Books With Pictures - and Some Without

Doug: Hello, and thanks for coming  around this week. It's good to be back in the blogger's chair, even if only for a few days. When last we met, it was over at Back in the Bronze Age when I contributed a post on DC's imaginary stories. That was over a year ago! And other than school work, I've really not written since May 2017. But I've done a heckuva lot of reading, and today I'd like to share some thoughts on the tomes I've consumed over the past 12 or so months.

A year ago I decided to start keeping track of the books I was reading. Since we quit blogging in November 2016, it really freed up time in the evenings for some leisurely reading. And as I got to forming that habit, I found that I'd missed regular reading - and particularly reading comics. Formerly, the comics I read were always blog-oriented. That's not a bad thing - I think our repository of reviews is a real treasure. But we're talking about me consuming 1-2 comics in a week over the 7+ years the BAB was active. However, that commitment had necessitated (at least, that's the story I'm telling) the acquisition of a massive amount of collected editions. At last count I have over 350 books on my shelves. For most of those books, they sat idle since arriving, waiting for a post idea or review to liberate them from their resting place. Once the blog shuttered, I felt able to crack open all of the books I'd amassed. If an evening goes the way I'd like, I'm on the couch or in the recliner with a tpb or hardcover, keeping an eye on some college sports or the Cubs. On a good night, I'll read 2-3 comics. I'd also add that the fact that our sons have been out of the house over the past few years has contributed to my disposable evening time. So you see how it's possible to rip through the amount of material I've read (see below).

Karen long ago said that we live in the golden age of reprints. She's not wrong. Just two weeks ago I finished the Batgirl Bronze Age Omnibus, collecting the character's early appearances in Detective Comics and Batman, up through the Batman Family years. Think about that... A 500-page hardcover devoted to mostly 8-10 page back-up stories, and featuring a C-list character. Karen was right!

You can count the Planet of the Apes B&W magazine strips among material I never expected to read. Thank goodness Boom Studios did what it took to put that mysterious content in my hot little hands. And if you've not seen these archive-like editions, you are missing out. The reproduction is outstanding - heavy stock, the same size as originally published, and wrapped by a sturdy hardcover. I have the first two volumes and intend to buy the next two. And speaking of those "damned, dirty apes", if you're into prose then you might like Tales from the Forbidden Zone. Karen and I both read it, and I can guarantee if we'd still been writing, you'd have seen our thoughts on it. Not every short story was a winner, but more often than not there was a smile and some thoughtful reflection before moving on to the next chapter. One story I'd mention specifically involved Taylor and Nova in a "What if Taylor had survived the nuke at the end of Beneath the Planet of the Apes?" Good stuff.

For our readers who've been with us for a few years, you'll recall that I have done contract work for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's education department. After spending 10 days each July in Washington, DC over the past seven summers, I am somewhat melancholy to report that I am not going back this year. However, my interest in the subject remains high, and you can see across my three reading logs that I've continued with my professional development by reading various selections in Holocaust witness and history. Two books I'd highlight to those interested: if you would be inclined to read a rather raw survivor testimony, told within months of liberation, then Five Chimneys is excellent. Certainly, it's a tough read, but very compelling throughout. If you want a concise history of some of the nuances of the event and era, then I heartily recommend Peter Hayes's very accessible Why? Explaining the Holocaust.

I didn't always care for the books I chose. Last summer I decided to give one of Edgar Rice Burroughs' last Tarzan novels a whirl. Tarzan and the Foreign Legion could best be avoided. In addition to Burroughs' formulaic storytelling, the racism that was so prevalent through the World War II era is off putting. I finished it, but can't say I bettered myself for the experience. Richard Wright's Come Together: Lennon & McCartney in the Seventies was OK, but the author's style was a little wonky; often he was repetitive. If he'd said one more time how much the four Beatles loved each other like brothers, I was going to scream. For funnybooks, I really liked the Essential Man-Thing once Gerber quit toying with the Nexus of Reality. I didn't care for that supernatural/occult stuff... which makes me wax hypocritical, as I absolutely loved the DC Comics Classics Library Roots of the Swamp Thing. I also found volume 2 of the Secret Society of Super-Villains disappointing as compared to my childhood memories. But overall, when you look at the almost-70 books on the lists, there were mostly hits among a few misses.

