Review- THE X-MEN EPIC COLLECTION VOL. 1: CHILDREN OF THE ATOM

THE X-MEN EPIC COLLECTION VOL. 1: CHILDREN OF THE ATOM (Marvel, First Printing, 2014; Softcover)

Collects X-Men #1-23 (cover dates September, 1963- August, 1966)

Writers: Stan Lee and Roy Thomas

Artists: Penciling by Jack Kirby, Werner Roth, and Alex Toth, with Inking by Dick Ayers, Chic Stone, Paul Reinman, Vince Colletta, and Joe Sinnott

This is not only the third time that I have read these issues, but the third time that I have bought this material as well. Allow me to explain. I owned the first three hardcover Marvel Masterworks many moons ago but sold them when the hardcover Omnibus came out, as the Omnibus boasted vastly superior linework and color restoration. The Omnibus fell out of print, and when I saw how much it was going for I dumped it a year or so ago and picked this book up. As long as I have the material with the finest restoration I am fine. Plus, I honestly enjoy the paper stock in this Epic over the one found in the Omnibus.

One of the creepiest Stan Lee plotlines ever. Professor X's crush on the teenage Jean Grey (Marvel Girl). This was thankfully dropped. 

OCD upgradeitis/ eBay flipping exploits aside, I enjoyed this material more the third time through. The X-Men were always the red-headed stepchild of Marvel's Silver Age. Neither Stan Lee nor Jack Kirby seemed to give this series much thought out of the gate. Compare these issues to anything else that these two were doing during the same cover month and you will see what I mean.

Kirby's successor was Werner Roth. I disliked Werner Roth's artwork until a couple of years ago, when I read his 1950's Atlas output. I still feel like his style is not as energetic as Kirby's, nor as nuanced as Ditko's, because he draws superheroes that look like regular people. If you read this as a book about normal teenagers who happen to be mutant superheroes his artwork makes more sense. He is a solid artist that was ill-suited to Silver Age superhero comics.

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby lay down the entire foundation for the series here. Professor Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters. Cerebro, Professor X's mutant-detecting device. Magneto as well as the Brotherhood Of Evil Mutants. Future Avengers Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. The Blob. The Juggernaut. The Sentinels and the first wave of anti-mutant hysteria that Roy Thomas and later Chris Claremont would use to great dramatic effect. It's all here, even if it isn't spit-shined or ready for prime time yet. Like I said, neither Lee nor Kirby nor Thomas nor Roth made this series seem like it was their priority. It falls short of every other book that Marvel was publishing during this time. Reading this for the third time was the charm, though, as I finally got what made it special to a small group of fans back then. It was those fans who would become the creators who would go on to make this one of Marvel's most popular titles a decade or so later.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

If you enjoy Magneto in the movies, thank Jack Kirby. 

The OCD zone- When I returned to comic books in 2003 after a thirteen year hiatus I discovered the Essential line, which were 500 page black and white phone books. At the time I wished that they were in color. The Epic line is an answer to my prayers. Five hundred page chunks of classic comic books at a reasonable price.

Linework and Color restoration: The absolute best version of this material, using the same files found in the Omnibus and softcover Marvel Masterworks. Excellent linework and a color palette that is faithful to the original comics.

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. This paper is my favorite paper used out of any collected editions from any company.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover.

Review- SHOWCASE PRESENTS TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED VOL. 1

I forgot to take a picture of the spine and I don't feel like digging this back out to take one. Sorry OCD folks! 

