Review- MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE AVENGERS VOL. 14

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE AVENGERS VOL. 14 (Marvel, First Printing, 2014; Hardcover)

Collects Avengers #129-135, Giant-Size Avengers #2-4 (excluding reprint back-up stories), and Foom #12 (cover dates November, 1974- June, 1975)

Writers: Steve Englehart and Roy Thomas (#132 and GSA #4)

Artists: Sal Buscema, Dave Cockrum, Joe Staton, George Tuska, and Don Heck with additional Inking by Joe Giella, Frank Chiaramonte, and John Tartaglione

Us old guys like to bemoan the crossovers. Things were so much better way back when, we say as we sit around the Internet equivalent of playing checkers on checkerboard on top of a barrel at the general store. This book is proof positive that these sort of sales gimmicks are nothing new, as fans were required to buy both the monthly title and the double-sized, twice as expensive Giant-Size issues as well every month in order to get the complete story.

This was a double dip upgrade over the long out of print Celestial Madonna trade paperback. I think that I enjoyed the story more this second time reading it, as the Swordsman/Cotati/tree marriage bit was harder for me to swallow the first time around. Whenever I see stuff like that now I just shake my head and think Ah...the '70s. To be fair, none of these guys expected to have their work dissected in deluxe hardcover decades later or to ever appear on the big screen. We've come a long way, folks.

I am sucker for Kang and all of his timeslip ret-con goodness. This is nowhere near as confusing as all of the timeslips in Avengers: Endgame, though. Mantis was never done right on the big screen.

While this particular book is out of print you can get the same material with the same restoration (and a ton of other issues) in The Complete Celestial Madonna trade paperback. I will stick with this book. No more dips for me.

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.

Linework and Color restoration: These books are so expensive because of the level of restoration done to the material. The beauty of it is that folks like me are willing to pay the premium and then the material is later reissued in cheaper formats. Everybody wins!

Paper stock: Coated stock with a slight sheen.

Binding: Sewn binding.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: Laminated dustjacket with spot varnish. The hardback has faux leather grain and dye foil stamping.

Review- Shogun Warriors #1-20

Shogun Warriors #1-20 (Marvel, cover dates February, 1979- September, 1980)

Writers: Doug Moench and Steven Grant (#15 only)

Artists: Herb Trimpe with Inking by Dan Green, Al Milgrom, Jack Abel, Mike Esposito, Steve Mitchell, Bruce Patterson, Mike Vosburg (Pencils #15 only), and additional cover art by Terry Austin, Walt Simonson

Nostalgia is a funny thing. There are times when it's warm embrace is like a trusty old blanket, and then there are times when fond remembrances are best left in childhood. Like a lot of fortysomethings, I had Shogun Warriors toys as a kid. I had Raydeen and Great Mazinga in the '70s and loved them. They were solid toys that a kid could beat the heck out of and they kept on trucking.

I owned issues 1 and 14 as cheapo back issues circa 1983. I have been wishing and hoping for an Omnibus of this book for years. Over the years I pieced together a run of this title for little money, and started reading the series a while back.

The verdict? Well, Doug Moench is a fine writer who has done a lot of good work elsewhere. Herb Trimpe shines with silly Jack Kirby inspired monster stuff, and giant robots fighting giant monsters are right up his alley. The title has a certain pedigree of talent. The general vibe is that not a lot of effort went into this since it was a cheesy kids comic, which is fine since that was the intended audience for the toys and this comic book. There are times when the series is entertaining but by and large it, much like Marvel's Godzilla comic, were simply bottom rung Bronze Age titles which are now held in high regard solely based on nostalgia. That said, I can't wait to buy this in hardcover someday. Someday science will come up with a name for my malady. I offer the term Shaw Syndrome to science.

