The Great Comic Book Heroes Day!

It's pretty much impossible to overrate the impact on yours truly of Jules Feiffer's seminal mid-60's tome The Great Comic Book Heroes. I discovered this gem at my local public library while still a young budding comics fan and I cannot know now how many different times I checked it out, to once again savor (for free...hee hee) the Golden Age gems contained within its oversized pages.

For let's not be too coy about this, when as a youngster I got my clutches on Feiffer's extended essay on the nature of superheroes and their role in society, I was not in the least interested in his insights but rather in his four-color evidence which offered to me prime examples of Golden Age art and story which I'd only glimpsed on the muddy pages of Fantasy Masterpieces.

This volume offered up to me my very first Spirit story by Will Eisner, an early effort which sadly I still think does not truly do justice to the glowing credit Feiffer rightly bestows on the great creator. 

This book offered up my first look at the wacko origins of Green Lantern and Flash, two Golden Age heroes I sort of knew from their Silver Age Justice Society appearances in the summer crossovers. 

We get wild stories about The Spectre, a truly scary character and Hawkman, a fabulously rendered but nonetheless stuffy hero, and the truly offbeat Plastic Man, whose name I didn't understand for years yet.  

The big three are present with stories of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, all clever enough. But always a Marvel fanboy, the trio of tales starring Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, and especially Captain America always were my favorites. Or at least they were then.  

The one-page glimpse we get of Captain Marvel, a character still locked away at the time by DC's lawyers was fascinating, made me yearn to see more.

That was then. This is now.

When I was able, I bought a copy of the book for myself when it was released in paperback in the mid-70's. Later still I found an original copy of the 1965 Dial Press hardback (in a store in Ashville, North Carolina if I recollect properly) and treasure both. Some years back Fantagraphics published the book again, this time minus the comic supplements and I bought that too. I love this book, that's true.

But I don't think I ever sat down with the intent just to read Feiffer's fascinating essay for its own sake ever. I now have and let me say that as I get older the notes in his writing merely ring truer and truer. For the first time I was able to almost perfectly understand all his 30's allusions without missing a beat, allowing the full richness of his imagery to percolate as it ought.

Feiffer's thesis as much as I can paraphrase it seems to be that comic books are properly junk, the very stuff which critics like the well-meaning but nonetheless loathsome Wertham (my opinion not Feiffer's necessarily) claimed they were. And that being junk was their point, their attraction. The connection between comics and juvenile delinquency has never been proven, and frankly never will be. It doesn't exist in that way, but the allure of comics as something delightfully anti-social is the very essence of the form.

So let me take a moment to thank Jules Feiffer on behalf of my ten-year old self who was delighted to read and re-read and re-read again those vintage comics tucked between his wizened words and let me thank him again now properly as an adult for those words themselves. You nailed it Mr. Feiffer, well done. I'll spend my morning reading revisiting Fieffer's classic once again, nearly sixty years since I read it with such gusto for the first time. 

I was born on this date in 1957. I still have my saintly Mom, and I still cherish memories of my Dad. My Mom, a woman who epitomizes what true Christianity can be when the teachings of Jesus are the focus. My Mom weekly picked up my comics for me when I was a kid and in school. It was an effort I still give great thanks for. 

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Superman - The 1942 Novel!

Superman was a success right from the start, at least it was when creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster could get someone to publish the adventures. The character created a whole new genre, one pioneered by costumed heroes like Lee Falk's The Phantom among others. But Superman was something else again, at once familiar and esoteric, an alien from the heartland of America. 

Superman soon dominated the comic book world, getting his own title and appearing in other places like World's Finest alongside Batman. But he was not done. 

It was not long until Superman's fame spread to other besides comics. Radio took an interest and began a daily fifteen-minute program with the Man of Steel. 

Beyond the wild pages of his own comic book, he found safe haven in the more esteemed panels of the comic strip where his adventures dropped onto the stoops of Americans all over. 

And he went to the big screen when the Fleischer Studios (the folks responsible for the immensely popular Popeye features) lavished on the hero from Krypton possibly the best superhero cartoons ever made. 

So, I guess it was just a matter of time before Superman got a prose novel dedicated to him. And that's just what happened when George Lowther wrote The Adventures of Superman a novel destined for the libraries of the nation. Superman now occupied space among other classic heroes of literature such as Natty Bumppo, Sydney Carton, and Sam Spade. 

