Reviews: ANT-MAN/ GIANT-MAN EPIC COLLECTION VOL 1: THE MAN IN THE ANT HILL, WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN VOL. 10: END OF THE WORLD, CRIME PATROL ANNUAL VOL. 2, FANTASTIC FOUR BY JOHN BYRNE OMNIBUS VOL. 2

There is no longer a void for this blog to fill. Talking about binding, paper, and restoration is now the norm, not the exception. My work is done in that regard. There are endless YouTube reviews, message boards, etc. I will pop in with pellet reviews. Consider this the “how I spent my summer vacation” book report.

ANT-MAN/ GIANT-MAN EPIC COLLECTION VOL. 1: THE MAN IN THE ANT HILL (Marvel, First Printing, 2015; Softcover)

Collects the Ant-Man/Giant-Man stories from Tales To Astonish #27, 35-59 (cover dates January, 1962- September, 1964)

While this is one of the “lesser” titles of the Silver Age, it was still a lot of fun to read. Readers with modern sensibilities will dislike the “you're just a girl, Wasp” vibe to some of the earlier stories, but this was a pre-women's lib era. I have a soft spot for Egghead and The Human Top. Seeing Ant-Man transition into Giant-Man was pretty cool.

WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN VOL. 10: END OF THE WORLD (Marvel, First Printing, 2018; Softcover)

Note: Book actually released in 2019.

Collects Old Man Logan #46-50 and Old Man Logan Annual #1 (cover dates October-December, 2018)

Good stuff, although it was pointless to end the series here. Rebooted numberings lose readers in the long run.

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

Collects Crime Patrol #12-16 (cover dates June-July, 1949- February-March, 1950)

EC remains the gold standard for comic books, even here in the “Pre-Trend” era collected here. The first steps toward EC becoming a Horror comic company happened here, with the introduction of The Crypt Keeper in a handful of stories until the final issue, which was basically the first issue of The Crypt Of Terror. Within a few issues that title would change into the more familiar Tales From The Crypt.

Gemstone used some pretty kick ass glue. This book is almost 20 years old and doesn't even creak when you open it.

FANTASTIC FOUR BY JOHN BYRNE OMNIBUS VOL. 2 (Marvel, First Printing, 2013; Hardcover)

Collects Fantastic Four #261-295, Fantastic Four Annual #18, 19, Alpha Flight #4, Avengers Annual #14, Thing #10, 19, and material from Epic Illustrated #26-34, Thing #7, What If? #36, and What The--?! #2, 10 (cover dates November, 1983- January, 1991)

1984 and 1985 were the zenith of western civilization. The spinner racks at 7-11 were filled with gold month in and month out. I thought that it would last forever, as children tend to do. Little did 10-11-12 year old me know that this was the second golden age of Marvel, and arguably the last time that every single title was hitting high marks at the same time. John Byrne remains a favorite of mine, and this stuff still holds up decades later. Hard to pinpoint a favorite issue, but #276 was one I read several times on the Christmas break from school in 1984.

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- FANTASTIC FOUR BY JOHN BYRNE OMNIBUS VOL. 1

FANTASTIC FOUR BY JOHN BYRNE OMNIBUS VOL. 1 (Marvel, First Printing, 2011; Hardcover)

Collects Avengers #233, Fantastic Four #209-218, 220, 221, 232-260, Fantastic Four Annual #17, Marvel Team-Up #61, 62, Marvel Two-In-One #50, and Thing #2 (cover dates August, 1979- November, 1983)

Writers: John Byrne with Roger Stern (Avengers #233), Marv Wolfman (#209-217) (Bill Mantlo (#217, 218), Stan Lee (back-up story #236), and Chris Claremont (Marvel Team-Up #61, 62)

Artists: John Byrne with additional Inking by Joe Sinnott, Bjorn Heyn, Dave Hunt (Marvel Team-Up #61, 62) and pencils by Ron Wilson ( Thing #2) along with the Jack Kirby (back-up story #236)

This double and sometimes triple* dip weighs in at seven pounds. I bought all of these issues in the Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne trades in the previous decade. This is top shelf material and I am currently buying it in “high def” Marvel Masterworks format.

*My mom bought me #210 and 214 at Farmer Jack when they came out. I still have that original copy of #210 from when I was a little kid.

Bad light glare in the basement due to the LED bulbs. I read by incandescent light bulbs in my bedroom.

