|
|
Post by Cei-U! on Dec 24, 2014 10:21:20 GMT -5
For years now, I've been half-joking that when I die, I want to be buried with my Smokey Jr. teddy bear, a fifth of good bourbon, and a copy of #1. Superman #252 The truth is I'm planning on donating my body to science in hopes they can learn something new about my disability, with whatever's left afterwards being cremated. Besides, my conscience would never let me deprive someone else the joy of reading my favorite comic book of all time. If any one comic can be said to have led to my current calling as a comics historian, it's this 100-pager from 1972 with the gorgeous Neal Adams wraparound cover. Already a die-hard Justice Society fanatic, I was aware of DC's Golden Age—I'd devoured Steranko's History of Comics a hundred times by this point—but I'd never actually seen anything from that fabled era (except the Simon & Kirby stuff being reprinted in the Fourth World titles, a revelation in its own right). What an eye-opener this Super-Spec was! The two-part "Powerstone" story is definitely the jewel in the crown, featuring an epic duel between the Man of Tomorrow (this was the first time I'd seen Superman called that) and a fanged and truly maniacal Luthor, newly endowed with super-powers. It was love at first sight, and Joe Shuster ghost John Sikela instantly became my favorite Superman artist after Curt Swan. #252 was also my introduction to Gardner Fox and Howard Sherman's eerie Doctor Fate, Fox and Sheldon Moldoff's terrifying Hawkman, Bernard Baily's Spectre, Jack Burnley's Starman, and two characters I'd never heard of before: The Black Condor and The Ray, refugees from the defunct QualityComics Group, each beautifuuly drawn by the great Lou Fine. Mind. Blown. I no longer recall where I bought my original copy or under what circumstances. I do remember going back the next day and buying a second copy so I could hang the cover on my bedroom wall, the only time I've ever deliberately bought multiple copies of a comic. I read both copies to pieces, then bought a new copy in the early '80s and read that to pieces. My current copy holds a place of honor in my collection commensurate with its importance. Without Superman #252, I simply wouldn't be the person I am today. Cei-U! I summon the big winner! And with that, we say "Adieu" to another Classic Comics Christmas. I'll see you all back here in early January with a final tally and a handful of (hopefully) interesting statistics. Until then, I wish all my friends here at CCF the very happiest of holidays and a 2015 chockful of four-color wonderment. Peace out! |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2014 10:38:01 GMT -5
1. Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos Annual #4 "The Battle of the Bulge" Cover date August 1968 Script by Gary Friedrich; pencils by Dick Ayers Inks by John Severin Everyone else's No. 1 choices are as quaint as they are pointless, since 1 out of 1 eminent comics scholars have long regarded Sgt. Fury Annual #4 as the greatest single issue of all time, just as they agree that the late spring & early summer of 1968 constituted the form's greatest interval. (Note: The vote on these indisputable points of fact does include 8 abstentions, since my cats couldn't be bothered to share their opinions.) I mean, c'mon -- we're talking the Howlers' greatest, most involving mission ever, with a truly touching Christmas framing story set in the Cohens' (of all people) present-day home. We're talking Friedrich at the top of his scripting game. We're talking Ayers giving every panel his all. And, of course, we're talking about the greatest comics artist ever (another ironclad fact, & I won't hear any different ... you might as well argue with me about whether gravity exists), John Severin, leaving his matchless imprimatur on every strong line Ayers drew. And then there's the humorous backup, "Gary & Dick Up Front," in which all our creators meet the Howlers -- worth the price of admission all by itself.  When I first read this in, I guess, the early summer of 1968, around the time my 3rd-grade year was ending, I thought at the time that I'd just read the greatest comic ever published. Y'know ... I was a pretty smart kid. |
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Dec 24, 2014 10:43:04 GMT -5
This one is a complete no-brainer: X-Men #13
 Why this one? Because it means more to me than any physical item I own in the world. I've told the story recently in another thread ( Full Story Here), so I won't copy the text or retell it here. There is no possession of mine in the entire world that I treasure more than this one, and this book, unlike Kurt's, will be buried with me without question. This has been a lot of fun, getting to see what others here have in their Top 10 Lists and getting some ideas about books I might pick up next. Thanks to Kurt for putting this whole thing together, and Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to everyone! |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2014 11:13:38 GMT -5
