The Eighth Day of Classic Comics Christmas '06

[Cei-U!]

Blasting into fifth position on my list is none other than Sgt. Fury hisself. Let me be clear: this is about the *real* Fury, the crude street brawler turned three-striper whose ferocious facade hides a heart of gold, not the Bond wannabe in the eyepatch and leotard. I loves me some Steranko but it's the sarge that has my loyalty.

As a young'n, I was a huge fan of Combat! and Vic Morrow's Sgt. Chip Saunders. Fury was Saunders times ten. I first encountered him in Fantastic Four #21, wherein a footnote prompted me to track down Sgt. Fury #3. I loved it. Oh, I knew even then that the Howlers were ridiculously over the top but I suspect it was that very lack of realism that attracted me. It was Marvel super-heroics in combat drag and that was just fine with me.

Cei-U!
I summon the chicken-scratchin', gold-brickin' lightning!

[dan bailey]

As you well know, Kurt, you're playing my song ... & foreshadowing one of my really, really, really high picks in a few days.

[Lone Ranger]

5. The Atom

Unlike some of my previous choices, I have always loved the Atom. I guess it has something to do with the fact that he’s a crime fighter with a different perspective (worm’s eye view!). To be honest, I think that I’ve loved him because I’ve always felt a little sorry for him. He is not Superman, as his superpower is limited in scope and he really needs to engage the brain to maximize its utility. On the flipside, he’s not even Green Arrow or Batman – since he does have some powers, he cannot climb up on a soapbox and rail against the big guns of the JLA. He’s kind of in the middle, and he’s always fretted about fitting in with other heroes and has often wondered if he really belongs in the crimefighting world.

One of the first Silver Age books I ever bought was Justice Leauge of America #14. It cost me $1.00 in 1980. This is the issue in which Atom joins the JLA, but the final few panels are what make the book for me. I haven’t pulled this one out in years, but I can still see the tiny boardroom chair they designed for the Atom and the look of disappointment on his face when he realized that he would be sitting at floor level. His frown was turned upside down when he discovered that the chair levitated so that he could see eye to eye with his teammates. It was this kind of touch that make the Fox/Sekowsky issues so wonderful, and helped make the Atom such an appealing character.

The Atom played a pivotal role in two of my favourite comics from my childhood. IIRC, they both made my Top 10 from last year. The first, Worlds Finest #236, is a ‘Fantastic Voyage’ inspired tale in which Batman and Superman are helpless as people are coming down with an incurable disease. Who do they call? You’ve got it, the Atom. This is Dick Dillin at his finest, and the story forever endeared me to the little guy. The Atom shows a some real courage and tenacity as he travels through the body, which serves as a series of booby traps. It’s a really fun story and serves as a great showcase of the Atom as a character. I have been trying to track down original pages from this issue, and I’ve got 5 of them now.

The second special comic is Justice League of America #142. This is one of those crazy Steve Engelhart stories involving sexy aliens and psychotic robots. It’s a real doozy (did I just type that?), but it begins rather quietly with the Atom wondering if he quit the superhero game. He doesn’t have much time to pontificate as he, along with Elongated Man and Aquaman are thrown into an issue full of craziness. In the end, the Atom proves his worth as a hero and feels vindicated in sticking with the JLA. The panels below are of him receiving thanks from Mantis, umm… I mean Willow, the aforementioned sexy alien.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/scottandkat/CBR/top12/Atom1-sm.jpg

It was only in more recent years that I went back to the original source material. I was probably about 22 when I bought my first issue of the Atom’s Silver Age title (#20 to be precise). I loved it. I love the energy infused into the panels by Gil Kane, and the Gardner Fox stories were nothing short of fun (with a little science and history thrown in for good measure). I’ve now got a complete run of the series, and those books make me very happy. Have I ever mentioned how much I love the Time Pool stories? It’s always fun to time travel with the little guy.

I’ll pick up just about anything with Ray Palmer in it. Heck, I’ve even got a soft spot for the ‘Atom Special’ books from the 90s.

I am not really plugged into the DCU these days, so I really don’t know what has become of Ray Palmer (was he raped too?). I tried the Simone/Byrne Atom series and it was sorely lacking in just about everything that makes the Ray Palmer Atom great.

Here’s to my #5 pick – the little guy who packs a big punch.

[Budman]

5. Daredevil

The early issues of Daredevil had a lot of fun exploring Matt Murdock's heightened sensory powers, his athletic abilities, his equipment, and his fighting skills. But as time went on the series fell into a rut. It seemed to me that most storylines went like this:

Daredevil beats up some thugs. The story's villain is introduced and it seems as though there should be no way for Matt to beat him. Matt spends a lot of time pining for Karen and wallowing in self-pity. Matt meets up with the villain and kicks him in the face. The End.

And I remember one story I read in a dentist's office many moons ago that had some sort of gigantic creature terrorizing New York. Daredevil somersaulted ineffectually around the creature's feet. There was a glowing orb floating above the creature's head. Matt threw his billy club at it, shattered it, and the creature was defeated for some reason.

If all Daredevil stories had been like these, it's doubtful I would even remember the character, much less have him on my list. But fortunately creators such as Roger McKenzie, Denny O'Neil, Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, Ann Nocenti, John Romita, Jr., Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, Ed Brubaker, and others got their hands on old hornhead.

The world of martial arts merged with Matt's. We learned about his past and how he received his training. And we learned about his city. In fact, New York City, and especially Hell's Kitchen, became almost a supporting character in the book. The comic book let us inside Matt's head. We perceived the world as he did. We knew what it was like to be Daredevil. And we shared his inner conflicts between faith and doubt, guilt and grace, order and chaos, sanity and insanity, joy and sorrow, justice and vengeance, upholding The Law and being a vigilante with a law unto himself.

The stories in the book became grittier, more "realistic," and took on film noir qualities. And they didn't always end the way you would expect superhero stories to end. For example, the Micah Synn saga ended not with a bang, but with a very effective whimper.

And what a great supporting cast and rogues gallery Matt has! Stick, Elektra, The Black Widow, Foggy Nelson, Ben Ulrich, Luke Cage, The Hand, Bullseye, The Owl, Typhoid Mary, Mr. Fear, The Gladiator, and more! And looming large (pun intended) over everything is always Wilson Fisk, The Kingpin Of Crime.

Matt's vulnerability is also part of his appeal. For all of his skills and powers, he's just a man. If he's shot, he'll bleed. If he falls, he could break his neck. When he loses his sensory powers or becomes overwhelmed by them, he is almost helpless. And when the government catches up with him, he goes to jail. Matt seems the most real of all superheroes - like maybe, just maybe, Daredevil actually could exist. The best of his creators make us believe he does.

