelman’s biography of Jack Cole, Plas’s famed creator who tragically committed suicide. For some reason, suicidal comedy writers always seem to find a place in my heart (see John Kennedy Toole, author of Confederacy of Dunces). The thing about the best Plastic Man stories that not a lot of people realize is that Plas is the “straight man.” He’s usually pretty deadpan in attitude if not in form. Odd things happen around him. The original Plastic Man series is some of the best cartooning of the century and also features some of the most well-done moments of violence that I’ve seen, too.

There has only been one other take on Plastic Man that I’ve enjoyed, and that was done by Kyle Baker. Done in a “cartoon” style with few black outlines, Baker managed to tell great stories, keep the Plastic dream alive, and lampoon nearly everything without hitting readers over the head.

Plastic Makes Everything Better: Plastic Man Archives; Plastic Man (volume 3) #1-20 or Plastic Man: On the Lam & Plastic Man: Rubber Bandits

Jack Cole's Plastic Man (http://www.dccomics.com/features/plas/img/plastic_wall.jpg)
The cover to Kyle Baker's Plastic Man: On the Lam (http://www.paulgravett.com/articles/001_tpb/baker_plasticman.jpg)
http://www.wizkidsgames.com/images/figures/Rotating/HDCJ/HDCJ_223_rot01.jpg

[Aaron King]

I used to have a Green Lantern ring that came with the Super Powers action figure. I wonder where that got to.

[SamuraiJack]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/SamuraiJack31/FF537.jpg

DR. DOOM!

As the only villain to make my list, Dr. Doom crashes in at #6. It’s been said that a hero is only as good as their nemesis, and ever since I first saw the armored visage that tormented Reed Richards and company I knew I’d found the ultimate baddie. He’s got everything you need to be successful- arrogance aplenty, money, power, intellect, sorcerous abilities, and the backing of an entire (well, almost) country. Moreover, his motives are among the best in comicdom (IMO, naturally):

1) Kill Reed Richards
2) Rule the world (accomplished at various points, but never for long)
3) Free his mother’s soul from Mephisto (already accomplished thanks to Dr. Strange)

He also has the best supporting cast (don’t ask me why, but I think of the entire FF as Doom’s background players), he’s built himself a small army of Doombots, and best of all he gets diplomatic immunity! What more could a foil ask for?

Issue #200 of Fantastic Four stands out to me as one of the better Dr. Doom stories. It’s the closing chapter of the arc where Doom loses control of Latveria to Zorba, a prince from the previous royal family Doom deposed to initially take over. Good stuff all the way around, and to see him come back 47 issues later to re-take what’s his, this time with the FF’s help was just priceless!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/SamuraiJack31/DrDoom-re-By-GoNI.jpg

(He's the only one on my list so far to warrant two pictures. Actually, he threatened my family, so I HAD to do it...)

[Kan-Man]

#6... The Unknown Soldier

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c118/Kan-Man/arsdayer.jpg

Ranger beat me by a day and stated his case rather eloquently, so there's not much more for me to add.

On a personal note, I can't really remember how I first discovered the character (I'm guessing a Kubert cover drew me in). But once I started reading (early 80s, somewhat late in his own title), I was drawn in by the cinematic storylines. There's built in suspense whenever a story involves an undercover character (will he be found out?) but for me it never became repetitive. I also enjoyed the fact that none of my other comic collecting friends read the title, it made it more personal somehow (although it probably explains why he got cancelled).

And finally, the one and only time I made it into a letter column was in an issue of the Unknown Soldier.

[Joe Rice]

6. AM NOT BIZARRO NUMBER 1!!!

http://associazioni.monet.modena.it/glamazonia/articoli/superman/SUPERMAN_file/image014.jpg

Bizarro am worst concept ever!!! Bizarro not fun at all!!!! Things that talk like this never fun!!! DC right to remake Bizarro into crazy killer!!!! That am great idea!!!!!

This not collection of some of best superhero work in recent years at DC!!!
http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/images/G/G8495.jpg

If you need the greatness of Bizarro explained to you, you're lost already.

[Graham Vingoe]

I used to love Dr Doom and love issue 200 of FF, but it marks the point where I personally would have been happy not to see Doom again. Ever since then, I've had this view (probably unfairly) that he is one of Marvels' most over exposed characters and as a result of this I've always disliked John Byrne's use of him during his run, despite the fact that it is extremely highly regarded by many people.

[Slam_Bradley]

Ms. Michael Tree.

It's not that hard to describe Michael Tree. Simply put she's a female Mike Hammer. Not surprising considering creator Max Allan Collins is one of Mickey Spillane's biggest boosters. The thing is...Ms. Tree dealt with a lot of important issues as she wended her way around the comics universe and asked hard questions about most of them.

