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Post by foxley on Dec 22, 2018 23:59:51 GMT -5
3. Tarzan #1 - 20 (Dark Horse, 1996-98) When I started assembling my list, for the longest time I thought this slot was going to DC's Tarzan series. But, at about the time I decided only one Tarzan adaptation could make the list, I realised that I needed to give ti to Dark Horse. Here's why: Growing up, I used to watch the Tarzan TV series starring Ron Ely, and those big adventures would play out in my juvenile minds. Sometimes if my father passed through the dining room while I was watching, he would comment on how he used to watch Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan at the movies when he was a boy. This was a rare common experience between us, and indicated that we were probably as alike in many ways as we were different. From there, I progressed on to the novels (or, at least, those which my local library possessed). I was surprised, but delighted, to discover how complex a character Burroughs' ape-man actually was. I soon goy irritated with the vast majority of Tarzan movies who portrayed as a buffoon who spoke in pidgin English. Somewhere in the 80s, I drifted away from Tarzan. I suspect the fact there had only be two Tarzan films, the bubblegum Tarzan, the Ape-Man and the turgid Legend of Greystoke, had something to do with it. So in early 1997, I was in my LCS when the cover of Tarzan #8 caught my eye. Something about it intrigued me, so I bought it. Once I started reading, I was hooked. This was Tarzan done right: the mixture of nobleman and savage I had loved from Burroughs. I kept buying the series, and bought the back issues I had missed. It refueled my interest in Tarzan, which is how I discovered the DC Tarzan. And that's why this slot goes to the Dark Horse series. DC's version is something I discovered as an adult and love as an adult. But it was the Dark Horse series that brought me back to beloved character I had drifted away from.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
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Post by Confessor on Dec 23, 2018 1:58:45 GMT -5
Get well soon, Kurt. Having cold or flu over the festive period sucks!
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
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Post by Confessor on Dec 23, 2018 1:59:38 GMT -5
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volumes 1 & 2 (DC, 1999-2003)  The first two volumes of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen are the real meat of the matter, as far as I'm concerned. In these initial instalments, that magical, grizzled master of comic book literature, Alan Moore, along with artist Kevin O'Neill, bring together a team of heroes from Victorian era fiction, including such iconic characters as Alan Quatermain from King Solomon's Mines; Dr. Jekyll/Edward Hyde from The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde; Hawley Griffin from The Invisible Man; Captain Nemo from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea; and a vampiric Mina Harker from Dracula. Together these heroes face a number of strange and surreal threats, culminating in a fantastic recreation of The War of the Worlds in a steampunk version of Victorian London. The plots of these volumes are great, the characterisation fantastic, and the action really gripping. But what makes the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series in general – and these first two volumes, in particular – so enjoyable for me is their enthusiastic pastiche of then-contemporary fiction and social history. The depth of subtext and meta commentary found in these comics is utterly breathtaking, and has inspired other authors to publish annotated guides to the series, in order to explain the copious amounts of "Easter eggs" to be found in the dialogue – and most especially in O'Neill's artwork. Later volumes of the series, such The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century or the Nemo trilogy are enjoyable reads too, but I must admit that they left me feeling a little disappointed. I guess the bar had been set just a little too high. In these first two volumes, Moore's obsessive love for the characters, their quasi-historical setting, and the fiction of the era come through vividly on every page. O'Neill's richly illustrated panels brilliantly evoke the Victorian age and serve to complement Moore's writing, which has never been more witty, scholarly, or vibrant. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen volumes 1 and 2 are masterpieces to stand proudly alongside more celebrated works of Moore's, such as Watchmen or V for Vendetta.
