NBIM Day 25: Terror Of Godzilla #4 (1998)

Another staple of most good Godzilla vehicles: goofy comic relief characters!

Nothing quite makes up for a challenging day at work better than coming home to a UPS delivery of back issues ordered via Internet. Yesterday afternoon's delivery also doubles as today's National (Comic Book) Back Issue Month suggestion: Dark Horse Classics Terror of Godzilla #4. Published in 1998, this Dark Horse Classics is actually a recolored reprint of an original translated Godzilla manga first published by Dar Horse wa-a-a-y back in 1988, ten years earlier. The new release features a brand spanking new cover by comic book legend Arthur Adams, who, in my short time collecting Godzilla comic books, I've come to realize is something of a "go-to" Godzilla cover artist.  But, more on that later...



Arthur Adams kaiju goodness!

Dark Horse Classics Terror of Godzilla #4 features story and art by Kazuhisa Iwata, a writer who seems to get that Godzilla works best both as a plot device to tell the stories of other (human) characters and as a character himself. More  recent iterations of the big green lizard seem to emphasize one or the other, and are noticeably weaker for the missing half.

Here, Godzilla is destroying Tokyo, and the military resorts a "secret weapon" in an effort to defeat him: the Super X. The Super X amounts to a pimped out space ship[ run by the government, designed with the purpose of knocking the Big G back into dreamworld.While this issue is number four in a six part mini-series, the single issue reads well, though the cliffhanger ending (spoiled by the cover) does leave the reader (me!) wanting more.

I first came across Art Adams' Godzilla renditions on the covers of the recently concluded IDW  Godzilla Legends (2011) miniseries, and going backwards in puchasing related titles have sampled some of his work for later original Dark Horse Godzilla titles. I would have to concur with the sentiments of Toho Kingdom when it comes to Adams' Godzilla artwork: "As far as American Godzilla comics go, Arthur Adams may be the best artist at bringing Godzilla to life. His hyper-detailed work has inspired many, and due to its astounding accuracy and passionate awesomeness..."

With an original cover price $2.95, a copy of Dark Horse Classics Terror of Godzilla #4 can set you back anywhere from $6-2 depending on the quality you seek.

NBIM Day 24: Ripley's Believe It or Not! (1974) #49

Memo to self: Despite appearances to the contrary, offering campsite coffee to ghosts is actually
NOT that bad of an idea.

As I pulled Ripley's Believe It or Not! #49 from my dusty old longbox, and thumbed through it on my way downstairs, I considered that it might be better to save it for October (Halloween, duh!). But recognizing that there is more than enough ghoully goodness to recommend; Gold Key comics are, after all, a gold mine of creepy, and relatively all ages titles of the macabre in addition to Ripley's: Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery, Spine Tingling Tales and others. Upon further review, however, I noticed that despite the cover, there is very little truly creepy about this book...

This anthology of suspense/mystery series tales, carries the subtitle "True Ghost Stories," and features traditional comic book stories "The Witch is Dead," "The Battle is Over," "Secret of the Stones," and "The Healing Hands." There is also a one-page text feature "Dead Men Do Tell Tales." The stories as a whole are fairly pedestrian, with little tie-in to the Ripley's brand, except the superficial title.

While the first two stories are set in faraway historical periods, both the third tale,"The Secret of the Stones," and the fourth, "The Healing Hands" are set in a fairly modern setting. All four also deal with primarily friendly ghosts who return not to haunt or terrorize, but rather to aid the living. In each story, the protagonist is saved from death in a variety of ways which allow each to wrapped up neatly with out a twist or scare.

If "all ages" means safe for young children to read, then this is your ticket, though I suspect most children would close this book abut two pages in. As an adult reader, an appreciator of comic books and the tales they tell, I found Ripley's Believe It or Not! #49 to be an entertaining enough read which I'm glad I did not save for the terrors of All Hallows Eve--that would have only courted disappointment.

With a cover price $0.25, you are likely to pay just a touch more. I found Ripley's Believe It or Not! #49 online for anywhere from $1-3, and in your local comic shop, that is if you can scare up a copy.

NBIM Day 22: Fantastic Four Chronicles (1982)

Parodies by both Fred Hembeck and Don Martinec (above) pepper Chronicles.

As National (Comic Book) Back Issue  Month  (NBIM) rolls on, and I reflect back on the titles I have thus far shared, it is more than a little surprising that I have yet to have posted about anything with the Fantastic Four (FF) or written and/or drawn by John Byrne--two of my all-time industry favorites. Like many, Byrne's run (starting first with breakdowns with issue #209 in 1979 and ending with issue #293 in 1986) on FF was both a gateway to comic book collecting and a high point. 