Note that this review is for the first printing with the Direct Market variant dustjacket. The current 2018 printing uses thinner paper and cheaper casewrap on the boards and weighs less as well as having a different dustjacket.

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: The overall restoration is a bit...rustic by modern standards. Some of it has since been remastered in high-def in Marvel Masterworks (#209-218) and that will resume with this fall's release of Vol. 21. I am looking forward to upgrading this material, as Byrne's run is the second golden age of the title. This book is like early DVD restoration in a 4k world.

Paper stock: Thick coated stock with a slight sheen.

Binding: Sewn binding. The book block has a slight sag to it after a few years, a common ailment for these Omnibus books. Some folks wouldn't notice it, but I do and so would you since you are reading this.

Reading the book resulted in these ugly creases on the spine. 

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: Laminated dustjacket. The casewrap has the faux leather grain and foil stamping which you will not find on the 2018 edition.

Review- MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE AVENGERS VOL. 13

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE AVENGERS VOL. 13 (Marvel, First Printing, 2013; Hardcover)

Collects Avengers #120-128, Giant-Size Avengers #1, Captain Marvel #33, and The Fantastic Four #150 (cover dates February- October, 1974)

Writers: Steve Englehart (#120-128), Roy Thomas, Jim Starlin, and Gerry Conway

Artists: Pencilers- Bob Brown, John Buscema, Sal Buscema, Rich Buckler, and Jim Starlin; Inkers- Don Heck, Mike Esposito, Dave Cockrum, Joe Staton, Dan Adkins, Klaus Janson, and Joe Sinnott

Things start out with a three part bang, with The Avengers going toe to toe against The Zodiac in 120-122. The Zodiac are a 12-member crime syndicate, with each member wearing a costume respective to their sign with powers to match. Growing up in the '70s, zodiac signs were everywhere. My mom even had a wall hanging featuring the zodiac signs. This is one of those it-could-only-come-from-the-70s plots, where The Avengers are racing against time to stop The Zodiac from using a beam to murder every Gemini in Manhattan.

This lineup of the team in this era is great. Thor, The Vision, Iron Man, Black Panther, the Scarlet Witch, Mantis, The Swordsman, and Captain America, who was coming and going during these issues due to problems with The Secret Empire over in his own title.

Issue 123 has one of those convoluted story twists that could only come from the early 70s. Steve Englehart shifts gears with Libra of the just-defeated Zodiac trying to trick Mantis into thinking that he is her father. This starts the team on a journey back to Vietnam to try to uncover her true origins, which at this time were still a mystery. We learn bits and pieces and it all becomes a bit ridiculous. At least the Avengers fight a giant red dragon called the Star-Stalker in #124, which makes no sense but it looks cool and was fun to read.

There is no break in the action as we head into issue 125. The Avengers end up in a space battle with the fleet of Thanos, who is shown but the team do not encounter him at this time. This brings us to the crossover issue Captain Marvel (the original, Mar-Vell, not the Carol Danvers one that newer readers know), where we see Captain Marvel and Drax the Destroyer battling Thanos for the Cosmic Cube.

Giant-Size Avengers #1 is a Roy Thomas continuity porn spectacular, where he shoehorns in members of The All-Winners Squad from the 1940s into Marvel continuity, albeit as middle-aged superheroes. Rich Buckler turns in his Jack Kirby homage art and I have to admit that it's great. There was a time when artists try to emulate the Marvel house style of the day. No one does that anymore.

I really got a kick out of issue 126, where The Avengers fight Klaw and Solarr in another one of those It could only come from the early seventies type of stories. As silly as some of these things may seem to a middle-aged man here in the so-called sophisticated 21st century, you have to remember that Steve Englehart was winging this as he went along for the most part. He may have had a map but he was able to do things on the fly which no writer today could do with all of the editorial constraints that they face. I would much rather read stories like this that are fun and it seems like the writer is juggling balls trying not to drop one then some boring and sterile completely mapped out down to the last panel comic book. Your mileage may vary.

Number 127 sees the Avengers head to the Hidden Refuge of The Inhumans to attend the wedding of Crystal and Quicksilver. It's another one of those absurd 70s kind of stories where the twist at the end reveals the villain to be none other than Ultron-7. Ultron rules. This issue was also a crossover with Fantastic Four #150. Seeing the Fantastic Four and The Avengers take on Ultron together was awesome.

