Review- MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES

MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES (Image, First Printing, 2018; Hardcover)

Original graphic novel.

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Colorist: Jacob Phillips

Brubaker and Phillips are the Lennon and McCartney of Crime/Noir comic books. They have developed the type of creative partnership that most writers and artists can only dream of. Each new book is an automatic blind buy on my end. I don't even need to know what it's about, because I know that it will be worthwhile.

People who romanticize heroin addiction frighten me. I have known people addicted to it, and it's an absolute nightmare for everyone involved. I thought that this story might be a cautionary tale about heroin or a story abut addiction spirals. Instead it morphs into a crime story.

Ellie isn't exactly likable or relatable. She seems like someone best avoided the first time that you meet them. I guess that this wouldn't have been an interesting story if Skip was a smart guy to begin with, though. This problem is compounded by the fact that the reader is provided with no knowledge of Ellie or Skip bottoming out. They are just in rehab, where they meet. I get Ellie's fascination with dead junkie musicians and know the material being referenced offhand, but I imagine younger readers sitting there Googling names and listening to YouTube or Spotify to try and piece it all together and still coming up empty-handed. It's a bit of a plot crutch.

This is a quick read, clocking in at 72 pages. This is, in truth, the next Criminal book, albeit more of a standalone story than an outright continuation. It seemed weaker in my mind after making that connection. If it were listed as Criminal Vol. 8 I would have been less gentle in my criticisms, as Criminal is a high mark of 21^st century comic books. This is still worth a read, as Brubaker and Phillips are great and deserve your time and money.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

Paper stock: This paper feels like the kind of paper you would find in a Dr. Seuss book. I can't recall any other comic book or collected edition which utilizes this paper stock.

Binding: Sewn binding for $16.99 MSRP? Yes please!

Hardback cover notes: Matte finish on the casewrap.

Review- CRIME DOES NOT PAY ARCHIVES VOL. 5

CRIME DOES NOT PAY ARCHIVES VOL. 5 (Dark Horse, First Printing, 2013; Hardcover)

Collects Crime Does Not Pay #38-41 (cover dates March- September, 1945)

Writers: Dick Wood with one story by Milt. J. Kramer

Artists: Charles Biro, Al Fagaly, Dick Briefer, Jack Alderman, C.L. Hartman, Norman Maurer, Rudy Palais, Robert Q. Sale (as Bob Q. Siege), and other unidentified artists

The quality of the stories and artwork have rebounded nicely after the dullness that was Volume 4. The gist of this series is that it is a “true crime” anthology style that depicts crime from different eras and countries, with an emphasis on crime of the 1920s and 1930s.

Mister Crime is the host, and he is essentially the devil on the shoulder of these would be criminals as they embark on their life of crime. In #41 we see his counterpoint, the “angel on the shoulder” of the criminal, Officer Common Sense. Neither one of them are visible to the characters and they break the fourth wall in regard to the fact that they are speaking to the reader.

While this series was lurid for the time, in all fairness they do not glorify crime. The criminal is always shown getting killed by police, sitting in an electric chair, or ending up in prison. There is an over the top, sensationalist angle played up for kicks, though.

The Dick Briefer Who Dunnit? recurring strip has run out of steam. I was thankful to see Robert Q. Sale take it over in #40. Issue #39's King Killer Of The Mountain is one of the better tales in this book. The quality increases across the board with #41, and I am looking forward to reading Volume 6. I know from reading Blackjacked And Pistol-Whipped: A Crime Does Not Pay Sampler that the series' best days are ahead of it.

Sadly, Dark Horse pulled the plug on this line after Volume 10. They cancelled the already fully restored and ready to go Volume 11 as well as the already solicited Volume 12. Dark Horse has recently revived their Creepy and Eerie Archives, so I am hopeful that they will revive this line of books as well. I have no interest in the Gwandanaland print on demand books found on Amazon which complete the run. Dark Horse could even up the price $10-15 to make up for the low print run if that is what it would take to finish up this line of books.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials of physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

The Dark Horse Archives line of books are narrower than the original comic books.

Linework and Color restoration: Solid “frame up” restoration done off of scans of the original comics.

