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Post by Hoosier X on Jun 8, 2020 19:03:47 GMT -5
I also bought a Thor Epic Collection (reprinting #131 to about #150) in a digital format. I've read these before but it was through the library and it was a few years ago. I have really been wanting to read this run again because it's awesome! I've read up to #135 and I've experienced the Colonizers, the short reign of Empress Tana the First (Poor Tana!), the Black Galaxy, Ego the Living Planet, the Recorder, the High Evolutionary, the Knights of Wundagore and the Man-Beast! I love the flowering of Jane Foster here! She goes from being a timid, lovesick nurse-hostage to having an extraterrestrial, world-conquering roommate and then she just … leaves New York City (because of Tana's mind-control) and wanders around to Europe where she gets recruited to be a schoolteacher, teaching the beast-men of Wundagore - Snake-Men, Goat-Men, Zebra-Men, etc., with Miss Foster (as I'm sure they were told to call her) at the head of the class teaching them their multiplication tables, Asian geography, the Periodic chart and the causes of the American Civil War. Unfortunately they didn't really do anything with developing Jane Foster's personality from here and she remains one of the least-defined of the Marvel Age supporting characters. Very much looking forward to finishing this volume, but I decided to focus on finishing the Ditko Spider-Man issues before continuing.
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Crimebuster
CCF Podcast Guru
Making comics!
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Post by Crimebuster on Jun 8, 2020 19:53:17 GMT -5
136, where Jane is written out of the series, is a stone cold classic.
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Post by Hoosier X on Jun 9, 2020 14:58:35 GMT -5
136, where Jane is written out of the series, is a stone cold classic. I’ll be getting to Thor 136 in a few days, maybe even tonight. I don’t remember it very well. The issues after #135 just haven’t stayed in my head well at all, though I know I’ve read them.
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Post by Farrar on Jun 9, 2020 20:36:06 GMT -5
After a hiatus, I picked up my little project of reading al of the X-Men's appearances during that period in the 70's when they comic was all reprints. So, I've just read Captain america #171-175. Well, 171 doesn't have the X-Men, but I just felt like reading it. These stories are obviously classic, but as far as the X-Men go, they're wearing the wrong costumes! This drives me crazy. They changed costumes nearly 7 years ago, and people are Marvel are still getting it wrong! Two or three issues in, there's a lame caption just stating that they "re-adopted their original costumes". Still, Sal Buscema isn't the only one clueless about the X-Men. In previous appearances in the early 70's, Gil Kane and Herb Trimpe both incorrectly drew the X-Men in their old costumes. Apparently the X-Men were not a big deal even at Marvel at this time.I I think during their "guest star" years, presenting the X-Men in their blue and yellow uniforms (original and variants) was done deliberately, and on orders from the higher ups (and not just a careless mistake on the part of the artist). I think this was because of the reprints that were appearing in the ongoing X-Men mag at the time; using the old costumes in newer stories made it easier to establish a visual connection to the characters in the reprints. After all, mustn't confuse the kiddies Anyway, a few years ago when I got back into comics, I read Avengers #110 and yes, the cover annoyed me. In the story (Don Heck and J. Buscema art) the X-Men were shown in their "new" post-X-Men #39 costumes--Scott's shirt was entirely blue, Jean was in her green Marvel Girl costume--but on the Gil Kane cover there they were, in their old-fashioned blue and yellow duds! A couple of issues later in the Avengers lettercol readers point out the mistake, and Marvel concedes that; but as mentioned I think there was a decision to show the team in their older uniforms, here on the all-important cover and also in the stories you mention.