Day 12 - My #1 Pick Fantastic Four #42Marvel, cover date Sept 1965 'To Save You, Why Must I Kill You?' Produced by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby  I always knew an issue of Fantastic Four would be my #1 pick. As my list changed, one or two others briefly held that spot, but the FF always came back. This has long been my favorite title. When I drifted away from comics, I still kept up with the FF. It was the cornerstone of the Marvel Universe, introducing so many characters and concepts that are still around today. And even though it's been relegated to a dusty corner of the MU, with Spider-Man, X-Men and now Avengers moving to the forefront, it's still a sentimental favorite. And this is a great issue. It's the middle part of a 3-parter, and is basically one extended action sequence. The Frightful Four have turned Ben against his partners. The remaining 3 are defeated. Reed and Sue escape, but Johnny is subjected to the machine which turned Ben. On the run, desperate, Reed and Sue take 4 of their opponents out of the fight, but must still face the Wizard and Johnny.  The action doesn't stop, but the characterization is still strong. Ben's justifiable resentment of Reed makes his turn believable, and makes him truly menacing. The Wizard is cunning, always on top of the situation. Medusa is sultry and conniving, playing Ben and the Sandman against each other. Sue, still the weakest member of the team here, still shows the strength of her will. And Reed, with his back against the wall, manages to turn the tables on the enemy, using the Wizard's weapons against them. The pacing, the desperation of our heroes, the dialogue ('Tsk. I don't LIKE people squirtin' SAND on my see-gar!') I was hooked.  But this issue is important to me on a personal level. It isn't the first issue of FF I ever read; that was #3. It isn't the first issue I bought myself; that would be the epic Hulk/Avengers story in #'s 25-26. But this is the issue that made me a fan; I had to have the next issue, and Sue mentioning that she and Reed were getting married meant I had to have FF Annual #3, 'Bedlam at the Baxter Building' (which almost took this slot). This became the series I had to follow. And trading with a neighbor for issue #41, the start of this story, was my first experience of the back issue quest. FF #42 made me a comic fan and a collector, for better or worse. |
|
|
|
Post by badwolf on Dec 24, 2014 11:15:03 GMT -5
Incredible Hulk Annual #7  "The Evil That Is Cast..." Written by Roger Stern Drawn by John Byrne and Bob Layton Story: Bobby Drake (Iceman) and Warren Worthington (Angel) are spending some vacation time at Warren's mountain aerie with their respective lady friends when a Sentinel attacks--and not just any Sentinel, a Master Mold.  It captures Bobby, but Warren escapes and wings it to the nearby Gamma Base, where the Hulk gets involved. The Master Mold soon recaptures Warren and, with the Hulk hanging on to its outer shell, flies to its asteroid base.  Hulk becomes weak from lack of oxygen, and the Sentinel imprisons all three of them. But the facilities weren't designed to hold the Hulk...  (I had no idea who the Blob was at the time; all I could think of was the movie monster. Boy was I disappointed to eventually find out that it was just a fat guy in shorts.) The Master Mold recounts its origins, or what it believes to be its origins, but Hulk gets tired of hearing the story and finally goes berserk.  However, the Sentinel is not quite out yet, and as a last ditch effort to complete its mission, it sets the base for self-destruct. The heroic trio make it to an escape capsule, but Hulk won't go because he hasn't finished with the robot.  The base explodes, apparently with Hulk still on it, but being the Hulk he manages to survive and in the end all's well. It's a great story with super art, well-suited to an annual, but why it's personal to me? Well, I don't think it was the first Marvel Comic I got (I had earlier issues, but I no longer remember where or exactly when I acquired them), but I think it was the first one that made me say "wow, the Marvel Universe is amazing!" I was somewhat familiar with the Hulk, either from an earlier issue of Marvel Super-Heroes I had, or the TV show, but this was my first exposure to the X-Men (I'd get my first X-Men comic about a year later.) The Sentinel was an awesome and scary foe, and the flashback explaining what he was told just enough so that the book wasn't confusing, but also made me really want to learn more. This was also the era of Star Wars, so a story set partially in space was very cool. I'd certainly enjoyed some other comics I'd read, but this was the first one that was epic. I read it over and over and over. As a bonus, years ago I posted on a Usenet group about my love for this issue, and Roger Stern replied to me via email expressing his appreciation which was very nice!