The novel is a quick-paced affair divided into two distinct parts. The first deals with Superman's origin and tells yet again how the planet Krypton explodes but not before a prescient scientist sends his son in a rocket to the planet Earth where he is found by a kindly farming couple who raise him as his own. There is special emphasis on relationship between Clark and his adopted father Eben in this retelling, and I was much reminded of how the story is told in the first Christopher Reeve movie. 

Then the scene shifts as Clark Kent tries to make a name for himself and earn a job on The Daily Planet. This version of the story has him head out West and investigate a strange ghost ship which is haunting the harbors of an important defense contractor. It's up to both Clark Kent and the mighty Superman to get to the bottom of these ghostly doings as well as uncover the threat to the nation's security. This story does an excellent job of building the menace and of offering the reader a number of suspects. Before it's done, Superman has been taxed and takes the fight to enemies of American and world security. 

Lois Lane is in this one but there's not much room to give her that much attention. Superman is front and center in this rather thrilling yarn that takes more than one twist along the way. The prose is decorated with wonderful sketches by Joe Shuster as well as some handsome black and white plates. There are several painted images too to add color to the finished product. To see the artwork check out this link. 

I enjoyed the 1977 Kassel reprint of the 1942 novel. It is highly recommended if you can dig up a copy.

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DC's Greatest Detective Stories Ever Told?

DC's Greatest Detective Stories Ever Told is a collection which sadly does not live up to its name. But what we do have is a healthy sampling of stories from across the many decades giving a glimpse of what comics were like at various times. It's an eclectic collection with some pretty good stories, but not as many great ones as it should have. I do love that Mike Kaluta cover though. 

First up is a Slam Bradley story from the second issue of Detective Comics. Produced by the Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster team, this is a rousing adventure with a nifty blend of two-fisted action and humor. Slam's partner Shorty is the source of the humor of course. I enjoyed this little tale immensely. 

The Sandman story "The Van Leew Emeralds" by Gardner Fox and artist Creig Flessel might me my favorite in this collection. This story from Adventure Comics #51 has got solid art and the Sandman slips in and out of his mask more than a few times. This is an excellent 1940 Golden Age yarn. 

Behind this Batman and Robin Detective Comics cover is an Elongated Man story titled "The Purple Pony". This is well drawn as usual by Carmine Infantino, but the 1964 story by Gardner Fox is not to my mind the best example of what Ralph and Sue Dibny have to offer the reader. It's fine, but nothing special. 

Perhaps my greatest disappointment was the expansive Lois Lane story which occupies nearly one hundred pages of the collection. The upside is the typically fine Gray Morrow artwork, but the story by Mindy Newell strives for realism at the cost of excitement. The prospective reader is warned that at no time does a scene like that picture on the cover of the second issue occur. This is grim tale about child abuse, kidnapping, and runaways. I admire the desire to focus attention on a problem, but it could've been done with a bit more verve. 

From the fiftieth anniversary issue of Detective Comics we get a darn good yarn. Mike Barr's story is divided into chapters with each drawn by specially selected artists. We begin with a Slam Bradley tale drawn by Alan Davis in which we learn that Shorty has been killed and Slam is drawn into a case when his prospective client is whisked away violently. A certain dynamic duo help. Then in a chapter drawn by Terry Beatty and Dick Giordano Slam seeks his lost client by trying to find a missing woman. This takes us to London where in a Carmine Infantino drawn tale Elongated Man seeks a long-lost document. That document proves to be a forgotten Sherlock Holmes story which we get to enjoy thanks to artist E. R. Cruz. Alan Davis returns to wrap things up as the collected heroes team up. It's a fun romp. 

From the pages of 1987's The Question #8 we get a grim story by Denny O'Neil and artists Denis Cowan and Rick Magyar which pits the faceless hero against a deadly and devious killer of criminals. 

The secret origin of Detective Chimp is brought to us by artist Mark Badger and writer Andy Helfer. It's a truly strange few pages from Secret Origins #40 which feature aliens from beyond the stars who find their way into a small and humble chimp. 

The collection wraps up with a back-up story from 1989's Batman #441 in which Tim Drake introduces himself to Dick Grayson and Alfred Pennyworth. Despite featuring some decent art by Jim Aparo we only get a few pages of this Marv Wolfman story. I'm not quite sure what was the intent here and it's the weakest part of the collection. 