In a list that is almost of necessity heavy on detectives, there had to be room for the lovely Ms. Michael Tree.

http://www.toonopedia.com/mstree.jpg

[Lone Ranger]

6. The Spirit

OK – we are now entering the ‘obvious choice’ zone of my list. This is where I reveal that I am nothing more than a clichéd fanboy. If you have followed my postings at all over the past few years, these won’t come as a big surprise to you.

Unlike my selection #1 through #5, I became familiar with the Spirit as a more ‘mature’ comic book fan. I had seen the old Warren mags and various Overstreet cover galleries as a kid and always though he looked appealing, but never got into him. That’s probably a good thing, as I think the Spirit can be best appreciated after getting a little comic book experience under your belt.

I’ve now got just about every Warren and Kitchen Sink Spirit mag published, as well as a growing number of Archive Editions and the Harvey Giants from the 60s. I will buy just about anything with the Spirit’s mug on it. Heck I’d even buy a Spirit mug if I could find one.

Denny Colt is a bit like the Unknown Soldier in that he is an everyman as well as man without an identity. He is famous in his world and yet relatively anonymous. He works best when he take a hands-off approach to crimefighting and let the bad guys start in-fighting and pretty much brings themselves to justice. It’s a very different technique when compared to most Golden Age crimefighters, and when mixed with the Spirit’s great sense of humour – shows just how far ahead of the curve Eisner & Co. were in the 40s. It was its own genre – with elements of every single genre thrown into the mix. In the end, it’s the humour that gets me – whether the Spirit is pulling a prank or on the butte end of a joke, it keeps the strip fresh and lively.

The Spirit will likely live forever in comics because so many stories can be told with him as the protagonist. He’s been on the high seas and in space and it all seems to make sense. My fingers are crossed for more and more quality Spirit-related projects in the future. The good news is that so many creators respect and admire Eisner, that I am sure that they will try to maintain all of the super duper goodness that makes the Spirit the Spirit.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/scottandkat/CBR/top12/Spirit-sm.jpg

[SamuraiJack]

I agree, Graham- he is over-used, but I don't mind him as much as I mind say, Wolverine's over-exposure. Since I don't read a ton of Marvel books, I usually only see Doom in FF, so it's not a big deal. But in reading the X-stuff Wolverine's on every damn team out there, as well as being on the Avengers, which KILLS me...

[Red Oak Kid]

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q144/redoakkid/superb1.jpg

6. Superboy

The Superboy comics were one of the first books I read as a kid. This cover is the one that sucked me in. I still love this cover, tho I think it is the coloring that makes it so attractive.

One of the things I liked most about the Superboy stories was the setting of Smallville. Everything was on a manageable scale for my mind to grasp. Superboy was always flying over it and there were lots of panels showing the layout of the town and surrounding countryside. There was the general store, the pharmacy, the blacksmith etc. And the Superboy stories were set in the 1930s which was also interesting to me. I loved the drawings of the old cars and trucks.

I always loved scale models of stuff and Smallville reminded me of my Plasticville* buildings that I used to set up on the floor of my room. Plasticville models were meant to be used on model railroad layouts, but I would get them just because I was fascinated with the detail they had. So I could set up a Smallville of my own with Matchbox* cars and look down on it the same way that Superboy did when he flew over it.

*Plasticville and Matchbox are trademarks of their respective owners.

[Lone Ranger]

#6... The Unknown Soldier

(I'm guessing a Kubert cover drew me in).

As I mentioned, those really caught my attention too. I can still see those House Ads with US covers by Kubert in my mind's eye.

Those covers are beyond awesome.

[dan bailey]

6 -- Krypto

So I wind up replicating Cei-U here ... there are worse fates, I'm sure.

Actually, I didn't arrive at Krypto as my #6 pick till last night, when I started ruminating on not only my fondness for the character (his death scene in "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" gets me every time) but also my love for animals in general & dogs in particular.

As it happens, this is my first Xmas without a special dog in my life in very nearly 20 years, having lost my 16-year-old springer spaniel, Tag, in 11/02, my 16-year-old Shih-Tzu, Casey, in 12/04, & Dickens, my 14-year-old black Lab, less than 3 months ago.

Guys, this pick is for you.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/arktrav/k2.gif

[dan bailey]

6. AM BIZARRO NUMBER 1!!!




Great post, Joe. That's precisely the sort of thing I wanted to compose for my own choice of Bizarro earlier this week, but I somehow found myself lacking the mental acuity to even try to pull it off. *sigh*

It occurs to me, though -- shouldn't that be 6. AM NOT BIZARRO NUMBER 1?

[Aaron King]

That was a touching post, Mr. Bailey. When I came back from my first year of college, the family dog of the past thirteen years was very sick and I ended up spending a lot of time taking care of him, making his last days comfortable. My mom and I buried him in the front yard. He was definitely a super dog.