[Joe Rice]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b4/CharlieBrown.jpg

Heh, I'm back to Charlie Brown! I liked him in the strips while growing up, but it wasn't until Fantagraphics reprinted the early bits that I truly grew to love him. I said a bunch of stuff earlier about how he's the ultimate Clark Kent, Jimmy Corrigan, Peter Parker, and Harvey Pekar. He's the hurt kid who tries to keep hoping inside all of us. I heart him big big big.

[Cei-U!]

Joe, I hate to be a shit about the rules but unless you're basing your choice on his Dell comic book appearances (which are not by Schulz), Chuck's not eligible. Sorry.

Cei-U!
Willing to be persuaded!

[SamuraiJack]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/SamuraiJack31/Batgirl2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/SamuraiJack31/batgirl3.jpg

BATGIRL!

And not just any Batgirl, THE (IMO) Batgirl. Yes, I’m talking about Barbara Gordon. I’ve long been a fan of the Bat-family (as have most others, I’m sure), but something about Batgirl just captivates me. Maybe it’s the love for redheads, perhaps it’s just because I love strong female heroes (another one appears in the #2 spot). Whatever the case, Barbara Gordon will always have a special place in my heart.

My favorite Batgirl story is from the 1988 special, also known as ‘The Last Batgirl Story’. Published not long before Batman: The Killing Joke (one of my all-time favorite Bat-stories), the special showcased Barbara tracking down Cormorant, a man who’d previously shot Babs in a back-up feature in Detective Comics. The story wasn’t great, but it was really the only time Batgirl had an entire issue all to herself, so I ate it up. In addition to some nicely rendered fight sequences, there’s also a TON of foreshadowing to Barbara’s future when a childhood friend shows up and tries to convince Babs to relinquish the mantle, saying (paraphrasing), “You should use your intelligence and memory to help solve crimes, then call the police and let them handle it.”

From this point on Barbara is crippled and in a wheelchair after the Joker’s devastating attack, and she’s gone on to become Oracle, the premier information broker (sorry jb the ib) of the DCU. I love her in Birds of Prey, but to me Barbara will always and forever be Batgirl…

[Red Oak Kid]

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q144/redoakkid/adead1.jpg

8. Deadman

I like the original run of Deadman in Strange Adventures by Jack Miller and Neal Adams. Boston Brand is a very down to earth guy who happens to receive this power. Tho he has a flashy costume he is not a superhero in these stories. He's just a guy who is trying to find the guy who killed him. His power is used for those ends and there is nothing wrong with that. The Deadman in these stories is not the selfsacrificing superhero who battles costumed villains who want to rule the world. He's just a guy who is hunting for his murderer. These early stories have the feel of a one hour tv drama of the day. Sort of like episodes of the Fugitive where the hero keeps getting involved with the troubles of other people while trying to solve his own problems. OK, these Deadman stories are a LOT like the Fugitive. The hero is chasing a guy with one arm/hook. These stories may seem tame by todays standards but I think they were groundbreaking for their time.

I think Adams' realistic art on Deadman probably had more to do with the deluge of Adams clones entering the field than his Batman makeover. So the character and strip were very influential in that sense alone.

I think later incarnations of Deadman moved him more into the role of costumed superhero and one of the last versions had him deep into the supernatural realm. With a name like Deadman, the supernatural would seem a perfect fit, but I think the original version was the best.

[Joe Rice]

Joe, I hate to be a shit about the rules but unless you're basing your choice on his Dell comic book appearances (which are not by Schulz), Chuck's not eligible. Sorry.

Cei-U!
Willing to be persuaded!

Would you be willing to count Fantagraphics' compilations?

[dan bailey]

5 -- Hawkwoman (Shayera Thal)

Yep, this is the Hawkwoman from the Hawkworld series of 1989-1993, which I gather precipitated all sorts of continuity problems in the Hawkcouple's, & by extension a fundamental part of the entire DC Universe's, already-convoluted history from the Golden Age on up, necessitating all sorts of tortured retconning & such. Heck, I'm not even sure that the Hawkworld characters & scenarios ever "officially" existed as of the Year of Our Lord 2006.

Normally, I hate it when that happens. In this case, not so much ... not at all, in fact. Part of that nonchalance no doubt stems from my almost complete lack of exposure to the earlier & later iterations of Hawkman & -woman (a void which, btw, I'd be happy as heck to start remedying were I to have the opportunity to buy a nice, cheap Showcase Presents devoted to the characters ... just in case anyone with DC is reading this.)

There's another major consideration -- more than any other comic, Hawkworld is responsible for luring me back into active comics-reading & -buying after some 2 1/2 decades of paying no attention to anything new & not a whole lot more to the comics I'd immersed myself in up until 12/78, when I quit 'em cold turkey 3 months after my 19th birthday.

Out of boredom as much as anything, back in late '04 (I think) I moseyed to the back of the (mostly sports) collectibles store I was working in & browsed through the paltry rack of largely undistinguished, mostly '80s-'90s comics that we carried as pretty much an afterthought. The 3-issue Hawkworld mini from '89 looked moderately interesting, so I took it home that night to give it a read. Pretty decent stuff, I thought ... & as chance had it, we also had an almost complete run of the title's first two years (missing only a "War of the Gods" Wonder Woman crossover issue, I think), so I decided to give the first few ishes a try as well. Over the next half-week or so I devoured the first 20 issues or so, then ventured onto Mile High Comics' site to fill in the gaps from issue 22 or so onward.

The seed had been sown -- maybe comics produced after the Silver & Bronze Ages weren't all so sorely lacking after all ... I found the Thanagarian world & society that Tim Truman &, even more so, John Ostrander wove utterly enthralling. My interest didn't flag at all -- quite the opposite! -- when the action moved to Earth.

The title's Hawkman & Hawkwoman were vitally interesting, engagingly complex, intriguingly flawed characters. Shayera presented an understandably cynical balance to Katar Hol's unfailingly optimistic (almost to the point of naivete) willingness to explore & embrace the ideals of Earth in general & the U.S. in particular, which so sharply contrasted with the thorougly militaristic orientaiton of his native world.

I admit it: Picking Shayera over Katar was very nearly a coin-toss ... though, y'know, all other things being equal, I'll generally go with the female of the species.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/arktrav/3988_4_23.jpg

[Mike Kuypers]

I think later incarnations of Deadman moved him more into the role of costumed superhero and one of the last versions had him deep into the supernatural realm. With a name like Deadman, the supernatural would seem a perfect fit, but I think the original version was the best.

There was also the circus milieu that was very much a part of those early stories and made the series stand out. I think something important was lost which the circus connection was dropped.

[SamuraiJack]

I admit it: Picking Shayera over Katar was very nearly a coin-toss ... though, y'know, all other things being equal, I'll generally go with the female of the species.



I feel the same way, but as you'll see in my next couple of picks I didn't have to choose between them, I chose each one in different slots...

