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Reviews and commentary by Tony Isabella
"America's Most Beloved Comic-Book Writer & Columnist"
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TONY'S ONLINE TIPS
for Monday, October 24, 2005
Reading and reviewing ALAN CLASS reprint comics from Britain is, for me, like comfort food. Except that it's not as fattening as a milkshake, which, coincidentally enough, I am drinking while I write today's TOT. It was that kind of week (contractor grief, contractor-related letters, toothache, sick daughter) and it looks like this week (contractor grief, contractor-related meetings, root canal surgery) is going to be worse. Hence the need for me to read the old stories, revel in tracking down their original appearances, and discuss them with you. You can probably count on all of this week's columns starting out this way.
We're looking at ASTOUNDING STORIES #91 today. I'm guessing it was published in the late 1970s, but, as this issue has no date, I can't be sure. The stories reprinted therein come from a trio of publishers: Charlton, Atlas/Marvel, and ACG.
The cover was drawn by Steve Ditko and it hails from SHADOWS FROM BEYOND #50 [October, 1966]. The cover story of that Charlton one-shot was drawn by Pat Boyette and is an absolutely delightful tale of a mousy landlord and his thoroughly horrid tenants. If the scan I made from this reprint...
...reproduces well enough, you'll be able to see the wondrous personality-defining detail Boyette put into the tale's small cast of characters. Man, could he tell a story!
ASTOUNDING #91 also reprints the other two nine-page stories from this Charlton one-shot. A Nazi war criminal ("Reprieve") and a crooked businessman ("He'll Go a Long Way") meet their just fates in tales inked by Moe Marcus and maybe pencilled by, respectively, Boyette and Charles Nicholas.
The issue's one Atlas/Marvel story is "The Unsuspected" from MYSTERY TALES #44 [August, 1956]. Drawn by Herb Familton, it's an unimpressive story about a menial worker who tries to sabotage an archaeological expedition so that he can get out of the jungle that he hates so much. Yeah, like that's gonna happen.
Next we get two ACG stories. "The Haunted Cane" is a mildly spooky western written by "Ace Aquila" (actually editor Richard E. Hughes) with pencils by Ditko and inks by Sal Trapani. ACG didn't go in for intense horror after the arrival of the Comics Code, but its better efforts made up for that by offering readers heart and humor. This was the cover feature of ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN #168 [October-November, 1966].
The John Rosenberger-drawn "The Boy With Second Sight" ran in AITU #130 [February, 1962], but was reprinted from an earlier issue of an ACG title.
"The Mountain Monster," the final story in ASTOUNDING #91, is from one of the all-time great comic books. The one-shot FANTASTIC GIANTS #24 [September, 1966] was an all-Ditko one-shot which came out shortly after Ditko's last Doctor Strange and Spider-Man tales. It reprinted the first issues of GORGO and KONGA and also featured two new stories. The reprints were among Ditko's best pre-Spidey works and the new stories were as good as anything he had drawn at Marvel before he left.
Probably written by Joe Gill, "The Mountain Monster" is a neat little yarn about an artificial being cobbled together by the local mad scientist. If I wasn't already feeling the pain from Ditko's leaving Marvel, this and the other tales in FANTASTIC GIANTS would have had me hurting. As it was, they made me determined to buy any and every comic book with Ditko art, a policy to which I held fast until his more recent work became too expensive and self-indulgent for my finances and my liking.
Thanks to my buddy Paul Fearn from sending me ASTOUNDING #91. I think all of the British reprints I'll be covering this week are the result of his generosity.
Let's see what else I have for you today.
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COMICS IN THE COMICS
Our little pal ZIGGY is always good for comics-in-the-comics fun. Here are a trio of panels from July 11, July 20, and July 26:
For more fun with creator Tom Wilson's amiable star, check out THE ZIGGY ZONE at:
www.ziggy.com
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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Comicdom has been aflutter about the WATCHMEN article by Jeff Jensen which ran in the October 28 edition of ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY. Jensen described the legendary tale by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons as "a masterwork representing the apex of artistry in (the comics) medium.
Less noticed was the favorable mentions given to more recent comics and comics creators. Jensen gave an "A-" to INFINITE CRISIS #1 [DC; $3.99]. Tom Russo gave a "B" to BONE SHARPS, COWBOYS, AND THUNDER LIZARDS [G.T. Labs; $22.95].
Abby West gave a "B+" to Charles Burns' BLACK HOLE [Pantheon; $24.95]. Wook Kim gave an "A-" to PYONGYANG [Drawn and Quarterly; $19.95] by Guy Delisle.
Finally, Marc Bernardin gave an well-deserved "A-" to PRIVATE WARS [Bantam; $24], Greg Rucka's second Tara Chace novel. My own review of this thriller will appear in my "Tony's Tips" column for COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE #1613.
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GET MORE TONY
This Monday through Friday column isn't enough Tony Isabella for you? This is where I'll let you know where else you can read various things I've written.
