A PHOENIX From The ASHES? NEEDS SET ALIGHT, IS WHAT I SAY...

Will this cover be remembered in 60 years?  I doubt it!  'The Weakly story comic' would be more apt

I'd like to say something positive about The PHOENIX, I really would, but the words just won't come.  I noticed the other day that it's now on sale in WHS and browsed through an issue, but aside from a few nicely illustrated pages, I was singularly unimpressed.  One particular artist's style dominated the issue, making it look like an amateur publication for infants by infants, and even the lettering on the few good pages is, in the main, not up to snuff, with some very dodgy balloon shapes.

Wait a minute, you cry - kids love it and it's now been around for over 200 issues, so it must be doing something right.  All I can say is that when people are starving, I guess they'll eat just about anything and the same goes for what they read.  Kids are hardly spoilt for choice when it comes to weekly comic strip reading material, so the mag no doubt fills a void to certain extent, but I can't help but feel that, on the evidence of the issue I looked at, today's kids are being short-changed for their £2.99.

Wouldn't I be better just shutting up if I don't like something, instead of being negative?  I know that's what some people think, but I've got a blog to fill and you never know - perhaps if someone punctures the bubble of complacency (if not outright smugness) surrounding the periodical, it might improve.  Believe me, in the opinion of someone steeped in over half a century of comics reading and collecting, it could certainly stand improving.  When I was a kid, when it came to comics, my generation were fortunate to feast on 'steak' - today's kids snack on 'Spam'.  If only they knew, eh?

So you can say what you like, but I'll take reprints of KEN REID's and LEO BAXENDALE's magnificent art over someone like SAMIE JART's any day.  The decline continues, alas!

Now this is what I call a cover!

A LITTLE BIT OF PUSSY IS PRICELESS...

Copyright relevant owner

But then again, MOWSER the puss is always priceless when it comes to raising laughs, mirth, and merriment.  Illustrated by REG PARLETT, Mowser was one of the comedy stalwarts from LION comic, this page being from the - yup, you guessed it - LION & THUNDER Holiday Special from 1971.  As you can see, the panels have been extended in height, revealing the strip to be a reprint from an earlier weekly edition of a few years before.

What's that you say?  You thought the post's title was a little bit suggestive?  Hey, I'm as pure as the driven snow - you're writing your own jokes, you smutty-minded bunch, so don't blame me.

BLACK MAX From LION & THUNDER 1971 HOLIDAY SPECIAL...

Copyright REBELLION

One of the more bizarre strips ever to appear in UK comics was BLACK MAX, which first saw the light of day in THUNDER in 1970.  It featured BARON VON KLORR, a WWI German air ace who had a giant killer bat, with which he waged war against the British forces.  Not having read any of the strips (illustrated by ALFONSO FONT) in years, I have the impression that he at first had a battalion of bats, but I mainly recall just a single giant 'pet'.  (I really should do some research before I write these posts, eh?)  If anyone remembers, please let me know.

(Update: Having since bought Vol. 1 of the REBELLION collected edition, I see that Max had quite a number of giant bats.  Also, it was ERIC BRADBURY who illustrated the very first episode.)

I wonder if this was one of the strips that was originally produced for BLACKJACK, a proposed comic for which CURSITOR DOOM and The PILLATER PERIL were intended, before ending up in the revamped SMASH! of 1969 when Blackjack plans were abandoned?  If anyone knows, you can let me know about that as well.

In the meantime, let's read about a man who truly does have bats in his belfry.  (Hey, I'm writing this at half-three in the morning - it's the best I can do.  If you're not happy, write your own bad puns!)

    

BATMAN ANNIVERSARY ISSUES...

Images copyright DC COMICS

Going through some comics, I discovered these two BATMAN Anniversary issues - 25th and 30th.  Seeing as how I recently posted some DETECTIVE COMICS Anni-versary issues, I thought these two would nicely round off the theme.  I've doubtless got a few others, but my collection is in some disarray at the moment.

