Marvels

1939 to 1974

In the haze of the early nineties I accompanied a close friend, Ben C., up to Washington state. I don't know what we were doing, I am sure I was completely along for the ride with no concerns as to destination or purpose. I do recall, however, it had to do with the fact that he was on a paintball team, and that the bulk of our visit was spent at a teammate's house.

This teammate was a family man, and being an irresponsible but 'grown" kid myself, I was a bit anxious that I was left alone with an actual physical child while Ben discussed paintball business with his colleage. My inhabitions relaxed, however, when I saw that this kid had a stack of comic books. I asked him if he'd mind showing me what he had, and he was happy to oblige.

What he had was, in fact, mostly garbage. In the early nineties the two major comic companies had taken everything that made simple cheap comics so great in the seventies and eighties and twisted it, regurgitated it, commercialized it, overpriced it and dumbified it. But one series the kid had stuck out like a sore thumb and drew my attention like a Blue Morpho butterfly at a maggot convention.

Marvels has two very major spins on traditional comics that launch it's success and work so very well together. The first is that it was the initial showcase of Alex Ross's photo-realistic painting. Using paint in comics had been done before, but never with the care, love, detail and realism of Ross. The second is that the story takes place in the Marvel Universe, but deals with it strictly from the viewpoint of a normal every-man family guy who watches New York get runover by power-mad robot freaks and Atlanteans on a weekly basis. The one-two punch of three dimensional depth and color combined with a story that fleshes out the reality of the Marvel U hypnotized me. Years and years later I still force my wife to gaze upon some of Alex Ross's exceptional cover artwork and admit it's excellence.

Not anyone could've pulled it off. Both Ross and writer Kurt Busiek imbue the Marvels series with an adoration and knowledge of the characters and their history. There is no attempt to re-write the stories for younger audiences or revamp tham to modern trends. The entire series is true to the original Lee and Kirby eras, both in style and content. The setting is very much from World War II into the seventies, covering major turning points in Marvel history from the viewpoint of a Daily Bugle photographer, concurrent with the timeframe of the original comics, much as how I am reading all of my books and comics. Nowadays it just seems like Peter Parker gets bit by a super spider every two years, and the story gets tweaked each time, doesn't it, kids? Well, this is how it all orginally happened, gang- No fancy Oscorp tech or Sam Jackson Nick Fury, just a bunch of nerds in corderoy suits and bow ties, driving '68 Plymouth Valiants.

While not everyone will be amused by the Marvel Universe retrospective or Ross's cameos of real and fictional stars, Alex Ross should earn a Marvel Universe Nobel Peace Prize for his photo-realistic watercolor style which has truly redrawn the comic book industry and made him one of- if not the most- sought out artist in the comic book business.

Education of Oversoul Seven

1973

Based on the teachings of Seth! Seth is apparently a spirit - or oversoul, I guess- who communicated with the author, Jane Roberts, in a psychic fashion. The Books of Seth are transcripts of her conversations with Seth. This I learned from wikipedia.

The Education of Oversoul 7 is a fictionalized account of the history and future of mankind as described by Seth. I guess. I inherited this book in a collection of science fiction novels from an out-of business bookstore, and sci-fi is definately where this book belongs, regardless of how much anyone may beleve in Seth.
There are some suprisingly advanced sci-fi concepts to be found in the story, but the overall kookiness of the oversoul structure and 'Ancient Astronauts' concepts so popular in the seventies leave the reader quite confused about how to regard this book. I regard it as something fun I read but better left in a used-bookstore shelf.

Essential Classic X-Men, Vol. 3

1969-1973

My understanding of the prefixes involved in this volume is that 'Classic' means 'reprint done for money' and 'Essential' means 'done in black and white to save money'. I usually avoid these black and white collections. These comics are antiquated enough, why make them even plainer? Seriously- comics made in b&w are often stylish and designed to look cool in a film noir fashion, especially with color splashed in al'a Sin City. But these old Marvel comics were inked by people who were preparing them for color, and reprinting them to look like generic comics in the newspaper seems to diminish them. But this large tome was the easiest way to access a key span of time in the early X-Men stories that I had never read, and since my library doesn't charge me any more or less for what books I borrow, I happily got essential. And classic.

