What do you think about Gilbert Shelton, the creator and guiding hand behind our latest reason?!

Why, he's as near as comics have come to producing a natural comedic genius of the same stature as a Chaplin or a Tati. He is truly one of the greatest and most sublimely funny talents that the comic medium has to offer."

1/10/2008

273. The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.

They haven't matured at all since Woodstock. They don't get much love from traditional Green Lantern and/or Ghost World comic fans. They're unkempt, unpolite, unmotivated and, in one case...

almost miraculously unintelligent. They spend most of their time smoking dope, scoring dope or engaging in hair-brained get rich quick schemes so they can engage in one of the above.
In fact, the only member of the group who seems to be even remotely competent has four legs and fleas.

Although Fat Freddy's Cat generally has better things to do than hang around with his owner. His adventures generally appeared in a short gag strip underneath the main story, but he proved so popular he headlined six issues of his own book.

So. Why do the adventures of Phineas Freakears, Freewheelin' Franklin, and Fat Freddy remain in print loooong after the glory days of love beads and tie-dye?

Well, heck, let's take a look.

(Click to Bigamatize.)

For one thing Shelton (and art assistants Dave Sheridan and Paul Mavrides) are genuinely great cartoonists. Check the fourth panel of the last strip. In one panel, Shelton (A) defines setting, (B) tells us something about the characters, (C) moves the plot forward, and (D) keeps the action perfectly clear and easy to follow. In ONE PANEL. In this age of decompression that feels like a minor miracle.

But there's more than that. I think it's the Freak's cheerful mixture of IN and EX clusiveness that's allowed them to prosper. See, Shelton's clearly familiar with the inner workings of hippie/drug culture, and he incorporates a nicely anarchic spirit into the proceedings... The only people more lazy, stupid, and corrupt than the Freaks are the authorities.

On the other, well, there's not a shred of nostalgia or romance in these strips. The Freaks ARE lazy, stupid, and corrupt, and nine times outta ten the strips end in much the same vein as Gary Larson's the Far Side with SOMEBODY about to get it... Generally the Freaks themselves. So whether you're laughing WITH the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers or laugh AT the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers... Or a queasy mix of both... the end result is pretty damn funny.

For more, check out the Toonopedia, or the Freaknet gallery, or peruse the Cover Gallery.

18 Comments

• At January 20, 2008, JacobZC wrote:

  I love the Freak Brothers, there's a great Neil Gaiman quote somewhere about having to be extra careful with your ...

• At January 20, 2008, MarkAndrew wrote:

  *Googles*

  Neil Gaiman

  "Freak Brothers comics have a tendency to vanish just like biros and railway tickets. No, really, have you checked ...

• At January 20, 2008, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  JacobZC: You stole from your mum!?!

  You bu$t@rd!!

  ...

• At January 20, 2008, Johnny Bacardi wrote:

  Some of the best times I ever had were reading Freak Bros. comics while st...

  Uh, I sure loved those Freak ...

• At January 20, 2008, "O" the Humanatee! wrote:

  Hey, if we're going to sing the praises of Gilbert Shelton, let's not forget Wonder Wart-hog, one of the finest ...

• At January 20, 2008, MarkAndrew wrote:

  Credit is also due to the late Dave Sheridan and Paul Mavrides, who’ve been collaborating on art with Shelton since ...

• At January 20, 2008, Michael F. wrote:

  There's at least one panel of "Fat Freddys Cat" that leaves me breathless every time:

  "That's the funniest looking duck I ...

• At January 23, 2008, fourthworlder wrote:

  I have no idea which part was by Shelton and which by Sheridan or Mavrides, but their contribution was obviously ...

• At January 24, 2008, Johnny Bacardi wrote:

  Child sexual abuse?!? Say what now?

• At January 28, 2008, DanCJ wrote:

  I do remember a little bit in the Little Orphan Amphetamine one-pager, but that's all I can think of.

• At February 16, 2008, fourth worlder wrote:

  OK, I guess the girls were almost legal, but child abuse is child abuse. I seem to recall a lot ...

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• At March 9, 2009, rick wrote:

  I have been a fan for over 20 years. and I hope one day too pass my collection down too ...

320. The Five Fists of Science

321. It Rhymes with Lust

322. Joe Casey

336. Global Frequency

339. The Nightly News

More of these Monday. Maybe a special treat tomorrow. Stay tuned.

5 Comments

• At January 5, 2008, Tomer wrote:

  Yay Nightly News!

• At January 5, 2008, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  Amen, Tomer!

  I'm really not sure I did that book justice in the write-up.

  Oh well.

  Buy it anyway, people!

• At January 7, 2008, acespot wrote:

  RICHARD STARKINGS!!!

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• At August 27, 2008, gioco poker gratis olin wrote:

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307. John Campbell

308. Livewires

314. Sean Phillips

315. Invincible

316. Transmission-X

More tomorrow!

13 Comments

• At January 3, 2008, Anonymous wrote:

  How about 365 varieties? You know, like Heinz sauces (ketchups)?

• At January 3, 2008, acespot wrote:

  Richard Starkings. RICHARD STARKINGS!!!

• At January 3, 2008, Jason wrote:

  Any room for Evan Dorkin? C'mon, you can't say no to the guy behind Milk & Cheese, among other properties.

• At January 3, 2008, Jason wrote:

  And while I'm thinking about it, there's Gail Simone. I know that CSBG didn't start under CBR, but she went ...

• At January 4, 2008, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  All good calls, folks.

  Send your write-ups to Bill, and he'll post 'em!

  Or send your suggestions, and he'll write 'em!

  Or I'll ...

• At January 5, 2008, Jason wrote:

  What are the e-mail addresses? Since I've provided mine, you can e-mail those to me.

• At January 5, 2008, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  Jason, you can grab Bill's email address here.

• At January 7, 2008, acespot wrote:

  I think Greg should write the entry on Richard Starkings. The man sends all his comics to Greg for ...

• At January 7, 2008, Brian Cronin wrote:

  I think Greg should write the entry on Richard Starkings. The man sends all his comics to Greg for free, ...

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(logo by Wolden)

Well, here we are. The grand finale of this little column. Well, sorta. The archives aren't all filled in yet. But don't worry! They will be shortly! Anyway, it's been real, folks, and I thank you for being here. So what did I choose for the final Reason?

Some people say this is the final word on comics. Might as well make it the final Reason.

12/31/07

365. Watchmen

Who archives the archive?

Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen is the finest graphic novel in the history of the medium. It's highly touted, but rightfully so; it really is that good.

Author John Gardner spoke of the "vivid and continuous dream" authors needed to produce in order for their work to hold true power. It is very much my belief that Moore achieves this, sucking the reader into the world he creates. It's incredibly well thought out, every character is fully realized, and it unfolds wonderfully, as all the disparate elements are brought together, as in a true novel. No doubt about it; Watchmen is visual literature.

Explaining the plot of Watchmen doesn't make it sound as grand as it truly is. "An old superhero turns up dead and it leads to a conspiracy of sorts, etc." Yes, that happens, but Watchmen is on an entirely different level from that. It's the story of superheroes past their prime, how they live their lives, and how they've impacted society. It's also about the human experience, morality, coincidence, the confluence of events, pirates, timekeeping, naked blue guys, and more, of course. With Moore, there's always more. Heh.

The characters are superbly fleshed out, and I mean that for everyone from Rorschach to Bernie the newsstand guy. As Watchmen was an attempt to bring superheroes into the real world and deconstruct the concept, back when that idea was new, the characters become truly real. The relationship between Dan Dreiberg ("Nite-Owl II") and Laurie Juspeczyk ("Silk Spectre") plays out beautifully. Rorschach is revealed as a deeply disturbed individual, but he's really the hero of the piece. The nigh-omnipotent Dr. Manhattan, the only character in the book with superpowers, as I've discussed before, has to learn how to appreciate humanity again. Adrian Veidt ("Ozymandias"), dedicated to his purpose, sees his plans out to the end. Even the Comedian, who's dead as the story opens, has a character arc. Everybody gets one, from Rorschach's psychiatrist to Laurie's mom, the original Silk Spectre, to poor old Moloch. It's a terrific work of characterization. I'm quite glad that Moore or editorial or someone changed it from being the Charlton characters; I don't think he would've gotten away with this kind of thing, in the end.

Dave Gibbons' art is splendid. Yes, I think that's the best choice of adjective. It's excellently structured and layered. Moore keeps him to a nine-panel grid most of the time, and the pages are dense, and rife with information both verbal and visual, but they're never crowded, thanks to Gibbons' skill. His style is beautifully fluid and perfect for capturing the human spirit so embedded into the narrative. And man, that symmetrical chapter...! Amazing.

I know I've shared this scene with you before, but I've got to do it again. It's the most beautiful moment in all of comics:

Ahh, that gets me every time.

I'm sure I could go on and on about the book, but I'll spare you. If you haven't read it, for God's sake, do so! If you have read it, pick it up and read it again. It's the type of work that encourages and rewards multiple readings, and I pick up new threads every time. Watchmen is surely the most brilliant achievement in comics, and I'm very thankful for it. I would go so far as to say it's... prepare yourselves... awesome.

Also, they're, like, making a movie or something. I wonder how that's going to go; I maintain the book's unfilmable. I suppose we'll see. You can read more about the upcoming film and the graphic novel itself at this website. There are also two sets of annotations, a reconstruction of the Black Freighter comic-within-a-comic, and the ever-present Wiki.

