Lots to go over on today installment of the CCL.
First up I question the timing of a Press Release from Image regarding The Nightly News Anniversary Edition HC, it’s a conspiracy theory is epic proportions. Next, I talk about the New 52 Trades and Hardcovers that will be coming out all year long in 2012. The Flashpoint trades will also be coming out in Q3, but oddly enough there is no Road To Flashpoint trade paperback in the mix. There’s also a lot of great reprints coming out from IDW’s Library Of American Comics imprint including announcements of Bloom County sequels Outland and Opus! Strange happenings with Marvel’s Avengers: The Children’s Crusade HC – not only is there a $5 price hike but it is also moved back on the schedule by 6 weeks! Finally, I go over Hal Jordan’s many origins and wonder if there are too many and just how much tweaking should there be for new readers – and movie goers.
Chris

Links Of Note:
Collected Editions Blog: DC’s New 52 Trades and Hardcovers
Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock
Trades and Forbidden Planet International (UK)

It’s important to remember that Cap was born out of necessity in the worst war of all time and into the greatest generation. Even though we are all familiar of Captain America thanks to The Avengers #4 (March 1964) and Tales of Suspense #58 (Oct. 1964), Marvel Comics is well aware that the importance of the character lies with his earliest adventures in Captain America Comics #1-75 and other Golden Age titles (All Winners Comics #1-19, Marvel Mystery Comics #80-84 and #86-92, USA Comics #6-17, and All Select Comics #1-10). Over the years Marvel has painstakingly republished the stories as part of their Masterworks line and even collected the short lived 1950′s Atlas Era revival. But the love of the Golden Age version has always been a favorite of Roy Thomas.

Thomas was a writer and editor-in-chief at Marvel and was looking for a new angle on classic stories. He came up with The Invaders. This was a 5 member team of Captain America, Bucky, Sub-Mariner, The Human Torch and Toro, all of whom did have adventures with one another in the 1940′s comics, but did not ever consolidate into a formal team. The Invaders #1 (1970) changed all that with the premise being untold tales of this retro fitted superteam. It worked so well that in just a few issues Thomas quickly expanded the lore by reintroducing more obscure golden age characters including Whizzer, Miss America, Blue Diamond, Jack Frost, The Patriot, Red Raven, and The Thin Man in the pages of Marvel Premiere. Under Bucky’s leadership they became known as The Liberty Legion and now the complete storyline has been collected in Marvel Premiere Classic – The Thing: Liberty Legion.

The plot is as simple as they come: Cap, Namor, Torch and Toro have somehow been captured and brainwashed by the Red Skull and it’s up to Bucky to rescue them before they and the Nazi’s destroy New York City and take over the world. Bucky realizes that he is a bit out of his league and must recruit the other heroes and form the Liberty Legion. With each appearance Thomas retells the origins and brings us up to speed. As with most reviews here on the CCL Blog, I avoid spoilers but I can tell you that the fight sequences and the interaction between characters are well done, especially when brainwashed Cap meets up with The Patriot and calls him a poor imitation. The Red Skull is in typical form, even when his master plan goes array he yells out, “Not Now! Not when I’ve come so close to total triumph”!

The 4 part crossover with The Invaders did so well, that the Liberty Legion would see three more comics, this time teaming up (of sorts) with The Thing and the rest of the Fantastic Four for a series of time traveling adventures. It should be stated that a few of the characters, The Patriot, Red Raven and The Whizzer were reintroduced into the Bronze Age before Marvel Premiere #29, but here Thomas sets it all straight in the Golden Age taking into account their individual appearances elsewhere.

As for the extras in this book there are none, but what is nice is the complete Liberty Legion story all in one book. Marvel’s Invaders Classic TPB collects the initial 4-issue cossover, but nothing else. Also reprinted are the end notes from the original issues. In them Thomas describes just who these forgotten characters are and when they first appeared. Without them, the reader (of yesterday or today) would be lost and wondering who these people are. Thanks to books like these and the Captain America movie, Golden Age Marvel is in style and will be for another great generation.

