Posts Tagged ‘ human torch ’

Sunday Review – Fantastic Four: The Resurrection of Galactus

March 13, 2011
By

This whole death of the Human Torch has gotten me to pick up both old and new Fantastic Four comics. In my research for last weeks review, Marvel Masterworks FF Volume 1 and Amazing Spider-Man Volume helped me out a great deal. As for the more recent work, I dove into my collection and plucked out the recent release of Fantastic Four: The Resurrection of Galactus Marvel Premiere Classic – (Variant Volume 53). The comics collected here are FF Annual 2001 and (Volume 2) #46-50 (aka #475-479) and for a guy who has never really been a fanboy of the Fantastic Four, it was a bit confusing but once the story got going I was able to follow along. If you know the major players you should be able to sit back, relax and prepare to go on another cosmic ride.

Right off the bat we get the dead head of Galactus crashing into Manhattan; it’s also the cover, so it’s not much of a spoiler. The Avengers offer to help but Reed sends them away stating that this is not to be a concern of theirs. I’m willing to bet money that this early cameo was instated just to show that Iron Man and his gang of merry men are inhabitants of New York, too and so guys like me won’t badger a guy like Joe Quesada at Comic Con with continuity questions. Anyway, Nova, the Frankie Ray Nova, also shows up and after they all have quick visit to the moon to ask the Watcher was is going on, they find out that the universe (or multiverse) is all out of whack. Uatu, himself, has no memory and is mentally imbalanced. Johnny and Frankie set out to find the ultimate nullifier and restore everything back to normal. Along the way the space time continuum has been disrupted and familiar heroes and villains have morphed into echoes of themselves. This includes a homeless Namor and even a few panels given to a gent in a the yellow Daredevil costume called Battlin’ Jack. Fun stuff. But only if you like these types of time traveling alternate universe stories, if you don’t then don’t bother. As you can guess, our favorite purple martain does come back but as far as who the bad guy is, you’ll have to read the comics (or wikipedia) to find out.

I do have one complaint when it comes to the Premiere Classic Editions. I would like to have an updated introduction in the same manner that Marvel does so with their Masterworks. I’ve harped on this before in previous podcasts but my requests have gone unnoticed. If Marvel is going to promote this as one of the greatest story lines of all time, then they should at least explain why it is so important and possibly a few upcoming plot points. And I’m sorry, but repurposing an intro from a 15 year old, previously released, trade paperback edition does not count. A new audience deserves and new introduction. That said, the extras here are pretty thin, no introduction but we do have the covers (yeah!) and the script to the silent anniversary story from Fantastic Four #50, an issue that is better then all the other issues collected in this book. Can Resurrection of Galactus be called a Classic? I’m not sure. But if anyone was to ask me, “where should I start with the Fantastic Four?” I would send them Jack’s way.

Fantastic Four: The Resurrection of Galactus Marvel Premiere Classic (Variant Volume 53)
Written by Carlos Pacheco, Jeph Loeb & Rafael Marin
Art by Carlos Pacheco, Jeff Johnson & Tom Grummett
Covers by Carlos Pacheco
$24.99, 200 pages, Marvel Comics
Collects Fantastic Four Annual 2001 and (Volume 2) #46-50 (#475-479)

Also recommended:
Marvel Premiere Classic: Fantastic Four: In Search Of Galactus (Variant Volume 39)

Sunday Review – Marvel Masterworks: The Human Torch Volumes 1-2

March 6, 2011
By

Let’s get this out of the way early, I liked the Fantastic Four movies. Yes, they were loaded with bad acting, but so are a lot of movies. But com’on we all went to the theater to see the Human Torch special effects. My son also enjoyed them (he is now 11 and we own them on DVD), and they are the types of live action superhero movies that we can watch together, unlike The Dark Knight, and he doesn’t have to follow some drawn out plot, like the X-Men movies. Speaking of Johnny Storm, he’s just plane cool. I fondly remember as a kid of the 70′s not wanting to be Spider-Man or Superman, but a guy who could fly and set things on fire at will (it was a rough childhood). As I grew older, my interests grew up with me, but Johnny stayed the same, he was even a nuisance and crybaby at times. I guess that’s his nature and the producers whole heartily incorporated his narcissism into the movies. Too bad really, because I think it’s time that Johnny grew up into the hero that he was born to be. Of course that may be a problem being that the Human Torch is “dead” now.