Thanks for joining me on this wacky yearlong look at what makes comics worth loving. I've enjoyed your company. One year could not contain all the greatness within the medium! If you're jonesing for more Reasons, remember, there are still some retroactive ones to come, and those will appear in the archive. I'll also put up a post or two listing them all out for you in due time. Plus, you can expect an epilogue post at some point.

Until then, my friends, I bid you adieu. Happy New Year.

28 Comments

• At December 31, 2007, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  A theme song and a logo?

  Once the writer's strike ends, you're primed for a sitcom, my friend!

  Also: good call on ...

• At December 31, 2007, Tom Russell wrote:

  Good choice, though I was kind of hoping for "Secret Identities".

• At December 31, 2007, Randy wrote:

  great final choice. no better way to end 365 reasns to love comics. You will be missed.

• At December 31, 2007, Mullon wrote:

  I thought it would be Batman.

• At December 31, 2007, Da Fug wrote:

  YAY! Thanks for your posts, Bill. Congratulations on getting to the end even though it may not have ...

• At December 31, 2007, J. Marcus Xavier wrote:

  Nice choice. Though I must admit I'm not a big comics fan myself, I've heard about this one and it ...

• At December 31, 2007, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  Watchmen.

  To one and all, a fond good night...

  A-men.

• At January 1, 2008, Rohan Williams wrote:

  Nice work, Bill. Thanks for all your work on these Reasons throughout the year!

• At January 1, 2008, Sleestak wrote:

  I was STUNNED when I first read Watchmen back in the day. And "stunned" is the best word I can ...

• At January 1, 2008, Brian Cronin wrote:

  Well done, Bill.

  Congrats!

• At January 1, 2008, Kai wrote:

  Thanks for the column Bill! It's introduced me to a lot of great stuff I'd not heard of before and ...

• At January 1, 2008, Stephane Bura wrote:

  Thanks for the column, Bill, and for pointing out even more reasons to love comics than I had.

• At January 1, 2008, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  I'm not too sure that the book is completely unfilmable.

  Providing one makes allowances for the transition from book (art) form ...

• At January 1, 2008, Rebis wrote:

  Ahhh Watchmen. Yes, a perfect ending to 365 Reasons. (Also: Very sweet logo! Which you could use if you extrapolate ...

• At January 1, 2008, dhole wrote:

  I want to share in the thank yous for a very pleasant column. And Watchmen is a great send-off.

  I re-read ...

• At January 1, 2008, Evan Waters wrote:

  A great finish to a great column. It's good to have a regular reminder of why the medium is so ...

• At January 1, 2008, layne wrote:

  Great work, Bill. Thanks so much!

• At January 1, 2008, km wrote:

  Bill, this column will surely go down as one of the great achievements in the history of blogging. Thanks, ano ...

• At January 2, 2008, J to the AAP wrote:

  Cheers Bill, happy new year!

• At January 2, 2008, Mongoose wrote:

  Happy new year! I've really enjoyed this column, it's been entertaining and enlightened me to how many good comics are ...

• At January 2, 2008, chris w. wrote:

  And 20+ years later, it's still the very best the medium has to offer. I find that very sad.

• At January 2, 2008, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  I find it even sadder that BIG NUMBERS still remains uncompleted 17 years after its last appearance. :-(

• At January 2, 2008, Doug Atkinson wrote:

  It's probably a small thing to most people, but: Thank you for linking to my version of the annotations (the ...

• At January 2, 2008, fanboy d wrote:

  this better be back entitled '365 MORE reasons...' or, 'The New 365 reasons...' or, 'The Young 365 reasons...'

• At January 2, 2008, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  this better be back entitled ‘365 MORE reasons…’ or, ‘The New 365 reasons…’ or, ‘The Young 365 reasons…’

  I can ...

• At January 2, 2008, chris w. wrote:

  Wow, I actually remember Big Numbers... vaguely.

  Good one!!

  (BTW, in case anyone thinks my earlier comment was a slam on ...

• At January 3, 2008, DanCJ wrote:

  How often does a true classic work of fiction come along? Depending on how high you set your standards ...

• At January 4, 2008, Gonger wrote:

  I've always thought HBO should ('ve) do (done) the Watchmen mini-series.

  And I hope (hoping beyond hope, really) the movie ...

Today, however, I turn on the wayback machine to propel us back, back in time, to the strange, delirious days of... 1993! Wait, no, that can't be right. It must be...

12/30/07

364. 1963

...1963! Image's kooky six-issue pastiche of classic 60s Marvel was the brainchild of the bearded one himself, Alan Moore! Surprising, I know, but true. He teamed up with a bunch of his ridiculously talented friends for this project-- friends like Rick Veitch, Dave Gibbons, Steve Bissette, Chester Brown, John Totleben, Jim Valentino, John Workman, Don Simpson, and more! The series served as both a loving look and a biting satire on '60s comics and culture.

The titles included Mystery Incorporated, No One Escapes... the Fury, Tales of the Uncanny (featuring USA, the Ultimate Secret Agent, and Hypernaut), Tales from Beyond (with N-Man and Johnny Beyond), Horus, Lord of Light, and the Tomorrow Syndicate. The main characters served as plays on the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Dr. Strange, Thor, and the Avengers, with numerous other touches thrown in as well. On their own, the 1963 books stand as excellent comics. They even come complete with throwback touches like editorial captions to past issues, bulletin pages, letters pages, and cheesy ads ("Shamed by you English?", Soil-Monkeys, and numerous Commie-bashing items). The issues serve as brilliant tongue-in-cheek packages. They're also the complete antithesis to everything else Image was publishing at the time.

I picked up several of these books right around when they originally debuted, but it's taken me until this year to finally complete the set. And boy, these are great works-- fantastic throwbacks to a different time, but still telling super-compressed, exciting action/adventure stories. Moore's able to laugh at old-timey comics and old-timey ways of thinking and still appreciate the storytelling value of these classic comics. It's kinda like a Friar's Roast to the age of Lee, Kirby, Ditko, Heck, and all the rest-- it serves as a tribute to them while mocking them at the same time. And it's all done brilliantly in-character. And oh, what characters! Crystal Man! Neon Queen! Kid Dynamo! The Planet! The Fury! The Voidoid! Red-Brain! Infra-Man! I can go on. These things are marvelous (pun lovingly intended). The stories bring across themes of conflict and travel between eras, cultures, and worlds.

However, the experiment never truly ended. It was meant to wrap up in a final one-shot drawn by Jim Lee and featuring a crossover between the characters of 1963 and the popular Image characters of 1993! In the end, it didn't materialize, so it stands as an unfinished work. What is finished, however, was a stunning trip back to a bygone era, flawlessly produced as a product from that era. Pick 'em up if you haven't; they'll never see collection. For evidence of just how glorious and '60s-y they were, check out the pages I've provided for you-- one from each story.

When I was a younger lad, I didn't quite understand that these books were crazy one-shots. I thought I'd stumbled upon actual relics from a long-lost company or something! I really wanted to seek out all the old stories referred to within 1963's pages! Of course, I did cotton on to the fact that it was all a gag, but the comics held enough power to convince me otherwise, even for just a short duration.

These books have to be read to be believed; summary can't do them justice. For more on the dimension-jumping, Commie-smashing, rip-roarin' madness of 1963, however, then check out these annotations, read this look back (complete with in-character interviews by the creators), and check out Greg Burgas' own Comics You Should Own column on the series. You can also read more thoughts on 1963, as well as the fake ads within the issues, here.

20 Comments

• At December 30, 2007, Dan K wrote:

  Excellent reason to love comics. Hope you've got somthing good lined up for the final day!

• At December 30, 2007, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  Is there a collection of these available?

  They look incredibly good.

• At December 30, 2007, Matt Bird wrote:

  Why won't they be collected?

• At December 30, 2007, Randy wrote:

  Its not collected because they never ended it with the 80 page giant. But if you go to mycomicshop.com you ...

• At December 30, 2007, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  Is there a collection of these available?

  Clearly, I missed this paragraph:

  However, the experiment never truly ended. It was meant to ...

• At December 30, 2007, Bill Reed wrote:

  Why won’t they be collected?

  Alan Moore broke ties with the Image gang, I believe. A character or two owned by ...

• At December 30, 2007, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  "Why can't we all get along with Alan Moore?!?" (with apologies to Rodney King)

  He left DC over the WATCHMEN royalties.

  He ...

• At December 30, 2007, DubipR wrote:

  Three years ago I bought all 6 issues for 50 cents each. They're so freaking brilliant and fun to ...

• At December 30, 2007, Anthony Strand wrote:

  Didn't Moore have some type of falling out with Marvel over Captain Britain, way back in the day?

  Anyway, I love ...

• At December 30, 2007, Mark wrote:

  Isn't Moore mad at Marvel over having to change the name of Marvelman to Miracleman?

• At December 31, 2007, Denn wrote:

  I believe the Marvel feud goes something like this:

  Marvel: Change Marvelmans name.

  Moore: Ok but fuck you guys forever.

  Years pass...

  Quesada: We ...

• At December 31, 2007, jazzbo wrote:

  I passed this over for so long because it was early-90s Image. Finally, while working in a used book store, ...

• At December 31, 2007, Dan K wrote:

  Don't forget the episode of the Marvel Brand Douche.

