PART TWO OF MARVEL TALES COVER GALLERY...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Would you believe it?  I took all my Christmas decorations down yesterday and tucked them away, only to wake up today to an exterior view of a thick white blanket of snow as far as the eye can see.  It's not fair, as I'd love to have taken some photos (which I did anyway) of my decorated living-room, with the snow visible through the windows.  Ach well, maybe next year.

Anyway, experience tells me that the first post in a series usually garners far more 'hits' than subsequent ones, but never mind, I've elected to show you a few more covers of Marvel Tales issues anyway.  Same deal as last time, Crivs - if you had any of these magnificent mags back in the day, feel free to leave a comment saying which ones were your favourites and why.

Remember - this blog needs you!

Quite a jump between #26 and 100, but the latter was lying around, so I decided to include it anyway.  I just can't help but spoil you. 

MARVEL TALES COVER GALLERY (A FABULOUS FLASHBACK)...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

MARVEL TALES lasted an astounding 30 years, from issue #1 in 1964, right up to #291 in 1994.  Like MARVEL COLLECTORS' ITEM CLASSICS, it reprinted some of the earliest tales of the most popular heroes from 'The House Of Ideas'.

But, hey - you're not here to read me wittering on in my typically boring, long-winded fashion.  So why don't I just cut to the chase and show you the covers of the first 14 iconic issues?  You'd like that?  Well, I have to confess I'm a tad disappointed you never took any time to think over that proposition, but who am I to argue with all you crazy cavortin' Crivvies?

So here they are!  Any happy memories of any of them?  Then feel free to share them in the comments section.

I obtained my original copy of this issue in Blackpool in 1973 or '74

MORE PLAS, ANYONE...?

Copyright DC COMICS

Oops!  I forgot I had another couple of comics featuring Plastic Man, so just so you don't suspect I was trying to deprive you of anything, here they are.  I don't think I've yet read the above issue, even though I've owned it since it first went on sale, so I'll have to make a point of catching up with it some day soon.  You likee?

SECRET ORIGINS COVER & IMAGE GALLERY PART NINE...

Copyright DC COMICS

In retrospect, it must've seemed like a good idea to DC Comics to publish a regular mag devoted to the 'secret origins' of its heroes - even though previous attempts at such a title had been short-lived.  The difference this time was that the strips would be all new renditions as opposed to reprints of older tales in the '70s incarnation of the title (following two Specials in the '60s).

Only trouble is, most of DC's older characters are 'dead weight' and only the most serious and committed collectors would have the slightest interest in learning anything about them.  There was a reason their origins were secret, that being the characters themselves were relatively unknown or forgotten to most modern day readers of the '80s.

I'm therefore surprised the new title lasted as long as it did - a whopping 50 issues, three Annuals and one Special.  I've got them all, though whoever was supplying me with my comics back then neglected to put #29 aside for me and it took me more than a quarter of a century to eventually acquire it.  Not that I was searching for it, as I was only reminded of its absence when I took a quick look at the other issues, and that wasn't very often.

I'm therefore embarrassed to admit I haven't read the majority of this series, as most issues aren't very appealing.  Although competently drawn for the most part, the art is uninspiring in far too many instances, and the 'heroes' (a few exceptions aside) are mainly underwhelming.  They just don't 'call' to me to read them and, consequently, I haven't.

However, I have a duty to fulfil with these cover & image gallery posts - I've started so I'll finish, even though it's now been over five and a half years since I first published part one.  Trouble is, the comics are buried in a drawer of my filing cabinet, and I have to shift a pile of other mags in order to reach them to scan, which is quite a time-consuming process.

Anyway, enough excuses - here are another five issues for your personal perusal, leaving only another 20 comics to go 'til we reach the end of this series (plus three Annuals and one special).  Aren't you excited?  Well, probably not, going by the responses this series of posts receives.  However, if you can muster the energy, feel free to leave a comment in the you-know-where.

Some lovely GIL KANE art in this one

DO YOU ACCEPT PLASTIC, MAN?* (MINI COVER GALLERY)... (Updated)

(*Okay, I know I've used the post's title before, but it's a good 'un.)

Copyright DC COMICS

Well, whaddya know, this comic comes as a surprise.  It's one I gave to a pal back in the mid or late '70s (can't be more precise 'cos I don't know how long after buying it [in 1976] I gifted it to him), and which he freely gave back to me around 30-odd years later.  So why's it a surprise?  I haven't paid it much attention in the 10 years (or so) since it was returned to me, but I was browsing through it earlier and happened to read the Plastic Postcards text page, which mentions that the DC Plastic Man comic launched in 1966 lasted only 10 issues.  So the one from '76, numbered 11, was not only a first issue in its own right, it was also a continuation from the '60s mag 8 years after it was cancelled.  I don't remember knowing that back then, so it's entirely likely I didn't pay it much attention when I first bought it either.  (Or I simply forgot.)

Interestingly, the '70s 10 issue run is listed in the DC Database as volume 2, but the indicia in #11 says it's volume 4.  Barring a simple error, this is likely due to DC retroactively regarding their '60s title as volume 1 and ignoring previous volumes (of which I presume there were two) by original publishers Quality Comics, from whom DC acquired the character in 1956.  I took a look at Plas's Wikipedia page while preparing this post, but abandoned it pdq when I saw how convoluted his history was, what with the '80s Crisis On Infinite Earths, various reboots, and it being different Plastic Men from diverse Earths.  Who needs all that baggage, and just why do publishers inflict such convoluted 'continuity' onto their readers?  (You want the full story, you'll have to visit Wikipedia yourselves.)

Anyway, I'm shortly going to make myself a cuppa, relax on top of my scratcher, and read this 45 year-old comic mag, which contains some great Ramona Fradon art.  First though, I'll scan my meagre collection of Plastic Man mags (I might also have the DC Archives volume, not sure - if so, it'll have to wait 'til a later date) and publish them on the blog for your perusal, just to give you something to look at while you wait for a more worthy post on someone else's blog.  Don't deny it - I know you only come here when you've exhausted every other possibility.  (Okay, you can deny it if you want.)

KRYPTONITE COMES A CROPPER! A DEMAND CLASSIC (DEMANDED BY ME, THAT IS)...

Copyright DC COMICS

The KRYPTONITE NEVERMORE series which ran for 9 issues back in 1970/'71 in DC's The AMAZING NEW ADVENTURES Of SUPERMAN mag (starting in #233) is now rightly considered a classic.  And the fact that the story has been retold at least twice (that I know of) since then shows that I'm not just whistling through my @rse.  ("Language, Timothy!")  Nearly 22* years after the original saga, the 1992 SUPERMAN SPECIAL #1 tackled the tale again, followed around 9 years later in 2001 by SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #s 54 & 55.  It just goes to show that those who came after could recognise a good story when they saw one.

(*Based on Superman #233 going on sale around October/November '70, and the Special being published in September '92.)

Anyway, here's an image and cover gallery of the stories (or should that be story?) about Superman's sand-based nemesis, created when Kryptonite the world over was turned into harmless iron/lead/'pumice' (depending on just which version of the tale you prefer).  In fact, which version do you prefer, or are they simply different facets of the same shining diamond?  Let loose in the comments section, fellow Crivs.

And lest we forget - cast your pulsating peepers over the covers below while you're here.  (Can't have you thinking I've short-changed you, now can I?)

I might as well throw in the follow-up issue to Superman Adventures #54, as it was a two-part tale.  Ooh, scary, eh?  Incidentally, there's an intriguing revelation regarding Kryptonite's 'alleged' transformation into an inert substance, which is a nice little twist to the original version.