[Budman]

6. The Silver Age Hawkman

An explanation of who Hawkman is and what his adventures were all about sounds absurd on the surface, but all the concepts worked somehow and produced one of the most entertaining comic books of all time. Two police officers, who possess anti-gravity metal in their belts, from another world travel to Earth where, although they have a futuristic spaceship in orbit with a machine on board that gives them access to all the knowledge of our planet, they spend most of their time fighting crime and sci-fi/fantasy menaces using ancient Earth weapons like crossbows, gladiator nets, spears, etc. while wearing wings and masks that look like they came off the wall of an Egyptian pyramid or Mayan temple. And, oh yeah, they can also talk to birds and get their feathered friends to help them.

Hawkman stories are so much fun, though, that I willingly just suspend belief and go merrily along with the flow. It doesn't even bother me that the strength levels and abilities of Hawkman and Hawkgirl can vary from issue to issue or story to story. What matters is watching them fight flying winged-gorillas (how cool a concept is that), or the savage Lion-Mane, or a wizard who can transmute matter, or the Shadow Thief, or the criminal/spy organization C.A.W., etc.

Part of the appeal is the way Hawkman and Hawkgirl seem so mythic, primal, ritualistic, animalistic, and even sexy as they swoop down from the sky in their fighting gear wielding maces. Also, Katar and Shayera are husband and wife and are fully equals in battle. This was a rarity back in the time period when these stories were written and drawn.

The creative team supreme for Hawkman was Gardner Fox as writer and Murphy Anderson as artist, but I enjoyed just about anybody's stories about the Silver Age Hawkman. And when I hear birds tweeting and chirping in my backyard, I wonder what they are REALLY saying.

[dan bailey]

That was a touching post, Mr. Bailey. When I came back from my first year of college, the family dog of the past thirteen years was very sick and I ended up spending a lot of time taking care of him, making his last days comfortable. My mom and I buried him in the front yard. He was definitely a super dog.

My condolences, however many years later. That reminds me soooo much of the end of My Dog Skip, wherein Willie Morris (or whoever played his character in the movie ... I haven't read the book, probably because I'm not sure I could bear it) intones that after the death of Skip while he was away at college, his parents "buried him out under the elm tree, they said. That wasn't totally true. For he really lay buried in my heart."

Pardon me while I tear up. Jesus.

(As you can imagine, when the movie ended on that note I was an absolute wreck, sitting in a second-run-theatre auditorium full of bouncy kids who no doubt had to wonder about the old guy with Robert Smith hair sitting in the back row trying not to weep. And that was years before I'd buried any of my dogs.)

[Scott Shaw!]

No. 6: JIMMY OLSEN

http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=20610&zoom=4

http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=24726&zoom=4

Jimmy's the star of the longest-running Oddball Comic of all time. (At least I think it's an Oddball Comic!) Launched in response to the popularity of Jack Larsen's comic relief character in THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN syndicated TV series, SUPERMAN 'S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN started out with a lighthearted tone that more or less reflected the TV series, but it got increasingly sillier under the editorship of Mort Weisinger. Jimmy became a giant turtle boy, a werewolf, a human octopus, the most popular movie monster of another planet, a human porcupine, a Bizarro and much, much more. Jimmy was also a "master of disguise", which led to lots of hilarious stories and situations. By the end of Weisinger's regime, Jimmy even visited a planet whose inhabitants were all of the bizarre incarnations he'd undergone in the past!

Then, when Mort's approach finally played itself out (after nearly two decades), Jack Kirby took over, for a run that was equally wacky, but from Kirby's unique point of view. In those pages, Jimmy met the Newsboy Legion, Don Rickles' lookalike, a planet of Universal movie monster wannabes and even the San Diego Five-String Mob, a rock band of assassins from Apokolips (of which I was a member!)

And how can you possibly resist a character who owns a wristwatch that goes "zee...zee...zee..."?

Aloha,

Scott!

[Aaron King]

And how can you possibly resist a character who owns a wristwatch that goes "zee...zee...zee..."?

"Don't ask! Just buy it!"

[Joe Rice]

Great post, Joe. That's precisely the sort of thing I wanted to compose for my own choice of Bizarro earlier this week, but I spmehow found myself lacking the mental acuity to even try to pull it off. *sigh*

It occurs to me, though -- shouldn't that be 6. AM NOT BIZARRO NUMBER 1?

Thanks. Yours was incredibly touching.

[dan bailey]

And how can you possibly resist a character who owns a wristwatch that goes "zee...zee...zee..."?



Apparently, I can't -- he may not have made this list, but my #3 choice last year among my favorite comics of all time was, after all ...

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/arktrav/1027_4_104.jpg

[dan bailey]

Ms. Michael Tree.

[/IMG]

Yet another semifinalist who got thisclose to making my list, but didn't quite.