• At December 31, 2007, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  Wonder how the Miracleman reprints is going to happen once the lawsuit is over?

  Will Marvel call it "Marvelman" or "Miracleman"?

  Last ...

• At December 31, 2007, Apodaca wrote:

  Will Marvel call it “Marvelman” or “Miracleman”?

  Marvicle Manmirel.

• At December 31, 2007, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  Marvicle Manmirel.

  That was funny. ;-)

• At December 31, 2007, Jack Norris wrote:

  Some while back, someone online was ranting some blither about the tone of this being "mean spirited", particularly the spoof ...

• At January 2, 2008, FunkyGreenJerusalem wrote:

  Some while back, someone online was ranting some blither about the tone of this being “mean spirited”, particularly the spoof ...

• At January 2, 2008, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  I think John Byrne is making his comeback this year.

• At January 2, 2008, DanCJ wrote:

  I thought the Alan Moore/Marvel feud was over them reprinting Captain Britain somewhere without Moore's permission or without paying him ...

12/29/07

363. James Jean

I think it's safe to proclaim James Jean as the finest comics cover artist of right now; after all, he's won several Eisners for his work. Whether with pencil-and-Photoshop or paints, all of his work is stunningly beautiful, and gorgeously evocative. For Fables, his classic, storybook-style art flows and dances on the page, tantalizing the reader. I particularly enjoy his constant experimentation with the logo. His art is nothing short of stunning and magnificent, and I hope he continues to grace the covers of fine periodical funnybooks for ages to come.

Of course, the art speaks for itself, and it's what you came here for, isn't it? Ask and ye shall receive:

More from James Jean can be found at his current site, Process Recess, as well as JJeanius, a lovely collection of Jean artworks, from which I borrowed several images for today's post (hope that's okay). If you've got the cash, invest in some fine James Jean original art! It's the absolute best for comic book aesthetes.

8 Comments

• At December 29, 2007, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  "The finest cover artist of right now" is maybe a little lofty, but he's definitely in the top five. Hell, ...

• At December 29, 2007, Anthony Strand wrote:

  Yeah, he's great. His cover for #1 actually convinced me to read The Umbrella Academy. And I'm glad I did. ...

• At December 29, 2007, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  What about Glen Fabry of Preacher?

  What about Dave Johnson of 100 Bullets?

  What about Dave McKean of Sandman?

  Do they not deserve ...

• At December 30, 2007, Elio M. García, Jr. wrote:

  James Jean is indeed a marvel.

  Tom,

  Sandman and Preacher aren't being published, so the (excellent) covers McKean and Fabry produced for ...

• At December 30, 2007, Apodaca wrote:

  Maybe it's just because he's been doing Fables covers for so long now, but there's something weird about seeing his ...

• At December 30, 2007, DubipR wrote:

  Excellent choice

• At December 30, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics Archive wrote:

  [...] 363. James Jean [...]

• At January 2, 2008, DanCJ wrote:

  James Jean's Fables covers are truely sublime - which makes the fact that his covers for the War Drums/Games TPBs ...

12/28/07

362. The Heckler

The Heckler is another masterpiece from Keith Giffen, re-teaming with his Legion scripters, Tom and Mary Bierbaum. It's one of the best comics of all time, and it's also one of the most unappreciated. Canceled after only six issues, the title and lead character have fallen into limbo, but I remember it as one of the smartest funnybooks DC ever put out.

The lead character was everyday normal joe Stu Mosely, owner of a small restaurant named "Eats." However, he also masqueraded as the Heckler, a wacky, wise-cracking crimefighter who turned out to be the least wacky character in his own comic. The series took place in Delta City, which I can only guess is the strangest fictional town in the DC Universe (Giffen's Vext, another axed-after-number-six series, also took place there; I've got to track it down one day). Giffen and the Bierbaums introduced us to dozens upon dozens of Delta City residents, from supporting players to throwaway characters, including snooty artistic cook Mr. Francois, the sage, Elvis-esque Mr. Dude, evil crimelord Boss Glitter, and the Minx, who tracks down the men she's dated who have broken the law and shoots 'em dead.

My favorite, character, however, is probably John Doe, the Generic Man, who is a living experimentation with the comics form and a satire on your average super-baddie:

"I have been unexpectedly shot in the head and fatally wounded" is one of the greatest lines of all time.

As you can see, the book's quite dense. Giffen consistently utilized the nine-panel grid, which, combined with the art style he was using in the early '90s, made the page incredibly crowded, but worth exploring. Gags abounded-- running gags, sight gags, humorous witticisms, you name it. My favorite bits probably involved the sign outside "Eats" constantly being changed to the wrong rhyming word, or the adventures of poor, unfortunate Bushwack'r, the star of the fourth issue, who constantly tried to kill the Heckler whilst the hero was on patrol. Unfortunately for Bushwack'r, his plans or equipment backfired every time, leading to a hilarious running gag involving multiple trips to the hospital.

Despite some neat in-house marketing, the book just didn't take off, and it was canceled after six terrific issues, alas. I think the character's had one cameo appearance since, which is a shame. The Heckler shall stand forever in my personal Hall of Awesome Obscure Characters Who Never Had Much of a Chance.

Here, have some more pages of the Heckler in action:

God, what a ridiculous, but awesome comic, marvelously scripted and drawn to the hilt, if that phrase even makes any sense. Not that the Heckler would care. I'm glad to have discovered this comic. Hopefully, I've encouraged some of you to dive into your local quarter bins and seek it out.

For more on the Heckler and his world, visit this incredibly detailed entry at Comic Book Profiles!

15 Comments

• At December 28, 2007, Mike wrote:

  John Doe, the Generic Man is now my new favorite comic character.

  Pure genius

• At December 28, 2007, Mark wrote:

  The first issue had a letter page (I can't remember if it was fake but it seemed so real). Someone ...

• At December 28, 2007, Brian Cronin wrote:

  I loved the Heckler.

  Great comic.

• At December 29, 2007, Black Rabbit wrote:

  I love Keith Giffen's art--his amazing body of work as a whole, but his inky, moody Munoz-inspired stuff most of ...

• At December 29, 2007, Ajit wrote:

  Mark, there actually was such a letter back in Adventure Comics 360.

  Time Burke, Flushing, NY, wrote: "I and a few ...

• At December 29, 2007, Anthony Strand wrote:

  Giffen is one of my 3 all-time favorite comics writers, and I don't own The Heckler for some reason. I ...

• At December 29, 2007, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  Heckler!

  Hell yeah!

  Can't believe I almost overlooked this entry.

  One of Giffen's many, many gems.

• At December 30, 2007, Joe S. Walker wrote:

  If the Generic Man was intended as a spoof of Steve Ditko's Objectivist comics he's actually pretty funny.

• At December 30, 2007, Jesse Farrell wrote:

  Oh, I loved Heckler. I don't think I knew (didn't remember, maybe?) that it was set in the DCU.

• At December 30, 2007, fanboy d wrote:

  i HATE it when one of the reasons is something i may never get to read. this looks amazing!

• At December 30, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics Archive wrote:

  [...] 362. The Heckler [...]

• At December 30, 2007, Mark wrote:

  Thanks Ajit! I read that and for a brief, shining moment, I felt cool.

• At January 2, 2008, DanCJ wrote:

  I've tried the first issue a few times and for some reason I can never get more than a few ...

• At October 13, 2008, Francois wrote:

  Wow, I came upon this site because The Heckler is the one comic series that keeps popping into my head ...

• At April 20, 2009, Obliterator wrote:

  The stupidity of this comic, seems like the inspired work of giffen in JLA or lobo. Absolutely awesome and sick ...

12/27/07

361. Ambush Bug

(Well, it's still the holiday season, so why not?)

Ambush Bug is a character-- and title-- that celebrates the ludicrous nature of the DC Universe and comic books in general. Created by Keith Giffen, he first appeared as a foil to Superman in DC Comics Presents, making subsequent appearances throughout the Super-titles. At last, he was gifted with his own mini-series, plotted and penciled by Giffen, scripted by Robert Loren Fleming, and inked by the great Bob Oksner. And boy, was it ridiculously brilliant.

The mini's and one-shots the Bug starred in more or less tried to have something resembling a plot, but mostly dealt in the gag trade, from one-page riffs on old humor strips to silly Who's Who fact files to guest appearances by pretty much every ridiculously obscure DC character. Heck, they even made jokes about the Green Team and Mr. A. It's a comic book nerd's wet dream and worst nightmare at the same time. Eventually, most of these solo runs completely destroyed the comics form. The name of the game was absurdism.

But oh, the characters that showed up! Cheeks, the Toy Wonder! Jonni DC, Continuity Cop! Quantis, the koala that walked like a man! Argh!Yle, Evilest of Socks! Mitsubishi, the pint-sized Japanese version of Ambush Bug! Even the creative team wasn't safe from its own mayhem-- Giffen and Fleming and even editor Julie Schwartz all got continuously roped into appearing. The fourth wall just didn't exist in Ambush Bug; it punched holes in all corners of comics.

My favorite running gag? Combat Cheeks: Frontline Medic, in the vein of old EC Comics:

I also really dig Julie Schwartz's Floating Head:

And the art? Amazing. Giffen utilized a wide variety of styles to tell the same joke over and over again (I kid, I kid); anime, Kirby, Atari, Golden Age comics, little kids' art, old advertistments-- everything. It's probably Giffen's best artistic work-- totally a tour-de-force, though more likely a tour-de-farce.