SHOWCASE PRESENTS TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED VOL. 1 (DC, First Printing, 2012; Softcover)

Collects Tales of the Unexpected #1-20 (cover dates February/March, 1956- December, 1957)

Writers: Jack Miller, France E. Herron, and other, unidentified writers

Artists: Bill Ely, John Prentice, Howard Purcell, Charles Paris, Leonard Starr, Ruben Morera, Bill Draut, Mort Meskin, Sheldon Moldoff, George Papp, Nick Cardy, Bernard Baily, George Roussos, Jim Mooney, Jack Kirby, and Bob Brown

Tales of the Unexpected is one of those Cold War-tinged, watered down for the Comics Code Authority Twilight Zone-esque light fare anthology series. Alien invasions, ghosts, magical objects (lamps), timestream slips (i.e. broadcasts from the future), living paintings, and other concepts used here were also used so many times in other stories that it is almost impossible to ascertain where they originated.

Issue 9's The Day Nobody Died is the closest thing to a Pre-Code macabre style story. George Roussos was an excellent artist in the 1950s, employing endless solids which are stunning in black and white. His work here is so close to Alex Toth that I had to do a double take and go back to the table of contents to be sure. Roussos would have a decades long career in the industry, although he has no defining run on any title for fans to remember him by. I call guys like him comic book journeyman, as they turned it solid work year after year but never made it “big”. Jim Mooney is another artist who did great work here and, like Roussos, was a journeyman. Mooney is better remembered, though, as he inked Spider-Man on and off over the years.

If you've read one of these '50s titles then you have read them all, although this one boasts a better than average roster of artists. Take a gander at that list above. A lot of Golden Age greats were still doing solid work, such as Sheldon Moldoff (creator of Hawkman), Bernard Baily (co-creator of The Spectre), and of course Jack Kirby (co-creator of every great 1960's Marvel hero except for Spider-Man and Doctor Strange).

Kirby's artwork is in a transition phase here between the rawness and energy of his 1940s work and the refinement of his Silver Age work. Of note is #16's The Magic Hammer, where Kirby tells the story of a man who finds the magic hammer of Thor and uses it for evil. This was five years before he created the character for Marvel's Journey Into Mystery #83. While it is hip and trendy to downplay Stan Lee's contributions to Kirby's co-creations, I have to side with the Kirby Kult about Thor. You can't dispute that Kirby had the idea cooked up. Lee may have added supporting casts to the series, but the rest of Thor is pure Kirby. Look at this panel from the story. It is the exact same pose that he would draw Thor in on the cover of his first appearance!

Leonard Starr is one of the all-time greatest comic book or strip artists. This was toward the end of his career as a comic book artist, as he was about to graduate to the big time with his nationally syndicated strip Mary Perkins On Stage. If you have never read that series you should check it out, as it is brilliant.

I enjoy reading stuff like this before I go to bed, when the house is quiet and the kids are sleeping. I would be all over a Volume 2 of this, although four years have passed and this line of books is pretty much dead in the water. This would make a great line of Archives, although the market has shown that the audience for material like this is small. Oh well.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- These 500+ page black and white phonebooks are a bargain. Condescending fans call them coloring books, whereas I prefer to refer to them as poor man's Artist Editions.

Linework restoration: There is no way that DC is going to do restoration on 510 pages of story at a $19.99 MSRP. That means that the film for this stuff is in perfect shape, as there are no line dropouts, no murkiness from scanned printed comics or any other imperfections.

#12's The Indestructible Man was altered when it was reprinted in House Of Secrets #96, and the altered header with series host Abel giving the introduction is present here.

Paper stock: Good weight pulp paper.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback. There are reports of these falling apart, although I haven't had any of my Showcase Presents books fall apart.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover. I find it interesting that DC leaves the interior covers blank, as they are normally printed with advertisements for other books available from the publisher. 