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Post by coke & comics on Dec 23, 2018 2:17:02 GMT -5
3. Conan
by Kurt Busiek and Cary Nord Dark Horse, 2004-06 My somewhat late introduction to the world of Conan. I picked up the preview issue and was hooked, largely by the Howard preamble text I quoted for my Windsor-Smith entry. But also by Nord's artwork. And of course Busiek is pretty close to being my favorite writer ever. I was hooked from the moment Conan encountered the Frost Giant's daughter. I have continued to follow the Dark Horse Conan tales through ups and downs of many series and writers. Brian Wood was an odd choice, I felt. He brings a unique style in a series of series that had otherwise been deferential to Howard's style and the Conan mythos and continuity. Working with artists that did their own thing rather than follow in the footsteps of Frazetta and the like. Nonetheless, I quite liked his take on Queen of the Black Coast. And I like Fred Van Lente a lot, so was glad to see his take. But it was at its best under Busiek. And Nord. Though Busiek/Ruth almost got their own entry. I had been collecting the series in book form. I have 20 volumes, through the conclusion of Van Lente's work on Conan the Avenger. I fell behind because I'd been looking for volume 21. But the geniuses in marketing decided they'd start the trade numbering over with 1 for the final two collections. So I just ordered myself Conan the Slayer vol. 1 by Cullen Bunn. Dark Horse had a solid 15 year run. We'll see what Marvel does with the character next. 
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Post by EdoBosnar on Dec 23, 2018 3:12:56 GMT -5
Best wishes, Kurt/Cei-U, hope you get better real soon. Life EatersBy David Brin and Scott Hampton 2003, Wildstorm/DC Adapting and expanding the original 1986 story by David Brin, “Thor meets Captain America.”  This is basically an alternate history, but with magical/supernatural elements thrown in for good measure. It starts near the end of World War II, except in this timeline, just as Nazi Germany was about to lose the tide turned because the Norse pantheon (Odin, Thor and the whole jolly gang) appeared to help them out and the Allies get their butts kicked – Loki, however, defects to the Allied side. In the first part of the book, a US commando team, with Loki in tow, is deployed for a desparate covert op aimed at staging a surprise attack on Valhalla. While travelling by sub to their destination, a young Steve-Rogersesque army captain strikes up a conversation with the trickster god, during which the latter makes some cryptic comments about feeling ancient and quite young at the same time. This and a few other things he observes eventually lead the young captain to figure out how the Norse gods may have appeared in the first place, and a possible way to counter them. I won’t say any more because I think it might spoil too much of the story for anyone who hasn’t yet read it.  The second part of the book moves forward about 20 or so years into the future, and now more than just the Norse gods are in play as literally the entire world is engulfed in conflict. I have to say, though, that I prefer the first half, which is a pretty faithful adaptation of Brin’s short story “Thor meets Captain America” that was first published in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1986, and then in the short story collection The River of Time, released later that same year (it’s also available online at Brin’s own archived website). Personally, I think the way open-ended way in which original story closes is actually a better than the conclusion we get in the newer second half. Still, the whole story is really good and well worth reading, and Scott Hampton’s art is a perfect fit for it. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 23, 2018 9:26:47 GMT -5
On the Tenth Day of Christmas I you a Three-for-One deal in.... Hellboy: The Ghoul
2005 I had originally set aside this spot for Mignola's adaptation of Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula as it's a book that would definitely land itself in my all-time,top five desert island list of comics...but I realized I've talked that book up to death so I went with another favorite of mine and one that is probably lesser well known; 2005's "The Ghoul". Originally published in the fantastic Dark Horse anthology series Dark Horse Comics' Book of the Dead, this short by Mignola features our favorite big, red, paranormal investigator duking it out with a creature who has attained immortality by consuming the remains of the dead...which obviously doesn't sit well with Hellboy. And while the premise is creepy enough on it's own and Mignola's grave yard back grounds are some of his finest work what makes this story so special is the juxtaposition of scenes from Hamlet, and the fact that the Ghoul speaks entirely in poetry. While everyone knows Shakespeare's plays, how many people are familiar with the works of Thomas Warton and Robert Blair?
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Yeah, I wasn't so into 18th Century British poetry either(and it's still not my favorite), but Mignola's use of "The Pleasures of Melancholy" and "the Grave" were so fantastic that he got me to look up more by Warton and Blair.