[Simon Garth]

At #6 – Adam Warlock

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/21/Adamwarlock.jpg

He started as “Him” the product of one of the super-science secret labs that you can find under most stones in the Marvel Universe, in a fairly non-descript FF story

He then appeared in a pretty undistinguished series set on Counter-Earth.

So far, so blah. Then came this:

http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/2128/200/2128_2_178.jpg

Jim Starlin took a nothing character mixed him in with Thanos, the Universal Church of Truth and a reverse-doppelganger of himself called the Magus, to create a truly compelling (and almost entirely different) character.

The story was eventually finished off in a couple of annuals, years later
You should read Strange Tales 176-181, Warlock 9-12 (finished at #15, but the last 3 issues weren’t great, and didn’t relate to the Magus storyline, Marvel Two in One Annual #2, Avengers Annual #7

[Simon Garth]

6. The Spirit

Oh hell's teeth, I forgot the Spirit!

OK – we are now entering the ‘obvious choice’ zone

Oh, just rub it in, why don't you!

[dan bailey]

Is this where Kurt kicks Simon out of the thread forever?

[Joe Rice]

LR, did you check out DC's new The Spirit that came out recently? Awesomeville.

[Aaron King]

At #6 – Adam Warlock

I can hear Kurt hulking up right now. You won't like him when he's angry.

[dan bailey]

LR, did you check out DC's new The Spirit that came out recently? Awesomeville.

Really quite enjoyable, indeed -- as was the Batman/Spirit one-shot a week or so earlier.

[Hintermann]

#6 Yogi Bear: This inspirational character from the Hanna-Barbera stable came relatively late into the comic book world – he was not introduced till 1958. It is a tribute to his popularity that he was soon rubbing shoulders with many well-established cartoon figures. With his hapless friend and partner Boo-boo, the long suffering Ranger Smith, coy girlfriend Cindy, Yogi’s great love for food etc, it is true that there are numerous parallels to Yogi’s world. But simple as the plotlines are, Yogi Bear comics are very funny and relaxing to read, a great way to spend a rainy weekend afternoon with your feet up. Yogi is at his catastrophic best when he tries to do something special – like going to College for example; when the Dean exclaims “You can’t go to College….you’re a bear!”, Yogi coolly elicits the support of the Law professor to prove that there is no law barring bears! He has tried his hand at the UN too, with predictable results. His adventures usually misfire in a big way – as when he discovers that his dream holiday spot “Many Geyser Meadow” is actually nothing more than a lawn sprinkler system! Yogi Bear is never short of new tricks to mooch his next meal from the visitors to Jellystone National Park, much to the chagrin of poor Ranger Smith. I always enjoy reading & re-reading Yogi’s comics and that’s why he has made it to the top half of my favourites list.

[Cei-U!]

6. AM NOT BIZARRO NUMBER 1!!!

http://associazioni.monet.modena.it/glamazonia/articoli/superman/SUPERMAN_file/image014.jpg

Bizarro am worst concept ever!!! Bizarro not fun at all!!!! Things that talk like this never fun!!! DC right to remake Bizarro into crazy killer!!!! That am great idea!!!!!

This not collection of some of best superhero work in recent years at DC!!!
http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/images/G/G8495.jpg

If you need the greatness of Bizarro explained to you, you're lost already.

Note to self: Cancel plans for Bizarro shtick on Day 9.

Sigh.

Cei-U!
I summon the rewrite!

[Cei-U!]

Is this where Kurt kicks Simon out of the thread forever?

I can hear Kurt hulking up right now. You won't like him when he's angry.

Now now, boys. Spirit of the season and all that.

Cei-U!
I summon another mug of Christmas cheer!

[MDG]

#6 Ebony White

Is Ebony still controversial? I hope not, because, he’s not a caricature or a stereotype—over the course of The Spirit’s run, he is developed as much as a character as Dolan, Ellen, or the Spirit himself. Eisner was a cartoonist, and he certainly used cartoonish stereotypes as starting points—dumb Irish cops, Latin lovers, sneaky “foreigners”—but only as a starting point. (Thanks to LR for putting a great example earlier.)

I see Ebony more in the tradition of Scrapper of the Newsboy Legion, Brooklyn of the Boy Commandos, (and maybe Pee Wee of the Little Wise Guys—haven’t seen enough examples). He can handle himself in an adult world, and more than once, it seems that The Spirit trusts Ebony more than the police to get a job done.

Without Ebony, Central City would’ve been a much duller place.

MDG

[Lone Ranger]

LR, did you check out DC's new The Spirit that came out recently? Awesomeville.

It's on my 'grab immediately after Christmas' list, Joe.

I haven't been to my LCS in ages.

[scratchie]

Howdy folks.

Jumping in late here... I've been in New York for the last six days and (sniff) haven't even had time to read the previous days' entries, let alone assemble a list. (I didn't have time to attend that big museum exhibit in Manhattan and Newark either! :( )

So, like last year, I'm going to wing it, and like last year, I probably won't get through all twelve days, but I hope to have fun (and maybe you will too) thinking and writing about the characters I really like.