Review- DC BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #23: GREEN ARROW

DC BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #23: GREEN ARROW (DC, cover date July, 1982)

Collects selections from Action Comics #428, Adventure Comics #250, 252, 253, The Brave And The Bold #85, DC Super Stars #17, Green Lantern #87, and World's Finest Comics #98, 102, and 113 (cover dates July, 1958- December, 1977)

Writers: Mike Barr, Ed Herron, Dave Wood, Bob Haney, Denny O'Neil, Eliot S. Maggin,

Artists: Jim Aparo (cover), Dan Spiegle, Jack Kirby, Lee Elias, Neal Adams, Mike Grell (Penciler), Bruce Patterson (Inker), and Dick Giordano

I have seen these digest sized books floating around comic shops for years but never bothered looking at them. Designed to compete with Archie's highly successful reprints displayed at checkout registers for maximum impulse buy, these low cost reprints hung around for a several years before folding. 96 pages (excluding covers) for 95 cents was a bargain at a time when a new comic with 22 pages of stories went for 60 cents. I remember Marvel also trying these out, albeit a few years later. I remember buying the G.I. Joe, Transformers, and Amazing Spider-Man reprints in the mid-80s. This format never caught on for whatever reason.

This was part of a birthday present from my homeskillet Mike Hansen. He has been collecting these books, and with good reason. Given DC's lack of focus with their collected editions department the books in this series are likely the only chance that a lot of this material will ever be reprinted in color. This particular book also has seven pages of framing sequence between stories by Mike Barr and Dan Spiegle which are unique to this book. Green Arrow and Black Canary are basically sitting around going through his scrapbooks and these reprinted stories are supposed to be reminisces of past exploits.

As far as story selections go you can't go wrong with this assemblage of who's who of Green Arrow artists: Jack Kirby, Neal Adams, and Mike Grell are Green Arrow royalty. The 1950s stories are fun, although Green Arrows Of The World from Adventure Comics #250 is pure crap, the type of garbage that I associated with DC as a kid. The cheesiness of it. How there are supposed to be different Green Arrows all over the world, all with their own dress and dialect based on territory. It's a horrible story saved by the Jack Kirby artwork.

That story's suckiness is completely washed away by the Neal Adams and Mike Grell tales, which are fantastic. I own the Neal Adams stuff in the old slipcased Green Lantern/Green Arrow hardcover so those stories are rereads, but I could read that stuff a hundred times and it would hold up. The stories in this book are all great (except for one) and I enjoyed this in spite of the fact that scattershot collections usually only annoy me. Thanks again for the cool birthday present, Mike!

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone- As stated above, this is a digest sized book. If you buy them off of eBay don't be surprised that it so little.

Linework and Color restoration: Ben Day dots, line bleed, and off register printing, as well as some blurry spots. The “artistic intention of Ben Day dots” cult can kiss my ass. The printing in this book looks like crap.

Paper stock: Cheap pulp paper of the day, yellowed and browning due to exposure to air and elements. It smells fantastic, though.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback. The glue is remarkably intact, which gives me hope for the future of my books.

Cardstock cover notes: The type of coating found in books of this era is prone to wear over time. My copy has a fair amount of cover and spine wear as well as the soiling found on comics not stored in bags. 

Review- MARVEL MASTERWORKS: GOLDEN AGE CAPTAIN AMERICA VOL. 1

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: GOLDEN AGE CAPTAIN AMERICA VOL. 1 (Marvel, 2012; Softcover)

Collects Captain America Comics #1-4 (cover dates March-June, 1941)

Writers: Joe Simon & Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and unknown writers for Tuk, Caveboy and Hurricane (#2-4)

Artists: Joe Simon & Jack Kirby, Al Liederman, Reed Crandall, Al Gabriele, Al Avison, George Klein, Syd Shores, George Roussos, Bernie Klein, Charles Nicholas Wojtkoski, and other unknown artists

Once...twice...three times a collection. I think that Lionel Richie sang that one but I could be mistaken. Anywho, I bought the old Captain America: The Classic Years Vols. 1 and 2 trade paperbacks a decade ago. While they collected the Captain America stories they did not include the back-up strips and the restoration left a lot to be desired. Then came Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America Vol. 1 in hardcover, which I bought and read in 2006. Then this softcover came out, boasting state-of-the-art restoration above and beyond the as-not-yet-perfected restoration found in the earliest Golden Age Masterworks. There is a Golden Age Captain America Omnibus which also boasts this new restoration job but Vols. 2 and 3 of the Masterworks are fine, so I will keep this book and my original hardcovers of those and pass on that...especially since Marvel uses thinner paper in their newer Omniboo which is not to my liking.