Every Sunday, at COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE online forums, I post a new and exclusive-to-those-forums TONY'S OTHER ONLINE TIPS column. In the new TOOT, I reviewed THE BATMAN VS. DRACULA, the direct-to-video and just-released animated feature from the producers of the BATMAN animated series currently airing on Kids WB and on Cartoon Network. You can read that column and previous editions of TOOT by going to:
www.cbgxtra.com
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STRANGE MAILS
The above piece of mail goes into the collection as one of the weirdest I've received. In case you can't read the address on the mail, it's addressed to:
JERRY SIEGEL
WRITER
TONY'S ONLINE TIPS
PO BOX 1502
MEDINA OH 44258-1502
While I've certainly written about the esteemed Siegel on any number of occasions, I'm at a lost to figure out why anyone, even a bulk mailer, would send the late co-creator of Superman mail at this column's postal address. Any theories out there?
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TONY POLLS
Our weekly TONY POLLS questions now appear on Saturday instead of Tuesday. However, last week's poll questions will remain open for your balloting entertainment until sometime tomorrow morning. You can cast your votes at:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony/poll
Earlier this month, we asked you questions about the DC Comics Universe and a trio of new TV shows.
Here's how you voted on those questions...
It has been reported that, in the wake of INFINITE CRISIS, the DCU will be coming out of the darkness and its heroes will be heroes again. Do you agree the DCU should be less dark?
Agree.....82.69%
Disagree.....3.21%
Undecided.....14.10%
I wasn't surprised by this result. My readers tend to be the older DC fans and we like our heroes to be wearing white hats more often than not. I recognize that the world we live in can be very dark. I believe super-hero comic books should reflect that to some extent. But I also believe that, with rare exception, our classic heroes should rise above the darkness and do what's right, even and especially when what's right might not the most expedient solution to the situations they face.
Do you think a less dark DCU with more noble heroes will be more or less popular with current readers?
More popular.....51.93%
Less popular.....20.26%
No difference.....28.10%
As much as I might hope a brighter DCU might be more popular with current readers, I can't ignore the fact that current readers *have* been buying DC comics in which DC heroes do bad things and that they don't seem especially troubled by that. I don't believe a change in the Universe will make any difference to the current readers. On the other hand, I do hope a "change for the brighter" will attract a great many new readers to the DCU and to some of the greatest characters in comics.
With the new TV season a few weeks old, viewers have been able to sample several new "genre" shows. How would you rate the first episodes of GHOST WHISPERER?
Near-Mint.....0%
Fine.....5.83%
Very Good.....2.91%
Good.....4.85%
Fair.....5.83%
Poor.....4.85%
Didn't see it.....75.73%
Of the quarter of the responders who have seen the show, I'd say they were split pretty evenly from "fine" to "poor." I'm one of the voters who hasn't seen the show.
How would you rate INVASION?
Near-Mint.....2.83%
Fine.....9.43%
Very Good.....6.60%
Good.....11.32%
Fair.....14.15%
Poor.....4.72%
Didn't see it.....50.94%
I've seen three or four episodes of this show and, so far, I'm enjoying it. However, my continued enjoyment of the show, based on my reaction to similar series in the past, will depend on how soon we get some answers to the questions raised by events to date. I don't need all the answers, but I need some answers and I need them on a steady basis.
How would you rate NIGHT STALKER?
Near-Mint.....2.83%
Fine.....0%
Very Good.....4.72%
Good.....11.32%
Fair.....10.38%
Poor.....13.21%
Didn't see it.....57.55%
I expect to loathe this show and I'm still not wild about any of the actors or characters. However, the scripts for the two or three episodes I've seen have been very strong. If they remain as strong, I'll keep watching.
On the other hand, the show should lose the FBI guy trying to prove Kolchak murdered his wife. That's an old bit was tired from the second it was introduced into this series.
Look for more TONY POLLS results later this week.
Thanks for spending a part of your day with me. I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
Tony Isabella
<< 10/20/2005 | 10/24/2005 | 10/25/2005 >>
Discuss this column with me at my Message Board. Also, read Heroes and Villains: Real and Imagined.
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THE "TONY" SCALE
ZERO: Burn your money before buying any comic receiving this rating. It doesn't *necessarily* mean there's absolutely nothing of value here - though it *could* - but whatever value it might possess shrinks into insignificance before its overall awfulness.
ONE: Buy something else. Maybe I found something which wasn't completely dreadful in the item, but not enough for me to recommend it when there are better comics available. I only want what's best for you, my children.
TWO: Basic judgment call. I found some value, but not enough to recommend it. My review should give you enough info to decide if you want to take a chance on it. Are you feeling lucky today, punk? Well, are you?
THREE: This denotes something I find perfectly respectable. There are better books out there, but I wouldn't regret buying this item. Based on my review, you should be able to determine if it's of interest to you. Let the Force guide you.
FOUR: I recommend anything earning this rating. Unless you don't like the genre, subject matter, or past work of the creators, I believe you'll enjoy this item. Isn't it uncanny how I can look right into your soul that way?
FIVE: Anything getting this rating is among the best comicdom has to offer. You should buy/read this, even if the genre/subject matter doesn't appeal to you. It's for your own good. Me, I live for comics and books this good...but not in a pathetic "Comic-Book Guy" sort of way.
Please send material you would like me to review to:
Tony's Online Tips
840 Damon Drive
Medina, OH 44256
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