First choice: Valkyrie.

http://www.classicmarvel.com/images/valkyrie.gif

When I first started thinking about this, a week or two ago, I thought that Val would probably be my first post, i.e., twelfth favorite. But since I haven't posted until today, she's been bumped up almost to the top 50%!

Valkyrie was a character that really struck me as unique when I first read Steve Gerber's run on Defenders. Not the woman warrior schtick. Not the "stuck in someone else's body" schtick. But, as I realized recently when I started to consider why I loved Val (besides the obvious... va va voom!), it's that Gerber seemingly made a conscious effort not to fall into any of the obvious cliches associated with similar characters.

Which is to say, he filled out the backstory of Val's host body, Barbara Norris, and even introduced Barb's husband, Jack, but he nimbly sidestepped the obvious choices that most comic book writers (or TV writers, or movie screenwriters) would have made in a similar situation. Simply stated, Val is a strong, independent woman, and Gerber never implied that she needed "a good man" to make her feel complete. While Jack Norris never seemed willing to accept that Barbara's personality wasn't still present underneath Valkyrie's, Val made it extremely clear and unambiguous that she had not the slightest bit of Barbara in her personality, that she didn't feel the slightest bit of love or affection for Jack, and that no amount of misplaced affection (or obsession) displayed by him was going to change that.

It's simple, really, but, at the same time, so different from the vast majority of strong female heroes in pop culture at the time (most of whom, needless to say, were written by men). I can think of very few comic writers who would have been able to resist the seemingly-inevitable reconciliation and "hook-up" story (if for no other reason than to fill out a few issues... Ed Hannigan probably would have made it an eight-parter!), but Gerber refused to rise to the bait, and instead, turned Val into one of the only truly independent strong female characters I can think of in mainstream 70s comics.

[dan bailey]

Nice write-up, Scratchie. I used the same illo a couple of days ago for Valkyrie, but my post was extremely cursory mainly because Val was a last-minute substitute for Deena Pilgrim, since I'd failed to take heed of Kurt's directive limiting entries to characters originating before '97.

[Chris Nowlin]

6. Gon

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o1/CocaC0la99/gon.gif


So... he's a dinosaur surrounded day animals. What's he doing there? Why does he seem to be in a different locale every issue? I don't know.

What does he have to say for himself. Nothing. He's just a little dinosaur. How about the animals he encounters? Ummm... they're animals. Duh. Why would they talk.

But how can you make a story about a dinosaur and animals that don't talk. How can you make several, each unique, each a wonderful read.

Because Gon has a personality. He's not a good guy. He likes to eat and sleep and sometimes beat up other animals. But usually the animals he beats up are bullies themselves. Maybe he has a sense of justice. But sometimes I think he's just enjoying being a jerk.

If you haven't tried Gon, I think the collections by Paradox are out of print, but should be findable. The book titled Gon is fine. My favorite is Gon Swimmin', whence comes the above picture. In the title story, Gon finds an empty turtle shell he adopts. In the pictured story, Gon teams himself with a bad-ass posse of kitty cats, who go around getting their way. That story centers on the orphaned kitten who watches them from afar, yearning to join the cool kids.

[Reptisaurus!]

Woofwoof wuf woof woofwoofwoof wuf Woof Woof wufwoof woof Wuf wuf woof, woof woof woofwoof woof wuf wuf Woofwufwoof wuf woof wuf Woofwufwoof.*

Cei-U!
Arf!

*Krypto is my selection for #6 because when I was six, it made perfect sense for a Superboy to have a Superdog.


This is kind of assholish and very nerdy of me, I'm sure.

But I tend to split superhero comics fans into "People who like Krypto" and "People who don't like Krypto."

Basically, if you miss the wonder of a dog flying around in a little Superman cape, you're in the wrong hobby.


6. Plastic Man
Sadly, my attraction to Plastic Man began when I read Art Spiegelman’s biography of Jack Cole, Plas’s famed creator who tragically committed suicide. For some reason, suicidal comedy writers always seem to find a place in my heart (see John Kennedy Toole, author of Confederacy of Dunces). The thing about the best Plastic Man stories that not a lot of people realize is that Plas is the “straight man.” He’s usually pretty deadpan in attitude if not in form. Odd things happen around him. The original Plastic Man series is some of the best cartooning of the century and also features some of the most well-done moments of violence that I’ve seen, too.


I read the biography before readin' Cole's stuff, too. And it does kind of completely recontextualize the art to know that the artist felt he couldn't live in the world. Makes it both more poignant, creepier, and more engaging. T'least to me.

Good call on Plastic Man as "Straight Man." I even had a problem with Kyle's Plastic Man 'cause he missed that aspect, and I usually LOVE his work.