Review- MS. MARVEL EPIC COLLECTION VOL. 1: THIS WOMAN, THIS WARRIOR

MS. MARVEL EPIC COLLECTION VOL. 1: THIS WOMAN, THIS WARRIOR (Marvel, First Printing, 2018; Softcover)

Note: Book was actually released in 2019

Collects Ms. Marvel #1-14, Marvel Team-Up #61, 62, and Defenders #57 (cover dates January, 1977- March, 1978)

Writers: Chris Claremont and Gerry Conway

Artists: Jim Mooney, John Buscema, Sal Buscema, with John Byrne, Keith Pollard, Carmine Infantino, George Tuska, Dave Cockrum, Joe Sinnott, Dave Hunt, Tom Palmer, Frank Giacoia, Steve Leialoha, Sam Grainger, and Dan Green

The original series has held up really well, less damsel in distress and more strong independent career woman determined to make it, both as an editor of a magazine and as a superhero.

I was pleasantly surprised to see how forward thinking the writing was, but with Chris Claremont in charge for most of the book I should have known better. Claremont was ahead of his time in more ways than one.

The artwork is good, solid Bronze Age fun done by the usual journeymen of the day. I really enjoyed reading this book.

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.

Linework and Color restoration: This is the same restoration found in the Marvel Masterworks hardcovers. High def all the way.

Paper stock: Matte coated stock. This is a pinch whiter and glossier than what we have been getting in Epics so far but it's still nice.

Binding: Perfect bound.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover.

Review- GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: TOMORROW'S AVENGERS VOL. 1

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: TOMORROW'S AVENGERS VOL. 1 (Marvel, First Printing, 2013; Softcover)

Collects Marvel Super Heroes #18, Marvel Two-In-One #4, 5, Giant-Size Defenders #5, Defenders #26-29, and Marvel Presents #3-12 (cover dates January, 1969- August, 1977)

Writers: Arnold Drake, Steve Gerber, Roger Stern, Gerry Conway, Roger Silfer, Len Wein, Chris Claremont, Scott Edelman, and Stan Lee

Artists: Gene Colan, Sal Buscema, Don Heck, Al Milgrom, and John Buscema, with Mike Esposito, Frank Giacoia, Vince Colletta, Pablo Marcos, Howard Chaykin, Terry Austin, Bob Wiaceck, Dave Hunt, John Tartaglione, and Joe Sinnott

Reading this book was about as much fun as chewing chalk. Mediocre is the kindest word I use when describing these stories. This book is for masochists and completists only.

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.

It was acceptable for parents to hit their kids in the '70s. Believe me. 

Linework and Color restoration: Fair but not Marvel Masterworks level. It doesn't matter though, as the material is weak and the best restoration in the world couldn't save it.

Paper stock: Matte coated stock. This is my favorite of all of the paper stocks, as it feels high end yet looks like a comic book.

Binding: Perfect bound.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover.

Review- BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD- THE BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS VOL. 1

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD- THE BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS VOL. 1 (DC, First Printing, 2017; Hardcover)

Collects The Brave and the Bold #74-109 (core stories only; none of the back-up stories are included) (cover dates November, 1967- November, 1973)

Writers: Bob Haney, Mike Sekowsky, and Denny O'Neil

Artists: Pencilers- Ross Andru, Neal Adams, Mike Sekowsky, Bob Brown, Irv Novick, Nick Cardy, Carmine Infantio, and Jim Aparo; Inkers- Mike Esposito, Jack Abel, Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, Vince Colletta, Irv Novick, Joe Kubert, Nick Cardy, Murphy Anderson, Jim Aparo, and Frank McLaughlin

DC has really closed the quality gap when compared to Marvel's Omnibus editions. I prefer the paper stock that DC has been using over the decontented stock Marvel has been using in theirs for the past few years. The binding, while stiffer, feels sturdier than Marvel Omniboo. We'll see if it develops Omnibus sag like the older Marvel ones do. Both companies have cheapened the hardback boards and casewrap.

Awful gradient shading. 

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.

Issue 84 had a two page spread which was broken up on pages 265 and 266. While it is a subtle spread Bruce Wayne's head does continue across both pages in the original issue. This effect is ruined in this book.

Linework and Color restoration: Hit and miss when it comes to the coloring. Some of the restoration work has been repurposed from the Legends Of The Dark Knight: Jim Aparo hardcover and the Diana Prince, Wonder Woman trades. Those issues have awful, lazy gradient shade blends. While subtle to normal humans, they stab into my eyes like hot needles.

The issues which were freshly recolored for this book (INCLUDING the Neal Adams ones!!!) look terrific. Those of us who suffered through Adams' George Lucas Special Edition bastardization of these issues in those Batman By Neal Adams line can rejoice in the fact that history has been corrected.

