Been Reading More Than Posting

I have been reading.  I have read through my Kyle Rayner Green Lantern books.  Sat down tonight and made sure all were bagged and in order as I watched the Presidential Debate.  I seem to have some near the end missing from the box.  I have to hunt them down.  I am also in the midst of Trunk Or Treat.

That is where I coordinate the people at Church to come and sit in the parking lot with there vehicle decorated and hand out candy.  It is fun, especially for me because we have nobody coming by the house.  I get to see all the kids in costumes and dress up myself.  I have switched i think to an older costume I did one year.  I found some cardboard tubes and hope to transform them into a pipe organ.

So I might be a bit scarce on here.  I have a long lag time in-between being able to buy books from the shop.  I do have some thoughts on just where DC has been heading and how it might be better than we thought.

BDS  

Flashback Friday: Marvel Fanfare #8

            I just picked this comic up the other day.  A new store called Five Below has opened in a nearby city and it is what it claims, everything is $5 or below.  This comicbook was part of a bundle that sold for $4 and contained four comics.  I picked up the DCnU Justice League #8 in this bundle.  Some will be given as Trick or Treat treats.  I saved on cover price as this book sold for $1.50 back in 1983.  There must have just been a price increase as the inside cover has a tongue and cheek apology/explanation as to why it was increased.  Better paper seems the main selling point, also the need to pay to get top notch writers and artist.  Whatever, not my concern as it was bought as a back issue.

            The book contains two stories.  The first is a tale of the Master of the Mystic Arts.  It starts out with a man named Jim Mandarin and his love Meredith.  They are a nice couple that seems ordinary enough, even if she is painting Jim as the true Doctor Strange atop a medieval stallion.  Soon Jim is checking out a new book he bought.  He tries to do a spell and thinks nothing happens.  It becomes all too clear that he has succeeded in summoning something and it captures him and they both disappear.

            That is when Meredith heads to find Doctor Strange.  It is interesting seeing her seek out the Sanctum of Dr. Strange.  If her plight was not so serious it would almost be comical.  She does arrive and the adventure begins.  Strange, Meredith and Wong end up drawn into a different dimension where Jim is the servant of an evil force of darkness.  It is even more powerful then Dr. Strange.  Thanks to Meredith the man she loves breaks free of the Darkness and she is able to bring her painting to life.  Dr. Strange combines Jim and himself to make a dual person that can face the Darkness.

            Jim had been turned away by Dr. Strange.  After this battle he begins to reconsider his decision.  All and all this is a nice little story.

            The second story is the beginning of what we all know as The Jungle Book.  Written by Rudyard Kipling and popularized by Disney, this is a familiar tale.  Gil Kane writes and draws the tale.  It really is beautiful.  This covers the initial finding and adoption of Mowgli by the Wolf Pack.  It is cool seeing realistic animals in the roles.  The society they have created is cool as well.  This is a great back-up piece.

A cool bit of art wraps up this comicbook.  It is a Bill Sienkiewicz portfolio that includes the following; Dazzler, Doctor Strange (conjuring a vampire bunny?), Hulk, Shanna the She-Devil, and Thor.  Thor as the goofiest smile on his face and I really dislike that pic.  These are really neat, plus they ran short a few pages so we get this instead.  Still, would have been upset paying full price and having six pages of filler.

BDS

The Phantom Stranger #0

            The New 52 is a year old now and the new reality is forming.  The Phantom Stranger has always been a character of mystery in the DC Universe.  He is and has been around key moments and is very powerful, yet we are always kept wondering just who and what his purpose is in the cosmos.  The New 52 gives direction to this character.  It is an interesting and bold choice in many ways.  Unlike Marvel, DC has never shied away from writing about and using the Christian God for characterization.  In fact they are very mush a company that has acknowledged Christianity, Judaism, and Islam in their Universes.  Marvel of old acknowledged that many believed in a supreme being, but that its pantheons of gods and goddesses were not connected.  They were only superhuman beings that had been worshiped on Earth.