Paper stock: Thick uncoated stock. It has a creamy off-white color, being close to Mint condition pulp paper in appearance while being of sufficient thickness that it feels like 'Archival' quality paper. It also has the sweet, delectable smell that only Chinese made books have.

Binding: Sewn binding which is stiff and does not lay flat. This book is light and small enough where it is not an issue.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: Nice faux leather casewrap with die foil stamping. Dustjacket has a decent lamination.

Review- CRIME DOES NOT PAY ARCHIVES VOL. 4

CRIME DOES NOT PAY ARCHIVES VOL. 4 (Dark Horse, First Printing, 2013; Hardcover)

Collects Crime Does Not Pay #34-37 (cover dates July, 1944- January, 1945)

Writers: Dick Wood, Dick Briefer, and other, unidentified writers.

Artists: Robert Q. Sale, “Irving” (identity unknown), Dick Briefer, Rudy Palais, R.W. Hall, Art Gates, C.L. Hartman (as Art Mann), Alan Mandel, and other, unidentified artists, with cover art for all issues by Charles Biro.

The title is still climbing the mountain in this book. The writing and artwork all vary wildly in terms of quality, with some of it being brilliant while other stories are about as interesting as watching paint dry. I've read the Crime Does Not Pay Primer trade years ago and know that there is some great stuff on the horizon.

Mister Crime is the host of the series, breaking the fourth wall and talking to the reader while the characters in the stories remain unaware of his existence. All of the stories in this book are based on true stories.

This title was a precursor to our current day sensationalist culture which thrives on watching trainwrecks and car accidents. The criminals were the “stars” of the series, although they always receive their due at the end of each story. The title spawned so many imitators that by 1950 that by the end of the decade one in seven titles on the stands were crime comics.

Lev Gleason and Bob Wood were both characters in real life. Do a bit of research on them. Gleason was a Progressive fanatic, spending his fortune as quickly as he made it. Bob Wood wound up committing a crime as gruesome as any found within the pages of the comic. Life imitating art.

Dark Horse has scuttled this line of Archives, canceling the solicited Volume 11 and never soliciting the announced Volume 12. They weren't big sellers, which is a shame. Gwandanaland Comics, a company which uses scans of public domain comics found on the Internet and publishes them via Amazon's CreateSpace platform, has finished the series across fourteen softcovers. I have seen one of them at a friend's house and am considering picking them up at some point.

This was a good if uneven read. The better material is still in the future of the title. It's just a damn shame that sales weren't enough to support this line of books to see it through to the end.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- The Dark Horse Archives are narrower than the original comic books.

Linework and Color restoration: Solid “frame up” restoration done off of scans of the original comics.

Paper stock: Thick uncoated stock. It has a creamy off-white color, being close to Mint condition pulp paper in appearance while being of sufficient thickness that it feels like 'Archival' quality paper.

Binding: Sewn binding which is stiff and does not lay flat. This book is light and small enough where it is not an issue.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: Nice faux leather casewrap with die foil stamping. Dustjacket has a decent lamination.

Review- CRIME DOES NOT PAY ARCHIVES VOL. 3

CRIME DOES NOT PAY ARCHIVES VOL. 3 (Dark Horse, First Printing, 2012; Hardcover)

Collects Crime Does Not Pay #30-33 (cover dates November, 1943- April, 1944)

Writers: Dick Wood, Milton Kramer, and Lev Gleason

Artists: Charles Biro, Dick Briefer, Volman, R.W. Hall, Jack Alderman, Carmine Infantino, Alvin Hollingsworth, Jack Cole, A. Kaplan, Rudy Palais, Louis Trakis, Alan Mandel, Lol Silver, Volp, and Bob Montana

As tolerant and accepting as people claim to be, many people seem to enjoy seeing criminals get theirs, at least if the comments section of any news article on Facebook are any indication. This was the most popular comic book of it's day. Name any superhero on the stands and this title outsold them. In a world where organized crime was an ongoing concern, it was cathartic for people to pick up a fat 68 page comic for one thin dime and get lost in a world where bad people have good things happen to them for a while but they all inevitably learn the fateful lesson that CRIME DOES NOT PAY!

Mister Crime is the host of the series, and he whispers in the ear of the various crooks, giving them advice along the way. Mister Crime also routinely breaks the fourth wall, speaking to readers while everyone in the story is oblivious to him. Societal mores and slang of the day are on full display.

