What I've Learnt From Essentials And Showcase

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Just thought we could share some of the odd facts/quirks we've learnt from being good kids and reading Essentials and Showcases - be it character bits, odd moments in publishing etc.

For instance, yesterday, I brought a second hand copy of Essential Amazing Spiderman, and read Amazing Fantasy #15 for the first time (I know, I'm a disgrace).
Anyway, what I learned on the first page, is that Stan Lee had no idea he was going to make his name off of superheroes.
He makes fun of them in the opening caption!
There's a great gag bit where Lee reveals that comic creators make fun of superheroes and that those in the industry call them 'long underpants characters'.
A great start to one of the most iconic superheroes ever.

Also on that first page I couldn't stop laughing when the kids think Peter is a nerd because he doesn't know how to Waltz.

(Of lesser note, I never realised that early Spiderman and a bizarre penchant for almost turning evil - it happens, or is referenced nearly every issue - even Peter planning to beat the living crap out of Flash 'one day'. Also, Peter's first love was a girl called Sally, but she kept rejecting him!)

Another thing that caught me off guard was in Essential X-Men 2.
You couldn't show much in those code days - like Storm wearing a bikini bottom - but it was quite alright for Colossus to take two girls out into the woods and have a savage land three way!
Ultimate Colossus may be gay, but MU one sure wasn't.
And they say comics aren't for kids these days!

So what has reading old comics taught you, or shocked you with?

[ATOM HOTEP]

The wheatcakes bit in Amazing Fantasy #15 kills me, it is definitely the most cornball thing I have ever read in a comic book and that covers so much territory.

I have learned that Jack Kirby can make any damn thing readable and exciting, I totally fell in love with the Silver Age Green Arrow and Challengers of the Unknown after reading GA's completely awesome origin story and the Challengers v. ULTIVAC. I am baffled that people drop to their knees for the Lee/Kirby FF run and practically ignore/downplay the fantastically mind staggering OMAC, Kamandi and Fourth World runs. The Life v. Anti-Life issue is incredible, better than pretty much everything he did at Marvel more or less put together. The first 5 pages of Mister Miracle #1 get more and more awesome every single time I read them.

I think getting into comics in the 90's drastically skewed my view of what was good and what wasn't because as a kid, I was led to believe the only good DC character was Batman, and it's all about Marvel, and even when I got into Essentials, I was under the impression that Kirby, Lee and Ditko ruled and everyone who'd ever done anything at DC sucked.

OK, Bob Kanigher is consistently disappointing. War That Time Forgot totally squanders such a cool concept and I'll always hold a grudge against him for that.

[Reptisaurus!]

OK, Bob Kanigher is consistently disappointing. War That Time Forgot totally squanders such a cool concept and I'll always hold a grudge against him for that.


Nah. War that Time Forgot could've been better and his Wonder Woman stuff flat-out sucked....

But Enemy Ace remains my favorite single series DC comics has ever produced, and he's done a lot of good stuff besides. Sgt. Rock is consistently awesome, the Golden Age Black Canary is good fun, Rose and Thorn is usually enjoyable...

[ATOM HOTEP]

I really, really want to check out some Enemy Ace.

[Aaron C]

That one good silver age issue of say FF or ASM could take as long to read as some complete modern day story arcs/trade paperbacks.

Stan really used to cram in the story, I guess so that each issue could be a done in one.