|
|
|
|
Post by DubipR on Dec 24, 2014 11:42:59 GMT -5
As we wrap up this year's CCF of Xmas 2014, I send it off with this classic... Number 1LOVE AND ROCKETS #1 Year of Publication: September 1982 Written and Drawn by: Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez Synopsis: An anthology type of black and white comic told in chapters. The introduction of Jaime's Mechanix and Locas Tambien; a story that splices futuristic space fun and modern punk life in the city of Huerta. Maggie and Hopey's adventures as Maggie is hired to work with the pro-solar mechanic Rand Race. Tall Tracker attacks Race to get him to rebuild a robot army but Maggie saves the day. In Gilbert's "BEM", BEM escapes from his cell and goes on a rampage in a homage to 1950s science-fiction films. Jaime also does a great story of "Penny Century, You're Fired!" where all Penny wants to be is a superhero. Why This Is A Classic: Along with my third selection on the CCF Xmas (Mister X), I bought this on a whim...and yes, I got a first printing of this. For those who have known me on the other place's Classic Comic boards know this is my all time favorite comic series. When Cei-U announced the theme, I knew this would be my number one selection. But going back to 1987 when I got this, I knew I was truly reading something beyond special. I felt I was really reading an adult level comic. It was the perfect storm of comics; characters that sucked you in and made you really care for them, artwork that supported the script that was beyond compare and stories I wanted to read and re-read. It was edgy, it was fun and most importantly it read like I was reading about real lives that could have been happening in real time. Some of the locations were real, the music of Jaime's world was all to real and the universes might as well been down the street to me. Even back in 1987, I knew older kids who were Hopey and Maggie. I knew Luba-type women. That was the great thing about this book too... strong female characters that weren't in spandex and punching out bad guys. As the series progressed and the new series came out and everything the Brothers did, I bought...in triplicate. I'm not kidding. I have Love And Rockets in at least 3 forms of reading; comics, trades and hardcovers. It is well written, universally understood comics. This series has made me laugh, cry (a couple of times) and actually identify with a few of the characters, as my life has mirrored theirs. Its a comic I can relate to on several levels. |
|
|
|
Post by Mister Spaceman on Dec 24, 2014 11:59:35 GMT -5
1. Famous First Edition #F-7 (1975)This reprint of All Star Comics #3 was a major presence in my earliest comic book collecting days; its treasury size matched in scope and stature the heroic fantasies it contained, making any problems I might have been dealing with at the age of nine seem small in comparison. In reading it, I also felt a tacit link to my mother's childhood; she was a comic book fan herself in the 1940s (mostly of Captain Marvel) and reading a comic book from her era felt like a special kind of time travel. Reading this treasury edition now becomes time travel x 2, creating a strangely appropriate conflation of my childhood with my mother's. A bit like the way in which many of these Golden Age JSA characters invoke the spectral promise of their Silver Age counterparts to come. In the world of superhero comic books, the future is always the past is always the future. Long live the superhero comic book and all of our childhood selves! 