This cover, if net yet hanging
 in a museum, shoudl be.

During (and after) his FF work, I followed Byrne wherever he went wheter with Alpha Flight Volume 1 or to DC Comics Superman: Man of Steel reboot. I also stayed with the FF's various through various lurching starts, stops and start-up agains. I still collect FF, mostly out of affection for the past, and despite it's (to me) surprising recent success, have managed to be marginally engaged with the Hickman run. Maybe it's just that no one for me will ever create Fantastic Four adventures like John Byrne.

The Fantastic Four Chronicles, released in 1982 by FantaCo Enterprises (with the permission of Marvel Comics), is a collection of articles, interviews and recollections by many of the key contributors to the Fantastic Four mythos up through FF issue #241. John Byrne's essay "The Fantastic Four: A Personal Recollection" is one of a number of high points, written during the middle of his legendary run.

In 1982, the $1.50 cover price was something of an investment for a 13 year-old but one I made for two reasons: it was about the FF, so why wouldn't I buy it? and the beautifully realized cover by Byrne which, to my childhood eyes, appeared to have been painted in way that dictated it's hanging in a museum. After purchasing it, I enjoyed the pictures (especially the series spanning centerfold by Byrne) and read different parts of each interview and article before placing it into a comic book bag for safe keeping.

Eventually, many years later, I returned to the issue and read it, as a college student, for what it was: an interesting exploration into the creative and editorial process, and further evidence that those involved with comic books do (and should) love comic books. Fantastic Four Chronicles also includes interviews with Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, and others, while also offering a tribute to FF co-creator Jack "The King" Kirby. Toward the back, there is a cool "Fantastic Four Checklist" with to-date information about all things FF Marvel had published to date that surely fueled my collector fever by presenting comic books as archivable, lasting "things" to be savored, stored and shared.

While Fantastic Four Chronicles is out of print, and may be difficult to come by (that is part of the fun, isn't it?), copies (and collections of FantaCo's Marvel "Chronicles" series (including Daredevil and The Avengers) are out there for the finding, and worth the effort if you are a fan.

NBIM Day 21: John Carter Warlord of Mars (1977)

The heart of Carter's Barsoomian adventures is his love for the beautiful Princess of Mars, Dejah Thoris.

Last week , in between teaching classes, a former student of mine gifted me two comic books in plastic sleeves with the words, "I got these from my dad's comic collection for you. I remember you saying you were looking forward to the movie last year." It was a kind unexpected gift. Even better than the unexpected gift was the forgotten memories it brought to the forefront and I knew it would become one of my National (Comic Book) Back Issue Month selections...

Issue #1 cover by
legends Kane and Cockrum

Nearly six months ago I wrote about the fact that two different comic book companies were each publishing individual John Carter comics at the same time. While Marvel/Disney was releasing a line of Edgar Rice Burroughs adaptations during the John Carter (2012) film's short summer run, Dynamite Publishers had been publishing stories based on the original novels, which had lapsed into public domain over the past two years. At the time I had forgotten about the "original ' Marvel John Carter series released in the aftermath of the original Star Wars (1977) movie's runaway, blockbuster success.

Published in 1977 by Marvel Comics, John Carter Warlord of Mars issue #1 was written (and edited) by respected creator Marv Wolfman with pencils provided by the legendary Gil Kane, who was inked by Dave Cockrum (who would later design the looks of the new X-Men, including Wolverine). Not surprisingly, the issue features Carter's by now familiar "origin" tale: Civil War soldier gets mysteriously transported to Barsoom (Mars), falls in with the green men of Mars (Tharks) only to fall in love with a princess of mars, Deja Thoris. Ironically,  Marvel would eventually release it's own Star Wars comic book, a story which admittedly apes many of the tropes established many, many years earlier by Edgar Rice Burroughs in the original Mars novels, the first of which, A Princess of Mars, was published in 1917 . Certainly adapting John Carter probably seemed like a reasonable way to cash in on the space craze started by Star Wars.

I was somewhat surprised when I looked up this particular iteration of Carter at mycomicshop.com and found that copies of this first issue were available for as low as $1.10! In fact, nearly the whole 28 issue series can be (and will be my me!) had for  little more than an average of $1.30 per issue. In this day when modern Marvel comics are far less entertaining, I more and more frequently find myself going backwards for entertainment.

NBIM, Day 16: Sock Monkey (1998)

Clean line work + formal, anitquated dialogue + a delusional pair of stuffed protagonists = Comic Book Gold.