[Hintermann]

#5 Daffy Duck: This totally screwball character from Warner Brothers is one of my personal favourites, and the only one among my 12 choices whom I also like to watch on non-comic book media like the TV. He has a very long history dating back to the 1930s but in later years was overtaken by Bugs Bunny as Loony Tunes lead character. Daffy is neither a hero nor villain and usually comes somewhere in between when he is tormenting poor Elmer Fudd or competing with Bugs on some misadventure. He is not really a bad guy, but totally without scruples when it comes to mooching for his next meal from any of his friends or opponents. In most of the stories featuring Daffy Duck, I invariably find myself rooting for him even though he is often the mischief-maker and seldom seems to win. The only one who seems to come worse off in encounters with Daffy is that old prospector Yosemite Sam. Like many famous contemporary comic characters, Daffy loves his food, especially if it comes free with lots of mustard. My favourite Daffy Duck story is one where he receives a huge box of rock-n-roll records from his uncle and uses them as bait in an elaborate plan to trick Elmer Fudd into giving him free meals for a year. Woo, woo!

[Slam_Bradley]

5 -- Hawkwoman (Shayera Thal)



As I stated elsewhere, I really loved that book. Really the only time I liked Hawkman or Hawkwoman outside the Earth-2 version.

[Slam_Bradley]

8. Deadman


Deadman was on my list until the very final cuts.

[Aaron King]

5. Usagi Yojimbo
Usagi Yojimbo is a talking samurai rabbit living in Medieval Japan. He’s loosely based on Miyamoto Musashi, an historical samurai and philosopher. I first encountered Usagi in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. He was neat and all but sort of got lost in the deluge of mutant animals. I didn’t track down his comics until years later, after learning that they were actually historical in nature, well-researched, and basically the opposite of TMNT. Usagi has been through a handful of publishers and over a hundred issues and is still going strong. As a masterless samurai, he’s free to travel the land, improving his mind and body and helping people along the way. He’s noble, peaceful, and a perfect point-of-view character for cartoonist Stan Sakai’s tour of his heritage.

Down the Rabbit Hole: Usagi Yojimbo Book Four: The Dragon’s Bellow Conspiracy; Usagi Yojimbo (volume one) #24; Usagi Yojimbo: Seasons

Usagi Yojimbo & Co. (http://www.rpgshop.com/images/uploaded/usagirpg.gif)
Usagi Yojimbo #14 (http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/3475/400/3475_4_014.jpg)

[Cei-U!]

Would you be willing to count Fantagraphics' compilations?

Not really, no. It's not that I have a problem with you or with Charlie Brown. It's only that everybody else had a two-week grace period to debate the rules, including the "newspaper strip appearances are ineligible" rule. People agreed to those rules; their lists were created with them in mind. It wouldn't be fair to make an exception for you.

Cei-U!
I summon the plea for understanding!

[Red Oak Kid]

Joe, I hate to be a shit about the rules but unless you're basing your choice on his Dell comic book appearances (which are not by Schulz), Chuck's not eligible. Sorry.

Cei-U!
Willing to be persuaded!

I usually don't get involved in stuff like this, and I know I'm going to regret this post, but here goes......

You allowed Popeye and his comic books were not drawn by his original creator.:o

[Slam_Bradley]

I usually don't get involved in stuff like this, and I know I'm going to regret this post, but here goes......

You allowed Popeye and his comic books were not drawn by his original creator.:o

At the risk of being a buttinski, the Popeye entry was based on Sagendorf's comic book work.

[Hintermann]

You allowed Popeye and his comic books were not drawn by his original creator.:o

That is not uncommon. Donald Duck was created by Al Taliaferro, but he played a very small part in DD's comic book stories.

[Chris N]

So I made an 11th hour decision here, which may affect the purity of my order. The character I was gonna put here was a character I liked, but really it's the comic I like more than the character, and there was a character who was special to me I was leaving out and I didn't want to anger him. I had originally figured I would just include one super-villain, but I needed two.

So, apologies to Vanth Dreadstar, but here is:

5. Magneto

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o1/CocaC0la99/magneto.png

I like the character best during Claremont's run. Even when he's not the good guy, you can see where he's coming from. A holocaust survivor who fears he sees it happening again. Unable to prevent it then. Unable to save his daughter from ignorant townspeople. Powerless then, not so now. He sees a persecuted minority, but a powerful one, and finds it absurd that they are not united. Because united, they can overpower the majority.

Suggested reading:
Magneto #0 reprints good stories dealing with his character.
Uncanny X-Men #150 was the first developing of Magneto I liked. Also see X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills, Uncanny X-Men #200. X-Men vs. Avengers #1-4. Uncanny X-Men #273-277, where he takes his steps away from Xavier's dream and returns to his old ways. And finally, X-Men #1-3 shows him just trying to live in peace above the earth and offer sanctuary to mutants who tire of the bigotry below. The government does not like him there. They take measures. He arms himself for defense. Fear feeds off fear in a great story which leads to the final confrontation between the X-Men and Magneto ("final" is a funny word in comics)

[Cei-U!]

At the risk of being a buttinski, the Popeye entry was based on Sagendorf's comic book work.

Exactly, just as Hintermann's funny animal selections are based on their appearances in Dell and Gold Key comics, not their cartoons.

Cei-U!
Thanks for buttinkskiing!

[Red Oak Kid]

Exactly, just as Hintermann's funny animal selections are based on their appearances in Dell and Gold Key comics, not their cartoons.

Cei-U!
Thanks for buttinkskiing!

If Mr. Rice said his choice of Charlie Brown was from the Dell Peanuts comic book, would it be allowed?

Did you disallow the the Dell Peanuts comic because it was not drawn by Charles Schultz?

[dan bailey]

Maybe Joe should revise his post to reflect that round-headed kid as satirized in Mad & no doubt elsewhere ...

OK, yeah -- I'm totally reaching here.

[dan bailey]

[B]
One of the first Silver Age books I ever bought was Justice Leauge of America #14. It cost me $1.00 in 1980. This is the issue in which Atom joins the JLA, but the final few panels are what make the book for me. I haven’t pulled this one out in years, but I can still see the tiny boardroom chair they designed for the Atom and the look of disappointment on his face when he realized that he would be sitting at floor level. His frown was turned upside down when he discovered that the chair levitated so that he could see eye to eye with his teammates. It was this kind of touch that make the Fox/Sekowsky issues so wonderful, and helped make the Atom such an appealing character.



That sounds utterly brilliant. I'll be checking the story out in Showcase Presents the JLA when I get home ...


Can't say I've read much Atom (another Showcase Presents I really, really, really can't wait to see come out next year [I'd forgotten in my Hawkwoman post that a Hawkman volume is scheduled for March, BTW]), but I quite liked the 18-or-so-issue series from the '90s, Power of the Atom (I think it was called).