|
|
|
|
Post by Mister Spaceman on Dec 24, 2014 12:03:18 GMT -5
Incredible Hulk Annual #7 "The Evil That Is Cast..." Written by Roger Stern Drawn by John Byrne and Bob Layton Story: Bobby Drake (Iceman) and Warren Worthington (Angel) are spending some vacation time at Warren's mountain aerie with their respective lady friends when a Sentinel attacks--and not just any Sentinel, a Master Mold. It captures Bobby, but Warren escapes and wings it to the nearby Gamma Base, where the Hulk gets involved. The Master Mold soon recaptures Warren and, with the Hulk hanging on to its outer shell, flies to its asteroid base. Hulk becomes weak from lack of oxygen, and the Sentinel imprisons all three of them. But the facilities weren't designed to hold the Hulk... (I had no idea who the Blob was at the time; all I could think of was the movie monster. Boy was I disappointed to eventually find out that it was just a fat guy in shorts.)The Master Mold recounts its origins, or what it believes to be its origins, but Hulk gets tired of hearing the story and finally goes berserk. However, the Sentinel is not quite out yet, and as a last ditch effort to complete its mission, it sets the base for self-destruct. The heroic trio make it to an escape capsule, but Hulk won't go because he hasn't finished with the robot. The base explodes, apparently with Hulk still on it, but being the Hulk he manages to survive and in the end all's well. It's a great story with super art, well-suited to an annual, but why it's personal to me? Well, I don't think it was the first Marvel Comic I got (I had earlier issues, but I no longer remember where or exactly when I acquired them), but I think it was the first one that made me say "wow, the Marvel Universe is amazing!" I was somewhat familiar with the Hulk, either from an earlier issue of Marvel Super-Heroes I had, or the TV show, but this was my first exposure to the X-Men (I'd get my first X-Men comic about a year later.) The Sentinel was an awesome and scary foe, and the flashback explaining what he was told just enough so that the book wasn't confusing, but also made me really want to learn more. This was also the era of Star Wars, so a story set partially in space was very cool. I'd certainly enjoyed some other comics I'd read, but this was the first one that was epic. I read it over and over and over. As a bonus, years ago I posted on a Usenet group about my love for this issue, and Roger Stern replied to me via email expressing his appreciation which was very nice! Great pick - I loved this when it first came out. I've still got that original copy somewhere. You've inspired me to break it out and read it! |
|
|
|
Post by Calamas on Dec 24, 2014 12:07:01 GMT -5
 Black Lightning #5 Nov 1977 “Nobody Beats a Superman” Tony Isabella Trevor von Eeden Vince Colletta What a writer intends is not always what is perceived. Not only is this disconnect unavoidable, it is vital; without room for interpretation no art form can exist. Hence my high esteem for an average issue of an average comic. The first four issues of this new title established how the death of a young student at the hands of the 100, a criminal organization, galvanized Jefferson Pierce into become Black Lightning, and how subsequent actions in defending Suicide Slum, a ghetto area of Metropolis, resulted in Black Lightning being wanted--falsely--for murder. It brings him in conflict with Superman and another villain. As the villain flees, the scene where Lightning’s impassioned explanation of himself and his often-overlooked world occurs: (Unfortunately I do not currently have access to the issue in order to provide my own scans, nor could I find any elsewhere. The best I could do was some original pages from Trevor von Eeden’s website. )  Jen Van Meter, while doing research for Black Lightning: Year One a couple of years ago, disparaged this speech. She felt Superman had been at best ignorant of Suicide Slum, at worst choosing ignore it. In her words, it made him kind of a dick. I’ve got no problem with this; I try not to be precious about this sort of thing. In today’s world, she is right. In 1977, however, Superman’s adventures did not take him into this kind of territory (except maybe an occasional “special” issue). In fact, DC’s actual ghetto-based superhero did not deal with race. His trials--both as Jefferson Pierce, teacher, and as Black Lightning, hero--were more criminal and economic in nature. But to me it was about race. Growing up in the South, I was surrounded by