While Reed, Sue and Ben have seemingly moved on from Johnny’s demise to create the Future Foundation with Spider-Man (geez, how many team and solo books can he be in anyway?) this is a perfect time to get reacquainted with ‘ol Hot Head before his expected return in Fantastic Four #600 in 2012. And there’s no better place to learn about his roots then a visit, not to the early Fantastic Four comic books (which are great in of themselves), but to the Human Torch short story, solo adventures that ran in Strange Tales #101-134 and are collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Human Torch Volumes 1-2.

If you know your Marvel history then you know that the FF #1 predated the debut of Spider-Man (Amazing Fantasy #15) by about 10 months; November 1961 vs. August 1962. But let’s not forget that the FF appeared in Spider-Man #1 (Mach 1963), setting the stage for the friendly feud between Spidey and Torch, and interestingly enough there was no Fantastic Four book in that hot summer month; #6 was held off until September. But it’s October, 1963 when things really heat up.

Strange Tales was started in 1951, as part of Atlas Comics horror line. As that genre wained, thanks in part to Fredric Werthem, Stan Lee thought that a superhero should be added and since Spider-Man had his own title and the Fantastic Four was popular, there was no better character to take over, and add a bit of a rivalry, Johnny Storm, The Human Torch. Of course Johnny was the Silver Age and second Human Torch. The first being created by Carl Burgos in 1939 for Marvel Mystery Comics and ran from #1-98 and in Human Torch #1-35. Both comics were cancelled in 1949 and after a short resurrection (along with Captain America and the Sub-Mariner in the 1950′s), the Golden Age original faded into obscurity until Fantastic Four Annual #4 (November, 1966).

Johnny’s adventures in Strange Tales differed slightly from Fantastic Four as it was geared for a little younger audience. Here, Lee was more focused on action then science, more earth born street level thugs then cosmic fears from beyond. Johnny was more like his new rival Spider-Man, having to go to high school, have a girl-friend and having to fit in. I can only imagine kids in the early 60′s arguing on the playground who was the better hero (we adults do this now on our own playgrounds called forums). So just keep that in mind if and when you pick these books up.

As for the comics themselves, they are a lot of fun and full of nostalgia and loaded with some of the best talent one book has ever seen. Stan Lee and his brother Larry Lieber do the majority of the writing, but Jerry Siegel (Superman) comes by for #112-113. As for the artwork, that job is left up to Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers who at times turn it over to Steve Ditko, Wally Wood, Bob Powell and the aforementioned, Carl Burgos.

Let’s look at some of the more notable comics:

  • Issue #101 is a reintroduction to the origin of the Human Torch and the Fantastic Four.
  • Issue #106 brings the four of them together (boy, that was quick!), and Reed, Sue and Ben come back for #108-109 (and make other short appearances throughout the run).
  • Issue #107 is one of those books that can’t get reprinted enough; it’s Johnny vs. Namor, The Sub-Mariner in an epic battle that should not be missed! It’s also the fourth appearance of Namor in the Silver Age and his first outside of the FF title.
  • Sandwiched in between Siegel’s brilliant #112 and #113, there is Strange Tales Annual #2. This particular book has Stan writing and Steve Ditko inking Jack Kirby’s pencils and even features Spider-Man – you won’t find this comic in the Amazing Spider-Man Masterworks or The Steve Ditko Visionaries HC!
  • Issue #114 (November 1963) gets even better with the return of Captain America. As a reader of that time, it would have been awesome to witness his return (except his red shorts), but then be somewhat disappointed with the surprise ending. But fear not because Steve Rogers would be resurrected for good, a few months later in The Avengers #4 (March, 1964).
  • Skipping ahead, Johnny’s buddy, Ben Grim comes by and teams up for the run of #121-134. Reading the issues, I’m not sure this move was necessary. One the good side they battle Namor in #125, but this team-up concept without Reed and Sue, helped end the Human Torch in Strange Tales to make way for the super spy, Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

As for the extras in these two Masterworks, Volume 1 only contains an introduction by Dick Ayers while Volume 2 has Bruce Canwell doing that duty. In the second volume there is cover art for the complete 8-issue reprint run (1974-75) of The Human Torch. This series collected the Silver Age, Atlas Age and Golden Age comics that featured The Human Torch. Both volume have creator biographies.

