Magnum Mania!

I have no issue with it.

If ladies want to get into comic books, good for them!

I also think the cos-players are of a different ilk than the general female comic book fan, though, so it may not be a representative sample.

(I also have no issue with the cos-players)

Doc Ibold wrote:I have no issue with it.

If ladies want to get into comic books, good for them!

I also think the cos-players are of a different ilk than the general female comic book fan, though, so it may not be a representative sample.

(I also have no issue with the cos-players)

I agree, I'm glad to see the expansion of the appreciation of comics. They've come a long way baby.

The cos-play thing I don't get. Don't get me wrong, people have done amazing jobs with the accuracy of their costumes, I just don't understand it. But hey, some people quilt. I don't get that either. I do also think there's just a little bit of exhibitionism going on. But, to quote Jerry Seinfeld "not there's anything wrong with that".

ConchRepublican wrote:Currently I'm reading the beginning of the Frank Miller/Klaus Janson run on Daredevil, featuring Elektra and Kingpin

This is where my comic book phase began in the early 80s. I really got into Daredevil and collected tons of them. I have most of the complete run from #1 to #200 in storage...somewhere! I read a bunch of stuff in the 80s, mostly Marvel. Spiderman, X-Men, Secret Wars series, some Superman. Really liked Wolverine (not original, I know). I think my favourite comic of all time in terms of storyline was a one off Spiderman vs Wolverine.

I know lots of guys are still into comics, but I don't really like the more "adult" feel they have. I like my comics playful and child-like. Oh yeah, speaking of which, I read a lot of Archie back then too! I don't really consider Mad to be a comic, but I guess it is. So lump me in with the Mad fans. I actually still read back issues from the 70s and 80s whenever I get a chance.

Styles Bitchley wrote:

ConchRepublican wrote:Currently I'm reading the beginning of the Frank Miller/Klaus Janson run on Daredevil, featuring Elektra and Kingpin

This is where my comic book phase began in the early 80s. I really got into Daredevil and collected tons of them. I have most of the complete run from #1 to #200 in storage...somewhere!

I have most of the Miller-Janson stuff. I loved Miller's--and later, Denny O'Neil's--run on Daredevil. My collection is most of that stuff up to and around #207. I was out of then-current comics by the time of Miller's "second coming" in 1986 or so, but have caught up with that brief run as well. Loved it.
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Well, it took me nearly three years to "pull the trigger", but at last I have Uncanny X-Men Masterworks Volume 8. This one went out of print fast even though it was only released in early 2012. There was one precious copy left at my local comic shop that I have been eyeing for months. How it managed to survive the release of an X-Men movie and remain on the shelf is a milagrito. I "had to" get it.



Volume 8 collects issues #160-167; the "Sleazoid (Brood) Saga" of my youth, specifically sixth grade. I remember discovering these comics in that b_tch Mrs. Nitti's reading class when Noel F. brought in his entire collection for all the comic nerds to read. I borrowed the entire story line and of course loved it, though I knew even then that it was a glorified Alien ripoff. However, the story remains powerful because I think being among truly outrageous beings shows just how human our Mutant heroes really are, which was the whole point of the series since the beginning.

The Brood saga was a huge deal back when these books were published. How nice that it led into Paul Smith's brilliant, but woefully short, run as Uncanny X-Men artist.

Speaking of the art, I wasn't crazy about Dave Cockrum's "new" art style upon his return to the book but by the time of the Brood saga, his work was once again superb. Maybe it had to do with Dave doing those outer space stories so well.

To witness the comics I knew upon their original publication getting the Masterworks treatment thirty years after the fact almost brings my X-Men days full circle. I'll have to wait until volume 9 is released next month. Volume 9 signifies both the peak and ultimate end of my childhood comic reading days.