I want to like this collection more than I do. Some of the choices seem odd. And the lack of creator credits in the table of contents is frustrating. I had to use the Grand Comics Database to fill in some gaps for this review. This collection does not live up to its grandiose title. But that is a great cover. 

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Secret History Lessons!

Television specials on comics are usually pretty lame. The broader populace doesn't grok the real nature of comic books and of superheroes which they (for obvious reasons) exclusively identify with the genre. But there's some small glimmer of hope and it comes in the for of the recent Robert Kirkman's Secret History of Comics on AMC. This show wouldn't have  happened without the fusion of Kirkman and AMC over the comic The Walking Dead. That comic-book inspired TV phenomenon allows the folks associated with it a glamour which the powers hope will support spin-off events like this show and others starring folks like Norman Reedus.

To be frank I expected this to suck and beginning with the tired debate about who was the true creator of Marvel Comics didn't give me much hope that I was wrong. But I was.

With the second show which explored the deviant and somewhat shadowy origins of Wonder Woman the show won me over a bit. This was largely brand new territory for TV when it comes to comics. Usually television cannot deal with comic books without copious amounts of "Bop!" and "Zing!" and "Zowie!" as the impression still left by the vintage Batman TV show still permeates the popular imagination.

It was back to familiar territory with the show on the creators of Superman and how they got screwed, a fundamental fable of injustice and (sadly) the American way, which all comics fans know by heart.

But the focus on those comics and creators who responded to the events of 9-11 made me realize for sure this was a show which was plowing some new territory. It was about more than just comics, but how comics reflected the times in which they happened and were shaped by those times.

And the focus on the important Milestone Publishing effort of the early 90's confirmed it. This was stuff I'd never seen discussed on TV before and really interesting and fresh and spoke to the original American sin of racism which bristles as always in our culture.

Somewhat less so was the show on Image, but it made sense since Image is where Kirkman landed and launched his highly successful zombie comic. This is an above average series, not perfect by any means, but better than what usually happens. Imagine a TV show about comics without "Zowie!". Now we can.

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The First Wave!

I don't remember buying the Fantagraphics volume Supermen! The First Wave of Comic Book Heroes 1936-1941, but I'm glad I did. It's a neat little window into the earliest prototypes which were finding a way into the brand new entertainment. Taking artistic cues from the newspaper comic strips and thematic cues from the pulp magazines of the 30's, the comic books of this earliest period are filled with energy if not refined craftsmanship. For example take a look at this two-page tale by Superman's daddies Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster.

Rough stuff, but it filled the pages and that was all that was mostly required by the schemers, hucksters, and outright business men who were launching into the new field.  

The Clock was the first masked man of the comics, and the storytelling is so primitive that the panels are numbered to make sure the reader didn't get lost. Actually the drawing on this series is okay, but it's evidence that the novelty of reading material repackaged in this way which made the creators careful about their potential readership.

Bill Everett is one of those names who is associated with comics from the very beginning. He's represented here with a sci-fi yarn, but soon of course he takes his skills beneath the sea.

Will Eisner and Lou Fine's The Flame is a pretty standard superhero of the time. He's a regular dude who gets a costume and a potent gimmick and takes on the lurid and depraved enemies who are all too willing to prey on the helpless.

Though he never got a cover appearance, the sheer wildness of a character like Stardust by Fletcher Hanks pointed out just how robust the and open to innovation the early comic books were. There was limited oversight and that was a good thing for those who wanted to do something a bit different.

Violence was a big part of what these early comics presented, a more vivid and literally more in-your-face variation of what was merely described in the pulps. Characters like The Comet, drawn by Irv Novick, killed people with limited concern.

Strips like Skyman and Marvelo from Big Shot Comics had a real polish and visual sophistication but sadly were missing some of the raw verve of less refined Golden Age offerings. That was not the case with The Face, a gritty series with a hero who wore a fight mask and had the behaviors to back it up.

The Claw was an unabashed villain -- Fu Manchu blended with King Kong, the Yellow Peril never got a more pure presentation. His mob of Asian agents gibbered and knifed their way into the streets of somber America screaming for the world to awaken to the threat. Daredevil, a guy in a very slick costume met the enemy with almost no advantage but his purity of spirit won the day.

Spacehawk from Basil Wolverton is stylish and well thought of these days because of Wolverton's inspiration for underground cartoonists. The adventuers of Spacehawk have a real edge with an other worldly quality for certain.

And finally we have Blue Bolt, the strip which for the first time blended the dynamic talents of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. I'll have more to say about him next week.

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