Monthly Archives: February 2005

Themeless Cover Gallery (BoyC, Fury, Defenders)

Posted on February 28, 2005 by Bob

BOY COMMANDOS #7, 1944. After six issues doing interiors, Kirby is off to the army, with just covers for the next two years. A great vintage S&K cover, lots of movement, nice details on the motorcycles.

SGT. FURY #15, 1965. Dick Ayers inks. Fury and the Howlers taking care of business in Holland, in a nice dramatic cover. I don’t usually mention anything about the non-Kirby interiors of these things, but this one has a gorgeous unusual combination of Dick Ayers pencils with Steve Ditko inks.

DEFENDERS #42, 1976. Klaus Janson inks. Hulk versus the Rhino. That’s okay. I also always like the way that Kirby draws Doc Strange for some reason.

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Super Powers #2

Posted on February 27, 2005 by Bob

The series continued with Kirby doing just plotting for the interior story. He did draw the cover, as inked by Mike Royer. Pretty decent looking, although of course Kirby’s never at his best drawing other people’s designs.

The story pretty much has three of the villains sent out with enhanced powers the previous issues failing, thanks to some teamwork on behalf of the heroes, and being taken away at their moment of defeat by those mysterious tubes with the “boom” sound effect. That leaves Brainiac and his attack on Wonder Woman at Paradise Island set up on the final page for next issue. Gonzales/Marcos are still trying a bit too hard to add surface elements of Kirby’s style to their art. The writing wasn’t bad, but it had some odd references to the then-current continuity (Flash’s murder trial, Batman leaving the JLA).

Published 1984

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Black Panther #8 [1978] – Panthers or Pussycats?

Posted on February 26, 2005 by Bob

This story opens up with a flashback to a combat ritual some years ago in Wakanda, where the ruling Panther took on various challengers in hand-to-hand combat. A brilliant two-page spread highlights that battle.

Black Panther #8 [1978]

Following the flashback, we get two storylines. T’Challa is flying back to Wakanda when he rescues two men who turn out to be gangsters. They cause his helicopter to crash and T’Challa finds himself stranded in North Africa with the surviving gangster, Scarpa. Meanwhile, in Wakanda, the regent N’Gassi gathers together some other members of the royal family to battle Jakarra, now mutating to monstrous form by exposure to Vibranium. They’re all uncertain of their ability to help, but rise to the challenge when Jakarra attacks, and resolve to defeat him.

An entertaining start to the “Black Musketeers” storyline in the title. I especially like the background scenes given for T’Challa’s history.

Published 1978

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New Kirby – Marvel Weddings

Posted on February 25, 2005 by Bob

Just a quick note that MARVEL WEDDINGS came out recently. It has a reprint of FF Annual with the wedding of Reed and Sue. It’s not really a very sharp reprint (and bad print quality with Colletta inks is just a double killer) unfortunately, and most people would probably prefer to get the story in the recent MARVEL VISIONARIES STAN LEE or one of the other reprints (none of which are any better, but have better other material).

Also, more when I confirm, but I’ve heard that the recently announced MAXIMUM FANTASTIC FOUR has been pushed back to the fall.

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Marvel’s Greatest Comics #72 – The Skrull Takes a Slave

Posted on February 24, 2005 by Bob

This issue reprints FANTASTIC FOUR #90 (1969), inked by Joe Sinnott. The story opens with the wrap-up to the previous issue, where the FF have captured the Moleman in the house they’d planned to move into. Reed lets the Moleman escape, explaining that “It’s a strage paradoxical world we live in. A man can be arrested for illegal parking, but there’s actually no law against trying to conquer the planet”. Ben then goes back to town. Meanwhile, a skrull lands in the country, intent on capturing the Thing.

In town, Ben deals with some of his many fans when the skrull finds him.

Disguising himself as Reed, the skrull fools Ben into going out to his ship in the country, knocks him out and takes him as a slave for the “great games”.

A nice transition issue between major storylines. The Moleman story finishing up wasn’t that good, although it had its moments, including a few scenes this issue. The “Thing Enslaved” story that begins in here has a slow start, but would turn out to be the highlight of Kirby’s final year on the book.

The reprint is only 18 pages, knocking two out of the original. Those pages mostly dealt with the FF calling and checking in with Alicia and the as-yet-unnamed Franklin. Nice character bits, it’s a shame the reprint didn’t have room for them.

Published 1977

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