Scan of the original comic.

Restoration found in this book.

The linework is very good throughout, although I did not go page by page and panel by panel. I might have missed something, but the handful of spot checks that I did looked good. 

Paper stock: I love the matte coated stock DC uses in their Omniboo. Top shelf stuff.

Binding: While the sewn binding is stiffer than Marvel's, the book as a whole feels sturdier.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: The dustjacket has glossy lamination. The casewrap of the hardback is the sole drawback here, as it feels cheap.

Review- CREEPY ARCHIVES VOL. 11

CREEPY ARCHIVES VOL. 11 (Dark Horse, First Printing, 2011; Hardcover)

Collects Creepy #51-54 (cover dates March- July, 1973, originally published by Warren Magazines)

Writers: Fred Ott, Doug Moench, Rich Margopoulos, John Warner, Martin Pasko, Kevin Pagan, Steve Skeates, Greg Potter, George Henderson, Bill DuBay, Tom Sutton, Don McGregor, Jack Butterworth, and R. Michael Rosen

Artists: Sanjulian, Auraleon, Esteban Maroto, Felix Mas, Ramon Torrents, Adolfo Abellan, Jose Bea, Reed Crandall, Tom Sutton, Richard Corben, and Martin Salvador

Things have started to gently rebound from the series' first creative slump. The recovery was largely powered by Doug Moench, whose writing is among the best of the 1970s. My favorite artist in this book is by Rafael Auraleon, as his work is genuinely creepy. No pun intended.

Issue 51 features an eight page preview of the full color 120 page Dracula paperback which Warren published in 1972. I did some digging, and it turns out this was an English language translation of foreign comics which ran for twelve issues, with unsold copies being rebound into an Annual over in the UK. The Warren book reprints the first six issues from the New English Library (NEL) series, which themselves were reprints of the 1971 Buru Lan Spanish series. It seems like something ripe for a reprinting if rights issues can be sorted out.

Issue 52's Them Thar Flyin' Things rules. That same issue features Reed Crandall's The Man With The Brain Of Gold. Crandall actually refined his craft as he aged, with his artwork being worlds beyond even his 1950s EC greatness. Richard Corben's incredible artwork turns up in #54's The Slipped Mickey.

This was a good but very inconsistent read. If I ever get around to rereading this book I will skip over most of the stories, as they sort of meander and have mediocre artwork. The good stuff is really good, though.

Volume 27 is currently in my possession, with the final volume (Vol. 29) being announced for a summer 2019 release. We will have the entire Creepy and Eerie runs collected in just 11 years, with Dynamite having already covered Vampirella across 15 books and Fantagraphics having done Blazing Combat a decade or so ago. There was a time when seeing all of these collected was little more than a pipe dream. Some argue that the golden age of collected editions is over, but who cares if this is true? We have gotten so many treasures and these books will last my lifetime. Some of them might even get read before I depart this mortal coil.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3 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.

Linework and Color restoration: High resolution scans of the original magazines. The color portions came out very nice.

Paper stock: Coated stock with a slight sheen.

Binding: Sewn binding. This book will outlast me.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: The hardback as faux leather casewrap with dye foil stamping. The dustjacket is laminated but was a little “wavy” fresh out of the shrinkwrap when I bought way back in 2011.

Review- PLANET OF THE APES ARCHIVE VOL. 1: TERROR ON THE PLANET OF THE APES

PLANET OF THE APES ARCHIVE VOL. 1: TERROR ON THE PLANET OF THE APES (Boom, First Printing, 2017; Hardcover)

Collects material from the Planet of the Apes Magazine #1-4, 6, 8, 11, 13,14, 19, 20, 23, 26-28 (cover dates August, 1974- January, 1977)

Writer: Doug Moench

Artists: Mike Ploog, Frank Chiarmonte, Tom Sutton, Herb Trimpe, and Virgil Redondo

I am thrilled to see these black and white Marvel magazines from the 1970s finally get a proper high end hardcover treatment. I am disappointed that BOOM decided to collect them by story rather than chronologically by issue. Aside from the three film adaptations from these magazines which Malibu collected in trade paperbacks and the first four chapters of this story reissued in comic form in the early '90s, this stuff has been out of the public eye for over 40 years.