            Why go into all of this religious talk?  Because the identity of the Phantom Stranger has been revealed.  He is Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of the Son of God.  In the DCnU his is part of what is being termed the Trinity of Sin.  A council of Wizards passed judgment upon him and now he wears the thirty pieces of silver he was paid to betray Jesus as a necklace around his neck.  No mercy was given when he asked for it.  He is returned to the world a Stranger.  Vast powers are his to command.  He wears a robe, a simple robe of cheap cloth.  It is the robe of Jesus.  That is what his cloak is after being reshaped over the centuries.

            So the Phantom Stranger wanders the Earth, forever apart from those around him.  He is told that he will be called upon to aid those that will serve good.  We get to see his first assignment that has been thousands of years in the waiting.  It is the Stranger that aids in the events that lead to the creation of the Spectre.  Not sure if it is the main DCnU Earth, or Earth 2 where this is all happening.  It will be interesting to see which it happens on.  The kicker for the Phantom Stranger is that his help will always require him to betray those he helps.  A constant reminder as to why he wanders the Earth.

            It is a brave twist and I like how they are approaching this Trinity of Sin thing.  I forget who the Question was before, but he is one part of this group and Pandora is the other.  I have a feeling that Captain Marvel will be involved in the overall story.  I hope all the Phantom Stranger issues are as good as this one was to me.

BDS

Flashback Friday: Flash #29 (1989)

My comicbook addiction (as my buddy Chris terms our mutual affliction) is all my cousin's fault.  She gave me hand-me-down comics from her son.  I marveled at the Thing and read with vigor the exploits of garishly clad heroes.  This issue of FLASH is one of this books I was given.  Back then I probably thought it was my namesake Barry Allen in the costume.  Really this is a Wally West story.  It also is my very first exposure to The Phantom Lady.

This is the humorous side of comics.  Wally starts the book in a messy room in bed.  It also is how he ends the story.  He uses his JLI tele-transpoter for a bit of a vacation.  He thinks he is in Paris, but really ends up in Lisbon, Portugal.  In a hurry he heads for Casablanca.  Instead of Rick's, Flash ends up at Dick's All American Diner.  It is apparently Spies eat for a discount night.  That is a set up for a great assassination tale.

The villains are Merlyn and Syonide.  Each has a target.  The targets are together.  The Phantom Lady has a little elderly scientist that is defecting.  When you find out what he does and the twist ending involving an Estonian Secret Police Agent you will laugh.  Flash is outstanding as a hero here and just rocks the casaba.

All in all this is a great single issue read.  It provides two outstanding adventurers that have a great adventure.  Wally seems both goofy and smart here.  It is a nice style for a hero.  He exudes the hero we want while staying fun.  That is the best way to leave this Flashback Friday, just saying this is a fun read.

BDS

Flashback Friday: Sleepwalker #5 & #6

      This Friday we look at one of the weirdest characters from Marvel Comics Group ever.  It was early 1991 and someone thought up a character named Sleepwalker.  I have these issues because they were a part of two different "3 for a Buck" bagged comicbooks at a local just a dollar store.  I wanted the other books you could see and got these as part of the bargain.  This creepy guy was only able to appear when his host was asleep.  I I know is the guy.s name, Rick Sheridan, and that he had a dog named Rambo.  Sleepwalker apparently would seek out evil and fight it.

     In the 90's the deal was that a non-mutant book had the required appearance by Spider-Man within the first seven issues.  Mutant books it was a Wolverine appearance.  So, this is the time for Spidey to team up with Sleepwalker.  It is at first the standard fight because we don't understand who were are plot.  It has the major mob wannabe Crimewave.  By the time we get into part two of the story in Issue #6 we will have the Kingpin making an appearance.  It is a good story and has an added heavy dose of Spider-Man snark.

     Sleepwalker has some interesting powers.  He has a sort of telekinetic eye beam power.  He even sews a faux Spidey suit to use as a misdirection near the end of the tale.  Spidey getting constantly blown up, dropped in the river, shot at, or knocked out adds a flavor of humor that just highlights how wacky Sleepwalker is in terms of a superhero.  There is a good deal of action in the book as well.