I'll admit the format allowed for a better appreciation of Neal Adam's artwork. The cover highlights the underappreciated work the infamous Roy Thomas and Adams put into their failed effort to save the X-Men from being canceled. Much of the penciling does shine through in the essential format. And while the introduction of Havok- a Summers kid who is actually more angst-ridden and whiney than his older bro, Cyclops, did nothing to boost sales and prevent the X-Men from getting shit-canned (temporarily), I've always been a long-time fan of Thomas and I think the work, as broken up as it is, holds up as an epic era for the X-Clan.

The real hidden gem was the origin of the Beast (the further mutated Hank McCoy, that is). How Marvel figured their best bet at keeping the X-Men alive was in a Beast solo title is beyond me, but watching his evolution from ape-like humanoid to black furry superbeing to blue fuzzball up to the point where he had to finish his storyline in The Incredible Hulk is pretty interesting stuff to a Marvel-ite who had only read about it in The Official Handbook previously. Nowadays it's pretty common to revamp comic characters, switching up their costumes, powers, personalities, appearance and even origin. But to have Hank leave the X-Men, go solo, mutate farther than any mutant had at that time, and start title-hopping were all very bold moves in 1972. It also set the Beast on the course of his Marvel career- nearly every writer who has touched him has toyed with his mutations and team-status. McCoy will always be the X-Man who may call himself an advisor, a friend or partner to the team, but in truth always has been and always will be an X-Man.

Colonel Butler's Wolf

1973



When my wife brought me home several boxes from the science fiction section of an out-of-business bookstore, there were quite a few novels that had clearly been overflowed from other sections. I found a good number of books in the spy-action-mystery genre, written in the seventies through the nineties. I figured that when I had read them I would pass them along to my father, who is more interested in espionage and intrigue. That was over ten years ago, and this is one of the only book's I've gotten to so far.

A stand alone story which is part of a larger series, I was disappointed by the choppy flow of this book as well as having a hard time following the lingo and culture of early seventies Brits. Interesting main characters gave the book some color and interest, but rare and clipped bits of action were eclipsed by meetings among the characters that dragged on over the course of several chapters. I wanted to like this book, and wouldn't rule out giving Price another try, but can't say this was a good novel by any standards.

Photo Copyright © 2011 Rachel Day.
My favorite part of the book is a throwaway scene in which one of the main characters (Col. Butler, perhaps! I don't remember.) is snooping through a closed building at night and encounters a bad guy who has somehow gone and caught himself on fire. The flaming baddie charges the Colonel and his reaction is to be understandably startled and afraid. While his super-spy brain understands that he is being rushed by a man on fire, he still has a primal reaction of fear at the strange visage. The point is that he compares the man on fire to a demon from James Blish's novel Black Easter. Having just read Black Easter I was very tickled at understanding the arcane reference, and perhaps felt a bit self-congratulatory about my timeline reading clusters.

Anyway, I gave this book to my dad on his last visit to Colorado, and am still awaiting his review.

ADDENDUM: For a much more educated and in-depth review and interview of Anthony Price and his work, please see the blog from which I snagged the pic of the author here.

Voodoo Child: The Illustrated Legend of Jimi Hendrix

September 18, 1970


When my friend and occasional Gentleman Shmoove loaned me this rock and roll graphic novel I was relieved to know that it would only rest in my collection a short time. Written from the perspective of Jimi Hendrix, perhaps, watching his life flash before his eyes on the verge of his own death, it was pretty easy to pinpoint the setting timeline-wise.

This book is a fantastic graphic arts approach to the glory and haze that was Jimi's life. Perhaps less detailed or clear than more formal biographies, Voodoo Child does an excellent job of conveying the emotional impact of the music and life of a rock god.

It came with a CD which Shmoove did not risk loaning to me, understandably. I understand it is rarities and demos, lacking in sound quality but oozing pure Hendrix awesomeness. The inclusion of the disc locks in Voodoo Child as a must-have for Hendrix fans.

I could go on and on about the great artwork, and the legacy of Hendrix on rock, the sixties and the culmination of all that is cool in the world, but instead I direct you to watch the following video NOW.

If you watched the whole video and can't say that your day is a little better for doing so, you are a LIAR.