Like the original film, this story uses a wafer thin allegory on racism to drive its point home. Jason, a human, and Alexander, a chimpanzee, are forced to work together to save each other and the city that humans and apes share at this point in time in Apes continuity. This being a comic book, Moench and company are free to go off of the rails with sets and characters. We are introduced to some great characters, such as Gunpowder Julius, Steely Dan, Lightsmith, and Gilbert. All of them have clearly defined personalities and all are as important to the overall story as Jason, Alexander, and the head of the Ape Supremacists, Brutus.

This being the '70s, some things haven't aged well. Take Jason, for example. He is supposed to be an adolescent, but his hotheadedness and impulsive lashing out at those who care for him border on emotional abuse. This is somewhat common in Bronze Age comics. People were portrayed as macho with short tempers and a self-righteous attitude. This is easy to say here in 2018, where things are so much better with kids being prescribed psychotropic drugs on the regular and school shootings being a routine event. Come to think of it, maybe kids should be allowed to blow their top once in a while.

Terror On The Planet Of The Apes is widely considered the highlight of the Apes magazine series. I owned some of these as cheapo back issues circa 1983, and the few parts that I read never wowed me more than any of the other stories in each issue. I enjoyed them all equally. Pieced together and read as one story, I get why these had such a huge impact at the time. They are still good reads but I am looking forward to the stories in the other Archives even more. #4 was my favorite as a kid, the story where a human was blind and the ape crippled (or vice versa) and they tied themselves together to survive in the wasteland with all sorts of weird monsters. I haven't read or seen it in 35ish years but I am really looking forward to revisiting that one.

I am thrilled that BOOM has collected the entire series minus the Apeslayer stories (licensing?), but wish that it were done chronologically. Oh well. Just a couple of years ago this line was nothing more than a fantasy. Now it is real and I own them all.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.5 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.

Linework restoration: BOOM scanned and cleaned up original magazines for this volume. They were granted access to the film for the next three volumes in the series. The restoration in this volume is acceptable but not great. It's readable but linework is occasionally washed out with the filtering process, particularly on Ploog's uninked pencils-straight-to-press stuff.

Paper stock: Thick coated semi-glossy stock.

Binding: Sewn binding with eight stitches per signature. Book lays reasonably flat. These super squared spines are annoying, as they have a hard edge to them when you hold them in your hand. I understand that these books are not meant to be read but to be displayed on bookshelves for shelf porn threads, but readability should be a consideration.

Hardback cover notes: Matte casewrap with a cover stamping where the logo is. While it is not embossed, it is a nice touch.

Review- TALES OF THE BATMAN: LEN WEIN

TALES OF THE BATMAN: LEN WEIN (DC, First Printing, 2014; Hardcover)

Collects Detective Comics #408, 444-448, 466, 478, 479, 500, 514, Batman #255, 307-310, 312-319, 321-324, 326, 327, World's Finest Comics #207, The Untold Legend Of Batman #1-3, DC Retroactive: Batman- The '70s #1, and a story from Batman: Black And White #5 (cover dates February, 1971- March, 2014)

Writer: Len Wein

Artists: Pencilers- Neal Adams, Dick Dillin, Jim Aparo*, Ernie Chua, Marshall Rogers, John Calnan, Irv Novick*, Walt Simonson*, Don Newton, Tom Mandrake*, and Victor Ibanez*; Inkers*- Dick Giordano, Joe Giella, Vince Colletta, Frank McLaughlin, Bob Smith, John Byrne, Frank Chiaramonte, and all artists denoted with an * above

Len Wein is one of the greatest writers of the '70s and early '80s and is responsible for so many long lasting characters. Wolverine, Swamp Thing, the X-Men as you know and love them? Wein had a hand in their creation. He has an understanding and deep love for the flagship characters as well. He sadly passed away last fall but his work will live on in the hearts and minds of comic fans everywhere.