Lots of future greats worked on this series during this time. Carmine Infantino is well known to all DC fans, while Jack Cole and Dick Briefer were known in their day and have enjoyed a renewed interest in recent years due to relatively affordable collected editions like this one which reprint their work for the masses.

While the material is stronger here than it was in the first two volumes this series still hasn't reached it's high point yet. As crudely written and drawn as many of these stories are it's the promise of what is coming in future issues that makes some of these turkeys readable. Golden Age comics are crude but they certainly have their charms. It's just that the novelty of reading previously rare, expensive comics has worn off for me and I call them as I see and read them. This might have been the best selling comic at the time but DC was burying this in terms of quality. This was still very enjoyable, but the best is yet to come.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- There is a typo on the Table of Contents page. The cover date for #33 is incorrectly listed as May, 1944, when it is in truth April, 1944.

All original text pieces and advertisements are presented. I dig looking at the old ads.

Linework and Color restoration: Solid “frame up” restoration done off of scans of the original comics.

Paper stock: Thick uncoated stock. It has a creamy off-white color, being close to Mint condition pulp paper in appearance while being of sufficient thickness that it feels like 'Archival' quality paper.

Binding: Sewn binding which is stiff and does not lay flat. This book is light and small enough where it is not an issue.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: Nice faux leather casewrap with die foil stamping. Dustjacket has a decent lamination.

Review- CRIME DOES NOT PAY ARCHIVES VOL. 1

CRIME DOES NOT PAY ARCHIVES VOL. 1 (Dark Horse, 2012; Hardcover)

Collects Crime Does Not Pay #22-25 (cover dates July, 1942- January, 1943)

Writers: Woody Hamilton, Dick Wood, and Ivy

Artists: Woody Hamilton, Charles Biro, Harry Lucey, Carl Hubbell, Bob Montana, George Tuska, Richard Norman, Norman Mauer, Alan Mandel, Dick Wood, Bart Tumey, Sam Burlockoff, Dick Briefer, Frank Giacoia, and Dan Barry

Crime Does Not Pay was not only the first crime comic book on the stands but also the highest-selling comic book of it's day with a circulation of over a million copies every month. These early issues are nowhere near the level of quality that the title would soon achieve. Indeed, these early issues have some fumbling around as they find their way, with #22 even featuring a superhero story. The War Eagle makes his first and only appearance here, for reasons seen below.

This series is an anthology of 'true crime' stories, we are treated to criminal acts of all kinds and from different points in time. All of them involve gunplay, and there is almost always the warning at the end of each story that CRIME DOES NOT PAY! I love the old slang and fashions in these Golden Age comics. These old comics are not politically correct by any stretch of the imagination, and I find them to be unintentionally funny because of it.

Prohibition was still fresh on the minds of the country, and stories about John Dillinger and his ilk resonated with the public. Mr. Crime, who goes on to be the host of the series, debuts in #24.

The writing is decent and the artwork is hit or miss. On the art side there are a few greats, seen here before they became greats. This particular volume is for those interested in how one of the defining comic books of the Golden Age got its start. Things will get much better in subsequent volumes.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.25 out of 5.

The OCD zone- There are a few credits in the Table of Contents that conflict with the credits provided on The Grand Comics Database. There is also a one page strip listed in #24 called Conny The Convict which did not appear in the original issue. The GCD is a good tool but it is not perfect.

Linework and Color restoration: Linework is very, very good and the original color palette is faithfully maintained.

Paper stock: Thick uncoated stock. It has a creamy off-white color, being close to Mint condition pulp paper in appearance while being of sufficient thickness that it feels like 'Archival' quality paper.

Binding: Oversewn Smyth sewn binding. Binding is stiff and the book does not lay flat.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: Nice faux leather casewrap with die foil stamping. Dustjacket has a decent lamination but is thin. I need to get a roll of Brodart sleeves and embark on the next OCD frontier.