I feel like I'm doing a woeful job of explaining Ambush Bug-- but then, in its way, Ambush Bug is inexplicable. It's simply the most insane comic book ever produced, and, at times, it's a work of genius. The Bug hasn't had a starring role in quite a while, but he's made several cameos and a couple guest appearances over the last 15 years. If the rumors are true, Mr. Giffen may be returning to Ambush Bug next year! I hope so.

Yes, Virginia, there is an Ambush Bug! You can read up on his appearances at the Ambush Bug Archive and view this excellent discussion of the Bug as a postmodern metaphysical force in comics.

18 Comments

• At December 27, 2007, Eric wrote:

  I would love to read this. Any collections? All I know of the Bug is his appearance in 52 (Loved ...

• At December 27, 2007, Anthony Strand wrote:

  I own every issue of Ambush Bug, plus most of his other appearances, and I love them all to pieces. ...

• At December 27, 2007, Gonger wrote:

  Brilliant.

  There should be an omnibus.

• At December 27, 2007, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  Some sort of collection is essential.

  Make it so, DC.

  Preferably timed to coincide with that much rumored Ambush Bug revival.

  Man, ...

• At December 27, 2007, M Bloom wrote:

  Possibly Giffen's masterpiece, and considering all the amazing work the man has done, that's saying a lot. I've read most ...

• At December 27, 2007, Erik wrote:

  Julius Schwartz (RIP ) was proud and delighted to edit those comics. I have the Ambush Bug Stocking Stuffer ...

• At December 27, 2007, Apodaca wrote:

  I've never read any Ambush Bug, and I've heard so many good things about it. I'd love it if DC ...

• At December 28, 2007, Lothor wrote:

  I've nothing much clever or pertinent to add but I want to say something about how great Ambush Bug is. ...

• At December 28, 2007, E. Martin wrote:

  Incredible it may seem, but there's a heroclix Ambush Bug miniature!

• At December 28, 2007, Gonger wrote:

  Pretty cool … not a heroclix guy myself, but I'd buy the crap out of an Ambush Bug action figure. ...

• At December 28, 2007, km wrote:

  Argh!Yle, Evilest of Socks!

  No matter how many times I see that, it still causes me to swoon with utter nerdy ...

• At December 28, 2007, Gonger wrote:

  Sorry to keep posting, but AB talk gets my nipples all a twitter … if — nay, when — they ...

• At December 28, 2007, David, Salt Lake City, Utah wrote:

  I have every issue he appeared in, just got done re-reading Son of Ambush Bug a few weeks ago actually. ...

• At December 28, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics Archive wrote:

  [...] 361. Ambush Bug [...]

• At December 30, 2007, KMFPL wrote:

  Great choice!

  My favorite AB moment was when Clark Kent came into Bug's detective agency, and AB immediately saw through his ...

• At January 18, 2008, Lothor wrote:

  I said Compared to Ambush Bug, March Hare isn’t even potty trained. I meant "housebroken," not potty trained.

• At March 8, 2009, alex wrote:

  Ambush Bug was one of my favorite comic books as a kid. It flipped the comic book on its head ...

• At August 30, 2009, codlad wrote:

  Yay ambush bug! he was always a lovable loser, too, getting the crap beat out of him. I think I ...

12/26/07

360. Atomic Robo

Okay, I have to admit, I didn't expect this book to sweep me off my feet like it did. The new Little Publisher That Could, Red 5 Comics, debuted its magnificent new title, Atomic Robo, by the team of writer Brian Clevinger, artist Scott Wegener, and colorist Ronda Pattison, and lo, it took the comics interweb by storm. It's truly one of the best new books of 2007.

The eponymous Robo is a Nikola-Tesla-built Robot who has lived through the years and gone on many an adventure. In the present day, he battles bizarre menaces with the help of his Action Science League! So far, we've seen Nazis, giant ants, and roving pyramids of doom. I can't wait to see what else lies ahead. Looks like steampunk cyborg action. I'm for it!

The comic's just got a great attitude, in that it revels in being both fun and funny, and isn't afraid to poke fun at the very genre it exists in. The dialogue is often hilarious, but what really sold me on the series is the excellent character bit in the second issue as Robo remembers a friend from long ago. Marvelously done.

Of course, there's plenty of "kick 'splode!" and the art delivers it excellently. Wegener's style is crisp and clean, perfectly suited to the madcap action adventure romp. Certainly, he will go onto big things-- heck, he's already drawing issues of Punisher War Journal! Awesome.

Atomic Robo certainly impressed me, and I hope we'll see another mini in the future. Its premise, humor, and style of adventuring lead me to see it as a spiritual successor to the Amazing Screw-On Head, and where I come from, that's a high compliment. Mad ideas, big action, lovely characters, and giant insects: Atomic Robo's got everything you need.

For more on the series, visit the websites of Red 5 and what appears to be the Team Robo site at Mechapolis.

And because it's still the holiday-- from them to me to you:

16 Comments

• At December 26, 2007, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  Hell to the yes!

  It's great how Nikola Tesla has become the unsung hero of comics. First Five Fists of Science ...

• At December 26, 2007, Johnny Bacardi wrote:

  Wow, sounds interesting! So I went looking around online to see how many issues are out and where I ...

• At December 26, 2007, Bill Reed wrote:

  I think my shop's still got them all for cover price, so it probably isn't too late.

• At December 27, 2007, Anthony Strand wrote:

  I hadn't heard of this. Sounds awesome.

  Also, makes for a nice parallel to the also-awesome-sounding-and-hard-to-find "Tales from the Bully Pulpit", ...

• At December 27, 2007, John R. wrote:

  It is a completely fantastic comic. I'm a mainstream fan to the hilt, and it's the only thing I've ever ...

• At December 27, 2007, Scott wrote:

  Wow, thanks guys!

  Fear not, we're already working on Robo Vol.2 and we are also whipping up an exclusive Robo story ...

• At December 27, 2007, stealthwise wrote:

  Right on Scott, hurray for Trades!

• At December 27, 2007, Danielb wrote:

  Alright Scott can't wait to get the trade.

• At December 27, 2007, Jason wrote:

  Curious...are we going to start flooding the lines with nominations now that there are only five spots left?

  Topic: Wasn't Tesla ...

• At December 28, 2007, fanboy d wrote:

  i LOVE this book - but i missed issue 2 because no stores i went to had it! i think ...

• At December 29, 2007, Red 5 Comics » Blog Archive » Happy Holidays… Atomic Robo-Style wrote:

  [...] Oh, and thanks to CBR for including Atomic Robo as one of its 365 Reasons to Love Comics. [...]

• At December 29, 2007, Scott Wegener » Blog Archive » 365 Reasons To Love Comics wrote:

  [...] Y’know what? Comics Should Be Good. [...]

• At December 30, 2007, Mayhem Ensues » Blog Archive » links for 2007-12-30 wrote:

  [...] Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics #360 - Atomic Robo Anybody read this? It’s about ...

• At December 30, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics Archive wrote:

  [...] 360. Atomic Robo [...]

• At December 31, 2007, Johnny Bacardi wrote:

  Ah. Looks like I'll, in the parlance, "wait for the trade!" Thanks for the heads up...

• At January 2, 2008, Red 5 Comics » Blog Archive » More Red 5 Reviews wrote:

  [...] Comic Book Resources 365 Reasons to Love Comics #360 - Atomic Robo: Okay, I have to admit, I didn’t ...

12/25/07

359. Santa Claus covers

In the spirit of Christmas-- and also of laziness-- I present to you this gallery of comic covers featuring our pal Santa. The way I figure it, everyone's busy anyway, and no one wants to sit down and read a stuffy Reason. It's nice that we can all put aside our religious differences and celebrate the patron saint of consumerism. Hurrah! Or something.

Enjoy.

Now Bah, Humbug, etc. Off with you. Go have a good time.

6 Comments

• At December 25, 2007, DubipR wrote:

  Happy Holidays!

  Thanks for posting up some great St Nick stuff

• At December 25, 2007, mrjayberry wrote:

  Where is the Ultimate Warrior v. Santa pics. Not family friendly enough?

• At December 26, 2007, Colossus 2000 wrote:

  Where is the She-Hulk issue with Santa?

  And there was a Marvel Holidays Special cover with everyone jumping out of Santa's ...

• At December 26, 2007, km wrote:

  They made a Fotonovel of Santa Claus Conquers the Martians? Truly, have I now seen everything the Net has to ...

• At December 26, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics Archive wrote:

  [...] 359. Santa Claus covers [...]

• At September 8, 2009, Mary Warner wrote:

  I can't believe you left out Spectacular Spider-Man #112!

12/24/07

358. Manhunter

Back in July, I wrote a column about Walter Simonson, and mentioned I'd never read his breakthrough work, Manhunter. The man himself was gracious enough to send me a copy shortly afterward, for which I'm extremely grateful. Naturally, the comic was so good, it has ended up as a Reason.

Manhunter was a short series of back-ups by Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson for Detective Comics back in the '70s. It served as a revitalization of the Joe Simon/Jack Kirby Manhunter from the Golden Age, in which big game hunter Paul Kirk decides to hunt the most dangerous game of all-- criminals. The Goodwin/Simonson version followed Paul Kirk thirty years later, having been in suspended animation since his supposed demise in the '40s. The Council that resurrected him turns out to be evil, naturally, and they've got an army of Paul Kirk clones sent out to kill him.