Shoot, why not toss you a good, better, best type of list?

Good: I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the Aquaman trade "Death of a Prince". Outside of Super Friends, I had zero experience with DC's King of Atlantis. So I was interested at my growing enthusiasm as I waded through these Bronze Age reprints from Arthur Curry's days as a back-up feature in Adventure Comics. Solid art from Mike Grell and Jim Aparo, and a nicely done payoff at the end. Recommended.

Better: Beatles '66 by Steve Turner was wonderful. Turner begins his book in December of 1965, and then charts the careers and lives of the Fab Four month-by-month through December 1966. It's tough to say that the book "centers" on any one thing, as the last world tour, the decision to stop touring, increased drug use, the recording of Revolver, and the appearance of Yoko Ono all conspired to make the year of my birth a landmark era for the Beatles. Great book, and I'd read it again.

Best: I gave no thought to this whatsoever beyond my initial impression. It wasn't even close, or worthy of further consideration. The best thing I've read in the past 12-15 months was the Uncanny X-Men Omnibus, volume 1. The 800+ page heavyweight collects Giant-Size X-Men #1, and X-Men #s 94-131. Also included is the George Perez-drawn X-Men Annual #3. As most of you know, this title just kept picking up steam. Aside from the 2-3 filler issues (the Dreaded Deadline Doom), every issue was pulse pounding and senses shattering. You know what I'm saying!

As to my coming-up reading list, I've already pulled three hardcovers for immediate consumption: Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams, volume 1, Spider-Man Newspaper Strips, volume 1, and The Inhumans Marvel Masterworks, volume 2. Once school's out in a few days, I'll commence to also wading through a large stack of real books -- I need to finish Rep. John Lewis's (D-GA) memoir Walking with the Wind, and then I have a caboodle of additional Civil Rights books already purchased: The Autobiography of Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson. For lighter fare, my son gave me Tim Kurkjian's (ESPN baseball commentator) book, I'm Fascinated by Sacrifice Flies: Inside the Game We All Love and Keith Richards's autobiography, Life.

So what are your thoughts? What are you reading presently, or recently? What would you recommend to me, or do you see something we share that you'd pass along to a friend? If you are just happening by this space for the first time ever, you must know that in order to join our Loyal Order of Water Buffalo Lodge a comment must be made and left for all to see. True story. All you veterans -- you know the drill.

I Gotta Have It! But, How'd You Get It?

Doug: Last weekend we had several long-timers as well as a nice representation of new/recent commenters join the fray in discussing their peak buying years. The conversation veered to when and why that first wave waned, books that got us back into collecting, etc. Toward the end of that weekend, one of our Twitter followers (@conrad_eric) asked us if we'd ever run a post where we asked our readers just how they got their comics. To the best of my recollection those sorts of stories have been told through the years, but I don't believe ever in one place. Well... that's today, and the rest of the weekend.

We'd love it if you'd get specific with certain vendors' spinner racks and magazine shelves, locations of drug stores or groceries, mail order companies, and maybe even trading partners. I know I'd love to hear memories of how our readers acquired certain books, what age they were then, and if they still have the book or not. Talk about our community finding some common ground for nostalgia!

