After only one month of it, we're already up to comics cover-dated September 1977. Just what wonders can we find in the titles that would have previously fallen between the cracks of the Steve Does Comics paving slabs?
Is there anyone who doesn't love a good Marvel Treasury Edition?
And here's one that seemed to get more promotion than most, in Marvel's monthly and weekly mags.
I had the earlier Marvel Treasury that reprinted Barry Smith's Red Nails. Could this one have possibly lived up to that high standard?
Speaking of Red Sonja, I don't have a clue what that thing is she's fighting but it looks like it'd have no trouble sticking stamps on envelopes.
I remember reviewing this issue once, a long upon a time ago. I believe this is the one where Drac challenges God to kill him.
Happily for all lovers of quality comics, God fails to oblige.
Thanks to his epic awesomeness, we've talked about him before but the Human Fly makes his senses-shattering debut and, no doubt, the world of comics will never be the same again.
I might associate her with the X-Men but Deathbird actually makes her first appearance in Ms Marvel's title. It's something of a surprise to discover she first showed up so soon after the debut of her sister Lilandra.
She does, though, look oddly genteel here compared to later depictions of her.
I think we've all at some point asked the question, "Who'd win a fight between Iron Fist and the X-Men?"
Well, alright, I suspect we haven't, as the answer's fairly obvious.
But what is this? Sabretooth making his debut in last month's Iron Fist, Iron Fist meeting the X-Men this month, Deathbird making her first appearance in Ms Marvel? It seems like Chris Claremont was determined to turn all the titles he was writing into one big story.
Not that it did Iron Fist much good. I could be wrong but I think this was the last issue of his mag.
Union Jack is back - although I don't think it's the original one. It think it's his son or nephew or something. I must confess that my recall of the character and his history is a little sketchy.
The comic that saved Marvel reaches its third issue.
That issue of Iron Fist really was almost a parody of the old 'superheroes meet and immediately fight' thing. If I remember rightly it went something like this:
ReplyDeleteMisty Knight is flat=sharing with Jean Grey. Iron Fist opens the front door to Wolverine.
Wolvie: What are you doing here?!!
IF: I'm visiting my girlfriend...
Wolvie: THIS IS JEAN'S PLACE!!! yOU'RE NOT HER BOYFRIEND!!!!!
Massive fight ensues.
If only real life was like a Marvel comic. Everybody would be fighting on the flimsiest pretexts.
The Conan Treasury Edition was one of two I had as a kid (FF being the other) no idea where I got them as they weren't the sort of thing my local newsagent would stock and I have even less idea what happened to them. As a kid I remember them being absolutely huge, like old style Financial Times/have to read on a dinning table enormous. Recently got myself a copy of the FF one and was shocked to find that in my adult hands they weren't that much bigger than a normal UK comic.
ReplyDeleteIt was the whole Wagon Wheels debacle all over again.
Union Jack began his career as the super-soldier the Mighty Destroyer. He then took on his father's identity as Union Jack. There was an implication that he was gay. It's not at all overt.
ReplyDeleteThat Conan treasury was brilliant Steve.
ReplyDeleteThe cover might not have been quite up to the standard set by Barry Smith on the earlier one, but it certainly didn't disappoint inside.
Along with Smith's amazing work on the Song of the Red Sonja - without the alterations made for its original publication (because apparently treasury editions didn't have to meet the comics code) - you also got Night of the Dark God by Gil Kane inked by Neal Adams and co, and Black Colossus by the world beating team of John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala.
All eye-popping stuff now, let alone for an twelve year old in 1977.
-sean
Yours truly was just barely hanging on to comics at this point. Only bought the Invaders issue you show.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, I went to the library a few days ago and they had the hardcover Avengers/Invaders 12-part series from around 2008 on display. I checked it out. Gave me a headache. I had to put it down when the SHIELD robots started munching on the 1940s Torch to ingest his "blood" to become more "human" like the android Torch.
There is an lovely irony that as The Human Fly comic debuted the stunt career of the actual Human Fly was coming to an end at a Gloria Gaynor concert. (I'll try to find the story an tweet it later)
ReplyDeleteAlso coming in 2019 (according to IMDB) The Human Fly: The Movie. No casting details and a writing/Producing team with no track record of note so don't buy tickets just yet...
Pete, that Wolverine/Iron Fist scenario sounds excactly how I live my own life.
ReplyDeleteSean, thanks for the Conan Treasury info.
Dougie, thanks for the Union Jack info.
Timothy, it's like when you go back to a street you've not been to since you were a kid. It always seems far shorter and narrower than you remember.
Charlie, SHIELD robots are clearly a bit lacking in the intelligence department.
Aggy, I look forward to that movie with bated breath.