The past few weeks I’ve been savoring DC’s new offering of the Steve Ditko Omnibus Volume 1. This book features two short lived series Shade, The Changing Man (8 issues) and Stalker (4 issues). Both series are visually stunning and the stories are compelling and left me wanting more, sadly that didn’t happen from Ditko, although Shade did come back in a few different incarnations including his own Vertigo series. Look for more Shade in Justice League Dark. Stalker, on the other hand, would fit well in Demon Knights, if DC ever decides to bring him back (which they have done on more then one occasion). But more importantly, I give a complete rundown of all the other contents in this massive book, and there is a lot to go over including revealing the other artists and writers that created a whole host of comics that have never been reprinted until now.

I also go over my initial reaction to the first 2 weeks of DC Comics New 52. In short, I’m impressed with many titles, but some left me saying, “Thanks for the #1, but no thanks to #2″. Find out what made my cut!

Lastly, I go over the upcoming 2011 Detroit Fanfare and the Comics Podcasting Panel which is this weekend! Yes, the panel will be recorded and uploaded when it is ready next week:
Chris Marshall, Collected Comics Library
Mike Pfeiffer, Most People Are DJs
Zack Kruse, Distinguished Comic Book Podcast
Stevie Disme, Comic Book Queers
Derek Coward, Comic Book Noise
Dan, Comic Related
Should be a great show, please join us for a great time!

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In Pre 2011 Comic Con Collected Edition News:

• Titan will be showcasing or debuting several new books including: Zack Snyder’s The Art of Sucker Punch, with New Cover and Signed Book Plates (Comic-Con Exclusive); Hardware: The Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss – Limited Edition; Joe Simon – My Life in Comics, Signed Autobiography by Joe Simon; Drew Struzan – Oeuvre (Limited Edition with print); Tank Girl: Skidmarks TPB, signed by the artist Rufus Dayglo; signed copies of the gorgeous Hagar The Horible 1974/1975, and exclusive signed copies of Beetle Bailey 1965.
• Image Comics: The Infinite #1, Hardcover comic – exclusive to San Diego Comic Con by Rob Liefeld and Robert Kirkman
• IDW: Walter Simonson’s The Mighty Thor: Artist’s Edition, This collection presents Thor 337-340 and 360-362—Simonson’s first story, followed by one of his favorite story arcs, 176 pages, black and white, hardcover, Print run: 500, Price: $100; Dave Stevens Complete Sketches & Studies HC, For several years, Dave Stevens self-published four sketchbooks to sell specifically at the San Diego Comic Con. This volume collects the entire contents of those four sketchbooks, plus approximately 100 additional sketches that have never before been published, 256 pages, 8″ x 12″, Print run: 300 each, Price: $50; Fat Tarino and Popbot Big Beautiful Book Slipcase HC by Ashley Wood, collects the long sold-out Popbot Volumes 1-8. Slipcased hardcover, 360 pages, 12″ x 12″ and slipcased hardcover, 400 pages, 11” X 14”, Print run: 500 each, Price: $100 and $125
• NBM: The Lives of Sacco & Vanzetti HC by Rick Geary, Price: $15.99; Kinky & Cosy HC by Nix, $15.99; Little Nothings: My Shadow In The Distance by Lewis Trondheim, $14.99
• Archia: Rust: Visitor In The Field HC, by Royden Lepp, Price: $24.95

Thanks to Rich @ Bleeding Cool for the above info

In other Collected Editions news

• Hermes Press has announced that Due to high orders, they have limited quantities of the remaining stock of The Phantom: The Complete Newspaper Dailies—Volume 3. SO if you want one, you better get on it ASAP.
• Marvel (has announced via the Marvel Masterworks site): Marvel Masterworks Captain Marvel Volume 4 (Variant Vol. 173), collects Captain Marvel #34-46, $59.99, January 11, 2012 and Marvel Masterworks Tales to Astonish Volume 4 (Variant Vol. 174), collects Tales to Astonish #31-51 and #54, $59.99, January 18, 2012

Lastly, if you are a fan of Dynamite’s Project Superpowers line of comics, Joe Rybandt assures me that it will return sometime in the next few months.

I’ve been meaning to have Blake Bell on the podcast ever since I did my Steve Ditko retrospective in February, 2010. You can consider this, Part 5, if you would like, but we also talk about another icon – Bill Everett, who created Namor, The Sub-Maniner and co-created Daredevil.