I can start this off today, and will most likely chime in again with a comment at some point: As a child, I can recall magazine racks at a drug store at the corner of S. 76th St. and Howard Ave. in Milwaukee. I can see Fantastic Four #161 in front of my hands in May, 1975. I later bought FF #163 at the same store. Those might be the earliest memories I have of buying my own comics, which is puzzling since I'd have been 9 years old. I know I had several comics by that time. Anyway, other regular venues through the years included Osco Drugs in Kankakee, IL, where I purchased Peter Parker #1, Belscot in Kankakee (a poor man's Wal-Mart), where Marvel Treasury Edition #s 19 (Conan the Barbarian) and 21 (Fantastic Four) left in my possession, the Weiner's mini-market on River Street in Kankakee, IL where I purchased an issue of Super-Team Family, the Convenient Food Mart in Bourbonnais, IL where I bought many an issue of Secret Society of Super-Villains, and of course my most famous one-time purchase of Avengers #161 at Mickey's Books and Novelties (you know...). In college, the Rexall Drugs in Eureka, IL got me my fix of Crisis On Infinite Earths and volume two of The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. Shortly thereafter, I started buying comics from mail order businesses such as Westfield Comics, Mile High Comics, and M&M Comic Service. All are still in business.

So thank you to Eric for the suggestion/request. I hope our conversation this weekend is as rich as last weekend's was.

The Height of My Comics Buying, and Other Stuff I've Liked

Doug: Last weekend we spent some time recollecting our comics purchases during September of 1983. Several commenters remarked that they were either done or nearly done with a phase in their comics collecting experience; others left a note that they felt the output during that particular area was a) subpar and even b) above par! How in the world could our experiences (and perceptions of those experiences) be so different? All of our bus drivers are here today to start our weekend conversation.

Redartz: My personal comics peak was a fairly lengthy one, stretching from 1974 to about 1981. Early in '74 I got hooked on Marvel, especially, and was hungrily sampling title after title. There were so many to choose from, aside from obvious favorites like Amazing Spider-Man and Avengers! Loved all the Giant-Size books, loved anything by Steve Gerber. Through the end of the decade I probably averaged about 20 titles a month, mostly Marvel but with a few DC's here and there. These seven years were filled with great creators and great books -- Englehart, Shooter, Byrne, Perez, Rogers, and so on. Such a time for variety and experimentation -- truly something for everyone!
Prior to '74, I was in an Archie phase, which vanished upon my intro to Marveldom (although the Archie interest would return some years later in the form of back issue hunting, especially some earlier 50s and 60s comics). However, many books from the Silver and early Bronze Age soon joined my collection -- particularly Marvel Team-Up, Conan, ASM, Fantastic Four, and Avengers (really loved that "Avengers/Defenders War"-- that one title sure had a bounty of great storylines).

But by 1981, I was in college -- money was tighter, and my interests were shifting. Within just a couple years my comic purchases would drop to less than 10 per month, including several Indie titles like Journey, Neil the Horse, and Mr. X. Many mainstream titles started to lose their appeal for me. I kept up Spider-Man as my longtime favorite, but even quit on him after the Defalco-Frenz period. By the mid 80's I was only buying Byrne's Fantastic Four regularly, and irregular issues of Spectacular Spider-Man, Action Comics, Batman and a few others. I quit X-Men after Paul Smith left, and by the end of the 80s I was mostly out of comics.

Not entirely, though -- there were books from that era, and later, that I bought and enjoyed. McFarlane's run on Amazing Spider-Man brought me back, and I really enjoyed them. Comico ran a fine Jonny Quest series I collected in its entirety. There was Watchmen, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and in '91 DC did a fun miniseries with Angel and the Ape. I started buying “Simpsons Comics” when they debuted. So looking back, even though the comics wonderland I explored in the 70s seemed long gone, there was still some good reading to be had. No doubt there was much more that I missed out on completely (young parenthood really limits that disposable income).

Doug: You know, because of the timing of my hiatus, I never warmed to the Indies. In fact, it wasn't until Dark Horse began the "Legend" imprint that I regularly bought independent comics. So all the talk from our friends of Cerebus, Mister X, Elfquest, et al. has me on the outside looking in. And to respond to some of the comments from last weekend, I did feel that the overall quality of art at Marvel had declined during my absence as compared to when I quit buying. I am not saying there was no quality at all -- maybe I'm prejudicial to what I'd known, and I felt that the "House style" was changing.

