Review: Plastic Man Archives Vol. 2

THE PLASTIC MAN ARCHIVES VOL. 2 (DC, 2000; Hardcover)

Collects Plastic Man No. 1 and the Plastic Man stories from Police Comics Nos. 21-30 (cover dates Summer, 1943- May, 1944)

Jack Cole's artwork and story ideas are greatly improved here in Vol. 2 of these DC Archives. Cole's almost cartoon-y artwork is in sharp contrast to the levels of violence portrayed in these issues.

I love how much fighting and killing occurs, and how Plastic Man sorts of shrugs his shoulders in a matter of fact, business as usual manner. The covers and splash pages are extremely creative, and it's apparent that Police Comics' co-headlining feature, The Spirit by Will Eisner, had a profound impact on Cole. It's kind of funny, because The Spirit seems to garner a lot of respect from modern day comic book fans, while Plastic Man has been relegated to the dust bins of history. Plastic Man was much more popular "back in the day" than The Spirit.

Another thing that I love about these comics from the '30s and '40s are the fashions and living conditions of the time. The phones have separate receiver and mouthpieces. The cars all have bulbous fenders and grills. Every gangster wears a suit, zoot or otherwise, and have stylish hats to boot. I love the slang and other lingo of the time. This stuff is just a lot of fun to read. I won't be on board for any more volumes in this series, though, for the usual reasons. Time, money, and space. I am really trying to get back to basics in my collecting habits, and remembering what it is I truly love about comic books. This stuff is fun to read but doesn't fit in with my "big picture" for my collection.

Review: Thor movie; Plastic Man Archives Vol. 1

Thor

NO SPOILERS AHEAD!

I am not a huge Thor fan. I have read maybe two dozen Thor comics in my life for his own title, but if you count his stint(s) in The Avengers, then I have read hundreds. I know enough about the character and his history to know if things "feel right", and in this movie, they do.

Thor is, hands down, the greatest comic book movie ever made. I normally have OCD flare-ups watching these films, such as: 

NO, that's not how it happened in the comic books. 

NO, ____ would never say or do that. 

I can feel the back of my eye twitch, etc. 

None of these things happened here. It's not 100% faithful to the original run, far from it. I'd say that the spirit was maintained, and it felt right.

I saw it in IMAX 3-D, and it was worth every single penny. I have been to cheaper Rock concerts, but this was totally worth it. The CGI is awesome, everything looks fantastic, the guy who played Loki even has teeth that look right. I frickin' loved this movie and can't wait to see it again. And again. It was that good.

I normally can gripe about lots of things in movies, especially comic book movies, but all's I've got is this: Product placement from 7-11 and Acura. That's it.

There is a scene at the end of the credits, but I'm not going to tell you what it is. Suffice it to say, I had a nerdgasm. The bar has been raised to a new high. X-Men First Class, Green Lantern, and Captain America movies...you better bring the goods or I will tear you to shreds in comparison to this masterwork.
10 out of 10

THE PLASTIC MAN ARCHIVES VOL. 1 (DC, 1998; Hardcover)

Collects the Plastic Man stories from Police Comics Nos. 1-20 (cover dates August, 1941- June, 1943)

The story of Jack Cole, creator of Plastic Man, is every bit as interesting as the character itself. (Google it and see for yourself.)  While among the most popular characters from the Golden Age of Comics, Plastic Man has not aged as well as, say, Batman or Superman. Cole's artwork has a cartoony feel to it, but it works for this series. I love Golden Age comic books, but I am not going to buy all of these Archives. I have the second one in queue and am already into it, and that'll be it. I don't have the time, money, or space to gobble up 6 more hardcovers.

The stories are simple and charming, a quaint snapshot of this bygone era. Once supporting character Woozy Winks is introduced, things change for the worse. He's unnecessary and does not provide the comic relief that was intended.

The restoration is a tad crude by today's standards but is mostly excellent. The paper has nice, creamy off-white color to it that I like a lot. Nice paper weight and texture, sewn binding,  all of the production values that make my OCD alarms turn green.