Marvel Premiere Classic – The Thing: Liberty Legion Variant (Volume 69)
Written by Roy Thomas
Art by John Buscema, Sal Buscema, Frank Robbins, Don Heck and others
168 pages, $24.99, Marvel Comics
Collects The Invaders #5-6, Marvel Premiere #29-39, Fantastic Four Annual #11, Marvel Two-In-One Annual #1 and Marvel Two-In-One #20

Recommended reading:
Marvel Masterworks Golden Age Daring Mystery Volume 2 – The Blue Diamond (introduced Daring Mystery Comics #7, April 1941)
Marvel Masterworks Golden Age USA Comics Volume 1 – Jack Frost (USA Comics #1, Aug. 1941)
No reprint of first appearance – Miss America (Marvel Mystery Comics #49, Nov. 1943)
Marvel Masterworks Golden Age Human Torch Volume 1 – The Patriot (Human Torch Comics #3, Spring 1941)
Golden Age of Marvel Volume 2 TPB – Red Raven (Red Raven Comics #1, Aug. 1940)
Marvel Masterworks Golden Age Mystic Comics Volume 1 – The Thin Man (Mystic Comics #4, July 1940)
Marvel Masterworks Golden Age USA Comics Volume 1 – The Whizzer (USA Comics #1, Aug. 1941)

It’s Christmas in July! Not only is it the week of San Diego Comic Con 2011, but we also have the Captain America movie and a huge announcement from DC Comics i.e. all 52 #1 issues in one giant (Absolute) hardcover.
This is actually the third time that I’ve covered Cap. The first was CCL #76 and the second was CCL #225. Today, I pick up from June 2009 and go over all the collected editions that have been published – and a few that are upcoming.
It’s a long compehensive list, but worth listening to if you havn’t been collecting Captain America in a while or are new to him altogether.
Lastly, I go over some pre Comic Con news on The Walking Dead, Interview With The Vampire, Flashpoint and Legion Of The Super-Heroes Volume 13. Plus I answer an e-mail from a listener who thinks I talk too much Marvel. I guess this is a bad day to counter that.

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That’s the case with Steve Saffel who continues his reprint series on Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Titan Books recently released a follow-up to 2009’s The Best of Simon and Kirby with Simon and Kirby Superheroes. This book collects everything just as it says it does and in a wonderful full color fashion. Saffel took his time in constructing the 480 page hardcover pouring his love into every page he edited. The well crafted book shows that he cares for the preservation of the material and is not out to get a quick buck from releasing cheap and easy reprints and where getting the book to market is more important then the quality of the work. Some restoration had to be done to a few of the comics but rest assured it was done with the hands of Harry Mendyk, who worked with Saffel on the first book.

Any fan of either comic book legend will want to buy this and add it to their shelf that would undoubtedly include work from major publishers like DC and Marvel. The Simon and Kirby Superheroes also contains an insightful introduction by Neil Gaiman that gives us an account of just how and why he optioned to do his own revival of Sandman. Gaiman also reminds us that not only has there never been another Jack Kirby, but there has “never been another Joe Simon, as well”. Another person to take us our journey through time and art is Jim Simon, Joe Simon’s son. He recounts the 1940’s and 1950’s and offers us an uncommon family viewpoint of these two great men and there process.

Sadly, a few of the series are short lived so as fast as you get acquainted with a hero, he quickly goes away. Below is a listing of how the book is broken down by character and the issues collected:

• The Black Owl, Prize Comics #7-9, 1940-41
• Stuntman, Stuntman #1-3, 1946
• The Vagabond Prince, Black Cat Comics #7-8, 1946
• Captain 3-D, Captain 3-D #1, 1953
• Fighting American, Fighting American (Volume 1) #1-7, 1954-55, and (Volume 2) #1-2, (1966
• Private (Lancelot) Strong, The Double Life Of Private Strong #1-2, 1959 and Adventures Of The Fly #2, 1959
• The Fly, Adventures Of The Fly #1-2, 1959 and The Double Life Of Private Strong #1, 1959

Some of these stories have never been published and also included are rare and unseen artwork. As good as this book is, I do have two issues to take to task:

1. The dimensions of The Simon and Kirby Superheroes is 11.2 x 7.9 while The Best of Simon and Kirby is 12.2 x 9.1, therefore the two are different when lined up on my bookshelf. For a reprint  series of this importance, I’m surprised that they do not have coherent uniformity.
2. Besides Simon and Kirby’s names there is no listing of other Artist or Writer credits. The only way I knew that Steve Ditko was involved on Captain 3-D was to read the text provided by Neil Gaiman and Jim Simon. I’m curious as to who else worked on these comics and the only way to do that is to hunt each individual comic down on the comics.org database.