That gateway element is for me a high mark for an adaptation, if a work makes want to seek out more in a medium you wouldn't normally look into then you know it did it's job right. |
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Post by Phil Maurice on Dec 23, 2018 10:20:00 GMT -5
3. MAD Movie Parodies - The 70s They've shown up a few times thus far and for me, the MAD movie parodies land at number three. In the mid-1970s, MAD Magazine achieved its peak circulation and, one would assume, its peak cultural influence. During this period, many of the most talked about, Oscar-worthy films were a touch too mature for one of my delicate years. The MAD parodies were one way I could remain "in the loop" without attracting condemnation from theatre-goers. My favorites were those drawn by Mort Drucker or Angelo Torres. Their likenesses were uncanny and they filled the panels with details in the "chicken fat" tradition begun by Kurtzman and Elder back in the fifties.  I remember loving MAD's skewering of Jaws, Apocalypse Now, The Deer Hunter and The Shining among many others. They were side-splittingly hilarious and followed the films just closely enough that I could get a sense of what the adults were buzzing about.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 23, 2018 12:50:38 GMT -5
On the tenth day - Atari Force - (DC '84-85)  Some of this may be nostalgia. Some may be the amazing art by Garcia-Lopez and then Ed Barretto. But I did re-read most of this semi-recently, and to my mind, it is one of the best space opera's we've seen in comics. I bought every issue off the newsstands at a time when it wasn't unusual to not be able to find every comic on any given spinner-rack. But it was well worth the hunt. I never owned an Atari...I think I only knew one person who had one when I was a kid. But his was just a great comic. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Dec 23, 2018 22:25:37 GMT -5
Fables 1-75 I am very pleased that Scott Harris did a wonderful job justifying the inclusion of Fables in this list.. it's the best surprise of a long time secret ever, and one of the very best comic runs of all time. Scott did a fantastic job with the write up so, I'll just post my favorite Bigby image for y'all to enjoy  
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Crimebuster
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Post by Crimebuster on Dec 24, 2018 2:57:11 GMT -5
I'm on the road, so no fancy images from me. Sorry. But I do have a great comic to share:
3. Sgt. Fury #72
Gary Friedrich was apparently a major film buff, as he referenced numerous films in his work. But nothing was quite as blatant and weird as his attempt to do a scene for scene, line for line adaptation of Casablanca in the pages of Sgt. Fury #72.
And with John Severin on the book it was easy to get spot on likenesses for all the film's actors.
Unfortunately, there was one little issue with Gary's idea - marvel didn't have the rights. Just before the book went to the printer, Stan got a look at it and hit the ceiling. He brought all hands on deck for a ladt second reworking, changing faces and buts of dialogue to try and avoid a lawsuit.
It worked, but the disguise job is barely effective, as the story is still very obviously an adaptation of Casablanca - and maybe the weirdest Sgt Fury issue ever.
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Post by Icctrombone on Dec 24, 2018 6:35:30 GMT -5
I'm on the road, so no fancy images from me. Sorry. But I do have a great comic to share: 3. Sgt. Fury #72 Gary Friedrich was apparently a major film buff, as he referenced numerous films in his work. But nothing was quite as blatant and weird as his attempt to do a scene for scene, line for line adaptation of Casablanca in the pages of Sgt. Fury #72. And with John Severin on the book it was easy to get spot on likenesses for all the film's actors. Unfortunately, there was one little issue with Gary's idea - marvel didn't have the rights. Just before the book went to the printer, Stan got a look at it and hit the ceiling. He brought all hands on deck for a ladt second reworking, changing faces and buts of dialogue to try and avoid a lawsuit. It worked, but the disguise job is barely effective, as the story is still very obviously an adaptation of Casablanca - and maybe the weirdest Sgt Fury issue ever. Wow, I never knew. I would love to see some scans. |
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Post by Farrar on Dec 24, 2018 13:28:42 GMT -5
#3 The Adventures of Alan Ladd National (DC), 1949 series In the late '40s/early '50s, the laconic actor with the perfect, photogenic face was one of the most popular movie stars around. Not only was he prominently showcased in movie magazines, but for a while there was also an ongoing Alan Ladd comic books, featuring "The World's top box office star in the kind of he-man roles you like him in!" The comic contained adaptations of Ladd's movies as well as original stories ("Alan Ladd, the Vacuum Cleaner Man") and text features about Ladd and Hollywood in general. Here are the covers for this series. The covers for the series' last three issues were drawn by Ruben Moreira, who also did much of the interior art. Others who worked on this series were Nick Cardy, Curt Swan, Jack Sparling, and Henry Boltinoff.  Obviously not a comic but I wanted to post this pulpy "sinful" Great Gatsby paperback cover. Ladd starred as Jay Gatsby in the movie, which premiered in July 1949; the AoAL comic series started a month or so later. 