     This is a great two part story that holds up as a stand alone tale for those who love Spider-Man.  One thing that the creators did well was use the Spider-Man team up to have a hook that might gain some new readers.  The last part of the story has Sleepwalker returning to the apartment of his host and finding an empty bed.  This was a great way to make the most of possible readers that bought the book because Spidey was in it.  They have a way to try and keep these people.  It also was good because at the time the back issues were probably easy to find.  Sleepwalker is one you see around in long boxes at cons and flea markets.  Those that like the odd books might want to seek them out.

BDS

Comicbook Rescue Project: Ultraforce Spider-Man #1B

     I forgot to list this one when I wrote my big Comicbook Rescue Project (CRP) post.  It was in the Living Room where I had laid it down after reading the book.  I have been picking up back issues of Malibu Comics of late as those who read this blog know through the Mantra Mondays posts.  So I saw this one and bought it while at the Flea Market.

     Before I discuss this title I need to make sure you understand that Spider-Man is the Clone Ben Riley and the Green Goblin is whoever that was back then that had taken the mantle and used it as a Good Guy.  So this is not the time period I was loving Spidey in this book.  I also need to get this out of the way.  Spidey's webbing ignores the laws of physics in here as well when it flies down a wall and then makes a 90 degree turn.  What is that about?

     The plot is that a group of some creepy aliens are trying to instigate a war between the two worlds.  A future Prime comes back and convinces Ghoul that he will be dissected and tortured as many itty bitty pieces.  Oh, and Ultraforce has a traitor.  The individual that will kill every Ultra is this new Green Goblin.  Makes no sense I know, but it is what they used as a plot device.  Soon Ultraforce is heading to Marvel Earth to kill the Green Goblin.  Fights occur, misunderstandings explained, team ups, and the distrust is still brewing.  Mucho action to be read in the book.  Especially once you suspend disbelief and just read it as an adventure.

     Not really an ending.  This book had to be part of others that like it probably ended with a  "The End?" tag.  This was all part of Marvel throwing a bone to Malibu fans before just jettisoning the entire line.  I forgot to mention.  The Avengers Black Knight is a member of Ultraforce.  Kooky stuff when Marvel tried to fold these characters into their Universe.  Nice read, but it was not really worth the $3.95 it cost back in the day.

BDS

Comicbook Rescue Project

      A Blog or so back I used to have a series called THE COMICBOOK RESCUE PROJECT.  The forces that meant me harm both personally and professionally caused the Blog to be buried.  It was sad as the series was one of the fun things I wrote about.  Basically, this was where I told of those books I rescued from Flea Markets and Yard Sales.  Some of these books are not in well kept conditions.  Many are carted from place to place and subjected to all types of weather and are close to being caused to deteriorate because of lack of care.  It is a sacred duty (I say with tongue firmly in cheek) to pull these lost gems from the jaws of demise.  I make no claim that these are books those that attempt to make money from buying and selling would want or buy.  Sometimes they are in a banged up shape.  Still, they deserve to be rescued.  What follows are the books I purchased during the Labor Day Saturday trip to the Hillsville, Va. Flea Market.

Marvel Tales Starring Spider-Man and Red Sonja #208

Spider-Man Unlimited #2 (Maximum Carnage Conclusion)

the Brave and the Bold Starring Batman and Zatanna Vol. 26 #169

Green Lantern

#75

#79

#131

#134

#136

#141

Green Lantern Our Worlds At War #1

Young Justice

#2

#3

Spider-Woman #3 (1978)

Iron Man

#130

#155

#158

#159

#160

The Mighty Thor #353 (The Finale of the Surtur Saga)

Marvel-Two-In-One The Thing and Moon Knight #52

The Official Batman & Superman Adventures World's Finest (paid $1)

Daredevil:  Guardian Devil  TradePaperBack  (paid $5)

BDS