It is important to note that these comics were released from late 1940 through the spring of 1941, well before the United States entered the second World War. It's interesting to see how gung-ho Captain America was to battle Nazis before they were “officially” the enemy. Simon & Kirby's original Captain America is great. The back-up strips are Hurricane, a Flash rip-off of sorts and Tuk, Caveboy, one of an endless array of Tarzan rip-offs. Originality wasn't always high on the list of priorities back then. The more things change...

This book is essential to anyone interested in the history of the character, the history of Marvel Comics, or of the medium in general. It's an entertaining, quaint snapshot of this bygone era.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- I really like these softcover Masterworks, as they are slightly wider than a standard trade paperback and lay flat in one hand like a big fat periodical, which is wonderful.

Linework and Color restoration: As good as it is going to get. Think of it as the Blu-Ray anniversary release.

Paper stock: Decent weight matte finish coated stock. I love it.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover.

Review- SPIRIT WORLD HC

SPIRIT WORLD (DC, 2012; Hardcover)

Collects Spirit World No. 1 and the Jack Kirby drawn stories from Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion No. 6 and Weird Mystery Tales Nos. 1-3 (cover dates Fall 1971- December, 1972).

Writer and Artist: Jack Kirby

Additional art on one selection by Sergio Aragones

I can recall fans in comic shops bashing Kirby in the '80s. Now that he is dead everyone speaks of him in hushed, awed tones, his every brushstroke a testament to his unparalleled genius or whatever gobbledygook comic hipsters use these days. As for me, I am of the mindset that there are no sacred cows, no artists beyond criticism or critiquing. Kirby most certainly belongs on the Mount Rushmore of greatest comic artists, seeing as how created or co-created some of the most enduring characters in comics.

One can't mention “The King” without someone bringing up how Marvel has raped his heirs. I have said it before and I will say it again: Kirby was a lousy businessman, the worst. He took companies on their word and was shocked when they repeatedly stabbed him in the back. It doesn't make it right, and I am not defending Marvel or DC, but Jack was desperate to put food on the table for his family and that made him vulnerable to the vultures. It doesn't change his horrible dealings, however. Just because Marvel and DC morally owe his estate doesn't mean they legally do, sadly enough.

That brings us to this book. Comics historian and Kirby's close friend Mark Evanier writes an interlude which provides invaluable context and insight. In it, he tells how Kirby envisioned many things that are commonplace for the medium here in the second decade of the 21^st century. How he wanted to make comics for adults, more sophisticated, and to have the books have better production values (i.e. better paper), even envisioning deluxe editions which are now the norm. DC told him what he wanted to hear and he was off to the races. DC got cold feet and cut him off at the knees, leaving him with his vision mostly unrealized.

When Kirby was inspired and motivated he could move mountains. Spirit World is pretty inspired Kirby stuff, with him attempting something a little different. My favorite story in the book is the one about Nostradamus. There are inklings of something more but by and large this is just Kirby doing ghost stories. That is good enough in my book.

Kirby is power. 

This series is a footnote in Kirby's career, albeit a fascinating one that deserves a closer look. I am glad that DC released this book, as I was completely unaware of the existence of this prior to it.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.25 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This book is presented in the same dimensions as the original magazine. This is a high quality offering which makes the sometimes low quality of DC's current collected editions offerings even more frustrating.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: Article by Mark Evanier. (2 pages)

Creator biographies. (1 page)

Linework and Color restoration rating: 5 out of 5. Everything is perfect. This makes DC's frequent shortcomings even more frustrating. They know how to make good books, they simply choose not to. Sad.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5. Beautiful thick uncoated stock.