[Simon Garth]

I suppose I really should shoehorn the Spirit in my list somewhere, but I like all these guys as well, so I'm going to leave my list as it stands.

Anyhoo, for my fifth place, I’ve shamelessly stolen this paragraph, because it completely sums up the character: “…the last scientist in the "perfect" world of tomorrow. Ignored by society and feared by his assistant, (…) pursues Science with happy disregard for knowledge, progress, or safety. Or he would, that is, if he wasn't constantly being interrupted by the Elvi (hateful big-hair aliens), bureaucrats with shark teeth, and the Rocket Scientists, a group of time-travelers from the 50s looking for commies. After extensive laboratory testing and thorough peer review only one conclusion is possible", this character is simply wonderful


Who are the talking about? It can only be the wonderful star of Scott Saavedra's sadly short-lived, It's Science with Dr. Radium. And, if we employ the scientific method appropropriately, we may deduce with statistically significant probability of accuracy, that the character being described is the titular lead of that very periodical - Dr Radium himself.

http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/atomictoys/itsscience.jpg

(you might have to refresh to get the image - it loads very slowly)

[dan bailey]

That sounds great (cool homage to the cover of Mad #1, too), Simon -- I'd never heard of this one before. Yet another revisiting of my want list is in order.

[Chris N]

If Mr. Rice said his choice of Charlie Brown was from the Dell Peanuts comic book, would it be allowed?

Did you disallow the the Dell Peanuts comic because it was not drawn by Charles Schultz?

Oooh, can I butt in too? No, he disallowed Charlie Brown because he suspected the submitter didn't love or hasn't read the depictions of Charlie in Dell. If Joe has read those comics, and his love of Charlie is present there, I bet it would be allowed.

But then a bunch of hardcore Schultz fans would yell at him for obvious blasphemy.

[Joe Rice]

Yeah, I didn't mean the comics, I meant the forum I'm seeing most of them in, the books. So I'll have to withdraw. Sorry!

[Kan-Man]

#5... Wildcat

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

As I stated in last year's Christmas thread, this was one of my favorite comics...

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c118/Kan-Man/2089_4_14.jpg

It was also my first exposure to Wildcat. To me, everything about the character was cool - his costume, his motorcycle and the fact that he could kick your ass. I always looked forward to any other comics with him in it - Brave & the Bold, All-Star Comics, the JLA/JSA team-ups, you name it.

I'm pleased to see he's still a part of the DCU although I have no idea how much or little the character has changed in the 20 years since I've stopped reading.

As a bonus, here's a Wildcat page I found illustrated by Bernie Krigstein...

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c118/Kan-Man/wild01.jpg

[Scott Shaw!]

No. 5: BIZARRO N0. 1

http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=21480&zoom=4

Great Scott! Two Weisinger-era picks in a row!

The character "Bizarro" first appeared in the SUPERMAN comic strip during the 1940s; he was the creation of writer Alvin Schwartz. But the "real" Bizarro (eventually to be known as "Bizarro No. 1") didn't show up in comic book land until the late 1950s, in the pages of SUPERBOY. This version, an "imperfect copy" of Superboy, was destroyed at the end of the story, but the concept was so popular that "Bizarro" was re-introduced in the pages of SUPERMAN. He caught on so quickly that he was soon granted a continuing back-up strip, "Tales Of The Bizarro World", in ADVENTURE COMICS. I was there for every one of 'em.

As a kid, I was fascinated by the Bizarros, especially when drawn by John Forte (a cartoonist whose industrial style of drawing would have been ideal for ACG's HERBIE). When he'd draw Bizarro No. 1 laughing, it was absolutely one of the weirdest expressions ever seen in funnybooks! And the concept of the Bizarros' "backwards" logic was wonderfully inconsistent. I'd often wonder, "Then why aren't they walking and talking backwards? Or stand upright on their hands? Or , worst of all, when they eat, why don't the Bizarros cram their food up their butts and vomit shit?" Yes, that's the sort of thoughts that this all-too-literal fanboy entertained when reading "Tales Of The Bizarro World". It may have been one of the first times that I really tried to analyze humor, only to realize that logic often has nothing to do with it.

I also think it's fascinating that Bizarro is one of the very few second- or third-string comic book characters that the non-comic book reading public seems to recognize and understand. Heck, SEINFELD got an entire episode out of the Bizarros; the final line in the script was "Me am so happy." (Uh, shouldn't that have been "Me am so UNhappy"? But I digress...

To this day, Weisinger's frequent description of Bizarro No. 1 as "hilarious yet pathetic" may be the second greatest Oddball line ever to appear in a comic book. (As we all know, "Kirby says: Don't ask! Just buy it!" is the greatest, right?)

Aloha,

Scott!

[Slam_Bradley]

5. Joe "Robbie" Robertson.

I've long felt that Spidey had arguably the best supporting cast in comics, and Robbie Robertson was one of the reasons. He was a very real character. A sort of surrogate father for Peter. A counter-balance to JJJ. Clearly in the know about Spidey's secret ID. I haven't read a Spidey book in close to 20 years, so I have no idea what's happened to Robbie. But I know that I'd love to have him for a boss...or a friend.

http://www.hsj.org/aarp/shades033/images/r_robertson.gif

[Hintermann]

Exactly, just as Hintermann's funny animal selections are based on their appearances in Dell and Gold Key comics, not their cartoons.

Cei-U!
Thanks for buttinkskiing!

Thanks Cei-U. Yes, all my selections are based on Comic Books only, which I started reading as an 8-year old in 1963. I could not have done otherwise because I grew up in India and we did not get a TV till 1984.

[dan bailey]

Y'know, I'm woefully ignorant about Will Eisner's utterly iconic Spirit, but aren't the choices of him here most likely based on reprints of strips that appeared originally in (or rather, in supplements to) newspapers, rather than newsstand comic books?

Troublemaker? Moi?

[Cei-U!]

If Mr. Rice said his choice of Charlie Brown was from the Dell Peanuts comic book, would it be allowed?

Yup.

Did you disallow the the Dell Peanuts comic because it was not drawn by Charles Schultz?

Nope, I was saying those are the only Charlie Brown appearances eligible under our rules. Who drew them was immaterial. It was obvious that wasn't what Joe was talking about.

Yeah, I didn't mean the comics, I meant the forum I'm seeing most of them in, the books. So I'll have to withdraw. Sorry!

Thanks for being a sport. I'm not all that comfortable in the role of authoritarian but fair is fair. You will submit a new #5, won't you?

Cei-U!
I dismiss the ballyhoo!

[Cei-U!]

Y'know, I'm woefully ignorant about Will Eisner's utterly iconic Spirit, but aren't the choices of him here most likely based on reprints of strips that appeared originally in (or rather, in supplements to) newspapers, rather than newsstand comic books?

Troublemaker? Moi?