Number 128 was a story that focused on the Scarlet Witch. Steve Englehart was one of the first writers to really explore Wanda Maximoff. Women's lib was in full swing and there was no reason that a mutant who had the power to alter probabilities should be so easily winded and a weak link in the team. Englehart brought in Agatha Harkness, the former caregiver for Franklin Richards of the Fantastic Four. Harkness ended up parting company with the FF after the wedding of Crystal and Quicksilver to accompany The Avengers back to Avengers mansion to work with Wanda and help her with her mutant powers. In yet another one of those kind of absurd, post Rosemary's Baby early '70s faux occult stories we see her reach her full potential.

And that ending! Kang the Conqueror! I'm a huge fan of Kang and all of his time slips. While I've read all of the issues that are in the next volume and this line I can't wait to reread them in high def. Steve Englehart is one of the all-time greatest Avengers writers, and the next volume in this line features one of its all-time greatest storylines: The Celestial Madonna.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.75 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.

It irks me that none of the original issue cover artists are given credit.

Linework and Color restoration: Think of the post-2007 Masterworks as definitive Blu-Ray/4k editions, with painstakingly restored linework and a color palette that is 100% faithful to the source material.

Paper stock: Thick semi-glossy coated stock.

Binding: Rounded book casing and Smyth sewn binding allow this book to lay completely flat in one hand as Godzilla intended.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: Spot varnish on the dustjacket, faux leather casewrap with dye foil stamping.

Review- AVENGERS: THE LEGACY OF THANOS

AVENGERS: THE LEGACY OF THANOS (Marvel, First Printing, 2014; Softcover)

Collects Avengers #255-261, Avengers Annual #14, and Fantastic Four Annual #19 (cover dates May- November, 1985)

Writers: Roger Stern and John Byrne

Artists: John Buscema, John Byrne, Glynis Oliver, Tom Palmer, Kyle Baker, and Joe Sinnott

Oh man! This is where it got real for me. While I discovered The Avengers via my older brother's comics with #187 and picked up select issues as far back as #196, #258 was when I became a monthly buyer. This issue was a crossover with Amazing Spider-Man #270, that issue being the second part of an epic battle with Firelord. I turned 12 that summer, and the cliffhanger of ASM 269 and 270 was just too much for me. Now we had to pick up an Avengers issue too? Cynical 44 year old me hates crossovers, and yet small crossovers like this helped hook young me in an organic way. My son is 11 and he is dabbling in comics and I see various series sucking him in in the same way. God help the boy. I caution him against the crossover trick, and yet here he is buying umpteen DC Metal crossover issues, but I digress.

#259 was my introduction to the Skrulls and also served as my introduction to The Avengers as a galactic powerhouse. Unbeknownst to 12 year old me was the fact that this arc was a nod to early '70s Avengers Kree-Skrull War. There was no Internet to look this stuff up on in 1985, and we were better off in some ways. Comics existed in the now and the now only. There were no trades of vintage material kept in print. No movies or video games with these characters. Whatever version of the characters that were on the spinner rack at 7-11 were the only ones that mattered. I think that there is something to be said for that.

As much as I grumble about crossovers, #260 and 261 were both Secret Wars II crossover issues and I loved them. Little did 12 year old me realize that I was helping show the industry that crossovers and endless tie-in issues work. They would soon become the status quo before almost killing off everything. Over the past decade Marvel began pumping them out one after another, and here we are on the cusp of yet another bubble burst. Those who don't learn from history and all that.

The summer Annual crossover with the Fantastic Four remains a fond childhood memory. I must have read those two comics a dozen times each when they were released in August of 1985. 

Roger Stern is Avengers royalty and can do no wrong. He, along with Roy Thomas, Steve Engelhart, and Kurt Busiek have written the finest comics to bear the title Earth's Mightiest Heroes. This is top shelf stuff that should be in every library in the country, public and private.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations 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.

Linework and Color restoration: Everything looks good. Linework and color palette are faithful to the original comics. Books like this pose a question. As good as this looks, will the inevitable Marvel Masterworks really look any better? I'll let you know when I buy them whenever they are released. Why, god, why?

Paper stock: Matte coated stock of sufficient thickness and weight. This is the same stock found in the softcover Marvel Masterworks and Epic line books. It's my favorite paper stock used in collected editions today.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover.