There was a period of time that, as a comic book collector, I became very disenchanted by the product that was being churned out by the big two (DC and Marvel) publishers, and as result, turned to small press comics for my graphic story jones. During this time I also became much more enamored of comic book stories that didn't necessarily deal with super heroics, but rather with the common place doing heroic things. Enter: Sock Monkey.



"A Comical Adventure."

Written and drawn by Tony Millionaire, Sock Monkey follows the adventures of Uncle Gabby, the stuffed animal of the title, along with his friends, most notably the hard-drinking toy crow, suitably named simply Mr. Crow. In this first issue, together the two try to reach the "castle in the clouds" that Uncle Gabbey comes across in the library of the New York brownstone in which he somehow resides.

Though the protagonist and his world, on the surface, suggest a quaint all-ages book, things are not as they seem. As Uncle Gabby and Mr. Crow make a variety of attempts to reach the "Elysian fields" high above the room, they find themselves moving closer and closer to peril and doom. Much of their interaction with one another and the others who inhabit their world (ants freed from an ant farm, real crows who mock the artificial Mr. Crow) lead to nihilistic ends. Despite the attractive, neat black and white line work, and antiquated gentlemanly character dialogue, the darkness of the world cannot be stopped from creeping in. Even the subtitle on the cover declaring this "A Comical Adventure" is something of a misnomer--there is fun and adventure but the comedy is dry and requires deeper reading.

Wrapped in a pretense that suggests "children's book," on a deeper level, it really is more mature in its narrative. But like much good entertainment (Family Guy, and in years past The Simpsons), Sock Monkey works on both levels and would seem to have some entertainment value for even the youngest reader. One may want to assure younger readers, though, that the issue's conclusion, which implies a rather permanent end for our "heroes," is somewhat mitigated with the subsequent publication of two issue miniseries featuring the same cast of characters.

All three Sock Monkey series, as well as one-shot graphic novels, are very likely available in the deepest bowels of your community's most established local comic shop, as well as being available for purchase online in trade paperback or single issue form.

NBIM, Day 15: Bat Lash #2 (2007)

Bat Lash #2, Cover art by the legendary Walt Simonson.

Sorry for missing a few days of National Back Issue Month postings, but with school back in sessions it's not nearly as easy to sit down and write. For today's grand return, I've selected the second issue of the six issue Bat Lash miniseries published by DC Comics back in 2007. Like many of the Western titles I know have as part of my collection, it was one that I came to many years after its initial release, fortunate that the Western genre has not seen a bump in back issue costs.

One of the draws beyond the genre for me in purchasing this title, which more and more seems to be the case, was the creative team involved: co-writers Western novelist Peter Brandvold (Rogue Lawman, .45-Caliber Deathtrap) and Sergio Aragones (Mad Magazine, Groo), cover artist Walter Simonson (Thor, Fantastic Four), and interiors artist John Severin (Mad Magazine, Cracked, Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandoes, to name just a few).

Mark off another box on the "Why does he...?" checklist.

The purpose of the miniseries was to  retell for a new generation the origin story of the most unusual cowboy of them all, a tough but tender young Bat Lash braves a corrupt sheriff and a greedy rancher just to woo a rancher's lovely daughter. Issue two provides the backstory for why Bat Lash wears a bright red flower in his hat band. This little character detail is also symbolic of Bat's romance fueled adventures in a comic book world of rough riders, tough guys and drunks. Despite his flowery hat, he he has a tendency to kick butt and take names wit the best of them... especially when there is an act of chivalry involved!

All six issues of the Bat Lash (2007) miniseries are likely available at cover price ($2.99) at your local comics store or at about a third of the price online. If you are a Western fan or simply an appreciator of fine comic book craftsmanship, you won't be disappointed.

NBIM, Day 5: The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu (1974)

Yes, Stan Lee Presents The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1 IS as groovy as it looks!

Today's National Back Issue Month selection is a most unusual "comic book", a point which is evident just from the size of it. A "Special Album Edition" is much more than just a regular ol' comic. The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu Issue #1 is a collection of both adventure stories featuring Marvel Comics martial arts characters Iron Fist and Shang Chi, and also essays and photographs. Melding several popular media of the mid-1970s, the magazine sized black-and-white rotates comic book action with Martial Arts celebrity photography and film analysis, with a hint of Eastern spirituality mixed in.

From "Chapter 2: Sons of the Tiger!" Story by Chris Claremont (Uncanny X-Men)
and art by Herb Trimpe (Incredible Hulk).