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Post by Batflunkie on Jun 9, 2020 21:48:44 GMT -5
Hoosier X what would you say is a good jumping on point for early Thor? Because I tried it from the beginning and Thor being little more than a superman knock-off was not appealing at all. Did enjoy the Tales Of Asgard stories
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Post by dbutler69 on Jun 10, 2020 7:18:15 GMT -5
After a hiatus, I picked up my little project of reading al of the X-Men's appearances during that period in the 70's when they comic was all reprints. So, I've just read Captain america #171-175. Well, 171 doesn't have the X-Men, but I just felt like reading it. These stories are obviously classic, but as far as the X-Men go, they're wearing the wrong costumes! This drives me crazy. They changed costumes nearly 7 years ago, and people are Marvel are still getting it wrong! Two or three issues in, there's a lame caption just stating that they "re-adopted their original costumes". Still, Sal Buscema isn't the only one clueless about the X-Men. In previous appearances in the early 70's, Gil Kane and Herb Trimpe both incorrectly drew the X-Men in their old costumes. Apparently the X-Men were not a big deal even at Marvel at this time.I I think during their "guest star" years, presenting the X-Men in their blue and yellow uniforms (original and variants) was done deliberately, and on orders from the higher ups (and not just a careless mistake on the part of the artist). I think this was because of the reprints that were appearing in the ongoing X-Men mag at the time; using the old costumes in newer stories made it easier to establish a visual connection to the characters in the reprints. After all, mustn't confuse the kiddies Anyway, a few years ago when I got back into comics, I read Avengers #110 and yes, the cover annoyed me. In the story (Don Heck art) the X-Men were shown in their "new" post-X-Men #39 costumes--Scott's shirt was entirely blue, Jean was in her green Marvel Girl costume--but on the Gil Kane cover there they were, in their old-fashioned blue and yellow duds! A couple of issues later in the Avengers lettercol readers point out the mistake, and Marvel concedes that; but as mentioned I think there was a decision to show the team in their older uniforms, here on the all-important cover and also in the stories you mention. Yeah, I had noticed the discrepancy in that issue between the cover and the interior art. I'd just assumed that Gil Kane wasn't paying attention. If showing the X-Men in their old uniforms was an order from high up, it was a pretty stupid decision IMHO, not to mention it wasn't consistently applied, as the X-Men did sometimes appear in their newer costumes sometimes during their hiatus.
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Post by Hoosier X on Jun 10, 2020 8:35:42 GMT -5
Hoosier X what would you say is a good jumping on point for early Thor? Because I tried it from the beginning and Thor being little more than a superman knock-off was not appealing at all. Did enjoy the Tales Of Asgard stories Tales of Asgard is really good! I just read the arc where Thor and the Warriors Three go on a mission to the barren land of Nastrond and there’s a great full-page panel of the giant dragon Fafnir carrying Volstagg around like a breakfast burrito. I think Thor starts to rapidly improve about Journey into Mystery #98, and then really takes a huge step forward about #114 or #115 when the creators realized that Thor needed multi-part story arcs to really showcase the kinds of adventures he should be having. This is the arc where Loki turns Crusher Creel into the Absorbing Man, and that sequence where Creel is introduced and starts using his powers is delightful! I think Thor as a series peaked about 126 to 136.
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Post by Batflunkie on Jun 10, 2020 11:00:41 GMT -5
Hoosier X what would you say is a good jumping on point for early Thor? Because I tried it from the beginning and Thor being little more than a superman knock-off was not appealing at all. Did enjoy the Tales Of Asgard stories Tales of Asgard is really good! I just read the arc where Thor and the Warriors Three go on a mission to the barren land of Nastrond and there’s a great full-page panel of the giant dragon Fafnir carrying Volstagg around like a breakfast burrito. I think Thor starts to rapidly improve about Journey into Mystery #98, and then really takes a huge step forward about #114 or #115 when the creators realized that Thor needed multi-part story arcs to really showcase the kinds of adventures he should be having. This is the arc where Loki turns Crusher Creel into the Absorbing Man, and that sequence where Creel is introduced and starts using his powers is delightful! I think Thor as a series peaked about 126 to 136. Many thanks. I just read 114 and it was pretty darned good. I don't know why Stan thought making Thor a low grade Superman for so long was a good idea, but then again, they had no clue what to do with Captain America for a while either. But at least with Cap, they didn't drag their heels for very long. I think it was about three or four issues of Tales Of Suspense until we got the glorious WWII flashback stories
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Post by dbutler69 on Jun 11, 2020 7:22:14 GMT -5
I'm getting closer and closer to finishing the complete run of All-Star Comics #1 to #57. I only have #21, #22, #23, #52, #53 and #55 left to go! It's tough going at times. I frequently feel like I've already read all the good ones. I guess #21 (with The Monster) was OK. And I find the later ones quite a bit easier to read, mostly because they are shorter with the JSA splitting into teams, so there's only three different missions instead of seven or eight! (It seems to take forever to read the earlier issues.) I read #51 last night and it was OK. I don't dread #52, #53 and #55 as much as I dread the earlier issues I have left. I know what you mean. I've read All-Star Comics #4-9 and #37. I enjoyed #37 (with Per Degaton), but the others were tough sledding at times, and like you, I felt like they took forever to read with those 8 solo stories. Which ones are your favorites so far?