It's about format, not distribution. The Spirit sections are comic books, regardless of how they found their way into the audience's hands, and qualify accordingly. There was a short-lived Spirit newspaper strip. His appearances there would be ineligible by our rules.

But this is really getting more complicated than I ever intended it to be. I made an arbitrary choice regarding eligibility that people seemed okay with. If that's changed, so be it, but I'm not gonna change the rules halfway through the game.

Cei-U!
I stand my ground!

[Kan-Man]

It's about format, not distribution. The Spirit sections are comic books, regardless of how they found their way into the audience's hands, and qualify accordingly. There was a short-lived Spirit newspaper strip. His appearances there would be ineligible by our rules.

But this is really getting more complicated than I ever intended it to be. I made an arbitrary choice regarding eligibility that people seemed okay with. If that's changed, so be it, but I'm not gonna change the rules halfway through the game.

Cei-U!
I stand my ground!

Not to pile on here, but I agree. I almost picked The Tick for my list but discounted him because I love him from the cartoon series, not the comics (which I've never read).

It would be fun at some point to list our favorite comic strip characters in another thread - I know a certain round-headed kid would certainly top my list.

[Aaron King]

That Bizarro cover that Scott Shaw! linked to is sweeeeet. I want it.

[Chris N]

Not to pile on here, but I agree. I almost picked The Tick for my list but discounted him because I love him from the cartoon series, not the comics (which I've never read).

In my humble opinion, you're in for a treat if you ever get around to it. There's only 12 issues by the creator, in 3 trades. (1-7,8-10,11-12 are the divisions; whose that make sense to?) Tick: Naked City or Tick: Omnibus. Hysterical to no end.


It would be fun at some point to list our favorite comic strip characters in another thread - I know a certain round-headed kid would certainly top my list.

My list would be topped by a blonde kid with a tiger, but others would be high as well.

[Cei-U!]

If comic strip characters were eligible, half my list would be from the cast of Pogo.

Cei-U!
I summon the swampfolk!

[Kan-Man]

My list would be topped by a blonde kid with a tiger, but others would be high as well.

He would be my second, the tiger would probably be my third.

Thanks for The Tick recommendations.

[Joe Rice]

Thanks for being a sport. I'm not all that comfortable in the role of authoritarian but fair is fair. You will submit a new #5, won't you?


I dunno. I kinda have to completely rework my list, as this takes out number three as well, and everything else would have to move up two positions.

[Scott Shaw!]

If comic strip characters were eligible, half my list would be from the cast of Pogo.

Cei-U!
I summon the swampfolk!

Well, when you consider that POGO is one of the very few comic strips that actually BEGAN as a comic book feature, I think it would qualify...at least, if one's appreciation for POGO came with reading Dell's original POGO and ANIMAL COMICS funnybooks.

And I have a suspicion that none of here are old enough to have had that experience. I'm 55, and I never even saw a single issue of POGO as a kid.

By the way, this has been a LOT of fun, Kurt. Thanks for putting so much thought into it.

Aloha,

Scott!

P.S.: The main artist who wrote (I think) and drew all those original PEANUTS comic books is Dale Hale. Here's the lowdown on Dale, by Dale himself!

"After receiving my BFA degree, I eagerly accepted Charles (PEANUTS) Schulz's offer to move to California and work as his assistant.

After several years, I moved to Santa Monica where I spent the next eight years writing and sketching THE FLINTSTONES and YOGI BEAR comicstrips. My own comic strip, FIGMENTS, was then syndicated and for 15 years ran in newspapers around the world. During this time, I also co-created, wrote, and drew the child-rearing cartoon panel YOU'RE GETTING CLOSER for King Features Syndicate which ran for eight years.

I've written for animated shows such as ROAD RUNNER, PINK PANTHER, FLINTSTONE KIDS, FLIPPER, GHOST BUSTERS, BROOM HILDA, DISNEY'S DUCK TALES, TINY TOONS, SHELLEY DUVALL'S BEDTIME STORIES and many others. One of my latest assignments in animation was working as visual gag specialist on development of story and character design for GUNTHER-WAHL PRODUCTIONS for major networks.

In design and development, I've worked for such companies as SABAN, REVELL, MATTEL, Q-5, CALIFORNIA SOFT TOYS, PLAYMATES, and SEGA. I've also designed my own line of greeting cards called SEMI-POISON PEN LETTERS.

Recently, I've completed four children's books, COULDN'T SAY NO JOE AND THE RABBITS WITH BAD HABITS, FLAG BEARS, A CHILDREN'S BOOK FOR ADULTS (WHO FORGOT A LOT) and WILLY'S WALK. I both write and illustrate
my own books. I've just finished 56 illustrations for a book released by Dell Publishing.

I'm also preparing a totally new and exciting cartoon (funny) concept of "movable illustration" utilizing special magnetic sheeting and photography. A gallery showing called "A CHANGE OF SCENE" is planned for next year to premiere this new technique.

I'm married, have three children, and relax with my hobbies of music (playing tuba in concert and Dixieland bands), sailing, and restoring antique cars.

My websites are CARTOONSFORKIDS.COM or DALEHALE.COM
JustTrustme.com and* IdoItAll.com * and* CoolTubas.com and* BestKidCartoons.com and* Wingears.com and SchoolHorns.com *

My business sites are BEST-INTOWN.COM* or BEST-AROUND.COM

email is: email4dale@aol.com* or* schoolhorns@aol.com or* wingears@aol.com"
************************************************** **
-- SS!

[dan bailey]

That Bizarro cover that Scott Shaw! linked to is sweeeeet.

Definitely -- it also appears in my Bizarro post for #8, as a depiction of my #4 choice from last year's list. A great comic.

[Nate C.]

Clearly in the know about Spidey's secret ID. http://www.hsj.org/aarp/shades033/images/r_robertson.gif

Great choice, Slam, but I'm curious about this statement. I've read almost every Spider-man comic ever published and I've never picked up on this. Do you have some issues or memories in which it was suggested/stated that Joe knew about Pete's i.d.?

[Nate C.]

Simon,

Great choice! It's Science! Dr. Radium is a great example of the depth of quality in comic books. Almost no one has ever heard of him, yet that's a jewel of a book. Unlike TV, where everyone has seen "A Simple Life".:rolleyes:

My number 5- DAREDEVIL!!!!

DD is one of my absolute favorite characters. Why he's not number two speakes to the depth of characterization and impact that 1-4 have had on my personal life. I'll not regurtiate what so many of you have already said so well about the good barister. I'll just add this-

I love the symbolism, the theology, the hallmark of the man, the backstory, the history, the honor, the mythos, and the physicality of Matt Murdock. I honestly think he's one of the best developed characters of all comic book characters. Yes, he's been written well and poorly, yes, he's had his dry spells, but if you buy into the character of a lawyer/vigilante, angel in demon's clothing, broken/hero, clear moral compassed/messed up personal lifed guy, then the stories write themselves.