My best guess is that I was a regular comic book buyer by the time 1973 rolled around. Please understand, though, that at the ripe old age of 7, "regular" meant that I had a very short stack of comics. But I would ask for them when I saw them, and soon gravitated to the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and Amazing Spider-Man. By the time I was 10 (1976), I was buying a whole bunch of titles -- when I could find them. The three just mentioned were soon joined by Peter Parker, Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Two-In-One, X-Men, Teen Titans, Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Champions, Thor, the Secret Society of Super-Villains, Batman, Batman Family, Invaders, Green Lantern/Green Arrow, Daredevil, Super-Villain Team-Up, Conan, the Giant-Size, Annuals and Dollar Comics, Marvel Treasury Editions and DC's Limited Collector's Editions, and many more. I would continue as such right up until the summer of 1980 when I'd graduated the 8th grade and thought I was "too cool" for comics as I entered high school. As I've remarked, comic books and the like simply did not have the sort of social acceptance that they do now, and as a football player and a young man definitely on the market for a steady girlfriend, I made the (erroneous) assumption that all that would not mix. It would take until my sophomore year of college before I got my mind right on that subject.

So what have I liked since the "return" and before the final "departure" (back in 2005)? I have enjoyed The Dark Knight Returns on many readings. I initially liked John Byrne's revamp of Superman, and really got into George Perez's Wonder Woman. All of that came after Crisis on Infinite Earths, which in spite of what it did to the Legion, Supergirl, and other characters I'd really liked, I enjoyed. Retroactively, I thought the Roger Stern/John Buscema/Tom Palmer run on the Avengers was quite good. I stuck with Amazing Spider-Man way past when it stopped being fun (pretty much when Todd McFarlane left). Frank Miller's Sin City stories were solid, as was Jeff Smith's Bone. I could go on, but I'll just say this -- and maybe this is from the perspective of a child -- I have never been as excited to read comics as I was when I was a wee fellow. In fact, the things I get giddy for nowadays are the announcements of collections of material from the Bronze Age. When I first saw solicitations for the Marvel Firsts series... Be still, my heart!

Martinex1: The bell curve of my primary collecting phase ran from the Summer of ’77 into 1981. I can almost track my attention to comics around the ebbs and flows of Avengers’ stories as that was the group I followed most attentively. So the John Byrne and George Perez era of art on that team book really defined my heyday. During that time the Claremont-Byrne Uncanny X-Men were also peaking. The Micronauts and ROM made their first appearances. And the Michelinie-Layton Iron Man stories were revitalizing the title. That era of comics is by far my favorite and one I return to often. I was very much a Marvel fanatic at that time. My attention trailed off a bit as I turned thirteen, entered high school, and The Avengers just passed their 200^th issue.

I continued to collect intermittently with some great spikes along the way as friends and I still had those general interests, but my passion for comics never had the same steam it had in the late 70’s.

But I must mention an additional highpoint and that includes comics from 1969 to 1971. As I’ve mentioned before, my cousin supplied quite the selection of “old” comics and most were from this time period. The timeframe  rides the wave when Marvel was in conversion from 12 cent to 15 cent comics. And like those in the above years, I have a particular fondness for these issues. So I was exposed very early to both John and Sal Buscema’s art on the Avengers, from the Kang-Grandmaster challenge to Brainchild and the Squadron Supreme to the start of the Kree-Skrull War, and read those particular books over and over again. Jack Kirby was finishing up his tenure on the Fantastic Four.  And early issues of Captain Marvel and Sub-Mariner had my attention. That really shaped my expectations for more current off-the-rack comics. It also made my enjoyment of books like What If in the late ‘70s so acute as I was familiar with the backstories.

I missed out on most comics from 1972 to 1975, so it is interesting that I do not look as favorably on the Marvel comics with the window bordered covers. And in Avengers’ history, I am not a big fan of the Englehart period. It really just goes to what I was exposed to at a particular age.

In my frequent returns to comics over the decades, I have enjoyed the Stern-Buscema Avengers, particularly the “Under Siege” arc. I’ve liked books like The Exiles, Mark Waid’s run on The Flash, and Busiek’s Thunderbolts. But comparatively, I always gravitate to the comics of my youth.