It’s a candid discussion on what made the 1950′s such a special time for comic books and the toll it sometimes took. Blake talks about their lives and the fast paced industry that kicked off the Marvel (Silver) Age of comics. We also discuss Blake’s other works including the 2011 Eisner nominated (Best Comics-Related Book) Fire and Water: Bill Everett, the Sub-Mariner, and the Birth of Marvel Comics, I Have To Live With This Guy! (TwoMorrows Publishing), Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko, The Steve Ditko Archives series and the upcoming Amazing Mysteries: The Bill Everett Archives Volume 1.

I want to sincerely thank Blake, and Fantagraphics,  for coming on the podcast!

In 2010 I made a commitment to discover Steve Ditko on my own. Thanks to the Marvel Masterworks, I read his run in Amazing Spider-Man and Dr. Strange. I picked up several other books including The Steve Ditko Visionaries, Stranger Suspense: The Steve Ditko Archives Volume 1, The Art Of Steve Ditko, The World Of Steve Ditko and I have amassed just about every one of his recent self published work with Robin Snyder. And if you follow the CCL blog and podcast on a regular basis, you know that I produced a 4-part series on his career in February 2010.

Since then I’ve kept up on my Ditko reading and discoveries whether it be in Steve Saffel’s Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s Superheroes or the Creepy and Eerie Archive series. I also picked up The Creeper by Steve Ditko which is a collection of his contributions to one of his most bizarre creations. For all intents and purposes, Jack Ryder is a culmination of the more heroic Vic Sage, The Question and his more hardcore avenging crusader, Mr. A. You’ll note that all three characters look like one another and even wear the trademark fedora. The also have their own similar sense of justice and lack of compassion for the vile. Jack is by far the most extreme when it comes to behavior and look. The Creeper costume molded to him, for lack of a better term, when he was given a super-soldier like serum to save his life by Dr. Yatz. With the help of a transmitter he can change back and forth between the man, Jack Ryder and the anti-hero, The Creeper. The serum does seem to get the best of Jack at times even causing him to go insane and changing at will. He battles the typical gangsters but eventually has his own foe called Proteus. He’s a fun character and has even been seen in more recent comics like the Reign In Hell series.

As for this book, it only collects the Steve Ditko stories; Showcase #73 (1968), Beware The Creeper #1-6 (1968-69), 1st Issue Special #7 (1975), his run in World’s Finest Comics #249-255 (1978-79) and the black and white Enter Dr. Storme story which was slated for Showcase #106 but was shelved due to the DC Implosion. It was only printed in Cancelled Comics Cavalcade #2 (1978). As much fondness I have for Ditko, it would be nice to have a full omnibus of all the early material through the 1970’s. You can visit the DCU Guide to see The Creeper’s chronology. Beside the CCC #2 there is no real bonus material like sketches or unused artwork. There is a short, but nice, introduction by Steve Niles (30 Days Of Night) in which he talks up Watchmen by Alan Moore and even Frank Miller and basically spoils the Creeper’s origin from Showcase #73. But really, that’s OK because there is so much more to this character. He’s ever changing and evolving and this book has piqued my interest to Beware The Creeper even more.

The Creeper by Steve Ditko HC
Written by Steve Ditko, Don Segall, Dennis O’Neil and Michael Fleischer
Art by Steve Ditko and others
Cover by Steve Ditko
Introduction by Steve Niles
$39.99, 256 pages, DC Comics
Collects Showcase #73, Beware The Creeper #1-6, 1st Issue Special #7, short stories from World’s Finest Comics #249-255, and an unpublished story for Showcase #106 (The 25-page story, entitled “Enter Dr. Storme,” is written and illustrated by Ditko, and features an appeance by Ditko’s character The Odd Man. It will be printed in black and white).

Also recommended:
The Steve Ditko Omnibus Vol. 1 Starring Shade The Changing Man
Action Hero Archives Volumes 1-2

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

I’m pleased to have J. David Spurlock on today’s podcast. David has been an industry icon for the better part of 30 years. He is an author and illustrator as well as the founder of Vanguard Productions, which showcases the art and history of some of comics legendary creators. Vanguard is also the home of several great reprint projects including the upcoming Frank Frazetta’s White Indian and Johnny Comet. We get in to all sorts of fun topics including why Wally Wood is the World’s Second-Best Comic Book Artist of all time and the origins of Vangaurds’ Sketchbook series of books.