Those two things won’t be a hindrance for me with future Simon and Kirby projects from Steve Saffel and Titan books. In fact here is a rundown of future volumes:

• Joe Simon: The Man Behind The Comics
• The Simon and Kirby Library: The Birth Of Romance
• The Simon and Kirby Library: Crime Drama
• The Simon and Kirby Library: Oh! The Horror

The Simon and Kirby Superheroes
Titan Books, 2010
480 pages, $49.95
A copy of this book was supplied to me by Titan Books

For more information on The Best Of Simon and Kirby, please listen to Collected Comics Library Podcast #233 – Interview with Steve Saffel, August 26, 2009

Thanks in large part of the Comic Book movies the past 15 years there have been a slew of comic book TV shows. Some good, some bad, some live action and some cartoon. I’ve been good at trying them all out but none have captured my attention like Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes on Disney XD. What’s nice about it from an adult perspective is that it is mixing in elements of the recent live action films. Iron Man/Tony Stark has revealed himself and is portrayed just like the way Robert Downey Jr. did. Bruce Banner/Hulk is straight from the Ed Norton mold and I’m willing to bet that Thor and Captain America are going to be similar representations of what we’ll see next summer. This said, the action and story has moved fast and there hasn’t been too much time wasted on background and origins. Another nice addition is a nod that this universe is large and ever expanding. Logan (Wolverine) has been seen and Hank Pym even mentions his colleague Reed Richards. No sign of Spider-Man or Daredevil yet, but there’s always hope. If you haven’t done so already please find time to check out the show and after you do come on back and share with me your favorite Avengers moments. It can be anything from single issue story lines, collected editions including extras and bonus features, one-shots, and even single panels. And with the vast Avengers roster, I’d like to know who your favorite Avenger is and why. I’ll be doing a follow-up show on December 22 so go ahead and e-mail, comment, Twitter or Facebook me.

Also on the show this week I go over a few Marvel books that have been solicited for 2011 including Marvelman Family’s Finest and Marvelman Classic, Captain America: Scourge Of The Underworld, and X-Men: Alpha Flight.

Lastly, I want to thank all of you for your support throughout all the years and may you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. Go Lions!

All this and the New Releases of the Week.

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http://www.collectedcomicslibrary.com/

Today on the show, I focus on one of the “super-groups” of the Marvel universe – The Invaders. What’s interesting about this team, consisting of Captain America, Namor: The Sub-Mariner, The Human Torch and Bucky, is that it was created retroactively in 1975, with all their adventures taking place in World War II. Their series lasted 41 issues and they appeared in only a few other titles throughout the years which included two limited series that revived the team. Today in 2009, The Invaders can be found in two series: Avengers/Invaders and in the pages of Captain America. These important characters, whether they are adventuring as individuals or as a team, are the cornerstones of the Marvel Universe, come learn more about them.

Also on the show, I touch a few news items including the Nexus Archives going black and white and digest size and the Creepy Archives going to 26 volumes.

All this and the New Releases of the Week.

Chris

Addendum: I did record audio to talk about Invaders Classic Volume 2 (Invaders #10-21 and Annual #1) and Invaders Classic Volume 3 (Invaders #22-23 and #25-34), but the audio did not come through as I had hoped.

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Collected Comics Library Podcast #186

25,902Kb; 27m 37s

http://www.collectedcomicslibrary.com/

The first thing I should tell you about this weeks’ episode is that I was planning on reviewing 3 Masterworks not 2. I even went as far as to record the third part of the feature, but I decided to cut it all out during editing, which, if you listen closely, can hear the cuts. The segments I did leave in are Spider-Man Volume 10 and Golden Age Captain America Volume 2. Regarding the latter, you may want to read Rich Johnson’s Lying in the Gutters column, which I refer to, from a few weeks back.

Also on the show this week, Around Comics celebrates their 200th podcast, a PR on Parade with Fireworks from Image Comics and one older item: The Black Terror Omnibus, an “Essential” type book from Age of Adventure due out later this year.

All this including what I’m watching on TV this year and the New Releases of the Week.

Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock Trades, Forbidden Planet International (UK), and Library Binding Company.

Chris

Discuss this topic on the CCL forum

Collected Comics Library Podcast #172

44,687Kb; 37m 55s

http://www.collectedcomicslibrary.com/

The Motor City Con has come and gone and today on the show I go over what I saw, what I bought and who I met. With all that in mind, I have a brand new giveaway of Annihilation Conquest Book 1 HC; details on how to enter are in the show.

Also, today I go over some major Marvel shipping changes and new solicitations from both DC and Marvel. I also have an e-mail from Joe, Forbidden Planet International, introduce you to two new collected edition themed podcasts and give a tease as to what you can expect on the next TwoMorrows Tune-In, all this and the New Releases of the Week.

Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock Trades, Forbidden Planet International (UK), and Library Binding Company.

Chris

Links of Note:
Marvel Noise
Waiting For The Trade
Shawn Amberger

Discuss this topic on the CCL forum