The Yokota Officers Club

1969 I read this book on the basis of having lived on a military base in Asia as a child, and the recommendation of a fellow "Army Brat" who had read it. I was wary that the setting would be secondary to some kind of 'Joy Luck Club' plot, which would not fit in well with my usual diet of science fiction or comedy. But since I trust my friends I forced myself to be open-minded and check the book out. It is true that the main character does spend the bulk of the novel anguishing over her relationship with her parents and siblings in a way that threatened to lose my interest several times. The military dependant backround did bring back some nostalgia, but my family was never actually in the army or air force, so I didn't truly relate to the angst of an officer's spouse and family. What locked in this book for me is the characters. The mother, Moe, the bratty kids, the mysterious Japanese nanny, Bobby the comedian- they all succeed at breathing life, conflict, humor and love into the story. I'm not sure who to recommend this book to. Army brats? Sure. Affectionados of the military presence in the post WWII pacific arena. I guess. Mostly I suggest it to those interested in the human interest appeal. A great story about great people during an interesting time in an interesting place.

Inherent Vice

1969 Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon I heard about this book when it came out in 2009 when I read a review that largely focused on the era-specific soundtrack. The description of both the classic rock which plays such an integral part of the setting as well as the idea of a well-respected author tackling the counter-culture drug culture of the late sixties in a crime noir story seemed very appealing to me. My understanding is that most of Pynchon's writing covers historical, political fiction and non-fiction and is generally considered dense and unapproachable. 'Vice', however, draws on a very accessible pop-culture content and humor that brings to mind Cheech and Chong more than the NY Times bestseller list. The main character, Doc Sportello, is a lovable mix of The Dude and Fletch who stumbles his way through a parade of intrigues, supernatural and existential mysteries and a cast of characters begging to be performed by a mega-cast in an unavoidable big-screen adaptation. Much of the convoluted and stoned out plot-line is awash with the semblance of social commentary on the excesses of the sixties, the racial tensions and cultural divides of the time, and the onset of a decade sliding quickly toward a technological and monetarily driven eighties. That stuff is there, but is largely overshadowed by the marijuana smoke of hippie humor, free love and deranged mystery action. Serious Pynchon readers may poo-poo the silliness, and serious mystery fans may poo-poo the hallucinations which de-rail any pretense of structured plot. But fans of rock'n'roll, counter-culture and weird humor will revel in this quick and fun read. I doubt Doc Sportello will reappear in my timeline history, but he'd feel very comfortable mingling with anything that came his way there. He and his supporting cast are the sort of folks who most likely were real people at one time, and exist now as super-fictionalized versions of themselves that will live on in fantastic crossover literary universes. By the way, the 'Godzillagans Island' cartoon illustration is ripped shamelessly from Ward Sutton's review which should be reviewed in full here.

Ghandhi's Truth

1969 Ghandhi's Truth Another book which was pressed into my reluctant hands by my Indian friend at work. Once again, I am not sure to what extent my friend has any real interest in Ghandhi per se, or just enjoys making people read something that may perhaps reflect back on him in a literate and worldy way. While most of my co-workers who received this large tome of historical recounting responded by taking it home for a few weeks and then returning it unread, I took it home, made a decision about where it may fit into my timeline and committed myself to the daunting task of forcing my way through a large volume that I had uncertain interests in. Why? I ask myself this question still today, nearly two years after the sludgery of downing dry historical and socialogical musings about a dead (great, but dead nonetheless) man whose excellence was often best personified by inaction. Was it out of a debt to my friend? Was it a semi-conscious urge to better myself by reading something not containing little green men or dudes in capes? Did I think it would give me a better perspective on contemporary graphic novels about Hinduism? Perhaps I was wanting to expand my understanding of the early twentieth century setting of my readings. My overall interest was, it has to be said, just not there, though. In truth the book did contain a lot of interesting facts and musings on Ghandhi's early life, as well as many stories of his early involvement with labor strikes and unions. I read the book as set in the late sixties, as that is the timeframe in which the author visited India and collated interviews and research on Ghandi's life. It is interesting to hear friends and acquantences of Ghandi speak of him. I am quite sure that there were a few passages I read aloud to my wife, as they may have been very interesting, suprising or humorous stories about the man. Although the book served very well as something I could read on an airplane and look intellectual, and it also was a super good paperweight, it mostly worked effectively as a sleeping aid. The length seemed doubled as I could often only get through half a page at a time without nodding off. I recommend this book only to die-hard Ghandi historians. And people who are easily pressured by friends from India.