WHAT YOU SHOULD READ- Five issues from Stan and Colon, Five from Miller, Five from Nocenti and Romita JR, and Five from Brubaker.

[Rob Allen]

5. Adam Warlock

Someone else mentioned this character already, but they dismissed my favorite version - the Thomas/Kane stories that took "Him" from his Lee/Kirby roots and made him a Christ-figure on an alternate Earth. Those comics knocked my socks off. I couldn't believe Marvel was publishing this. It seemed risky - they were pushing the envelope and getting into religious themes that many people don't have a sense of humor about.

The Starlin version was good too, but I preferred his Captain Marvel/Thanos story.

[scratchie]

My next pick: James-Michael Starling from Omega the Unknown

http://www.agitators.com/images/jms.jpg

The epitome of alienated youth, James-Michael was trapped in a world he never made every bit as much as Howard the Duck. While the title character was basically just a cipher, James-Michael, and his struggles to assimilate in Hell's Kitchen, were the true heart of this comic book.

Much of the impact of James-Michael's character came from the fact that his teenage angst wasn't really exaggerated. He was in an unbelieveably shitty school, but so are millions of urban children every day. J-M was (like many young comic readers) primarily just a smart, socially inept kid, trying to get through a lousy school without getting beaten up by the bullies. Let's just say that this book cut pretty close to home when I was a kid.

Plus, his first appearance (not really an "origin") in issue #1 has to stand as one of the most bizarre scenarios Marvel ever developed in the 70s. Raised in isolation by his parents, he was on his way to school with them when their car drove off the road. His parents were "killed", but not before they were revealed as robots, and gave him the helpful advice to ignore the voices in his head. All righty then. And for the rest of the series, that's all we ever knew about his origins. That is how to suck your readers in and keep them coming back.

[benday-dot]

My next pick: James-Michael Starling from Omega the Unknown

http://www.agitators.com/images/jms.jpg

The epitome of alienated youth, James-Michael was trapped in a world he never made every bit as much as Howard the Duck. While the title character was basically just a cipher, James-Michael, and his struggles to assimilate in Hell's Kitchen, were the true heart of this comic book.

Much of the impact of James-Michael's character came from the fact that his teenage angst wasn't really exaggerated. He was in an unbelieveably shitty school, but so are millions of urban children every day. J-M was (like many young comic readers) primarily just a smart, socially inept kid, trying to get through a lousy school without getting beaten up by the bullies. Let's just say that this book cut pretty close to home when I was a kid.

Plus, his first appearance (not really an "origin") in issue #1 has to stand as one of the most bizarre scenarios Marvel ever developed in the 70s. Raised in isolation by his parents, he was on his way to school with them when their car drove off the road. His parents were "killed", but not before they were revealed as robots, and gave him the helpful advice to ignore the voices in his head. All righty then. And for the rest of the series, that's all we ever knew about his origins. That is how to suck your readers in and keep them coming back.

Out of love for Gerber, and some enthusiatic posts like yours Scratchie, I picked this series up earlier this year. Everthing I've read about Omega pegs it as one of Marvel's weirdest series ever. That and the Gerber/Skeanes authorship was enough to hook me. No, I haven't read it yet, but its working its way up my read pile.

[benday-dot]

As I enter into the top 5 I break away from the Big Two. I don’t think its so much that I love Jimmy Corrigan, a character as different from his namesake in the DC Universe, (that Jim Corrigan, aka the Spectre, as selected by Slam Bradley) as is pretty much imaginable. But the way Chris Ware, through all those cluttered pages, in that vividly rendered clear lined panel work and curious mix of neo-Victorian aesthetic and suburban post-modernism, manages to evoke so much of life with the slender, sweeping story of a sometimes sympathetic, sometimes repulsive man at odds with his times and his place, that, love or hate or hate him, the character is a marvel of comic book story telling.

The story of Jimmy Corrigan is one of immense awkwardness, exquisite beauty, rending depression, and a wisp of hope as fragile as a feather in the wind, or a girl’s strand of hair.

http://www.zionmag.org/img/clanky/3533corriganletadlo.jpg

To enter the world of Jimmy Corrigan is to climb up an old set of stairs, and into your father’s close and dusty attic. It is to pull out a drawer from your mother’s disused bureau. Within is a button, a comb, a nail file. It is to see these things, and then all at once to see everything else you’d ever seen before. It is to want to keep that drawer open as long as possible. And finally to close it again with tears. The story of Jimmy Corrigan is a piquant brutality, the claustrophobic and infinite view… the work of heartbreak, of a humour foundered in grief, of a despair that won’t sustain itself. The tale of Jimmy Corrigan is the perfect miniature, the small good thing. It is a comic’s brave and looming sunset.

[MWGallaher]

Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman.
I generally don't dig the "badass" characters, but Reid's the exception. Uproariously outrageous and inflammatory, Reid dishes out his venomous resentment on ungrateful customers and fascist dairy authorities with aplomb, but deep inside is a tender heart addicted to tv soap opera "Dangers of Ivan" (later changed to "Horrors of Ivan" after the lead character died, having spent months in a televised coma). Reid's milk runs make Hollywood car chase scenes look pathetic, his derring-do--like throwing lit cigarettes down a car's tail pipe!--makes Bruce Willis's "Die Hard" escapades look like kindergarten play. Reid is a hilarious, cathartic, and ultimately endearing and emotionally engaging character who should have been an indy superstar.

[Kan-Man]

Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman.


I think it's interesting and pretty cool that the closer we get to each person's number one, the more characters have appeared that I've never heard of. Including Mr. Fleming.

[Dr. Hfuhruhurr]

Great choice, Slam, but I'm curious about this statement. I've read almost every Spider-man comic ever published and I've never picked up on this. Do you have some issues or memories in which it was suggested/stated that Joe knew about Pete's i.d.?

Nate, I'm working from memory here, but somewhere in the range I gave in my entry for Robbie Robertson (i.e. ASM #140-190), I'm guessing somewhere around the mid-160s to mid-170s to narrow it down somewhat, there were a couple scenes wherein Robbie's thought balloons betray the fact that he knows exactly who Spider-man is. It seems to me that later in the series one writer or another tried to back away from this, but I don't have a very clear recollection on that.

By the way, nice choice, there, Slam. You and I have some very similar tastes in comics. And that should worry you greatly.

[Nate C.]

Nate, I'm working from memory here, but somewhere in the range I gave in my entry for Robbie Robertson (i.e. ASM #140-190), I'm guessing somewhere around the mid-160s to mid-170s to narrow it down somewhat, there were a couple scenes wherein Robbie's thought balloons betray the fact that he knows exactly who Spider-man is. It seems to me that later in the series one writer or another tried to back away from this, but I don't have a very clear recollection on that.