The comic book portions are serviceably produced by some "before they were famous" creators such as Herb Trimpe, Doug Moench, and Chris Claremont. The stories follow similar themes as the Kung Fu movies they seek to mirror, and the black, white and grey artwork evokes an additional level of nostalgia. The only shortcoming is one based on my own personal bias about comic books featuring Martial Arts practitioners: no matter how dynamic the artwork, the static nature of the paper always seems to result in something missing from the action. The type of rabid action in those types of films feels flat when presented in the 2D, still, comic book format.

The photographs reflect the influence of the eras television (Kung Fu starring Keith Carradine) and film (Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon) on the development of the comic book characters who were clearly modeled on the actors. Ironically, this comic is an excellent example of an exploitation product cashing in on what was itself exploitative. That of course does not assure that it is entertaining, and Deadly Hands is nothing if not engaging: you are not very likely to see the deification of stereotypical performances by Caucasian men as Asians (Boris Karloff as Fu Manchu?) in a modern issue of People magazine anytime soon.

Even with a 1974 cover price of $1, Deadly Hands can still be purchased for $4 online. While Special Edition Albums were all the rage back in the 1970s, they are much less common now, and as a result, may be priced slightly higher at speciality shops.



When is the last time your comic book had a Martial Arts tournament recap (with photos)?

NBIM Day 3: Star Trek #34 (1975)

Star Trek #34 (1975)

Somehow I've been blogging for nearly five years and have yet to have posted once about the "real" Star Trek; you know, the one with William Shatner's Kirk and Leonard Nimoy's Spock. This error is all the more grievous as Trek was (like many fanboys, I suspect) among the earliest influences of my television viewing and reading habits... which leads to today's National Back Issue Month read, Gold Key Comics Star Trek #34.

Splash page with crystal dinosaur and
Mr. Scott's (mercifully short-lived) new
catchphrase.

Issue 34 features a story entitled "The Psychocrystals" and does the main thing early comic book adaptations of television shows were expected to: deliver familiar characters in unfamiliar (translation: too expensive for television production costs) situations.

While the story reads much like an early Star Trek television episode, through the reuse of common themes and set-ups, the partially Scotty-centric nature of the story is refreshing. Except when there seems to be a clear attempt to cater to the viewer/readers desire for more Scotty-isms.

Throughout the issue, the storytellers (both writer and artist are uncredited) attempt to further develop the lesser Trek cast member with characterization that appears to have been thrown in for marketing purpose. Nearly every other page features Mr. Scott's attempts at adding to his canon of catchphrases ("Ahm givin' 'er all I kin!") with the much less memorialized "Great Moons of Mars!" (used twice in this issue) and "Flaming Lakes of Orion!"

The Gold Key series has the distinction of being just the first of many (Marvel, DC, IDW) attempts at licensing and publishing successful Star Trek properties in comic book form. While more recent series may have more recognizable creators at the helm, few did the "real" Star Trek as closely to the show as Gold Key, at least as represented by this issue. Online this issue, in "Good" condition goes for nearly $10, but I would venture to guess that relatives or neighbors probably have this one lying around for future neighborhood yard sales... the issue I have was acquired when I friend was cleaning out his garage!

Scotty very concerned about a fate much worse than death!

Welcome to National Back Issue Month 2012!

Devil Dinosaur #1 (1978) edited, written and drawn by Jack "The King" Kirby.

It's ba-a-a-ack: September is once again National Back Issue Month! I'm unclear as to just how "official" this is in terms of comic book industry support, one of the folks who frequents the same lcs (local comic shop) as I has set up a NBIM Facebook group, and as I'm always looking or subjects on which to post I thought I'd go with it. Last year, I had hoped to post an issue each day of the month, but petered out about five days in; day 5 from last year can be seen here.

Begun last year as an anti-celebration of the Fall 2011 relaunch/reboot/redux of the DC Universe, it is just as relevant this year with the impending soft relaunch/reboot/reduxof the Marvel 616 Universe, Marvel NOW! The idea is that tthroughout September, when collector's new and old go into your local comic book store, they should add to the purchase of their new releases some goodies from the back issue boxes.  Often there are a great many comics that can be purchased for prices often the same (or less!) than a modern comic. The first issue of my NBIM celebration was culled from my own longboxes, Devil Dinosaur #1.
 
Devil Dinosaur was first released in early 1978 when I was nine years old. I had just begun collecting comic books, starting with another Kirby-infused classic, Fantastic Four (long after Kirby and Stan Lee had departed, of course). While I never did purchase Devil when it was originally released, I was glad to see it appear in a pile of older comics given to me by a colleague. Just the heading "NOW! The fantastic FIRST ISSUE," reminds the fanboy how, before incessant renumbering and rebooting, "first issues" used to mean something.