Included in the Uncanny X-Men Marvel Masterworks Volume 9 that I received last week is the near-legendary 1982 graphic novel, GOD LOVES, MAN KILLS, which I call near-legendary because it was unattainable to young me back in '82 due to the imposing $5.95 cover price, so I've never read this until now. GLMK was intended as a "prestige" publication as the book's creator's are named "Christopher Claremont" and "Brent Eric Anderson" for this title. I'm 27 pages into it--I'm savoring this for my night-time reading--and it really is intense stuff, especially for the time period. Cheers to MMW for including this tale along with the Wolverine miniseries and regular UXM run.

I collected Spiderman, Batman, Ironman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comics when I was a teenager in the 1990s.
I really liked the Todd McFarlane Spiderman- his drawings are so dynamic.

I have a complete, authentic Indiana Jones costume all made by the same sources as the original costume and collect Star Wars prop replicas every now and then but it's a hobby I don't have much time for and I'd never go to a convention or the like. Most fans of these things scare me.

Danno wrote:I collected Spiderman, Batman, Ironman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comics when I was a teenager in the 1990s.
I really liked the Todd McFarlane Spiderman- his drawings are so dynamic.

I have a complete, authentic Indiana Jones costume all made by the same sources as the original costume and collect Star Wars prop replicas every now and then but it's a hobby I don't have much time for and I'd never go to a convention or the like. Most fans of these things scare me.

Sounds familiar, Danno. I think you and I would get along well!

You never know who you'll run into in the comic pages:



From X-Men Annual #7 (1983)

It's The Impossible Man-as-Tom-Selleck-as-Thomas-Magnum. The entire issue is a bit of madness. I'm reading it and a bunch of other great comics, in the aforementioned Uncanny X-Men Marvel Masterworks Vol. 9

Little Garwood wrote:You never know who you'll run into in the comic pages:



From X-Men Annual #7 (1983)

It's The Impossible Man-as-Tom-Selleck-as-Thomas-Magnum. The entire issue is a bit of madness. I'm reading it and a bunch of other great comics, in the aforementioned Uncanny X-Men Marvel Masterworks Vol. 9

Funny stuff!

Little Garwood wrote:You never know who you'll run into in the comic pages:



From X-Men Annual #7 (1983)

It's The Impossible Man-as-Tom-Selleck-as-Thomas-Magnum. The entire issue is a bit of madness. I'm reading it and a bunch of other great comics, in the aforementioned Uncanny X-Men Marvel Masterworks Vol. 9

I remember that issue!

There was an early New Mutants issue where they were watching MPI as well.

I guess X-Men scribe Chris Claremont was a big Magnum, P.I. fan!

Another Magnum comics reference, this time with the Distinguished Competiton.

ConchRepublican wrote:Another Magnum comics reference, this time with the Distinguished Competiton.

Nice catch, Peter. Never heard of that comic before.

Styles Bitchley wrote:

ConchRepublican wrote:Another Magnum comics reference, this time with the Distinguished Competiton.

Nice catch, Peter. Never heard of that comic before.

Yeah, this was one of those re-imaginings of a previous character, Johnny Thunder who was bonded to the mystical Thunderbolt, a genie type creature. This took place on Earth-2 a little prior to the Crisis but didn't really take.

The Crisis really ruined DC for me, I liked their Earth-2 characters and they were significantly altered by the event.

I'm attending my first(!) comic convention this Sunday, Florida SuperCon. Some of my old comic book creator heroes will be there and I hope to hold back my fanboy enthusiasm lest I lose my last remaining shreds of dignity ("Conduct yourself like Selleck, Conduct yourself like Selleck").

Here's some recent reading:

Captain America- War & Remembrance

Reprints the brief-but-brilliant Stern-Byrne run of 1980 (issues #247-255)



The Avengers- Absolute Vision, Book I



After some decidedly rough going since the troubled issue #200, Earth's Mightiest Heroes were in a moribund state, creatively speaking. Yes, there were some decent moments but overall the book from #200-226 was not usually good readin'...

Roger Stern



..until "Uncle" Roger Stern took the writing helm and moved the Assembled out of the ditch and onto the highway again. While the art by Al Milgrom and Joe Sinnott was merely serviceable (though some later quality art from John Buscema and Tom Palmer was superb), it does have its Silver Age charm. However, it's the stories that make this run worth checking out.