I'll wait to see if he coorborates your story (but he probably will, you lawyers all stick together), and if so, I'll go look that up. Honestly, never heard that in 22+ years of reading Spidey.

Thanks, Scott.

[Dr. Hfuhruhurr]

I'll wait to see if he coorborates your story (but he probably will, you lawyers all stick together), and if so, I'll go look that up. Honestly, never heard that in 22+ years of reading Spidey.

Thanks, Scott.

Wish I could give you an exact issue, Nate. Maybe Tim will remember what I'm talking about.

[Dr. Hfuhruhurr]

Millionaire industrialist Simon Williams, near bankruptcy and in disgrace, turns to Baron Zemo who promises to imbue him with great powers, including super-strength, speed, invulnerability and flight.

http://www.leaderslair.com/ionicpeople/wonderman-origin1.jpg

And so he does. Wonder Man joins, and then betrays, the Avengers. But he learns that Zemo's gift comes with a price: his life. Wonder Man manages to save the Avengers (there's that redemption theme again), but dies as a result.

His brain waves, however, preserved on computer tapes (don't ask), provide the foundation for the synthesoid named the Vision's intelligence and personality.

Wonder Man is later resurrected by the Black Talon (again, don't ask) and rejoins the Avengers. He finds himself torn, however, by his relationship with his brother, Eric, now the villainous Grim Reaper and with his "new" brother, the Vision.

http://www.moviepoopshoot.com/comics101/images/2003/nov5/wonderman.jpg

He is also a troubled soul. His hybernation has transformed him into a being of ionic energy, such that he is no longer truly human. His power is great, but the psychological toll of his "death" plagues him with doubt and fear of another "death."

http://www.leaderslair.com/ionicpeople/wmvspm.jpg

Simon Williams, circa AVENGERS 151-200 was an intriguing character. A Superman on the outside, restrained by his inner Clark Kent, perhaps.

[Chris N]

Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman.
I generally don't dig the "badass" characters, but Reid's the exception. Uproariously outrageous and inflammatory, Reid dishes out his venomous resentment on ungrateful customers and fascist dairy authorities with aplomb, but deep inside is a tender heart addicted to tv soap opera "Dangers of Ivan" (later changed to "Horrors of Ivan" after the lead character died, having spent months in a televised coma). Reid's milk runs make Hollywood car chase scenes look pathetic, his derring-do--like throwing lit cigarettes down a car's tail pipe!--makes Bruce Willis's "Die Hard" escapades look like kindergarten play. Reid is a hilarious, cathartic, and ultimately endearing and emotionally engaging character who should have been an indy superstar.

This is my father's favorite comic character of all time (my Mom's is either Namor or Thor). Yet to read an issue though. Should go remedy that.

[Graham Vingoe]

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o156/grahamvingoe_2006/2170_4_004.jpg

Man-Thing

I like Man-Thing and I like Swamp Thing and spent ages deciding between the 2 but Manny won out as my exposure to the character began with the original run in the 1970’s whilst Swampy only came to my attention with the Pasko/Yeates run.
Take a lump of mud and plant matter with no brain, who can’t speak and burns people who are scared of it, add a genius writer in Steve Gerber, add great art from the likes of Mike Ploog and Val Mayerik, settle back and watch the start of one of the great 1970’s runs. Recommended reading: - the Joey the Clown story in issues 5 and 6 but really if its Manny and written by Gerber its worth looking at.

[Red Oak Kid]

Nate, I'm working from memory here, but somewhere in the range I gave in my entry for Robbie Robertson (i.e. ASM #140-190), I'm guessing somewhere around the mid-160s to mid-170s to narrow it down somewhat, there were a couple scenes wherein Robbie's thought balloons betray the fact that he knows exactly who Spider-man is.

The Wikipedia entry for Joseph Robbie Robertson mentions this as does the Marvel Universe bio for Robbie. I also recall reading stories where there would be panels showing Robbie having thought balloons that indicated he knew PP's secret.

http://marvel.com/universe/Robertson,_Joseph_"Robbie"

[dan bailey]

A nicely evocative post, Graham -- Essential Man-Thing was already on my ever-burgeoning want list, but it just shot up several notches, to the point that today being pay day, it'll quite likely be included very shortly in my next purchase with Buy.com (from whom I just ordered the first Concrete collection, New Frontier v2 & the supposedly in-stock-at-long-last Legion of Super-Heroes Archives v4). Your mention of the Joey the Clown saga really stirred my memories of just how much (i.e. [I]lots) I liked this series back when it was coming out.

[scratchie]

http://www.zionmag.org/img/clanky/3533corriganletadlo.jpg

To enter the world of Jimmy Corrigan is to climb up an old set of stairs, and into your father’s close and dusty attic. It is to pull out a drawer from your mother’s disused bureau. Within is a button, a comb, a nail file. It is to see these things, and then all at once to see everything else you’d ever seen before. It is to want to keep that drawer open as long as possible. And finally to close it again with tears. The story of Jimmy Corrigan is a piquant brutality, the claustrophobic and infinite view… the work of heartbreak, of a humour foundered in grief, of a despair that won’t sustain itself. The tale of Jimmy Corrigan is the perfect miniature, the small good thing. It is a comic’s brave and looming sunset.Nice one. My wife bought this for me for Christmas a couple of years ago based on the bookstore's recommendation (presumably she had told them that I loved "Ghost World"). I really loved this book, too, but even more than Clowes' work, Ware's is particularly emotionally harrowing.

[Slam_Bradley]

Nate, I'm working from memory here, but somewhere in the range I gave in my entry for Robbie Robertson (i.e. ASM #140-190), I'm guessing somewhere around the mid-160s to mid-170s to narrow it down somewhat, there were a couple scenes wherein Robbie's thought balloons betray the fact that he knows exactly who Spider-man is. It seems to me that later in the series one writer or another tried to back away from this, but I don't have a very clear recollection on that.

By the way, nice choice, there, Slam. You and I have some very similar tastes in comics. And that should worry you greatly.

That's basically it. I was reading Amazing and PPTSS pretty regularly from about 1977-86 and there was just a vibe about Robbie that he knew Pete was Spidey, but wasn't going to let on. I don't believe it was ever said explicitely. A reading between the lines deal.

We have very similar tastes in comics. Loved your pick of E-2 Robin/Dick Grayson yesterday. He didn't make my list, but his "sister" did.

And Simon Williams is probably my number 3 Avenger, after The Beast and The Vision. I prefer him in his safari suit, however.

[Lone Ranger]

re. Wonder Man

Good call, Scott - he was a very interesting character in the late 70s Avengers books. One of my favourite scenes is from #181 where he and the Beat watch Robin Hood and chat on the way home from the theater. He was the 'babe in the woods' of the group and the writers back then (especially Michelinie) handled it very well.