The Heaven Makers

1968 The Heaven Makers is a science fiction story written by legendary Dune scribe, Frank Herbert. Like much of his writing, it was originally serialized in a sci-fi magazine and later sold as a novel. Although written around the same time as Dune, it lacks the depth and scope of his masterpiece saga, and comes across much more like a satirical send-up of Hollywood. I was thoroughly unimpressed by the book on almost every level, and was not surprised to find other online reviewers sharing my opinion. The story, while hardly worth going into, is about aliens hiding in our oceans and using their advanced technology to film humans while they subtly manipulate our lives to make for entertaining footage. These films are edited and used as mass media entertainment back on the home world. The story rotates both around a human who catches on to the alien presence, as well as an alien investigator sent to sniff out the abuse of power by the Earth-based crazed director and leader. The criticism that this is one of Herbert's worst books is accurate, but there are glimpses of talent and even genius in this otherwise silly and unfleshed short novel. The premise is a dead-on prediction of modern reality TV and commentary that only a deranged alien mind would use human beings as playthings for mindless entertainment. But it is interesting to contrast the broad and cartoonish perspective on the immortality of the Chem against the prolonged life and immortality of the God Emperor of Herbert's much more famous Dune, which took an entire series to develop. It was also a very interesting comparison to read this at the same time as previously reviewed Black Easter by James Blish. In both cases my previous view of the author was upended, but in dramatically opposite directions. I recommend this book to sci-fi fans who still watch cartoons and won't be insulted by the lack of effort Frank Herbert puts out in what has to be considered one of his worst pieces of literature.

Batman: The Long Halloween

1968 The first comic to rebuild Harvey Dent (aka Two-Face) into a household name, The Long Halloween is not full of much originality, but does an incredible job of blending so much of what makes Batman great into a film-noir style cinematic masterpiece. Jeph Loeb is not a household name, but has been behind a lot of popular entertainment going back all the way to the original Teen Wolf and Teen Wolf Too which he co-wrote with his future Heroes collaborator Tim Kring! He has worked on superhero television shows like the Flash and Smallville as well as mega-popular Lost. But he's been collecting comic books since the seventies and writing them since the nineties. Although I think much of his work is over-rated, he consistantly writes with high standards and a love and respect for the genre that better writers often struggle with. The Long Halloween is probably Jeph Loeb's best work, a murder mystery and character piece capped by an artistic vision which is necessary for all great works in the comics world. The quantity of full page Batman spreads does nothing to undermine the fact that Batman just looks... f*ckin' bad-ass in this series. The fantastic art work that captures Batman's awesomeness and also makes old standbys like the Joker and Catwoman seem so fresh is by Tim Sale. I've been a fan of Tim's since his earliest work on my much-beloved Myth Adventures series. Although Loeb and Sale list themselves as mutual storytellers in their frequent collaborations, my opinion is that Loeb's notable works would be far less notable without Sale's style and Eisner-winning talent. The setting was a problem for me. I have been reading some collections of Best Of DC comics characters, such as Batman, and have been reading them according to when they were written. Cartoon and comic characters like these just never traditionally aged, like Charlie Brown and Bart Simpson. But unlike the Sunday funnies, Marvel comics came along and started taking their storylines seriously and DC followed suit. So eventually DC Comics had to address their decades of continuity by wiping out the 50 years of unaging backstory in the first historic Crisis and relaunching the origins and backstories of all the DC characters. I haven't read a lot of those relaunches (aka 'Year One'), and I truly don't know if they were given any specific time-setting other than 'prior to now'. But I do own and covet the Frank Miller Batman Year One. The Long Halloween is generally conceded as occuring in that universe. In reviewing both volumes, I made the call that the fashion and technology reflected in the art was a gritty late-sixties look. Maybe 15 years is too long a span than mid-eighties writers had in mind... Maybe I should have waited until I got to the eighties to read all of the Year One volumes and then bounce back into modern continuity... Maybe I should have sheltered my kids from all Star Wars media so they wouldn't know who Vader was when they first saw Episode IV.. The bottom line was that I was pumped to read Long Halloween and made the call that 1968 was a good time frame. Especially in light of knowing the huge influence it had on the recent Dark Knight movie. And although the storyline is convoluted enough that I had to re-read the plot on Wikipedia to remember the conclusion of the mystery, I was not disappointed in the least. I gave the graphic novel 5 out of 5 on Good Reads, and would whole heartedly recommend it to casual Batman fans who may not read comics normally but could dig getting into something with substance. If you liked the latest Batman movies, or would like to read a series that is likely to stay on the top ten list of Batman comics for a very long time, then The Long Halloween is a must read.