Review- FANTASTIC FOUR: REUNITED THEY STAND

FANTASTIC FOUR: REUNITED THEY STAND

(Marvel, First Printing, 2013; Softcover)

Collects Fantastic Four #201-203 and Fantastic Four Annual #12-14 (cover dates Annual 1977- Annual 1979)

Writers: Marv Wolfman and Bill Mantlo with George Perez

Artists: Keith Pollard, Bob Hall, Sal Buscema, John Buscema, and George Perez with Inking by Joe Sinnott, Bob Wiaceck, and Pablo Marcos

This is kind of an odds and ends collection, basically tying up the plotline of the team getting back together and making their declaration of intent as well as three double-sized Annuals. Issues 201-203 are okay. Competently done though not Earth-shattering. Kirby wasn't losing any sleep over his run being overtaken, that's for sure.

I really enjoyed the rematch with Salem's Seven. 

My favorite story in this book is the one in Annual #13, where The Mole Man is kidnapping statues and people from the surface world to live with him in an abandoned subway tunnel. It's one of those charming Bill Mantlo/ Sal Buscema productions. Those two were prolific, and while their work is never ranked as anyone's favorites, they have done some fine work together.

The material in this book will be reissued in “high def” this fall in Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Vol. 18. Will I double dip? Time will tell...

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone

Linework and Color restoration: Things look tight and the color palette is faithful to the original comics. It will be interesting to see what errors, if any, are fixed when Marvel Masterworks Fantastic Four Vol. 18 remasters this material this fall.

Paper stock: Matte coated stock of sufficient thickness and weight. This is the same stock found in the softcover Marvel Masterworks and Epic line books.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Thick waxlike lamination.

Review- FANTASTIC FOUR: OVERTHROW OF DOOM

FANTASTIC FOUR: OVERTHROW OF DOOM (Marvel, First Printing, 2011; Hardcover)

Collects Fantastic Four #192-200 (cover dates March- November, 1978)

Writers: Len Wein, Roger Slifer, Keith Pollard, Bill Mantlo, and Marv Wolfman

Artists: George Perez and Keith Pollard with Inking by Joe Sinnott, Dave Hunt, and Pablo Marcos

I had this book sitting in my backlog for so long that the Marvel Masterworks line actually caught up to it. This collection butts up perfectly against Vol. 17 in that line. Indeed, the issues collected in this book have been announced as part of the forthcoming Vol. 18, due out this September. I decided to bump this and two other collections up in order to give me a complete run to read going up to issue 214, which I will review over the coming weeks and months.

If The Thing had problems with a rotor ring phone, imagine his difficulty with a smartphone.

This is not the high point of the title by any stretch of the imagination, but these are still solid, well-crafted comics. Building off of the events at the end of issue 191, the Fantastic Four are no more. The four of them have all gone their separate ways, and their exploits are all woven together through scene changes. This almost feels like four separate stories in each issue that become more and more entangled until the team gradually gets back together.

#192 is basically a Human Torch solo story where he tangles with The Texas Twister. I have always had a soft spot for the Texas Twister ever since I encountered him in the West Coast Avengers back in 1985. #193 and 194 are a Thing solo story where he battles Diablo and learns the truth about Darkoth The Demon. #195 is a solo Invisible Girl story featuring the Sub-Mariner.

The threads all being to come together and the foe behind it all is Doctor Doom, all part of a plan to have his son become his successor to the throne of Latveria. This is one of the more satisfying Doctor Doom epics outside of Kirby's run. Like I said before, this was solid and enjoyable stuff even if this era isn't the strongest in the history of the title.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone- The late, lamented Marvel Premiere Classic Hardcovers were a sort of junior Masterworks line. While they weren't quite the “Blu-Ray” version of these issues like you would see in a Marvel Masterwork, they are still excellent. Marvel made too many of them in too short a period of time, resulting in many of these books being dumped to retailers at liquidation prices, killing the line off.

Linework and Color restoration: While the color palette is faithful to the original publications, there are spots where the linework could (and certainly will be once MMW FF Vol. 18 is released this fall) be improved upon.

Paper stock: Thick coated stock with a slight sheen.

Binding: Smyth sewn binding. The book lays mostly flat.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: The dustjacket has that annoying frosted finish to it that scuffs if you breathe on it too hard. The images have spot varnish. The letters on the cover and spine have a type of embossed foil look and feel to them. The hardback itself has that faux leather grain on the casewrap and dye foil stamping for the letters.