The story was excellent, and included a variety of characters and angles, having Manhunter cross paths with Interpol agent Christine St. Clair, tracking Manhunter from target to target and diving further into the conspiracy surrounding Paul Kirk. The plot jumped about a lot with the use of different perspectives and multiple flashbacks in order to reveal the story. In the end, they all teamed up with Batman and kicked some butt, and the story reached a definitive end, back when complete, finished stories were quite a novelty. Paul Kirk proved to be a great character, fleshed out as a man who had everything taken away from him, even his own identity and death, and who seeks to gain everything back through one last manhunt.

Walt's art was fantastic as well, and quite different from his later work. I'd say the pencils are tighter and "tougher," in a way-- more lines, more grit. The storytelling is incredibly well done, and the page layouts-- my God! Dense, elaborate, and beautiful. These are super-compressed stories, fitting 20 pages of material into 8 or 9 page, cramming information into every available spot. It makes for a very nice page aesthetic, and also a brilliant lesson in story compression. The guys doing Slimline titles for Image could learn a lot from Manhunter-- I know I did.

Oh, and the coloring here is by the great Klaus Janson, if you can believe it.

The story ran through six back-ups and one feature-length tale and then came to an end, but the Manhunter legacy has continued on. The original story is available in a fine trade paperback collection, and I urge you to seek it out if you haven't read it. The trade also includes one final Manhunter story by Goodwin and Simonson. This one was completed after Archie Goodwin passed away, so there is no dialogue, no effort to replace the wordsmith. The plot he constructed with Walt unfolds silently, and still makes for a great tale. The story, and Walt's afterword, make a lovely tribute to the man who was Archie Goodwin.

A pair of comics professionals collaborated on a damn fine story and called it Manhunter-- and it catapulted them towards greatness. Read it.

11 Comments

• At December 24, 2007, Andrew Collins wrote:

  I've always wanted to read this story. I've heard nothing but amazing things about it, but I've sadly never found ...

• At December 24, 2007, John wrote:

  I met Walt Simonson at Heroes Con in 2001, and he's one of the nicest guys you'd ever care to ...

• At December 24, 2007, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  Tho' you've got to love Simonson's run on Thor.

  That was a definitive classic.

• At December 25, 2007, Richard wrote:

  Some of the best comics ever. Two creators at peak form.

• At December 25, 2007, Marty Yohn wrote:

  I remember reading the first reprint trade that came out almost 20 years ago. What Goodwin and Simonson did ...

• At December 26, 2007, Travis wrote:

  I have the original Detective series plus both the tpbs. Walt is the man, and Archie was one of ...

• At December 26, 2007, Greg Hatcher wrote:

  When my students ask me what MY favortie comic is, this is the one I bring in for them.

• At December 26, 2007, FunkyGreenJerusalem wrote:

  I’ve always wanted to read this story. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about it, but I’ve sadly never found ...

• At December 29, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics Archive wrote:

  [...] 358. Manhunter [...]

• At December 30, 2007, Graeme Burk wrote:

  There's a page you didn't include from Manhunter which is probably my all time favourite comics page, ever.

  It's one ...

• At December 27, 2008, d lee wrote:

  I read the original detective run back in the day (35 years? my God.) and have the marvelous trade paperback.

  An ...

12/23/07

357. Jim Steranko

Despite a relatively small comics career, Jim Steranko made a massive impact on the medium, resulting in a slew of homages and imitators, and yet, no one's managed to truly recapture the spirit and experimentation present in his work. There ain't nobody else like Steranko.

Before he exploded onto the comics scene, Jim Steranko had led the life of a magician, carnival performer, musician, and, most notably, an escape artist (inspiring Jack Kirby's Mister Miracle). Eventually, he made the leap into comics, first through Harvey, and later Marvel, in the 60s. There, he ended up on Strange Tales, and quickly took over the Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD segment of the book, where he really got noticed.

He turned the superspy serial into a means with which to experiment with the comics form, and it's here that be became a true artist. From his layouts and use of shadow to his incorporation of collages and optical illusions into the art, he really made it his own. No one had ever seen anything like it, and I still don't think anyone has. Steranko's Fury was truly unique and utterly gorgeous, from the covers through the interiors. His art was hip, surreal, and sexy-- the book became a psychedelic masterpiece.

Look at those layouts! Look at those effects! Look at that love scene (albeit toned down from Steranko's original version because it was too, too sexy for kids)! Look at that Dali-esque cover! Amazing work.

Steranko's run on Nick Fury was fairly short-lived, though it was the longest run of sequential art comics he'd produce in his career. He also drew small stints on X-Men, Captain America, and short stories in a few other titles, continually playing with style or layout to improve the aesthetics of the form.

Groovy.

Jim Steranko still does the occasional comics project, but he's mostly settled into a role of historian and occasional publisher. Still, one has to appreciate his powerful contributions to the industry and to comics as an art form. Steranko's gone in directions no one else has, even decades later, and for that, he'll always be one of the greats.

For more, hit up the Wiki; loads of info and lots of links for your browsing pleasure.

14 Comments

• At December 23, 2007, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  The nice thing about 365 reasons to love comics is that you'll be continuing it for another month or so, ...

• At December 23, 2007, Matt D wrote:

  I would love to read a comic about Jim Steranko.

• At December 23, 2007, T. wrote:

  Where is that last page from?

• At December 23, 2007, Bill Reed wrote:

  I believe it's from a 7-pager in "Our Love Story" #5 from 1970, reprinted in Marvel Visionaries: Jim Steranko.

• At December 23, 2007, M Bloom wrote:

  The only Steranko work I've read are his X-Men issues. His work was a quantum leap forward from the Don ...

• At December 23, 2007, sterg wrote:

  @ Matt D:

  Steranko isn't the lead feature, but he appears in the Flaming Carrot Photo Special #1 as himself working ...

• At December 23, 2007, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  I believe it’s from a 7-pager in “Our Love Story” #5 from 1970, reprinted in Marvel Visionaries: Jim Steranko.

  Was it ...

• At December 24, 2007, Apodaca wrote:

  Hell yeah Steranko's bomb.

• At December 24, 2007, Kevin wrote:

  I love the page of Fury making out with his girlfriend. Somehow, in censoring the image, they made it ...

• At December 24, 2007, E. Martin wrote:

  Another Steranko's masterpiece is the Outland movie adaptation.

• At December 26, 2007, chris w. wrote:

  I'm so happy we can buy the Essential Ms. Marvel and the Essential Dazzler instead of the Essential Nick Fury, ...

• At December 26, 2007, Greg Hatcher wrote:

  Come on Marvel, throw me a bone here.

  There are actualy two trade paperbacks collecting the Steranko Fury. Now, why Marvel ...

• At December 27, 2007, Anun wrote:

  Steranko's Captain America happened to be the first Cap story arc I ever read. For now and forever, that ...

• At December 29, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics Archive wrote:

  [...] 357. Jim Steranko [...]

12/22/07

356. Andi Watson

Andi Watson is a British comics creator, but not in the head-trippy "British Invasion"-y way that somehow became a label for our overseas friends. Rather, he's just a fine, fine cartoonist who tells great stories.

He broke into the industry doing mini-comics and small press stuff like Samurai Jam, before launching the ongoing series Skeleton Key that lasted a good 30 issues. After that, he produced work like Geisha, Breakfast After Noon, Dumped, Slow News Day, Little Star, and more, constantly evolving his artistic style. He's also written such things as Clubbing for Minx, a run on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and, um, a Namor series co-written with Bill Jemas (let's sweep that one under the carpet).

What makes Andi Watson great is that he's a master of portraying the human condition-- all the drama, comedy, heartbreak, and various other feelings and emotions that go into being a person. I also really dig his airy, open art style that manages to express more than most art with less lines. It's perfect for a wide variety of tones and genres, from his kids' stuff to his more mature, dramatic work.

My favorite Andi Watson project is probably Love Fights, a romance set in a world of superheroes and mixed-up continuity. It told a great tale of regular people while also commenting on the nature of superhero comics as well as how the capes-and-tights crowd would function in a more realistic (by that I mean "well thought out") setting. Have a sample:

The covers for that series were extraordinary.

Andi's currently working on a marvelous series called Glister. You can read Cronin's review of the latest issue here.

Much more on Andi Watson can be found at his website. Be sure to Google him, too; it'll open up a treasure trove of interviews and spotlights on the man and his work that one could lose themselves in for a couple hours.

3 Comments

• At December 22, 2007, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  The covers for that series were extraordinary.

  They truly were. Some standout pieces of design there.

• At December 22, 2007, stealthwise wrote:

  I've already mentioned it recently, but Little Star was really quite good. Of course, I'm completely biased, as it ...

• At December 29, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics Archive wrote:

  [...] 356. Andi Watson [...]

12/21/07

355. Philip Bond

Bond, Phil Bond's art is just pure pop pleasure in sequential art form. His crisp, slightly-blocky style is filled with a manic energy, and his terrifically animated figures carry with them an inherent earnestness that's quite refreshing to see on the page.

He worked on various British anthologies that I've unfortunately never read, drawing things for books like Deadline, Crisis, and 2000AD before crossing over to the American industry with work on things like Shade the Changing Man, the Invisibles, and Angel and the Ape. And somewhere in there, he did some Tank Girl. Now I'll talk about some of his other projects I've enjoyed.