Devil Dinosaur co-starred Moon Boy, a characetr whose design was clearly influenced by
Kirby's work on an earlier  Marvel 2001: A Space Odyssey  comic book.

My first real Devil Dinosaur story was his brief appearance in Marvel's Godzilla issue 21 which came out right around the same time. Dinosaur's never seem to have much luck with ongoing series, Devil Dinosaur lasted only nine months and Godzilla went only 24 issues. Even the more current Runaways series was short lived despite being deemed a hit. (One character, Old Lace, is a genetically modified, human-sized dino, but that's close enough to be in the conversation.)

Devil Dinosaur is the perfect NBIM book: great visuals by a legendary creator doing fine work on one of his lesser, and therefore more affordable, works.

National Back Issue Month, Day 17

Issue 2, October 2008.

The recent cool, fall-like weather seems a perfect fit for European pulp heroes such as Conan-creator Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane, especially as envisioned in Dark Horse Comics series of miniseries, the first of which was published in 2008. Issue two (pictured above) takes place in Germany, and finds the Puritan devil hunter Solomon Kane embroiled in a mystery involving wolves, occult sacrifices and "The Castle of the Devil." As s often the case with Kane adventures, things are rarely as they seem--as evidenced by the skull with three eye-sockets...

Though only published sporadically in brief runs of three to six issues apiece, Howard's Solomon Kane character is still being occasionally brought to life by Dark Horse, but never so evocatively as in this first miniseries.

National Back Issue Month, Day 10

In 1994, Topps Comics produced a four issue miniseries, The Lone Ranger and Tonto, written by Joe R. Lansdale and drawn by Timothy Truman, the cover for the first issue of whcih is presented above. Though the recently (thank goodness) aborted movie update that was to star Johnny Depp as Tonto, received quite a bit of press due to planned changes to the iconic Tonto character, this series (as well as the recently concluded one published by Dyanmite) that was the first to attemtp to add some additional depth to the Jay Silverheels characterization.

One of the major changes in the Topps series was the characterization of Tonto, who was then shown to be a very witty, outspoken and sarcastic character even willing to punch the Lone Ranger during a heated argument and commenting on his past pop-culture depictions with the words, "Of course, quimo sabe. Maybe when we talked I should use that 'me Tonto' stuff, way they write about me in the dime novels. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

I came to this particular series on the back issue racks only after reading the Dynamite one, and was initially turned off by a cover that, despite being drawn my legendary Hex and Scout artist Timothy Turman, depicted a Ranger whose features seemed off for me aesthetically. The interior art and script, however, are solid and make the entire series worth picking up on the cheap.

National Back Issue Month, Day 5

Wow--1978 was a loooong time ago!
It is fair to suggest that there is a day, week or month to recognize or acknowledge just about everything under the sun: facial hair, food stuffs, odd sports and not-so-national pasts times.

September just happens to be National Back Issue Month, a celebration I only became aware of thanks to the FB posts of a fellow frequenter of the same local comic store as I (actually, he started the month long activity to reinforce and remind collectors of the love of older comics in the face of DC Comics' September reboot of their entire line-up). In the spirit of silly celebratory calender caveats, I will also be "celebrating" National Back Issue Month daily by sharing comics from my back issue long boxes and explaining (briefly) the issues significance to me. And no, you haven't missed Days 1 though 4, it's just that I've only just now gotten around to starting this series of posts albeit four days late.

Issue 200 of Fantastic Four was the starting point for what would become my (to this point) life long love affair with Marvel's First Family. While the next issue, 201 (featuring the robotic villainy of Quasimodo!), was my first actual comic book purchase, issue 200 was the first "back issue" I bought... roughly a month after it came out, but a "back issue" nonetheless. The story, "When Titans Clash!" was script by Marv Wolfman and featured art by Keith Pollard (breakdowns) and Joe Sinnott (finishes). The amazing cover was done by none other than Jack "The King" Kirby and Joe Sinnott. 

Published in 1978, when I was nine years old, the epic "fight to the finish" between Doctor Doom and Mister Fantastic had everything I wanted from comic books: action, adventure, and escapism. Leafing back through the pages the story (which at its heart is about the FF assisting in overthrowing Doom's government in the interest of "nation building") and characetrization (Doom's anger at having his own son--clone--destroyed) perhaps not surprisingly has much more depth and resonance than what is published in the current issues.