bigotry. Not at home, perhaps because my mother had immigrated south from New York, but outside the house . . . a different story. Not KKK-level violence or anything like that, but life was laced with it. Just not blatantly, publicly. To a 14-year-old trying to believe in things like mercy and justice, this scene, Black Lightning’s speech, struck me as something more than fantasy, more than comics. Something real had bled into entertainment. Here was a hero honestly displaying a strength and resolve that was needed, something I somehow understood the real world needed. Something, I also knew, I did not personally possess. But that day I had begun to understand the concept, and the need for such courage. It was one of those North Star moments that help to guide a life. What Tony Isabella intended is not what I experienced. Art works that way on occasion. And I’m the better for it.. |
|
|
|
Post by Mister Spaceman on Dec 24, 2014 12:09:32 GMT -5
As we wrap up this year's CCF of Xmas 2014, I send it off with this classic... Number 1LOVE AND ROCKETS #1Year of Publication: September 1982 Written and Drawn by: Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez Synopsis: An anthology type of black and white comic told in chapters. The introduction of Jaime's Mechanix and Locas Tambien; a story that splices futuristic space fun and modern punk life in the city of Huerta. Maggie and Hopey's adventures as Maggie is hired to work with the pro-solar mechanic Rand Race. Tall Tracker attacks Race to get him to rebuild a robot army but Maggie saves the day. In Gilbert's "BEM", BEM escapes from his cell and goes on a rampage in a homage to 1950s science-fiction films. Jaime also does a great story of "Penny Century, You're Fired!" where all Penny wants to be is a superhero. Why This Is A Classic: Along with my third selection on the CCF Xmas (Mister X), I bought this on a whim...and yes, I got a first printing of this. For those who have known me on the other place's Classic Comic boards know this is my all time favorite comic series. When Cei-U announced the theme, I knew this would be my number one selection. But going back to 1987 when I got this, I knew I was truly reading something beyond special. I felt I was really reading an adult level comic. It was the perfect storm of comics; characters that sucked you in and made you really care for them, artwork that supported the script that was beyond compare and stories I wanted to read and re-read. It was edgy, it was fun and most importantly it read like I was reading about real lives that could have been happening in real time. Some of the locations were real, the music of Jaime's world was all to real and the universes might as well been down the street to me. Even back in 1987, I knew older kids who were Hopey and Maggie. I knew Luba-type women. That was the great thing about this book too... strong female characters that weren't in spandex and punching out bad guys. As the series progressed and the new series came out and everything the Brothers did, I bought...in triplicate. I'm not kidding. I have Love And Rockets in at least 3 forms of reading; comics, trades and hardcovers. It is well written, universally understood comics. This series has made me laugh, cry (a couple of times) and actually identify with a few of the characters, as my life has mirrored theirs. Its a comic I can relate to on several levels. A wonderful choice! I'm glad to see this most outstanding work get some more love here. As I type this, an original Hopey sketch that I got from Jaime in 1983 looks on with bemused approval. (And you knew Luba-type women?! I could only dream of them!) |
|
|
|
Post by Cei-U! on Dec 24, 2014 12:32:22 GMT -5
Von Eeden's pencils look great. What a shame they got Colletted.
Cei-U!
I summon the neologism!
|
|
metarog
Junior Member
Waking up in an alternate universe
Posts: 25 
|
Post by metarog on Dec 24, 2014 13:01:29 GMT -5
1. E-Man #1 Charlton