Coke & I don't generally like/get Manga, but I absolutely love Gon. (And I think he's usually more heroic than you make him out to be.) S'cool how the setting of the book is as much the "hero" as the main character.

[Rob Allen]

6. Howard the Duck

This throwaway character from a Man-Thing story became an overnight sensation, and he remains a symbol of the Bronze Age for me. Marvel had expanded from superheroes into other genres already, but Howard was a quantum leap from what had come before.

The collectors' feeding frenzy around Howard the Duck #1 affected me. I didn't miss out, I found a copy on the stands - but I kept it in my dorm room with all the other current comics I'd bought, which I customarily lent out to other student fans. My copy of #1 went missing. It was the only comic I lost that way. A couple of years ago, on the Internet, I encountered one of the guys I used to lend comics to. He asked if he had any comics "overdue" from my library. I replied that the only comic I lost was HTD #1. And he said he still had it and he mailed it back to me!

[benday-dot]

At #6 – Adam Warlock

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/21/Adamwarlock.jpg

He started as “Him” the product of one of the super-science secret labs that you can find under most stones in the Marvel Universe, in a fairly non-descript FF story

He then appeared in a pretty undistinguished series set on Counter-Earth.

So far, so blah. Then came this:

http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/2128/200/2128_2_178.jpg

Jim Starlin took a nothing character mixed him in with Thanos, the Universal Church of Truth and a reverse-doppelganger of himself called the Magus, to create a truly compelling (and almost entirely different) character.

The story was eventually finished off in a couple of annuals, years later
You should read Strange Tales 176-181, Warlock 9-12 (finished at #15, but the last 3 issues weren’t great, and didn’t relate to the Magus storyline, Marvel Two in One Annual #2, Avengers Annual #7

Warlock... the favourite character of my 70's Marvel self. Good choice!

[Joe Rice]

Note to self: Cancel plans for Bizarro shtick on Day 9.

Sigh.

Cei-U!
I summon the rewrite!

Sorry, Kurt! Bet you're wishing you told me no now!

[benday-dot]

6. Howard the Duck

This throwaway character from a Man-Thing story became an overnight sensation, and he remains a symbol of the Bronze Age for me. Marvel had expanded from superheroes into other genres already, but Howard was a quantum leap from what had come before.

The collectors' feeding frenzy around Howard the Duck #1 affected me. I didn't miss out, I found a copy on the stands - but I kept it in my dorm room with all the other current comics I'd bought, which I customarily lent out to other student fans. My copy of #1 went missing. It was the only comic I lost that way. A couple of years ago, on the Internet, I encountered one of the guys I used to lend comics to. He asked if he had any comics "overdue" from my library. I replied that the only comic I lost was HTD #1. And he said he still had it and he mailed it back to me!

I dismissed HtD for many a cruel year. While the series was ongoing I thought the concept would be stupid, not worth a look compared to my favourite superhero titles of the day. But I was pretty young then, and maybe Lone Ranger, stating it well in terms of gaining an appreciation of the Spirit, is right when he says that he needed to be a mature comic reader to finally fall in love with the character. I've since embraced the neurotic duck with a fervour, and feel that issues 1- 15 or so are pure satirical brilliance.

[benday-dot]

http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/1636/400/1636_4_0186.jpg

Rob Allen has alreally extolled the virtue of # 6 on my list, but Daredevil was an easy choice for me. It’s not only that I like the look of red on newsprint, no less than the presence the colour strikes on the glossy mags. I do like the palette of the character, the lush impact made. But of course, there’s much more to DD, than the timeless virtue of a costume kept sweet and simple (and a future choice will celebrate more of this oft overlooked virtue). Hornhead was late breaking into my comic book consciousness, but if I really only discovered him as a truly great character with the fabled Frank Miller years then it is was only to reveal a remarkable tip to a hell of an iceberg. Daredevil is a bit of rare case as far as I am concerned, insofar as he more than most superhero characters who have managed to at least reach middle-age, all silver tinged of origin, seasoned into the hard wear of the modern era, who has managed to maintain not only a footing largely free from the dark well of mediocrity but to have more often than not held on to that precious commodity… critical respect.

