What Classic Comic Have You Read Lately? Pt. 2

[dogwelder]

i finally got around to reading the essential tales of the zombie last knight. when i started reading comics in the early-mid 70's i mostly read superhero comics. i would look at the b/w mags at the candy store but i would rather spend my allowance on comics, they were cheaper. my mom always gave me extra money every week to buy more comics, but i went to a used book store and started buying silver age dc comics...then eventually marvel.

several stories in i couldn't help but marvel at john buscema's pencils. sadly he only drew 2 stories. i know john hated drawing super hero comics and loved drawing conan, but i would assume he enjoyed illustrating these 2 gems.

looking ahead in the index i'll be coming onto some gene colon art.
NICE!

[shaxper]

Finally got a hold of Jughead's Diner #1, which I last read when I was 10 years old. I remember loving the strangeness, imagination, and retro tone of the series back then, though I hardly had the words to articulate as much. Reading it again in my 30s, I'm surprised by how well it holds up to my memory. The plot was, of course, silly and contrived, but the humor was more subtle than I expected, the art was lively, and Dan Parent clearly had fun with developing supporting character personalities by depicting their bizarre and humorous actions in the background of most panels.

Truly fun stuff, and filled with flair.

I know I was picking up some other Archie mags at the time, but none of the others resonated the way this one did. Still, seeing as how entertaining and high quality I found it to be, I may need to give other Archie comics another try sometime soon.

[Scott Harris]

I just re-read Avengers #1 1/2. In the late 90's, during Marvel's big nostalgia boom, they put out a series of one shots which toko place during the silver age; they were untold stories that took place between issues, so they were all given the 1/2 numbering. In this case, the story takes place between Avengers #1 and #2.

And the comic is quite good, as Roger Stern provides the writing for some great Bruce Timm artwork.

But what I really enjoyed was that they did up the whole comic as though it was from the sivler age, complete with a fake lettercolumn, fake ads and, best of all, fake house ads for 1/2 issues they weren't actually publishing.

Including this lost gem, which I know dan bailey will appreciate:




A nice little event, this was.

[dan bailey]

Definitely. I read the ish -- Avengers 1 1/2, that is; the world, alas, still awaits that Sgt. Fury # 3 1/2 -- about a year ago & enjoyed it immensely.

Not sure I knew they did this with other titles, too. (Not positive, but I'm pretty sure I only knew about this one because I saw Bruce Timm reference it in an interview in, probably, Back Issue.) Must go looking ...


Edit: Alas, a search for "1 1/2" & "1/2" at Lone Star with Marvel as publisher shows only the Avengers one-shot & a bunch of Wizard things. Dammit.

[Scott Harris]

Huh. I could have sworn they did this with other titles. Maybe I am going mad.

I might have gotten this confused with the Flashback -1 issues as well.

[dan bailey]

Huh. I could have sworn they did this with other titles. Maybe I am going mad.

I might have gotten this confused with the Flashback -1 issues as well.

That occurred to me -- the Flashback -1 possibility, that is, not your going mad (though, y'know, if the straitjacket fits ...) I think I've accumulated most of those, though offhand the only one I've read is the Captain America issue, which IIRC features a story supposedly drawn by Steve Rogers, comics artist.

[PennyDreadful]

There's one Spider-Man story I'm looking for and can't find. It's this cracktastic tale called "Night of the Bend Sinister." Ring any bells?

[MRP]

There's one Spider-Man story I'm looking for and can't find. It's this cracktastic tale called "Night of the Bend Sinister." Ring any bells?

According to the GCD, it is from Marvel Tales #200, a new title used on the reprint of Amazing Spider-Man Annual #14 featuring Spidey and Doc Strange.

-M

[dan bailey]

I just re-read Avengers #1 1/2. In the late 90's, during Marvel's big nostalgia boom, they put out a series of one shots which toko place during the silver age; they were untold stories that took place between issues, so they were all given the 1/2 numbering.

Btw, if this never happened, it should have. And should still.

If you happen to be interested in seeking Joe Quesada's job, sir, feel free to consider this as your first endorsement.

[pmpknface]

The "Bend Sinister" is a classic story. I've read it a few times.

Scott / Dan: I think the 1 1/2 story was a 1-shot. I think the event that Dan is thinking about was the -1 event that every title got. The 1 1/2 issue was fantastic though.

[dan bailey]

Come to think of it, the short-lived (12 issues) Avengers Classic from 2007-2008 followed a somewhat similar approach with new, somewhat retro (IIRC) backup stories that supplemented the reprinted stories from the first dozen Avengers issues.

[MRP]

I read Tarzan: The Land that Time Forgot by Russ Manning last night. It was my first real exposure to Manning's Tarzan (I may have seen some of the strips when I was a wee lad as my dad liked to read Tarzan on Sundays, but I have no memory of them, and I had seen panels of his art but never read a story by him). Needless to say I was very impressed and understand why Manning's Tarzan is held in such high regard. There was a lot happening in just 48 pages, story wise, but Manning's layouts were always clear and dynamic and his action sequences were superb. The trade collection also has the Pool of Time, which I hope to get to today at some point.

-M

[MRP]

Come to think of it, the short-lived (12 issues) Avengers Classic from 2007-2008 followed a somewhat similar approach with new, somewhat retro (IIRC) backup stories that supplemented the reprinted stories from the first dozen Avengers issues.

The format of retro continuity implant stories packaged with a reprint started I believe (although I am sure I will be corrected if wrong) with Marvel's Classic X-Men in the 80's, which reprinted the New X-Men beginning with GS X-Men #1 on, and added new backups written by Chris Claremont with art by John Bolton and/or Art Adams-Adams was doing new covers for the books as well I believe and Bolton did back covers spotlighting the back-up stories. The backups told smaller stories of the characters featuring one of two characters at a time and occurred between panels of the main story or off to the side of the story. These reprints were how I first read many of the early New X-Men stories. Many of the back ups were collected in a trade called X-Men Vignettes a few years back, and there may have been more than one volume.

-M

[pmpknface]

Come to think of it, the short-lived (12 issues) Avengers Classic from 2007-2008 followed a somewhat similar approach with new, somewhat retro (IIRC) backup stories that supplemented the reprinted stories from the first dozen Avengers issues.

There were the Joe Casey AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES Vol's 1-2 that took place between issues stories too. I read the first but haven't gotten the 2nd yet.

[dan bailey]

I think I'm in the same boat, except for the part about vol. 2. Not totally sure I even knew till now of its existence, in fact.