We finally get to our most favorite comics of all and mine has to be E-Man #1 hands down! There are many reasons but let’s start by how I first encountered this comic. I was on my way back from visiting relatives in Orlando with my aunt and uncle when we stopped at one of those rest plazas that are along the Florida Turnpike. I got some snacks and used up the rest of my money on a toy flashlight that looked like a ray gun. As I was returning to the car with my uncle I spied a nice looking comic on the newstand rack. Now, I was out of money but they will let you look at stuff briefly so I started to leaf through the E-Man comic. It immeditatly got my attention with the vibrant colors and neat art but as I was penniless I returned it. My uncle saw my disappointment and just grabbed it along with a few mags he was getting and bought it for me. I was elated and read the whole comic several times before we reached Miami. This comics has it all as it is a first issue (obviously), an origin story (sort of), full of action (battling a gigantic brain), chock fun of humor (sleeping inside a car battery) and has a pretty girl character to boot (Nova Kane an exotic dancer). The Staton art it perfect for character and it looks like he really put a lot of time and effort in order to get the right feel. I like the story too although it is nothing too special but I remember all of it clearly so it must have made quite an impact on me as an 11 year old and still today. It is my favorite for all the above! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2014 13:01:42 GMT -5
#1: Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine #2 (Marvel, 1968)  This was my first comic. My Dad gave it to me when I was 4 or 5. I asked him about it a few years ago, and he said he had thought his mom threw out all of his comics, but found this one in a box of books and gave it to me. What a great introduction into Spider-Man, and to comics, this was. It starts with Peter Parker, Norman Osborn and others at Capt. Stacy's Supervillain slideshow. Osborn had suffered amnesia during his last battle and forgot he was the Goblin, but when a picture of the Green Goblin fighting Spidey appears on the screen, he collapses. Taken to a hospital, Osborne eventually remembers that he was the Green Goblin. He rushes out of the hospital and finds one of his old hideouts. To see that Goblin suit hanging on the wall, with the Glider on the floor nearby...chills. Once Osborne transforms back into the Goblin, some classic battles with Spidey begin. The artwork by a team of John Romita, Jim Mooney and Frank Giacoia...wow, what can I say. It was excellent. This was a book that I read, and re-read, and re-read again. Merry Christmas. |
|
|
|
Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 24, 2014 13:24:32 GMT -5
Sandman #8 (DC Aug '89)  Remember how earlier I said I knew Smokey. I also know Death. Not metaphorically. I lived in Salt Lake City from 1991 to 1996. For a while my wife worked with a couple who were very into the Goth scene. Through them I met a very cute young lady named Cinnamon a couple of times. Cinnamon was the model for Mike Dringenberg for Death of the Endless. I'm not into the whole Goth thing...but Cinnamon really was all that. Which is not why this book is number one. But it's kind of cool. I went back and forth between this one and Sandman #1. But ultimately this book wins out and it's because it's the turning point in what I consider to be the best comic series of all time. Up to #8 Gaiman was still feeling his way through the book and wasn't sure where he was going. He was essentially doing a super-hero riff with various themes from issue to issue. With "The Sound of Her Wings" he figured it out and the course for the larger story...a story about stories...was set. And we get Death. Not a scary nasty clammy boney death. But a spunky young girl who would help you transition to whatever is waiting. Comforting and fun and just serious enough to give our "protagonist" Hell for being mopey. Like a good big sister should.   Which doesn't change that she's Death. And there is tragedy in her wake.  This book...and Sandman also marked a change in the way I bought and viewed comics. It's something that had started with following Don Newton and continued with following Mike Grell from DC to First Comics. It still took a bit of evolution, but I stopped caring one bit about who published my funny books. I stopped buying comics because they had a certain character, even if I didn't happen to enjoy the story that the character was in. The story is the thing. If you aren't enjoying it...you're wasting time. And the best way to ensure you're going to enjoy the story is to look for creators who actually create quality work. What good Batman if the story and the art are awful? Sandman #8 was an epiphany. Without it I might have bought a lot of dross in the 90s because it had "my characters." Instead, I find the 90s to be one of the best times for comics. Because I looked for the gems among the gravel. I didn't always choose correctly. But I tried to choose wisely.
