What Classic Comic Have You Read Lately? Pt. 2

[dan bailey]

Hmmmm.

Apparently, we've met.

*sigh*

[Scott Harris]

I just read Jack Kirby's Secret City Saga #1:



And it was terrible.

It's worth reading for the Steve Ditko art I guess, but wow, this was hard to slog through. I'm a big Roy Thomas fan, but the writing was just... yikes. I did think the basic premise from Kirby was interesting and potentially cool; in fact, I know it had the potential to be cool because it's striking similar in many ways to the premise behind the Mass Effect video game series, which is fantastic. but this comic is just brutal. Nad it looks like issue #2 isn't exactly going to be better, because on the final page it's revealed that President Bill Clinton is actually a mole being controlled by the bad guys. Okay, maybe that could be funny, but I don't think I have the stomach to read another issue of this to find out.

[The Confessor]

those crappy early issues where its all about fighting is how the entire Ditko Spider man run reads to me. Or at least it did back when i read it.

Really?!! I mean, there's no accounting for taste and all, but there's a lot more "soap opera" (for want of a better phrase) going on in the Lee/Ditko ASM than in most Silver Age Marvels of the period. It really is a whole lot more than just a series of fights. Crazy!

How long ago did you read it, just out of interest?

[benday-dot]

Really?!! I mean, there's no accounting for taste and all, but there's a lot more "soap opera" (for want of a better phrase) going on in the Lee/Ditko ASM than in most Silver Age Marvels of the period. It really is a whole lot more than just a series of fights. Crazy!

How long ago did you read it, just out of interest?

I agree. The Lee/Ditko Spidey run was formative and fundamental in establishing the character of Peter Parker. He was shown to be awkward, insular, insecure and a little angry. Parker and his civilian life was as much a part of those early issues of ASM as any super villain battles. And it was all quite a departure in the nascent world of Silver Age superhero comics.

[Johnny P. Sartre]

[CromagnonMan]

Really?!! I mean, there's no accounting for taste and all, but there's a lot more "soap opera" (for want of a better phrase) going on in the Lee/Ditko ASM than in most Silver Age Marvels of the period. It really is a whole lot more than just a series of fights. Crazy!

How long ago did you read it, just out of interest?

a while ago (2006ish) , in b&w essentials. i will have to revisit it. althogh at the time, it was akin to torture. but its not like im some comics guru/expert or anything so what do i know?!

[pmpknface]

a while ago (2006ish) , in b&w essentials. i will have to revisit it. althogh at the time, it was akin to torture. but its not like im some comics guru/expert or anything so what do i know?!

It's seriously classic stuff. Sure, it's 100x better with color but it's still classic. The entire method of storytelling is different than what we have now but the stories and the content of what transpires is fantastic stuff. Annual #1 is certainly a high point too. Ditko goes nuts with the splash pages!!!

[The Confessor]

a while ago (2006ish) , in b&w essentials. i will have to revisit it. althogh at the time, it was akin to torture. but its not like im some comics guru/expert or anything so what do i know?!

It's seriously classic stuff. Sure, it's 100x better with color but it's still classic. The entire method of storytelling is different than what we have now but the stories and the content of what transpires is fantastic stuff. Annual #1 is certainly a high point too. Ditko goes nuts with the splash pages!!!

The thing that suprises me about CromagnonMan's dislike of many Silver Age Marvel series (ASM, Fantastic Four etc) is that, I believe I'm right in saying, he's a big fan of Atlas or Timely Golden Age stuff. So, it's not like he doesn't know how to appreciate comics from a by gone age. It totally baffles me how somebody who enjoyes comics from the 1940s, wouldn't also enjoy comics from the 1960s...and maybe, actually prefer comics from the 1960s. But it just goes to show that one man's meat is another man's poison, because although I love Silver and Bronze Age comics, I find almost all Golden Age books to be utter torture to read (with the exception of EC's horror/sci-fi stuff & a few newspaper strips like Dick Tracy, The Spirit and Hawks Of The Seas).

[CromagnonMan]

The thing that suprises me about CromagnonMan's dislike of many Silver Age Marvel series (ASM, Fantastic Four etc) is that, I believe I'm right in saying, he's a big fan of Atlas or Timely Golden Age stuff. So, it's not like he doesn't know how to appreciate comics from a by gone age. It totally baffles me how somebody who enjoyes comics from the 1940s, wouldn't also enjoy comics from the 1960s...and maybe, actually prefer comics from the 1960s. But it just goes to show that one man's meat is another man's poison, because although I love Silver and Bronze Age comics, I find almost all Golden Age books to be utter torture to read (with the exception of EC's horror/sci-fi stuff & a few newspaper strips like Dick Tracy, The Spirit and Hawks Of The Seas).