 

Review- INCOGNITO: THE CLASSIFIED EDITION

INCOGNITO: THE CLASSIFIED EDITION (Icon/ Marvel, 2012; Hardcover)

Collects Incognito #1-6 and Incognito: Bad Influences #1-5 (cover dates December, 2008- April, 2011)

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Colorist: Val Staples

Venturing into my comic room and going through my backlog of unread books can be just like going to a comic shop, as I sometimes stumble upon books that I have no recollection of ever buying, like this one. Imagine my delight upon discovering a previously unread Ed Brubaker amd Sean Phillips book to read. Wow! Plus I didn't have to pay for it since I already bought it, so it was like getting a free book or something.

Brubaker likes to sneak contraband toys into the sandbox. If he is writing a superhero comic he plays it like a spy movie (Captain America). If he is writing a Noir comic it quickly becomes a Horror comic (Fatale). Incognito is a comic fan's comic. It requires a working knowledge of the Marvel Universe, as there are doppelgangers throughout that might not make much sense to an uninitiated civilian. Think of it as Astro City if Astro City got hooked on drugs, had sex, and swore.

This is some pretty hard-edged, balls out stuff, certainly not all ages reading. This is a more grounded, realistic take on the Marvel Universe (only it's not the Marvel Universe) where a villain named Zack Overkill sort of becomes a hero. Lots of page-turning, signature Brubaker writing here. This is some great stuff that everyone should check out.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- I was surprised to see that this book is out of print.

Paper stock: Good weight semi-glossy coated stock.

Binding: Smyth sewn binding, lays perfectly flat.

Hardback cover notes: No dustjacket. Image is printed on the casewrap. Casewrap has a nice thick coating and is resistant to scuffing.

Review- WAR AGAINST CRIME ANNUAL VOL. 2

WAR AGAINST CRIME ANNUAL VOL. 2 (Gemstone, 2000; Softcover)

Collects War Against Crime Nos. 6-11 (cover dates April/May, 1949- February/March, 1950)

Writers: Al Feldstein, Harry Harrison*, and other unidentified writers

Artists: Johnny Craig, Ed Waldman, Al Feldstein, H.C. Kiefer, Graham Ingels, Rudy Palais, John Alton, Fred Peters, Harry Harrison*, and George Roussos

*Maybe. See GCD for #11 for details.

I love old school crime comics. The gangsters, the Tommy guns and the slang and fashions of the day are way cool. Old school criminals were snappy dressers. No pants around their knees, no sir. 

Beginning with issue #10 EC began inserting The Vault Of Horror, and within a few months the fortunes of EC Comics would change. History was about to be made. While EC was not the first to the Horror comics party, they were the best. They are still the best in my opinion.

It's hard to pick favorites in this book because I enjoyed all of the stories equally. War Against Crime is a well written, well drawn comic book which make so many modern comics laughable by comparison.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

While this book is long out of print there are plenty of other great EC books available at InStockTrades!

The OCD zone- If you do not know what an EC Annual is, then pull up a chair and I'll give you the skinny on these great books. Gemstone overprinted their single issue reprints in the '90s with an eye toward selling their own back issues. They re-purposed this overstock by trimming and gluing 5 entire issues into a cardstock cover. While this is not technically a trade paperback (it has no ISBN), it is squarebound and has the title on the spine. Close enough for Rock and Roll in my book.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: None.

Linework and Color: All linework is superb except for Rise And Fall Of Blackie Archer in #8. That one had some linework work done to it, which means that this one is one of only a handful of EC stories where there was no access to original artwork. While it is a serviceable restoration it could be better.

The color palette is faithful to the original issues with the exceptions of the occasional horrid gradient shade and the covers. Marie Severin recolored the covers all for the EC Library sets, and those same versions are found here. The handful of gradients toward the end of the book were due to the fact that the reprint line was winding down and it was cheaper and easier than doing it right. There aren't many, but man can my trained eye spot that crap. Unfaithful gradient shades are -10% enjoyment on The OCD scale.

Paper stock: Mando paper, which is basically glorified pulp paper. Pro- It feels like real comic book paper, because it is. Con- It makes me lay awake at night counting ceiling fan rotations because I am afraid that I can hear it disintegrating.

Binding: Perfect bound. The glue is creaky on this one, and I may have to apply some library binding glue to my copy since the cover separated from the top of the book a little. Remember kids, always use acid free library glue. Ask a parent for permission before starting.

Cardstock cover notes: Decent thickness to the cardboard, minimal coating.