|
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,860
|
Post by shaxper on Dec 24, 2014 13:51:12 GMT -5
Batman and Other DC Classics #1 (DC 1989) I had almost completely forgotten about this book until reading the Advance Warning thread for this event and realizing, then, that it actually mattered to me. A lot. In 1989, I had just gotten into comics in the wake of the Tim Burton Batman film. Like most impressionable adolescents first getting into comics because of this, I was only reading Batman titles, and I also thought that every #1 issue was destined to be a collector's item, so when I saw this book on the shelves at a random LCS I'd begged my mother to let me check out, I quickly grabbed three copies (turns out, it was a free promotional give-away, so I was only allowed to keep one). But I vividly recall flipping through it and the doors it opened for me. The book was little more than an advertisement for upcoming DC trade paperbacks, containing excerpts from each. For a young kid who could never hope to drop $15 on a single publication (it would be another year before I'd start my lucrative dog walking business), this book still had plenty of value though, as I experienced the origin of Batman for the first time, watched Giffen and DeMatteis's Batman deck Guy Gardner, and, most importantly, got this:  You have to understand that Robin had been my favorite superhero almost from the beginning. I'd begun by worshipping Superman and Batman, but the kid side-kick became someone with whom I could better relate, especially as he had an almost father-son relationship with Batman that I was missing in my own life. So stumbling upon this story, in which Robin made the decision to grow up, stop living in the shadow of Batman, and become his own hero, it floored me. I'd always seen comic book heroes as being, more or less, static. To watch the boy with whom I identified growing and evolving before my eyes was nothing short of an epiphany -- for the first time, I saw the true magic and potential of comic books. Years ago, there was a thread at CBR asking why we read comics. I'll quote myself there in explaining why this little excerpt of New Teen Titans #39 mattered (and matters) so much to me: "The one thing comics can offer that no other form of literature can is a sense of legacy. An author can publish a series of books and, if they're truly committed, pump out 20 to 30 books starring the same character in their career. Now, either time will barely pass across those 30 books, preventing the character from undergoing much change and growth, or the writer will have to leave out entire years between stories, making us feel somewhat divorced from the character (who is now somewhat older and different from the one we saw in the last book) and relying upon the author's explanation to fill in all that we missed between books. "A comic, on the other hand, can provide 30 issues worth of near-continuous character growth over the span of less than 3 years. "For me, it's not the pictures, the action, the easily accessible writing, nor even the superheroes. It's the opportunity to watch characters grow and develop slowly and organically over the years, ideally earning each major change and new phase in their lives. Granted, writers who ignore continuity throw all of this out the window (and piss me off to no end in the process), but Claremont's X-Men, Wolfman/Perez's New Teen Titans, Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo, and many short lived story arcs on other titles that did their best to acknowledge continuity and growth all offer an opportunity to watch characters grow and change in response to all that they encounter over the years. It's not always more character-intensive than a good book, but it can offer greater/better earned transformation and growth. "That's why I love comic books -- the opportunity to grow alongside my favorite characters and chart how far we've both come. "I can tell you right now that if I hadn't read New Teen Titans #39 when I was eleven, I probably would have quit collecting comics after the novelty wore off. This was the big issue where Dick Grayson gave up being Robin for good, all while reflecting carefully on his entire career up until this point. I knew then what potential comic books had, and I instantly became a fan for life. This above all else, is why I can't stand when writers ignore or just plain violate continuity, as well as why I think fans who feel that it shouldn't really matter are off-base. Continuity is one of the greatest advantages that the comic book medium can offer." I'd always thought of New Teen Titans #39 as having been the issue that provoked this epiphany and had given me this magic, but, in truth, it was just the excerpt of that story I'd originally found in Batman and Other DC Classics #1, and which I'd read and re-read to the point that only those pages in the book are now yellowed, before finally buying a copy of the original story a year or so later. Additionally, I just have to talk about Perez' art here. He gave the characters such depth and inter-connectivity through his pencils. This image of Wonder Girl, reacting to Dick's big revelation, still enamors me to this day:  I've always been attracted to teams that feel like families, I suspect for the same reason I was attracted to Robin: they had a family bond that I was lacking. I was a latchkey kid who let himself in when he got home from school each day, had no siblings, didn't see my emotionally unstable mother until the evening, had two dysfunctional extended families that both resented me for too closely resembling the other parent, and lived in a neighborhood with no other kids around. I was thoroughly alone. No one had ever looked at me the way that Donna was looking at Dick there; that combination of pride and tremendous affection. It was a feeling I chased, eventually going back to read ALL the Wolfman/Perez Titans stories to feel more of. To this day, it's one of my favorite runs in comicdom, both for the sense of family and the sense of growth/evolution. But, in the end, had it not been for Batman and Other DC Classics #1, I likely wouldn't still be reading comics today. That publication opened the door to a new world of possibilities that I wasn't experiencing from reading comics previously. Much as Scrooge McDuck has his Number One Dime, this is the issue to which I owe everything.
|
|