Karen: It's difficult to single out just one period of time -I can think of three distinct phases where I felt very absorbed by what was going on in comics. The first would have been around 1974-1978, and I was focused almost exclusively on Marvel, with Legion of Super-Heroes being my only real exception. I was enamored with practically everything Marvel was putting out - all the mainstream books, like Avengers, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Captain America, Thor, but also the more unusual titles, like Warlock, Defenders, Iron Fist, and of course, the all-new, all-different X-Men. In fact, although my husband and most of my geeky friends think of me as an Avengers fan first  -and indeed, Doug and I first became friends on the old Avengers Assemble board - I realize that X-Men was the book that gripped me the most as a pre-teen. It was the one title  I just read over and over until the next issue came out -and it was bimonthly at first, so it was a long wait. 

Then, after a slower period, around 1982 I became interested in some of the independent titles like Love and Rockets, Nexus, Elfquest, along with titles from the Big Two that were outside their mainstream. At this time, I was working in a comic book store, so it was easy for me to sit and read practically everything, and I was able to take a chance on books that I might have passed up otherwise. Finding stories outside the super-hero genre was exciting; it opened me up to other possibilities for the medium.

But once I went off to college, my buying became less frequent. I still managed to keep up with some stories - I got all four issues of Batman: The Dark Knight when they came out - but comics weren't a priority for me anymore. After I graduated, I would occasionally pop into a comic store and pick up a few books, to try to get back into the hobby. But I found much of the Marvel universe to be impenetrable -particularly X-Men, which had expanded to galactic proportions. I felt like I was done.

Oddly enough, I was pulled back into comics initially by a DC Comic! I started reading JSA by Geoff Johns and Steve Sadowski around 2000, and this toehold evolved into 12+ books a month at its peak, until about 2006, when I felt I could no longer relate to the characters or enjoy the stories in most of the titles any more. I pick up an occasional book now but mostly focus on TPB collections of back issues, or non-super-hero trades, like the recent Star Trek/Planet of the Apes crossover. I would agree with Martinex though -seemingly as I get older I find myself more drawn to the books I loved most as a young child. It's delightful when I can find something new that gives me the same feeling!

Doug: So there you have it from us. Hopefully we get a nice conversation with lots of participation. Have a nice weekend, everyone! 

A Simple Question Concerning Characterization

Doug: Who are those characters that you think should be easy to write "in character"?

And, as a follow-up, where are those examples of gross mischaracterization you can recall?

A Simple Question About "Essential" Comic Books

Doug: Back on Monday, I fell into a bit of a trap in a remark I made in our first installment of our review of The Dark Knight. I suggested that in the succeeding 30 years since its publication, who hadn't read that story? Well, somewhat to my surprise, a few of our loyal commenters raised their hands. Which of course got me to thinking...

What are those comic books or comics stories that you have personally assumed that "everyone" has read?

This Cover Made Me Buy This Comic Book

DC Super-Stars #17 (Nov-Dec 1977)
Cover by Joe Staton and Bob Layton

Doug: Way too many words and the logo is too big! But a giant square-bound DC with these three "secret origins"? Take my money!

A Simple Question About Old Comics

Doug: When did you become enamored with "old" comics? When was your realization that something had come before? For example, in the 25c era, I about wet my pants the first time I laid eyes on a "12-center". The Holy Grail had been published monthly ten years earlier!

The Spinner Rack - February 1978

4-15-20: NOTE - In refreshing this post, I inadvertently chose cover images in the "on sale" category at Mike's. All other links in this post point to the original direction originally intended. Thanks for your understanding.

Doug: Welcome back to the new stuff, friends! Karen got us off to a nice start yesterday with her review of the recently-released Inhumans tpb. Today it's a well-worn drill, but one that always takes us back to the Bronze Age for some nice recollections. If you make the jump here, you'll land on Mike's Amazing World of Comics and those books that were cover-dated February 1978. A click on the date below will bump you over to the Comic Book Database where you can find some other details. Thanks for playing!