The bulk of this book is from 1975-1980, which is prime Bronze Age material that I have never read before. Wein had the good fortune of being paired with some top notch talent like Neal Adams, Jim Aparo, etc. It's a shame how DC has allowed Neal Adams to destroy classic comics like Detective Comics #408, the same re-inked and recolored version found in the Batman By Neal Adams hardcovers and trades. The bastardized version of Batman #255 is included. It's a pity, because it is a fantastic story about Anthony Lupus, a man who is afflicted with Lycanthropy. He goes to see Professor Milo, a certifiable quack who brings his condition to the fore. It's probably one of the best comics of the '70s, completely ruined with the now totally outdated Photoshop and at the time modern computer recoloring from 15 years ago. This George Lucas Star Wars Special Edition thinking was well-intentioned but ultimately doesn't work.

The Jim Aparo issues are equally excellent, with Aparo being almost as good as Neal Adams. He may not have had the inventive panel layouts but his storytelling ability and sense of pacing were equally great.

Len Wein was great at keeping the continuity flowing. While each issue was a complete story there were enough dangling subplots to give returning readers something to look forward to month in and month out. There were very few writers who could successfully pull this trick off, and Wein was one of the best.

Detective Comics #478 is a sentimental favorite of mine. My mom bought it for me as a kid while we were on vacation in northern Michigan during the summer of 1978. It was some weird convenience store in the middle of nowhere that's probably long gone. I am guessing that the whole area is now populated with Starbucks and Walmarts, but back in the late 70s it was “up north” and rural.

Batman had some great Christmas stories. While nobody does Christmas issues anymore for fear of offending anyone, this was not the case back in 1978 when Batman #309 was released. Batman #310 is what really got me, though. I'm a sucker for the Gentleman Ghost, with my first exposure to the character on the SuperFriends cartoons back in the '70s as Gentleman Jim. I love how Wein paints Jim as a ghost but Batman isn't having it. Batman tries to come up with a rational explanation for how he pulls off his capers. Wein had a really good grasp on the character Two-Face. Batman #313 and 314 were among the better Two-Face stories that I've read.

Lucius Fox is featured throughout these issues. Fans of The Dark Knight trilogy will know him as the character that Morgan Freeman portrayed on the screen. Firebug is an interesting character who was motivated by the same kind of grief that Batman was. In his introduction in Batman #318 he wanted to burn down unsafe apartment buildings because those same slumlord apartment buildings killed his family. Wein humanized the villain, a rarity at the time.

We see the Gentleman Ghost return for a rematch and Batman #319. He's such a great villain. Sorry to gush, but I have been a sucker for him since the SuperFriends cartoons were a part of my Saturday mornings in the '70s. Batman #327 was another standout issue. Wein brought Professor Milo back, who was running Arkham Asylum in a somewhat offbeat Silver Age-flavored story.

The Untold Legend Of The Batman mini series was great. The first issue had art by the team of John Byrne and Jim Aparo, which was mindblowingly great. Among my favorites in the book was Detective Comics #514, a story about human nature and why it's best to sometimes leave people alone.

I'm sorry to ramble on and on about this book, but it was so great that I cannot help myself. While this package leaves something to be desired (please refer to The OCD zone below), you get 600+ pages of top notch Batman stories by a writer whose likes we will never be seen again.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 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.

Linework and Color restoration: This book is all over the place, from abysmal (the Marshall Rogers issues which were repurposed from his artist-centric hardcover), blasphemous (the Neal Adams “commissions”), to serviceable (much of the book). DC never revisits and remasters material when given an opportunity to do so, so unfortunately these lackluster restorations are it for the ages.

Original comic.

Restoration done for the 1999 BATMAN: STRANGE APPARITIONS trade paperback.

Restoration done for LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT: MARSHALL ROGERS hardcover which was used in this book as well.

DC often leaves a lot to be desired in terms of restoration. 

Paper stock: Bright white glossy coated stock. While this is better than the toilet paper they were passing off on folks, the light glare is too harsh for material with flat coloring. I find it best to read this stock in natural sunlight for minimal glare.

Binding: Perfect bound (read: glued). Glued binding on a supposedly high end hardcover is something of a joke. As far as glued bindings go, this one isn't too bad, especially with a page count of over 600 pages. It lays reasonably flat for much of the book.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: Laminated dustjacket with the same cheap boards and chintzy casewrap that DC has been passing off on folks for years.