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Post by MDG on Dec 24, 2018 17:44:03 GMT -5
3. Cool AirEerie #62, January 1975 My second Lovecraft adaptation. Not that I’m a huge Lovecraft fan, but Wrightson’s adaptation of Cool Air might be his best short story (at a time that he was doing some excellent stories for Warren), and almost definitely one of the greatest examples of an artist using Craftint duotone board. Berni does everything right here: the character designs, background details, storytelling, a gorgeously gory climax, and especially capturing the feel of a city in the middle of a heat wave.   
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 24, 2018 20:50:54 GMT -5
3. Cool AirEerie #62, January 1975 My second Lovecraft adaptation. Not that I’m a huge Lovecraft fan, but Wrightson’s adaptation of Cool Air might be his best short story (at a time that he was doing some excellent stories for Warren), and almost definitely one of the greatest examples of an artist using Craftint duotone board. Berni does everything right here: the character designs, background details, storytelling, a gorgeously gory climax, and especially capturing the feel of a city in the middle of a heat wave. This nearly made my list but I instead went with "The Outsider" |
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Post by brutalis on Dec 26, 2018 8:09:19 GMT -5
3. Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Marvel '77-79Oh no, he destroyed Tokyo, now he's on VACAY in the USA! It's the biggest G-Man of all, The thrilla 'Zilla of Manilla.....The one the only in his 1st American comic book debut: GODZILLA. And he is stomping his way across the MU appearing in the waters off the West coast, damaging the cities as he goes, resting awhile in Vegas (for the all you can eat buffet's most likely), viewing the Grand Canyon with his travel pal Yetrigar the biggest bigfoot of 'em all, going on a cattle trail drive, visiting the sewers of New York and such and never once sending anyone back in Japan a tourist card.
Here was excitement for teen Brutalis in the extreme. Having grown up with 'Zilla on Saturday television to find out that Marvel was producing a monthly comic was stupendous news. And with the lousy shipping of the day I never knew if I was going to be able to find this big boy. Believe it or not with a lot of hassle and shopping "MANY" local stores I managed to collect the entire series (amazing feat in the day when there were no LCS around) from beginning to end.
This series had everything you could want and hope for and more.
Checklist:
'Zilla!
Giant Monsters!
Giant Alien Monsters!
Giant Robot!
S.H.I.E.L.D.!
Dum Dum Dugan!
Helicarrier!
Kid loving Godzilla!
Evil Scientist!
Evil Aliens!
Cowboys!
Shrinking 'Zilla!
'Zilla vs sewer rats!
Time Travel!
Devil Dinosaur!
MU Hero's vs 'Zilla: Champions, FF, Avengers!
This is one action packed, silly at times but pound for pound giant sized fun in every page. All done up in classic Moench and Trimpe style. This is pure Saturday morning movie memories with Godzilla doing more than just making an appearance at the end of the stories. The G-Man is large and in charge and up front every gigantic step of the way. Not to be missed and a favorite for me to this day whether I read my tired old color originals or enjoying the black and white splendor of the Essential collection. Godzilla steps out of the movies into comics and hasn't stopped since! Watch where you step, that giant glowing atomic pile of "Zilla poo is dangerous!!!
And rest and get well Kurt! Tis' NOT the season for being ill. Get healthy oh great, wise and powerful one! |
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