February 1978

Guest Post: If I Had a Buck... It's Entirely Subjective

Doug: As promised last week, here is the second of two recent submissions for your enjoyment from our pal Martinex1. You're gonna get your feet wet on this one...

Mike S.: Ahoy mates! I have another $1.00 challenge for you and it concerns one of my favorite characters in all of comicdom. We recently discussed if we Bronze Age Babies are completest in our collecting; and it made me recall that at a young age I set out on what I thought was an easy task… gathering every appearance of this solo hero. That turned out to be impossible for a kid with meager means, because this guy seemed to touch every corner of the universe.

He was a protagonist and an antagonist. He was Timely and a Marvel. He was an Invader, a Defender, and an Avenger. He was the first mutant. He was a prince and a royal pain in the butt. He loved and he lost. He started wars and tasted defeat. He is part environmentalist and part belligerent neighbor. He had a flat top and wings on his feet. He hassled the Fantastic Four and teamed with dozens more. He was, of course, Namor the Savage Sub-Mariner.

Created in 1939, very much at the onset of powered heroes, it is amazing to me how ever present Namor was in the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Ages. Surely he was one of Marvel’s core properties at the time and seemed to show up in almost every title, in house ads and on merchandise, and even as one of the rotating Marvel Super-Heroes on TV. I am sure we can all sing,

Stronger than a whale.
He can swim anywhere. 
He can breathe underwater and go flying through the air.
The noble Sub-Mariner, prince of the deep. 
So beware you deadly demons for Namor of Atlantis is the prince of the deep.

I liked his persistent frustration and impatience. He was different than other heroes and in my eyes strangely sympathetic. I was struck by his sense of responsibility for Atlantis, and how those duties really weighed on him. Sure he could be a jerk and was quick tempered and reactionary, but he was also lonely and tortured by grief due to the tragic deaths of his wives Lady Dorma and Marrina. 

I was fascinated that he did not always team with the heroes but made decisions based on his own beliefs and acted consistently in protection of his kingdom. He sided with the Allies in WWII, but that did not automatically make him a friend of early Marvel teams like the FF and Avengers. 

There were classic stories and key moments involving Namor, including but not limited to the original Serpent Crown Saga, the creation of the Defenders (or should I say the Titans Three), and the tossing  of Captain America’s icy encasement into the sea. 

I submit that the only thing holding Namor back in terms of sales was his costume (or lack thereof). The Speedo look did not play well amongst my peers, but he got more interest in the redesigned black winged outfit. Also, his attitude was obviously bleak and pessimistic; while I found that interesting, others didn’t like him. I think that he was ahead of his time in terms of the broader and conflicting elements of his disposition and that he really has a nuanced personality. What say you? I hope I am not all wet, and you have favorite Namor stories as well.  

Here are the FOURTEEN selections from different eras and demonstrating the Sub-Mariner’s ubiquitous impact on Marvel (with varying price points of course). As always, have fun and dive right in. 

Sub-Mariner #15; Cover Price $0.12. Written by Roy Thomas with art by John Buscema. In his solo title, Namor was given top notch creative talent, including but not limited to: Roy Thomas, John Buscema, Marie Severin, Gene Colan, and Sal Buscema. Here Sub-Mariner was a powerhouse who fought the likes of the Thing, Captain Marvel, Hercules, Thor, and the Dragon Man. He was no slouch and could pack a punch on land or in sea. There was a great series of covers in this run; including this knock-out blow. He might have fine feathers on his heels, but he is no pigeon!

Alpha Flight #15; Cover Price $0.60.  Cover, story, and art by John Byrne. Subby battles another marital crisis as Marrina succumbs to her dual nature. Cry me a river!

Amazing Spider-Man #211; Cover Price $0.50. Written by Dennis O’Neil. Cover and art by John Romita Jr.  Generators on the East Coast cause all kinds of turmoil for the marine monarch. Q: How do you solve a comic book engineering problem? A: Punch Spider-Man.  Sea beds, Web Heads, and hot heads!