Even if Daredevil took early claim (not counting the early yellow look, already justly praised by Rob Allen) on the colour red, he seemed to have shared his cloth with others of his ilk. Marvel had its lame surgeon, its socially awkward teenager, its wheelchair bound eminence, and in Matt Murdock, alter ego of Daredevil, its blind lawyer. The potential to work this disability into the strength of the character—hero of the forever night—proved not only vast but essential to the telling of tale. Prevailing in a sea of dark, in a sordid world of urban nightmare and underworld doings, the mise en scene for Daredevil found its first celebrated expression in the Gene Colan years, then an apotheosis during the classic Miller era of the 80’s. Now if Miller’s reign on DD also marked the thin edge of the grim n’ gritty wedge that would later drive me away from comics, in Daredevil he gave perfect expression to a still ground breaking and untainted aesthetic of an urban noir genre. He did that rare thing… he enabled the superhero genre to transcend itself… a marvelously wrought pulp gem, bursting with an emotional power and hard edged intensity that seemed so damn new at the time. The shadow that flooded the cinematic panel work, the creative narrative devices that Miller used to immense effect served to preserve Daredevil, with an abiding affection, in my memory long after I left comics. When I finally returned to the funny books my first stopping place was inevitably with DD. I was glad to see the Bendis/Maleev years kept the flame quite bright, and with the current Brubaker scripts, put to the gorgeous and exquisitely worked Larkin pencils, it is in no danger of going out. The character of DD is a triumph of the ages.

[Kan-Man]

Sorry, Kurt! Bet you're wishing you told me no now!

I just wanted to state for the record that I miss the Bob Newhart avatar.

[Joe Rice]

I just wanted to state for the record that I miss the Bob Newhart avatar.

Me, too. I try to imagine that Bob's the one who just rolled the critical.

[scratchie]

I dismissed HtD for many a cruel year. While the series was ongoing I thought the concept would be stupid, not worth a look compared to my favourite superhero titles of the day. I had Giant-Size Man-Thing #5 (with the Hellcow story) and I bought HTD #1 off the stands. But to 11-year-old me, it looked like it was just going to be sub-MAD parodies ("This issue is a barbarian parody; the last issue was a vampire parody") and I didn't start buying it again regularly until issue #11. From then on, I was hooked, but even with the issues I loved, I found layer upon layer that I had missed when I went back and re-read them as an adult.

[Chris Nowlin]

Coke & I don't generally like/get Manga, but I absolutely love Gon. (And I think he's usually more heroic than you make him out to be.) S'cool how the setting of the book is as much the "hero" as the main character.

I may have been understating his stand-up-for-the-little-guy routine. I don't think I overstated his I-get-what-want routine.

That was the only manga I could find any interest for for years. Just recently, I've added two to the list though: Lone Wolf & Cub and Buddha were both excellent reads and I now love three manga titles.

[Gingold]

6. Nite-Owl

Rorschach is the scene stealer in Watchmen, but I think Dan Dreiberg is the most compelling character in the series. Overweight, middle-aged, impotent, Nite-Owl is a true "everyman" hero. Despite his flaws, or perhaps because of them, he provides our view into Moore's world, in a way that Doc Manhattan, Rorschach, or Ozymandias can't. Dreiberg's one of the most fully developed, interesting characters in superhero fiction. And he ends up with the girl at the end! And his costume, while incredibly dorky, looks cool as heck when Dave Gibbons draws it.

[Chris Nowlin]

6. Nite-Owl

Rorschach is the scene stealer in Watchmen, but I think Dan Dreiberg is the most compelling character in the series. Overweight, middle-aged, impotent, Nite-Owl is a true "everyman" hero. Despite his flaws, or perhaps because of them, he provides our view into Moore's world, in a way that Doc Manhattan, Rorschach, or Ozymandias can't. Dreiberg's one of the most fully developed, interesting characters in superhero fiction. And he ends up with the girl at the end! And his costume, while incredibly dorky, looks cool as heck when Dave Gibbons draws it.

Not impotent. Just in need of the right... impetus.

EDIT: I had chosen Rorschach for my Watchmen rep, but Nite-Owl, Comedian, and Doc Manhattan all fought for it in my head. It was cool. But Rorschach had Batman-like planning and obessiveness and won the day.

[zilch]

Days into this and i'm still making up my mind....


6. Ron Post

I can't do a duo, but even one Post Brother is nothing to sneeze at. I ran into him during his run in Heavy Metal, serializing a still unpublished 160 page graphic novel. The level of violence in this series was only matched by its humor and inventiveness. Different art styles for different characters bouncing back and forth between reality levels. Ron could eat Lobos for breakfast and wonder about lunch while doing it.

Savage Henry almost got the nod, but Ron's holding my family hostage, so....

[Simon Garth]

I envision being lumbered with the sobriquet - "Simon Garth - the man who preferred Thundra to the Spirit" :rolleyes:

However, I have the solution to my Spirit dilemma: I summon the retcon punch!

[Simon Garth]

Nice write-up, Scratchie. I used the same illo a couple of days ago for Valkyrie, but my post was extremely cursory mainly because Val was a last-minute substitute for Deena Pilgrim, since I'd failed to take heed of Kurt's directive limiting entries to characters originating before '97.

I would have had Deena in my list as well, and vetoed her for the same reasons - I see her as (loosely speaking) a kind of super-Hopey The Cop, so Hopey will have to stand in for her (as well as being a tremendous character in her own right)

[Nate C.]

did I err?