I've talked at length before on another one of his major works, Kill Your Boyfriend, with Grant Morrison. One of my favorite-ever comics, Bond's art totally sold me on the darkly optimistic madcap farcical nature of it all. It's gorgeously drawn; like most of Bond's work, the expressions of the characters sell the story because of how finely cartooned they are. Sex, drugs, murder, and rock and roll, baby!

Philip Bond has a habit of working with some of my favorite writers. He and Peter Milligan collaborated on a neat little mini called Vertigo Pop: London about an aging rock star and the young musician with whom he swaps bodies. I don't think it was collected, which is a shame, because I think it would go over really well in the right circles-- but then, I could say that about all of Phil Bond's stuff. His style is "cool" and "hip," as the kids might say-- his comics are the kinds of things that could sell well in music shops. Bond also filled in for an issue of Milligan's X-Statix run in a great one-shot story about Edie Sawyer.

Phil re-teamed with Grant Morrison for Vimanarama!, a fun mini-series for Vertigo that probably got overshadowed by its kin, Seaguy and We3. I didn't appreciate this series as much as I should have back then-- silly me. It's an epic adventure and also a romantic comedy, set to the tune of Indian-mythology-by-way-of-Jack-Kirby. It gets mighty weird at times, but Bond pulls that kinda thing off with ease. Sweeping cosmic action with gods and monsters? Down-to-earth, soul-baring young romance? Bond does it all in this one. Check out these pages here, as well as the crazy Bollywood dance number splash at the top of the post.

You can currently find him drawing covers for the Exterminators. I'd love to see him on more interior work soon, because I'm quite willing to pick up anything he does. Last thing I saw him on was the first issue of the Escapists, but another artist took over after that one. Perhaps he's a perfectionist, or perhaps he's getting some better-paying work outside the medium, but nevertheless, I eagerly anticipate further comics art from him.

Like I said, I adore Phil Bond's art style. It's a jazzy, pop-rock type of art you don't see very often, pulled off with an expert's craftsmanship. Nobody does it half as good as him. Baby, he's the best. He should be a comics superstar! What's the deal?

You can find much more from Philip Bond on his website. It includes an amazingly comprehensive bibliography of his work and an excellent gallery of his art.

5 Comments

• At December 21, 2007, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  What's the deal, indeed.

  Bond needs more gigs and more exposure.

  He's great.

• At December 21, 2007, sterg wrote:

  Great choice! I first saw his artwork in a color reprint (of a 2000 A.D. story, I think) in a ...

• At December 21, 2007, DubipR wrote:

  Yeah, Phil Bond's artwork is criminally underrated. I also love his brilliant DeadEnders covers as well.

  Don't forget his work ...

• At December 22, 2007, Alejandro wrote:

  Y-E-A-H-!

• At December 22, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics Archive wrote:

  [...] 355. Philip Bond [...]

12/20/07

354. Gil Kane

Born Eli Katz, the man who would become Gil Kane began working on comics when he was only a teenager, working for companies like MLJ and Timely. After serving in WWII, he returned to the States and began working on various DC titles: everything from All-Star Western to Strange Adventures to Rex the Wonder Dog (where he drew one of the best covers of all time, with Rex as an Indian Chief). 'Twas in the late '50s, however, that he became a titanic talent in the field by helping launch the Silver Age with his work on Green Lantern and the Atom, inked by guys like Joe Giella and Murphy Anderson. Check out his work in those lovely Showcase editions!

After tremendous runs on his pair of DC books, Gil Kane emigrated to Marvel, where he worked on, among other things, Spider-Man (drawing the non-Code-approved "drug" issues, the six-armed Spidey vs. Morbius issues, and the death of Gwen Stacy issues) and the Avengers, as well as drawing the first appearance of Iron Fist.

In the '60s and '70s, with scripter Archie Goodwin, Kane developed new comics in new formats, with the magazine-sized "His Name Is... Savage!" and one of the earliest considered graphic novels, Blackmark. Our own Greg Hatcher writes more about those here.

Kane worked on various other projects over the remainder of his career, from Superman to the comic strip Star Hawks. Here's an excerpt from one of my favorite Superman stories, an issue of Action written by Marv Wolfman and penciled and inked by Gil Kane, a tribute to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster:

Gil Kane's artwork was constantly dynamic, but you can see in the examples above how it changed over time, probably due to the various inkers he worked with, but also, I imagine, because of a "loosening up" of his pencils. His smooth, sleek, shiny sci-fi Silver Age stuff seems quite dissimilar to his rougher, more woodcut-esque work in the '80s and beyond, but his work was never short of extraordinary, and his character and figure work ignited the page. Gil Kane was a quiet giant, consistently producing good work and new projects even up to his death in 2000.

Some of us may never have appreciated him as much as we should've, and for that, I am deeply ashamed. It's blindingly obvious by now that Gil Kane was a fantastic artist and an integral part of what made superhero comics successful throughout the Silver and Bronze Ages, especially. Adding in his experiments and ambitions with what the comics form could do, well, that's what makes him mighty. Gil Kane was a gargantuan talent in this industry.

Two galleries of great Gil Kane covers for Marvel can be found online here and here.

9 Comments

• At December 20, 2007, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  Kane drew the non-code-approved "drug" issues of Spider-Man? I can't believe I didn't know that.

  And, that Atom at the top ...

• At December 20, 2007, Rohan Williams wrote:

  Great to see some Kane love. His work on GL, amongst a bazillion other things, was outstanding. As a kid, ...

• At December 20, 2007, rlsims wrote:

  But not as hilarious as my all-time favorite Atom cover:

  http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/1489/400/1489_4_16.jpg

• At December 20, 2007, lauren wrote:

  CBR's Steven Grant has discussed working with Gil Kane in the past. Perhaps a quick look through the archives ...

• At December 21, 2007, Mark S wrote:

  Quite simply, The Greatest Artist Not To Get A Fraction Of The Love He Merits. So it's very good ...

• At December 21, 2007, DanCJ wrote:

  One artist whose work I never could stand (except when he's inked by Kevin Nowlan)

  Sorry.

• At December 21, 2007, John wrote:

  We need access to more of the early Kane. I'm still holding out for a Showcase Presents volume with ...

• At December 27, 2007, SP wrote:

  Wasn't that Star Hawkins?

• At December 29, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics Archive wrote:

  [...] 354. Gil Kane [...]

12/19/07

353. Becky Cloonan

The best way to sum up Becky Cloonan? She's a cool chick who makes cool comics. In the end, that's all you need to know, but I'll see what else I can come up with.

She first popped up into the comics scene with Meathaus, but the internet really took notice when she worked with Brian Wood on such works as Channel Zero and Demo, a series of done-in-ones about reg'lar folks with special powers. It was pretty big in indie circles and stuff, and I hear a new printing of the collection is forthcoming.

The next thing we saw from her is American Virgin, which will be wrapping up shortly (against its will). I bought this for a time solely for the art (Becky Cloonan plus Street Angel's Jim Rugg on inks? I couldn't refuse!).

Now she's writing and drawing a series of Original English Language Manga entitled East Coast Rising. Punk pirates! Cool stuff.

My favorite aspect of Ms. Cloonan? Her unabashed enthusiasm and sheer love of making comics. These qualities of hers are clearly evident in her work, which is maniacally energetic and an awful lot of fun. I imagine her cackling with glee as she draws it, but maybe that's just my imagination. Regardless, I'm in love with her drawing style-- beautiful Amerimanga with expressive characters and fantastic little touches and details. Swirling pop masterpieces.

I apologize for the sparseness of this post. I don't want my lack of verbosity to be seen as a lack of appreciation for Becky Cloonan's work. Hell no! Her artwork speaks for itself, and it speaks in the language of kick-ass.

Becky Cloonan rocks, as both an artist and a person. Dig it.

Who else loves Becky Cloonan's art? What's your favorite Cloonan comic?

Links:
Website
DeviantArt
Blog

7 Comments

• At December 19, 2007, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  Man, right on!

  I hope the rumors of a new DEMO series are true. I'd be so into that.

• At December 19, 2007, The Wandering Parakeet wrote:

  I really loved Demo (favorites were #3 and #5), and Cloonan's art had a lot to do with it. ...

• At December 19, 2007, FunkyGreenJerusalem wrote:

  I know it's weird to compliment an artist this way, but I was flicking through a book once and thought ...

• At December 19, 2007, Anun wrote:

  I've totally made that Paul Pope/Becky Cloonan goof before, too. I think that it speaks highly of both artists!

• At December 20, 2007, scotty wrote:

  I've been a fan of Becky's on deviantart for quie some time now, but have neer goten around to picking ...

• At December 20, 2007, Mike Loughlin wrote:

  I enjoyed meeting her at a store signing a couple of years ago (w/ Christine Norrie, June Brigman, & Rebecca ...

• At December 21, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics Archive wrote:

  [...] 353. Becky Cloonan [...]

What's on the docket for today? This fantastic cartoonist is the bee's knees.

12/18/07

352. Fred Hembeck

Fred Hembeck is the illustrious, hilarious, and wonderful cartoonist responsible for some great comics and strips throughout the years. Also, he draws the best knees in comics-- bless those knobby spirals.