Avengers #282; Cover Price $0.75. Written by Roger Stern. Pencils and cover by John Buscema.  Inks by Tom Palmer. Following the classic Stern/Buscema siege on the Avengers, the creative group went on to have the team face the pantheon of Greek gods. Great storytelling and all out action. Namor was on the team for a relatively long time during this period. No more defendin’, it’s time for avengin’!

Daredevil #7; Cover Price $0.12. Written by Stan Lee. Art and cover by Wally Wood. In a classic tale, Namor needs a lawyer, DD gets a new red suit, and Krang riles up our fishy friends. Don’t bring a billy club to a surface world invasion!

Defenders #54; Cover Price $0.35. Written by David Anthony Kraft. Cover by George Perez.  Interior art by Michael Golden and Bob McLeod (on the Defenders story). In the midst of a confrontation with the Presence and his capture of the Red Guardian, a crisis occurs in Atlantis and the Defenders reunite with Namor in classic undersea action. Grab your oxygen; you’ll need it!

Fantastic Four #195; Cover Price $0.35. Written by Marv Wolfman. Cover by George Perez.   Interior art by Keith Pollard.  Namor has had a long history with the Fantastic Four, going back all the way to their fourth issue when he reemerged into the Silver Age. His on again off again relationship with Sue continues here when she visits Namor’s Hollywood movie studio for a role.   Huh? Yes, not only is he an undersea ruler, but he is a media mogul extraordinaire Water World or Titanic? You be the judge!

Invaders #4; Cover Price $0.25. Written by Roy Thomas. Cover by Jack Kirby. Interior art by Frank Robbins. “U-Man Must Be Stopped” World War II battles from the depths of Atlantis; U better believe it action fans!

Iron Man #25; Cover Price $0.15. Written by Archie Goodwin. Cover by Marie Severin. Interior art by Johnny Craig. Iron Man and Namor have a long history together. The 1968 one-shot Iron Man & Sub-Mariner predated their self-titled books by one month. Subby sticks it to Stark intermittently during his series; this time he’s sick of the toxic waste being dumped in his beloved sea. We need Namor to visit the Chicago River on St. Patrick’s Day!

Marvel Two-In- One #2; Cover Price $0.20. Written by Steve Gerber. Cover by John Romita.   Interior art by Gil Kane. Hydrobase. Namorita. Dakkamites. Tuumar. Zeneg. Wundarr. Amphibians.  And Gerber. Until Atlanteans are allowed to compete in the Summer Olympics, make mine Marvel!

Namor, the Sub-Mariner #3; Cover Price $1.00. Cover, story, and art by John Byrne. “Meeting of the Board” Okay, I know nobody is going to buy this one when you only have a dollar to spend and there are so many cheap classics to choose from. So take Abbie Hoffman’s advice, and protest Namor being a corporate bigwig (who happens to ride on a mutated Griffin through plate glass windows).   Take that, big business!

Sub-Mariner Comics (Golden Age) #11; Cover Price $0.10. Cover by Alex Schomburg. Interior art by Carl Pfeufer. In the wartime Pacific, the Sub-Mariner makes a point (and not with his triangular head). Isosceles Rex!

Super Villain Team-Up #3; Cover Price $0.25. Written by Jim Shooter. Cover by Ed Hannigan.   Interior pencils by George Evans with inks by Jack Abel. Betty Dean is dead! And Namor is madder than a moray eel! If your name is Dr. Dorcas, Attuma, or Tiger Shark, I would run (er… swim) fast! If your name is Dr. Dorcas, I would consider changing your name (especially with Dr. Doom hanging around)! 

Tales to Astonish #100; Cover Price $0.12. Written by Stan Lee. Cover and art by Marie Severin.  The book becomes “Tales to Demolish “when two of Marvel’s angriest battle in the briny deep.  Is Namor strong enough to take on the Hulk?  You betcha!  Yo Gamma Gamma!

So there you have it… decades of drenched drama! Let us know what you are buying and why.  Is Namor neglected or has he outlived his welcome? And if you want to bring up other underwater ultras like Aquaman, Tempest, Stingray, Fathom, or even the Little Mermaid, it’s all fair game.