(Tell him he's a mendicant.)

We only do one joke around here.

esshaetsegttecmiisr!!!!

Could I be paid in cheese dip?

parody, swords and sorcery, satire on the modern age, and cool names like Rufferto, the Wanderer had it all, as far as I'm concerned. Man, a book like this should run forever.

Oh yeah, Groo is my number 6.

WHAT YOU SHOULD READ- just pick up any of the trades. You can't go wrong. My favorite issues are #100 when Groo learns to read, and I believe #87 with the parody of television (using the "punch and judy" traveling puppets as stand-ins for the boob tube.)

[Nate C.]

6. Nite-Owl

Rorschach is the scene stealer in Watchmen, but I think Dan Dreiberg is the most compelling character in the series. Overweight, middle-aged, impotent, Nite-Owl is a true "everyman" hero. Despite his flaws, or perhaps because of them, he provides our view into Moore's world, in a way that Doc Manhattan, Rorschach, or Ozymandias can't. Dreiberg's one of the most fully developed, interesting characters in superhero fiction. And he ends up with the girl at the end! And his costume, while incredibly dorky, looks cool as heck when Dave Gibbons draws it.

I agree with every word of this post.

[MWGallaher]

Jay Endicott, a.k.a. Crossfire. Fighting bailbondsman, and all-around nicest guy in comics. Mark Evanier and Dan Spiegle didn't have a single misfire in the far-too-few installments of Jay's adventures (in Crossfire, Rainbow and Crossfire, and Whodunnit?. Jay happened into receipt of late villain-for-hire Crossfire's gear and phoneline, taking it over as a good guy masquerading as a hitman of Hollywood. Jay's the kind of character that you can't help but love, and his adventures are probably the most durable and entertaining of any heroic adventure character of his decade (and maybe the decades on either side).

[Dr. Hfuhruhurr]

Back before the horrid CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, my favorite DC comics were the JLA/JSA team-ups. Naturally, I was thrilled when ALL-STAR COMICS started back up at #59 (they did things right back in those days. No weak excuses for a new #1 issue). And how much more wonderful was it that my favorite character from those team-ups, Earth-2's Robin was to be featured as part of the Super-Squad with the Star-Spangled Kid and Power Girl?

Sadly and inexplicably, Earth-2's Robin quickly became an afterthought in ALL-STAR COMICS (although we did get Wally Wood's Power Girl as compensation). Dick Grayson concentrated on his law career rather than wear the tights and eventually became the ambassador to South Africa.

As I got older, however, I grew to respect the Earth-2 Dick Grayson even more. Consider that that Dick Grayson was content to remain Robin, even after the Batman retired. When the Batman later died, even then, Dick decided that he would not don the cowl; he was content to remain who he was: Robin.

http://www.blackbirdcollectibles.com/~lcrow/images/bravebold182_060542.jpg

Moreover, Dick Grayson went on to become a lawyer and ambassador. I like to think of it like professional sports: he went out at the top of his game, rather than hang on too long in a young man's game.

The Earth-2 Dick Grayson grew out from under the shadow of the Bat and established his own legacy. I would have liked to have known that Dick Grayson better.

http://my.execpc.com/~icicle/Robin.jpg

[dan bailey]

I've read very little Earth-2 stuff (a situation I intend to remedy now that I've got the first three Crisis on Multiple Earths TPBs), even though I first encountered the concept in one of my earliest comics ever (Flash 173, which I would've plucked out of the spinner racks at the tender age of 7) ... but Earth-2's Robin has been an object of fascination for me ever since I espied this cover in a "Direct Currents" way back when --

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/arktrav/1449_4_055.jpg



I just learned via the GCD that the story & its follow-up are in the 2nd Multiple Earths TPB, which I'll now be digging out sometime over the holiday break. Hope the cover's reprinted therein, too!

[prince hal]

#6: Sgt. Rock

Even as a little guy, who read every war comic I could buy, I woudl feel ashamed for enjoying a Howling Commandos issue when I compared it to the stories of Rock and the combat-happy Joes of Easy. From the no-nonsense persona he exhibited when he used to answer the questions about ammunition and self-propelled vehicles in the letters pages, to the grimy state of his face and uniform (That face seemed to bear the scars of a thousand terrible moments, the eyes hardened and hurt.), Rock was the antidote to Fury's super-heroics masquerading as war stories. (Even though so many encounters between Easy and the Nazis turned into Pier Six brawls...still, they were more brutal than Fury's.)

I loved Rock's ability to be tolerant in the face of constant cruelty and injustice, his even-handedness to every new guy who transferred in, his tenacious desire to retain his humanity despite his hellish surroundings. He seemed as realistic a character as you could find at that time, no matter the genre. And over it all hung the frequently stated fate of Frank Rock (honest and stoic): to die on the last day of the war by the last bullet fired.