He probably first came to prominence in the late '70s, when he began producing his Dateline:@#$%! column for the Comics Buyer's Guide, casting his eye on all things comics. He later provided columns for both DC's "Daily Planet" info page as well as Marvel Age. I think it's safe to say that Mr. Hembeck's drawn every comic book character ever over the course of his career in his simple-but-delightful style. Somewhere along the line, he became a devoted follower of Brother Voodoo. Heh heh.

I love quite a few of Fred Hembeck's various projects over the years. Take, for instance, his Adventures of Petey Parker, long before he became Spider-Man! They're a ton of fun-- Marvel needs to collect these, even if it's just in a new one-shot or something. In the spirit of Christmas, I present to you the story that spawned Marvel's current Secret Invasion:

He also wrote the Fantastic Four Roast, seen at the top of the post. Drawn by pretty much everybody working for Marvel at the time, it's both a supreme farce and a loving tribute to Marvel's first family.

I'd wager that Mr. Hembeck's most notable, however, for the one-shot "Fred Hembeck Destroys the Marvel Universe," an hilarious romp in which all the Marvel heroes are systematically killed off by Crackers, the clown prince of death. It was charmingly ridiculous, and, in those dark days of 1989, mocked the grim-and-gritty tendencies and pointless deaths to be found in comics. Fat lot of good that did, but hey! It's still a great comic. Here are two of the best deaths in the issue (and the DD page is one of the funniest comics pages of all time):

Plus, the book had ninja Sentinels. That's a killer idea (pun intended after the fact).

And hey, let's not forget the follow-up, Fred Hembeck Sells the Marvel Universe, comprised of reprints of Marvel Age strips, or the Assistant Editor's Month fill-in he did for Spectacular Spider-Man:

I have Fred Hembeck to thank for a lot of things, and this very column might just be one of those. Almost 25 years ago, Fred drew up a list of 100 things he loved about comics (and followed it up with 99 more shortly thereafter). Far after the fact, thanks to the wonders of the internet, it spawned an internet meme, and also put an idea in the back of my head. And now we've nearly wrapped up 365 Reasons to Love Comics. Thanks, Fred!

Here's that initial list of Fred's:

The man's got good taste.

In February, 2008, Image Comics will release The Nearly Complete Essential Fred Hembeck Archives Omnibus, a 900+ page collection of comics and artwork by the man himself, including pretty much everything he's ever done that isn't nailed down or owned by Marvel or DC, plus the kitchen sink. It will be a massive, glorious compendium, and I can't wait to buy it. Did I mention it's only 25 bucks? Oh, yes. Pick yourself up a copy when it hits.

You can find much, much more by Fred Hembeck at his website, which houses many of his writings, a blog, information on all of his various works, and roughly eight gazillion images, from past strips to cover recreations and more. It is a treasure trove of Hembeck goodness. Hie thyself!

9 Comments

• At December 18, 2007, Michael wrote:

  I loved Fred Hembeck's Petey stories. I wish he'd do more of them.

• At December 18, 2007, DubipR wrote:

  A most excellent reason comics are great!

  Good call

• At December 18, 2007, Graeme Burk wrote:

  One of the greatest things Hembeck did was the three panel gag strip on DC's Daily Planet house ad page ...

• At December 18, 2007, Mark wrote:

  Out of the blue, a few days back, I started thinking about his "I Remember Soupy" comic. Try explaining Soupy ...

• At December 18, 2007, FunkyGreenJerusalem wrote:

  Hembeck's a bit hit or miss with me.

  and the DD page is one of the funniest comics pages of all ...

• At December 18, 2007, stephen cade wrote:

  My favorite FF story is Hembeck's roast--from the setup to the finish--I laughed my head off.

• At December 20, 2007, stealthwise wrote:

  Fantastic Four Roast was a comic I had since childhood and I re-read that one more than any other that ...

• At December 29, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics Archive wrote:

  [...] 352. Fred Hembeck [...]

• At September 8, 2009, Mary Warner wrote:

  He once drew a Brother Voodoo story with realistic art. It was in Marvel Super Heroes #1.

For more Kirby celebration, be sure to visit the Kirby Museum, which houses two great Kirby-based blogs for your perusing pleasure.

12/17/07

351. Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth

Now, yes, Kamandi preceded Devil Dinosaur, but I couldn't resist having the Last Boy be the Last Kirby entry.

Out of all the new titles Jack Kirby launched in the '70s, Kamandi proved to be the most popular, lasting a whopping 59 issues (40 of which involved Kirby himself). What made it last so much longer than its Kirby-spawned compatriots? Of that, I can't be sure-- but the series must have captivated its audience with the usual Kirby panache-- wild adventure, crazy ideas, and a constant sense of discovery.

The eponymous Kamandi was a young man raised in a bunker ("Command D") after the Great Disaster which caused much of the Earth to be devastated, and evolved animal-men to take over the planet. When his grandfather (who, post-Kirby, was revealed to be an elder Buddy Blank, a.k.a. OMAC) is killed, Kamandi ventures out into the world, and finds himself the Last Boy on an Earth that's like the Planet of the Apes writ large, with anthropomorphic animal men comprising the majority of the population, and most humans living as dumb slaves.

Over the course of his travels, Kamandi meets mad gorillas, tiger pirates, dog scientists, angry whales, gator-men, a steel-skinned mutant astronaut named Ben Boxer, and more. There's also a classic story about a bunch of Superman-worshiping apes fighting over the hero's invincible costume. It's considered to be the finest issue of the run; you can read more about it here.

The series stands as a fine boy's adventure that showcases the courage and determination of the remnants of mankind in the far future. In the way, it's the spiritual brother of Devil Dinosaur-- one takes place in the distant past, and one in the far future, but both are about man's struggle to survive in a weird world.

Other creators later tied Kamandi into the mythos of OMAC, the Atomic Knights, and others. Crisis transformed the boy who would be Kamandi into Tommy Tomorrow. A few revivals and guest appearances have occurred over the years, but nothing particularly substantial. Kamandi may be lost to comic book limbo, but he'll probably return one day. The premise is just too damn fun and exciting to lie fallow.

Currently, two expensive Archive editions exist, collecting the first 20 issues of the series. I'd love to see a Showcase edition of the material published, however-- a cheaper edition for we poor, huddled masses! Anything to get Kirby's brilliance out to a wider audience, I say. Who's with me?

For more Kamandi info and other bits, visit Toonopedia or the interesting-but-sparse Kamandi.com. For a stirring essay about why Kamandi is the best comic ever, read this article by blog-pal Alex of Rocketship.

That, my friends, is the end of my Kirby coverage. The King produced dozens of other great comics that I either haven't read or just haven't talked about-- lovely series like the Forever People, Kobra, the Eternals, Captain Victory, Silver Star, and many, many more, stretching back through the decades. His body of work was massive and his talent was infinite. There's a reason he's considered to be the greatest comicsmith of all time. Be sure to pick up one or two or six of the recent deluxe hardcovers of his work and leap into one of his many imaginative worlds. Anything else you want to know about Jack? Ask Mark Evanier, and buy his upcoming book(s) on the man himself.

What's your favorite Kirby work?

13 Comments

• At December 17, 2007, stealthwise wrote:

  More Kirby! MORE!

  I'm learning so much about his various creations, after decades of ignorance!

• At December 17, 2007, T. wrote:

  I'm not a fan of his DC stuff as much as you are (I think it's far inferior to his ...

• At December 17, 2007, DubipR wrote:

  I love Kamandi. He's one of my favorite Kirby creations, behind the Fourth World stuff. Thanks for sharing this ...

• At December 17, 2007, Da Fug wrote:

  Hi Bill,

  I'm still reading and have enjoyed Kirby week. So, do you plan to reach reason 365 in the ...

• At December 17, 2007, Apodaca wrote:

  I think this article may have helped me figure out a small part of what's going to happen in Final ...

• At December 18, 2007, jazzbo wrote:

  I love Kamandi almost as much as I love Devil Dinosaur. And I'm proud to say I own the entire ...

• At December 18, 2007, Mark S wrote:

  Bill - can I be the first to say "I'm with you" re a Kamandi Showcase. If it could ...

• At December 18, 2007, Bill Reed wrote:

  Da Fug--

  I'm determined to have all the missing Reasons filled in by the end of the year. It may be ...

• At December 18, 2007, chris w. wrote:

  This blog needs more KIRBY!!

• At December 18, 2007, Apodaca wrote:

  You guys flatter me too much.

• At December 19, 2007, Amichai wrote:

  I'm not positive about this as I didn't really read the series, but I was told that somewhere in the ...

• At December 20, 2007, fourthworlder wrote:

  I loved those bat men attacking the balloon. The wild visuals in Kamandi were some of Kirby's most creative ever. ...

• At December 27, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics Archive wrote:

  [...] 351. Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth [...]

12/16/07

350. Devil Dinosaur

After his '70s stint at DC, Jack Kirby returned to Marvel, and brought several new titles with him, one of which was Devil Dinosaur. This series is basically the story of a boy and his dog-- only the dog is a giant red Tyrannosaurus Rex and the boy is an ape-man named Moon Boy from the dawn of time. Together, they fight to survive in a dangerous world. It's the best comic about a dinosaur kicking stuff to death ever made.

I've only just finished reading my Devil Dinosaur Omnibus (more on that in a bit), and I have to say, this series has immediately become one of my all-time favorite Kirby projects. I had a huge grin on my face the entire time I was reading it. It's filled with thrilling dino-adventure and huge action in the mighty Kirby manner. He originally created it as a possible springboard for an animated series that was never made, but he certainly turned it into a fantastic comic.