[Slam_Bradley]

Well, when you consider that POGO is one of the very few comic strips that actually BEGAN as a comic book feature, I think it would qualify...at least, if one's appreciation for POGO came with reading Dell's original POGO and ANIMAL COMICS funnybooks.

And I have a suspicion that none of here are old enough to have had that experience. I'm 55, and I never even saw a single issue of POGO as a kid.

By the way, this has been a LOT of fun, Kurt. Thanks for putting so much thought into it.

Aloha,

Scott!


Well there are those of us who glommed on to the Eclipse reprints of Pogo's Animal Comics stories back in the 80s.

My initial Pogo love came through toys. Some of my earliest memories are of playing with Pogo, Albert, Beuaregard, Churchy, Howland and Porkypine.

I discovered the strip reprints later in various pocket books and then the Eclipse reprints of the early Animal Comics. Like Kurt, a half dozen or so Pogo characters would fight to hit my top dozen (the bats would make it).

http://www.the-forum.com/toys/images/pogo.jpg

[Gingold]

5. Plastic Man.

Elongated Man gave me my screen name, but let's be honest, Plas is the better character. I'm not sure if I can say things any better than the others who have already nominated Eel O'Brien, but here goes- the Cole Plastic Man was the perfect blend of humor, superheroes, and crime comics- those stories all hold up and kick ass to this day. The Fradon drawn stuff from DC is beautiful cartoon work, and the character worked great in Morrison's JLA. The Kyle Baker series was one of the best things DC put out in recent memory, and its cancellation is our loss.

[Gingold]

Well there are those of us who glommed on to the Eclipse reprints of Pogo's Animal Comics stories back in the 80s.

My initial Pogo love came through toys. Some of my earliest memories are of playing with Pogo, Albert, Beuaregard, Churchy, Howland and Porkypine.

I discovered the strip reprints later in various pocket books and then the Eclipse reprints of the early Animal Comics. Like Kurt, a half dozen or so Pogo characters would fight to hit my top dozen (the bats would make it).

http://www.the-forum.com/toys/images/pogo.jpg

Those are awesome. My dad had a big collection of Pogo books and as a kid I read them over and over until they were falling apart. It's still my favorite strip ever.

[zilch]

"Tiiiiime is on my side..."




5. Hourman

Not one of the first E-2/Golden Age characters i came across, but his little solo shot in the back of Spectre #7 got me going.

His wonderful costume, again the accessability of his abilities (just swallow a pill and...) and the love and respect of his later creators for this character ( i don't even mind the addict addition) have always made me on the lookout for any of his appearances...

[Nate C.]

That's basically it. I was reading Amazing and PPTSS pretty regularly from about 1977-86 and there was just a vibe about Robbie that he knew Pete was Spidey, but wasn't going to let on. I don't believe it was ever said explicitely. A reading between the lines deal.



well that does make me respect Joe that much more. Number one, he knew and didn't tell, number two, that made him a better newsman than J. Jonah.

[T GUy]

And at number 5 on my list, it's...

Jughead

Forsythe P. Jones, known as 'Jughead' to his friends, enemies,
associates and faculty, glides through life with complete self-assurance,
unless his food supply or bachelor status is threatened. In his
aforementioned self-assurance he is most like, of all my favourite
characters, Batman. The major difference is that Batman is somewhat more
pro-active and unlikely to be mistaken for what I believe is called a
stoner. However, Jughead is probably the better role model.

[dan bailey]

well that does make me respect Joe that much more. Number one, he knew and didn't tell, number two, that made him a better newsman than J. Jonah.

How so? I guess for discerning a truth that's eluded JJJ all these years while being right under his nose ... but while not telling would indeed be the upstanding & honorable thing to do, purely from a news standpoint it would constitute absolute insanity -- not only are you sitting on a huge scoop, you're also looking the other way while your photog shatters all sorts of journalistic ethics with virtually every breath he takes.

[Nate C.]

How so? I guess for discerning a truth that's eluded JJJ all these years while being right under his nose ... but while not telling would indeed be the upstanding & honorable thing to do, purely from a news standpoint it would constitute absolute insanity -- not only are you sitting on a huge scoop, you're also looking the other way while your photog shatters all sorts of journalistic ethics with virtually every breath he takes.

The first part of your analysis. He just "got it".

Whether or not he told is another point altogether, and like Ben the reporter from the Daredevil line, he probably kept it to himself for the greater good.

[MDG]

#5 Donald Duck

In a way, this is a vote for the great duck stories by Barks and others—and my first character choice from these was Huey. Dewey, and Louie, unfortunately ineligible as a group-- but Donald in the comics is a much better character than the unintelligible, one-dimensional hothead in the cartoons where he first appeared.

Donald can be in a half-page gag or a long adventure story, as a fool, or Scrooge’s sidekick, outsmart his nephews or be outsmarted by them, active or reactive, and still remain largely consistent. Always fun to read.

MDG

[Hintermann]

#5 Donald Duck

In a way, this is a vote for the great duck stories by Barks and others—and my first character choice from these was Huey. Dewey, and Louie, unfortunately ineligible as a group MDG

Cei-U said that the Duck brothers and others like them who regularly appear as a duo or trio ARE eligible. Do you want to reconsider?

[Cei-U!]

Cei-U said that the Duck brothers and others like them who regularly appear as a duo or trio ARE eligible. Do you want to reconsider?

No, MDG is right. I changed that rule. Go back and look at the first post in the Advance Warning thread. Only single characters are eligible.

Cei-U!
I summon the nudge!

[prince hal]

#5: Swamp Thing

Mentioned already, but I have to include him too. Few characters manage to have been interesting in one incarnation, let alone two, but that's the case for me with Swampy. The original series is superb, with Berni (no final "e" back then) Wrightson and Len Wein revisiting a different genre every month, taking Alec Holland, a tortured soul with a brilliant mind, on a journey through hell, hellish because of his aloneness, his inability to communicate, and his desperate love for his dead wife Linda. To me, his cognizance of his plight and of life's even greate injustices made ST a much more sympathetic character than the Hulk or Man-Thing.

I stuck with him after the Wein-Wrightson stretch, even through the Pasko months (years?), but like so many other readers, was not entranced again until Alan Moore's re-imagining of the character. Turns out we'd been rooting for a vegetable all along! There never was an Alec Holland after his bayou bathtime!

Moore's plethora of ideas made me anticipate the monthly installments of ST as few other creators' have, as the character formerly known as Alec Holland became more fascinating every month.

I didn't stick around for anyone else's interpretation after Moore left, so I'm not qualified to say whether he rose to new heights, but during those two great runs, Swamp Thing went where no character had gone before.

Recommendations: Well, either of those runs, obviously, but try issues 1-10 of the initial run and issues 26- 50 of the second. (In #50, Moore took ST literally into Hell, as harrowing a vision of Hell as Dante, Bosch or Dali could have dreamed up.)