Marvel Masterworks: The Human Torch Volume 1 HC (Variant Volume 66)
Written by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jerry Siegel, Robert Bernstein and Ernie Hart
Art by Dick Ayers, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko
$50.00 ($55.00), 272 pages, Marvel Comics
Collects: Human Torch stories from Strange Tales #101-117 and Strange Tales Annual #2

Marvel Masterworks: The Human Torch Volume 2 HC (Variant Volume 114)
Written by Stan Lee and Larry Ivie
Art by Dick Ayers, Bob Powell, Carl Burgos and Jack Kirby
$50.00 ($55.00), 256 pages, Marvel Comics
Collects: Human Torch stories from Strange Tales #118-134

Also recommended:
Marvel Masterworks: The Golden Age Human Torch HC Volumes 1-3
Marvel Masterworks: The Atlas Era Heroes featuring Marvel Boy, Human Torch, Captain America and Sub-Mariner HC Volumes 1-3

January Comic Book News Review – 3 Strikes and You’re Out!

January 30, 2011
By

We’re one month into 2011 and already it’s been a blockbuster in comic book news:

  • The demise of the Comics Code Authority
  • The immediate cease of Wizard Magazine
  • The Death of Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four

So much negativity. Let’s tackle each one:

DC came out and said it was dropping the Comics Code Authority in favor of its’ own Rating System. The biggest surprise was that the CCA was still in existence! Really, what is their role in the market today? DC, Marvel (who dropped the Code in 2001) and other companies seemingly publishes whatever they want with sex, violence and profanity, and it’s now incumbent upon them to monitor themselves. But don’t worry; there will always be parents, like myself, to monitor what they publish so the wrong book doesn’t fall into the wrong hands in my household. I suppose there was a time for the CCA, but that day has long past and is now puts closure to the Werthem Age of Comics, 1954-2011.

Once Upon A Time…I went to college. While stuck in mid-Michigan in a small town, with no comic book store I got interested in girls and beer. I had more success with the latter. I seldom bought comics when I returned home for Christmas or the summer, but after I graduated I found myself in an office building with a comic store directly across the street. How did I get reintroduced and get caught up with comics? Answer: Wizard Magazine. This, of course, was before the internet and besides chatting it up with the owner of the store, was the only way to get up to speed on storylines and comics that I may have missed. For what it was – in the mid-1990s – it was a good magazine. I especially enjoyed the section in the back where it had a short comic price guide to see what was Hot and what was Not. Wizard, however, did not change with the times and sites like Newsarama and Comic Book Resources took over, not to mention Blogs and Podcasts. As far as the business end goes, it’s a shame because Wizard already had a loyal customer base, staff and most importantly, brand. They shot themselves in the foot by not converting to a web based model. Will the hoarding of conventions work for them? Only time will tell, but their reputation may out weigh their vision and all we’ll be left with is, “Whatever happened to Wizard World Paducah”?

Oh, poor Johnny Storm. I was really hoping it wasn’t going to be you. I was secretly rooting for Reed to bite it. But here we are, left with only fond memories of one of the most iconic heroes in all of comicdom. After all, Johnny was the second Human Torch and the first notable Golden Age character to be reborn post Amazing Adventures #3 (August 1961). FYI, The Silver Age Namor debuted in Fantastic Four #4 (May, 1962) and Captain America in The Avengers #4 (March, 1964). I always felt sorry for Johnny. In the early days Stan Lee made it a point that Human Torch and Spider-Man would be at odds with each other, but it was Peter who was the real jerk, not Johnny. He had similar life issues as Peter because he, too, was a teenager and sometimes Reed, Sue and Ben wouldn’t take him as serious as they should because his superpower reflected that of his personality – Hot Head or Daredevil. So much so, this unredeeming quality is showcased in the major movies and animated series of today. I’d like to think that Johnny has grown over the years to become more of a leader and not the adolescent punk to so many has taken him for. Johnny is a strong character and for as long as he is gone, he will be missed. I, like many of you, expect him back in 12 months when Fantastic Four #600 is published next year. But what if he doesn’t return? What will be the fan reaction? I’d like to think that once a character is dead, he stays dead, but not in Johnny’s case. I’d like to see him return. But for now, “Flame Off”.

Collected Edition Blog browsing on Wednesday afternoon

January 27, 2010
By

Just doing some catching up. Here are some linky-links for you – with comments.

CCL Podcast #208 – Trading The Invaders

February 19, 2009
By

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Collected Comics Library Podcast #208
28,179Kb; 29m 47s

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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