Vanguard Productions
Vanguard Productions on Facebook

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Sometimes when it rains it pours! Thhis week we’ve had a plethora of news come down from a number of companies. I covered a few items on my post this past Saturday, but since then and even through this morning more and more great collected editions have been announced:

• DC Comics for May and June. Expect July and August items as well as Vertigo title to be posted in the next day or two. Including the Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and New Teen Titans Omnibus’
• Brenda Starr from Hermes Press
• The mega 3-Volume Alex Toth slipcase from IDW and Library of American Comics. Also coming out is info on the Fish Police Volume 1, collecting #1-4 and True Blood Volume 1, collecting #1-6
• Fantagraphics To Publish Floyd Gottfredson’s Mickey Mouse
• Rosebud Archives and Rick Marschall will publish Percy Crosy’s Skippy vs. The Mob: The Fight for Vesey Street and the American Soul Volume 1

All this and the New Releases of the Week.

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I’ve read scores of hardcovers and trade paperbacks over the years. Countless character moments and story lines, too. But what about the men (and women) behind the comics that we pick up every Wednesday? Where do the ideas or artistic talent come from? I’ve been getting into more and more biographies lately because, truth be told, I feel I’ve hit a ceiling. I’ve read just about every comic on anyone’s Top 100 List the past two decades or so and I want learn learn more about the people behind it all. Sure Introductions and Afterwords in Absolutes and Omnibuses are fine but they only give you a glimpse as to what the creator was thinking at the time. That’s where books like Modern Masters from TwoMorrows Publishing comes in handy. They are chock full of interviews and insights that we readers rarely get to see. Other companies like Fantagraphics, IDW, Abrams and DC and Marvel are making great strides these days, too. So today we take a look at a few of my favorites biographies and I ask for some of yours.

Also on the show this week: Canada Reads and Essex County, The Complete Lynda Barry and e-mails regarding Archie Comics and binding your own hardcovers.

All this and the New Releases of the Week.

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It’s nothing big but it caught my eye nonetheless. Both Fantagraphics and IDW are publishing retrospectives on the work of Alex Toth.

November 2010 (moved from October 2010)
IDW Publishing - Genius, Isolated: The Life And Art Of Alex Toth by Dean Mullaney and Bruce Canwell, $49.99

January 2011 (moved from October 2010)
Fantagraphics - Setting the Standard: Alex Toth at Standard Comics 1952-1954 by Greg Sadowski, $29.99

Reading the official solicitaions I gather the the IDW book will be more of an art book and the Alex Toth at Standard Comics book looks to be more like the Steve Ditko Archives (Fantagraphics). I’m a big fan of the late, great Toth and any chance to see his work is OK in my book.

But here’s the intestesting part, this is the second time that IDW and Fantagraphics published a retospective on the same person. You may recall that Steve Ditko was chosen to be the subject not too long ago.

July 2008
Fantagraphics - Strange & Stranger World Of Steve Ditko HC by Blake Bell, $33.99

December 2009
IDW Publishing - The Art Of Steve Ditko HC by Craig Yoe, $29.99

Of course it’s not uncommon that companies publish similar books, but both Ditko and Toth are two of my favorites so I thought it’s worth mentioning.

I wonder who will be next? Larry Lieber?

In the meantime you can here what I sounded like just before I went south as I had my monthly conversation with John Mayo on his Comic Book Page podcast when John and I went over the January 2010 Sales Figures.
Here are some other great links from this past week.

• Dark Horse Comics Solicitations For June 2010. Hardcover Archives include: Eerie Volume 5 (reprinting Eerie #23-27), Flash Gordon Comic Book Volume 1 (reprinting seven complete comics originally published from 1947 through 1953), Mighty Samson Volume 1 (reprinting the first seven comic books from the original 1960s Mighty Samson series).
• Friend of the CCL, Timothy Callahan, Staff Writer CBR, in his latest When Words Collide column takes a look at 15 Upcoming Collections That Matter. Yes – Steve Ditko does matter! And thanks for the mention, Tim!
• Kevin Melrose, CBR’s Robot 6, reports that Apple’s iBookstore designates Comics & Graphic Novels as top-tier category. On a related note, I plan on getting an iPad not only for me to read digital comics, but also as a second computer/media player for the family. I’ll report back from time to time and let you know how it goes.
• Heidi MacDonald, The Beat, has the lowdown on the 2010 Doug Wright Award nominees
• Of the many, many, many blogs I subscribe to via RSS, I really like Comics Bronze Age by Andrew Wahl. Andrew has just released the 2010 Print Edition of Comics Bronze Age. Please support his site by donating $1.00. I did!
• Rich Johnston has interesting news on a guy selling Zenith Trade Paperbacks. Yes those Zenith Trade Paperbacks!