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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 24, 2022 9:18:19 GMT -5
El Diablo 1-16. Aug. '89- Jan. 1991. Writer: Gerard Jones. Penciler: Mike Parobeck (...) I've been interested in reading this series ever since I first heard about it (in one of Greg Hatcher's old columns for CSBG). It's too bad it'll probably never get a collected edition. The way you describe it here makes it sound a bit like another 'gone too soon' series that I liked, Ragman. A little bit. What I really think makes El Diablo stand out is the setting and the use of minority characters as the focal point. It’s been so long since I’ve read Ragman that I can’t remember if it really dug into the Jewish roots. But El Diablo was 100% keyed into the Hispanic nature of the book.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Dec 24, 2022 11:24:50 GMT -5
A little bit. What I really think makes El Diablo stand out is the setting and the use of minority characters as the focal point. It’s been so long since I’ve read Ragman that I can’t remember if it really dug into the Jewish roots. But El Diablo was 100% keyed into the Hispanic nature of the book. The original 5-issue series from the 1970s had none of the mythological/supernatural elements that were tacked onto the character later.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jan 2, 2023 12:13:32 GMT -5
Marvel Universe 1-7. June 1998-Dec. 1998. Writer: Roger Stern. Artists: Steve Epting & Al Williamson; Mike Manley & Co. Seven issues (the equivalent of eight because issue #1 was double-sized) two story arcs. The first was a lost Invaders story that was essentially the secret origin of Hydra near the end of World War II. It involved Baron Strucker and a bit of time travel and one of the first super-villains in the Marvel Universe. A little bit of character-building for Sub-Mariner. The second (an more fun) arc introduces us to the Monster Hunters. Ulysses Bloodstone, Dr. Druid, Zawadi (a warrioress from Wakanda), and Jake Curtiss, an NSA agent who has had a number of previous identities. Together they deal with an outbreak of monsters from the Atlas era books including, Gorgilla, Grottu, the Molten Man-Thing and more. There's an annoying little man named (brilliantly) Harvey Elder, who would become very important later. And just a ton of fun. So was it gone too soon? Well, duh! Of course it was. And I know I'm not only one here to feel that way. This was the kind of deep dive book, like Chase, that makes a shared universe fun, instead of onerous. And Stern was absolutely the right person to write it. The perfect combination of historian and sense of humor. Stern had plans to explore all kinds of stuff from the pre-FF Marvel Universe, including The Two-Gun Kid, the Sons of Satannish, The Yellow Claw, The original Citizen V, a war on the Moon and the fall of Atlantis. Sigh. One could only wish we'd gotten that and so much more.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Jan 2, 2023 12:46:48 GMT -5
Marvel Universe 1-7. June 1998-Dec. 1998. Writer: Roger Stern. Artists: Steve Epting & Al Williamson; Mike Manley & Co. (...) Love this series so much, and yes, it was gone way too soon.
Indeed he was. And don't forget the most important planned story: the first confrontation between Dormammu and the Ancient One (probably when he was not so ancient). I think I've mentioned before that I so want to see a pre-Strange Ancient One mini- or maxi-series written by Stern...
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Post by Prince Hal on Jan 2, 2023 13:16:02 GMT -5
I love when comics drop the F-bomb.
You know the word.
F...
U...
N.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2023 13:18:37 GMT -5
I too love that series and it often makes its way into various 12 Days of Classic Comics Christmas events when it fits the topic. I think I've included it on 3 different occasions for that. (Villian team up, favorite short series-my first 12 days-and I think favorite team ups).
-M
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Post by Ricky Jackson on Jan 2, 2023 15:21:16 GMT -5
Read Marvel Universe a few months ago based on recommendations here and loved the Monster Hunters arc in particular. I've always been a fan of attempts to logically integrate the pre-FF #1 Monster-era into the greater MU
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Post by badwolf on Jan 2, 2023 18:33:03 GMT -5
Was that the first time we learnt the Mole Man's real name?
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Post by berkley on Jan 2, 2023 18:47:00 GMT -5
The artwork sampled doesn't look like what I thought was Epting's style, but perhaps I'm mixing him up with someone else? Or did he change for this series?
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Post by majestic on Jan 2, 2023 19:03:13 GMT -5
The artwork sampled doesn't look like what I thought was Epting's style, but perhaps I'm mixing him up with someone else? Or did he change for this series? the Invaders cover is by Carlos Pacheco. The interior page was inked by Al Williamson so it changed Eptings pencils somewhat. The monsters page was by Mike Manley.
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Post by majestic on Jan 2, 2023 19:05:54 GMT -5
And yes this was a great series.
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