The series only lasted nine issues, but that was plenty of time for Kirby to tell some excellent stories. We learn Devil's origin: how he was borne through flames, and how he and Moon Boy met and saved each other. We follow them through battles with the savage Killer-Folk and a group of giants. Kirby then goes on to tell a four-part mini-saga that serves as an alternate version of the original Garden of Eden tale and involves space-robots, giant ants, an evil computer "demon tree," and a primitive ape-lady named Eev. It's a hell of a tale. Finally, the series wraps up with a brutal story in which Devil is kidnapped by Dino Riders, and a quick jaunt through time which lands Devil in the strange future of 1978.

At its core, though, the series wasn't about Devil kicking stuff to death, although that happened an awful lot. It was about the friendship and loyalty between man and beast, and the evolution of mankind-- if not in biology, then in spirit. Moon Boy had a great heart to him, and Devil was the cleverest and most insightful dinosaur of them all.

Kirby's art was furiously gorgeous here. His depictions of of the great lizards-- from "Thunderhorns" (Triceratops) to "Plant-Eaters" (Brachiosaurs) to Pterodactyls and more. Kirby's science wasn't accurate at all, however, but didn't need to be-- the series existed in some mythological between-time he called the X-Age (later revivals have transplanted Devil and Moon Boy to the Savage Land).

I haven't talked much about the inking on Kirby's work for the past few posts, so I'd like to do that now. Mike Royer was Kirby's inker of choice throughout much of his later career, and he did a fantastic job. Royer transformed Kirby's pencils into the Kirbiest art I've ever seen. Great brushwork and eye-popping blacks. The double-page splash from #4 is one of the most astonishing Kirby/Royer images of all time-- that of a giant cosmic dragon beast. You can see it, albeit without color, here.

As I said above, the complete series is now available in the handsome oversized Omnibus format, with excellent paper and dazzling colors. It even reprints the letters pages and text pieces by Kirby himself! Ignore the less-than-enthusiastic introduction to the volume, and leap into the enthralling stories themselves. This book would make an incredible Christmas present for any six-to-ten-year-old boy you know. At that age, they're fascinated with dinosaurs and aching with the need to read something. Give 'em Devil Dinosaur-- it's the perfect thing to hook 'em on comics. I know the kid in me loved it.

Devil and Moon Boy have reappeared in several places over the years. They've even teamed up with Godzilla! Devil also made a hilarious appearance in the pages of Nextwave. Eric Powell drew 'em fighting the Hulk a couple years ago, and they still pop up here or there. Everybody loves 'em a little Devil Dinosaur.

Hey, maybe they should fulfill the original plan and make a Devil Dinosaur cartoon. I'd watch it. Also, Mr. Quesada, if you're listening? I've got this awesome "Devil Dinosaur: Agent of SHIELD" pitch I think you might like.

Devil Dinosaur is all above the interweb. Gorilla Daze provides an issue-by-issue review of the series here. Loads of lovely images there. The Marvel Masterworks website also provides synopses, high-quality images, and letters pages from the Omnibus. And you can read more about Devil and Moon Boy at Toonopedia.

12 Comments

• At December 16, 2007, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  Dude, you were not lying about that splash page! Fancy hell, that is immaculate!

• At December 16, 2007, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  I seem to remember a Jack Kirby series based on a Stanley Kubrick film called "2001: A Space Odyssey", and ...

• At December 16, 2007, jazzbo wrote:

  Devil Dinosaur is probably my favorite Kirby title. I read once that sometime in the past decade or so, someone ...

• At December 17, 2007, E. Martin wrote:

  Devil is one of my favourite Kirby's characters. Two things:

  -DD an Moonboy come from an Earth parallel to Marvel's main ...

• At December 17, 2007, E. Martin wrote:

  Oh, and a third one:

  -DD an MB have a Heroclix miniature!

• At December 17, 2007, BDaly wrote:

  When did Powell draw the Hulk?

• At December 17, 2007, David wrote:

  BDaly said: When did Powell draw the Hulk?

  About a year or two ago, in a Marvel Monster: Devil Dinosaur special:

  http://www.milehighcomics.com/firstlook/100505/mm1cvr.html

• At December 17, 2007, kirbydotter wrote:

  Didn't Devile Dinosaur and Moon Boy also appeared in Marvel 8 issues limited series FALLEN ANGELS (1987)? I don't ...

• At December 17, 2007, James wrote:

  Kirbydotter:

  Yep, Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur appeared in Fallen Angels (my memory is hazy, but I don't think they appeared ...

• At December 17, 2007, Apodaca wrote:

  That splash page is FUCKINGAWESOME.

• At December 17, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics #351 wrote:

  [...] Now, yes, Kamandi preceded Devil Dinosaur, but I couldn’t resist having the Last Boy be the Last Kirby entry. ...

• At December 26, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics Archive wrote:

  [...] 350. Devil Dinosaur [...]

12/15/07

349. The Demon

"Gone, gone, the form of man! Rise the Demon... Etrigan!" The Demon was a series Jack Kirby launched among his second wave of DC titles, after the demise of the Fourth World. This one outlived some of its fellows and made it to 16 Kirbyrrific issues!

The Demon was the story of Etrigan, a demon summoned by Merlin to aid Camelot in the fight against Morgaine le Fey, and transformed into a human named Jason Blood to wait out the years until he was summoned again. In the present day, Jason Blood teamed up with pals Harry Matthews, Glenda Mark, and Randu Singh, the psychic (yes!) to battle mystical threats and the like. When summoned, the Demon does the same, in his own inimitable fashion.

There were some outstanding menaces, as well. The most popular of all is probably Klarion the Witch Boy, but let's not forget the stand-in for the Phantom of the Opera, or the world's best-named villain-- Baron von Evilstein!

Befitting Kirby, it was a big, crazy comic, a sweeping adventure with tinges of Arthurian fantasy, gothic horror, and old monster movies. While it's not one of my favorite Kirby series, it was still a relentlessly exciting book.

(I love how the word balloon tilts along with the "camera" in the third panel of that last page there. Great shot.)

The Demon would not die to cancellation, however, and reappeared in various places over the years, as well as gaining the usual characteristic of rhyming speech. Even Alan Moore used him in his famed Swamp Thing run. Later, the Demon received his own series once more: first a mini by Matt Wagner, and then an ongoing, this one lasting five years and including runs by Alan Grant and Garth Ennis. The most recent revival has been under the pen of John Byrne-- it lasted one issue longer than Kirby's original.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Demon undergoes some kind of Omnibus treatment in the future. At the very least, it deserves a couple trades! Bring us the full crackling fury of the mighty Jack Kirby, DC!

At least two more days of Kirby greatness await us, my friends! Yeah!

17 Comments

• At December 15, 2007, Ian Astheimer wrote:

  Who came up with the rhyming speech pattern?

• At December 15, 2007, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  I think Alan Moore did, when he re-introduced the Demon Entrigan in the pages of Saga of the Swamp Thing ...

• At December 16, 2007, mightygodking wrote:

  Etrigan is one of those characters where Kirby's take on him was not really the best. The Ennis version of ...

• At December 16, 2007, jazzbo wrote:

  Kirby didn't create the Gargoyle that was in the Defenders, did he? Because I always thought he looked suspiciously like ...

• At December 16, 2007, Jaap! wrote:

  Baron Von Evilstein.

• At December 16, 2007, Johnny Bacardi wrote:

  Alan Moore definitely came up with the rhyming thing. Didn't like it at first, but it grew on me.

  mightygodking, I ...

• At December 16, 2007, Anonymous wrote:

  I think it was Len Wein that started the Demons rhyming in Dc comics presents (drawn by Joe Kubert) But ...

• At December 16, 2007, Anthony Strand wrote:

  Yeah, as far as I know, Len Wein created the rhyming. Moore was just a lot better at it.

• At December 16, 2007, J. Kevin Carrier wrote:

  I think Wein was the first to have Etrigan rhyming constantly, but even Kirby's version did it on occasion. Here's ...

• At December 16, 2007, Greg Hatcher wrote:

  Moore was the guy that established rhyming demons as a rank in the hierarchy of Hell, I think in his ...

• At December 16, 2007, mightygodking wrote:

  The Kirby version is, honestly, just another supernatural hero. It's kind of bland. Look, I know Kirby is the King ...

• At December 16, 2007, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  How about Matt Wagner's Demon?

  Was his rhyming any good?

  I read the series, but can't remember if there was any rhyming.

  This ...

• At December 17, 2007, Discogod wrote:

  I was never that into the Demon until his appearances in Batman:TAS and Justice League. The episode "Kid's Stuff", featuring ...

• At December 17, 2007, Doug Atkinson wrote:

  "How about Matt Wagner’s Demon?

  Was his rhyming any good?

  I read the series, but can’t remember if there was any rhyming."

  Yes, ...

• At December 18, 2007, Neil wrote:

  "... was so faithful to the original Kirby version it was almost like fellatio."

  Is fellatio the logical extreme of ...

• At December 20, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics Archive wrote:

  [...] 349. The Demon [...]

• At December 21, 2007, Johnny Bacardi wrote:

  Oops! Forgot about that Len Wein DC Comics Presents thing. Damn, getting old is an awful thing.