Binding rating: 5 out of 5. Smyth sewn binding, seven stitches per signature. Lays perfectly flat. This has one of the nicest bindings that I have ever seen on a DC book.

Hardback cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. The image is printed on the casewrap and has a nice thick waxlike lamination.

Buy SPIRIT WORLD HC at InStockTrades!

Review- MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE SUB-MARINER VOL. 1

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE SUB-MARINER VOL. 1 (Marvel, 2011; Softcover)

Collects Daredevil No. 7 and the Sub-Mariner stories from Tales To Astonish Nos. 70-87 and Tales of Suspense No. 80 (cover dates April, 1965- January, 1967)

Writer: Stan Lee

Artists: Pencilers- Gene Colan (#70-82, 84, 85, and Tales of Suspense #80), Wally Wood (Daredevil #7), Jerry Grandenetti (#86), Bill Everett (#87), and Jack Kirby (#82, 83); Inkers- Vince Colletta (#70-78), Bill Everett (#79, 85-87), Dick Ayers (#80-84), Jack Abel (Tales of Suspense #80), and Wally Wood (Daredevil #7)

Marvel's distribution deal in the 1960s was limited to eight comics per month, so they retrofitted the old Science Fiction/monster anthology Tales To Astonish as a split superhero book. Sub-Mariner and the Hulk co-headlined the book, with each issue being split as follows: 12 pages for the Sub-Mariner and 10 for the Hulk.

Stan Lee's writing rules. Modern comic fans have painted him as a greedy, credit stealing monster, which I completely disagree with. I credit much of my vocabulary to his writing, as I used to sit there with a dictionary by my side as a kid reading those '60s Amazing Spider-Man reprints in Marvel Tales every month. He writes in triplets a lot, which I am a sucker for, and his character dialogue is very Shakespearean. Everyone in Atlantis talks like they are on stage in a play. 

This series riffs hard on Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon, with Warlord Krang playing the role of Ming The Merciless and Lady Dorma being Marvel's doppelganger for Dale Arden. While that dynamic is aped repeatedly, the whole Atlantis versus the surface world Cold War metaphor keeps things from being too derivative. Prince Namor (the Sub-Mariner) goes from being outright villain to semi-hero. Namor started out as a sort of anti-hero in the pages of Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1, (which was quickly reprinted in Marvel Comics #1) back in 1939. The Bill Everett created strip became a regular feature in that title, and it is fun to think of this being a continuation of those old comics.

Speaking of ol' Bill Everett, he does some of the artwork in this book. I wonder how it felt to be a walk on guest for a character that you created. First he was given the job as an inker, and only in the final issue in this book did he get to do full artwork. And what artwork it is! Unlike many artists of his generation, Everett's craft was continually refined and improved as he aged, and his work in the '50s and '60s outshines what he did in the '30s and '40s.

Gene Colan provides most of the artwork in this book, and his brilliant work is marred by hack inker Vince Colletta. Colletta never met an eraser he didn't like, and destroyed many great artists' work during his career. He must have had naked pictures of Stan Lee or something, because there is no way that he could continue getting work based on his talent, of which he had none. It is Colletta's work that keeps this book from getting a 5.

I found it interesting that Sub-Mariner's rampage through New York in Daredevil #7 was reported on the front page of the New York Daily Press and not The Daily Bugle. Has this fictitious(?) newspaper been used elsewhere in Marvel Comics? It's this type of minutiae that makes my OCD world go round. The subplot of Warlord Krang overthrowing Namor's throne while he was away is introduced in this issue and would run until issue 76.

Issue 77 is interesting in that it guest stars Hank Pym (Ant-Man/Giant Man/Goliath/Yellowjacket) and Janet Van Dyne (the Wasp) in their civilian identities. More interesting is that they do not turn into superheros when Namor attacks their deap sea exploration drill. I enjoyed the battle with the Behemoth, even if the character didn't make a lot of sense. This stuff is great if you don't overthink it. My suspension of disbelief is great.