I can explain why- I like the historical aspect of the 1940's/50's eras and so dont get tired of reading them. They are usually only short stories so dont have time to drag. I also think they are aimed at a more mature audience rather than just kids as was the case with the early Marvel stuff. And the pre-code era has cynicism and dark humour which i appreciate, whereas the silver age stuff is book length, but very simple childish stories which drag on for me. To be fair, ive not actually read more than the 1st few issues of FF, as i dont really like the characters to begin with. I only persevered with Spidey as i know i like the character. But the Spider man i know did not really appear until the 1970's. The Stan Lee spidey was too whiney, and the stories too simplistic and childish. Although like i say i may need to adjust my mindset and revisit it to be 100% sure.

[The Confessor]

I like the historical aspect of the 1940's/50's eras and so dont get tired of reading them.

I can appreciate this, because that's also one of the big draws for me when it comes to Silver Age comics. I'm fascinated by the socio-political history of the 1960s and early 1970s (being an era I just missed by birth), so comics for that period, just like movies, records and books, are a great window into the age I find. I also find the historical aspect of 1940s/1950s books interesting to a degree, but I'm less into that time period I suppose, so it's less of a factor.

They are usually only short stories so dont have time to drag. I also think they are aimed at a more mature audience rather than just kids as was the case with the early Marvel stuff. And the pre-code era has cynicism and dark humour which i appreciate, whereas the silver age stuff is book length, but very simple childish stories which drag on for me.

That's interesting; I know what you mean regarding the cynicism and dark humour, but I actually think the artwork and the construction of Golden Age stories is much cruder and more simplistic than the art and stories in Silver Age books. To me, there seems to be much more to unravel in terms of characterisation and literary sub-text in Silver Age stories -- particularly Marvel Silver Age stories.

[Rob Allen]

I can appreciate this, because that's also one of the big draws for me when it comes to Silver Age comics. I'm fascinated by the socio-political history of the 1960s and early 1970s (being an era I just missed by birth), so comics for that period, just like movies, records and books, are a great window into the age I find. I also find the historical aspect of 1940s/1950s books interesting to a degree, but I'm less into that time period I suppose, so it's less of a factor.

I also find that I'm fascinated by the era just before I was around, or before I was old enough to understand what was going on. I don't know how widespread this fascination is, but some of us are wired this way. For me it's the 1945-1965 period.

[Cei-U!]

I also find that I'm fascinated by the era just before I was around, or before I was old enough to understand what was going on. I don't know how widespread this fascination is, but some of us are wired this way. For me it's the 1945-1965 period.

Definitely true for me. I'm totally in love with the 1930s and '40s: the comics, the music, the movies, the clothes, the cars, the architecture and furnishing styles. I'm especially keen on the war years. I'm sure it has something to do with my parents being kids and teens during those decades and the positive reinforcement I received when I responded to all that stuff.

Cei-U!
I summon the second generation nostalgia!

[berk]

I also find that I'm fascinated by the era just before I was around, or before I was old enough to understand what was going on. I don't know how widespread this fascination is, but some of us are wired this way. For me it's the 1945-1965 period.

Definitely true for me. I'm totally in love with the 1930s and '40s: the comics, the music, the movies, the clothes, the cars, the architecture and furnishing styles. I'm especially keen on the war years. I'm sure it has something to do with my parents being kids and teens during those decades and the positive reinforcement I received when I responded to all that stuff.

Cei-U!
I summon the second generation nostalgia!

I share this to some extent. Related to what Cei-U said about the possible reasons, I think being exposed to the music and movies, etc your parents liked and looking at their pictures from those days - the clothes, hair styles and so on - and of course dim memories of your own when you were a very young child. From a pretty early age I've listened to and enjoyed American pop music from the era that preceded rock n roll as well as the early rockabilly and doowop stuff that was also before my time. And I've talked before about the advantages of growing up in an era when the only movies you could see on tv were old ones.

[Johnny P. Sartre]

Is there a recs thread here?

Maybe this is the thread to ask what are some good pulp/adventure/crime comics to check out. These are genres I've always wanted to explore but ever had a clue where to start.

I have started reading some old Phantom and Shadow comics and Tom Strong and I really really enjoy them. Anything along those lines

[Slam_Bradley]

I also find that I'm fascinated by the era just before I was around, or before I was old enough to understand what was going on. I don't know how widespread this fascination is, but some of us are wired this way. For me it's the 1945-1965 period.

You can add me to the club. For me it's mostly about 1945-1965.