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| Copyright DC COMICS |
When you get to around my age, the things in life to which you can look forward decrease with each passing year. Sure, you can 'look forward' to increasing deafness, failing eyesight, muscular aches and pains, sagging posture, reduced mobility, mental fatigue (and, if you're really unlucky, baldness and no teeth), as well as looming death, but those are hardly prospects from which you can extract any sense of anticipatory joy. (As for myself, I still have the looks and vitality of a teenager - in an old photo somewhere.)
So what does that leave? The postman striding up to your front door with a package or two, containing some of life's treasures - comicbooks! Today's delivery included Man-Bat Vs. Batman, a 1984 Special reprinting the first three Man-Bat tales, which I already have in another couple of collections of Neal Adams' work. However, this format is better because it's an actual comicbook and less wieldy to read when resting in either of my two favourite positions - reclining on my bed with comic in hand, or perched on the porcelain with comic on my lap. (That's another aspect of old age - more visits to the toilet - if you can make it in time. The delights that lay ahead of you in your golden years, eh, readers?)
The other comic I received today was one of the latest True Believers mags, this one featuring The Black Widow. Don't be fooled by the cover of the TB, as The Inhumans strip isn't anywhere to be found inside, 'just' two Black Widow tales drawn by John Buscema, from the first two issues of the original mag. (Readers are bound to be confused when Marvel realease an Inhumans TB with the same cover.) Anyway, thought I'd share the covers and a page or three from these two pulsating publications, just to show you what you're missing - if you don't already have them that is. Can't wait to see what tomorrow's delivery is going to bring.
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| Copyright MARVEL COMICS |
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| My original issue alongside the TB comic |
21 comments:
Good to see you’re not letting old age get to you lol – we’re old BUT not we’re not that old Kid (although the ailments sadly ring a bell) . I’ll will need to pick up the Amazing Adventure (AA) True Believers issue . I really loved the AA books back in the day and have been picking up the earlier issues when I see them but I don’t have issue 1 (and a few others ). Saying that it’s pretty poor stuff not reprinting AA issue 1 as it was in the original with the Inhumans story. I have the Adams /Robbins Man-Bat collection issue form 1984 and the originals so will give it a miss but it’s a great comic.
You must've submitted your comment minutes after I went to the shops, McS, otherwise I'd have responded sooner - just back half an hour ago. Marvel might eventually get around to doing a Facsimile Edition of Amazing Adventures, but the True Believers issues featuring The Black Widow are specifically to promote a couple or so collected editions about her, hence her flying solo in the TBs. Yes the Man-Bat comic is a nice little collectable; I had the originals back in the day and never kept them for some reason. I also remember having some that Frank Robbins actually drew as well as wrote, and they were very nice as well.
Man-bat is one of those characters I grew up reading thanks to the Batman from the 30s to the 70s collection - such that I don’t remember if I had that original comic ! He got a lot of appearances in the 70s to the extent I don’t know if I got the single issues or saw him in the 80page giant reprints if you know what I mean. I enjoyed his stories but I found his whole name kind of funny. Hey let’s make a new character by just reversing the name! Man-bat! Girl-bat! Martian Hunter-man! Uh oh I think I’m giving DC free ideas...
I've got that '30s to the '70s book, PS (as well as the Superman and Shazam ones) - great book, isn't it?! I suppose he was named Man-Bat because there couldn't be two different characters in the same comic named Batman (or Bat-Man as he was originally), but obviously if Batman didn't exist, Kirk Langstrom would've almost certainly been called Bat-Man. (Although without Batman, Frank Robbins might not have been inclined to come up with Man-Bat.) Like you say, his reversed name wouldn't work with other heroes. Man-Super anyone?
Man-Bat was certainly popular at this time (or was being pushed by DC) as out of the blue they seemed to give him his own (short lived) comic. The first issue had Ditko art then I think Pablo Marcos took over which seemed a strange art switch. There were some lovely Man-Bat issues with Michael Golden art in the old DC Dollar comics.
I've got that DC Ditko first ish, McS. Gave it to a pal back in the late '70s, 30 or so years later, he gave me the same ish back. (That was about 7-odd years ago.) DC were supposed to be doing a Facsimile Edition of it, but then cancelled it, perhaps because of the Pandemic. Maybe they'll reschedule it. Have to say, Ditko's art had deteriorated by this time, so the issue wasn't that good.
I always get a laugh at that pinup of Man bat by co-creator Frank Robbins. Funny, because it's actually cover art done by Nick Cardy. Sad that only nine years after Cardy left DC, people on staff couldn't recognize his art.....
Could it have been inked by Robbins, because the woman does look a bit 'Robbinsy'?
Speaking of Frank Robbins. He's an artist I quite like yet loathe at the same time. His Batman and Shadow were quite good. His Invaders was downright horrible.
I was never a big fan of The Invaders anyway, whoever was drawing it, PS, but I liked Frank Robbins on Batman and Captain America. Don't think I saw his Shadow strips.
I love Robbins art (unless inked by Vince Coletta not a great match) imho he's seriously underrated by some folk. His work on the Shadow, Batman and Captain America were great and he did some really nice black and white work for Marvel on Dracula etc.
I don't mind Colletta's inks on Robbins, McS - I guess I'm just too easily pleased. I'll have to track down his Shadow strips - I just don't remember seeing them, but I'll know for sure when I get a look at them.
His Shadow work at the time got a lot of flak as he took over from fan favourite Mike Kaluta who had a very different style. But for me Robbins Shadow is more fitting to the era. Well worth checking some pages on the web .
I've got the first DC issue of The Shadow, plus the collected edition of Kaluta's strips, so I'll keep an eye out for a collection of Robbin's work on the character. Ta for the heads-up, McS.
I'm not a fan of Frank Robbins' art style at all, although he was a decent storyteller- I could always tell what was happening in his comics, even if I didn't particularly like how it looked.
In my opinion, he was a pretty good writer though- I think if he'd written for Marvel - maybe the Defenders or Morbius would have suited him - instead of drawn, he'd have had a better reputation among Marvelites.
Yes, as you say, he was a good visual storyteller, DS. Perhaps if he'd had an inker who ironed out his rough edges a bit, you might have liked his art better.
Philistines the lot of you Robbins was a cool artist :)
I like Robbins' art, but it was a little rough when he inked himself, McS. I still liked it, but it was always interesting to see what different inkers did with his pencils. And I've never even been to Philistinia.
I though Jack Sparling was his best inker (Invaders, Power Man, Man from Atlantis and imho the excellent Dracula live strip - see link below)) Frank Giacoia was also a favourite of mine with Robbins. I do get why some folk don't like him I was like that myself when I first saw his work but it grew on me big time as I read his work(as you say a great story teller).
http://thehorrorsofitall.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-lady-who-collected-dracula.html
I'm off to look at that link, McS, because I can't quite remember whether I've ever seen his art on Dracula. I imagine, though, that his style was well-suited to the character. I'm jumping over there right now.
Just looked - yes, it suits it very well, doesn't it?! And Robbins' art in b&w (with tones) is really something. I'm going back there to read the story now.
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