The first crossover in the history of comics occurs here, with the story which began in Tales Of Suspense #80 ending in Tales To Astonish #82. I really enjoyed that crossover battle with Iron Man. I am a sucker for the Secret Empire, and those old the-hero-has-amnesia-and-is-tricked-into-doing-the-bad-guy's-bidding stories always make me smile. Number One tries tricking Namor into battling the Hulk, who defeated the Secret Empire recently, but the battle never occurs because even though they are both in New York City at the same time their paths never cross.

This was a great read that serves to remind us all why Marvel ruled the 1960s. This stuff still rules. Make mine Marvel!

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This line of books serve as a textbook example why Marvel's collected editions department does a better job than DC's does. Whereas DC will prepare material for Archives, they will never, ever revisit and remaster that material, even when superior sources surface. This is the third (and likely final) time that Marvel has released this particular book, with the restoration being worlds better than the original 2002 hardcover edition and the 2004 “ReMasterwork” edition. Barring original art surfacing, I seriously doubt that superior source material will ever emerge.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: Introduction by Stan Lee from the original 2002 hardcover edition. (2 pages)

Creator biographies by John Rhett Thomas. (3 pages)

Linework and Color restoration rating: 5 out of 5. To the unwashed masses, buying Masterworks can be a confusing and frustrating thing. Older printings used inferior file sources and had lackluster, often unfaithful, coloring. I use my “rule of 2007”. If it was made prior to Marvel cataloging their film at the Sparta warehouse then buyer beware. While the restoration was pretty tight in 2006, there were some terrible mousetrap bindings on those hardcovers.

Many of these softcover Masterworks, such as this volume, boast the most “high def” restoration available for these comics. Everything is as perfect as it is likely ever going to get barring original artwork surfacing. The color palette is 100% faithful to the original publications, and you can almost see the eraser residue from Vince Colletta's “inking”.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5. This paper is perfect. Dull matte finish coated stock with almost no sheen. It is not too thick and not too thin. It feels like “real” comic book paper but is nice enough that it doesn't feel like cheap toilet paper.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Perfect bound trade paperback. I really enjoy these softcover Masterworks. They tend to lay pretty flat in one hand while reading, almost like a giant periodical.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. The usual thick waxlike lamination that Marvel uses.

Buy MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE SUB-MARINER VOL. 1 TP at InStockTrades!

Variant cover TP also available at InStockTrades!

Original 2002 edition hardcover also available at InStockTrades!

2004 edition hardcover also available at InStockTrades!

Review- CAPTAIN AMERICA BY JACK KIRBY OMNIBUS

CAPTAIN AMERICA BY JACK KIRBY OMNIBUS (Marvel, 2010; Hardcover)

Note: Book actually released in early 2011

Collects Captain America Nos. 193-214, Captain America Annual Nos. 3, 4, and Marvel Treasury Edition Featuring Captain America's Bicentennial Battles (cover dates January, 1976- October, 1977)

Writer and Penciler: Jack Kirby

Inkers: Various

It's almost impossible to mention Jack Kirby without fandom blowing a gasket over how he was/was not screwed over by Marvel, or how Stan Lee did/did not help co-create the characters which served as the foundation of the Marvel Universe. People get passionate, tempers flare, Internet arguments ensue. I won't even go there, but I will say that Kirby was a terrible businessman. He came back to Marvel and freely created even more characters for them after his perceived mistreatment the first time around. I wouldn't have given them shit if I were as mistreated as Kirby claimed he was.

I recall many comics fans bashing Kirby in the '80s. Indeed, looking at his then-current work I thought that he sucked ass when I was a kid. It wasn't until I got a Fantastic Four Marvel Treasury Edition in 1985 (which collected '60s FF) that I began to appreciate his work. The point of this statement is that it is considered sacrilegious to utter that something that Kirby did, anything that Kirby did, was not art of the highest order and unparallelled creative genius. This only became a way of thinking after he died, of course. Until then, those same folks who utter statements like this were still busy bashing his work. 