Will post more as and when I find them, Devoted Criv-ites.

  

BABE Of The DAY - LESLEY ANN WARREN...

No puns about 'warren' and 'bunny'

(you know what I'm talking about) - here's

 LESLEY ANN WARREN.  'Nuff said.

BONUS - DOUBLE DOUBLE COMICS INTERLUDE...

Images copyright DC COMICS

Whilst I try and find the time for scanning the splash pages inside my few remaining DOUBLE DOUBLE COMICS, here are the covers of some I don't have - yet.  I wonder if the same contents sometimes appeared under different covers?  Anyone know?  Spill the beans in the comments section, comics lovers!

KLASSIC KOMIC KOVERS - BATMAN'S DETECTIVE COMICS ANNIVERSARY ISSUES...

Images copyright DC COMICS

Don't you just love Anniversary issues?  I know I do!  So here are some DETECTIVE COMICS covers for you to appreciate just because they were close to hand.  Look at #572, fourth image down (not counting the one above), which came out in December 1986.  Difficult to believe I first read it 29 years ago - and it's still in the same condition as when I bought it back then.  And check out #627 - bringing things nicely full circle.

Got a favourite?  Then tell us which one, effendi!

SPOT THE CLUE WITH ZIP NOLAN...

Copyright relevant owner

I never really bought LION comic (occasional issues apart, maybe) 'til THUNDER weekly was merged with it, but I'd certainly read a few issues belonging to pals as I was aware of its most popular strips.  (ROBOT ARCHIE, The STEEL CLAW, The SPIDER, and of course, ZIP NOLAN.  (I'd better give MOWSER a mention as well, 'cos you know how temperamental he is.)

This strip appeared in the 1971 LION & THUNDER Holiday Special, but is undoubtedly a reprint from a '60s ish of Lion weekly.  Not that it matters, because if you haven't seen it before, it's new to you.  Well, can you spot the clue before it's revealed?

BABE Of The DAY - GRACE LEE WHITNEY...

GRACE, that's not what Doctor McCOY

meant when he asked you for a stool sample.

Phasers on schwiiiiiiiinnnnngggg!

PART TWO OF DOUBLE DOUBLE COMICS...

Images copyright DC COMICS & MARVEL COMICS

The reasoning behind DOUBLE DOUBLE COMICS was explained in part one, cavortin' Criv-ites, so be sure to check it out if you missed it.  I'm surprised that the idea was never used in the States, but I suppose distributors over there simply bagged three or four unsold comics and got rid of them that way.

Anyway, here's a look back at the various stories included in this particular issue of DDC.  Are they as you remember them, or did your copy have a different collection of Dynamic Classics inside?  Tell everybody all about it in the comments section after you've enjoyed these iconic images.

SUPERGIRL - ADVENTURE COMICS COVER & SPLASH PAGE GALLERY...

Images copyright DC COMICS

Y'know, for someone who claims to be a comics collector, I'm sometimes surprised by how few issues I have of some particular titles.  For example, the 5 covers you see before you are all the ADVENTURE COMICS I own - and I don't do too much better in the SUPERBOY stakes either.  I may have related this tale before, but I used to have a bit of a crush on SUPERGIRL (still do actually - do you blame me?), as did one of my pals, JOHN FIDLER, who was ROBIN to my BATMAN when we were kids.

We were sitting in the doorway of my back garden cellar one day, looking through my comics, and John pointed to Supergirl's bosom and said "I like these bits!".  I agreed, and we then decided to create a Super-potion when we grew up - not for ourselves, but to bestow on a couple of Supergirl lookalikes so that we could each have a Super girlfriend of our very own.  Ah, the innocence of youth, eh?  Or, what a pair of pillocks!  You decide.

Anyway, that's enough of embarrassing reminiscences from my boyhood, time now to enjoy these Super covers and splash pages.  Got a favourite?  Be sure to share it with your fellow Criv-ites.