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Post by earl on Jun 12, 2020 22:38:09 GMT -5
Read Daredevil #312-317 for the first time. Started this run back when Chichester became the writer. In general, the stories have not been too bad and the Infinity War tie-in (not that I have read that series) was pretty good, if a strange voodoo tale. The artwork after that story-line gets real inconsistent and down right fugly at points in the Mr. Fear's daughter storyline.
The artwork in general is real over the top at points and the series is getting into 'modern' style printing on newsprint. It looks a bit murky. I think some of this stuff might be a bit early digital work, as it looks like you got this scanned background that might be brought in with the drawn panels on top. Not sure what technique is being used at this point in the early 90s, but some of it might be early examples of that kind of thing.
Probably before I crash I will finish #318 which is the end of a two part wacky "It's a Mad Mad World" homage about going after a gangster's half million dollars in retirement grease. [Note: is this where the Simpsons got the idea of 'retirement grease' used by Groundskeeper Willie? Got to wonder if it is that or reference to some weird news story.]
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Post by Hoosier X on Jun 12, 2020 23:28:21 GMT -5
I'm getting closer and closer to finishing the complete run of All-Star Comics #1 to #57. I only have #21, #22, #23, #52, #53 and #55 left to go! It's tough going at times. I frequently feel like I've already read all the good ones. I guess #21 (with The Monster) was OK. And I find the later ones quite a bit easier to read, mostly because they are shorter with the JSA splitting into teams, so there's only three different missions instead of seven or eight! (It seems to take forever to read the earlier issues.) I read #51 last night and it was OK. I don't dread #52, #53 and #55 as much as I dread the earlier issues I have left. I know what you mean. I've read All-Star Comics #4-9 and #37. I enjoyed #37 (with Per Degaton), but the others were tough sledding at times, and like you, I felt like they took forever to read with those 8 solo stories. Which ones are your favorites so far? The Solomon Grundy story in All-Star Comics #33 is one of my favorite comics EVER! I love the second appearance of the Injustice Gang a lot, but I forget which issue it is. This is the one with the Golden Age Huntress as one of the members. The first appearance of the Wizard is pretty cool! I think that's #34. And I love the first appearance in All-Star #3!
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Post by dbutler69 on Jun 14, 2020 8:24:58 GMT -5
I read The Lone Ranger #2 (1948 Dell). It was pretty good. Better than a fair number of superhero comics from the era, IMHO.
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Post by dbutler69 on Jun 14, 2020 8:30:34 GMT -5
I know what you mean. I've read All-Star Comics #4-9 and #37. I enjoyed #37 (with Per Degaton), but the others were tough sledding at times, and like you, I felt like they took forever to read with those 8 solo stories. Which ones are your favorites so far? The Solomon Grundy story in All-Star Comics #33 is one of my favorite comics EVER! I love the second appearance of the Injustice Gang a lot, but I forget which issue it is. This is the one with the Golden Age Huntress as one of the members. The first appearance of the Wizard is pretty cool! I think that's #34. And I love the first appearance in All-Star #3! I was trying to find the Injustice Gang in All-Star Comics, and I couldn't. I think that name doesn't show up until the 70's. Was it a slightly different name? Or, if you remember names of some of the villains it it, I should be able to find it.
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Post by chaykinstevens on Jun 14, 2020 8:47:49 GMT -5
I love the second appearance of the Injustice Gang a lot, but I forget which issue it is. This is the one with the Golden Age Huntress as one of the members. I was trying to find the Injustice Gang in All-Star Comics, and I couldn't. I think that name doesn't show up until the 70's. Was it a slightly different name? Or, if you remember names of some of the villains it it, I should be able to find it. GCD says the Injustice Society featured in ASC #8, 27 & 41, with the Huntress appearing in #41.
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Post by dbutler69 on Jun 14, 2020 11:11:06 GMT -5
I was trying to find the Injustice Gang in All-Star Comics, and I couldn't. I think that name doesn't show up until the 70's. Was it a slightly different name? Or, if you remember names of some of the villains it it, I should be able to find it. GCD says the Injustice Society featured in ASC #8, 27 & 41, with the Huntress appearing in #41. Thanks! I really miss comicbd.com. I find GCD and DC.fandom.com (or Marvel) a lot less easy to navigate.
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