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this run on the title is not very good. I imagine if you were 8-12 when these issues were originally released then these are some of your all-time favorite comics. When I read this, I see Kirby past his prime as an artist, with occasionally nauseating dialogue, going batshit crazy. Kirby trips over himself trying to makes things over the top explosive. Issues that begin in the middle of a scene or forgetting where he's going by the issue's end. It's painful at times. Some of these issues are way fun, though, and his artwork occasionally rises to his past greatness. I began reading this during the winter immediately following the completion of the Silver Age Captain America Omnibus which collected the classic Stan Lee/Jack Kirby run. To go from Kirby at the peak of his powers to this caused me to put this book down and leave it alone on and off over the past 7-8 months.

Marvel Treasury Edition Featuring Captain America's Bicentennial Battles completely sucks ass. It's Kirby at his ham-fisted worst. People can debate about who did what, but this story makes it abundantly clear who wrote the better dialogue: Stan Lee. Kirby's scripts are painful at times, and him being his own editor was an even bigger mistake. The Madbomb arc (issues 193-200) is abysmal. Kill-Derby (issue 196) sees Kirby ripping off Rollerball, much like he ripped off Planet of the Apes and Ka-Zar a few years earlier when he “created” Kamandi, The Last Boy On Earth. The gem of this run is his creation of Arnim Zola. 

The Night People arc was very good, a welcome change of pace from the Madbomb debacle. Kirby goes way off the deep end here, though, taking Cap not only off planet but out of this dimension altogether. Texas Jack was another stupid, cheesy character Kirby inserted into the proceedings in a nonsensical manner. Things then sort of float between readable and good until the end of the book. Annual 4 sees Cap taking on Magneto and a rather uninspired new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Kirby's characterization of the Falcon is good, even if his “street” dialogue with him and his “Mama” is embarrassing to say the least. 

Note the lack of gutter loss, a mighty impressive feat on a 550+ page book. Proof positive why Marvel's Omnibus program is superior to DC's.

So while many fans proclaim their love for the genius of Kirby, I will say that this book does not help that argument one bit. If you want to show someone why Kirby deserves a spot on the Mount Rushmore of comic book creators then show them his '40-60s stuff. This stuff is best seen as a curiosity item and is recommended for completists only.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 2.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone- I love Marvel Omnibus hardcovers. This book is slightly out of original publication sequence, with the Marvel Treasury Edition Featuring Captain America's Bicentennial Battles and Captain America Annual No. 3 being first in the book. I guess that their location in the beginning of the book makes sense from a readability standpoint since they are standalone stories, but it may cause some restless nights for the acute OCD sufferer.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: Cover pencils to issues 193, 194, 197-199. (5 pages)

Covers to Captain America' & The Falcon: Madbomb TPB, Captain America:Bicentennial Battles TPB, and Captain America' & The Falcon: The Swine TPB.

Linework and Color restoration rating: 4.5 out of 5. Some folks have complained about the linework and color restoration being “muddy” in this book, but I'm not seeing it. Coloring errors from the original issues were faithfully maintained because Marvel uses a “warts and all” approach, leaving typos and coloring errors as they were in the original comic books.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5. The golden age of the Omnibus format, when the paper was thick coated stock and smelled of sweet lead and mercury. The paper on modern Omniboo is much thinner, unfortunately.

Binding rating: 5 out of 5. The best of the best sewn binding, plenty of flex in the casing which allows the book to lay perfectly flat from the first page to the last. 

 

While this book is out of print, this material is available in the following collected editions at InStockTrades!

ESSENTIAL CAPTAIN AMERICA VOL. 5 TP  

ESSENTIAL CAPTAIN AMERICA VOL. 6 TP  

 

CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON: THE SWINE TP